Sarabi stalked through the tall grass, eyes locked on the gazelle no more than sixty feet from her.
The young Lioness was on her own today. One part trial, one part act of rebellion from a young adult trying to prove herself.
She took a deep breath, but just as she was about to rush the gazelle, a streak of yellow burst from the grass to her right and knocked it to the ground.
Sarabi sank back into the grass and watched the other hunter stand up. Yellow fur with dark spots.
A Cheetah.
Oh Spirits give her strength.
Her pride had recently expanded its territory, and some other Hunters didn't respect that.
“Hey!” The Lioness stood up, startling the Cheetah. “You know you're in our territory, you're not supposed to be hunting here.”
“Oh, is that so,” the Cheetah rolled her eyes. “Sorry, I thought after living here for years it was my territory.”
Sarabi growled as she approached the Cheetah. The other Cat quickly backing up.
“Come on,” the Cheetah sighed. “Look, you let me keep this, and I'll tell you where I saw an old zebra. Win win.”
“You really don't get it,” Sarabi scoffed. “This is our territory now, our prey. You need to leave.”
“Ugh, you Lions,” the Cheetah scoffed. “Fine, take the damn gazelle, I'll find something else.”
“Not here you won't,” Sarabi pounced forward.
The Cheetah rolled her eyes, dodging out of the way and taking off like a lightning bolt.
Sarabi watched, not wanting to admit it, but slightly impressed at the other Cat's speed.
“Hopefully she uses it to run far away from here,” Sarabi sighed as she looked down at the gazelle. It might not have been her kill, but she wasn't going to let meat go to waste... and who's to say it wasn't her kill?
There wasn't anyone around to dispute it, and she knew she was ready! Ready to actually help her pride, rather than just be another mouth to feed.
She threw the gazelle over her shoulders and headed back towards her pride's camp.
She was ready, and this would let her prove it even if she hadn't done it herself.
~~~
Mrembo sighed as she poked at the smoldering remains of her fire. It had only been a few days since that Lioness had stolen her kill.
She'd gone after a few hares in the meantime, just to build her strength back up.
“Lions,” she sneered. They had no idea what they were doing.
Hunters generally gave each other a wide berth. But she knew a few who were having similar problems.
A pack of Wild Dogs, an old Leopard, even a troop of Mandrills were feeling the squeeze as the pride expanded its territory.
Problem was there weren't a lot of places to move to.
If she moved any further out, she'd be pushing into areas that were home to a lot of Prey, and even if she'd only ever hunted animals, they didn't take kindly to Hunters in their land.
If she was going to make that kind of trip, she'd need strength and maybe some rations.
Hard to do when the best you could get was a few hares.
She sighed, kicking dirt over the last of the fire. The sun was already low over the savannah.
Tomorrow. She’d try again tomorrow. Something bigger. She could skin it, clean its hide, make a travel pouch and get out with as much meat as she could carry.
She just had to do it before she had to deal with more than one young Lioness.
~~~
Sarabi didn't like the look of the sky. Today wasn't just the normal gray of the rainy season, it was almost too dark to go out hunting. And she could see rain falling in the distance, though it hadn't reached them yet.
Still, even with her impromptu solo hunt, the pride needed more food. And, seeing as they thought she was the one who took down the gazelle, she'd been assigned to one of the hunting parties.
She was glad her plan had worked, now she could prove she was useful to the pride.
Still though, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was trying her best to ignore.
She shook her head.
Her mother and father were leading the hunting party, and she was the youngest on the team by far, but she was determined to prove herself... she had to. For her own peace of mind.
“There's zebra tracks leading this way,” one of the other Lionesses said.
“I've got wildebeest,” another added.
“I've got, oh... paw prints?” Sarabi said in surprise.
Leading away from the watering hole were undeniably cat-like paw prints, from something walking upright.
“Cheetah,” she sneered.
“Another Hunter?” Her mother asked. “I figured they'd all have left already.”
“I heard they're all just hanging around on the edge of our territory,” another Lioness said.
“A Cheetah gave me some trouble on my hunt the other day,” Sarabi explained. “I thought she'd have cleared out by now.”
Her father looked deep in thought.
“Father?” Sarabi asked.
“Change of plans,” he called out. “Hunting will be easier for all of us once these lands are truly ours.”
“Well... you found the tracks,” Sarabi's mother said, turning to her.
Sarabi nodded as she took the lead. She felt nervous. She didn't want it to come out that she'd stolen another Hunter's kill. Especially since she'd already taken credit for the kill.
A ways off, Mrembo crouched low in the grass. If she was doing this, she might as well go big.
An oryx. Pretty much the limit of what she could feasibly take down.
Still, she didn't like the idea of having to contend with those horns.
‘You can do this Mrembo,’ she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she rushed forward.
She had speed, and she knew how to use it. Ducking under its neck, her claws already out, she drew them across its neck.
The oryx tried to bleat but the hole in its throat gurgled with blood as it reared back, falling on its side.
Mrembo ducked under the horns and bit into the back of its neck. Not as clean a kill as she would have liked, but a successful one.
Now she just had to-
“Hey!” A familiar voice called out from behind her.
Oh great.
“Don't you have better things to do than to follow me around and steal my kills?” Mrembo asked, turning to see the Lioness from a few days prior.
And five others.
And one Lion.
Oh shit.
Mrembo gulped.
Sarabi was... mortified, and angry. The Cheetah had given her secret away without even realizing she'd done it.
Sarabi could hear the other Lionesses whispering behind her.
