[PRP] Hunting trip ( Quba/Buna )

[KasaiLoki]

It had been quite a while since the day Quba was injured. Her wounds were all healed, but they still left some scars riddling the black pelt. Battle wounds, the smaller lioness would joke. Battle wounds with a wildebeest.

The female shook her head at the remembrance of that day. Everything had gone wrong. For once, the lioness believed she would be like her sister, the amazing huntress, but no.

Even to this day, Quba lacked the skills of a normal lioness. If she didn’t laze around all day, the likelihood of actually being proficient in a hunt would be greater.

Currently, the lioness was sprawled on the ground, soaking up the hot sun that dried any type of moisture in the ground. (This was the usual position one would normally find Quba in). The sounds of footsteps brought her out reminiscent trance, as her head lifted to see the approach. With a tilt of the head, the lioness spotted the other female.

She rose to her feet, quite slowly, leaving whatever dust that collected on her pelt to remain there. It was such a bother to wipe it off.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Buna couldn't hide a frown at the unkempt state of the other Umzingeli. Quba had a nice dark coat and would probably bear strong cubs if she ever got around to it. It was a pity she didn't seem to care. The dark brown lioness wasn't exactly thrilled about the temperature, but she had more important things on her mind. Some things were worth breaking a sweat over.

"A hunting party just came back," she informed the darker lioness, "But I can tell there will not be enough to feed both the Abaholi and the cubs. We should go out and see if we can catch something more."

She started walking without waiting for an answer, simply assuming that since Quba didn't appear to have anything else going on she'd join her.  

[KasaiLoki]

Annchen

“Hmm?” Quba partly wondered if her sister was among the hunting party. Probably. Amanzi would always volunteer her time on as many hunts as possible. Quba was still envious of her sister, but only Umoya really knew this.

“But it is such a nice day out…” The lioness whined a bit, noticing the other had started to leave without her. Did this lioness expect for her to join in? Quba groaned. Of course she did.

The smaller female dragged her legs as she followed Buna. ”There hasn’t been much game around here. I don’t think we will be successful.” she commented. Ever since the accident, Quba always tried to weasel her way out of hunting. Somehow she knew she wasn’t getting out of this one.  

[Annchen]

Nice day out? Buna was charitable enough to ignore that comment. She wanted to eat today, and she wanted the cubs to be able to eat. The Abaholi would naturally get their fill first, but huntresses that had managed to bring home a kill were also a priority in the feeding order. She could stay in the shade all day, but if she did she probably wouldn't get to eat.

"We'll see," she said, and started moving slightly quicker when she saw that Quba was following, "The hunting party saw some game on the way back, and I don't think they managed to spook them. If we hurry we can get there before they move again."  

[KasaiLoki]

Annchen

The lioness groaned again. Why was she speeding up? They should take things at a much mellow pace. If the herd was still there, then arriving five minutes sooner would make no difference. Quba didn’t understand the fast-pace that was the hunt. It was likely the reason she wasn’t the greatest huntress to begin with.

“And…if we catch something…do you think just two lionesses can bring it back?” she questioned, maybe intentionally trying to slow the other down.

Sky blue eyes scanned the plains, noting the small herd in the distance. Well, the hunting party was right, there they were. At least they weren’t wildebeest. Quba would draw the line there.  

[Annchen]

"We'll handle that part after we kill it," Buna said calmly, "No sense in trying to do it the other way around."

She slowed to a halt among some scraggly bushes and sunk to her belly, studying the animals moving in the distance. The wind blew toward the two lionesses so unless it turned they shouldn't be betrayed by their scent. But hunting was never easy this time of year, and the beasts were skittish at best. She squinted, trying to figure out how to approach.

"They talked about a lame one," Buna said in a low voice, "Can you see it?"  

[KasaiLoki]

Annchen

Quba watched Buna’s actions, deciding to follow suit. She really wasn’t going to be able to get out of the hunt now, and it wasn’t Quba’s personality to leave Buna to fend for herself.

Her eyes narrowed, sighting the creatures. She observed them slowly, trying to figure out which would be the best to take. With Buna mentioned the lame one, her eyes skittered the herd, spotting the center figure gimping at it looked to graze.

”Yes.” Quba stated, nodding her head. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, feeling the memory of her past failed hunt approaching. ”The one in the middle.” the creature wasn’t the biggest of the herd, but it definitely wasn’t the smallest either.

”If I chase it out, you can go for the kill?”  

[Annchen]

"Ah, I see it now," Buna said, looking where Quba indicated, "You've got good eyes. The others might be trying to protect it..."

She studied the terrain, looking for places to set up an ambush. The other lioness had a good idea, but they needed to make sure that the herd scattered away from her and the intended target. They had to make the terrain work with them in this hunt, or she might end up taking a hoof to the face.

