Being Hunted (Dark Huntress & Malenga)

[Dark Huntress]

Changa followed Lesedi somewhat smugly. He grinned as she muttered something, probably threats against his well being. He waited until they were out of the king and queen's sight till he trotted up so that he was abreast with her. "Beautiful day, huh?" He gave the den a loving glance-how could anyone leave or dislike this place? The lionesses were lovely, the view beautiful, the life fun, and there was always fresh meat.
"Sorry about that, didn't think your mom would do that," he grinned sheepishly. "Maybe we'll have fun?" Doubtful, he thought to himself. Not with her wishing I was underneath her paws-in the grave she was prancing on! The idea somewhat amused him and he laughed softly.

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Kafele gave the lioness another look. She seemed happy. Maybe he could get used to it, at least give Moyo another friend in the pack. Sure, the kid was a little irresponsible, but he seemed nice enough. "I'm afraid I'm a little unpracticed," he grinned at Moyo, indicating he was joking.
Before Moyo could reply a lioness much resembling Amunet streaked towards them. She stopped a few feet away, huffing and puffing. She shrugged as Kafele gave her a confused look.
"What?" she asked,"I'm done patrolling-it's sunset, time for the seventh shift." Kafele nodded and cast Moyo a still confused look. Patrols? Shift? Huh?

[Malenga]

She perked her head out of her thoughts and looked at the day. Barely any left now that the sun was fading over the hills. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the thought of how much I want to kick you out of the pride," the princess replied. She burst forward, away from his side, and casually turned around. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my parents let me out and I'm not going to be spending time with you," she turned back around and started walking towards where she knew Gzifa would be, "thanks for getting me out of an early bed time."

As Lesedi began to walk away from the male, she stopped and sighed. She might have been able to walk away from him completely if she didn't have that nagging in the back of her head that told her a princess should be more considerate of others. Changa included. The princess landed her ruby orbs back on his frame and sighed. "Where was that place you wanted to go?" she asked, dully. She watched for his answer, in the back of her mind, growling that she didn't go through with being a terrible lioness. She just had to have a heart. She blamed her father!

~*~

"Thank you, Amunet," Gzifa replied. The lioness got to her paws and began to walk through the grass, out to where she knew the best patrol spot was. She couldn't help looking back over her shoulder with a small smile, looking to Kafele. "It was nice meeting you," she told him.

As she walked away, Moyo looked from Gzifa's fading form to Amunet's tired face to Kafele's face. He kept his eyes on the rogue. "We walk around the territory all day to make sure that no one is trespassing in the territory. That helps to eliminate the threat of being taken over by another pride, a male lion who wants to challenge Cetshwayo, a female who wants to challenge Malenga, and in cub season, making sure nothing harms or kills them. It's routine and everyone gets a turn in doing it," he looked back to where Gzifa disappeared, "night time just being the time where Gzifa does her nightly patrol."

[Dark Huntress]

Changa shrugged. "Nowhere, I guess," he looked at his front paws as he shuffled them. "You better hurry, though-Gzifa has night patrols and it's about that time." He shrugged and padded off towards the waterhole-maybe Nyota or the other guys were there.
He flinched as he passed the usual den area, where everyone but the king and queen stayed. "Whatever happened to 'hitting the sack'!" He flinched at Kafele's deep voice. He turned. "My throat got itchy!" He called back.
Amunet chortled at Kafele's side. What was she doing there with him? he wondered. "Want to come, Netty?"He smiled charmingly,"Maybe I can win your heart over. My competition isn't much!"

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Amunet sighed and padded towards him. Anything was better than spending time with Moyo, she only wished she could talk with Jumo. She felt stupid and embarrassed-the last thing she remembered was Lesedi's any remark about 'If you weren't flirting your have no reason to be upset'. She paused by him. "What do you want?"
"I thought I just made that very clear."
She gave him a cold look and shouldered past him as he glanced at Lesedi with the corner of a blue eye. Was his plan working? Was she jealous? Was she going to join them?