“That's enough Cheetah,” her father said, stepping forward. “It's time for you to leave.”
“That's what I'm trying to do,” Mrembo explained. Holding her ground between her kill and the Lion. “You think I can make the journey to a new territory on the scraps I've managed ever since you showed up?”
“You've been causing plenty of trouble,” he continued. “We've found carcasses, not just by the border.”
“You think I could do all that?” Mrembo asked. “I'm not the only one you're trying to kick out. I know the Leopard is still here, and Wild Dogs don't exactly give up easily... look, just let me have this and I swear I'll be gone.”
Before her father could respond, Sarabi's mother stepped up. Coming to her daughter's defense. “After you already tried to interfere in our daughter's hunt?” She asked. “You're lucky we're letting you leave at all.”
Most of the others were shocked that she'd make that threat. Even when it came to territory disputes, killing another Hunter... it happened, but was extremely uncommon.
Mrembo stared for a second, then laughed. “Wait, did you actually take credit for killing the gazelle?” She asked, looking at Sarabi.
The young Lioness felt her face heating up, her unwillingness to meet her mother's gaze all the elder Lioness needed to know.
“Oh Sarabi,” she sighed. The disappointment in her voice was clear.
Sarabi could feel the blood rushing in her ears.
“Wow, that is just... sad,” Mrembo shook her head. “So, how about I take the oryx and leave your territory?” She offered again, turning her attention back to Sarabi's father.
Once again, he was interrupted.
“Or I could kill something else,” Sarabi said coldly. Mrembo looked at her in confusion for a moment before the Cheetah's eyes went wide.
She turned to run, but this time the Lioness didn't let her run off.
“Sarabi! Sarabi stop!” Her father cried after her.
Mrembo knew she could outrun the Lioness, but the larger Cat was giving the chase her all.
And to make matters worse, the distant rain had finally reached this part of the savannah.
“Just give up! I'll make it quick!” Sarabi called angrily.
“You're really going to kill me cause I embarrassed you?!” Mrembo called back, dodging as the Lioness pounced. Both of them slipping and sliding in the rain.
Sarabi just roared as she continued the chase. Every time Mrembo managed to put a little distance between them, she'd try to turn, but slide in the mud.
Eventually the pair ended up at the massive river that wound its way through the savannah.
Mrembo was panting hard, her energy flagging, but Sarabi had much more stamina.
“Okay! ... okay, you win,” Mrembo panted, stopping and leaning against a tree that stood by the bank of the river. “I'll leave... just please... please let me go.”
Sarabi growled... but now the adrenaline was fading. She could hear her family calling in the distance.
Had she... really been planning to kill the Cheetah?
“... go,” Sarabi said, turning away from Mrembo. Feeling ashamed for a whole different reason.
Mrembo sighed in relief, looking at the Lioness... and the branch hanging above her.
She saw the wood splinter. And...
For the rest of her life, Mrembo would never have a good answer for why she did what she did that day.
“Look out!” She rushed forward, tackling the surprised Lioness.
“Gah! Why you little-...”
Sarabi watched the branch fall where she'd been standing. Or maybe branch was too small a word since half the tree splintered and fell as the wind buffered it. Knocking a large portion of the ground into the rushing river below.
Mrembo looked back, still panting, then turned back to the Lioness... whom she was still on top of.
“Uh....”
Neither one knew what to say. But after a moment, both their ears twitched. The sound of rushing water growing louder.
Unbeknownst to either Cat, a lake further up the river had overflowed due to heavy rainfall, sweeping across the savannah to join the river.
And a wall of water was rushing towards the two Cats.
“Run!” Mrembo shouted, scrambling off of Sarabi, only for the loose ground to give way under her feet.
Instinctively, Sarabi reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling the Cheetah back onto what was left of the riverbank.
But neither had enough time to get out of the way of the raging river as it shattered its banks.
Sarabi's parents arrived just in time to see the water hit and watch her disappear.
~~~
Sarabi groaned. She was wet, and cold, and everything hurt. Even her insides hurt, and she could feel a great many bruises all over her body.
“Ah-aaahhh...” she groaned as she pushed herself up, her hands sinking into the mud... where was she?
She winced as pain shot through her head, as well as memories. The Cheetah, the chase, the tree, the river... the Cheetah.
Standing up, she looked around. She was lying on a muddy riverbank. Her fur was a mess and... nothing looked familiar.
She could see a mountain in the distance. Something she'd never seen before.
“Where am I?” She asked aloud, stumbling to her feet.
Something behind her hissed. Not like a snake, but a deep guttural one.
She turned quickly and saw a massive crocodile on the opposite side of the river.
It was moving towards her, but the river was wide. And she was, thankfully, not near the water, likely due to the flood.
Unfortunately, she finally spotted the Cheetah, lying in the mud, her legs and tail floating in the water.
Well... she was probably dead anyway. And if not...
Sarabi turned, but stopped, remembering how the Cheetah had saved her... but then again, they had both fallen in the river anyway...
“Spirits be damned,” she groaned, turning and rushing towards the Cheetah. Her feet sinking in the mud as she moved.
She grabbed the Cheetah by a limp, outstretched arm, and yanked her away seconds before the crocodile's jaws snapped shut.
“You'd better be alive,” Sarabi muttered as she stumbled up the muddy river banks, collapsing onto the grass next to the unconscious Cheetah.
... she was unconscious, right?
“Don't make me have to cremate you,” Sarabi groaned, putting her ear against the Cheetah's chest.
.... ba-bump... ba-bump... ba-bump...
