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"Dida!" Simangele felt her muzzle tighten almost unnaturally as she called for her brother, blood dried into a film on her muzzle. Her voice was muffled by the leg of the wildebeest she dragged behind her.
Abandoning his patrol, Dida let his ears perked over his rosy mane as he looked to the prey his sister's hunting party had retrieved. "There was a wildebeest at the falls?"
Simangele held her head high. "We didn't go to the falls, we went to the river downstream."
Dida chuckled. "Kubu won't be pleased. He told you to go to the falls." Simangele struggled to drag the wildebeest onward. "Still, he won't be able to argue with the results."
The sun gazed directly down at them as they walked back into the cluster of dens the pride called home. Kubu watched as Simangele and Dida dragged the wildebeest forward. Cubs and lionesses swarmed forward, waiting for Kubu to give the word that they could eat. Slow and measured, Kubu stepped down from his rock.
“Didn’t know wildebeest drank from above the falls.”
Simangele smirked. “They don’t,” she replied as she bent her head down to take a bite from the belly of the wildebeest.
Kubu watched, eyes narrowed, saying nothing.
That night, Dida’s pacing awoke his sister. “What is it?” she asked, throwing her paws over her eyes.
“You need to stop disrespecting Kubu like that,” Dida whimpered back. “You really think he’ll tolerate that from you?”
Simangele snorted and lay her head back on the dry grass. “Is that why you’re pacing around, keeping me up? Brother, Kubu won’t do anything. Go back to sleep.”
“Promise me you’ll stop?”
“Promise.”
Dida settled back down into the grass but his tail continued to swish nervously.
With a sigh, Simangele stood and stepped out of the den. “I’ll be back when you calm down.”
Her paws carried her out into the night. There she noticed something strange. From the rock, Kubu’s scent led into the grass. Falling into a crouch, she followed the smell. It led to the river and Simangele fearlessly swam across before beginning the search for her pride leader’s scent.
Where had it gone?
“Go home, Simangele.”
The voice made her jump. “Kubu, what are you doing out here?”
“I said. Go home.”
The words Dida had spoken to her mere moments before rang in her mind. “Of course, Kubu,” she replied. Kubu turned to leave.
Simangele was sure to be silent as she followed him onward.
He stepped into a clearing and sat; for a moment, Simangele believed him to be watching the coming sunrise. However, as the first light of dawn lit the mist ablaze, she recognized the black shapes gathering.
The hyenas began to laugh. Kubu stood and turned to her. “If only once you’d done as you were told, you could have avoided this.” Without turning, he commanded the hyenas. “Dispose of her.”
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