Mnong'ono stopped to stretch as she crossed the borders of the Pridelands into the rogue lands. It was out here she would do some hunting. The herds of the Pridelands had not been appealing to her today, the wildebeest and the zebra were getting boring. She wanted a challenge, maybe she could find a giraffe, or perhaps a buffalo. That would be fun.
Enough thinking, she thought to herself.
She lifted her nose to the air, hoping a scent would come her way. The breeze was soft on her face, it ruffled her fur as stood there, hoping to find a direction. And there was one, what it was she wasn't sure, some kind of prey-beast, definitely.
The golden lioness set out to see what she would find.
Green paws scratched at the old and dry bones that lay in her makeshift den. Long had it been since she'd sucked the last fibres of meat off of them. Janikiwiti had been lucky with this particular Zebra. Bitten by a snake, it was already quite weak, and not far from her home. She was fortunate enough to come across it just as it had died. She had managed to drag it back home, though it was only small, and had carefully rationed out portions which managed to sustain her just enough for a long period of time.
She didn't hunt. She'd never needed to know. She did now, now that she was alone in the rogue lands without any hunters and huntresses to catch food for her. She had, along the way from her old pride, managed to snag some prey here and there, and she had on occasion had help, but for the most part, she had gotten lucky, or gone hungry for a time, whichever came first.
Her stomach growled. She was hungry. She hadn't eaten for a few days. Food was important.
Janikiwiti sighed. She was older than most of the lions out here, she wasn't as quick as them, and certainly wasn't as skilled. She hoped this time she would find something.
Her thin frame left the den and set out to try her luck.
The lioness continued on her way, the scent getting stronger as she gained ground. Soon, she could see it in her sight. It was a gazelle, alone, drinking from a small stream of water.
Mnong'ono begun the steps she'd done so many times before. She paused, so stiff that she was barely breathing. She positioned herself down wind. She crouched low, blending into the grass. And she watched. She would study the prey beast for a moment before striking, making sure she could predict it's movements once it realized there was a lioness chasing it down.
It looked kind of young, so it's reactions would be swift. Gazelles were good at leaping at any direction so she had to be sure to watch for that.
Finally, satisfied with her assessment, Mnong'ono began to creep forward, keeping low and making no sound at all.
Jani scrambled about. She was being quiet, but it wasn't that quiet. She tried to see if she could catch a scent but her nose was not trained. She would just have to go blindly, and hope that she would come across something.
She looked around her surroundings in despair. They were not what she had grown up in, it was dry out here, the sun shone brightly, the sky was bright blue, everything was vibrant. It had been different in the Marshlands, the swampy pridal lands of the Tete'boma always held a greyish hue, thanks to the mist that seemed to constantly shroud their home. It was a distant memory now.
Perhaps there would be something down by the stream! Jani turned and made her way to the watering hole she frequented.
There was, her golden eyes grew wide and her stomach growled. She launched herself at the drinking beast, any thoughts of being tactical gone with her overpowering hunger.
She was anything but stealthy, and the Gazelle was quick to react, leaping away swiftly and leaving the green lioness without any food.
Jani hung her head and her stomach growled even louder. She would go hungry again.
It was all over before Mnong'ono could move. She had been ready to pounce, to make her move, and then out of nowhere sprung a green lioness who gave the Gazelle almost a year's notice of her approach. It was gone within seconds and now there was nothing in front of her but the green lioness looking forlorn.
She rose from her place, no longer needing to be hidden away and crouched ready to strike. She looked at the green lioness. She looked a bit older than her, and her fur was quite bedraggled. She was thin too. That was never good.
Mnong'ono decided she would help this lioness, if she would accept it.
"You certainly made a mess of that, but it's not a problem, there is always more opportunities out there," she called out as she approached, slightly cautiously as she wasn't sure how the green lioness would respond.
Jani jumped back at the sound of another. She was always wary of unexpected visitors.
She turned to face the golden lioness. She didn't seem like she was out to harm her, but she couldn't be sure.
"That is close enough, please," she called out, her voice weak from hunger and exhaustion.
"Please, I am fine, go about your business." She hoped she would go away. Strangers always wanted something in return.
Mnong'ono stopped still, as per the lioness's wishes. She did not want to startle her further.
"Please, I can help you," she said quietly, hoping the lioness would take her up on her offer.
"My name is Mnong'ono, I am a huntress of the Pridelands, we can help you there." The Pridelands could offer the lioness safety and warmth and food, all things it looked like the green lioness sorely needed.
"You can trust me."
Jani listened, her stomach aching from hunger, her eyes heavy from lack of sleep, her bones aching from the harsh den she had created for herself.
Help was something she needed. But she was a lady. Lady's didn't take help.
She looked at the cream lioness, her gold eyes meeting hers. She was offering her a better life. A place she could finally be safe and secure. Maybe it was time.
Tears flowed from the green lioness's eyes as she finally realised she needed the help of others. She had been on her own for too long, barely surviving, it was time for her to be safe once more.
"Please, please help me, I have been so lonely, I have struggled, I have seen many things. I cannot keep on like this." Her voice cracked from the emotion.
Mnong'ono almost wept when she watched the other lioness break down. She was glad she had decided to take her help, she definitely looked like she needed it.
"We have everything you need, a safe den, food, water, a place to call home, a family." These were all things Mnong'ono had sought and found when she joined the Pridelands, she would see this lioness would get those things too.
"Come, let me take you to your new home," she indicated with her head and walked over to the green lioness to offer her support as the made their way home.
"I would like all of that," she muttered. She had made the right choice, finally.
"Thank you for your kindness," said to the lioness.
"I am Janikiwiti, and I am grateful for your compassion." And she truely was, for she had been alone for so long, she had forgotten what it was like have the help of another, and now she would have the help of many.
"Let's go home," she said softly as the leaned on the other lioness.
They made their way back to the Pridelands, Jani telling Mnong about her life and growing up a lady and how she came to be in the roguelands, and Mnong telling Jani all about the Pridelands.
