The frustrated hiss echoed across the plains, as the herd the young lioness had been chasing tore off ahead of her. This was getting her nowhere. How did rogues manage to catch anything by themselves?!
Aiysha stomped in place, hungry and angry about her hunger. She hadn't really had the chance to learn how to hunt before leaving the Nergui, let alone by herself, and now the adolescent was paying for it. She had no way of knowing that she needed to go for something smaller than a buffalo, like a rabbit or a gazelle, or that she was lucky one of them hadn't decided to charge her for stalking them.
What she did know though was that she was starving and had not eaten at all since she'd left. The hailstorm from before had done a decent job of distracting her for a time, but now that the threat had long since passed, she was left with nothing else to pull her away from her aching stomach.
With a groan, she finally flopped down to the ground and curled inwards on herself. She hurt. Why couldn't it go away? Why did things have to go this way? Dropping her head unhappily to the floor, she stared longingly after the prey.
It was almost poetic that a Firekin currently in a group that was hunting down the Nergui would happen across someone formally a part of them, but then, Majivu had no way of knowing that this small, starving youngster was from that accursed pride. She also wasn't the type to leave someone so young to die of starvation.
Which is how the black lioness found herself slowly standing from her shady spot under a tree and making her way closer. She'd been watching this young one fail miserably at hunting for a few hours now. Honestly, she was surprised she hadn't been noticed in all that time, but then, this one was newer to the world, and clearly hadn't been taught how to fend for herself in the rogue lands. It made her wonder what could have happened to separate her from her family.
The white one didn't notice her approach, so Majivu carefully made sure she settled a few steps away before speaking, "Never hunted before?"
The unexpected voice caused her fur to bristle and Aiysha spun her head around to glare at the newcomer. Her words had the unfortunate effect of causing indignation to shot down her spine as well, and so her response was to spat, "What's it to you if I've hunted before?"
Her ears flattened against her head as she pushed herself achingly into a hunched sitting position. "I'm just... having an off day." She didn't appreciate some random stranger coming up and judging her for her failings, and she wasn't above taking her on head-on.
Though the fight would likely end very one-sided. Water-seeker she may be, Majivu was still a Firekin and all Firekin knew how to fight. Not to mention the much larger body that could easily overtake her own. So of course the older female was completely unperturbed by the hostility she was faced with. Instead, she calmly shook her head and looked back up at the herd.
"Well, if you're having an 'off-day'... perhaps it's best to find something different." She really meant 'smaller, less dangerous', but she had a feeling the other wouldn't appreciate the thought.
Aiysha let out a snort, flipping her head away stubbornly. She didn't care for her words, but her stomach chose that moment to growl unhappily. With a grimace, she stared yearningly at the herd before sighing and grudgingly glancing back at the mysterious lioness.
"Different how?" She wouldn't admit that she was new, but she could probably play it off like she was just curious about hunting something else. Little did she know that that had been Majivu's intention.
With a soft smile, the large lioness stood, "Come, I don't know about you, but I could certainly use a good challenge." Well, it probably wouldn't be that much of a challenge, but she'd found that youth enjoyed the idea, so she tried to play off of that.
She began walking before the other could answer, knowing that she would follow regardless, "I'm Majivu of the Firekin. You?"
She mulled over that for a moment, and then nodded as she ran to catch up, "Aiysha of...." Her expression darkened, "Of no one. I'm a rogue."
Again, it was lucky she'd said that instead, as it wouldn't have gone down well if she'd admitted to her real heritage. That said, she found herself less and less inclined to talk about her old pride anyway, and would likely bury that side of her into the ground.
Instead, Aiysha turned her focus back to the task at hand, "Where are you leading me?" She wanted food, and if this lioness was willing to show her it, then all the better. Privately, she admitted that she could also learn how to hunt for herself, and then she wouldn't run into this problem again.
Majivu glanced at her as she introduced herself, debating pushing the subject before shaking her head. It didn't sound like she was a rogue, but then, who was she to question it? Whether she'd been one before or not, she was one now.
Turning her gaze forward, the black lioness stopped and gestured to the river she was heading towards. "To water." And then she kept walking.
The confused look she shot her would have amused her had Majivu been looking, but instead Aiysha just stared, perplexed, for a minute before rushing to catch up.
"I'm hungry, not thirsty," she said petulantly.
Majivu clucked her tongue, "But everyone gets thirsty, including prey." She stopped then and crouched low, gesturing with her tail for the other to follow suit before continuing, "And there's a group of gazelle right over there. They're smaller but much more wily than a buffalo." She grinned, "Think you can catch one, or will you be too slow?"
That sent Aiysha's head jolting upward with a huff, "I can catch one!"
She laughed, "Alright. Then let's make a game of it, shall we? The one with the biggest kill wins. I'll go first." And if the other could learn through watching, then all the better. She would see how best to hunt alone.
Aiysha scowled as she watched the other move forward, but flattened herself down to watch. She wasn't about to pass up this opportunity or the challenge itself. She'd show this lioness what she could do; she'd show everyone.