High Matriarch (discontinued)

3

The hot day seemed to drag on. Abena kept giving me looks of pride and approval. For that, I felt like the best hunter in the clan. Everyone kept treating me like that.

A hyena walked up to me and she nudged me softly while I was asleep. I opened my eyes and looked at her surprised.

"Jaka wants you to join the hunting patrol again." She said softly.

"Really!?" I leaped to my paws excitedly. She nodded and lead the way over to where a group of hyenas were talking.

Jaka turned to her. "Mbali! Glad you could make it!"

I paused and growled to myself. It was wrong to challenge a hyena from a higher rank but it just slipped out my mouth. "Didn't just earlier you didn't want me to join your patrol? You'd thought I'd be a burden?"

Jaka narrowed his eyes and nervous laughs came from the hunting patrol. "Yes." He said. "I though you would be a burden, having never hunting before." He said slowly. "But now I see that you're not, so are you coming or not?"

I swallowed and lowered my head.

We all padded along the fields and soon caught sight of a massive wilder beast herd. They looked fat and well fed and could feed a lot of the tribe.

"Here's the plan." Jaka called us. We all padded quickly to him and listened. "So we do normal statistics. Drive one away from the herd. And bring it down. As simple as that."

All of them nodded in a agreement. I thought it wasn't a real plan but I didn't question it.

We all looked around for one and I spotted a huge one. My mouth water and I figured if I brought it down, I would benefit the clan tremendously. I stayed low and walked over to it until I was a few feet away. I studied it and looked for any weak spots. It had none. It was strong and healthy.

I didn't think about it but I bolted and snapped straight at its legs. It let out a wail and the entire heard was on a move but I held on to its leg. I heard yelps of my fellow hyenas in the moving herd and I hoped I didn't cause any trouble.

While I wounded one of its hind leg, I aimed to the flank and caught it. The wilder beast kept turning in circles and trying to kick me or do anything to get me off but I held on fast. If I let go, I would grab one of its legs and try again. It kicked me a few times and knew I felt bruises but it was worth it when I killed it.

I held one of its legs and finally it collapsed and as it tried to get up, I tore into its belly, eating my share. It was dead by the time I was done.

I looked and saw dust rising in the distance from the herd running and I could hear hyena in it. I laughed and tried to locate them. In the distance, I saw a hyena look at me and soon, all of the hunting patrol ran over to me, they had nothing but stared at me in shock. Jaka was more surprised than anyone.

"Did you take that down by yourself?" He asked.

I nodded.

...

We all returned to camp after eating the wilder beast. Jaka went straight to Abena and Lesedi.

They kept giving me glances and I decided to visit the pups. I walked over and sat down by the hole, actually hoping they would come out.

Simba was the first one. He beamed at me. "Mbali!" He ran and crashed into my paws. "I heard your the best hunter in the clan!"

"I wish." I smiled at him the other two came out.

I opened my mouth to talk more but Jaka walked up and lead me to the matriarch and beta.

"Congratulations, Mbali, second matriarch." Abena smiles.

My heat skipped a beat. I was really a second matriarch now!?

"You may only mate in second matriarch and your pups will be in the second matriarch." Lesedi explained.

"Unless you want to move up more ranks." Abena added. "Never mate then move to a higher rank. Only mate until you are satisfied with your rank. If you do, it will look really bad on you."

"How?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Say, if Jaka mates you," Abena started. I look of surprised appeared in his face. I shifted uncomfortably. "Let's just say he was in second and mated you, then he moved to third. He is in third matriarch and you are in second. It will look like he took you in as a mate from a lower rank and that's breaking the rules."

I vowed to never do it.