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The ruler of the pride had asked to speak to her. Her whole body was tense and for the first time in a long time, she felt scared. Scared for herself and her soon to be born cubs. When she arrived at the pride, she had no idea that she was soon going to be pregnant. Now that months had passed it was easy to tell she was to have cubs. Once she realized what was happening to her, she decided to stay in the pride.
The rogue lands were unpredictable at best. If she wasn't pregnant it wouldn't have been a problem. However she was slower now and she had to be careful. Majanga had been generous to her and gave her her own den to rest in. His son Izrail was in charge of making her feel at home. He would walk her around the pride, make sure she had plenty to eat and generally be kind to her.
Majanga did not spend a lot of time with her, something she was secretly grateful for. Despite his kindness to her she did not trust him. When he requested an audience with her, she couldn't refuse. She could not afford to be rude to the ruler of the pride. Izrail was her guide to Majanga's den. The other pride members made themselves scarce as she walked by.
“Here is my father's den.” Izrail said, bowing his head.
“Thank you,” Mazal nodded her head toward him before walking in.
Majanga was near the entrance, so she didn't have far to walk. She sat down in front of him, though she kept her distance.
“I am glad to see that you are doing well Mazal.” Majanga greeted. “I hope you are doing well.”
She nodded. “I am doing fine. I believe that I'll be giving birth within the next few days.” She didn't know if she would be ready to be a mother. All she could do was make sure the cubs stayed safe. That's the best thing she could do for them. “Once they are strong enough to travel I will leave the pride. I will do my best to repay my debt to you and your son.”
She did not like owing others. Once she could, she would hunt for them and provide as much food as they needed.
“You do not need to worry about that. I want to keep you and your future cubs safe. You are more then welcome to stay in my pride as long as you need. You have my protection.” He said. “The reason I asked you to come here, is that I was hoping you would be willing to stay longer. I have been worried about the lands around my pride. We have angered other prides in the area because of our protection of rogues. I feel it would be safer for you and your cubs to stay in the pride. At least till they are older.”
Before she said anything, she allowed a silence to fall on their conversation. What was he planning? “I don't think that's a good idea. I do not enjoy staying put for too long. I also need to seek out their father. He would want to know about the cubs.” She said.
Majanga nodded his head. “I understand. If you would like I can send one of my apprentice out to find the father. That way you and your cubs and remain safe.”
Mazal shook her head. “I can find him myself.”
Majanga wished that the lioness wasn't so independent. She carried a litter of cubs that could help him. And yet she wanted nothing to do with him. He knew exactly what he would have to do. Everything would have been easier if she had just wanted to stay in the pride. She was a strong warrior, even if she wasn't currently at the top of her game.
“Alright, I will stop persisting. If you need anything though, please do not hesitate to ask.” Majanga said, getting up to walk her out. She got up and walked to Izrail who was waiting by the entrance. “Izrail, please continue making Mazal happy during her stay.
Izrail bowed his head. “Of course father.” He said, before walking Mazal back to her den.
Majanga stood and watched them leave. He did not enjoy the death of others when they could prove useful to him. The potentiality Mazal had was extremely high. From the moment he saw her he felt like he had meant a kindred spirit. He wouldn't be surprise if she had once been a feared killer. It was one of the many reasons he had opened up the pride to her.
It was a pity she had no interest in staying though.
Death was always waiting for fools. And despite her skills, she was a fool. Majanga had offered her and her future cubs safety. She didn't accept his gift.
As much as he would have like to have her taken care of swiftly, he still needed her to be able to take care of the cubs. Her death would be a slower one. He looked at her and his son as they almost reached her den. The decision had been made. Once they were safely in her den, he left his den. There were preparations to be done. Right now he could not afford to waste anytime.
When she reached her den, she went to the corner and laid down. Majanga had provided furs for her to lay on. She hated to admit that the walk had taken a lot out of her. “I cannot wait for this to be over.” She complained. Izrail looked are her with sympathy.
“I'm sorry we don't have a healer to help with your pregnancy.” He said. “Is there something else I can get you?”
She thought about it. The poor lion was constantly trying to do whatever he could for her. “Why don't you sit down and just talk to me? Or tell me a story. I just would like some time to really relax.” She said. Right now she wasn't hungry or in much pain. Having someone near by to talk to was good enough for her.
Izrail nodded.
Majanga looked into the eyes of Sendatu. He rarely called on her for help. Only in desperate time. “I need your assistance.”
The cruel smile of the lioness spread. “Of course you do. I assume you know the price.”
A price worth the poison the lioness would provide.
WC: 1,090
