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01. Mountain Dew Cookie - prefs: 1 , 3 , 2
02. irishgirl1017 - Prefs: 1, 2, 3
03. Nefarious Muse - prefs: 3, 2, 1
04. Mysteriana - prefs: 3, 1, 2

When the day had faded and became darker, to her it was her time. She loved to feel the cool breeze ripple across her fur and the dark sky light up with the stars which resembled shapes of some sort or least she thought so.

She knew she was different most females preferred the day, allowing her male to protect her at night. She had no male, she preferred night. The day to her meant bright light, cubs scurrying about, animals more relaxed and not as easy to separate from their herds or packs to take down, and overall the day meant less time for her to feel free. Nothing wrong with a female who prefers the day she is just not one of them. The darkness to her is like a cocoon one that envelops her every night and it feels like home.

Nighttime to her was her time to shine, it was hunting time! Some preferred the day to the night, others preferred night to day. For her she felt more at ease at night, she could prowl about, hunt and return to her small place and be. It was a risk for her since she was not with a pride but for her, it was easier. The night gave her cover, the only light was the stars and the moon if there was one. Animals scurried about in a frenzy looking for food before they became a meal. Insects buzzed about with more vengeance as if they were determined to get one more meal before they went off to rest.

The night was to her home. It felt safe to her, the darkness enveloped her and kept her safe. The stars kept her in the right direction, following them she knew her way around as she was taught as a cub.

Crouched low and hidden among the landscape, Zuberi waited for her prey. Scanning the landscape with anticipation she knew it was only a matter of time before some unsuspecting animal would cross her path, and she would pounce.

The waiting game was something she thoroughly enjoyed, she needed to be alert, swift and show no mercy. It had been a few days since she last ate, and her stomach hurt from hunger. She did manage to find some leftovers from someone else's meal it satisfied her to a point and made this hunt easier. The strength she gained from that meager meal was enough, though barely.

The sun was dipping below the horizon, day turning into night. This is when the savannah became alive. Most creatures would hunt at night, thinking they were safer. "If they only knew" she thought to herself and let out a soft snarl.

She was a loner which was odd but she preferred it that way. There was no one she could rely on, that lesson she learned very early and it is one she will never forget. Her claws seemed to grow longer, the hairs on her fur stood up and she snarled loudly. She immediately knew she had to calm herself, she may have given herself away to any prey nearby.

Slowing her breathing, she laid down fully and closed her eyes for a brief moment to gather her thoughts and get herself under control.

Her eyes opened and she saw a small animal moving away from where she was and knew her hunt was ruined. Sighing deeply, she got up and walked towards where she made her own. She had hidden the rest of the meager meal she had scavenged earlier and that would have to do for tonight. Tomorrow was a new day a new hunt!

Prefs: 1, 2, 3

So many stars. Who could say why those bright dots in the sky shone so steadfastly each night. Most nights, not even the Moon could blot them out, only the welcome rainstorms could hide them. Tonight, the moon had just risen and Iyanrin allowed herself a moment to cast her eyes skyward. Her grandmother had once told her that the shapes in the stars were the great lions of the past. One need only call upon them in times of need and help would come. Iyanrin missed her grandmother most on nights like these. It was on a night when the moon had risen and set during the day that her grandmother was lost. She had heard the hyena in the distance, but did not smell the closer one until it was almost too late.

As a cub, Iyanrin was an easy target. Her grandmother was teaching her to hunt as her mother was off birthing. It just so happened that the night hunt would go to no avail. Just as the second hyena was about to latch onto the little cub, her grandmother rammed the hyena away. The older lioness growled as she recovered and roared a warning to the hyena. It was also a signal to the other members of her pride that there was danger nearby.

“Iyanrin, stay behind me.” Frightened, but obedient, she followed carefully behind her grandmother.

“Out of the way, old one,” the hyena snarled as he circled the cub. He sniffed the air a few times, then continued pacing.

