Nim was a spoiled royal who was kicked from his large pride at 2 years old. He was not adverse to hard work, however, and wandered around for a while attempting to make himself useful. Being independent was new to him, and he quickly found a friend and coalition brother in fellow loner, Skutch. They met on the Savannah and kept each other company and fed. Soon after, they began claiming territory, and soon after that the lionesses followed. They generously claimed the vagabonds, providing them protection and a home in trade for their work as huntresses.
While at times the relationship between Nim and Skutch had been tested; they wavered between rivals and pals; they ultimately had found that through pooling resources they could still be allies so long as they keep a few miles of territory in between them, only meeting from time to time to catch up on life, lionesses, and their budding families.
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01/05/16 Perhaps the kind Nim took pity on
Skutch for his homey looks and little mane; perhaps he just secretly wanted to be a big fish among the minnows. Nim always assumed he was destined for greatness.
01/10/16 Dreamboat status
07/11/18 Skutch did not arrive to meet at the rocks near the watering hole. It had been where Nim and he had met every month for a year now.
It was no matter Nim assured himself as he glimpsed tentatively across the horizon and then down at Skutch's
young daughter who played at his feet.
Just a few weeks prior they had exchanged cubs in a show of solidarity and kinship. Nim was to raise Skutch's daughter and Skutch to raise Nim's son. It was overall a good move for both bloodlines and as an act to solidify their bond as brothers. His tail subconsciously swayed to and fro. He sniffed the air, but caught nothing familiar.
09/01/2018 A second time, and then a third Skutch failed to appear. His daughter, who Nim had named Maha, grew taller and more gregarious with each new sunrise. She had befriended Nim's own daughter,
Binah, who was sweet cub just a month older than she. Nim paced about the low rocks, lifting a few gruff barks to the sky. He snapped at a lowly rat that had poked her head from her shaded burrow. In a fit, he dug after her as she fled, pawing at the ground with froth hanging at his mouth. Maha mewed at him, watching him with curiosity. He halted and the intensity of his features faded. He retrieved her by her scruff and turned towards home.
01/31/19 Nim returned to the rocks alone this time. Without the cub in tow he was allowed to venture further. It was but 100 yards from their meeting spot that Nim discovered the skull of a lion. He panted and lay next to it. He groomed his paws nearly naked before falling into a deep sleep. He sat there for several days before instinct prodded him back to his pride. He did not return to the location again.
