Rain vs. Fire

    Thunder rolled across the African plains. The warm wind whipped at the tall golden grass and rustled the leaves on the trees. The air was heavy and warm, the scent of rain blanketing everything. Far in the distance, the line of thick dark clouds advanced like on approaching army. Slow, steady, relentless.

    Rain season. The favorite of all animals. It brought water, cooler days, and most importantly, new life.

    It was birthing season, and the land teemed with young animals, predators and prey alike. Most had grown past the newborn stage and were able to keep up with their mothers with ease.

    An enormous relief to their mothers, especially for those animals who weren’t at the top of the food chain. In large herds, the young calves were most likely to targets of predators. If they could run along their mothers, they could outpace the predators that roamed the plains.

    Leopards, lions, and the others…

    By appearance, they should have been prey. But their sharp teeth and craving for meat marked them as dangerous omnivores.

    Powerful, large creatures, they stalked the plains, looking for their next meal. They could hunt as a group or alone. Creeping up, they’d wait until they were almost upon their prey before striking.

    Then, they would rush the group before they had a chance to run. Ruthlessly efficient, they seldom lost their prey.

    And it was impossible to tell where they’d strike next…

    ----

    The tall stalks swished gently as Ukame crept through the grass towards a clump of rocks. It was at times like this she was incredibly grateful for her pelt. A blend of orange and tan stripes and speckles, she blended into the savanna with ease. She still had to be careful, for her curved horns or thick, dark mane could still give her away. But she was one of the best African Ballators there was, her hunting skills rivaled by few. 

    In her mind, those few that could even dream to rival her were stalking through the grass behind her.

    There was Ardhi, one of her closest friends. If not the closest. Her darker coat, a chocolate with creamy pale stripes on her rump, hindquarters, and lower forelimbs, proved harder to mask in the golden plains. Ardhi, however, had trained and overcome this setback. Her dark mane, unlike Ukame’s mutated one, was thin. Her horns also did not curve like Ukame’s but instead went straight back, pointing behind her. Like her female companion, she was strong willed. However, unlike Ukame’s strategic approach, she preferred to strike hard and fast, before the prey had time to react. Much to the chagrin of both Ukame and the third member of their hunting party.

    Speaking of the stallion, Ukame thought as she reached the clump of rocks. Large enough to mask the three hunters, Ukame stood and glanced back over the grass towards the final companion.

    Hamasa. A larger Ballator, his pelt wasn’t a shade of orange or brown like the mares’, but a silver grey marred by dark swirling stripes from head to tail tuft. His mane was white, different from the girls in that it was a lighter shade than his pelt, rather than darker. He was bigger than both females as well, his neck strong and short. This was mainly due to his immense horns that curved back and then forward, much like elephant tusks. His size was helpful in the ring, but out here, hunting it often worked to his disadvantage. But that was where his gift of strategy came in.

    Ukame waited as the two joined her behind the boulders. Their prey, a herd of Wildebeest 100 or 200 strong, waited just behind the outcrop. Now, they needed to decide their plan of attack.

    Rush the herd, or attempt an ambush?

    Ardhi looked to her friend and adopted sister. “What’s the plan?” she whispered, keeping her voice as low as possible.

    Ukame smelled the air. The rain was on the opposite side of the herd, blowing their way. This was a gift, for they were downwind. It’d make it that much harder for the herd to pick them out from the rain-laden breeze.

    She looked back at the duo. While she would have loved to race out, feeling the earth fly underneath her, that would be foolish. She could even be severely injured.

    With a small shake of her mane, she hissed back, “We can’t rush this one. We must take it slow. This is a strategy hunt.”

    Hamasa stepped forward. “If I may,” he interrupted with a dip of his head.

    Ukame looked him over. She knew the stallion was trying to impress her. She wasn’t stupid. All stallions tried to impress her, the head matriarch, and this one was no different. But Ukame had no interest. She didn’t need males, and Hamasa was a hunting partner, nothing more.

    Perhaps Ardhi had feelings for him, for Ukame had caught her sneaking a glance or two at the stallion. But, proud as she was, Ardhi would never admit it.

    Despite the annoyance that always came when a male tried to woo her, Ukame had to admit one thing. Hamasa was a brilliant strategist.

    She swished her tail. “Yes?”

    The stallion jerked his head behind Ukame. “A mile or so behind you is a deep gorge. I could wait at the bottom while you and Ardhi,” he swished his tail towards the chocolate mare, “Drive them down into it.”

    Ukame flicked a fly from her ear. The plan, while preposterous at the start, did make sense when she thought about it.