Okay, she was alive... her heart was beating weirdly fast for someone who was unconscious though.
Sitting back up, Sarabi looked down at her. “Hey... hey wake up,” she shook her lightly.
The Cheetah twitched, but as she took a deeper breath, she seemed to choke. Flipping over onto her stomach, she heaved, Sarabi wincing as she watched water, mud, and bile leave her mouth.
“Ack! Haaaahhh! Guh...” Mrembo gasped before falling back onto her back, feeling like she'd woken from death. “... is this the Great Beyond?”
“Pretty sure we don't end up in the same place,” Sarabi sighed.
Mrembo looked over at her. “Oh... it's you,” she groaned, pushing herself to sit up despite the pain.
“Hey I just saved you from a crocodile,” Sarabi huffed. “Show a little respect.”
“Oh where are my manners, oh great and powerful Lion,” Mrembo said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “How would I ever survive without you?”
Sarabi scoffed. “Fine, next time I'll let it eat you.”
“And next time I'll let a tree fall on your head,” Mrembo scoffed back.
The two sat in silence for a while.
“Where are we?” Mrembo finally asked, noticing the mountain.
“You'd know better than me,” Sarabi shrugged. “Don't you Cheetahs wander around a lot?”
“Do I look like I've traveled much?” Mrembo asked.
Sarabi didn't know much about Cheetahs but... she'd have guessed not. The pair of them were probably pretty close in age, and the last of Sarabi’s spots had just faded earlier in the season.
“How far do you think the river carried us?” Sarabi asked, looking back towards the river.
“Hard to say, we don't even know how long we were out,” considering it had been early afternoon when the wave had hit, and from what she could see through the cloudy sky it was now morning...
Sarabi sighed and got to her feet, wincing as she did. “Guess I'll just... follow the river back,” she sighed.
“What am I? Chopped lizard?” Mrembo asked.
“You said you were going to leave anyway,” Sarabi shot back.
“Eeeh... true enough, but I at least had an idea of what was around my territory,” Mrembo replied.
“You mean our territory,” Sarabi corrected.
“Oh get off it,” the Cheetah rolled her eyes as she stood up. “Your pride decided you needed more space, and you don't like to share.”
“Would you?” Sarabi asked.
“... fair enough,” the Cheetah shrugged. “Look, as much as we both might hate it. We're in the same situation. And we have a much better chance to survive if we work together.”
“Says you,” Sarabi huffed as she started following the river upstream. “I'll be fine on my own.”
“... have you ever hunted on your own?” Mrembo asked. Remembering the looks the other Lionesses had given the young Lioness when Mrembo had revealed that she was the one who killed the gazelle.
Sarabi stopped. Her fists clenching.
“Ah, hit a nerve,” Mrembo observed. “Well, lucky for you, solo hunting is a Cheetah's specialty... and Leopards... Servals... hey why're you the only Cats that need to work together?”
“So what?” Sarabi turned with a growl. “You're going to hunt for both of us out of the goodness of your heart?”
“Ha!” The Cheetah laughed. “You're funny... no. Think of it as a partnership, I keep us fed, you keep us safe.”
“From what?” Sarabi asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well let's see,” Mrembo sighed. “Wherever we are, Prey won't like us, Hunters will see us as trespassers, not to mention there might be lions or hyenas out this far, and I'd rather not get eaten by your cousins.”
Sarabi opened her mouth to say something but... she considered that for a moment. It... would be a lot for one person to handle on their own.
“How do I know this isn't a trick?” Sarabi asked.
“And what, pray tell, would the end goal of that be?” Mrembo replied. “Face it, we need each other's help.”
“... fine,” Sarabi sighed.
“Great! First things first, water and hunting,” Sarabi said, heading in a path horizontal to the river.
“What? Shouldn't we at least get started heading back?” Sarabi called after her.
“In case you haven't noticed, we've been unconscious maybe a day or more, and we could both use a bath,” Mrembo said, gesturing to her mud covered body and clothing.
“... fine, but you’d better not peek,” Sarabi huffed before following after the Cheetah.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Mrembo said with a smirk.
~~~
Not far from the river, the pair found a small, clear watering hole. They drank their fill, before Mrembo took the lead and dipped into the water. Sarabi standing with her arms crossed and back turned to the Cheetah.
“You know, I thought living with so many people would make you Lions less prudish, not more,” Mrembo said, scrubbing the mud out of her fur, her hide clothing lying drying on a rock nearby.
“Just... tell me when you’re dressed,” Sarabi huffed.
“You should wash up too,” Mrembo pointed out as she stepped out of the pool. “Unless you’re planning to go around covered in mud for the next few weeks.”
“Weeks?!” Sarabi gasped and turned, her face heating up as she saw the Cheetah standing there.
“I thought you said no peeking,” the Cheetah said with a smirk.
Sarabi gawked. Was she really going to be traveling home with this Cat?
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Why do you think it’s going to take weeks?” Sarabi asked, doing her best not to look at the Cheetah.
“The mountain mostly,” Mrembo replied, looking at the mountain in the distance. “If we can't see that from home, that means we're pretty far, and with no idea what lies between here and home...”
Sarabi groaned, looking down at the Cheetah, before her face heated up again and she pushed past Mrembo into the watering hole.
The Cheetah rolled her eyes. “Don't worry princess, you'll be home soon enough,” she said, lying down on a rock to let her fur dry.
“I'm not a princess,” Sarabi said in confusion.
“Well, you could've fooled me, and you never told me your name... I'm Mrembo by the way,” the Cheetah introduced herself.
