((Could have sworn I posted this a LONG while ago...Finished RP on June 21st '08.))
It had been like any day for Dogo. Wandering about, chasing things, and catching hares in their own dens. She'd gotten very good at that thanks to her digging abilities. But now...she was just watching the sunset, settled on top of the hollow log she would be sleeping in. It was something she loved watching...She had vague memories of watching it with her Mama and Papa so long ago in cub-time...
Nyota was just now waking up, becoming more alert as each second passed. And then, he sensed it... His ears shot upwards and his eyes snapped open, a low snarl coming out of his mouth. He rose, and stalked off into the growing darkness, on the hunt.
As darkness fell across the savanna, Dogo jumped down from her log and stretched. She carefully made sure each muscle was not tight. Dogo did not want to wake up cramped again. The sound of something moving through the grass caught her ears and she blinked. A rabbit?
Nyota waited until the moment was perfect, before he rushed forward, cub-roaring and lashing out. He smirks with satisfaction as he felt his claws connect, swiping down the intruder's right eye rather effortlessly.
Dogo didn't see it coming. A flash of black and amber and cool blue and then PAIN. She yowled and struck out in instinct while she stumbled to the side. Her unhurt eye tried to find what had hurt her...only to see cruel amber eyes in the face of a dark lion cub.
One claw managed to strike over his own eye, but not deeply enough to blind him... He snarled and glared at the intruder. "What are you doing here?" he asked darkly before he paused and looked... "Are you a demon?"
The leopard cub's fur stood on end. For once, the fears from her first days alone had come to pass. "Trying to survive till Mama and Papa find me, that's what!" She could feel the warm, wet blood on her face. It made it impossible to see out of her left eye. "And I am no demon, whatever that is!"
"Then, you don't belong here! This is the Aikanaro'hini land! You don't belong here!" Nyota growled, leaping and attacking again.
Dogo growled and readied herself, instinct taking over. As the other came to land, she put her weight on her back paws and pushed him as best she could, claws out. Seems her scraps with various small prey would pay off.
But not as much as the scraps Nyota had with his siblings. He let her paws dig into his shoulders and threw all his weight against her, going to bite at her neck. A dire mistake, leaving it open like that.
Lucky for Dogo, his weight threw her off so they fell askew, the leopard cub landing on her side. The impact left her dazed for a few seconds, but then she was back, trying to roll away from the other cub.
She was lucky she'd rolled. Nyota had regained his bearings much quicker than she had, and went to claw at her again, just as she rolled out of the way. But he stood, waving his tail and grinning, licking the blood dripping from his cheek.
"You're pretty good for a mortal."
When Dogo got to her feet, she couldn't help but glare at this...INSANE cub with her good eye. "Little dung-roller." And with that she charged him, throwing herself so her side would hit him rather than her head. Cub's weren't trees, but running headfirst into anything seemed to hurt more.
Nyota just smirked and caught her with both paws, digging his claws into her side and dragging them down in a ragged line.
"But you're not as good as a demon..."
Dogo screeched in pain, but kept pushing. She wasn't about to let this isane cub beat her! Not when she obviously had age on him...not much size, but definitely age. And if he was part of a pride...She growled. Stupid little thing probably didn't know the meaning of survival!
He dug his claws in even deeper before ripping them out rather violently and jumping back... And just when he saw her stumble, he leapt forward again and pounced, grabbing the back of her neck in his jaws.
NO! The moment she felt his teeth on her neck, she fell. Fell as hard as she could on the ground, making sure to land on her side. If she was going to hurt...so would he! Problem was...she knocked herself out. The pain was sharp, and then everything went white, then black. Her last thought was something along the lines of 'I'm gonna get eaten after all...
Nyota grinned and grabbed the smaller cub by the scruff of her neck and dragged her back towards where he knew his mother was. He wasn't sure if killing her was quite right. She was a rather strong mortal. His mother would know what to do...
Hakuna was doing her duty, making sure outsiders stayed just that. Of course...when she saw her favored son dragging something orange and white back, she raised a brow. What was this...had he finally managed a kill of something other than a preybeast?
He stopped just short of his mother, displaying the unconscious leopard rather proudly.
"I could kill her, if I wanted... But she has eyes like ours, and she put up a really good fight," he said, tilting his head to show his mother the shallow cut over his eye. "She almost got my eye."
Hakuna looked over the cub she was presented, thinking. "Well...If she put up such a good fight, why not keep her as a toy? Or..." She grinned. "Test her. Take her back out of our lands, leave her alone." Cruelty lit up her eyes. "See if she is truly strong and can survive with what you've done to her."
"I like that idea... But... I want to make sure the others know she's mine to kill," Nyota said, grinning and purring darkly. He said down and unsheathed one claw, rather crudely carving the Aikanaro'hini symbol into her forhead. He made sure it would scar... "She'll be more interesting if she can survive... And if she can't, our mark can label her as a sacrifice..."
Hakuna chuckled. "Yes...You have such a lovely sharp mind, Nyota." She nuzzled her son. "Now...Go on. I've still got partrol to do."
"Alright. She'll be in the Rogue Lands in no time," he purred, grabbing the leopards limp form again and dragging her to the closest border.