    Hamasa was the biggest and strongest. She and Ardhi were fast, or at least, fast as far as Africans went. If they ran the wildebeests into the gorge, Hamasa could easily grab on and take it down with his powerful bite and neck. She was almost impressed.

    Almost.

    “Where did you come up with a plan like that?” Ardhi asked, almost incredulously. She sounded more impressed than Ukame.

    Hamasa looked over at her and smiled. “I heard about such things when I was a foal, still living in the wild. There was once a hunter who brought down an elephant single-hoofed. She drove the beast down into a gorge, where a wall of fire awaited him. While we don’t have fire, I can wait while they run past and catch one that way.” He turned and did a small bow towards Ukame. “With your permission.”

    Oh don’t choke on your humility, lover stallion. She swished her tail. “It is a good plan. How long would we wait before we began to drive the herd?”

    Hamasa blinked. Perhaps he hadn’t been expecting the dominate mare to agree so quickly to his plan. Nevertheless, he recovered quickly and replied, “Wait until those rain clouds reach you. I will have found a spot by then to wait.”

    Ukame nodded. “Alright, we will try your plan. Now, go,” she dismissed him with a swish of her tail.

    Hamasa nodded, bowing slightly. “Thank you, Ukame,” he thanked, then crouched down and stalked past Ukame and disappeared into the tall grass.

    Ukame watched him go, a rumble of thunder in the distance. She peaked out towards the storm. Judging by the speed of the clouds, they would have about ten minutes before the rain reached them. The grey curtain moved steadily over the plains towards them.

    Ardhi looked over at Ukame. “He sure is a gentleman, that’s for sure. But then again,” she nickered in amusement, “Most males are during mating season.”

    Ukame glanced at her friend, a small frown digging into the corners of her mouth. “You noticed it too, then.” She snorted and shook her mane. “He may try as he likes. It won’t get him anywhere.”

    Ardhi playfully nudged her friend. “You don’t feel anything at all for the strategist?”

    Ukame glared and halfheartedly shoved back. “He is a hunting partner, nothing more.” She looked out in the direction he had gone. If she strained her eyes and reared slightly, she could just see the edge of the gorge. “A hunting partner who hopefully knows what he’s doing.”

    Ardhi grinned at her friend. “Well, he was born in the wild. Better instinct and all that.”

    “Don’t remind me,” Ukame muttered. She snorted and shook her head. “Wild bloods. Always going on about how great they are and how they are so much better than us stable borns, just because they were born out here.”

    If he messes this up… I will never let him forget it.

    -----

    Ukame looked up at the angry dark clouds as they growled overhead. The first droplets of rain began to splash her nose.

    “That stallion better be in position by now,” she grumbled before turning to Ardhi. “You circle around to their right flank. Once in position, roar and begin the chase. I’ll follow immediately.”

    Ardhi nodded, but not before flashing a grin at her friend. “Don’t you trust our charismatic and gentlemanly friend?”

    Ukame snarled and pinned her ears. “Just go do as I told you to,” she snarled, swishing her tail. Ardhi knew as well a she did why Hamasa was being so polite.

    Ardhi nickered in amusement before stalking back around to the other side of the herd.

    Ukame swished her tail angrily. Stupid stallions. Stupid Ardhi.

    A large drop landed directly in her eye.

    She clenched her teeth and shook her head.

    Stupid rain!

    She fought the urge to stamp her foot against the hard earth. Such a thing would immediately give her away and would send the herd fleeing into Ardhi. If the other mare was unprepared, that would turn deadly in a heartbeat. Especially with the danger even an individual wildebeest possessed.

    If those horns caught an unsuspecting hunter off guard, they could puncture a belly or neck easily. Ukame had seen it before, and the result was a horrible, gaping wound and a dead Ballator.

    She shook herself violently to ward off the shiver creeping down her spine. Thinking about all the damage prey could do was never helpful right before the hunt. It could make the hunter skittish, which would make it even harder to pay attention.

    No good. No good.

    A loud roar split the air, followed by the pounding of hooves and shill bays and grunts of alarm. Ardhi had started the drive.

    Ukame bounded to the top of the rock pile and reared. She opened her mouth and snarled, tossing her head.

    The herd, some of them rearing in fright, quickly turned and headed towards the gorge.

    Ukame snarled against, jumping down the rocks to steer the herd. When one would stray, she’d nip at the flank or shoulder. It took all she had not to take one down right then and there, for there certainly were an abundance. However, she knew the plan they had decided and she had to stick to it.

    She drove the heard towards the edge and finally over down the steep, rocky incline.

