"Left! " Tibuka shouted, racing across the grass. Fido had successfully caught a hare, so he'd agreed to let her have a shot at his and Leith's gazelle hunt today. Now they were all teaming up on one.
Leith was doing a good job, running at its right, trying to direct it towards Tibuka, who was running a bit further. The shout had been directed towards Fido, who hadn't started her chase yet, and was positioned in the gazelle's path. The gazelle had already seen her, but didn't make any mood to avoid her yet.
Fido, on the other hand, seemed frozen in her tracks, before finally getting back to herself and leaping towards the left of the gazelle. It jumped high into the air, almost running into Leith. Startled, it made a rather dramatic turn, right into Tibuka's path. It didn't have time to escape, now practically boxed in between the three.
The muddy male bit at its legs, but, unfortunately, gazelle were high jumpers, and he ran right beneath it. Now with clear room, it dashed away, and though Fido gave chase, she had no chance. Hyena's just weren't that fast. "Damn! " Tibuka growled, panting as he slowed to a stop. "I almost had it! " He grumbled, ears flattening against his skull, his mouth gaping open and his tongue lolling out as he watched the kill get further away.
Leith was in a similar position as he walked over, and they waited a bit for the female of the three to give up and turn back, her head low. "I tried, " she grumbled. Normally, Tibuka would blame her, but this time she'd actually done a relatively good job, so instead her just shrugged. "Lets catch out breaths. Maybe we can find a cheetah to chase off. "
So Tibuka sat down, and Fido flopped on her side a short distance away, though Leith remained on his feet. Cheetah were easy to chase off. They were weak and lanky, and couldn't afford injury. After all, a simple limp put such a creature at enormous risk; they depended entirely on their speed. They didn't have very sharp claws, muscle, or very strong bites.
After a few minutes, their breaths were caught, and Tibuka got up. "Lets go. Split out and bark if ya see anything useful. " He commanded, and though Leith disliked the bossy tone, both he and Fido obliged. Not after long, Fido had started barking loudly, seeing as she was almost out of earshot. Tibuka perked his ears, raising his head then adjusting his pace to a gallop to join her.
"What? " Fido turned her head, tail erect and a big grin on her maw. "Cheetah! " She said loudly, and Leith joined them. Right she was; not very far away were two young males, sitting beside a recently killed gazelle, obviously catching their breaths.
Ukuu panted, mouth open. "Nice one, Loki. " He smiled at his red friend. Though Loki stood out a lot in the grasses, unlike his father, he was an excellent hunter; he'd practically carried the chase on his back. But he had more experience, Ukuu had just recently begun hunting for himself. Now that they were adolescents, they were sort-of on their own. Loki still hung around his father somewhat, and i general, they worked together. They'd been best friends for a long while, though.
"Yeah, you too. " He grinned, though was cut off, head snapping and head rising to catch sight of three hyenas. instinctively, he tensed, the fur on the back of his neck rising. Ukuu followed suit once he caught sight of them. "Crap. "
Tibuka, Fido and Leith were approaching, heads low. Soon they'd start yipping and bouncing a bit, trotting around them, raising their heads with their ears perked. "Hey, boys, " Tibuka said, as Fido and Leith split to the sides, Loki hissing at the female as she stepped a bit too close. "How bout'cha just go and make this easy? " He smirked, stopping before them, though trying to make sure he was at a good distance. Dull claws or not, they were sharp enough to do good damage to his eyes.
Loki sneered, standing up, head low and pacing around the kill, while Ukuu stared at Leith, daring him to get closer. He didn't like this; they'd been chased off from another kill a few days ago. "Not in the mood. Go catch your own. " He put on a brave front, raising his head defiantly. A cue for Tibuka to get a bit closer, flashing his teeth in a grin.
"see, I'm not in the mood either. You're outnumbered and out-classed. " He said, a tone of annoyance escaping. "Class?! Ha! " Ukuu laughed, receiving a nasty glare from all three hyena. "Really? You guys have class? I never would have thought, with that smell! " He ignored the glares, and Loki grinned slightly. He wondered if Ukuu had lost his mind for a moment, but he soon threw caution to the wind.
Not like hyenas were something they couldn't outrun, if the going got tough. "I know, right? " He laughed. Tibuka snarled, ears against his skull now, his annoyance rising. "Shut it, hairballs! " He snarled,and Fido stepped a bit closer, only to bounce back as the red one lashed out with his front claws. "Touchy, touchy! " She complained, not enjoying the swipe.
"Now, go away. " Leith said from somewhere in the right, and Ukuu glanced back, having forgotten about him. How did you forget about something so.. purple? "I dunno. Ukuu? " Loki glanced at his friend, a playful grin playing across his face. "I'd say.. Nah. " Without much warning, Ukuu grabbed a leg of the gazelle and dashed as quickly as he could, dragging it with him. It wasn't fully grown, and not too heavy, though it hindered his run. He knew the hyena would get it eventually...
