Sunpride's Trials

Prologue

The sun hung high above the great horizon. It was noon of a hot, mid June day. It was the beginning of the dry season, the pride was content. Cubs splashed and played in the water hole, while adults sunbathed.

"I'm gonna get you!" Exclaimed one cub, leaping out of the water, right onto another cub, causing him to fall over into the water and make a small splash. The cubs laughed and played, but one dark pelted cub accidentally splashed a nearby lioness.

She stood up, growling. This was one of the lionesses that you really wouldn't want to mess with. "Watch where you splash, you revolting flea-bag." She prowled closer to the water, a fearsome snarl one her face.

The dark pelted cub, Lukabakar backed up slowly, the fur on his back on end. "I-I'm sorry, Wasteland. It was an accident." He stuttered, trying to hide his fear.

"Well, you better learn not to make mistakes around me!" The lioness, Wasteland, swatted Lukabakar, causing him to flip over and fall into the water uncomfortably. Wasteland twitched her tail in anger and padded back to where she was sleeping.

Ligero, an almost white pelted cub cantered toward Lukabakar. "Are you okay, brother?" He questioned.

Lukabakar shook the water off of himself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Ugh, the adults can be so annoying!" He growled.

Right before anyone could reply, his mother, Sitaara, who had not seen what Wasteland did, approached the water hole with two other lionesses close behind. One of those lionesses was Wasteland. "Cubs, we are going hunting, please stay near camp. The other lionesses will look after you while we're gone." Sitaara informed.

"Bye, mom." Ligero mewed.

"Goodbye." Sitaara murmured, before sprinting off into the great Serengeti.

The three lionesses ran through the tall grass, but the first bit of the run was just Wasteland complaining about the cubs, including her own, Chili Pepper.

After about thirty minutes, Layla, the mother of one of the cubs, Sabaar, froze. The other two lionesses froze as well. Layla pointed with her muzzle to a clan of about five spotted hyenas feasting on a freshly killed wildebeest. "Should we try to take that wildebeest? I bet the three of us could carry it." Sitaara suggested.

"Yeah, let's steal it!" Wasteland whispered. Layla hesitated. She thought of how it may be dangerous. But a few moments later, she nodded. The three lionesses stalked through the tall grass, hoping to corner the hyenas. Sitaara's mouth watered as she eyed the wildebeest. The lionesses then leaped out of the grass. Sitaara landed on the kill, as the other lionesses fought the hyenas. However, the hyenas fought back. Wasteland fell over, yowling after a hyena had bit her. A horrible pain came from the side of her head. It took her a few moments after she stood up to realize what had happened; the hyena that charged at her had tore her left ear off. The triumphant hyena then went back to where her clan members were fighting. The hyena that ripped Wasteland's ear off pushed another hyena away from a death strike that Sitaara was about to perform, causing both hyenas to crash onto each other. They got up and the hyena that had rescued the other, now had a horrible, stinging gash on her muzzle.

The same hyena then yelled out to her clan. "All of the severely injured clan members, retreat to the tall grass! Your wounds will be treated when the battle is over!" Suddenly the air was knocked out of her. She was pushed down by Sitaara, while Layla was trying to treat Wasteland's wound, even though she had many bad injuries of her own. Sitaara sunk her fangs into the hyena's neck. The hyena yowled in pain, kicking and struggling. Sitaara slashed the hyena's stomach with her mighty claws.

In minutes, it was all over. Sitaara, bathing in triumph, had successfully slain Thamani, the hyena matriarch. The other hyenas weren't around to see this, as Thamani insisted they ran back to camp, where the healer was waiting for them. Layla and - sort of - Wasteland, congratulated Sitaara. They then began to carry the wildebeest back to camp.

When the lionesses got back to camp, Wasteland immediately went to the healer, Votano. Layla and Sitaara were greeted by the other huntresses.

The leader of the pride, Polema approached the kill. He growled. "Let me eat my kill, you can all have what is left after I'm done my share." Instinctively, the lionesses obeyed. This was normal in a lion pride; the leader would always eat first, even though he didn't catch the kill.

The rest of the day went well. It was time for the pride to go to sleep as the sky darkened. Wasteland had her injury treated. The cubs huddled by their mothers. Other lionesses lay scattered around the camp, fast asleep, and the leader slept in a den under an acacia where it was cooler.