Masuko stalked near the borders of the pack, frustrated. Her consort was absent most of the time, most likely chasing after the tails of other females. She felt no real love for him, but her doubts with him grew. She hadn't heard from the other hyena pack in moons...what was their status? Was there still an alliance to hold up? She needed heirs, but...she wasn't too keen on keeping up an alliance with a pack that was gone. None of them had come here, so unless theys uddenly arrived on her doorstep, Masuko wasn't keen on keeping Kepo around. He was...well, he was anything but faithful, and while Masuko wouldn't have cared had the other pack still been around, perhaps he didn't have the weight of his superiors to keep her bound to him.
Issues, issues. So she stalked around here, keeping an eye on the scent markings of strangers that got too close to their lands. They would have to go hunting soon, and Masuko was interesting in going out with a group. The alpha felt itching to take her stress out on something, and it may as well be a productive something.
A shuffling sound made her freeze. What was that? Who would be hiding so close to the border of the pack lands? She grew suspicious and angry, as there was no need to hide here. One should be brave enough to challenge her, whether they cared about the pack or not, and face her up front. She swiped at a dead bush that the sound was coming from...and out rolled a little hyena pup. Very dark in colour, which was perhaps how Masuko hadn't seen it. Underneath the matted muddy fur were hints of bright colours, and the pup's sore paws showed evidence of half-healed blisters. This was a pup that was lost, and Masuko didn't consider anything else.
She poked at the pup a few times to make sure it was breathing. The breaths were shallow, but there. "So you're still alive," Masuko said. "Stubborn. I like that. Perhaps I'll take you in." A small squeak was the only reply, though it seemed like the pup was coming a bit more alive now that she had been jostled around a bit.
The pup wasn't totally sure what was going on, but it seemed like something was going to happen. The adult was talking, but her ears were so jammed with junk that it was hard to hear what she was saying. The little hyena tried to look up Masuko but her head was a bit too heavy for her. She felt the large female bend down and snatch her by her scruff, and the little one went limp. Wherever she was going, it had to be better than being alone.
Masuko carried the little pup to a small waterhole, and dropped her next to it. With a sigh, she pawed out water to soak the little one down to the bone, washing most of the mud off of her fur. It was then that Masuko noticed just how vividly pink her mane was. "Just how filthy are you?" she mused to herself and the little one. It squirmed and squealed at being drenched, but Masuko wasn't going to just lick all of that mud off of it.
Once most of the mud was clean, Masuko finally decided that she would indeed keep this thing. She dragged her between her paws and began grooming, the little one still squirming but growing more and more silent. Gagging at the bits of mud that she did get in her mouth, Masuko kept working at cleaning the little one while figuring out just what to do with her. She knew that there were plenty of good mothers in the pack that would take her in, but Masuko also wanted to keep her. Train her up, keep her as a good ally. She had her sister, but it might be nice to have someone different, who didn't look like her. And keeping an eye on one pup was going to be much easier than a litter she didn't necessarily want. Yes, this seemed like the most wise choice.
The little pup and been dropped, drenched, and was not being thoroughly cleaned by a not-so-gently tongue. She was terrified when the sensation of being soaked through all her fur had hit her, but the ease and comfort of the grooming and quieted her down. So she wasn't totally doomed, at least not yet. Easing into the rhythm that the adult set made her more relaxed, and the pup melted into her forepaws. Safe. It had been a while since she had felt so safe, and at the moment this was the only thing she cared about.
Some time had passed, and the little pup was as clean as she could be. Dry and feeling a bit more steady, she looked up at her rescuer. A standard looking hyena, as far as she could see, with quite a stern look in her eyes. Regardless, the pup was already feeling dependent and loyal to the first adult that had helped her since she had gotten lost.
Masuko was done cleaning her charge, and it seemed that she had begun to recover. "Well, little one, now that you're in much better shape than when I found you, do you have a name?" The little one shook her head, not remembering anything to what a name should be for her. "Well, I shall call you Jasi for now. Stick with me, I'll take care of you."
"Ja...si," the little pup echoed, trying out the word for the first time. It was the first time she had spoken in some time, too, beyond squeaks and squeals. "Jasi. Okay." She was tired, but she had a name. And a home, and someone to watch over her. Jasi curled up between Masuko's forepaws, falling asleep. Masuko had no plans on staying here at the moment, so she once again picked up the little pup by the scruff. The best place to be would be her den, and then she'd find a collector to get her a new scrap of fur for the little pup to sleep on. Jasi was going to be considered something of Masuko's child, and the pack was going to hear about it later.
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