If that hyena tries to take her catch again... she’ll make sure to feed him to her mother and sisters along with the antelope! Powdery eyes narrowed in grim satisfaction to this thought, carefully slipping along through the minimal foliage as she made her way towards the grazing herd. The sun had been starting to dip back towards the horizon when she’d first started to stalk her current target, and now the golden orb was casting vast shadows across the land, the few trees thrown about here and there turning the world into a zebra hide of light and dark stripes. She’d ran them hard earlier, spooking them then trotting along behind them silently as she conserved the strength they were wasting away with their mindless attempts at escape. Did it a few times, a useful little method she’d learned from her wonder of a mother. All the easier to pick out the weaker ones, the easily tired and most vulnerable – the ones the rest would sacrifice for their own survival.The silver lioness would have snorted if doing so wouldn’t have given away her position, creeping ever closer. One in particular had caught her eye during the last two runs, noting how it was huffing and puffing and barely able to catch its breath or get a bite to eat to renew its energy. Even racing it was falling behind, a slight limp in its back leg a pass to death’s door... and her jaws. Crouching low, she was close enough for one good pounce to land her within striking distance of the lame creature. Through the wind, no scent of that annoying hyena reached her, fueling her blood to pound away in a wartime beat. This hunt was almost over, she could taste it.
For Aali the hunt had just begun, slowly carefully sliding along downwind he had followed the female. She was silver the perfect shade, her fur would look amazing bathed in moonlight. He needed to capture her, to possess her for his own, at home he had but one female a rebellious Kajira he knew would soon make a run for it and escape or be killed.
He ached to prove to his father that he too could inspire the loyalty of a Banu or Beybanu, that he was worthy of becoming the next Sultan. His half brother was always so calm and relaxed, females seemed to fall into his paws with charming ease. It wasn't that Aali was jealous he was simply curious how Faiz managed such magic.
He slowly came to a halt, now he would wait, let her revel in the success of her catch...and then he could revel in the success of his.
Soft step, soft step... pause, wait, and… now! As if lightning powered her muscles, she leapt, powerful legs launching her but a mere foot from the panting antelope. It looked up at her from the short grass it was trying to munch on, its big brown eyes glazed with stress and fatigue. It only had the time to blink before she sent a silent wish for the tired thing to at last rest, her fangs piercing its throat, crushing its windpipe and bone beneath the soft flesh. Coppery blood filed her mouth, her appetite ravenous at the taste. The others had sprung off, wild and crazed with the primal need to escape. Useless creatures, she put more pressure on her catch, waiting as the last blood sputtering breath ripped from her prey’s nostrils. And just like that, she had her meal, a prize to bring home after first indulging her own rumbling stomach. Moving to the fatter sections of its guts, she began her little feast, ears twitching as she kept a mindful watch on her surroundings. She wouldn’t be alone for long, not with the smell of blood in the air...
Aali grinned as she brought down her prey, she had skill and with luck he would soon be able to call her his own. A tender huntress to bring his meals and share his nights and conversations with...hopefully she wouldn't be as difficult as his first catch. A Kajira...the word made him shudder with anger, why did they rebel so? Why couldn't they show the sweet tender gratitude that the Banu did, even those more feisty females who loved their Pads.
He forced himself instead to focus again on the pale silver beauty infront of him and finally when she was intent on her meal he leapt. Muscles coiled and sprang sending his large frame directly onto of her. His paws forcefully pinned her to the ground and he brought his mouth to close over the back of her neck softly. "Do not struggle...I don't want to hurt you." He muttered into her fur.
The sound of a form rushing through air was all she had before the weight was upon her, shoving her to the ground with a snarling, startled gasp. So... heavy! She tensed, kept from struggling as such movements were pointless and as wasteful as the antelope’s mindless running. Besides, her small size and limited strength made the odds stack against her, baffled by the extent of the girth on... well, whatever this was.
His words made her ears twitch, brow raise in skepticism. “Is that so? I find that hard to believe, considering the circumstances,” she stated after a moment to try and reclaim her breath, voice as icy as her eyes as she slowly moved her head to peer at the one over her. A male. A large male. His voice and weight alone told her that much, though his mix of colors did made her blink. No one in the area had markings like that. A wandering rogue? Just her luck. “Are you after my kill then? Catch your own, I hunt only for my family.”
Aali moved his paws to better pin her keeping his considerable weight on her and slowly released her neck ready to clamp back on it if she should attempt to wriggle away. "Your a very good huntress...but no I don't want your kill. I want you, I want you for my family."
His answer was truthful and half of him told him to take his fathers advice and simply knock her out and carry her back. It worked well enough for his father and plenty of other males but he needed to be certain that this female would not awaken a rebellious Kajira.
