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 Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:14 am
 A heavy sigh escaped Auri's throat as he slowly ambled along the path that lead down from Pride Rock. Ever since that "incident" involving Mbaya and Malaika, he had never left Malaika's side. Today was one of those extremely rare occasions where he actually needed to, because he couldn't keep feeding off Mahiri's kills, and so it was with a heavy heart that he left Malaika on her own.
"She said she would be fine." He muttered out loud, trying to reassure himself. A fair amount of time had passed since that dreadful day when Malaika was attacked, and she had gotten stronger because of it, in both body and mind. His golden eyes flickered as he glanced over the land. All he needed to do was spot some easy prey, kill it, and carry it back to the cave as fast as he could. If Malaika ever came to any harm again, there was no way he would be able to live with the guilt. With another sigh, he continued on.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:22 am
 Little did the jackal know that the hunter had suddenly become the hunted. For a few meters away, crouched in a bed of tall grass was one of the latest official residents of the Pridelands.
As of late Amari - the bumbling, clumsy oaf - had been practising hunting for the sole purpose of being able to show his son. True Maawio was the better huntress but he'd already missed out so much on Mbari's life that for once he wanted to be the parent figure.
Was that so wrong?
Well of course not!
His deep hazel eyes fixated upon the jackal and for a moment he stirred, clawing at the ground beneath his forepaws as he prepared to pounce. The little....thing wouldn't know what hit it!
He laughed inwardly and then with a triumphant snarl leapt forth, paws outstretched as he prepared to pounce upon the little creature and pin it to the ground. It would have been a perfect maneuvre if it hadn't been for the branch that caught at his back leg and sent him stumbling forwards, landing short of his prey.
"Ah dammit, I almost had yah too!" He exclamed gruffly, tail thrashing from side to side in annoyance.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:31 am
The Jackal's already pointed ears flicked forward as the sound of rustling grass and gentle laughter reached him. Before he could react, a large figure flew towards him, only to fall short and land with a thud at his side. If Auri had been concentrating, he probably would've been able to dodge the lion regardless, but since he was too busy thinking about Malaika, the lion would've indeed got him if he hadn't been so clumsy.
Auri jumped back, the fur on the back of his neck standing on end as he lowered his head, a low snarl radiating in his throat. He didn't recognise the lion, but these days, he was cautious of any lion that wasn't Malaika or her parents. "What's the big idea?" He snapped, bearing his teeth.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:43 am
Amari looked up sheepishly, raising a paw to rub it against the top of his head before pulling himself up into a slouched position, chuckling at himself. "Eh, sorry there kiddo." Though his smile faded a little at seeing the jackal's sharp teeth he continued regardless. "No need tah get in a tizzy, didn't mean anything by it. Just thought yah wouldn't mind if I used yah for a bit of practise.
He gave a small chuffing sound and wrinkled his nose, "as yah can see I still need a lot of work before I can live up to my name as predator."
Amari was the loud, overly friendly type whose personality demanded a presence that most couldn't miss. He didn't mind being the center of attention one little bit.
"My son is gonna split his sides if he sees how his pa hunts, ain't he?!" He threw his head back and laughed, "I'm no lion!"
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:55 am
"Kiddo?" Auri raised a brow, taking that one word as evidence that this lion definatly wasn't a threat. At least, not an obvious one. Shaking his head a little, he moved to sit down. "Firstly, I'm not a kid. Secondly, neither are you, so next time you want to practice flopping on top of someone, you should just ask." His tone of voice was a lot harsher than it would usually be, had he not been so tense.
It wasn't long though before Auri relaxed and softened. He couldn't help but chuckle as the large fellow had a laugh at his own expense. He reminded him a little of Mahiri, although Mahiri was no where near as loud as this one. "I'm sorry if I sounded a little harsh. You just caught me off guard." Saying that, the Jackal bowed his head politely. "My name is Auri."
