Savariana

Prologue

Amara raced through the plain, dust kicking up from her feet. She faced the gazel bounding in frount of her, dirt from it's feet flying into her eyes. She hissed and leaped, her mouth wide. She gripped her claws onto the gazel's flank, aiming to take it down. But the gazel used it's hind legs to kick Amara right on her chest. She released and collapsed to the dirt, watching her prey spring away.

Great, Amara thought. Now I'll go hungry. She stood up, ignoring the sharp pain in her chest. She licked the dirt off her pelt and spat it out. Yawning, she stretched out on a patch of savannah grass, the sun warming her spotted pelt.

A zebra herd ran in the distance. Their footsteps crashed to the earth with a mighty roar. The cheetah stood up and glanced around. She suddenly saw a male cheetah walking towards her. He had a fine coat and a muscular physique.

"Who are you?" Amara asked. She was wondering what this cheetah wanted from her.

"I am Masai," The male replied. He began padding around Amara in circles. "Who are you?"

"Amara. What do you want?"

Masai grinned. "A mate."

Amara let out a hiss. She knew that once a male would mate her, he would depart and leave her alone to care for their cubs. "I am a very solitary cheetah," She replied bitterly. "I don't need any male, or any cubs."

Masai frowned. He spun around and faced the zebra herd. "Good bye," He chirped. "I'm going to hunt." He cowered low into the grass and began stalking the prey. Amara watched him as he sprang and ran towards the zebras. They all moved together as a herd, forming into an intricate mass of stripes.

Masai fixed his gaze onto a zebra foal and leaped onto it. His claws sunk into the prey's flesh as he knocked it down to the earth. He sunk his teeth into it's neck, drawing blood. The zebra lay still on the savannah grass.

"You hunt good," Amara hissed, trying to sound sarcastic even though she was amused by his skill. "Can I have some?"

Masai bared his teeth. "No," He snapped. He sunk his teeth into his prey's flank. He ripped out a large peace of flesh and swallowed it.

Amara whipped her tail back and fourth. She glanced up at the sky and chirped, "You're never going to get a mate with an attitude like that."

The male rolled his eyes. "Females love me. I'm the best hunter in the savannah."

The female cheetah said, "Well, if you are the best, will you be my mate? I can't hunt well."

Masai swiped his tongue over his lips and smiled. "Yes, I will. You can have a bite out of my kill, but leave some for me. I'm the male. I get the most meat"

"You're not a lion!" Amara snapped. "Lions are so dimwitted that they can't fend for themselves and have to live in a group. We are cheetahs; Our own individuals!" She took a bite out of the foal's flank. Her hunger was finally satisfied.

One Year Later

Amara gazed at her litter of four cubs. She sighed and gazed at the distance. Tears rolled down her muzzle. He left me, she thought. She licked one of her cubs. They were only one week old, and their father abandoned them, and his mate.

"I knew he would do this!" Amara cried. Tears hazed her vision and fell to the savannah soil. She snarled and lay her head onto her paws. She looked at her cubs and said to them, "You won't leave me, will you?"

One cub let out a soft squeak.

Amara smiled and licked it. "Thank you," She purred. She glanced around the savannah. Masai was gone, and this was her first litter. It was just her and the cubs now.