"They seem to be moving that way," she said, using the dusty ground in front of them to draw a crude map, "If we startle them just before they reach the cracked ground up there the injured one might go towards me instead of following the others. I'd try to hide in the longer grass, and you'd sneak around that way. Do you think that would work?"  

[KasaiLoki]

Quba preened a little at the compliment. It was something her lazy bones didn’t get a lot. She nodded in agreement though. The way the herd creature stood in the middle as it grazed with others around it, almost encasing it, was evident. These creatures could be smart if they wanted to be.

”It’s worth a shot…?” Asking hunting opinions to Quba probably wasn’t the best idea. She would just go with the flow, and hope for the best. The dark pelted lioness crouched to the ground. ”Here goes nothing.”

Slowly, the lioness wandered around the herd, sticking to the ground like a shadow. She tried not to make too much noise, but the dry grass crinkled every time she stepped. Lack of water in the lands not only made herds sparse, but it made hunting quietly difficult.

When Quba thought it the best moment, she launched from the ground, intended to spook the already spookish herd.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Buna wasted no time getting into position. It would take Quba some time to get around the herd, and by that time she needed to have set up her ambush in the perfect place. She moved very slowly through the long grass, keeping eyes and ears open to make sure she didn't startle the skittish beasts. Hopefully they wouldn't know what hit them.

When Quba attacked things went mostly as planned. The herd scattered in panic, and most of them ran the way she had hoped. The lame one darted her way, but unfortunately it had company. She waited as long as she dared, trying to keep track of the two sets of sharp hoofs that approached. Most lionesses had been kicked or stepped on at some point during a hunt, and it wasn't a fun experience. But she didn't plan on being trampled today. When one of the animals crashed through the grass near her she jumped into action, meeting the terrified beast with extended claws. She got a decent grip around its shoulders and tried to wrestle into a position where she could bite the neck and start choking it.

She had no idea if she had managed to get hold of the lame one or the healthier friend, and right now she was just interested in keeping her hold of it. It wasn't over yet.  

[KasaiLoki]

Quba sighed in relief as the plan actually worked. Her mind told her she was no good huntress, and so she continued to think that. But maybe one day she would be great. Who knew.

Sky blue eyes watched as the herd scattered, though frowned when she noticed not just the lame creature was heading towards Buna. She winced inwardly, turning her eyes away. She knew this scene, something exactly like what had happened with her last hunting trip. Quba couldn’t bear to watch the exact thing happen to Buna. But instead of the sounds of an injured lioness being heard, the crash of a body and its terrified scream caught her attention. Chancing a look, the lioness found Buna wrestling the beast, trying for the kill.

Not knowing exactly what to do, the lioness loped over to the struggle, watching, waiting for some kind of instruction.

What would Amanzi do in this kind of situation? She was the hunter of the family. Deciding to help keep the animal subdued, Quba tried jumping on the creature. Maybe then Buna would be able to go for the kill?

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

With two bodies weighing the beast down it had little chance of escape, and Buna finally managed to bite down on the neck. It was over quickly after that. When she was sure that her prey was dead she let go and got to her feet again. Slightly bruised, very dusty, but pleased with what they'd done.

"Looks like we'll get to eat today," she said with a pleased grin. "And the cubs will love chewing on those horns. Would you mind dragging it the first bit of the way back? I'm a bit sore."

She wasn't badly hurt, but wrestling with a terrified prey animal usually resulted in at least some bruises.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Quba preened a bit. For once, her rash decisions in doing something seemed to have good instead of bad! Even though she hadn’t been the one to go for the kill, the dark lioness thought that helping subdue the animal was a start. Who needed that stacking three rock garble Amanzi preached about all the time anyway.

“Uhm…okay…” Quba said quietly, glancing over at the fallen beast. She looked a bit apprehensively at Buna. “You’re not…too hurt…right?” The dark lioness feared.

Grabbing a horn with her maw, the lioness began dragging the creature, slowly, through the dusty sands. She concentrated on pulling, making sure not to tear up the carcass too much.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

"No," she said sharply, but then softened her voice, "No, I'm fine. I've felt much worse after a hunt, and without a kill to show for it."

She was pleased with what they'd accomplished this day, and when she had walked beside Quba for a while she felt a bit more rested and less sore. It was time to help her hunting partner out. If they worked together they'd hopefully be home soon.

"I'll grab the other horn, ok?" she said, before doing just that. It was a bit awkward to drag the beast together, but it would lessen the load for both of them and hopefully they'd get home quicker. She couldn't talk while dragging the kill, so she focused on putting one foot in front of the other. They'd be home soon, and the cubs would be able to eat today.

KasaiLoki

Should we end it there?