[Malenga]

Lesedi narrowed her eyes, seeing Amunet. She had her reasons for not liking the lioness very much, but she wasn't about to talk about it openly with others she barely knew, didn't like much, nor wanted to speak to. Though her head was looking in another direction, her ears continued to twitch at the sounds she heard. She could hear Amunet coming closer and asking Changa what he wanted, and she could hear the sounds of the lions gathering together at the den. A place she would much rather be right now instead of listening to the lion she liked flirting with the girl she very much disliked. I hate her so much..., thought the princess.

"What's all this now?" a voice called, belonging to Jumo. He was done with his patrol at the other end of the borders and it was time for him to settle down for the night. But apparently, he had came across a scene he didn't think was befitting for the three. "Honestly, Changa, have I taught you nothing? If you're going to flirt with multiple women, you have to create a fan-base before you can effectively seduce them all in a group. Start small, young grasshopper," the male joked, nudging his friend's shoulder. Jumoca walked past Changa, getting to the den like the others. He lugged his tired body past the others slowly, but took the time to note that they were all still standing around. "You guys better get to the den soon, or Malenga will come looking for you." With that, he was headed to the den.

Lesedi watched him leave, feeling like she had more of a reason to follow pursuit of the lion. He seemed to not mind having her tag along, and it was obvious that Changa had all the fun he needed with Amunet. With a scoff, she walked towards the den as well without so much of a glance to the others.

Moyo, being the quiet one for once, watched as all the drama ensued. Even for him, he was telling that there were unmentioned tensions flailing all over the air. "I'm thinking... being with Gzifa right now is the best bet," he commented. He looked at his new friend, and smiled to him. "Wanna go hang out with her for a while?"

[Dark Huntress]

Kafele shrugged. "Sure," he watched the group of lions dissipate till all that remained, that he was openly were of, were himself, Moyo, and Changa and Amunet who, to his surprise, were still sitting where they'd been only a few minutes ago. He gestured to the direction Gzifa had gone and padded that way.
"Let's go," he said.

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Changa gave Jumo and Lesedi a discouraged look, which Amunet duly noted. "I think I'm going to go see what's up with Jumo," she said and padded away. "Is he that much better than me?" He questioned frustratedly.
Amunet shook her head, laughing. "No, but he's less tempting," she said sarcastically,"I am betrothed."
She sighed as she saw he was with Lesedi. She didn't know why the princess disliked her so much, she minded her own business, did what she was told to (that was why Moyo was the one being dragged back instead of her), and was a good hunter, bringing in more than her weight. She huffed irritatedly and walked past them to her spot in a little corner where she curled up and was sorely tempted to cry.
"Night, Netty," Changa said in a very annoying voice.
She cracked a blue-green orb open to give him an icy look. "Shhh," she hissed. He laughed and sauntered towards Lesedi and Jumo. She heard him say something to them about 'guessing he scared Amunet off'. "You have no idea," she grunted and turned away so she couldn't hear then rest.

"I guess I scared Amunet off," Changa chuckled as he sat by Lesedi and Jumo. "Y'all don't mind," he asked,"you know, my being here, my talking to you, my existence." The last one was directed towards Lesedi.
He stretched. "If you do, I guess I'll go turn in, beg some snuggles off some lionesses." He winked at Jumo and leaned closer to them. "Which ones are easy targets?" he asked in a whisper.

[Malenga]

Lesedi rolled her eyes, turning her head away from Changa. He was being a brat and she didn't know why. Was this a side to him that she didn't know until now? She didn't know if she could stand it much longer. "I'll be back later," the princess growled, walking past the two males.

Jumo, who was comfortably sitting with his tail wrapped around his feet, watched as the brightly blonde lioness waltzed away. "You're leaving because of what this moron is saying?"

"I've got better things to do," she growled. With that, Lesedi left the two behind her to talk whilst she did some talking of her own.

