The sun beat down on the try ground below it and yet I felt cool and at least relatively dry. Here I lay in my hidden caves which only the members of this pride would ever find out about. It was hidden behind the waterfall and that kept it cool. It was like this place had air conditioning or something even though it wasn't something for me to complain about. This was my land and if anyone ever won it from me, I would make sure they knew not about this hidden area. Though I doubted that would actually happen. I had held a pride before and even though experience was normally held with the older creatures, I had it even though I was young. My thoughts remained with this strange luck that I had and even though I had cut the throats of those before me it didn't scare me that death could come to me just as easily as it came to them. We are all venerable even though we hate to admit it.. Everyone has a weakness even though no one will ever get mine out of me. The thing is, I have a strange luck and if you are to believe my story, it explains exactly why.

I heaved myself up from the cool stone that I was lying on and head towards where the waterfall roared in front of me. Blocking my view to the outside world. It was far to easy to get past it though and with one bound I pasted it. My mane and fur was slightly wet from when the water hit it when I jumped though. Though I was still in water, it coming high up despite my tall height. I wadded through the water, it becoming deeper at points in time until I reached dry land. Coming up into the sun my frame gave a violent shake, causing water droplets to fly in many different directions. Finally I walked away from the roaring water that plunged down and headed out into the open savannah before me. This was my home and I knew it better than anyone else. I was glad that the watering hole was here though and the reason was for that was because creatures came to drink here. Meaning that I and my pride when it gathered more members, had a good income of food. Well with a full belly and my thirst well taken care of I could perform my duties a lot better. I found that other individuals shared this.

Almost immediately, the smell of a stranger headed my way. Quickly I sprung into action, heading the way in which the smell had drifted from. It was a lioness by what I could smell and she was on my land. Better yet she was alone and so maybe that meant she was looking for a place to rest her head for the days to come. I soon spotted her out, my orange eyes catching the sandy bodice that blended in with the dry grass. My tail swished this way and that as I approached, hitting the grass as it went. My head dipped slightly as I stopped, but only a little bit. It raised quickly as I came to stare the femme in the eye. She looks cold hearted but then, looks could be deceiving and so I knew better than to judge a book by its cover. My voice box worked easily and my deep masculine voice filled the air around us. It was loud and clear as there was no wind to whisk it away. "I see you've found Mort Falls dove. I be Canoe, leader of this land. What name did they curse you with then?" I looked her over. Scanning every inch of her bodice before looking back into her eyes. She was a pretty one but I knew not of her temperament yet.

This femme gave off a certain impression in her appearance, one that I decided not to mention anymore in my mind. I decided to hold all opinions on her back until she spoke and then I could finally judge for myself what she was like. Anything that I disliked that there would be trouble. I'm not exactly the type of lion to sit back and watch things happen and I don't like see able faults in a creature. It makes them look weak and weak in a problem in this world. I knew that in life you had to be tough. Being abandoned all on my own taught me that and so helped my knowledge of the world to improve. I knew a lot of things that other lions at my age actually wouldn't know. Maybe it is because of what I've been through or maybe it is to blame on the person or more correctly thing, that I have been with over the years. Most lions at my age probably wouldn't have any experience in running a pride yet and so you may think that with me. Yet, you would be wrong. I haven't a single scratch on my body actually which I am quite glad about. Even though I've run a pride before hand for at least a year. Or at least I think it was that long. Then I annoyed all the lionesses and left them to die. It was fun I must admit.

As the femme spoke I heard in her voice sarcasm. Though there was something else hidden there to and that seemed to be confidence. As a matter of fact she seemed quite an arrogant little dove. She wasn't exactly a beauty either, at least not in my eyes, maybe there as just something missing from her. Anyway, arrogance wasn't something I was unapproving. It was a great black back mark though brains and quick thinking were also needed. From what this femme had shown me so far of herself she seemed to be missing some of this quality yet I decided not to care about it. She looked rather strong and yet maybe I out scaled her by only a little. I wondered how many deaths she had laid claim to and if it would be a greater number than my own. Well, greater number that I knew had been killed by my doing. As she introduced herself I quickly found myself replying. "Angels Cry? Glad to see that at least your sensible in your choice of side. What brings you here then darlin'?" Simple curiosity, everyone has it. It is a trademark that every true lion or lioness holds. I knew this femme would be at least slightly curious as well. For every once in a while, we want to investigate something new. We want to... taste it.