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:05 am
"Eh? Well nice to meet'cha! I'm Amari last time I checked so yah can just call me that." His eyes shimmered mischieviously. "Say, are you a good little hunter or are those teeth just for show?"
Amari was a dunce when it came to reading other people, especially if they weren't as happy and relaxed as he was. As far as he knew was that if he felt okay then the other person had to, right?
With a flick of his mane he gave a large grin, "I wonder Auri, if you'd be so kind as to show this big useless cat here how to hunt? See I don't mind making a fool out of myself in front of you, but if my son sees what a failure I am he'll never live it down!"
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:19 am
A small grin touched Auri's maw. "Well, they're not without their uses, lets put it that way." The golden Jackal breifly turned away from Amari to look over the land. "I guess I could show you, but we would have to find a suitable form of prey first. I'm not quite big enough to go hunting zebras." He would've suggested hunting for a Hare or two, but after meeting a couple of Hares previously and getting to know them, he had taken Hares off the menu.
Getting to his feet, he shook off his body and flicked out each leg and couple of times. It was quite endearing really, how useless this large lion seemed to be. If he was going to help him though, he would have to be quick about it. "Our best bet is the watering hole nearby."
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:30 am
"T-the waterhole?" He tried to smooth out the stutter in his voice but failed and tried to cover it up by getting to his feet and shaking vigorously. The scent of dust from his coat caused him to sneeze and with another small, nervous chuckle he took a few steps forward.
"Okay then, let's go! Lead the way mighty hunter!" The truth was that Amari was afraid of water. Lions as a whole were not keen on the stuff, but he had met a lot of them that were quite content to walk in the shallows on a hot day.
The prospect of even getting his paws wet made his stomach knot but he couldn't say that. What would the little doggy thing think of him if he said he was afraid of getting wet?!
He'd be a laughing stock!
So with a slow gait, lowered head and a somewhat nervous expression he began in the direction of the waterhole, praying that he wouldn't have to actually go in. He doubted he would anyway, unless they were hunting fish or some sort of other swimming animal.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:41 am
Auri cocked his head, curious as to why Amari reacted like that at the mention of the watering hole. He shrugged it off quickly though, and trotted ahead, eager to just catch something and head back to Malaika. Hopefully there would be some sort of bird, or one of those weird little deer things he had seen a couple of times.
As they walked along, Auri glanced back at Amari. "So, you're a father? What's that like?" He had already asked Mahiri this, but he was open to more than one view. Now that he had a mate, there was a possibility that he too would be a father someday.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:49 am
"Uhhh..." He paused, seemingly a bit stumped by the question. What /was/ fatherhood like? He lumbered along beside the jackal, allowing his shadow to fall over the smaller animal and then finally glancing at him through the corners of his eyes.
"So yah found a special someone have yah?" His tone was laced with a purr. "To be honest I've not been a father for all that long. I mean my kid'll be an adolescent soon but I missed out on his cubhood since me and the missus had a falling out. T'was all my fault though, got caught flirting with a pregnant lioness and asumptions were made."
He laughed, remembering back to how sad and alone he had felt back them, not to mention the shame!
"But I'm trying to make up for it now. I wanna learn to hunt proper so that I can teach my son something useful. I don't want to be the useless father who hurt mum anymore."
He sighed, "to be honest being a parent is hard work, it scared me at first but I'm getting used to it now nd if I ever have a second litter I know I'll do better. It's just a matter of practise. I mean if I can do it anyone can, right?"
And adding, "don't worry, you'll do jus' fine!" To the end just to ease any nerves that Auri might have had.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:01 am
Auri nodded and smiled as he thought fondly of Jani'mwiba, but tutted as Amari went on to explain what had happened between him and the mother of his cubs. "Oh dear." He was more than a little suprise that the lion could look back and laugh at such a thing, but it was refreshing to meet someone that seemed to constantly look on the bright side. "It's good that you're trying to make up for it now. It shows dedication, and perhaps it will give your offspring that extra stability."