“Sarabi,” the Lion said.
“Wonderful, we're on a first name basis, we'll be friends in no time,” Mrembo said with a smirk.
“Ugh, you're impossible,” Sarabi rolled her eyes. “And quit watching me!”
“Fine,” Mrembo stood up and got dressed, Sarabi doing her best not to look.
Without her clothes on it was much easier to see the spots dotted all over her body. But the Lioness quickly looked away.
“I'm going to find us something to eat, don't try running off,” Mrembo knew she could track her down if she did, but she'd rather not have to.
“Wouldn't dream of it,” the Lion smirked back at her.
Mrembo sighed as she walked off. Part of her wondering if she should just start running back. But she'd meant what she'd said. It was dangerous out here, especially for a young Cheetah on her own.
Not that she was ever not on her own. Her mother had left her and her siblings a few years ago. But she'd also helped them find territories before that.
She followed what looked like some gazelle tracks, heading off into the unfamiliar savannah.
She wasn't planning to go too far. Just get a feel for her surroundings and see if there were any animals nearby.
Sure enough, she soon tracked down a small herd of gazelle. “Maybe I'll actually get to eat something this time.” She mumbled.
Keeping low, she started to stalk the herd. This wouldn't take long~
Meanwhile, Sarabi had gotten undressed and was cleaning the mud from her fur and clothing.
Stupid Cheetah, this was all her fault. If she'd just left their territory the first time she wouldn't be in this mess.
And now the Cheetah was off hunting for her. Oh how the Spirits must be looking down on her.
“Some Hunter I turned out to be,” Sarabi said with a sigh, putting her clothes out to dry as she went to clean the rest of the mud from her fur.
Hearing footsteps approaching, she sighed. “So did you find us something to eat or...” she turned to see... very much not Mrembo standing there.
Two Gazelles stood there, staring in shock at the Lioness. Sarabi's eyes went wide as she realized she was still very naked.
“Hey, I caught break... fast.” All three of them turned to see Mrembo approaching with a dead gazelle over her shoulders. “... well, this is awkward.”
“H-H-Hunters!” The Gazelle shrieked, turning and scrambling as they ran.
“Wait! We're not going to... oh what's the use,” Mrembo sighed, dropping her kill. “Them being here means we're probably not in another Hunters territory though.”
She looked at Sarabi, her eyes going wide as she got a good look at the Lioness for the first time. Her toned, muscular body and dark fur...
“Yeah, and they're... stop staring!” Sarabi growled, noticing the Cheetah's gaze.
“Sorry,” Mrembo said, looking away as the Lioness got dressed. “We should probably get going, in case they come back with friends.”
“Guess breakfast will have to wait,” Sarabi said with a sigh.
Mrembo's stomach growled loudly, the Cheetah looking away sheepishly.
“Are... are you okay?” Sarabi asked, noticing for the first time that the Cheetah seemed... thin.
“I haven't had a proper meal since you decided to take my territory,” Mrembo huffed. “Just... can you carry the gazelle? I'm not really built for lugging things very far.”
“... yeah, alright,” Sarabi said, throwing it over her shoulder as the two headed back toward the river.
She felt... guilty?
No, that couldn't be it. This was just the way of things.
... why though? Why did they all have to keep separate territory? Why did the Prey have to be afraid of them? So far as she knew, it hadn't been since before her grandparents days that any Hunters had gone after Prey.
She shook her head. Things were the way they were for a reason.
“So, you think we can just follow the river?” Sarabi asked as the river came back into view.
“I mean probably,” Mrembo said with a shrug. “But I've never been this far down the river before,” she looked over at Sarabi. “I've spent most of my life in that territory you know? It's where my mother left me when I was old enough to be on my own.”
“Yeah well... my pride needs the space,” Sarabi said, thinking about the cubs back home. “We actually look after each other.”
Mrembo sighed. What was the point?
“Let's just... find somewhere we can camp out for tonight,” the Cheetah sighed.
“Isn't it a bit early for that?” Sarabi asked, looking up towards the still overcast sky.
“Unless it clears up, it'll still be dark soon,” Mrembo pointed out. “Plus, I'm sore, hungry, and tired from getting washed down the river.”
“... yeah, I see your point,” even Sarabi had to admit, she wasn't feeling the best.
~~~
The smell of cooking meat made Mrembo's mouth water. They'd found a nice little grove of trees to rest in for the night, and Mrembo had taken to carving up the gazelle.
“Are you almost done?” Sarabi asked with a sigh.
“You're welcome to eat some of the raw meat,” Mrembo said, gesturing to the rest of the gazelle.
The Lioness turned up her nose. “I'm no savage.”
“Then wait your turn,” Mrembo shot back.
Sarabi huffed, crossing her arms. “You know, in the pride, the highest ranking member eats first.”
Mrembo looked Sarabi right in the eyes, grabbed a piece of meat from the fire, and took an exaggerated bite. “Mmm, thanks for the advice princess.”
“I told you I'm not a princess,” Sarabi replied, glaring at her.
“Then stop acting like one,” Mrembo said, grabbing the leg she'd been cooking and tossing it to the Lioness.
Sarabi had to hot potato it for a second before she grabbed it. “What does that even mean?” She asked as she took a bite of the leg.
“Entitled, holier than thou, like you own everything and everyone should know it,” Mrembo said, cutting some more meat from the gazelle carcass and putting it on the fire. “Like you're royalty, like a princess.”
“The King doesn't even have a daughter,” Sarabi rolled her eyes. “Just two sons.”
