[PRP] The Good Old Days (Ayize x Esasile)

[RuIerr]

The old lioness glanced around the pride, scowling.

Nothing was the same as it had been when she was growing up. Things had become so lax - and everyone seemed okay with it. More than okay, they were embracing it. The thought left a bad taste in Ayize's mouth. More and more often she heard stories of their women being weakened and seduced by rogue males and ran off from the pride. The Ithambo she once knew was weakening, and in her age it was only strengthening her resolve to impart upon as many cubs as she could the wisdom of the traditional ways. Somebody had to, after all.

Ayize stood atop a large plateau, eyes scanning the land below. She had never been a fan of the pact with the Motoujamii; why should they lower themselves to working with such a savage pride ruled primarily by males? As they migrated around their "lands" she felt continually conscious about their place in conjunction with the Firekin outpost. She didn't trust them, and liked to keep an eye out just in case. Someone had to protect the pride, after all.

Kaliforneum

 

[Kaliforneum]

She was reaching an age where the thoughts of the past was on her mind more than the thoughts of the future. Perhaps it was the knowledge that her life was now a sunset instead of a sunrise, the knowledge that there was more behind her than there was ahead of her.

Or perhaps it was the fear that the future would not be as glorious as days gone by.

Esasile climbed up the rocks to the plateau where Ayize stood, her bones mildly protesting the motions. Her joints always made their discomfort known when there was another storm on the horizon, or when it was a touch too cold during the dark desert nights.

"Mm. A good view, especially for when the redpelts finally invade our lands once and for all." The older female sniffed. Or maybe the redpelts would eat them from the inside out. With Andhaka in charge, how long would it be till all the pride's cubs were sporting the Firekin colours? How long would it be before their prides became one, and the Bonelands were gone forever?

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

Ayize turned to see another lioness from the pride, Esasile. She was also older, and notoriously bitter about the recent changes the Ithambo were going through - and for good reason. The pride she had known and loved was steadily deteriorating. Ayize nodded to the other, a scowl forming on her face. "They nearly have already," she spat. "Watching us as if we cannot function on our own. I should have them for slaughter." At that, she shifted her body, angling more towards the other female while still allowing for clear sight of the outpost. She really didn't trust them.

"I saw some cubs running about earlier," Ayize began, her eyes once again scanning the horizon. "Their pelts were a deep red, brighter than blood." She frowned and shook her head. "I simply do not understand - are we so low, now, that we're breeding with them?" Of course, she knew that they were likely Umholi Andhaka's cubs - but she had never been fond of him anyway. Regardless of her duty to respect and tend to the Umholi, she could never look at Andhaka as fully deserving of that title - so badmouthing his recent litter came of no personal consequence to her. She glanced at Esasile, waiting for her companion to weigh in.

Kaliforneum

 

[Kaliforneum]

Purple eyes narrowed and darkened at the thought. She had no doubt that conflict with the Firekin would one day heat up and turn sour. "Mm. As they would have us, I am sure." Would they one day be driven out of their lands for good? Scattered to the winds like hyenas running from a stolen kill?

Breeding with the Firekin. An atrocious thought. Red cubs, absent a red-pelted mother, were likely to sired by Andhaka, something Esasile could not understand. But there was at least one litter where it could not be so. "Such may be. Ukushisa returned laden with cubs not sired by our males." The female paused a moment to spit in disgust. "One of them red. And all three larger than cubs much their elder. It certainly speaks to the Firekin's large structure. That or she lay with an elephant." An elephant being the preferable choice, of course.

Esasile sighed deeply. "But who can blame them? We are absent proper Inselele, our new male sporting green. And even the Abaholi come to us without having truly proven their worth." Goodness, Bangizwe had simply wandered in and claimed the spot. At least he was of a proper pelt colour. And Andhaka. Goodness, the things she could say about Andhaka. Supposedly the females had favoured him, and yet Jasiri had sired more litters than he at the time of his promotion. It made no sense. "I fear we have made many mistakes out of fear and panic, absent Gakere and Surtak, and our young females have been left without proper guidance and leadership to instruct them."

Ruler of Everything