To drag her back home only to find that she would have to be put down seemed unnecessarily cruel. Besides he liked her, she was pretty and quick witted...and a good huntress. Everything one could ask for in a banu.
Well that was unexpected, to say the least. Aysel remained in a thoughtful silence, weighing his words and tone against the facts of the situation. If he wanted to kill her or take the food, surely he would have done so without bringing forth an elaborate scheme. As it was, she couldn’t deny the sincerity ringing in his voice, however odd such a statement sounded. “You know nothing of me, and it is unwise to jump to conclusions about those you wish to stand beside you. “
The concept of family was nothing new to her, her mother raised all her offspring to be focused on their kin. Even if the eldest daughter knew only of sisters to her blood, her mother had still made sure to instill simple facts of life about the differences between males and females, the brawn and power of one versus the far more hidden talents of the other. But always was she taught to hold family above all else. Now to have this stranger come at her so suddenly with such a blunt statement... she’ll admit, she was intrigued by his reasons, however foolish they must be. “I will not fight you, but allow me to ask instead – why so quick to decide something so important?”
"If I were jumping to conclusions I would have just taken you...and it is your choice to stand beside me or to rebel and be killed. Kajira are females with no place within our pride. Only useful females are welcome under a Pads protection." He sighed softly at her question. The brutal part of him wanted to order her to silence, yet he knew better. If he truly wanted her as his banu he would need to learn to be a bit more open. He disliked the idea of harming a female when she was only curious, though some males preferred to smother curiosity. He didn't want lifeless dolls he wanted a spark in his den, the tender loving females that adored his father and kept him warm and well fed.
"It is not a hasty choice...I've watched you...and I haven't the luxury of roaming these strange lands to coax you to my side. You will join me and come to enjoy being in my harem or you will rebel like the Kajira and be put down. It would pain me to bring a rebel to slaughter though...that is why you are still awake and speaking to me."
Again her tongue was still, taking in this wave of information with a quick mind and whirling thoughts. A rebel was killed then, someone who asked too many questions by his reaction. She took note of this, tucking this little piece of information away. Those that were not though, were protected? She found herself lightening to such a thought, her mother’s teachings coming to mind. A lioness’ duty was to her family – her mate and cubs, while the lion was to act as protector with his great strength, provide a safe home for the female and offspring, the female providing food and comfort. One of his size should be more than capable of such, and he’d already complemented her hunting skills, one of the roles expected of her she was sure. Her interest was piqued, what could she say? She loved her mother and sisters, but this... this would be a family of her own then, would it not? Something about this concept made her relax, a soft smile coming to her pale muzzle.
“I did not know, I apologize.” A slight pause, a final consideration before she nodded, “I will go with you then, without a fight. I am... curious about your pride, about what it would be to be part of your family.”
Slowly he moved off of her and lightly leaned close to nuzzle her back. "I am sorry if I hurt you...." He sat for a moment and glanced at her kill. "Finish eating...the way is long..."
His blue eyes turned icy as he watched her. "If you come...be ready and open minded...I need a female to care for, to protect and provide for. You will learn the ways of our pride, and abide by them." He smiled slightly then his eyes warming. "Your very pretty...prettier in the moonlight I think...it will be pleasure to see."
It was difficult not to relax now that he was being gentler, carefully rising to her feet before bowing her head to him in silent acceptance as she moved to her meal. She was not the only sister out hunting; the others would survive without her aid. He spoke again as she took a new bite of meat, chewing thoughtfully as she rolled yet another new handful of thoughts around her head. If those were the roles he was to take on, she found no reason to object to them. Always one to help care for her sisters, it would be a nice change to have someone else looking out for her for a change. Not to say her mother wasn’t a good parent just... well, Aysel was growing up, it was about time she left for her own life.
His second complement met her as she swallowed, an embarrassed chuckle slipping through her as she sat beside the carcass, tail curling around her front paws loosely. “The sun is setting, you won’t have long to wait to see for yourself.” Unused to preening, she nudged the kill faintly towards him. “Please, eat. If the journey will be long, you would need to eat just as much as I, if not more so.”
"You will be a wonderful Banu I think..." He smiled and moved to eat his jaws cracking bone and taking not only flesh and blood but the very marrow as well. The UkuuchaWafalme having descended from the desert were never wasteful. Hunts were only every so often and every part was eaten and guarded jealously from scavengers.
They kept the same traditions that had molded them despite now being in a cooler more lush territory. "What is your name?" He licked his lips and looked at her curiously.
Banu. She let the word echo around her mind, finding it rather pleasant. She continued to eat, her ears still flicking every now and then, eyes still peering around as she watched for the ever present thieves. How odd that none had snuck in yet to snatch a bite, if not try for the whole thing. Perhaps the presence of another, much larger lion made them hesitate? To eat without being disturbed for a fight was quite the relief, though she did nothing to lax her guard. It wouldn’t do to take it easy, only to be startled and surrounded.
