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 Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 4:50 pm
[  "Another boring day, wandering" sighed Nyota. it was the same everyday. wake up, hunt, drink water, wander, sleep. Oh how she just couldnt wait to get to her pride. it wouldnt be long now. she wasnt sleeping in her cave anymore. she was looking for them, and the birds were helping her. she could always trust the young doves, they didnt know any better, though Nyota never had a taste for birds. She walked along the dry earth, coming to a few puddles, but they were insufficient to drink out of, so she left them for the klipspringers.
she never realized how awful the Rouge lands could get until she was leaving. it was always her home, but now she was moving out and moving into a different house, someone else's house, per say. Of course there would be leaders for her knew pride, her first pride. but she needed to focus on something else. something that wouldnt make her pass right through where the pride was.
she wondered instead if she would meet anyone. she wasnt sure if she was really in the mood to talk, but she could always make herself cheerful by thinking about the good things to come when she found the pride she was off to. and there she was again, thinking about the pride she was looking for. she sighed, rolled her eyes, and continued walking, even though her paws were sore.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 8:29 pm
The wind was blowing steadily. It was dry and persistent, and it left her thirsty in its wake. The ground was hard, rough, but her paws were harder and rougher and she hardly noted the passage of miles. Hunger was a constant companion, sometimes dull and sometimes sharp like a claw in her gut.
But she knew no other life, and didn't waste time imagining anything beyond her next meal.
Joshi lifted her nose to the air and took a long breath. She'd hunted yesterday and fed, but had been chased off her kill by a pack of mangy hyenas. Damn dogs. Her lip curled in a silent snarl at the thought, and her right leg ached where one of them had managed a bite. At least today her hunger was a touch on her mind. By tonight it would be pinching at her, gnawing insistently.
Psh.
By tonight I'll have another kill. Joshi nodded to herself. Damn straight.
She tested the wind again, then froze. There was another lion nearby... Joshi sniffed loudly, opening her mouth to taste the air. A lioness. Careful not to draw attention, the sandy female crept forward. Ahead, bright amid dried grass and sand, was a striped lioness. Joshi watched for a moment, then gave a mental shrug.
"OI." She shouted. "HEY YOU."
If things turned out bad, Joshi could always run away. But for now... she needed someone to hunt with.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:53 pm
Nyota turned her head around sharply at the loud voice, all she heard, was silence. it was nice. for a moment, then it felt awkward. "can i help you?" she asked casually as she walked up to the sandy lioness, slightly cautious. Nyota was trying to get some discovery done, but then hunger panged in her stomach as it growled loudly "seems im hungry, are you?" she could have been, and it was always nice to have some one to hunt with, even if they didnt want or need to be fed.
She slumped to the hot ground casually, and a soft cool wind blew past their fur, making the ground some what cooler and nicer to lay on. Nyota sighed at nothing, and sniffed. if they were to hunt, why not get a head start? She was always good at hunting, and could, at times, smell a hare from a mile away, or more if the conditions were on her side. she looked over at the other lioness again, sizing her up, she looked a little more skinny then Nyota, but other then that she wasnt looking for anything in particular. "If she says shes not hungry, she would be a liar..." thought Nyota, because she looked as if she didnt feed herself as regularly as Nyota fed herself.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:31 am
"Huh." Joshi replied. "Who isn't hungry out here?"
This female's brashness surprised her a bit - coming right up to a strange lioness! Even if Joshi had called her over, the darker lioness didn't think she'd be quite so casual about, were she in the bright female's place. In fact, Joshi was quite sure that she would have stayed put, thank-you-very-much, and waited for the other lion to come to her.
Maybe this female hadn't been in the roguelands for long. After all, it had taken Joshi a few bad encounters to learn caution. Or maybe this bright lioness was an incredible fighter, and didn't need to worry about stray rogues like Joshi. After all, with a coat like that, you'd stick out like a sore paw against all that brown.