“Is that really what you took away for that?” Mrembo deadpanned, grabbing another strip of meat from the fire.
“You just don’t get it,” Sarabi shook her head. “Lions are different, special.”
“You’re just the biggest,” Mrembo scoffed. “Aside from Crocodiles anyway, but they don’t usually work together so...”
“We don’t have to talk, you know,” Sarabi replied, eyes narrowing.
“Fine,” the Cheetah huffed. She didn’t know why she bothered trying. There was no talking to a Lion.
The rest of the dinner passed in silence, Mrembo feeling a little nervous that they hadn’t saved any meat to dry out come morning. But the Cheetah was starving. And Sarabi ate... a lot.
She would have to up her hunting game if she was going to make this work, otherwise... she looked over at Sarabi, picking a piece of meat from her teeth with a bone fragment.
She shuddered when she saw those teeth. Remembering the look of rage on the Lioness’ face when she’d chased her.
“We should sleep in shifts,” Mrembo said with a sigh.
“You think I’m going to trust you while I’m sleeping?” Sarabi asked with a scoff.
“Well we can’t stay up all night, and in all fairness, you’re the one who tried to kill me yesterday,” Mrembo pointed out. “But unless you want me to try and find us a den to curl up in together, we’re going to have to at least trust that we’re not gonna slit each other's throats in the night.”
“... fine, but I’m taking first watch,” Sarabi said, arms crossed.
“Fine by me,” Mrembo said, sitting with her back against a tree as she leaned back. “Wake me in a few hours... I mean it,” she said, leveling a glare at the Lion. The last thing she needed was her protection passing out from exhaustion.
Sarabi just ‘hmm’d’ in response, but Mrembo figured it was the best she was going to get.
~~~
It was later that night, Sarabi was pushing her watch just a little further. Looking at the sleeping Cheetah... what was she doing? Trusting another Hunter, this was crazy.
Granted, she knew this situation was much more dangerous for the Cheetah than it was for her. Sarabi looked down at her claws.
She crushed those thoughts down. Even if the Cheetah did piss her off, and was, in her mind, responsible for this whole situation. That didn’t mean she deserved to die.
“I’m no savage,” she repeated quietly to herself. Getting up, she went to check the perimeter. The last thing they needed right now was a Leopard or something poking around here.
She wondered if the Hunters here felt the same way she did, the same way, presumably, Mrembo did. If they didn’t... maybe that was why the Gazelle had been so afraid?
Then again, even back home, she’d only ever interacted with Prey once or twice. And they'd always seemed nervous then too.
“I think the tracks go this way,” a voice caught Sarabi’s ear, the Lioness instinctively crouching low in the shrubbery.
“Should we really be going after them in the dark?” Another whispered. What in the world were they doing? Taking a sniff of the air... Sarabi felt the blood drain from her face.
She smelled Gazelle, and something else. Something she’d only encountered once before. During a very fraught meeting between the pride and a herd.
Things, perhaps, weren’t always as black and white as Hunter and Prey, some rode the line, like the Mandrills back home.
Still others... a rare few were outside the dichotomy all together.
“Better to deal with them now, before they do more harm,” the deep, rumbling voice cut clear through the darkness. And Sarabi had to clamp a hand over her mouth to prevent the word from being said.
Elephant.
This was bad. She slowly crept back to the campsite, putting a hand over Mrembo’s mouth as she shook the Cheetah’s shoulder.
She awoke with a start, eyes wide, before they narrowed at the Lioness.
Sarabi put a finger to her lips. Taking her hand away and motioning for them to leave.
Mrembo was annoyed as she woke up but... the Lioness seemed serious. She nodded, getting to her feet as Sarabi stepped back. Maybe it was good they didn’t have anything they needed to grab.
“I can smell meat,” the deep voice spoke again. “I know you’re here Hunters, and you know you shouldn’t be.”
... okay now Mrembo was nervous.
The two Cats began to creep away from their little campsite. Then behind them they heard an ear-piercing trumpet.
“Run!” Mrembo shouted, taking off ahead of Sarabi. As thundering footsteps chased after them.
“You know this land isn’t yours to plunder!” The Elephant cried, Sarabi hearing the crashing of wood behind her as Mrembo disappeared into the darkness ahead of her.
“We’re leaving! We’re leaving!” The Lioness called back. “We’re not from here! We didn’t know this was yours!”
“But you decided to take anyway,” the Elephant responded, Sarabi watching as a massive tree branch flew by her left, nearly clipping her ear and tripping the Lioness as it landed in front of her. “Your kind deserves no mercy...” The Elephant loomed over Sarabi, the Lioness seeing the form of a massive Bull Elephant above her.
“Hey!” The Elephant turned his head, just in time to get kicked in the face by Mrembo as the Cheetah launched herself at the Elephant.
“Gah!” He stumbled back, more in surprise than anything, and Mrembo quickly helped Sarabi to her feet. This time grabbing her hand as she rushed into the darkness.
She couldn’t drag the Lioness at her full speed, but Sarabi still swore that she’d never run so fast in her life.
Once they made it past the treeline, out onto open savannah, it was easy for them to outpace their pursuer.
The two came to a rest behind a kopje. Panting as they stood there.
“Mrembo?” Sarabi asked, looking over at the Cheetah.
“Yeah?” Mrembo looked up.
“... you can let go of my hand now,” Sarabi replied.
“Ah, Sorry,” the Cheetah let go.
The Lion looked at her, confused. “You kicked an Elephant in the face.”
“Don't remind me, that was the stupidest thing I've ever done,” she shook her head.
