It should have been a quiet day, a day of roaming around, seeing the strange occurrences that have been happening in the rogue lands. Finding out what was going on was important for the pride.
Mthunzi looked behind her and she could see the lion still behind her.
However being hunted was not making her task any easier.
She made a sharp turn, going through the bushes. Once she was deeply hidden, she stopped and listened. The bushes were still and silent now. The only sound was the steps the lion took.
“Little cheetah, I did not mean to scare you. I just wish to talk.” He spoke in a quiet tone. Mthunzi refused to move. “You reminded me of some other cheetahs I met. They were polite at first but eventually their true colors showed how terrible they were, how willing they were to use and discard anyone around them.”
Mthunzi could not even understand what the lion was talking about. She was in no way connected to him. All she wanted was to gather information about what was going on outside her pride and then go back home. She did not trust the lion, but she knew there wasn’t much she could do but hide.
“Traveling alone is dangerous, even for a lion like me. I could not even begin to imagine that hardships a smaller being like you must face. There must be days where you go hungry because of all the other stronger, better hunters around. If you come out of hiding I could take you with me and keep you safe.” He continued. His steps were getting further and further away.
As silently as she could, Mthunzi began to move backwards, making sure to cause the least amount of disturbance in the bushes. When she could not hear the lion anymore, she peeked her head up from the bushes. He was no where in sight. She let out a relaxed sigh and began to push her way through the bushes.
That was enough time wasted, now back to work,’ Mthunzi thought as she began to back track. Before her encounter with the lion, she was headed toward the ocean. She wanted to take a look to see if the mysterious lights she had seen were there as well. It was the last thing she wanted to check on before heading back to her home.
As she was just starting to feel comfortable again she heard a growl behind her. She did not bother looking behind her and instinctively ran away.
Mthunzi weaved her way through the trees, bushes and grass, jumping over obstacles she hoped her pursuer would stumble over. As she felt herself getting tired, she saw ahead of her was nothing but plains. The lion would be able to spot her easily and could continue to follow her. Instead of going forward, she looked at one of the nearby trees. With all the energy she could muster, she climbed up the tree. She kept going higher and higher until she physically couldn’t go anymore. There was a strong branch that she laid on. From there she could see the area around her. She doubted that the lion would have much more energy to chase after her. By now he would be bored of his game and find someone else to harass.
Mthunzi stayed alert as she stayed in the tree waiting for any movement in the area. There was the occasional bird that flew by, but other wise it was still.
Akuva slashed down at a hare that was seeing what was going on. It had barely any time to react as Akuva ended its life. He left the body and continued forward. The cheetah could not have gotten far.
His life had been absolutely miserable the last few days. His cheetah companion, Luris had run away with his sister the first moment he got. It was not apart of their deal, a fact that angered Akuva the most. Luris was supposed to stay be his side until his sister brought a warrior that was worth his time. The pitiful fight that gave him was dull, ending with their warrior falling off a cliff. Because of that he didn’t even get a chance to have a prize for his fight. Not that he would want to wear the pelt of a weakling. It would have been nice to get something and not just lose everything.
The very thought of losing another cheetah made his jaw clench. His steps were heavier then normal as he stormed through the bushes and plants looking for any sign of his cheetah.
As he walked, he noticed some broken branches and rustled grass. He took a moment and looked at the ground and saw paw prints, much smaller then his own. It could possibly be the cheetah he was looking for, he thought as he followed the trail. Regardless, finding the prints put him in a better mood. He hummed to himself as he followed the trail.
It was getting late. The sun was going to set soon. Since Mthunzi went up the tree there has been no sign of the lion. She was debating about going down, when she heard the soft sound of a song. It wasn’t a bird singing, but something else. She looked around and then saw the lion that had chased her walk along the path that got her to the tree. He was looking down at the ground.
He stopped at the tree and ran his paw on the bark. Her claw markings were dug in. Right now she dug into the branch she had been resting on. How could she have so much bad luck in one day?
The lion looked up and had a wide grin on his face.
“There you are. This game of hide and seek was getting tiring. I am glad that it has finally come to an end. Now why don’t you come down from there and we can have a proper introduction.” Akuva said, sitting down at the trunk of the tree.
Mthunzi stuck her tongue out at him. She was sick of the lion. She did not care about what reason he had for following her. All he did was torment her and she was not going to just lie over and let him get what he wanted.
“Hm I guess from here we will just have to play the waiting game.” He said as he lay down. She growled as he relaxed. “I have the suspicion that I will be able to rest better down here then you up there. If you change your mind and come down from there, I will give you the benefit of being scared and confused. We can start over fresh. And from there you will travel with me and do what you are told like a good cheetah.”
Mthunzi turned her head away from the lion and looked toward the plains. She could outlast him. She just had to. Silently she cursed at herself for traveling the area alone. If she had a partner with her she would not be in this situation. She closed her eyes and hoped that when she opened them the lion would be no where in sight.
WC: 1,215