He grinned at the last part. "As long as we both do our best, who can fault us?" Soon after saying that, the pair reached the watering hole. Auri stopped a fair distance away, to get a look at what creatures were there. There were a few of those strange deer-like creatures, and some larger beasts. He would have to go for one of the little deers. It would be a bit of a struggle to drag one of those back to the den, but maybe Amari would offer to help once the deed was done.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:08 am
And help he would!
Glad to see that there were some land animals there waiting for them Amari almost instantly dropped to the ground. He was bigger than the jackal and had to hide himself lest he be seen.
Luckily the wind was blowing into their faces, masking them from the sensitive noses of the antelope and for now the gathered few seemed relaxed, some grazing at the weeds and some drinking from the waterhole.
With a surprisingly quiet voice - for Amari at least - he murmered to the jackal from his crouched postition. "Okay, I'll stay as quiet as possible and watch, if yah need any help gimmie a yell, kay?" He gave an expression that could be considered as the equivelent to a thumbs up and settled himself lower on the ground.
Now to observe.
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Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:17 am
Auri nodded firmly and kept his head low as he began to make his way towards the deer creatures. The ones he had his golden eyes fixed on were just a bit bigger than him, but they would be an easy kill once they were down. As he neared the watering hole, the grass thinned out a bit. His coat easily blended in with the bronze of the dried areas of grass, so he tried to stick to those.
With one last glance towards Amari, he bolted forward, aiming for one of the deer's legs. The creatures scattered so quickly, but Auri had only one target in sight, and he wouldn't let it get away. The Jackal barked and snarled, snapping his jaws at the heels of the frightened deer. All he had to do was wait for it to make a mistake. And that mistake came in the form of a minor stumble. That's all that was needed though, as Auri lept against the Klipspringer's side, digging his claws into its flesh to bring it down with him on top. Then, with one swift move of his head, he snapped its neck. Malaika wasn't fond of the sight of blood, so any kill he made, he tried to do it with minimal fuss.
Taking the creature by its neck, he started dragging it back to Amari. Once he reached the large lion, he let the deer go and licked his maw. "I imagine a lion would be quicker and more able to make a kill, but for a Jackal, the key is waiting for the prey to make the mistake. If this one hadn't of stumbled, it probably would've got away." He glanced towards the fallen creature, and then towards Pride Rock. "I really should be heading back. I left my young friend alone, and I'd like to get back sooner rather than later."
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Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:15 am
Amari watched intently, watching the movements of the jackal. The key was to focus on one target and not to get confused by everything else. One target, one victim, one creature to chase and kill.
He licked his lips and stirred slightly, almost feeling the urge to burst up from the grass and join in the chase. Perhaps he would have done so if it hadn't been for the stumble which ultimately ended the klipspringers life.
Then with a loud chuffing sound he raised himself up and waited as the jackal dragged his prey across the rugged ground. "Your a better hunter than I imagined!" He spoke up, obviously quite impressed. "Puts me to shame that's for sure."
He laughed at the jackal's explanation and nodded. "Well I've tried it the lion's way, perhaps now I'll try it your way. It may turn out to be more full proof." Then as the jackal told of his leaving the great lion nodded, smiling still. "D'yah need help getting that home or can yah manage?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:29 am
Auri smiled a little sheepishly, not used to being complimented on his strategic hunting. "Thank you." He replied softly, before again turning to the dead Klipspringer. "Yes, I'd very much appreciate the help, if you wouldn't mind." He motioned towards Pride Rock. "Do you see that cave about half way up? The one with the dirt path leading up to it. That's where I live. I'd be very grateful if you could just help me get this to the foot of that path, and I should be fine from there."
He was glad to be on his way back to Malaika. Although he was sure she would be fine, having not even seen Mbaya since that horrid day when she attacked, he couldn't help worrying just a little. He wondered if this was the kind of worry he would have for his own offspring, should he ever have them.
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