Chapter 3: Dinner Time

"Lemme up Rukiya!" Shomari squirmed under his sister's paws planted firmly on his chest. br

"Rukiya let me up!"

"Say who the boss is!"

"No!"

Rukiya pinned her brother.

"Okay, okay!" Shomari gave up.

"Say it!" Rukiya told him gleefully. He sighed.

"You're the boss…" he admitted finally. Rukiya let him up as she bounded around the cave. "Yes! I'm the boss! I'm the boss!"

Shomari waited until she turned her back to him, then growled and leapt on her. The two rolled around the dusty floor of the cave. Their younger sister, Pamoja, watched them. "Oh please can I have a turn?" she pleaded. Rukiya looked up. "But we're training." She informed her sister. "Plus, you're too little."

"Training for what?" Pamoja questioned. Rukiya sat up proudly. "Mama says if I'm good enough, I can lead the hunt!"

"The hunt for what?" Pamoja asked.

"The hyena hunting party!" Rukiya snapped at her sister. "Seriously, you're so thick. Since I'm going to be the matriarch when Mama dies, I have to learn how to take leadership."

"Wow…" Pamoja stood in awe as she gazed up at her big sister in admiration.

The three tawny hyena siblings were inside their cave, which was located in a large elephant skull in a damp, musty place dubbed, "The Elephant's Graveyard". It was named so because elephants would deposit the bodies of their friends and relatives so they could rest in peace. Suddenly, Jaha appeared, lugging a large piece of raw meat that trailed blood from the open wound. "Mama!" the three pups squealed as they rushed towards their mother. "My children!" she replied in earnest, giving them each a hearty lick on their noses. "Come feast my children! Your mother has had a very good day!"

An old female stood at the entrance to the cave. "Yes, a hearty day of murdering." Jaha shot the old hyena a venomous gaze.

"Not now Obioma!" she hissed between clenched jaws. Obioma ignored her and padded up to the siblings.

"Angels," she whispered softly. "Do you know where that meat came from?" The two elders, Rukiya and Shomari, had their faces stuffed with meat and could only shake their heads.

"An antelope?" Pamoja guessed half-heartedly, nervously pausing, her jaws open.

"It came…from a lioness." Obioma continued. "And that lioness had a young charge that is probably all alone in this world now." Jaha rolled her eyes in annoyance. Rukiya and Shomari continued eating, unfazed by this announcement. Only Pamoja looked on in horror, her side of the leg untouched.

"A lioness?" she repeated fearfully. "Oh Mama, will you get in trouble with the king?" Jaha approached her youngest daughter and nuzzled her affectionately. "Only if he finds out honey flower."

"This is madness!" the old hyena shrieked. "This will only bring misfortune upon this clan! Doom and misfortune!" Jaha stood up.

"Obioma!" she said sternly. "If you insist on frightening my pups, then leave!" Obioma glared at her as she loped towards the cave entrance. "You have cursed us all!" she hissed. "LEAVE!" Jaha barked sharply. Obioma flattened her ears and brought her head down.

"Yes my Matriarch," she grumbled, as she high-tailed it for the murky sunlight.

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A/N: Augh! My Document Manager is giving me heck! So many things to do! Excuse me if there are some bugs…I haven't quite figured out how to work this thing yet…