“You saved me, again,” Sarabi continued. “Why?”
Mrembo sighed. “Do I need a reason to think you don't deserve to die?” She shrugged. “I need you around but I also don't want to see you get stomped on by an Elephant.”
Sarabi didn't know what to say to that. But... she'd done the same thing with the crocodile hadn't she? And that was before their agreement.
“Get some rest Sarabi,” Mrembo said, climbing up onto one of the boulders to get a better view. “We need to get out of here come morning.”
This time, Sarabi didn't argue. If nothing else... she'd believe the Cheetah wasn't going to just kill her.
~~~
Sarabi was rudely awoken when a rock connected with her face, followed a few seconds later by a startled yowl from Mrembo as one hit her back.
Sarabi rubbed her cheek as Mrembo jumped down from her perch, looking up and snatching another rock from the air as it sailed towards her.
She growled and chucked it back, further up the kopje, where a group of Klipspringers were glaring down at them. The small Antelopes holding rocks and sticks and fruit in their hands.
“Y-You get out of here!” One of them called, brandishing another rock. An older female who sounded like she was doing her best to be brave.
“Ow,” Sarabi groaned, rubbing her head as she got up, another of the Klipspringers crying out and throwing a piece of fruit.
Sarabi stepped out of the way, and Mrembo leaned forward to grab it. “If you're serving us breakfast, maybe see if you've got any eggs lying around?” The Cheetah suggested, taking a bite of the fruit.
“Come on, let's go,” Sarabi said. Annoyed that the day was off to a start like this. “... are you actually eating that?” She asked, noticing Mrembo didn’t drop the fruit as they walked away from the kopje and cheering Klipspringers.
“Fruit’s not bad, it's just grass and leaves we can't handle,” Mrembo pointed out.
“Still feels too much like Prey,” the Lion replied.
“Your loss,” the Cheetah said, finishing the fruit. “You know, it wouldn't kill you to have a little more of an open mind.”
“Maybe I'll consider that when we're not getting chased off by them,” Sarabi replied.
“What? It's just them trying to protect their territory,” Mrembo smirked. “I thought you of all people would understand that.”
“You're just insufferable, you know that?” Sarabi asked with a glare.
“Yeah well...” she stopped, catching something in the sky. “Sarabi, look, Vultures.”
Turning her gaze upward, she did in fact spy the unmistakable form of several Vultures, along with many more vultures.
“Ugh, can you imagine getting along with your cousins?” Sarabi asked, the idea sounding distasteful.
“I don't know, I've never met a cheetah before,” Mrembo admitted. “What do you think? Should we go check it out?”
“I'm not really in the mood for carrion,” Sarabi sighed. “And what if it’s another Hunter's kill?”
“True, but it could also just be an animal that died naturally, or from another animal,” Mrembo pointed out. “And Birds tend to travel a lot, they might be able to tell us where we are.”
“I guess it couldn't hurt to check... carefully,” Sarabi replied.
Heading in the direction of the circling birds, the two Cats crouched low in the grass as they made their approach.
They slowed as they heard voices.
Peeking up from the tall grass... they saw quite the sight. The corpse the Vultures were circling was a giraffe, but standing in front of it was a Giraffe, addressing a small group of Giraffe and other Prey.
There were a few Impala, a pair of Tortoises, some Hornbills and other Birds, and even a Rhinoceros.
“Thank you all for coming,” the Giraffe at the front said. “Though Kinda was not one of us, my herd raised her from when she was a small calf. She was a sweet, loving, gentle creature, and though she lived a full life, it still saddens me to see her gone.”
In a flurry of dark feathers, the Vultures descended, several of the attendees wincing back.
The Giraffe speaking didn't though, instead turning to a tall female Vulture, not as tall as the Giraffe though. “Thank you Kuoza, for attending to her so quickly.”
The Vulture bowed her long, bald head. “Our pleasure Mrefu, our pleasure...” she turned and snapped, scaring a few of the vultures who came in for landing. “Not yet dearies. Let our guests clear out first.”
“Yes, of course,” Mrefu nodded, giving a nod to the funeral attendees, who all began to head off in various directions.
Mrembo and Sarabi ducked low as a Hornbill and a few other Birds swooped overhead... then Sarabi pushed Mrembo to the ground, leaning over the Cheetah as the Rhinoceros trudged past, not noticing them as it wiped a tear from its eye.
The Tortoises thankfully went in the opposite direction to them.
“That was wei... sorry,” Sarabi apologized, moving away and letting Mrembo sit back up. “That was weird, right?”
“I've never seen anything like that,” Mrembo whispered back. “But before today I could count the number of times I've interacted with Prey on one hand.”
“I didn't think they'd be so cordial with Vultures... they're Hunters, aren't they?” Sarabi said, peeking up and watching as the Vultures and vultures dug in.
“Not really, they just eat what's left,” Mrembo replied. “Come on, the coast looks clear.”
Standing up, the two Cats approached the carcass, one of the Vultures pulling its long neck and head from within the giraffe's body, mouth full of meat, and noticing them. “Kuoza... guests,” he hissed.
Kuoza pulled her head out of the giraffe's chest, pieces of its heart in her beak, glaring slightly as she observed the approaching Cats.
“Hmmm...” she hopped forward with a short flight, her talons tapping the ground. “You shouldn't be here, Hunters.”
“Yeah, we know,” Sarabi replied. “We got caught up in a flood a few days ago, we have no idea where we are.”
“But we know the Prey doesn't like us here,” Mrembo added.
