Gard hadn't expected to pair up with a hyena, but it seemed that was what the fates had in store for him. He had simply been walking along, keeping to himself, when all of a sudden he had come across a strange sight. A lioness was sleeping nearby her kill, which she had clearly already eaten from. He wouldn't have thought anything of it, if not for the hyena lurking nearby, carefully inching forward to get his paws on the meal.

FLustered, Gard instantly started to yap, charging forward to try and scare the hyena off from the food. That lioness had worked hard for it! He didn't deserve to take it away from him! But she had woken up from his yapping, thankfully, and one roar from her sent the hyena running off towards the jackal. This surprised Gard, who quickly scampered to get away from him. However, he was much faster than the smaller dog, and the hyena quickly grabbed hold of him with his jaws as he fled from the lioness.

"Let me go, let me go!" Snarled the jackal, kicking and flailing to get out of the mouth of the escaping hyena. However, he didn't let him go, running with him until they were both far away from the lioness. when it was clear she was not following after him anymore, he finally let the Jackal go. Instantly, the little creature spun on his heels, looking up at the hyena with a scowl. For a small jackal, even for his own species, he was a very plucky being.

"If you think you can just kill me, I'm not going down with out a fight," he snapped. The hyena chuckled in return, rolling his eyes as he plonked himself down in the dirt.

"Chill, pup, I'm not going to kill you. Though I am super annoyed that you interrupted my hunt like that. IT's hard to find food around here, you know?"

"That doesn't give you the right to steal things from lionesses! She was just sleeping and you were going to take what she worked hard to catch!" The jackal shot back without missing a beat. The hyena chuckled, arching an eyebrow at the smaller dog.

"You know, you're kind of plucky," he said thoughtfully, "I didn't expect so much to come out of a tiny little mutt like you. What's your name?"

"Gard," he huffed, "and I'm not a mutt! Or tiny!"

"Right," replied the hyena, "I'm Okonoko. I would say it's nice to meet you, but you did cause me to go hungry today. Now I have to decide how you're going to make it up to me. I suppose I could just eat you- that might make things square." He didn't sound serious, but Gard tensed anyway. He took a couple steps away from Okonoko, swallowing a knot in his throat. It was then he noticed a female lioness heading up behind them, dragging a corpse with her. He realized it was the same lioness as before! She had followed them all this way, even though she also had food to bring along with her? And why did she bring it if she was just going to attack the hyena about trying to steal it?

"Please don't eat that small creature," the lady said once she dropped the body, the hyena jumping with a yelp in his surprise. He turned to look at her, completely shocked by her appearance. She offered him a polite smile and a bow of his head.

"I'm very sorry I yelled at you just now. I heard the yipping and I just woke up with a start. I thought you were trying to attack me. When I realized you were just looking for the food, I tried to apologize, but you had already run off with the little one here. Please have this instead of eating him- he was just doing what he thought was right."

"You're... giving me your food?" Okonoko said, "even though I tried to steal it?"

"You must have been very hungry to try and take the food of a lioness," she said with a smile, "I wouldn't mind sharing it with you. I already had my fill, anyway, so it's really of no use to me. I feel like it would be selfish to keep the rest of it to myself. In the pride I come from, we share our food."

Gard smiled as he watched. This lioness was very kind. Not only was she attempting to share her food with this guy who was nothing more than a thief, but she was also attempting to save his life. He didn't even mind being called little by her- she was pretty enough for him to forgive that. A pale lioness with a creamy coat. She didn't look like she belonged in the rogue lands, too well groomed, so when she said she was from a pride, he understood why he was a little confused by her. She was from a pride! They shared meals and helped one another in places like that. He had never been to one, as most were not kind to smaller animals, but he had heard a lot about them. It was a nice life, it seemed.

Meanwhile, Okonoko regarded the lioness a moment, his face showing a somewhat skeptic expression. Like he expected her to attack or lay down some kind of a condition at any moment. But she didn't, watching him with a smile. "... my name is Okonoko," he said, "and this little pain in the butt is Gard. By the way- I was never really going to eat him, I was just trying to scare him a little. I don't eat other meat eaters. But, uh, thanks for the food."

"No problem," the female replied, "my name is Sercy. I come from a pride called the Toka, where my father rules. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you, and I hope you enjoy the food. Please share with sir Gard here, if you don't mind."

"Oh, don't worry about me, my lady!" Replied Gard, bowing in front of Sercy, " I didn't know we were speaking to a princess! You're so kind! It's an honor to be able to speak to someone like you! But what are you doing out of your pride?"

"You don't need to be so formal, my friend," giggled Sercy, " out here, I am not different from anyone else."

"That's true," Okonoko replied, "but you didn't answer the question- what are you doing out here."

"Well," sighed Sercy, "I came out here looking for someone, and I'm afraid I got lost. I don't really know the way back to my pride. I've been traveling in the hopes of finding my way home some time."

"I'm sorry!" Said Gard, "I wish I knew how to help you! I don't know the pride you speak of, so I"m afraid I have already failed you, my lady."

"You're going the wrong way," Okonoko grunted, pulling some flesh from the corpse he had been given. He smiled, happy to have meat in his tummy. Though he knew it wasn't a happy matter to be lost from a pride. "Your pride it the other way- I've been by that area before. I suppose, since you shared food with me, I can show you the way."

"Would you really?" Asked Sercy, her spirits brightened, "I would be deeply appreciative if you did! I don't know how I could repay you. Meat doesn't seem a fair trade..."

"Keeping me safe for a little while is payment enough," Okonoko replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "I don't have a home so it's not like it's out of my way or anything."

"If you're traveling with the princess, then I'm coming along with you," Gard huffed indignantly, "I don't trust you with her at all! For all I know, you're going to try and hold her hostage for meat and gifts or something!"

"A great idea," Okonoko, "maybe I will."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't," Sercy replied softly, though she didn't seem all that concerned, "but don't worry little Gard, I'm sure he wouldn't really try to harm me. He didn't harm you, did he? I think he's nicer than he looks."

"Don't make me regret this," he huffed, "I'm only repaying you for the meal, but I could easily leave you to find your way on your own!"

"No no, please, I'm sorry," laughed the lioness, "I didn't mean to make you mad. Come- let's go together, the three of us. I'm sure it would be a fun adventure, don't you think? We could keep each other safe, just as you want. Traveling in groups is always the best way to go about things." The three seemed to all agree together, and Gard found himself on what was going to be the weirdest little journey of his life. But that he was complaining, of course- he liked adventure.

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