John Burkitt - Chronicles of the Pride Lands

The blessing said, Isha raised her head eagerly. Seizing the spot she had previously selected with her incisors, she pulled sharply, opening the belly. She growled sharply, fighting for her position as her companions surged forward expectantly.

Ajenti pushed in, burying her head in the carcass, her jaws working as she bolted her food greedily. Grumpily, Isha slid aside-barely; any lioness who was too timid at dinnertime would invariably go hungry. Uzuri crowded in from the other side, dexterously ducking her head in and snatching away a huge chunk of flesh, which she swallowed whole. She growled slightly at Togo and Kombi, who were sidling a little too close for her liking.

Unpeturbed, the two cubs continued to edge closer until they were able to snatch away a sizeable piece for themselves, which they ran off with, each carrying one end whilst simeltaneously trying to yank the whole piece from the other's grasp.

Ajenti paused to grip the haunch of the bull between her teeth. Muscles bulging with the effort, she pulled it away from the body with a sharp popping sound. She dragged it to one side and dropped it, turning to the others. "We'll save this for Nala, since she couldn't come."

Uzuri nodded. "A good choice. Too bad she had to pull her leg like that; she'd have enjoyed this." She jerked back and growled in annoyance as Isha surged forward, burying herself up to the shoulders in the carcass. "Isha, what are you doing?! "

Isha emerged, face stained crimson, but smiling in triumph at what she held in her jaws. "Hunter's choice, Uzuri. The heart; you brought the bull down; it's yours by right."

Uzuri grinned at her. "Thank you, sister." She snapped up the tender morsel in two bites, closing her eyes in ecstasy.

Isha turned back to the carcass to discover Lisani crouched calmly in her place, gorging herself for all she was worth. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?! " The young female smiled up at her aunt, but didn't move; she had found a good spot to feed from and evidently intended to keep it.

Ajenti chuckled around a mouthful. "Isha, you taught her too well, I believe." She moved aside to give the cubs enough room to eat. "C'mon, kids."

Misha and Tanabi edged forward tentatively, uncertain. Experience had taught them to wait their turn until the adults had satisfied their hunger before trying to take their place at the carcass. Seeing the lionesses chatting amiably, however, Tanabi concluded it was safe enough for him, anyway. He paced over to the eviscerated animal and nabbed a short length of intestine. Picking it up, he staggered off comically, the ends dragging behind him.

Kombi saw him passing and snorted. "Naw, dummy, you ain't doin' it right."

Tanabi stopped and glared. "Oh yeah?" he mumbled around the mouthful. "Who says?"

"I says." Kombi trotted over next to Misha, who was apparently having trouble detaching her piece from the body. "Watch." Picking up the severed length of intestine she had been worrying, he pulled it free with a muffled snap. The cubs watched him carefully as he grasped it between his front teeth. He paused, savoring the attention. "Here's the trick. Ready?" Tanabi and Misha nodded energetically. Grinning, Kombi pursed his lips. With a loud slurp, he sucked the innards into his mouth, the end giving a final little wiggle as it disappeared into his maw. He sat back and chewed serenely, a look of utter bliss on his face. "Mmmm."

Lisani looked over and shook her head despairingly. "Slob."

Tanabi and Misha gaped delightedly at the older cub. "AwwweSOME! " Tanabi said. He immediately bent to his own piece and gripped it in like fashion.

"Now, hold on, " Kombi said. "The secret is to-"

Tanabi ignored him and sucked mightily. The innards suddenly leapt off the ground, seeming to come alive as they wrapped around his head, smacking him wetly on the cheek.

Misha fell back, shrieking delightedly. "Oh, GROSS! Do it again! "

Ajenti shook her head as she passed by, her stomach bulging alarmingly. "You'd better quit playing with your food and go eat, hon; there won't me much to pick from when Simba gets here."

Isha, following behind, snickered. "Amen to that. Now there's a lion who appreciates his food! " Chuckling, the two lionesses wandered a short distance away, flopping to the grass comfortably as they began to groom each other, clearing away the crimson stains on their faces.

Shaking the offending entrails away, Tanabi bounded over to the carcass, Misha alongside. They slinked past Uzuri, who was still busying herself with something inside, and made their way over to the remaining haunch, where Habusu sat quietly, chewing his meat and looking out over the savanna reflectively. “Hey, Habu, what’s up?”

Tanabi batted his friend’s face playfully, the larger cub grinning down at him as he accepted the blows good-naturedly. Tanabi’s little swipes were always done in jest, unlike Togo and Kombi, who evidently felt the need to bludgeon everything they laid their paws on. Habusu returned the playful cuffs gently, then jerked his head toward the huge hunk of flesh he had been dining on. “Come on, there’s plenty left here. Besides, I’m almost full.”

Needing no further encouragement, the cubs attacked it hungrily, enjoying the chewy tendons on the back of the leg. Yawning, Habusu sat down and began to groom himself contentedly. Finally satisfied with his efforts, he closed his eyes drowsily and rolled over on his back, splaying his gangly legs in the air.

Misha looked over, curious, as Uzuri chucked something aside with a disgusted grunt. The round sac sailed a short distance away before coming to rest. "What was that?"

Uzuri shook her head. "That was full of grass, hon. It's not very tasty at all. Now this, " she said, motioning with a forepaw, "is downright good eating."

Misha peered inside, squinting. "That big brown thing?"

Uzuri nodded. "Mm-hmm. Here." She arched her neck and leaned in, tearing the item away with her teeth. "Try a piece." She watched, intrested, as the cub bit off a tiny section. "Don't worry, 'ol Uzuri won't steer you wrong."

Misha chewed thoughfully. "Hey, that is pretty good."

Uzuri chuckled. "Don't eat too much of that until you get a little bigger; it'll make you sick if you do."

Misha glanced down the length of the animal, towards the hindquarters where Tanabi sat, still gunning away at the haunch. Suddenly, her face twisted up in confusion. "Auntie Uzuri, how about that? Is it any good?"

Uzuri looked over to where the cub was staring and grimaced. "Uh, hon, that's...kind of difficult. You'd have to be a little older before I could explain."

"Huh? But I'm already four moons old-"

"-and that's not enough." Uzuri looked at her sternly. "Now hush up and eat before the meat stiffens."

Misha stared, enchanted, as the little cubs squirmed sightlessly at their mother's belly. "They're so tiny, " she whispered.

Malaika smiled gently at her. Her labor had been fruitful; three healthy cubs lay suckling at her belly, their eyes shut tightly against the world. "You were smaller than that, as I recall."

"Really?"

Tanabi sat at the entrance to Malaika's cave, squirming agitatedly. "C'mon, Misha, let's go! Togo and Kombi are waiting for us."

"Shhh! " Misha glared at him. "You're gonna scare the babies! "

Tanabi looked skyward and rolled his eyes in frustration. "Aww, man...c'mon, Misha. Please?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I want to stay here and help Malaika." She looked at the lioness adoringly. "She's going to show me how to take care of the cubs."

Her playmate shook his head disgustedly. "Sissy stuff. Fine then! Stay here and watch your old babies! I'm gonna go have fun." He spun and stalked off, his lower lip stuck out in an enormous pout.