Mirembe

[2/24] "You watch Mirembe run and jump with other pride members. Her fur shines as she dives into a tackle and comes up rolling. Man, you wish you could move like that."

[January 24, 12:05 AM]
She had retreated from the rocky hills down into the plains. Maybe she would find an easy kill, there. Mirembe hoped the pride wouldn't mind her coming back so late - technically it was the next day, and so far she was sure this was the longest maiden hunt any of the lionesses had taken. There was no set rule that the maiden hunt had to be finished the same day, just that it had to be started the same day as their second year.

The tall golden grass swayed gently in the breeze, illuminated a slightly green colour by the nighttime light ambiance and the full moon overhead. Most animals were settled in for the night, bunching close together in their herds for protection against predators like herself. Without the migratory activity of the bovines and equids, it would be harder for her to sneak up in the silence. It was a challenge she accepted.

A snort was heard in the distance, and immediately she hunched low, beneath the grass, her ears flicking in different directions to try and pinpoint the sound's location. Then she heard it again. Somewhere off to her left was a hog. "Perfect!" she thought. Warthogs were easy targets. Their stumpy legs wouldn't allow them to outrun her, and if she attacked just right, they wouldn't be able to attack her with their tusks, either.

Slowly, quietly, she crept closer, listening for any changes in direction. finally, she saw it. It was facing away from her, digging in the dirt for what she could imagine was only insect larvae. She pressed herself to the ground, crawling closer. It still hadn't noticed her. Finally, she was close enough, and lunged from her hiding spot in the tall grass, charging straight toward the warthog. It squealed, and went off running. She was hot on its heels, though, and eventually got close enough to lunge at it. Paws reaching forward, she dug her claws into its flesh, sending them both crashing to the ground. She had it by its thighs. This wasn't enough; she had to get to the throat! The hog screamed and kicked, trying to squirm out if her grasp while her claws tore deeper into its flesh. She tried crawling up its body to reach its throat, digging her claws anywhere she could grab. She had gotten to its neck and decided she'd have to make the kill, now. She bit the back of its neck up by its head, sinking her teeth deep into its flesh and killing it almost instantly. Soon, it stopped kicking, and fell limp. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Finally," she thought, laying there for a few moments more while she caught her breath. She had to get this carcass back to the pride soon, before scavenging animals tried to steal it from her. She got up, then, and started dragging it away.

- - -

Mirembe made it back thirty minutes later, the bloodied and maimed warthog dragging along. She brought it to the middle of the den and dropped it, before looking around at her elders. She hoped this counted. "That took a while," Drakar - the king - commented, as he approached the carcass. "Yeah, well, food's hard to come by right now, what with the hunger and everything," she stated. He looked at her, and then looked at the hog. "This is good," he approved, before taking hold of it and dragging it away to the other carcasses the lionesses had brought back that day.

Molliwog and Demodex walked up to her, then. "Good job," one said, "You took a really long time. What really happened?" Mirembe sighed. "The first one got away, and I didn't want to give up," she said simply, and they nodded. "Well, the king seems pleased, so that's all that matters. Will you be ready for another hunt in the morning?" Milliwog asked, and the ebony nodded. "Always."

[January 23, 11:31 PM]
Training had gone well. The first animal they stalked got away, but it wasn't long after that they had a kill. Molliwog and Demodex both felt confident at that point that Mirembe was ready to take on the hunt by herself. "Do as we taught you, and you'll bring back food. I promise you that," Demodex stated. Mirembe nodded, and then the two older lionesses turned to head back to the pride. The young ebony was on her own now.

She headed up to the rocky areas in hopes of catching an ibex. It would be a relatively simple kill, if she did it right. Crouching down behind a boulder, Mirembe scanned the land. She hoped the rock would shield her so she could spot her prey before it spotted her. Suddenly, she saw movement off to her left. Two long horns peered over a hill, and she knew this could be her chance. She didn't care what she killed, so long as she had something to bring back.

Hunching low to the ground, The lioness crawled toward the unsuspecting Walia Ibex. She kept her feet deliberate and silent as she moved across the rocky terrain. She placed one foot after another, remaining as silent as she could, when, suddenly, her paw dislodged a rock and it went crashing down the hillside! The Ibex was immediately alarmed, and started running. She had no choice, but to chase after it. It was pointless, though; the bovine already had a head-start, and she wasn't prepared to catch up. It got away.

Mirembe's stomach sank. She had failed. "I'm going to be a broodmother!" she cried, feeling dread wash over her. She had disappointed her pride. Then she realized - they still didn't know. She didn't have to go back yet! Sure, they'd wonder why she took so long, but she could blame it on the Great Hunger. Prey was scarce. She could take all the time she needed. Now feeling determined, she decided to try again.

[January 22nd, 2016 1:20PM]
Mirembe was new to the pride. She had joined just a few days ago, but she could tell today was a special day for her. Desta - another recent adult - walked up to her. Today was Mirembe's second birthday, and Desta knew all-too-well what that meant for the lioness. "It's not that bad," she told the ebony female, "It's actually quite fun!"

Mirembe looked at the grey. "I don't know. I'm nervous," she admitted, and Desta laughed "So was I, though the others won't believe it. Just stick your chin up and follow their lead. Molliwog and Demodex won't lead you wrong - they're great hunters, and to be honest, I'm not sure I would've been much of a hunter without their training."

Almost as if on cue, Demodex joined in. "Desta succeeded yesterday, as you remember," she said to the ebony, "She caught on quick, but you don't need to worry about that. We'll train you as long as it takes, and we're not going to let you go alone until we're confident you can handle yourself." Mirembe nodded in understanding. "Okay," she agreed. She still wasn't very confident she could do it, but Demodex seemed to be confident in her, so she was willing to try. She'd have to regardless. This was the only way to prove she was worthy of hunting and breeding. If she failed to bring back a carcass on her lone Maiden Hunt, she would be doomed to take the role as broodmother. She would not be allowed to breed, and she would not be allowed to hunt with the rest of the pride, since she didn't prove her skill. This was her only chance.

Mirembe looked at Demodex. "When do we start?"