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 Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:15 am
Moyenda was definitely happy to know that Laini wasn't trying to make it any harder on him when it came to explaining how things worked. He was even more happy when Laini's comment about hunting completely threw Iola off-track onto a completely different topic. Iola's tail pulling and excited antics got him off his feet, although whether because he wanted to make her happy or just to make her stop was unclear even to him. "Alright, alright! We'll go with her. ...As long as that's alright with you, Laini..." he said. He wondered if it'd turn out anything like last time.
Well, Laini had to admit to herself, she had successfully changed the subject but she hadn't been able to wheedle her way out completely. Iola seemed to be determined to attach herself to Laini and Laini didn't quite know how she was going to prevent that. "Yes, I suppose you can come," she said with a sigh. Stepping outside of the two's chosen shelter, she put her nose to the air. Picking up the scent of what she believed to be suitable prey, she set off in that direction, leaving them to follow behind her.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:55 pm
"Oh goodie!" The cub cheered as she leapt from behind Mo. Making a break for the opening of the den the cub didn’t notice the small crack where two rocks separated. As she came down on her front legs, her right paw twisted back leaving her unbalanced and sending her tumbling forward heels over head. The cub trundled out of the mass of rocks and skidded to a stop some few feet away. Iola sprawled on the ground disoriented, watch the upside down image of Laini grow smaller in the distance between her two legs. "H-hey! Wait up!!!!" She croaked. The cub pushed against the ground with her back legs to get them up, from on top of her. Then swiveling around she side stepped still abit dizzy. "I said.....wait up!" She grunted, as she sprinted forward after the lioness into the swaying tall grasses of the savanna.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:07 pm
Moyenda moved to follow but at the same leisurely pace as Laini. The two lionesses stood out too much in the grass for him to fear loosing sight of them both. This'd definitely be an interesting day. Just hopefully it'd get better and not worse. But right after such a thought solidified in his brain, Iola tripped. He rushed forward to help her but before he could, she was up again, rushing after Laini. Moyenda followed swiftly behind. "Laini, wait," he called, making sure to sound urgent and demanding at the same time. How stubborn and ignorant would Laini be until she finally stopped?
Laini trotted softly in the grass. Hunting always put her in a particularly happy mood that she could almost forgive the other two for tagging along. She shook her head and tilted it up into the wind. She didn't have a mane so there didn't appear to have much sense but she enjoyed it regardless. Laini laughed to herself at the first call to wait up. Slowpokes. They could check up if they really wanted to, she did not doubt. However, when Moyenda called a second time, she hesitated. Laini continued but less than a minute afterwards, guilt was eating her so she stopped and turned around, waiting. "Com'mon," she said encouragingly.
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:47 am
Iola hoped threw the tall grassed in a frisky manner, trying to catch small glimpses of Laini. The cub would disappear in the thicket, only to spring up and forward, leaving one to believe they've seen a purple blob flying in mid air. Just a little further, a little further. She chanted to herself, encouraging her body to continue at this pace. One reason why this might be so exciting for her is because...well she'd never went hunting before! This was to be an entertaining experience none the less. Cause surely one of the two adults would teach her, and in the back of her mind she hoped it'd be Laini, she and her where so alike. And the cub liked having someone new to look up to, compared to the imaginary super-mom that she had to make up. Iola stopped her trivial 'hoping' she as wasting too much energy, so just as she touched down on the earth, from her last hop, she darted forward full speed in the direction she was sure Laini was. The grass swaying, and crunching, and even to the untrained eye could tell she was there. Finally about two minutes later Iola plowed out of the tall grass and almost completely past Laini if it hadn’t been of her tail which she almost tripped over. "Made it!" She announced triumphal, yet still out of breath.
