High Matriarch (discontinued)

10

Iyo took me to a wide open field. I stared around in wonder and sighed as I sat down in the grass. He slowly walked up and sat beside me.

"Why?" He asked.

"What?" I turned to him, the sun gleaming in his eyes.

"Why do you want to move up? Nakato is the best tribe."

"I bet every tribe feels that way." I said, watching a beetle scurry over my paws.

"Just as long as your not in Lesedi, you're ok."

"I bet that's what the Sekai tribe is saying about Nakato." I challenged playfully.

I nodded. "You have a point there." There was a long pause. "But you should stay."

"I can't." I whipped towards him. "I have to be the very best!"

"Says who?"

"Me!"

"Why?" He snorted.

I paused and looked down. "I dunno," I sat back down. "I just want to prove myself." He looked at me for a moment. "To everyone...to me." I mumbled.

"Ok then." He got to his paws. "Just wondering." He got in a defensive position. "Come at me."

I sighed and threw myself at him clumsily and he easily dodged.

"Really? If this is what I'm working with, we have a lot to work on." He grunted, trotting around me. "Imagine I'm your worst enemy."

I didn't really know if I had a worst enemy. I thought of his as prey. A gazelle perhaps. I lunged at him and he dodged my blow. I quickly re adjusted and lunged at him again, barley grazing his flank, not hurting him.

"Better." He launched himself me. I was taken completely off guard and I tumbled to the ground.

I growled and leaped up. Snarling, we both circled each other. He stuck first. He charged at me but I leaped to the side as he did. He leaped in the air and instincts took over, I rolled on my back and kicked with my hind paws, sending him to the side.

He laid in the grass, couching. "That was cool. Let nobody know you can do that. It's your secret move ." He smiled at me.

I snorted and helped him up. He swiped a paw at me but I ducked just in time and head butted him in the chest and he wobbled backwards and fell. "Nice!" He barked happily. "You're better than I thought."

...

After training the entire day, we both limped with soreness back to the canyon where the camp was.

"So who are you thinking of fighting?" He asked.

"You." I replied.

He stopped and looked at me, dead serious.

I let out a laugh. "I'm joking!" I nudged him. "You know what a joke is right?"

"I-I do!" He sounded embarrassed.

"Ok then." I nodded at him before running to Bee. "Hey." The small brown and black hyena was carrying a leg of a gazelle.

"Hey, Mbali." Her words were muffled. "I'm not hungry. Want to eat this?"

"Sure," I gratefully took the leg and sat down and ate it while she talked about the hunt.

I studied her, she was very small. She was a rank above me. I could easily fight her off, I could win and move up a rank. But that meant killing her or she'd loose her rank and be disrespected by the others. Bee was sweet. Perhaps too sweet. Nakato needed strong fighters. I felt bad because Bee was one of my first friends. I was using her disabilities as advantages. I knew it was wrong. Could moving up a rank be worth hurting my friend?