Inhliziyo Iculo waited outside Tlanextli’s den, waiting for the pack leader to be finished with her duties. It had been a long time since the two had hung out. At first it was because the two wanted to get integrated into the pack, but when Tlanextli surprisingly became the new pack leader, all her free time got taken away.
Inhliziyo peaked into the den to see how Tlanextli was doing. She watched as the other wild dog looked so serious as she talked. Inhliziyo had to hold back from giggling as she remembered the lost wild dog that Tlanextli once was. When they first met there was not a leadership bone in Tlanextli body. But now her friend was proving herself and Inhliziyo couldn’t be prouder.
The talk was winding down. Inhliziyo ducked away as the others heading toward the mouth of the cave.
Tlanextli was the last to leave the cave and the moment she did Inhliziyo tackled her. It was a surprise, but Tlanextli went with it and began to play fight with her friend. The two had a small spar, each taking a playful n** at each other. There were a couple on lookers, but the two friends just ignored them. When there was an opening Tlanextli took the chance and tackled her friend, pinning her to the ground.
“Do you surrender?” she asked with a smirk.
“Yea sure. I’ll let you have it this time so you aren’t embarrassed in front of everyone.” Inhliziyo said, with a wink.
Tlanextli got off Inhliziyo and waited for the other wild dog to stand up.
“Is there a reason for the surprise attack? Or is that just how you are greeting others now?” Tlanextli asked.
A snort came from Inhliziyo as she stood up. “It is just a special greeting for you.” She said with a grin. “I just wanted to check up on you and make sure everything was going smoothly. You’ve been so busy that we haven’t had a chance to just talk for a while.”
It was true, and that made Tlanextli a little sad. Inhliziyo had been in her life longer then anyone else in the pack. They had survived together in the rogue lands along with their hyena friend.
“Well Inhliziyo, I might be busy but for you, I’ll take a break and we can spend time like the old days.” Tlanextli responded, walking away from her den. “Did you have anything in mind?”
Inhliziyo thought for a moment. There were a lot of things she wanted to do. It was easier to make a list of what she wasn’t going to do. Top of that list was hunt. The pack was obsessed with it, plus it felt weird hunting without Oni.
“We could head toward the border and spend sometime at the creek. I’ve been wanting to investigate the area. It might be a good spot to forget about our duties and just relax when we need it.” Inhliziyo explained.
The idea of a quiet, relaxing day sounded perfect to Tlanextli. It had been far too long since she took a proper break. Whenever she did have free time she spent it with her daughters or Thalassa.
“That sounds like a good idea. The only question is, do you think you can beat me there?” Tlanextli said, winking at her friend before taking off.
Inhliziyo watched Tlanextli in shock, but then let out a heckling laugh. “Hey idiot! Before running off you should remember to ask directions first!” She yelled. Tlanextli quickly came to a stop and looked over her shoulder and shrugged. Inhliziyo shook her head and pointed her head in the direction of the river. “Don’t get too far ahead of me now. I don’t want to get in trouble for our leader getting lost.”
Tlanextli rolled her eyes before darting off again with Inhliziyo right behind her.
The two wild dogs ran away from the center of the pack toward the green area near the river. It was a ways away and by the time the two got there, they were completely out of breath.
“I haven’t run like that in so long.” Tlanextli said, taking a breath between each word. She lay down next to the river, under the cover of a tree.
Instead of sitting next to her friend, Inhliziyo decided that it would be more fun to play in the water. She took a couple steps back before she took a running start and jumped into the river, causing water to splash on Tlanextli.
“Now this is fun. Much more fun then hunting or talking to pack members. No need to be formal. No need to be serious.” Inhliziyo said, splashing more water at Tlanextli. “Just like the good days back with Mirza.”
Tlanextli gave her friend a look of concern. “Some days were good, but I remember being hungry most days and terrified that at any moment we could be attacked and killed. Here we don’t have to worry about that. We have our lions who watch our back. With the hunters, we always know that we will have food. And we don’t ever have to be scared again because we are the hunters and everyone else if our prey.” Tlanextli explained in a serious tone.
Still in the water, Inhliziyo’s expression dropped. “You sound just like the pack did when we joined. You really are one with them aren’t you?”
“You make it sound like a bad thing. Since becoming the leader with Thalassa and having raised my daughters I have had to change. I thought you would understand that. To live a full life we have to adapt and I did just that.” Tlanextli said.
“Yeah, but you’ve also become someone else in the process. Today was the first day in a long time when I saw you as Tlanextli and not just the great Kupatwa. It was nice to see the real you for once while it lasted. But maybe I should let the past die, abandon it like we did Mirza.” Inhliziyo walked out of the river. “I hope where ever he is, he is happy.”
“I know he is Inhliziyo. He is strong and brave. By now he probably found his own pack to call home. He always wanted a family to take care of.” She tried to comfort Ingliziyo the best she could. Mirza was a tough subject for both of them. As much as she wished that he could have joined them, there was no place for a hyena in the pack. He would have been hunted and killed with no mercy. “We should head back. I don’t like being away for too long. If anything happened while I was gone-“
“Responsibility and what not. I get it. Can we just stay for a moment longer to really enjoy this area and not let it be ruined by our conversation?” Inhliziyo said bluntly. Tlanextli slowly nodded her head. Inhliziyo laid next to Tlanextli and the two quietly watch the river in silence.
After a while Tlanextli broke the stillness and got up.
“I am going back now. I want you to know, that I did, for the most part, enjoyed this outing. I would like to spend more time with you, but if you rather now I understand.” Tlanextli said before heading back toward the pack.
Inhliziyo waited until Tlanextli was out of sight before getting up. This was not how she expected her day would go. It had started off as a rare treat to spend time with an old friend. She should have realized that she had put too much expectation on the visit. Before heading back, she took one more look at the river. Hopefully next time it will be a more relaxing break, she thought.
WC: 1,300