undulating golden flanks carried the massive cat on a swagger. tongue lolled in the early heat; tail curled to a black tuft behind heavy hips.
herds of impala scattered. zebra sounded their alarm. giraffe eyed mistrustfully, herding away their calves. the only beasts that did not move were the elephants and their pachydermed counterpart, a lone rhino rooting in the distance.
uhuru knew all eyes were upon him. it was what he wanted. a turn of the massive scarred head allowed the sun to leap from chestnut glints in the great mane. it flowed in magnificent tress over shoulders, down his chest.
for water he had searched first, but near the bank of such a wellspring he had discovered the pug marks of the only counterpart uhuru might ever consider his equal: a lioness.
and not alone.
a series of low, guttural sounds, a seeming string of ungha, ungha, ungha, split the tranquility of that morning. uhuru built the mile-eating bass slowly into a shattering roar.
a challenge to males.
an invitation to females.
herds of impala scattered. zebra sounded their alarm. giraffe eyed mistrustfully, herding away their calves. the only beasts that did not move were the elephants and their pachydermed counterpart, a lone rhino rooting in the distance.
uhuru knew all eyes were upon him. it was what he wanted. a turn of the massive scarred head allowed the sun to leap from chestnut glints in the great mane. it flowed in magnificent tress over shoulders, down his chest.
for water he had searched first, but near the bank of such a wellspring he had discovered the pug marks of the only counterpart uhuru might ever consider his equal: a lioness.
and not alone.
a series of low, guttural sounds, a seeming string of ungha, ungha, ungha, split the tranquility of that morning. uhuru built the mile-eating bass slowly into a shattering roar.
a challenge to males.
an invitation to females.