“Ah, that flood,” Kuoza clicked her tongue. “Tragic, so many lost.”
“But many found their way to us,” another younger Vulture chuckled, earning him an angry screech from Kuoza as she swiveled her long neck around.
“Respect Chungu! I told you if you're to attend these you must show respect!” She squawked, before turning to face the Cats again. “I'm afraid if you were hoping for a meal, you're out of luck.”
“No, we just... we need help,” Sarabi sighed. “We're trying to get home, we've been following the river but-”
“Ah... you don't... no how would you?” Kuoza shook her head. “If you were swept downriver, you may find your way back on its banks... but you may miss your mark. So powerful the water that the entire river burst its banks. By the time it reached here it had settled, but further up near the source... why the land is almost unrecognizable in places.”
“Are you serious?” Sarabi groaned. “How are we supposed to get back now?”
“You wouldn't happen to know the way, would you?” Mrembo asked. “We... can't see the mountain from where we live.”
Kuoza whistled. “You have been brought far... no, I do not know the way,” she rubbed her bloodied chin. “But the Elephants might.”
“Ah... pretty sure they want to kill us,” Sarabi replied. “We killed a gazelle yesterday and a pair of Gazelle brought an Elephant after us last night.”
“One of the rogue Bulls probably,” Kuoza rolled her eyes. “Hunting here is... frowned upon, no Hunters call this place home. But the Elephant herd that rules this area are not so quick to anger.”
“You think they'd speak with us?” Mrembo asked.
“You're not seriously considering this are you?” Sarabi asked.
“You're the one who wants to get back to your pride,” Mrembo pointed out.
Sarabi groaned.
“... I think they would,” Kuoza answered after a moment. “You two are very interesting. A Lioness and a Cheetah... I will take you to them, after I've had my fill.”
With that, she flew back to the giraffe corpse, her head winding its way back into the chest cavity as she grabbed the heart and pulled.
“I can't believe they eat it raw,” Sarabi shuddered, unsettled by the feeding frenzy.
“Can you not judge the first person willing to help us?” Mrembo deadpanned. “Look just... let me do the talking when we meet the Elephants, alright?”
“What? You don't think I can be personable?” Sarabi asked.
“I think the only people you've ever spoken to as equals are other Lions, so frankly no,” Mrembo stated.
Sarabi huffed and crossed her arms.
~~~
It was several hours before Kuoza and her Vultures were finished. After they'd eaten all they could, their stomachs all visibly distended, they began carving portions of the meat off, the others carrying them back to their nests, while Kuoza turned to the two Cats.
Well, they looked impatient, but at least they'd been willing to wait.
“Follow behind me,” Kuoza said, as she turned and started back the way the Cats had been traveling. “Normally I'd fly and have you follow me, but if you two are spotted unescorted it will be sheer panic.”
“Back the way we came, wonderful,” Sarabi sighed, earning her a glare from Mrembo.
As they traveled, they did spot a few other inhabitants, most giving them a wide berth as they watched in... what could only be described as curiosity. Most had never seen a Hunter before, the occasional Crocodile in the river maybe, or a Raptor flying overhead. But never a Cat!
The sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon when Kuoza led them to the mouth of a small valley. “Wait here,” she said, taking to the air as she flew ahead of them.
“... what if this is a trap?” Sarabi asked, looking around nervously.
“Then we run,” Mrembo replied with a shrug.
“Easy for you to say,” the Lioness crossed her arms.
Kuoza returned several minutes later. “The matriarch has agreed to speak with you,” she informed them. “But you must agree to keep your hands behind your back, and not bare your teeth.”
“What? Like we're stupid enough to try attacking an Elephant?” Sarabi asked.
“I did kick one in the face last night,” Mrembo reminded her, the Cheetah putting her hands behind her back and looking at the Lioness.
“Fine,” Sarabi huffed, doing the same.
Kuoza nodded and led them on foot into the valley.
It was a lovely little valley, with a waterfall that fell from the rock that surrounded it into a pond that filled the center. Surrounding the pond was a variety of trees, some fruiting, some flowering. The Cats could also see massive melons growing on the ground around the pond. And the inhabitants were equally impressive. There had to be no less than a dozen of them. All of them massive, aside from a few calves.
Some were scattered throughout the woods, watching the Cats as they approached, but most were gathered around a single female Elephant who was resting at the base of the waterfall.
“So, these are the unexpected travelers from afar,” she spoke, leaning forward to observe the Cats, her long trunk taking in their scent.
“Unexpected and unintentional,” Mrembo informed her, trying her best to smile without showing teeth.
“We just want to get home,” Sarabi added. “We don't mean you any trouble.”
“Mmm, and the gazelle you took yesterday, did you mean them no trouble?” The Elephant asked.
Mrembo gulped. “That was me,” she admitted. “I didn't think about it... we just needed food.”
“Your ‘food’ has come to know these lands as safe,” the Elephant said. Her voice wasn't harsh, maybe a little judgemental. “And now you come asking for help.”
“... like I said, we just want to go home,” Sarabi repeated. “We won't take anything else from your land... please,” she bowed her head.
“Hmm... a Lion who says please,” she rubbed her chin with her trunk. “And a Cheetah who does not travel alone...” a smile cracked on her lips. “And I thought I'd seen everything... sit, both of you,” she said gently. “At ease.”
The two Cats looked at each other, before doing as they were told.
“I apologize for the... theatrics,” the Elephant said. “It has been a long time since Hunters walked these lands, I am Ma Tembo. Welcome to our valley.”