    The herd sounded louder than thunder, the very canyon seeming to tremble beneath then as they flowed down the slope like a rushing, unstoppable river. Their hoof beats echoed around the gorge and bouncing back and forth from side to side.

    As she skid down the orange rocks, her weight carefully positioned on her back legs, Ukame spotted Ardhi bounding down a rocky trail high above the heads of the wildebeests. The brown mare halted, watching the herd stampede below her as she stood safe.

    Realizing that wasn’t a bad idea, Ukame looked around for a spot that would give her a similar vantage point. There, a large rock sloping up to a point close to Ardhi’s height. However, Ukame would have to run into the middle of the herd to reach it.

    Gritting her teeth, she bellowed and merged into the frightened herd. A horn grazed her flank and a stray hoof nicked her right forelimb, but she pressed on with a snarl until she reached the rock. Bounding to the top, Ukame skid to a halt, her hooves mere inches from the edge.

    All around her, the river of wildebeests parted around the rock, only to merge again 20 feet below Ukame.

    From her vantage point, Ukame had a clear view of the herd. She also had a clear view of Hamasa flinging himself into the middle of the herd from the top of a rock half the height of hers.

    Immediately, a panicked bleat pierced the air, accompanied by bright lighting illuminating the canyon. Hamasa’s pale coat stood out against the floating greys and blacks as he wrestled with his prey.

    The wildebeest’s fate had been sealed. The frantic animal stood no chance against the Ballator’s superior strength and savage teeth. A final bleat abruptly ended. Hamasa had made the kill.

    The river of wildebeests below Ukame finally thinning, she ran back down her outcrop. Snarling and forcing her way into the now thin stream, the golden Ballator trotted over to the victorious Hamasa.

    He stood over the warm carcass of the wildebeest, blood dripping from his muzzle. More blood ran down his flank from an open cut near the top of his rump. As the last wildebeest fled past them, he looked over at the approaching females.

    Dipping his head to Ukame and bowing slightly on his front leg, he said, “As promised, my plan worked.”

    Ukame glared at Ardhi, knowing the sooty chestnut would say something. As predicted, she had her mouth open, comment ready. At Ukame’s pinned ears, she closed her mouth. Her tail, however, continued to swish with amusement.

    Pushing away the urge to bite Ardhi, Ukame turned her attention back to Hamasa. “Didn’t doubt you for a moment, stallion,” she remarked, leaning down to inspect the wildebeest.

    A male, the creature was a prize catch. Ukame recognized the broken horn. This wasn’t just any wildebeest. Hamasa had taken down the head male. This particular wildebeest had been directly in the front when Ukame began driving them.

    “Of course not. Why would I ever think such a thing?”

    Without raising her head, Ukame glared up at the stallion. What kind of line is that? I’ve heard better from tree bark. “Yes, well. I’d hate for you to think your prowess was being called into question.” She smirked. “Wildborns can be sensitive.”

    A nicker of amusement came from Ardhi.

    Hamasa, despite the flicker of annoyance and the slight bristle of his mane, remained cool. “You stableborns are so harsh.”

    You’re not wrong. “And proud of it,” Ukame grumbled, leaning back down to sniff the wildebeest. Despite the twitch Hamasa instilled in her eye, she had to admit he had done well. A clean kill.

    Hamasa gestured towards the fallen beast. “Ladies first.”

    Ukame narrowed her eyes, but leaned down and tore the first chunk from the shoulder.

    Ardhi turned to Hamasa. “That was quite brave of you to fling yourself from the cliff like that.” She nickered with amusement. “Most sane Ballators wouldn’t dare try that. Must be the wild blood in you.”

    Ukame swished her tail. Ardhi needed to be careful, lest she give away her attraction to the stallion. She had yet to admit it, but Ukame could see it was there. Once, she had confronted Ardhi about it. As usual, her friend retorted that no stallion appealed to her.

    Hamasa replied, “Oh, but it was carefully planned. You see, I watched the male from the top all the way down. I assure you, it was not a hare brained act of recklessness.”

    I’m going to be sick, Ukame thought, rolling her eyes as she swallowed the chunk of flesh. She leaned down to take another bite.

    A low growl made her jerk her head up, the meat dangling from her jaws.

    A very big, and very hungry, lioness perched on a rock above them. Behind her, two more circled around, with a fourth watching from the top of the gorge.

    Ukame’s mane bristled and she flattened her ears. She hadn’t anticipated fighting lionesses. She hadn’t faced the creatures in quite some time. The last fight left her with nasty scars down her flank. She had only faced two then, however. There were four in front of her.

    Things were about to get very interesting…