Eh. Doesn't matter anyways. Joshi hesitated for a second, then rocked back on her haunches. She seems honest enough...
Having made her decision, the dark lioness turned her thought towards filling her near-empty belly.
"Name's Joshi. Wanna hunt?" She nodded towards the west. "Smells like antelope."
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:00 pm
Nyota tilted her head towards the west. "true, it does smell like antelope. my names Nyota" she said as she smiled lightly at Joshi. "just one of my ways of making sure no one kills me..."thought Nyota. Joshi must think Nyota was a fool, considering how casually Nyota had walked up to her and started talking. but Nyota was no fool, she knew that. being friendly was just second nature. she could still fight, though she didnt prefer to do so on first glance. she needed to know people first. Nyota thought about telling her this, but thought again of it. she knew it might just come back and hurt her.
she got of her butt, and started walking towards the delicious scent. "well, are you coming?" she laughed a little, and waited for Joshi to catch up.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:14 pm
"Nyota." Joshi nodded. Nyota seemed like a nice lioness. And after all, any day she avoided a fight was a good day, in Joshi's book. And a day where she got to hunt with help? Didn't get any better.
As long as this one could keep up. She eyed Nyota, but the lioness looked well fed. She'd have to be a good hunter, to stay sleek like that.
"'Course I am." The smoky lioness flashed a quick grin, gliding to her feet and padding after the brighter female. She raised her muzzle to the air, following the wind across the dry earth. It didn't take long to find the herd; Joshi crept downwind, making certain the scent of lion wouldn't scare the animals off. Most of the antelope were grazing ahead of them, with a few standing watch on the fringe.
She narrowed her blue eyes, searching for the best target.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:55 pm
Nyota followed Joshi's lead, and dropped her body ow to the ground, her body nearly touching the ground. her stomach growled lightly again, and she realized just how hungry she really was. not eating for days wasnt always good, and the direction she was heading, she didnt see mouse nor hare anywhere. "did you want to go for a larger one? or a smaller one?" she whispered.
"a smaller one would mean less food but also less waste, damn dogs. a larger one was more food but more waste, damn dogs." she thought. Nyota was usually fine around dogs, and sometimes was happy to share food, but not today. they were both hungry, and there would surely be scavengers somewhere. she stalked up a little closer to the herd to get a better look at them, size them up. she looked behind her to make sure Joshi was still following.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 3:20 pm
Joshi scanned the herd, her tan body hugging the ground and blending in with the dried grass. She kept her ears flat against her head, tail close to the dirt. Her eyes found and rejected one animal after the other.
Too strong.
Too close to the center.
Too small.
Her blue gaze darted across another antelope, then swung back. The delicate animal was grazing, but it had wandered a bit in its search for grass. It stood on the fringe of the herd, slightly to their left, head buried in the dry stalks. No sentries stood near it.
"That one." Joshi whispered and nodded towards the wandering antelope. "We can flank her. You take her from the right and chase her left. I'll jump out when she gets close.
She raised an eyebrow questioningly to Nyota. "Sound good?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:13 pm
Nyota thought quickly about the well thought up plan. "sounds good" she nodded approvingly, and quietly went to where she thought she could strike, she would just wait for it to get a little closer to her...Now.
She darted from her hiding place and started chasing the antelope, it looked up from its grazing and ran towards the left, just as Joshi had planned. Nyota's powerful legs pounded against the hard, dry ground, and she kept driving it out towards the left, towards Joshi, and soon they would feast...
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:49 pm
Joshi passed carefully around the edge of the herd, going wide around their chosen antelope. She didn't want to alert it now. She crouched low in the scraggly brush, her chest moving rapidly as she drew in quick, excited breaths.
Her sharp eyes picked out Nyota, creeping forward.
Closer. Closer...
Joshi's claws dug into the hard-baked earth as Nyota lunged, chasing the antelope towards her hiding spot. Her blood was up and pounding in her ears, lending strength to her limbs.