“You are far from your hunting grounds, and you know you can’t win this. My pride is not far and this cub will not be your next meal.”

A sneering grin appeared on the hyena’s face. “That’s what you think.” Then the hyena howled.

The unexpected sound distracted the grandmother. Her ears were alert as she listened for a response and her muscles tensed as she lowered herself and readied for an attack. Inyarin crouched low to the ground and looked every direction. The first hyena that had howled in the distance was nearly upon her! Fear took over and she couldn’t move. Just as the jaws of the first hyena were opening to grab her, she felt the rumble of another set of paws running. A lion lunged on the first hyena, rolling away from the cub, and threw it away from her.

Standing up, the very large lion roared. The sound was deafening to Inyarin and she now closed her eyes and curled up on the ground, her heart beating wildly and her breathing erratic. The two hyenas yelped as they ran away. They knew a meal would have to be found elsewhere.

“Why were you hunting so far from the pride?” the lion demanded. Her grandmother was standing with her head hung, bowed in deference to the prince.

“I am sorry. I did not realize how far we had gone. I only wanted to distract my granddaughter as we await the birth of her sibling and with the moon soon to rise-“

“Old one, it is not a night for a solitary hunt especially for one of your age. My brother is, for your sake, busy with the birthing at the moment. I will not disturb him with this news, but I want your word that you will only hunt with the other lionesses.”

“You know they are unhappy with us joining your pride, though we are very grateful your mercy.”

“They will learn to accept you in time. Hunting alone will only increase their distrust of you.”

As he started to turn, a loud cracking noise could be heard. In the darkness and unexpected hyena attack, it was not realized where her grandmother was standing. Too close to the edge of the cliff, it was now giving way as she had been standing still and all her weight was upon it. Inyarin was not far behind where the grandmother was standing and she quickly grabbed the cub by the scruff of her neck by scent and threw her away from the cliff’s edge, but it was too late to jump away. Her grandmother fell to the gorge at the bottom. She was unable to twist so she could grab the edge to slow her decent and her head had hit a rock at the bottom.
“Grandmother!!” Iyanrin called out after she recovered from being thrown away from the cliff and started for the edge to look down, but the lion moved in front of her.
“No, don’t get any closer or you’ll end up down there too.”
“But we have to-“
“There is nothing we can do. The moon has not yet risen and it’s too great a distance to the bottom. I’m--sorry, little one.”

“No! Grandmother!” she called again as tears began streaming down her face. Suddenly she was lifted off her feet. The prince picked her up and carried her back to the pride. She tried to scramble out, but felt teeth grip tighter as a warning. She stopped squirming, but the tears kept flowing.

Once back with the pride, the prince gently released her and ordered one of the other lionesses to watch her. Begrudgingly, she looked at the small cub, with ill-disguised loathing on her face.

He gathered two other lionesses and headed back toward the gorge. They were not gone long when they returned, their number the same as when they left. He moved back toward the cub and softly spoke to her. “I am truly sorry, little one. She is gone.” With that he moved away and laid down.

Tears silently flowed down as the adult lioness looked at the stars above. The memory still held sway over Iyanrin’s heart. After a few moments, the tears ebbed and she could see the group of stars that reminded her of her grandmother’s face. It was not long after she became an adult that the other lionesses eventually ran her off. Her mother and brother were still with the pride as far as she knew, but the only saving grace on her mother’s part was that her son was the prince of the pride and they followed him and his brother without question. She hoped that someday she would be able to see her mother and brother again, but for now, she was happy to be near the little watering hole and the small pride that took her in. They were wanderers like her. At the moment, the beauty of the stars would remind her that she had family in the world and that she was loved.

Preferences - 3, 1, 2

01. Mountain Dew Cookie - prefs: 1 , 3 , 2
02. irishgirl1017 - Prefs: 1, 2, 3
03. Nefarious Muse - prefs: 3, 2, 1