Taa Quests Redo: Two

The cub just stared up at Taaburbuuryet with large eyes. The sand cat stared back with a blank expression. She had no interest in this scrawny cub and truly, she expected that the furball would not last long. Taa did not feel remorse for the child's plight, her old pride had laws that were considered at best, many cubs ended up becoming food. But she could try doing something. She didn't know if the Clan would accept the cub as her own membership took a long time of patience and tolerance and she often had to prove herself worthy of being considered one of the hyena. But if the cub was not accepted or died then it would be food. The prospect was enough. The cub was still as Taa carried it off. When it got the courage to speak the black lioness was silent. She could not understand the words and after several attempts, the little bundle in her jaws went silent.

The Clan was curious about what their lion-hyena brought. Instead of a tail or a bone...she brougth a lion cub. The hyenas eyed the little bundle of fur, most were wary while a few showed hunger. But a growl from Taa kept them back...for now. The Matriarch was on her feet when Taa came to a stop and sat the cub down. A paw on the tail kept it from running as the Queen carrion dog studied the little scrap. First giving it a critical look with her eyes then leaning down the sniff it over. Once more the cub tried speaking, but once more Taa couldn't understand so she said nothing.

The cub was afraid. The lioness who found him was strange, she didn't even talk from what decided due to her lack of silence. But what was worst was that instead of helping him find his mother, she literally took him into the jaws of death amongst the filthy scavengers. Death was going to happen for sure. It was knowledge that hyena liked killing and eating lion cubs and even full grown adult lions gave them a large berth, their power was not from claws...but from their jaws which could easily cripple a lion's leg. The child was warned to keep from hyenas at all cost...but now he was in the carrion dogs' den.

The Matriarch decided to spare the cub's life so far. If any of her number tried making a threatening move, the hyena queen was quickly there to give out some harsh punishment. After nearly killing one of her followers, the Clan understood that this lion cub was off-limits...for now at least. The cub was left at the den to play with the hyena cubs who eyed it. They were too young, but almost understood that lions were enemies. It was instinct that had been bred into their being and bones. They didn't need to be taught to hate lions, neither lions need to be taught to hate hyenas, it was there. There was one dark cloud. The cub was willing to eat food caught by a hyena, but there was trouble when it came to the type of food. For a while there was plenty of prey animals and the cub was happy to take its share. But when the prey animals became scarce, Taa turned her sight onto her old prey...other lions. That was where it was going wrong. The young lion cub refused to eat meat that came from lions, no matter what Taa did. The black lioness was confused and tried many times to convince the little one. Cannibalism was okay if it was the only option you may have. But the cub still refused and before Taaburbuuryet's eyes, began wasting away. It wasn't long before his body became nothing but skin and bones. Death was not far behind and the cub was gone. When Taa came upon the corpse she sniffed it and nudged it with a paw. But that was all. She knew it may not approve of eating lion and now it could serve a different purpose. She carried it to where a group of hyena yearlings were playing and flung the small carcass to them, then turned. As she was walking away she heard the sound of a pelt being torn, bones being crushed. But she felt no remorse, no guilt. It was all nature's way.