[PRP] Challenge Accepted (Ubukhosi & Tawa'shilah)

[Quaji]

Fresh grooves etched into the mottled acacia bark as Ubukhosi slid back down onto the dry grass. The sound of it crunching beneath her paws only irritated the young lioness further; failure to her ears. She paced around the trunk of the tree, dappled by the sunlight that trickled from above through the expansive branches that hung overhead. Ubukhosi's eyes squinted, adjusting to the intense morning light. Rising before the sun was no miraculous feat for her. It was the norm, her mother rising to find her already gone for the day. No, what was a strange sight was that her efforts were not being put towards joining the others in the pride-wide hunt for the missing herds, or that she was not scouting for and watching over the small satellite bands that still remained in the Bonelands; a common activity of hers.

No, instead of her normal tasks, Ubukhosi was adding more wear to the already existing worn path around the base of this singular acacia tree.

Ubukhosi huffed, completing her circuit thrice more times before planting herself down on her haunches. Idly her tail swept the ground, brushing dust, and branches into piles as it swayed in both thought and annoyance. How in the world was she going to get up this damned tree?  

[SilverLutz]

Tawa plodded through the tall grass slowly, eyes tracking a bird that flew overhead. It wasn't a vulture but perhaps it could lead him to something promising. He - along with most of the Bonelands - was getting desperate. Something had to be done and if the Abholi didn't figure out what the right path was, he was going to speak up. Before he'd lost his mate he'd been more outgoing and would speak his mind, but since then he'd become more solitary and quiet. He was a Firekin by birth, though, and he would only stay quiet for so long before he put his paw down.

Something caught his eye and drew him away from watching the bird. A lioness was circling a tree over and over, staring up at the branches as if she'd managed to send some sort of prey up there and was unable to get it. Intrigued, Tawa abandoned his mystery bird and shifted to head for the lioness.

As he got closer he recognized Ubukhosi, her pelt and tuft recognizable as he closed the distance between them.

"Lose something?" he asked, gazing up into the branches with her as he came to a stop.

Quaji

 

[Quaji]

"Ah!" Ubukhosi shrieked. Ears pinned back, she spun to face the former redpelt. Fear and shock drained from her face, melting away to reveal embarrassment. "Tawa! You scared me!" She huffed indignantly, puffing her chest out as if it would make her anything more than a cub compared to Tawa's mass. "The lionesses really ought to take you hunting more often. The way you sneak up on people is impressive."

Deflating, Ubukhosi arched her neck, her gaze swaying back towards the tree's bough. "There's a vulture nest up there," she stated, eyes darting back to Tawa's face for a moment to gauge his reaction. "I've seen them flying around the area, a pair of 'em! But I've seen one less and less, so I'm guessing she's sitting on the eggs now."

"It's been six weeks or so since I saw her. Those eggs have to be nearly hatched by now, I just know it." Placing her front paws on the bark once more, Ubukhosi's tone fell to wistful sadness. "If I had a vulture of my own, mama would have to let me travel more. I'd get to watch the herds as much as I want and no one would say it was strange. It'd be my job to watch them..."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Tawa's ears pressed back into his blonde mane as Ubukhosi yelped, brown eyes squinting slightly in unison due to the returned surprise. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as the lioness spun to face him, her expression shifting from fright to embarrassment.

"Terribly sorry," he said, ducking his head as he gave a little chuckle. "It wasn't my intent." As Ubukhosi's adrenaline wore off and she addressed his question, he turned his gaze up to the tree branches. Finally he spotted the nest that she had been ogling. When she revealed the reason for her circling the tree, Tawa raised a brow. She wanted an egg?

"Do you think you're ready to face the mother vulture for an egg?" he asked, gazing up at the nest with Ubukhosi. "I'm sure she'd defend the nest fiercely and those talons and beak aren't anything to take lightly." Before he'd fallen into his slump - depression, really, but he wouldn't ever admit that - he would have offered to shoo the vulture off the nest for her. Now, however...

"Though I suppose reaching it is the first obstacle."

Just because he wouldn't do it himself didn't mean he couldn't offer a paw.

Quaji