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:50 am
Moyenda followed right behind Iola, glad that Laini had decided to stop. Iola might not appreciate him following behind so closely, feel that she doesn't need anyone watching over her, but his natural worrying instinct kicked in and it would be hard for him to do otherwise. The ackwardness sent his mind a-reeling but he didn't want to think. His battle to stop thinking was so intense, he was surprised he didn't accidentally step on Iola, following behind her as he was. Then again, in his mental battle, he managed to alter his path slightly and walk past both of them. With a swift recovery, he stopped and looked back at them expectantly. "...Well?"
Waiting, even waiting impatiently, was not Laini's thing. She had a hard enough time with conversation when the other couldn't even hold up their side of it. Rambling was all nice and done but there's a point to where it's ridiculous and not worth it. That was the point of having someone else to talk to. But now, like Moyenda, Laini had -in her head- gone off on a tangent about something completely unrelated. First Iola bumped into her which had an irritable effect on Laini and then Moyenda kept going. His impatient "well" was even worse for Laini considering he was the one who had made her wait. She put her nose to the air, chose a direction that wasn't necessarily advantageous to Moyenda over the lionesses, and set off, doing her best to seem regal at the same time.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:43 pm
Iola tried to understand why Mo was breathing down her neck. She wasn't used to such things, and guessed...it was normal for mates to do? She'd need to remember that for later. The lion slightly pushed her when he walked by, that jolted her, almost to the ground, but she recovered. Fallowing after Laini, the cub made sure to keep up this time. The girl studied the other, quietly observing the curve of her jaw, the power and grace she seemed to imitate as she trotted before her. Iola, heaving a sigh that could only describe a deep longing to someday be as...perfect, continued onward. The little female seemingly having much more interest in the older female than her 'mate' at the moment.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:01 pm
Moyenda of course realized Laini's reaction right away but he didn't let it phase him. He quickly sprung after her and catching up, fell back to an attitude that said he was just fine with all of this, as if it had been his plan all along. He soon smelled what Laini had detected. If he knew what Laini was thinking, he'd have known it was only by chance they were coming upon something. Nonetheless, he put his nose to the air. It was zebra. They weren't as tender as antelope but they were slower and larger - which meant more meat for them to eat. His instincts tried to take over, make him loose his thought process and dive right in in a frenzy. But he pushed back that glaze that was trying to creep over his eyes, and lowered his head, although he kept his eyes forward. He was focused and Iola was forgotten.
Moyenda wasn't the only one losing his sharpness to the scent of prey. Laini also had to fight it back. Such a thing ran in the family, one could say. She even paused for a second, dancing slightly on the groud, but then she was on the move again, oblivious to Iola's attention. The thrill of the hunt sent her muscles rippling. This was an activity she truly enjoyed. If they got in her way, they'd be sorry. But her mind couldn't focus enough on that for her to get appropriately angry.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:17 pm
Iola was of course the last of the three the acquire the scent. Now, if they were looking for rotting flesh, she'd be all over it. Living off of that alone for the first tender months, makes anyone an expert. Being young and inexperienced, the cub's body didn’t automatically prepare her. She had to do it the old fashion way. Her nostrils flared, taking in the scent, trying to memorize it for a later date when it'd be necessary. Zebra...zebra...zebra... She chanted in her mind to help recognize the smell as an animal. Her eyes danced from one to the other. They were both down, stalking lowly to the ground. Iola quicken fallowed suit, how close where they to the prey? Afew miles, feet? She truly had no idea. Iola wanted to be of help but she also didn’t want to be in the way. She shook her head to clear her mind of those thoughts. There was one thing important right now....keep very quite. As she crept forward she dragged her tail along, dirt clinging to her fur, afraid if she held it up, it'd flag them out.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:38 pm
Moyenda, bending low had yet to see the zebra that he smelled. He could not even tell how many there were. But his stomach was yelling at him to work harder ...and faster. He moved away from Laini. A clump together would not work to take down an animal. He also knew he blended in better and if the Zebra was alerted by either Laini or Iola, he still had a chance of catching the beast. His ears swiveled forward and he listened, hoping that they were very close to seeing them now. He wasn't sure but he still hoped.