He just wouldn't make it easy. Loki laughed, leaping to join him. Tibuka, Fido and Leith were dumbfound for a few moments, before, with a snarl, Tibuka shot after them, followed b the other two. "Stupid cheetah! You know you can't win! " .. the dragging it around the floor like that would make the gazelle taste.. strange. Leithwas quick, and was almost catching up beside Ukuu, who's brows raised as he glanced to the side. Crap, crapcrap. The hyena would attack him soon...
Then Loki leapt over him and crashed into the hyena. Leith yelped in surprise, toppling over and taking the red cheetah with him. But Loki was on his feet in a second, racing to catch up once more. At least he slowed Leith down, but his paw was a bit sore.
"Nice one! " Ukuu shouted, though his happy moment was ruined as the female hyena crashed into him. Ukuu was forced to let go of the kill, and Tibuka sped up to grab it. Ever so quick, Loki ran between him and the kill, pulling it out of reach just in time as Ukuu fought his way away from the female.
Damn, Loki thought, glancing to the side. The purple male was already catching up again, and he felt exhaustion added with head catching up to him. Stupid.. being a cheetah. At least he and Loki had yet to try full speed.
.. And Tibuka was right on his tail. He sped up a bit, frustrated at the proximity. Ukuu tried to distract the largest hyena, bouncing over him and swatting at his ears, but instead almost ended up getting caught instead. "Hey! Careful! "
Ukuu frowned, yeah, he'd have to play a little less risky. He didn't want to get caught; if he got pinned, they might consider eating him instead of the gazelle.
Fido groaned, she was growing tired too. Why couldn't these stupid cheetah just.. give up?! She was getting a bit closer, and stretched out her neck to n** at the gazelle, then felt the brown one crash into her left side. With a yelp, she tumbled over. Angrily, she flailed her paws out at him, attempting contact. And, to her surprise, she was successful. Just as Ukuu was getting up to run, she tripped him. instinctively, she bounced up, pouncing him and snarling.
Ukuu yelped, squirming as the hyena snarled right into his face. He was just about to wriggle away, since she was the smalled, but Tibuka barreled into him, followed by Leith. As much as he fought, he was stuck, and felt a bite on his shoulders, probably from the largest, as Leith tried a grip on a hind paw. "Loki! " He wailed.
Loki had froze when he heard the yelp. "No! " He shouted, charging towards the four, gazelle forgotten where he'd dumped it. "Leave him alone! " He screeched, leaping into the pile, paws first to whack Tibuka's face away from his friends shoulder.
Ukuu felt the weigh on him free up a bit, and gasped for breath, sitting up as the brown hyena was off. In fact, soon they were all off, and he sat up, Loki backing up towards his left, hissing at the hyenas. He realize, with a pang of dread, that they were surrounded.
"Crap. " He muttered, standing up. His shoulder was bleeding, but adrenaline kept him from feeling any pain as he faced Fido, teeth bare. Loki glanced over to him, then back at the hyenas. "Hey, hey! We give up. Go get your gazelle, let us go. " Ukuu glanced backwards as Loki attempted to deal with the hyena.
Tibuka smirked, tail swishing behind him. "I dunno, Leith? " He said, mimicking the confidence in Loki's voice earlier. "I say, we could always eat that and the two cheetah. Can never get enough, right? There's three of us. " He smirked, and Fido let out a nervous laugh. Though she wanted to get back at them, it seemed.. odd, to eat a cheetah.
Ukuu gulped, though kept a tough act. Loki's brows furrowed, damn. They'd have to get out another way. "Hey, ukuu, " He said, glancing back at his friend. "Do you feel like flying today? " Ukuu blinked, confused at first, wanting to look back to face Loki, but not wanting to take his eyes off Fido, whom he was trying to keep at bay. "Now's as good a time as ever, " He said, pondering a bit. What did Loki mean--
"Then, come on! " Loki reared on his hind paws slightly, almost like a horse, then used them for impulse, shooting himself forwards and trying to get as a good a dash as he could in the short distance. Then Ukuu understood and did the same as he did. Tibuka lunged to intercept Loki, striking at his paws, but by the time he was close, Loki had shot up into the air. Cheetah were high jumpers, and he cleared the hyena in a bound, though the landing was a bit heavy.
The same happened to Ukuu,but his landing was worse. His frotn paws hit the floor, he rolled over, his shoulders hitting the ground before he quickly got up again, dashing away.
Fido began to give chase, but she was winded. And she could tell Tibuka and Leith were as well, as they gave half-hearted trots after the cheetah, stopping after a few paces, though snarling loudly. "Thats right, run! " She shouted, a bit caught up in the moment. "Next time you know better! " She watched them go, catching the red cheetah's eye as he looked back.
Tibuka glanced at her, but then stared towards the gazelle. Well, tey'd gotten the kill. "C'mon, lets her. " He grumbled, exhausted. This had been a long day.
Ukuu panted as he and Loki slowed to a walk, once sure they were far enough, and the hyena weren't following. "That.. was awesome. " He wheezed, but forced a smile. Loki blinked, then grinned.
"Yes. Lets do it again. "
