So hungry. Kataja's appetite knew no bounds, and it was rare that the hyena was fully satisifed. Still, she only ate a fair portion of the meals, and made sure to share with those non-hunters who needed to eat. She was really beginning to feel like part of the pack, and her relationship with Ibada grew into a strange, complicated, but entertaining one. She always made sure to keep nice looking bones for the collector, and he seemed content enough to let her hang out with him.
Now, she just needed more friends. It was easy when she was sharing her meals...so she went out to find Jasi, the scout that she fed often enough. Sometimes it was intimidating to spend time with her, as the Alpha had raised her up from when she was just a pup. Her brother, too, who looked enough like her, lived here as well, so she wasn't alone. She was still strange though, and Kataja was determined to try to be friends with her. How could a scout have no friends, anyway? What did they do in their down time?
Jasi was lounging around outside of her skull-den, a broken but otherwise decent little elephant skull to call home. She had finished her shift and reported to Masuko, but otherwise there was nothing else for her to do. She could go out and look for her brother, but...that didn't sound all that appealing. She didn't have anything to talk to him about, and he was probably knee deep in his own shift at the moment. Sometimes, some of the scouting areas were not very fun to roam around in. The rainy season had just ended, so there was a lot more mud than anyone wanted to slog through.
"Ah. Hey Kataja," she said loudly. Noticing the green female quickly was easy...that female was not quiet nor coordinated at all. It was a miracle that she was helpful in the hunts. "What're you doing here? Did you bring me something to eat?"
Kataja froze. "N-no, I didn't bring anything...should I have? I'm sorry." Well, this wasn't going very well at all.
"Nah, don't worry about it. Just make sure to bring me something next time. What's up?" Jasi had a hunch as to why Kataja was hanging around, but she wanted to make the hyena say it herself. Jasi wasn't up for games or anything, but a little company might do.
"I-I just...wanted to see how you were!" Kataja wasn't sure how to approach this situation, but she would do her best. "You always seem lonely, Jasi." The green hyena drew closer to the den, finding a decenly clean and dry spot to sit down. The black hyena looked so calm and collected, and...powerful, to be quite honest. Kataja hadn't really bothered to look at her that way before.
"Lonely? I suppose it would seem that way from your vantage point," Jasi replied. "I'm quite alright. I see Masuko often enough, and sometimes I run into my brother. But, are you lonely, Kataja?"
"Me?!" She'd never thought about that before. She looked down her snout at her nose as she thought about it. "Well...hmmm." It grew quiet for a moment, and Jasi seemed quiet amused. "Well, I suppose I used to be lonely. It was hard getting others to help me hunt, since I'm always a bit hungry...but coming here has been good. I like to spend time with Ibada, I get to help feed you and the guards, and just...no. I don't think I'm that lonely anymore."
"Well, Ibada, huh?" Jasi had only seen him from a distance, but he was a weird one. Weirder than Kataja. If that made her happy, she wouldn't object. Happy hunters made for better meals, after all. "I would never say I'm lonely, Kataja, but it is nice to see that bright smile on your face when you come and bring me some food. So I do appreciate that."
"R-really? Oh, that makes me happy Jasi." Kataja laughed, feeling much better. "Okay then, I'll believe you when you don't say you're lonely."
"How could I be? I have a hope, a family, and a pack that will help protect me, and I, it. I can't be lonely. There may be times when I feel lonely, but I don't think I actually am. Its just hard to not grow a bit jealous at times." She smiled. "I think I'll only get jealous if my silly brother ever finds a female to stick with him!"
Kataja laughed. She didn't have family here...they were who knew where, but that was ok. Family was here. "I agree. I like it here, as tricky as it can be, especially with the sour hyenas. But its nice, and safe, and the lions don't come here."
"No. They don't. I see a few sometimes when I'm scouting, they seem to keep an eye on what we're doing. Little do they know that they can't see that far into the graveyard." She wasn't around from the last fight, but Masuko had told her of it. How she lost her father to a fellow hyena in the middle of the battle. She had killed him in revenge, and Jasi could only revel in the strength that the Alpha had. She kept herself in shape just in case anything should happen, and she'd defend Alpha and pack against any threat.
"Lions." Kataja shivered a bit, her own opinion of the creatures changing as she spent more time here. She had never had an issue with them in the past, but she didn't remember that anymore. Not with the horror stories she had heard from other pack members. "As long as we are safe here form them, I'm content."
"We will be. Just keep feeding me and I'll keep you safe," Jasi said with a wink and a laugh, and Kataja joined in.
"But really, I am a bit hungry. Do you think you could go see if there's something for me to eat? I would really appreciate it, Kataja," Jasi added on. She was hungry, and tired, and didn't really want to get up if the green hyena would just go fetch her something.
"Of course I can. I'll be back. I'll try to grab you the best part...and try to not eat it before I get here!" With another laugh the green hyena ran off, and Jasi would remember to keep her happy. She wasn't going to hurt the best source of her diet, and Kataja wasn't a bad hyena at all. Just...simple and sweet.
(1,110 words)