Laini saw Moyenda move away out of the corner of her eye and snorted. That's right! He better not stand close to me! Truth was Laini had never worked in a hunting party and didn't have the logic to figure out why it was trully advantageous for Moyenda and her to be seperate in the attack. She brought out her claws in anticipation. The smell clung thickly to her nostrils. She wanted it now.
There! Up ahead. She saw it. Quickly but low to the ground she moved in. She would take it down. Oh yes she would. There were about a handful around, eating quietly on the grass, a bray here or there. She moved so that she came up on the rear. They had approached from the side. Laini had no doubt in her skills whatsoever.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:47 am
Iola's navy eyes peered threw the thinning blades of grass. She could tell they were getting close by, the shortening distance between the patches of grass missing. A zebra suddenly arched it's neck, drool hanging off it's bottom lip. It had gotten wind of something it obviously didn’t like. Bleating a warning to whomever approached, but the cub's ears were untrained to the sound. Knowing a predator was near, the zebra reared on its hind legs; then let out a neigh of panic before dropping down onto its forelegs. She stared in awe, never getting this close to a zebra before. Always from a large distance, which made them blend together and difficult to tell them apart. Or to discombobulated as a corpse, to get any, well defined, physical features. Iola's eyes tracked Laini, it would appear as though the grasses only moved with the light breeze of the wind, but the cub knew the real truth. The truth these zebra's wished not to believe.
Now Iola sat in an awkward predicament. What to do herself. Maybe she should try one for herself? Letting her gaze drift over to a near standing adult zebra, possibly male. The cub decided to practice on this one. The male was alert as well, all of the zebra where. They knew lions where close, but not a mere few feet away. Going to take her first step toward him she didn't so much as place her paw on the ground before she heard a scream, that sent the cub flying. She landed at the feet of the adult male. It drawing back on it's hind legs and letting out a gruff, yet terrified scream. It fell back and rolled to it's side, before getting up and taking off. Iola should have thanked the gods that the male didn’t decide to kill a possible threat, for the future. The cub stood stunned still in the position she landed in. Suddenly the ground underneath her began to rumble, the rocks bouncing about barley off the ground. The cub looked over her shoulder to see a mass of black and white stripes headed her way, and a large dust cloud fallowing after. But instead of listening to her first instinct (run) the cub stood petrified, her ears sinking low and having that blank look a deer gets when on the highway.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:00 pm
Moyenda noted the zebra Laini had chosen and moved in on it. It was a good choice being plumb but of course, that meant it was healthy and therefore a challenge. Laini seemed to like a good challenge but with a cub in their midst, he didn't know if that was the best decision she could have made. He flattened himself closer to the ground for attack. However, a loud scream stopped him and then the rumble beneath his feet caused him to turn around in alarm. The herd was stampeding ...stampeding towards them. Zebra never ever ever ever ever ever ever stampeded towards what was attacking them. Never. So why the hell were they starting now?
Laini chuckled to herself at the clueless zebra munching on the grass. What a pleasant little life it must think it lives. Oh how pleasing it will be to contradict that thought. Laini flashed her teeth in an eager smile. The wail of an animal reached her ears. Stupid cub, she thought without even looking at it. Her zebra was too lethargic to respond fast enough anyway. So without further ado, she lunged, sinking her teeth into its rump and clawing at it fiercely. It bucked and tried to run but her weight on its rear kept it from going too far.
But from atop her perch, she was able to see just how much it wasn't her day. The herd of zebra, lacking brains whatsoever, were coming towards her. What? Did they really want to die that badly. And then the stupid cub staring at them with her mouth open. Did she seriously expect them to jump into her mouth? Oh she'd get a mouthful alright. A mouthful of death!
