I was tired, disappointed. I had been growing used to being around the pride and the resources that it granted me. The fight should have proven the male as unworthy, but if he was wouldn’t he have killed me during the fight? Is that the true aim of what the pride had been looking for?
Banishing the thoughts from my mind I focused on putting my energy into my legs and head back to the pride so I could grab Bongani and Gugulethu. It would be unwise to take anyone else with me while leaving the pride. It would already be difficult to feed three people. I could smell the herd and women in the wind as I approached and could see the dust kicked up by the group of them.
There already at the side of the pack headed away from the river stood the two that would be coming with me. Bongani’s shoulders held the pack that we had gotten from the striped ones. Gugulethu had a sack full of supplies and a single gazelle hooked by the horns with some rope. I quickened my pace to stand with them.
Gugulethu’s eyes were full of sorrow as Bandile ran up to us both and went to grab onto her matron. “You’re leaving?”
“An ascended male is in the river some ways down. He plans to kill me and any of the women that plan to lead the clan in his place. Which is only me. The rest of you will have to take your place as his mates and listen to him properly.” Gugulethu held the younger girls hand lightly.
Clearing my throat, “You’ll be better off staying with the pride. Our supplies will be too thin already.” The young woman’s eyes looked at the three of us with a small amount of sorrow in them.
“Wait, please I can help.” Bandile looks at me with large luminous eyes full of hope. “The males are nothing like you. You have made the thoughts of being with them so disappointing.”
I shoved her until she turned around and pressed myself against her back. I pointed at all the women around her, “These are your people. I am not. Where I am headed, it is so different from this place. I already am unpleased with being separated from you all but it is something that must happen. The lands of the Savannah are cruel and full of disappointment.”
Gripping her hips she whimpered in her throat, her ears flicking and showing the signs of displeasure I had been able to recognize the last few days. “But, can’t you just make the male go away.”
“That was not the deal, Bandile. Gugulethu marked him as ascended. I promised to step out of the way when the pride found someone like that. Live with your sisters. Be amongst them and care for children. I pray, more than anything, that this male lasts long enough for you to raise your own child.”
It was a lie, I prayed for the ability to return to my Melokuhle. My love. If not for the soothing touch of others I would have sunken into the dark storm of my emotions and been robbed of all my drive to continue. Bandile sounded sour, angry, “Your words are sweet nothings.” She shrugged me off and looked at me with rage in her face. “I’ve looked after Bongani all day and you do nothing to repay me but leave. You could at least have taken me with you.”
“And fed you what? We will not have the herd to prey from. We will not have the luxury of food being assured to us. The promise of walking near the water without being at risk. Be without the number of fighters to fend off a group of crocodilekin. Leaving you here is the mercy. Don’t be so foolish as to not see that.” I grabbed her by the clothes on her chest and pulled her up onto her toes to stare deeply in her eyes. “Don’t think it is so easy to do this. The temptation to betray the deal and kill the male I just fought. Now go, you’d be nothing but a drain on resources we already have too little of.”
With a shove and a swat on her rump she looked at me with that same face of betrayal and anger. With a flick of her taught tail and a growl she stalked off to rejoin the other women. Gugulethu stepped up to me, “If it wasn’t for the threat of my life I would have stayed with them. She is a foolish girl.”
I swallowed, thinking about what her feelings must be. “It is hard to give up the things that make us enjoy life. I truly hope that male becomes much stronger than he was so that he can protect the children he will produce. Will the rest of them turn around?”
“Once they claim the male they’ll move back towards the south, the lands for the herd are more abundant there. The further we head north the more important it will be to stick to the river. The lands will grow harsh and food will get scarce.” We turned from the pride and started the large loop of a trail we were going to follow to skip around where the pride would be.
“How long till we get to the dungeon town going through the wilderness like this? The lands of your males you said were treacherous and full of challenges.” I pulled the pack off of Bongani as he slowed already. My hand sought his and I slid my fingers through his.
“Once we are through the lands we have two days through the untamed. The river will become too fast and deep for us to cross safely. If we are smart though it will become the main source of our food. That spear of yours will be good to fish with. Hunting will get thinner and thinner as the animals are often chased by the males and are very good at avoiding kin.” Gugulethu and I looked at the dropping sun. It wouldn’t be too long before it was night time.
“How hot will the land get during the day?”
“It will get rather bad. We will have to switch to moving mostly at night times. It just won’t be smart for us to work in the heat and burn that much energy moving around. Are your eyes up for it?” Gugulethu takes the lead as we turn further north east.
“Suitable enough. I’ll do some hunting near dawn. See if we can secure food for the day while we get rest. You’ll be in charge of watching the beast. Teach Bongani the ways to guide it as well. There will be times when we must rotate and keep an eye on it while the others get some sleep.”
My two companions made sounds of assent as we walked. The setting sun bathing the world in blood red. My fists clenched, making Bongani hiss but keep his hold on my hand. With the sound I released some of the tension in my hand. I looked at him, his skin bathed in that eerie light.
“Thank you,” Gugulethu cut in. “You didn’t have to spare him.”
“It was the deal wasn’t it? It would have been dishonourable to go against my word and kill the man. Though I am not too sure that he will be the best male for the job.” Keeping my eyes forward I had to ask. “Would you have preferred to find a male that would kill me?”
Silence fell around us as the ground was taken one step at a time. Gugulethu didn’t want to say what was on her mind, “Before you showed us your strength of person. The way you treated us. I would have preferred if you were killed in combat and not taken some of our supplies when a male came. But when you, showed us what we were missing it changed my mind rather quickly.”
I swallowed those honest words. Literally fucked my way into their hearts it seemed. “Well it is time to go about our business.”