Time edged by, maybe it was being as slow as possible on purpose. I wasn't exactly very sure. Though I had no reason to worry about the time in a moment like this. In fact us lions could not tell the precise time anyway. We can only estimate it by the sun that rises and sets everyday. Passing that time isn't a problem at all either. The actual problem is getting things over and done with in the time that you are given. The world is a pretty boring place except for those who know how to stop the boredom. Those who know how to occupy themselves and protect themselves from such foolish antics. The way I spent my days are searching for females and either torturing them or using my persuasion on them. Either way they come with me. They say that she made me what I am today and so I suppose they are exactly right. Don't ask me how they guessed so well they just did. If you know who she is though, then you're alright. If you don't you'll just have to figure it out. If you really don't know then it's tough. The world is an awfully cruel place which means the only way to survive with it is to be cruel yourself.

My dusty colored tail gave a sudden flick at the surrounding dry grass. Eyes bared down upon the femme as her words filled the unusually silent air. Her name was obviously something that was meant to show the darkness of her heart but from another point of view it could seem almost nice. Though it did not matter of a significance of a name. Like mine, to me it meant nothing, I didn't even know what it meant really. It was just a name that she gave me. I'd never really thought about it and I never really would. That wasn't going to change any time soon. As the lioness finished her words my own vocals picked up. Responding to what she had just said. "Trespass? No darlin' you ain't trespassing. Trespassing would be where you aren't wanted but here lionesses like you are desperately wanted." I spoke, a smirk appearing on my maw as I corrected the femme. "It would be more like wandering a foreign land. Anyway, this is a land that you could soon come acquainted with. A home for you and a good one at that. There isn't no land better that matches standard and the black back alliance that we all desire. This place has secrets. Many secrets. And you could learn them." I paused, looking for any sign that might come from the tanned lioness. I only paused for a few seconds though, quickly finishing exactly what I had to say. "That is, if you want." Here I waited. The reaction was the thing that I wanted to hear the most and all I had to do was wait for it. However boring waiting was.

This femme belonged to the type of creatures that I liked. She was skillful in her replies and fierce. Showing no fear now but the little quality of some that may be displayed in future reference if so catastrophic event occurred. She had an attitude and boy did she know how to use it. Not easily impressed I noticed but then all a guy could do was try his best, not that I cared all that much on impressing her, I just needed to catch her attention. I had a way with words, maybe it was a gift and maybe it was a curse. Though it being a curse was very doubtful. The sun beat down hard on our golden backs and I soon realized that it would be better to talk in the shade at least. This heat could stuck the energy out of the two of us and leave us very thirsty. Really the savannah sun was deadly around midday and midday was approaching fast. Very fast in fact. My eyes darted up to the sky where I saw the big ball of heat and flames shine its rays down upon us. A few birds soared across the sky but my gaze quickly returned to the lass in front of me.

Her words made me smirk though she seemed to have things wrong. Us evil black backs liked to tell others that we were the best, our pack was the best and our lands were the best. Everyone knew that, except this creature. She had things wrong and I took a step closer to her, my frame towering up over hers, my dark shadow casting over her golden pelt and taking the shine that the sun gave from it. "I believe you have it wrong there darling. Us black backs always say that we are the best. That is us making standards of ourself. A none black back would not make standards of his or herself. Have you exchanged beauty for brains or are you just trying to fool me by making a fool of yourself?" I stopped my lyrics flowing, staring her in the eye. I had said my opinion in much nicer lyrics than what I was thinking. She should be grateful that I did not mistake her for being one of my kind. Quickly my jaw reacted to her next scene of lyrics, my words bouncing cleanly out into the open air. "We could talk here and now I supposed but in the open sun when it is reaching it's highest point in the sky is not exactly a wise plan is it now? I suggest that I take you to a much cooler place and one in which no passing lion can pick up on our conversation. Which means we are going to no patch of trees missy. So, would you like to learn a relatively big secret of Mort Falls, or not?" I waited. Waited for her words to come flying back at me and I was sure that that would only take a few moments to happen.