Her gaze shifted to him, head rising slightly as she allowed the gentle smile to form again. “My name is Aysel,” she responded simply, bowing her head respectfully. “If I may, what am I to call you?” She thought for a moment before speaking, thinking carefully over her choice of wording. It was a reasonable question, a simple precaution to not be demanding of a name nor careless and uninterested in an identity to the male she now belonged to.
"Aysel...thats very pretty...You may call me Aali, I was named for my mother she was the Sultana of our pride. The Sultan is the head of our pride, below him are three Viziers who help by consulting, and then the Pads all of us are like brothers. Each Male has a harem and among all his banu, his females, he picks one to be his Beybanu." He smiled as he gave her a short explanation eager for her to become used to the ways of the pride.
Still he watched her carefully, her reactions and the tone of her voice. She was lovely but he had to be careful, his father warned him against trusting any female no matter how loyal she seemed. He had only just met Aysel but already he hoped that she would fit in. The thought of returning to the rebellious Kajira in his den made his head ache.
Her ears perked, brow raised slightly at hearing of his heritage. A proud lion indeed, though she listened as he continued to explain some of the workings of the pride, nodding her head now and then to show she understood what he was saying. A harem, meaning multiple females? This was new, though not horrible. She lived her whole life with no one but her mother and sisters, so living with so many lionesses would be a welcomed sight. “Aali, sir,” she started carefully, still poking around gently to test the boundaries of her new life, “I apologize if this is too bold of me, but are there be other banu in your harem already?”
Her expression was light, rather excited by the concept of meeting others who would be a part of this new family she now found herself in. Something about saying his name felt right, though it was nice to get the chance to use these new words before arriving and dealing with the rest of the pride. The whole experience was fascinating so far, though she did do her best to keep her curiosity in check. Too many questions seemed to be a bad idea, after all.
"There is one other...but she is rebellious. I tire of fighting with her, I want peace, a companion, a female to care for not one to battle against." He huffed softly still uncertain what fate might come to his current female. If she continued on her reckless path he knew what awaited her at the end of the road.
He smiled at her softly his eyes warming "A Pad, or master, may have many banu, but he chooses one among them to be his Beybanu and lead and set an example for the whole harem. All the banu act as mothers to any cubs born within their harem...you will have other sisters and a full family."
She frowned, head titled to the side. Why would someone be so hostile? Aali seemed kind to her, supportive and ready to enforce the laws of his pride yes, but not wicked. What he wanted was reasonable, it was what a female should be. She shook her head softly and sighed.“If I may, I could try speaking with her. Having another lioness close by might help her settle,” she offered, staying optimistic as she thought of other possible ways to help. It was now her problem too, and what caused him pain would only make sense for her to try and remedy, right?
: Her smile returned, bright and exuberant as he went on. Though the concept of a Beybanu was interesting, her mind caught and held tight to his later points – a full family. “All of us would raise the cubs? How wonderful,” she beamed, excited by this idea. The only cubs she’d ever dealt with had been her youngest two sisters, but what a joy it had been to help her mother raise, nurture, and play with them. Content, Aysel closed her eyes, chuckling softly at the thought. “I am glad that I will have more sisters. I will miss mine, but to gain others...” She opened her eyes, smiling warmly at Aali. “I will be happy.”
"I'm glad, so long as your happy then I have not failed." He chuckled and nudged her. "Lets be on our way...we'll probably have to stop and rest later on." He glanced around as the sun slowly sank lower bathing everything in a soft orange glow.
"The moon will rise soon...I'm sure it will enhance your beauty." He moved away from the kill and shook off. Finally he was going to return home, and this time there would be something so very pleasant to look forward to. He could tell Aysel would fit in wonderfully and he wondered if he might be able to find her some kinder companions then the Kajira he currently had in his den. "Lets go home..." He murmured.
Home... Lose one, gain another. Aysel did follow him, content and happy with the turn her life had taken. Thinking back on it now, curled up in the warm den that belonged to the new Sultan, the silver lioness found herself still without any regrets for that fateful day. She was still happy, still confident in her beliefs and values of the pride. She had come to even love Aali, treasure every moment with him. With the raid having been such a success, a smile played on her face sleepily as she made a mental note to herself to meet her new sisters soon. Sisters... the warmth and fond memories connected to the word made her purr, happy little shivers dancing along her spine.
The pride was growing, all seemed well from what she’d seen thus far, though she’d kept a bit of a distance from the newcomers to give them a chance to settle a bit on their own first. A soft chuckle rumbled from her, excited and pleased with everything. "Everything works out in the end," she whispered to the still air. "Just like it always does."
