The pale tan lioness was ready to go on a hunt– a small scale one, of course. At the moment, she was only being joined by one other lioness. Uzuri was sitting and waiting patiently, expecting Disin bint Pence to arrive in due time, but she thought the sooner the better. The sun was rising quickly and beginning to bake the plains. The drought had broken but it was still the African plains, after all. Disin did not take too long, however. One scarred lioness greeted the other with a nod and a small smile, and Uzuri rose to her feet and they padded off towards some taller grasses to perhaps find a few hares or an unlucky impala that wandered too far from the herd.
However, what they came upon first was a bit unexpected.
"Good morning, ladies. Do you mind if I join you?"
Sayilmaz sim Sulta walked up upon the two brown lionesses with a small amount of caution. He had not been in the Bonelands pride territory for very long and was not sure how he was widely received overall. Disin gave a slight smile, having more sense of familiarity with the male for the history that the shared of their time in the Jahy Salarin pride– the Qyrhyeshti faction, specifically– where they were both born. Uzuri checked her companion's reaction before making her own decision. She nodded at the male, but with no smile. She had no frown to offer him either, though. Many a former Jahy Salarin member had come to the Bonelands pride to join after their pride dissolved. Uzuri understood there was some tension between the now dissolved pride's members, but it did not much occupy her thoughts. Though they had resolved to bear no ill will towards former Burkuteshti lions or lionesses, Sayilmaz sim Sulta and Disin bint Pence alike found themselves in feeling and acting just a bit more prickly towards their old rivals.
The trio padded off towards their miniature informal hunt in silence. Sayilmaz often had plenty of time on his paws to spend on hunts or the like what with four other lions spending time patrolling and running off challengers and so on. He was glad, he supposed, that there had not been any challengers to run off since his arrival, lest he lose, but it would at least be something to do. At least the lionesses– at least these two– humored him and allowed him to help with their small hunts. Not the bigger ones, however. He did not ask, either. The lionesses, while on some level appreciative of his gesture, were more concerned with getting the job done and done quickly, well and safely than having a lion along to help. His heart was in the right place, they knew.
As they got nearer to some lands for hunting, they slowed and sank their bodies closer to the ground. The lions communicated with glances and nods, little jerks of their heads to indicate direction. Uzuri, as the palest, was best suited for the yellowed grasses that blew placidly in the breeze, once green but baked by the sun. Disin took more care in being lower than Uzuri, as her dark brown coat was not wholly unnoticeable for its contrast with the landscape. Sayilmaz was the brightest, as hard as that may have been to image, since his coat was also brown, but it was more red and vibrant than his companions'. He took up the rear.
The small hunting party had spotted a lone warthog– likely a male– rooting around. While there were no others of his species around, he was not truly alone. The lions had to also be wary and considerate of small birds who might set off call alarms and set their quarry running out of their reach. As they slunk along, they caught a whiff of some small cloven hoofed creature.
A warthog!
They all looked at one another at the same time, as though they had all smelled it in unison at the same moment. Disin licked her chops, Uzuri's mouth watered and Sayilmaz's stomach growled quietly. None of them had realized how hungry they were until their prey was in sight. It was not a big, substantial meal, but it would feed the three of them comfortably. Perhaps there would be some to take back to the main pride when they were through. But that probably would depend on how hard they had to work to get the meal in the first place and how many calories they would expend in doing so.
The trio fanned out and did their best to stay downwind, wondering with each twitch of the warthog's tail if it had scented them on the breeze. But the creature stayed oblivious, much to their luck and its misfortune. Sayilmaz scooted out ahead a little further so the lionesses could flush the beast towards him if they did not catch it themselves. Once he was in position for the surprise attack– or at least in place as best as he and his companions could predict of the creature's movements– he crouched incredibly low to the ground with his muscles tensed and ready. Uzuri's rose gold eyes watched the swine, hoping it would get just close enough to her to spring. Disin watched as it got closer to the other lioness and her body was on fire with having held her muscles so tense for so long and her desire and anticipation for the hunt.
Suddenly, the pig's eyes met Uzuri's and the beast knew it had made a terrible mistake. It tried to wheel on its back hooves and pivot away from the lioness, and Uzuri gave chase, Disin leaping out from a few feet away. The warthog was incredibly nimble and could run longer than the lionesses could, but they did have speed and raw power on their side. The swine had veered further away from Sayilz's spot than any of them had anticipated but he was still out in front. He leapt from his cover and the pig skidded, trying to stop from plowing into the lion who was right in its path. But by that time, the lionesses were upon it and the hunt was over.
The three growled and roared their satisfaction and got out any leftover aggression while they were feeding and even had some leftovers to take back to the pride. Maws bloody and steps just a little bouncier with pride, the lionesses and the lion returned feeling quite satisfied with things.
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