Three cubs crawled out of a hole. Now as mentioned before, Hyenas were nothing special in the Outlands. But these three were a special case. Their pelts were a dirty brown instead of the normal grey. And where spots were usually adorned, here, they had stripes. Yes, short black stripes that would only grow as the rest of them would.
They were cubs on a mission.
Mchoko sniffed the air, trying to catch a scent of prey. He knew they had to be careful, as the Outlands were full of dangers and enemies. But he also knew they had no choice. Their clan was starving, and the Marshlands had been picked clean of anything edible. He had volunteered to lead a hunting party, along with his two younger brothers, Ubebo and Reki. They were the only ones brave enough, or foolish enough, to venture into the forbidden territory.
"Come on, guys, we have to keep moving," he whispered, nudging his siblings. "We don't want to be out here after dark."
Ubebo groaned, his belly rumbling. He was the chubbiest of the three, and the most reluctant to leave the safety of their home. He preferred to lounge around, cracking jokes and eating whatever scraps he could find. He hated walking, especially in the hot sun and the dusty ground.
"Man, Do we gotta be out here, choke-man?" he grumbled. "I'm tired, and hungry. We've been out here all mornin', and we ain't found so much as a single bit of meat. Can't we just go back and wait for someone else to bring us food?"
Mchoko rolled his eyes. He loved his brother, but he wished he would be more serious and helpful. He was the middle cub, but he acted like the youngest.
"No, we can't," he said firmly. "We're doing this for the clan, Ubebo. For Mom, for everybody back home. They're counting on us. We have to find something, anything, to feed them. Or else they'll die."
Ubebo sighed, but followed his brother. He knew Mchoko was right, but he still hated the Outlands. Things in these parts were not home to the best reputations. He wished they could live somewhere else, somewhere nicer, like the Pridelands. He had heard stories about the Pridelands, where the grass was green, the water was clear, and the animals were friendly. Then again, it was a place that was most likely healing from an era unspeakable He wondered what it would be like to live there, to be free and happy.
Reki trailed behind his brothers, his eyes wide and his ears flat. He was the youngest and the smallest of the three, and the most timid. He was afraid of everything, especially the Outlands. He had heard stories about the Outlands, too, but they were different from Ubebo's. They were stories of horror, of monsters, of death. He wondered what it would be like to die there, to be torn apart by a lion, or a jackal, or a vulture.
He wished he could stay with his brothers, but he also wished he could stay at home. He didn't want to hunt, or to fight, or to be brave. He just wanted to be safe, and warm, and loved.
He stuttered as he spoke, his voice barely audible. "M-M-Mchoko, are you s-s-sure this is a g-g-good idea? I-I-I mean, what if we g-g-get caught? What if we r-r-run into t-t-trouble?"
Mchoko glanced back at him, his expression softening. He loved his brother, too, but he always had his work cut out for him. He always shook like a leaf whenever a situation like this arose.
"Don't worry, Reki," he said gently. "We'll be fine. We're hyenas, remember? We're strong, and smart, and fast. We can handle anything. And we have each other. We're a team, right?"
Reki nodded, but he didn't feel reassured. He didn't feel like a hyena, or a hunter, or a team player. He felt like a scaredy-cat, or a mouse, or a snack.
He followed his brothers, hoping they knew what they were doing.
The three cubs continued their journey, avoiding the main paths and the open spaces. They stuck to the shadows, the rocks, and the bushes, trying to blend in with the environment. They knew they had to be stealthy, as the Outlands were patrolled by the Spotted Outlanders, a rival clan of hyenas that hated their kind. Everyone in their clan knew the story of the clan here. These Outlanders had a tight grip on the desolate wasteland. The story of these Hyenas was well known. Spotted Outlanders were led by Shenzi, a fierce and cunning female who had once tried to take over the Pridelands, along with her partners, Banzai and Ed. But then one thing led to another, and their little plan had failed. And now, they were back to square one. They had settled in the Outlands, where they had grown bitter and ruthless, attacking anyone who crossed their territory.
Mchoko had heard stories about Shenzi, too, but they were different from Ubebo's and Reki's. They were stories of admiration, of respect, of inspiration. He wondered what it would be like to meet her, to learn from her, to challenge her.
He wanted to be a leader, like her, like his father, like his grandfather. He wanted to make his clan proud, to make his mark, to make a difference.
He led his brothers, hoping they would follow his example.
They searched for hours, but they found nothing. No gazelles, no zebras, no wildebeests. Nothing but bones, and scraps, and dust. The Outlands were barren, and lifeless, and hopeless. On more than one occasion, spotted hyenas would turn up and search for leftover meat. The brothers would make sure to stay out of sight. Ubebo, for such a chubby cub, had the keenest nose out of the three. And he could smell where a large amount of them were. And, of course, they made sure to steer clear of those areas.
"Well, which way now?" Ubebo asked.
"I...I..." Mchoko, who was in charge of leading this secret expedition, was at a loss for words.
It had been two hours of searching now. And yet, not a single meat could be found. Nothing but bones and dust. Mchoko felt his stomach sink, and his heart ache. He had failed, he had failed his clan, he had failed his family, he had failed himself. He had nothing to show for his efforts, nothing to offer, nothing to prove.
He stopped, and hung his head. He didn't know what to do.
Ubebo felt his stomach churn, and his mouth dry. He had had enough, he had had enough of the Outlands, he had had enough of the hunger, he had had enough of the adventure. He wanted to go home, he wanted to go back to the Marshlands, he wanted to go back to his life.
He sat down, and licked his paws. He didn't care what to do.
Reki felt his stomach twist, and his throat tighten. He had been right, he had been right all along, he had been right to be afraid. The Outlands were a nightmare, they were a trap, they were a death sentence. He wanted to leave, he wanted to run away, he wanted to hide.
He whimpered, and curled up. He didn't dare to do anything.
The three cubs sat in silence, their spirits broken, their hopes dashed, their dreams shattered.
They didn't notice the sound of footsteps, or the smell of strangers, or the sight of shadows.
They didn't notice the Spotted Outlanders, until it was too late.
"Hey, look what we have here," a voice said, mockingly. "Some Marshlanders, in our land. How cute."
The cubs looked up, and saw a group of hyenas, standing over them. They were bigger, and meaner, and scarier than them. They had dark fur, and black spots, and yellow eyes. They had sharp teeth, and long claws, and wicked grins.
They were the Spotted Outlanders, and they were not happy.
The cubs gasped, and scrambled to their feet. They tried to run, but they were surrounded. They tried to fight, but they were outnumbered. They tried to beg, but they were ignored.
They were caught, and they knew it.
"Please, don't hurt us," Mchoko said, bravely. "We didn't mean to trespass. We were just looking for food. We're starving, and so is our clan. Please, have mercy."
The Spotted Outlanders closed in on the cubs, their mouths salivating, their eyes gleaming, their voices taunting.
The cubs huddled together, their bodies trembling, their hearts pounding, their voices silent.
They were doomed, and they knew it.
They didn't notice the shapes running towards them. The two Hyenas above them were tripped by a red blur rushing past their paws. Behind this blur was a furious looking male Spotted Hyena who looked ready to kill the small animal. As the other two Hyenas grumbled as they started to get up, Mchoko turned back to see what it was that had unintentionally saved them. He was the only one of his brothers that had seen him. As they escaped, Mchoko had one thing on his mind.
What was a fellow Striped Hyena doing out here with them?