Post by Cryptic on Nov 18, 2007 9:12:27 GMT -5
Machaki looked around at the wide brown plains. Below her, tiny black dots showed the buffalo gathering around Zebraa Lake. Up on the ridge, Machaki watched as the grass rippled and three brown-gold figures appeared near the lake, crouching. Machaki tensed her muscles automatically, then relaxed again. One of the buffalo was limping, and it was slightly away from the gorup. The figures closed in on that buffalo. Suddenly, they ran in and the buffalo scattered. The injured buffalo tried to get away, but one of the lions pounced on his hindquarters. Another bit its legs and the largest, a male, closed his jaws around the buffalo's neck. Machaki let out her breath.
We'll be eating well tonight, she thought. She licked her lips hungrily and smiled ot herself. The sun beat down on her back and she shifted her mosition so that she was more in the shade. Even though the Bleak Mountains were officially in the Roguelands, one mountain was in the Nazu territory, and it cast a large shadow, great to use when the sun was at its hottest.
Machaki looked up, narrwoing her eyes gainst the sun. Down below the ground was almost smoking. In the distance there was a grey haze, just like smke.Machaki's nostrils burned. She oculd smell fire. Then she saw it, ripping across the Mellhe Plains and scorching all the animals in its path. Machaki looked up and then ran. She bounded up the steep side of the mountain, and after a while, it became colder and she shook herself free of grit. The fire was slowing, but the orange flames were gone.
Where are the buffalo? Where is my pride? Makachi thought anxiously, she looked around and saw her pride cowering on the edge of the boundary between Nazu and Enye territory. She breathed a long sigh of relief. The fire, though, was still blazing. But there was one difference. The fire had turned a nasty shade of greyish black.
