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The sun had started to set Jumbe finally stopped running, and Sala was grateful. She had been bouncing up and down for what seemed like forever when he finally slowed down from a run to a trot, finally to a walk, and eventually, he stopped all together. The big hyena put her down on all fours, completely out of breath, body shuddering a little before he flopped down on the ground, completely out of breath. Sala walked over to her father, nuzzling his cheek as he started to slowly regain his breath, his eyes watery. "What's wrong, daddy?" She asked, giving his cheek a lick. Jumbe rolled onto his side, looking up at her, "I met her. I met the matriarch who killed my clan. And I," he paused for a bit, "I was intimate with her." He looked away, completely ashamed of himself. Sala didn't understand what he meant, her head tilting, "What do you mean, daddy?" Jumbe looked away from her, "It is something that you will learn about when you are much older, Sala. It's usually something people do when they fall in love."

"Do you love her, daddy?" The cub asked. The hyena shuddered, "I don't. I hate her, I hate her with every fiber of my being. I gave into a selfish need, and I put you in danger." He couldn't even look at her as he slowly regained his breath, "I was stupid and selfish."

"But daddy, we're closer to our goal, aren't we? The land of plenty?"

"We are," he replied, "We're much closer." Sala smiled, "Then that's good, isn't it?" Jumbe let out a soft chuckle, "It is." The hyena rolled onto his paws as Sala jumped on his back, "Daddy, since we're closer to the land of plenty, can we rest?"

He smiled, "Of course." Sala beamed, barely able to get on top of him, "Can we play now, daddy?" All he could do was smile, eyebrow raising as he looked at her, "What would you like to play?"

"I wanna wrestle!" She yelled, teeth latching onto his long neck fur, pulling on it. All he could do was chuckle and then roll, pulling her over. Sala fell on her back rolling onto her paws to lean onto him, front paws on his chest. "Pinned ya," she said tail flicking back and forth. He smiled back, "So you have." He leaned up to give her cheek a soft lick. "That's my good huntress." Jumbe rolled onto his side, Sala jumping on top of him, standing on his ribs before laying down on him, nibbling at his ears. His ears flicked back and forth, as he giggled from the feel of her rough tongue on them, "Hehe, stop it!" Her tiny jaws clamped on one of his ears, tugging it. Her father growled, rolling around on the ground. She scrambled in order to stay on top, sitting on his back, letting go of his ear to crawl up on his neck. Jumbe put his chin to the ground, eyes staring up at her as she looked down at him with that warm, beautiful smile of hers. "You wanna race daddy tomorrow," He asked with a smile. "Of course I wanna race! I bet I can beat you," she said, bragging. "Oh, then we have a deal." He stood up, feeling the pup star to slide down his neck, sitting in the crook like a cowboy in the saddle, "Now, first, we need to get some sleep in a nice protected spot." He looked around, just now noticing the landscape as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. In his haste to get out, he'd run into a desert like area, not much in the way of anything, save for a few abandoned termite mounds. Slowly, he headed towards one, paws scraping a hole in the side as he plopped down on his belly. Sala slid off his back, lying next to him, snuggling up to her father.

It was the first night they hadn't been on the move. The two covering lots of ground between the start of their journey to now, and only another day's journey at least to get the prized land they were seeking. Enough food for both of them and then some. Jumbe might even find a mate, and if not, he might at least be able to get the lion pride to take Sala in. She deserved that much at least. He wondered what the next day would bring.