A breath and half a second, and Joshi lept, her hind legs propelling her forward in a burst of speed. Powerful front legs snatched and wrapped around the antelope's neck, and Joshi's weight bore it to the ground. There was the taste of blood, metallic and sharp, and then the hunt was over.
The rest of the herd had scattered in alarm the moment Nyota had appeared. They watched from a safe distance away, then - realizing the two lionesses had gotten what they came for - returned to grazing.
Joshi lifted her muzzle and gave Nyota a bloodstained grin. "Good job!"
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 9:44 pm
Nyota grinned in delight "hey, you too!" she padded over to where the kill had been laid down, ready for them to rip into the flesh and feast. it smelt of blood, it was nice, and made her stomach growl in delight and demand for the tender meat, calling her name. she came closer and lied down, across from Joshi. she gestured politely for her to take the first bite "you did more for the hunt, you deserve first bite" she smiled at her and waited for her to rip open the flesh and start eating, then Nyota would start as well.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 2:47 pm
Joshi didn't really think she'd done more, necessarily. She'd brought the antelope down, but only because that was her role. She was sure Nyota could have done the same (now that Joshi'd seen her in action). But she appreciated the gesture none-the-less, and dug in enthusiastically.
She kept her ears pricked and flickering, searching for the sound of scavengers. Hyenas and Wild Dogs were the most likely, but she hadn't scented any on the wind. She ate fast, just in case.
The meat was a little tough, but it tasted wonderful. Maybe this would be the first night in a long time that she wasn't hungry.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:10 pm
as soon as Joshi had taken her bite, Nyota dug in as well, keeping a watchful hearing ear out for any annoying scavengers, looking for an easy meal they weren't going to get. once her first bite hit her tongue, her mouth was happy, and the meat plopped into her belly. Tonight, there would be no hunger, for both of them.
The meat seemed a little tough yet filling, and Nyota was so happy she just happened to have a lioness who was a skilled hunter come across her. She lifted her head for a minute to look around and see if any mangy dogs were lying about, waiting for scraps they werent getting. her muzzle was lightly coated in blood, and it wasnt exactly a nice colour on her, so she mad note to wash up afterwards. But it could wait, and so she turned her head back to the half eaten carcass and continued to munch on it.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:54 pm
Ah, it was so good to eat! And another lioness would help keep scavengers at bay. One lone (skinny, tired) lioness didn't deter a hungry pack, but two angry ones would.
And the heaven's know I'd be pissed if this kill was stolen. Joshi thought, ripping into the animal beneath her.
Of course, one antelope itself was enough to feed more than just her and Nyota. At last Joshi couldn't stuff another bite into her swollen stomach. A warm feeling of contentment stole over her - her eyes dropped, her muscles relaxing from their near-constant tenseness. She sighed...
NO! She jerked with the thought, pulling herself back into awareness. You couldn't get too relaxed here. Shouldn't. Joshi shook her head and dragged herself to her feet. Her eyes raked over the remains as she waited for Nyota to finish.
"What should we do with the rest?" She asked. Hell if she knew. Usually she didn't get this far into a meal.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:13 pm
Nyota thought while she took one last bite, and chewed slowly. "we could throw it up into a tree? and have some lucky leopard take it? it would be better then dogs, even though i hate to give it away..." she sighed. Nyota couldnt take it with her, too much burden. It would likely rot before her next meal anyways.
Nyota swallowed her last bite and relaxed herself a bit. Her eyes started to feel heavy, and her body started to sink into the ground...Nyota snapped her eyes open and shook her head "seems we are both tired huh? wish i could offer you someplace to stay warm and sleep, but i moved out of a small den a while ago." Nyota had decided that wandering would now be best, since chances of running into her new pride were better when she wandered, then when she sat in a den all day.
She sighed sleepily, and wondered if giving away the rest of the carcass was best, or if they should just leave it there? No, leaving it here was not an option, so Nyota tried to keep thinking of ways to dispose of it.
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