Night time was drifted across the land. The days were becoming shorter, the sun being replaced by the glow of the silver moon earlier in the day time. It was a time the lions appreciated. More darkness not only meant cooler weather, but also easier hunts. And if the hunt was easier, the galaxy pelted lion was thankful. The male sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily from his quick run. Nearby, the shadow of white had taken out the prey with the final blow. Their plan had not gone quite according to plan, but they had a kill, and that was all that matter.

Licking her reddening lips, Upepo’unavuma-ndoto made her way to her collapsed lion, giving him a small grin.

“It wasn’t /that/ bad.” She stated, shaking her head.

The male grunted in response, wincing as his eyes pinned shut. “Easier…for…you…” he took a couple breaths. “…to say…” he exhaled. Maisha definitely was not a hunter. That was Navu’s thing.

“You gonna live?” The white lioness asked, rolling her eyes in the process.

Flopping over to his side, the lion’s gray gaze hardened slightly on hers. He lifted his head, as if wanting to shake it before deciding against that. “Nope.” His head hit the ground with a small thud, dust pooling around it.

“All the dramatics!” Navu exclaimed, pushing on the male. “We got the kill, so I say this was a successful evening." the lioness stated with a grin, stretching her limbs underneath her.

Maisha nodded, still drinking the air as if it was going out of style. "Hunting has to be easier than this." His breathing started to slow down, yet his eyes still held a tiredness to them.

The lioness would say something in regards to the male, but refrained against it. During their travels, she had done all the hunting while the male stayed behind. She wanted to say 'if you had joined me, you would be in better shape', but she stayed quiet. Instead, she nodded to the male, leaning her head against his neck. "You will get there one day," she said with a sigh, the high from the hunt slowly fading.

"We can always see if Inzi will teach you some of his tricks." The lion could not use the excuse it was because he was a male that he was a bad hunter. The blue lion they had met a few days prior was proof that it was not a male versus female thing.

Maisha shook his head. "I don't want to intrude on him. I'll get it." One day, he muttered in his head.

The lion sighed. He probably would have been better at this evening's hunt if his mind was up to it. However, the galaxy pelted male found himself focusing more and more on the interaction they had earlier in the day with the small male cub. He called himself Tawi, and boy did he not want to deal with anything the two adults had to say. Maisha was always a soft spoken individual, growing up in the large family of his in the desert. He not only had surprised his mate, but he surprised himself with his abruptness of a reaction with the younger feline. He did not know what had gotten into him, but he was glad he said what he did. Maybe, just maybe, the lion would find respect for his elders. Maisha made a disgusted noise. I'm sounding like my father now. he thought to himself.

"You seem lost in thought," Navu said quietly from his side, shifting with every breath her mate took. "And what was that noise for?"

"Oh, uhm. Nothing." The male said, shaking his head. He sighed when the white female gave him 'the look'. He could never get around her, even if he wanted.

With a sound of defeat, the lion began to speak, "I was just thinking about that young boy we say. Tawi, was it not?" He asked. His response was a brief nod from the female. "Just...what it would be like having little ones around all the time." If Maisha could, he would be a cubsitter in a heartbeat over a hunter. His father was one growing up as well - it must run on the y-chromosome in the family.

"You do seem to like little ones, even though we haven't been around many." When Navu was known as Kiwimbi, cubs were always about. The destruction of the lands seemed to stop the baby booming, which was to be expected. No one would want to bring new life into the world if their own life wasn't on the right track. The interaction with the mwezi cub was Navu's first true observation with Maisha and those younger than him.

The male shrugged, agreeing with the female. "Looks like this pride is starting to become...abundant...in youth," he chuckled. It was true, even though they had not been in the pride very long, they had seen quite a few large belly bumps in the area. Soon, both knew, there would be small cubs roaming around.

"It'll be like where I grew up," Navu said with a satisfied smile.

The male lion next to her nodded his head, agreeing. "Likewise." Although he was born in the desert, he grew up with a bunch of other cubs running around as well. Times seemed different now that he was older. Sometimes he wished he could go back to the simpler way of life as a cub. He shook his head. No he didn't. If that were to happen, he would never have become Awali'maisha-pya. He'd still be Mlia, and lastly he would never have met Upepounavuma'ndoto.

Navu caught sight of him shaking his head. "What?" She asked, her own tilting in curiosity.

"Just...thinking how no matter what I have been through in my life, I would never change it for anything. If I did, that could mean never meeting you."

The lioness smiled brightly. "I would not want to change anything either." Her head stayed on his neck for a moment longer before it was time to rise to her feet. "Come on, we need to get the kill back to the group." she told him, walking slowly over to where the fallen prey beast lay dead. Maisha, now caught of breath, nodded, rising to his feet as well, slowly meandering behind her.

The two lions grabbed a portion of their kill, and with ease, began to drag it back to the meeting grounds.

(WC 1083 )