She bounded off the zebra and rushed for the cub. She grabbed the cub in her maw by the thick of the neck and ran. Well, quite frankly, the cub was holding her up, being heavily than a cub ...as would be expected of a juvenile. Feeling she had brought the cub a far enough distance, she dropped the cub and continued to run for cover. If the cub wanted to live, she'd follow. Only the strong survive. If Laini could survive being a cub fending for herself, any one could. If they seriously couldn't then they probably deserved to die anyways.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:00 pm
The cub stood gonking at the on-coming herd. She didn’t actually respond, until a sharp nick came down on her flesh. She had never been carried like that, so of course she began to struggle, against the awkward handling she was taken in. The cub not realizing the female was infact saving her from an impending doom. When finally, the female dropped her only afew yards away, it wasn’t long before Iola fallowed suit and ran for the hills. Taking refuge at a near by tree; frantically she dug her claws into the bark of the old tree trying desperately to climb it, she’d done it before. But something of that sort, took time and patience, which she at the moment didn’t have. She did the next best thing by sitting at the side, opposite, to the current of zebra rushing past. The tree made for a great cover, the zebra just moving out of this path, and the hidden child behind.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:13 pm
Moyenda ran frantically away from the herd. He could not think of anything but survival, something he had hung onto all his life. Being the weakest rogue out there strength had never been a characteristic he possessed. It took all his brain power and instinct to make it away. Settling safely atop a small hill that was out of the way, he sat down trying to catch his breath, turning his eyes back to the herd. He soon noticed Laini running with Iola and then dashing off to where he was. He gave a call to her and then to Iola but whereas Laini came to him, Iola kept running straight, exactly the same pattern as the zebra. Where was the cub's common sense? He called out to her again in concern, his voice surely lost over the sound of pounding hooves. He was forced to sit and watch ...and hope for the best.
Laini didn't once look back. The life of a rogue was never easy and alliances among rogues was always shaky. She understood that and had thus never trully formed one of her own. Hunting was surivial. Escape was survival. Breathing, eating, walking, running, sleeping. It was all survivial that she had performed every day of her life. She had never made time for someone else and their safety. So the fact she hadn't helped Iola much didn't phase her ...since from the way she saw it, Iola should be glad for what little Laini had provided.
Reaching the hill upon hearing Mo's voice, she laid down beside him. Her meal had been ruined, her brain slowly revealed to her. It had been ruined and now she didn't have a reason to be happy. She stared at her paws, working to catch her breath. She did not look up. She did not realize that Iola was not successfully out of harm's way like they were.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:44 pm
Slowly the tramping of hooves to the ground subsided, and the last zebra ran past the tree. Iola watching them disappear in the distance. Thankfully the tree was there. She cocked her head out of the side of the tree, the plain of grass stomped down and the corpse of a zebra lain motionlessly in the middle of the field. The cub's eyes grazing over the rest of the surrounding area. Once difficult to see, the grass now pressed down showed how vast infact the area was. Hoping out of the safety from her tree Iola turned in the direction Laini ran off. The cub continued in that direction in hopes of finding both siblings.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:00 pm
Moyenda's breathing calmed and his anxiety passed as the herd moved on. Iola's purple figure popped out from behind the tree and headed in their general direction. With a quick glance at the glowering Laini, he bounded off towards Iola calling out her name, a smile of relief spread across his maw. That was one dangerous "adventure" he certainly did not wish to repeat.
Laini had seen stampedes plenty in her youth. By pretending to be a larger lioness than she was, she had often scared herds into stampeding, although certainly not on purpose. Stampedes were not fun to watch and always reminded her of failure. Failure was something she could not except. Failure almost always meant death of some form.
Hearing Mo running and screaming for Iola caused her to rise to her feet and turn towards them. What a nusaince they were turning out to be! She had to admit the girl had been either really brave ...or really stupid to do what she had done. With a frown on her face to oppose what had plastered itself on Mo's she slowly closed the distance between them.
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