“Mrembo,” the Cheetah introduced herself.
“Sarabi,” the Lioness replied.
“Beauty,” she said to Mrembo. “And Mirage,” Ma Tembo grabbed a melon floating in the water. Breaking it with a tusk, she split it in half, then one half into further halves. Which she held out to either Cat, still holding the larger piece with her trunk. “You may use your hands to share this with me.”
Mrembo took her half slowly, and Sarabi did the same.
The Lioness sniffed at it. It smelled... sweet. She'd never had anything sweet before... well, no, she had some honey once, as a cub.
“Cheers,” Ma Tembo nodded to the pair as she popped the entire melon, rinds and all, into her mouth.
Mrembo and Sarabi both bit into the soft flesh of the fruit. It tasted as sweet as it smelled, something that came as a shock to the Lioness.
“Good to see you're at least somewhat willing to open your minds,” Ma Tembo said. “Now... as for... oh uh... Sarabi, you... you don't need to eat the rinds.”
“The what?” The Lioness asked, her mouth currently full of the much less tasty skin of the fruit.
Several of the Elephants, especially the younger ones, laughed. As did Mrembo, though the Cheetah did her best to act innocent when Sarabi glared at her.
Ma Tembo chuckled. “I cannot begin to describe how unlikely this meeting is,” she shook her head. “That you two should survive the flood, arrive here, and end up traveling together? Even amongst the herds and flocks here, most animals keep to their own.”
Even if extreme circumstances had forced these two together, it was interesting to see.
“Yeah, we're lucky to be alive,” Sarabi agreed. “... can you help us?”
“Hmm...” she leaned down, grabbing Sarabi’s chin with her trunk. “You know what you want... but perhaps not what you need.”
“Huh?” Sarabi raised an eyebrow.
“And you,” she did the same to Mrembo. “You don't know either of those, not really.”
That felt... fair, actually. Mrembo didn't want to go all the way back just to find a new territory.
Ma Tembo looked between the two of them. “Perhaps what you both need is closer than you think.”
“Are... are you a Seer?” Sarabi asked. Her grandmother had told her about people like this. Ones who could see beyond their eyes.
Ma Tembo chuckled. “No, just a wise old Elephant with the wisdom of her ancestors,” she said, sticking her trunk into the water. “But that wisdom allows me to do a great many things.”
She pulled her trunk up, blasting a torrent of water into the air where it fell back as mist that twinkled in the evening light.
Ma Tembo watched it intently, then nodded.
“You are farther from home than you realize,” Ma Tembo began. “Your journey will be long and arduous, and you will not be able to complete it alone.”
“Told you we need each other,” Mrembo teased, nudging Sarabi. The Lion groaned.
“You do, but no,” Ma Tembo shook her head. “You will meet many on your journey home. If you want to make it, you must offer help, and be helped in turn.”
This sure felt like some Seer stuff.
“Follow the river until it is no longer a river,” the Elephant continued. “You will find someone else there who will give you directions, but their voice may be silenced if you cannot help those who refuse it.”
Yeah, she was a Seer alright.
“Thank you Ma Tembo,” Sarabi bowed her head, much to Mrembo's surprise.
The Elephant matriarch frowned. “Do not thank me, for the path you must walk to reach your home is a dangerous one... but a necessary one, for both of you, and for the savannah.”
Wow... that was a lot to take in.
“I... guess we should be going then,” Mrembo said, setting the rind of her melon aside.
“In the morning,” Ma Tembo said, stepping fully out of the water for the first time. “For tonight, you may sleep here. Knowing you are safe within the valley.”
That... to say that was an honor was an understatement. To offer shelter to another, a stranger, was the greatest show of trust.
For someone to make that offer to a Hunter... many would say that was a suicidal amount of trust.
“I don't know what to say,” Sarabi shook her head. “Thank you.”
Ma Tembo nodded. Leading the two Cats to a small clearing near the entrance to the valley.
“In the morning, I will have someone lead you back to the river,” she informed them. “If you travel all day, you should be out of our lands by the time the sun sets.”
“And into who's?” Mrembo asked.
Ma Tembo shook her head. “No one's for a while, a few Hunters with scattered territory, most others have moved here for the safety we provide.”
Well, Mrembo supposed they could go another day without eating.
“Thank you again for your help,” Sarabi said, looking up at Ma Tembo. “The chance to see my pride again... it means the world to me.”
Ma Tembo smiled, though it seemed a bit... sad. “I know Sarabi, just be sure you do not miss the scenery because you focus on the destination... otherwise something Beautiful might not make it.”
Mrembo couldn't help but shudder a bit as she said that.
“Sleep well, travelers from afar,” Ma Tembo said, giving them both a nod as she headed back to the pond.
“... can you believe it? An actual Seer!” Sarabi said in an excited whisper.
“You really believe that?” Mrembo asked, she was a bit more skeptical.
“How else would you explain everything she said?” Sarabi asked. “I wonder what it all means...”
Mrembo was about to say it might all be nonsense. How could a river not be a river?
But she just sighed as she lay down. The grass here was soft. Though she was starting to miss her dens back home.
Home... what even was that anymore for her?
Sarabi had a pride, a family to go back to... Mrembo hadn't seen her mother in years. Nor her siblings.
All she had to look forward to, upon getting back, was trying to carve out a new territory for herself.
Still, she didn't want to just leave and find one around here either.
“Goodnight Sarabi,” the Cheetah said with a yawn.
“Night Mrembo,” the Lion replied, looking up at the starry sky as she slowly drifted off to sleep.