|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:29 pm
Azachamorel felt as though she would soon go mad with boredom, unable to take the risk of hunting until she was fully healed. As a lioness who practically lived to hunt, it was a terrible feeling; and yet, in her mind, it was still worth it. She had succeeded in driving away the infidel rogues she'd met at the border, and even now the memory filled her with pride, as did the wounds which even now were in the process of healing. She felt it an honor to carry them.
But after days of laying around with nothing to do, honor and pride were less and less of a consolation. With a frustrated sigh, Aza rolled to her feet and strode out of the den.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:39 pm
Sand lizards. Fast, wary and a 'nice' challenge was what Ilahle had thought when she'd first considered them. After spending a whole morning trying to catch one, the would be hunteress was getting frustrated. Only once had she come close to getting one and - disgustingly - it's tail had come off in her claws!
She lay, tail tip twitching, with her face near the sand. The rocks that made up the dens were the hideaways for the lizards, and she was sure she could ambush one as it came out. Her paws were at the ready, she'd kept quiet...it poked it's nose out... and tucked it back under as her claws scraped rock painfully.
"Finar-si curse you!" Ilahle snarled loudly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:48 pm
Aza paused at the sight of a cub crouching before a rock - waiting for something, it would seem. The lioness stood back and watched, intrigued; and when the young Firekin's attack failed, she chose to approach. There was no laughter or derision at all in her expression, for hunting was a serious business, even when the prey was a mouse or lizard or beetle, and the hunter a child.
Indeed, perhaps that was when it was the most serious of all, and so she was quite solemn as she drew near. "Try again," she encouraged, "But this time, wait until it's further out - halfway, perhaps."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:56 pm
Ilahle startled slightly, her head whipping around to see who had spoken. Finding a stranger she bobbed her head to the older female with a slight smile and turned her eyes back to the rock. Intently she waited, hoping she'd do better in front of the adult, as the minutes stretched until -
Another snatch and grab, second later than her last attempt. She'd waited as Aza had said and it paid off! It'd take some work to pull the struggling thing out, she'd only just got a claw in.
"Thankyou."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:04 pm
Aza absolutely beamed with approval, tail curling around her hindquarters as she sat. "Beautiful work!" she praised, appreciative of the cub's obedience, patience, and gratitude - and success, of course. "That was very well done. Lizards are tricky, especially with those damn tails of theirs."
Though it wasn't intentional by any means, between her healing injuries and her words, she came off as rather grizzled, though pleasantly so. "What's your name, child? I'm Azachamorel, daughter of Xamach and Fiametta."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:11 pm
"Hate the tails." She remarked quickly before she managed to pull the lizard out and had to use her teeth to awkwardly dispatch it. Fair glowing with pride, she turn to sit facing her teacher. Ilahle grinned leaving the 'kill', such as it was, by her feet.
"I'm Ilahle. Ilahle'Wumuhu. M'folks are Nyeupe'Moto and Ra"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:24 pm
"Thank you," she purred, bending to respectfully take the teacher's honor with an almost ritual air, tossing the lizard down her throat within a matter of moments. Lizard was far from the most delicious of prey, but to reject such a gift would be utmost disrespect.
"Ilahle," Aza repeated, fixing the name in her memory. "Why, I've met your brother, Moto'Spaki! And your mother, too, though that was quite some time ago. You come from a strong family."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:41 pm
Time for the cub to purr, filled with pride because her family's reputation. When she got back to the den she was going to pin Spaki to the floor until he told her all about his meeting with this lioness! She seemed nice, in a worn but strong kind of way. Even the wounds and faint scent of blood wasn't offputting.
"Thanks. For the help and compliments." Ilahle tried to remember the polite way of speaking, rather than cub-slang. "You're one of the real hunters?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:49 pm
"It was my pleasure," she insisted, and meant every word of it. With no cubs of her own, a fact she had been feeling acutely since her meeting with Ilahle's brother, Azachamorel found herself wanting to teach the children of others what her parents had taught her.
"I am," the lioness confirmed with pride, "Just like my mother and father before me, and their parents before them, and so on through the generations. This land knows no better."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:55 pm
"...oh! So you're the hunteress Spaki mentioned then!" Ilahle's ears flicked down in thought, the flicked forward in excitement as she put two and two together. She forgot the customary assurences that indeed, the land had known no better. But the admiration in her eyes was surely worth more than a moment's rudeness. She was after all, only young.
"You drove off a rogue. That's why you're hurt."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:24 pm
"I am indeed," she answered, taking no offense at all at the cub's excitement, especially considering it came with shining admiration in those young eyes. To be admired by the young was an honor indeed, and a responsiblity as well. "Although I fear he did not meet me at my very best. I fell asleep right in the middle of our talk!"
"I do hope he understood his company wasn't the cause. He was really quite engaging! Just like you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:31 pm
"There's honor in that! When I met a rogue I helped to -" She'd hurried on in her speech, hoping to relate with Aza with her own tale of meeting a rogue. Ilahle had been pleased with all the praise so far, and it'd made her forget. But she bit her tongue quickly, remembering too late she wasn't supposed to tell anyone that. Ilahle feared punishment for what she'd done.
"...to, to tell her to go away." It was a feeble excuse for an ending, and her sudden crestfall suspicious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:51 pm
Azachamorel's ears came forward in a burst of sudden, intense curiosity. The cub's save had been weak, particularly accompanied by her crestfallen expression. But surely, even if Ilahle had done the unthinkable and assisted a rogue, it had been in childish ignorance...she did seem ashamed.
"It's alright, my dear. Tell me, why don't you? We all make mistakes, particularly in our youth. That way, we have something to learn from."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:56 pm
"I don't want to be a traitor or a disgrace..." Her tail flicked once, a pensive violent motion, as if she wanted to run away. Aza had seen through what she knew was a rubbish attempt at getting away with a slip. And she didn't seem to be angry.
"Saved her life. Brought her cacti-pears for water n' gave her shade because mother said if anyone ever collapsed from the heat'd help. I felt like I couldn't let her die. Hate buzzards."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:04 pm
Oh, by Finar-si herself! No wonder the cub was ashamed. Still, it seemed more misunderstanding than anything - her mother had told her how to help someone who was dehydrated, and she'd put the teachings into practice.
"Buzzards are dirty creatures," she agreed, though followed it with, "But so are rogues. I'm sure Finar-si will forgive you, if you're truly sorry. Just remember, Ilahle, the desert has no mercy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
