Chaya had entered on the biggest journey of her life thus far, and was quite unsure about how to go about it. Her tentative footsteps out of her home had been accompanied with a fear in her stomach. What if she was unable to find her way back? She had looked to the sky for the mountainline ever since, but thick fog and treetops would often obscure her vision and she would panic. Many never came back, for perhaps they had found a better life. Chaya didn't believe anything better than her home was out there waiting for her, and in actual fact she was just a little scared of anything beyond the mountain.
The first night was probably the worst. Though she wasn't a fearful sort, she knew of the rogue males that could be lurking in the unclaimed lands, and made it her mission to hide as much as she possibly could. Chaya never stopped in open plains, not for long anyway. She found her sanctuary in the lush trees and crevices in which her slender body could hide. The weather had been kind, for she had no real shelter, and was moving from place to place far too quickly to assume a home. She wondered what the others did. Maybe some found other prides, maybe some remained alone. There had to be a few that encountered danger, and some that just never came back for reasons unknown. Chaya wanted to find her way home, but also wanted to see what the world had in store for her out here, however tentative she felt currently.
This morning, however, came with a new light for Chaya. The day was growing warmer and the new strange lands looked peaceful, almost pleasant. Her stomach rumbled as a reminder that her hunger was quickening. Perhaps she could find something to eat? Where would she start?
She decided that heading to the plains would be her best bet, but she knew they were a good walk from here, and she would be going back on herself. Chaya wasn't keen on moving forward for too much of a distance because she feared she would lose sight of home, so she turned and headed between the two pebbles she'd nudged side by side to mark this portion of her journey.
Onwards and onwards she plodded, with the thought of food clinging to her mind. It seemed like such a long journey when she was so hungry. Finally she saw what looked like a sea of gold, trees dotted more sparsely about the land, and began to scout for her meal. Dark spots appeared in the grasses, some far away, some closer. They weren't obvious figures, and Chaya decided to move closer silently, to ensure she didn't wander upon an unsuspecting and very angry hyena, or worse, lion.
Her maroon eyes narrowed. The lionesses white pelt wasn't ideal for hunting in the savannah. It was a stark and bright colour, with odd brown patches that suggested she had been bathing in the mud- though she hadn't. Chaya was unable to see some of the figures, but noticed a small one moving slowly near one of the large trees. Upon closer inspection, and its trotting movements, she noticed it was a klipspringer! And a brightly coloured one at that, too. Its base pelt was white, like hers, but it was covered in bizarre purple patches. The creature seemed to be be wandering quite aimlessly, so Chaya figured it would be an easy target.
Her body settled down towards the ground as she stalked closer, the dry grass brushing against her fur, she was careful not to make a sound. Her dark brown splattered ears pinned towards her target she took a quick glance around to make sure there was nobody she was in competition with... and then she pounced.
The lioness could move quickly when she wanted to, and it wasn't long before she was on top of the poor creature, paws either side. She was about to deliver the first and fatal blow when she realised the klipspringer hadn't seen her, and was incredibly distressed, more so than most who are about to be eaten.
Nuru let out something between a squeak and a wail. Either way it sounded unnatural coming from her mouth. First her mother and now this, she couldn't bear it! A large white and brown face was looming towards her as she shook in between it's seemingly giant paws. Oh she couldn't deal with this suspense... Why was she taking so long?
Chaya paused, something tugged at her heartstrings for a pecuilar moment, and for everything that was against a lion's nature she pulled her head back to take a better look at the shuddering creature.
“A-are you okay?”
It was a stupid question, yes, considering that she was just about to eat the poor soul, but there was something that didn't look quite right.
Nuru's eyes widened in disbelief. W-what? Why was the lion concerned with her feelings?! She expected sharp claws to slice into her flesh at any minute, and the terrified look on her face did not ease. “U-um, not really, but I g-guess many creatures aren't when they're about to be eaten...” This was true of course. Though she was an adult, Nuru was quite young looking, and sounding. Slight and slender, she managed to avoid being eaten by avoiding areas that usually had lions prowling in them, but this was different.
Chaya's paws released the klipspringer slowly, and she expected the tiny animal to bound off in skittish terror, but instead it lay there, trembling. The lioness was almost tempted to nudge her to get up off the ground. Perhaps she'd find out why the young deer was so upset, maybe she could help... Chaya shrugged, it wasn't always unheard of for lions to have companions that could otherwise be lunch, why would this be any different? He stomach let off a low grumble. Oh, that's why.
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