The red maned lion watched as Lesedi's form faded away into the night before he looked down at Changa. "Was your plan to make her jealous, or to just annoy her?" he asked. Mind you, he had to give Changa credit for trying to at least attempt and flirt.

~*~

I don't believe the nerve of that guy! I'll never be crushing on him again. He'll regret this, the princess sauntered past the other lions and the trees until she came to the edge of the boarder. There, she spotted the flame coloured lioness, Gzifa. She stepped out of the grass and lazily walked forward. "Gzifa," she whined.

Gzifa was comfortably placed on a tall rock, her paw wrapped around her other paw, laying down on her side whilst looking up at the moon. As Lesedi made her way over, Gzifa's hazel hues were drawn from the sight of the moon to the sight of a sunny coloured lioness. "Good evening, princess. Not in the mood for sleeping, I see?"

"It's not that," she paused to think about it, "well, it's not just that. It's Changa."

Gzifa nodded her head and patted the rock beside her. "Come sit, and tell me about it," she offered. The night looked pretty harmless as it was, and she doubted that there were going to be any disturbances. And even if, having two lionesses to attack would certainly be more menacing than just having one. Lesedi obliged to the invitation, and sauntered over and up the rock. She sat down beside Gzifa, looking down at her whilst the orange lioness looked up at the princess.

~*~

"She's always patrolling over here," Moyo said. He began to walk forward, looking around for any others who might interfere with them seeing Gzifa. He knew that there would be someone who would tell on him, walking away to the edge of the territory as he usually did. This time though, he knew he was going to be simply meeting a friend.

As he approached the territory line, he heard two voices speaking together, drawing his curious cat senses in closer. Moyo poked his head out of the grass and noticed the princess with Gzifa. "Drat! Lesedi's there. She sees me and she's going to think I'm trying to sneak away again. And I don't need her telling her mom." Moyo suddenly shrank his head down to the ground, listening with his ears, flicking them back and forth whilst he listened to their conversation.

"Are you sure you're just not getting jealous? I think Changa could like you, too." Gzifa smiled up at the princess.

Lesedi shook her head, sadly. "No... he's in love with that stupid Amunet. He's always hanging out with her, and he flirted with her right in front of my face a few minutes ago," Lesedi explained. "I wish it could just be one of those things where I could be like, 'I'm the princess, so you need to fall in love with me and spend the rest of your life with me and think about only me and not that stupid lioness who's already going to be married'." Gzifa laughed, wondering just how easy it would be in her mind yet so much more complicated in the real world.

"You know males have a hard time with this kind of thing, though."

"Not Jumo. He's an expert flirt," Lesedi replied.

"Well, he's a whole different story. And he's not Changa, who might have a hard time getting his message across. If you ask me, it seems like he's trying to make you jealous," Gzifa replied.

Lesedi shook her head once again. She was seriously beginning to doubt in Changa, though her mind urged her to think happy thoughts like she used to when they were younger. "I don't know what to do, Gzifa."

"Speak to him, princess. I'm sure some one-on-one time would be just what you two need right now."

"No, no, no. I can't do that. Otherwise, I'll look like a fool when he tells me he doesn't like me and marries Amunet."

With a small laugh, Gzifa shrugged her shoulders and continued to smile. "You do what you think is best, Lesedi. But things will work out in the end, as bad as they may seem now. Trust me," she reassured the blonde lioness.

With a small, yet sad smile, Lesedi nodded her head in thanks. However, as soon as the smile was conceived, Lesedi's brow rose and her smile curved. "So... what do you think about the new lion?"

Gzifa blinked a few times before he flicked her ear. "Kafele? The white male?" Lesedi nodded her head at Gzifa's guess. "He's handsome," she replied.

"That all?"

"He seems nice enough. He will make a good addition to the pride, I think."

Lesedi continued to smile. "Oh yeah? Anything else he'd make a good addition to? Such as... your heart?"

"Oh, if only I were that lucky." Gzifa found herself laughing but she looked back to the moon. "I don't see why you feel the need to try and hook me up with the males who come to the pride. I'm fine with being on my own until I find the right one."

"You don't think Kafele could be the 'one'?"

"I don't know him well enough, so I'm not sure."

[Dark Huntress]

Kafele colored as the lioness's words reached him. Sure, he rather liked the attention, but it was still embarrassing. He felt the tips of his furry ears burn and the growing urge to stuff his head into the ground. "So we aren't going to go over there?" He asked, attempting to pretend like he hadn't heard a thing.
"We could explain what we were doing and the 'rogue' lessons and everything," he suggested.

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"The jealous one, I think," Changa stared off into the direction Lesedi had. He turned to Jumo,"She really hates me, huh?" He grinned cheekily but didn't feel any pleasure, quite the contrary, actually, he felt disgusted at himself.
"It was only a 'in the case you don't want to talk to me' plan," he shrugged,"she's so hard to read! One second you'll think she'd all over you and the other she's 'I hate your dirty, rotten, flirting guts!'," he shrugged again. "I sound stupid, don't I?"

Amunet felt a hot tear slide down her pale cheek. Changa was so annoying, especially with the way he was saying what was feeling, but...so much easier. She shuddered and sighed. Why didn't Lesedi understand? She had to prefer one lion over another.
She froze as a hiccup escaped her and gave Changa and Jumo a cautionary glance to see if they had noticed.
I'll go find her and talk to her! she thought, pushing herself up,I will make her understand I want anyone but Moyo...and Changa. I'll even take Kafele, if it came to it. She sighed as she padded towards where she knew Gzifa, and by extension, Lesedi, would be. Who am I kidding? Who would want me? She'd never give me who I really want, and he wouldn't want me, they are in love and it's only a matter of time...
She cleared her thoughts as she saw Lesedi and Gzifa talking. "Lesedi?" she called,"I was wondering if I could talk to you, about Moyo and I?"

[Malenga]

"You don't sound stupid, Changa," Jumo raised his paw and pet his friend's furry noggin, "you just sound like you really like her and don't know what to do with yourself." Jumo placed his paw back on the ground and looked down at the male. He could tell what Changa was feeling and he could tell what Lesedi was feeling as well. The two had more in common with each other than they realized. "Lesedi is a... interesting lioness, I'll say. But she's the princess; she's stressed out and she doesn't need to feel like her chances of finding a potential king slim, if she was chosen for the throne."

Jumo said this, of course, not trying to give anything away for his friend. Though he wanted to keep his lip shut, he wanted to make sure that Changa knew that being a princess meant there was a lot to think about. And Lesedi, he knew, didn't want to have to think about the one she could love being someone who would just use her for power. He knew Changa wasn't the type, but he knew Lesedi was still on the fence about many things. Being a princess must be hard.

~*~

"No way. You think they're going to listen to what I have to say? I'm a repeat offender, and they barely know you. They're just going to peg it all on me, say you're a bad influence, and we'll get thrown into lock down," Moyo explained, his face getting closer and closer to Kafele's with growing importance in his words. "Besides," Moyo shrunk back down, "this is getting good."

Lesedi looked over her shoulder, Gzifa interested as well. The flame coloured lioness looked to her side at the princess, who didn't look too pleased to be seeing the Amunet she had been insulting right in front of her. She could feel the growing angry energy coming from Lesedi's figure.

"Amunet? Maybe it would be best to leave discussion until tomorrow?" Gzifa offered her opinion, knowing how annoyed Lesedi was already. She didn't want this to erupt into something she would have to break up-- or at least attempt to.

"You shouldn't be here. You should be in the den with the others, sleeping. Don't tell me you can't take orders on top of--"

"Lesedi, please," Gzifa got to her paws, and got in the middle of the two. She knew the princess would not attack if there was a barrier in the way of the one she would fight if she had the opportunity. "We've all had a long day, and we should all just step back, take a breather, and talk another day." She directed it at the two. Looking at Amunet, Gzifa gave her an apologetic smile. She knew Amunet had no intention of starting a fight with anyone-- especially not Lesedi.

[Dark Huntress]

Changa sighed and looked at the dusty ground. "You're right," he looked at Jumo, realization pulsing through him,"she's a princess, I'm scum, hardly fit for a lion-nowhere near a king! I should've never even thought of it." He turned to take his place, but decided to settle nearer to Amunet's, he needed someone who was comforting to be with and that was Netty. She was like a sister.

He shook his head at himself. I'm so hopeless and stupid! he thought,she's got to have better options. Kafele would make a better king! He frowned, remembering Amunet standing by the rogue. She didn't need that little sneak getting her into more trouble with the queen and king.

He chased those thoughts away-he was just jealous. He was jealous of Kafele's good looks and strength, of Jumo's good looks and successful flirting, and, even, of Moyo's naivety and playfulness. He rather missed the cub times when Amhnet and Moyo were inseparable and he used to tag along behind Lesedi, like her personal subject. How could she have a doubt when it came to him?

Changa grunted and rolled over, attempting to find sleep. Deep down he knew it wouldn't come, but he refused to acknowledge the fact. At least, he thought,tomorrow there will be 'talks' so I'll get some amusement. Amunet will be reprimanded for 'flirting'. Hehe.

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Amunet sighed. "You're right, Gzifa. Good night, Lesedi, Gzifa. But we will discuss it?" She sighed,"I can't keep quiet anymore, my heart can't stand it. And I know it's stupid for me to say that but I really feel that way-like my heart will burst if I have to be Moyo's mate." She shook her elegant head at herself and turned to leave.

I must be out of my feline mind-I should just obey orders wordlessly, she huffed and swatted the dust in front of her.


Kafele gave the retreating lioness an ambivalent look. "It's rude to eavesdrop," he managed to whisper to Moyo. "And your bangs are annoying me-get them out of your eyes." He shook his grey mane as he said it.

"There's enough drama to last a lifetime around here,"he chuckled softly,"how does it feel to be rejected by your betrothed?" A disturbing thought intruded his mind. "You don't think they'll betroth me, do you?!"

[Malenga]

"Hold up, Changa. That's not what I...," Jumo attempted to step after the male, but he realized that Changa was past listening and wanted to be on his own right now. With a sigh, Jumo took his step back and settled down back by the den, keeping an eye out for the princess and Amunet, assuming they were coming home tonight. Now that he thought about it, where was the rogue and Moyo?

~*~

Moyo fell silent. His heart felt like it was going to fall out of his rear. His bangs covered his eyes, as he continued to stare wide eyed at the ground, listening to what they had to say. She couldn't stand to be his mate?

...what have I done that's so horrible?, thought the male. Moyo didn't feel like he could sit down right now. He was standing up, trying to confine his shaking, but it wasn't doing any good. Finally, Moyo just had to leave. He didn't care about who he left behind, or who followed anymore.

The blonde lion burst out of the grasses, leaping across the territory line once again. Away. Far away from here, and he didn't know where he was going to end up. All he knew was that his head was swirling with thoughts, his heart was aching, and he just wanted to be anywhere but the Zawditu territory.

Gzifa noticed the figure, and then Lesedi.

"Moyo!" Gzifa called out, leaping off her rock and landing on the ground with a loud thud, carrying on after him as fast she could. "Moyo! Stop!" The lioness found it hard to keep up with the sight of him seeing as how he had already gotten a head start. And something told her, by the way he was running, was that he didn't care who caught him or not. For a moment when she thought about who else was following, he noticed Lesedi at her side as well.

"You idiot, Moyo! Come back here, or I'll tear you a new one!" the princess threatened, loudly.