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 Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:04 pm
Chest burning… legs tired… blood rushing to… paws… hurt… head… dizzy, can’t… breathe… gasp.
She slowed to a walk just as her legs buckled. As she collapsed into the grass, the hoof beats of the gazelle drummed softer and softer into the distance. Closing her eyes, Xenia rolled onto her back, paws in the air, struggling to breathe. Bhek made chasing down prey look so easy. She always thought all animals were created equal. A leopon should be able to run just as fast as any cheetah if she put her mind to it. Maybe Nash was right. Equality only goes so far.
“This… is so… stupid…” she mumbled. She didn’t even want to hunt. A normal carnivore loved the chase, but to Xenia it felt hopeless from the start. She felt so sorry for the gazelle she was chasing that it was hard to really commit. Finally catching her breath, she rolled back onto her side and peered over the grassline, still panting softly, tongue lolling.
Dysini'mbus was crouched low, waiting paitently for what he knew was coming up. He could hear the heavy hoofbeats, unsure of what exactly it was, only know that it was edible and coming his way. He hadn't eaten for the past few days, too intent on his travels to stop and hunt, but he was tired, so he decided to hunt instead of walk.
A gazelle burst from the nearby grass, startling him for a moment because he launched himself forward, snarling. Latching his jaws around it's neck, he bit down hard, stopping it from struggling before it had the chance to even realise what was wrong. Growling in delight as the creature went limp, Dysi moved away, trying to find a spot to stop and eat it. Dragging it along, he padded through the grass to find a sheltered area. It would do no good if Hyena's found him with it.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:28 pm
The leopard leapt from the grass and tackled the gazelle in one startling swoop! And she saw it all! Xenia lay in the grass with her mouth hanging open (and not just because she was still panting).
Now the leopard was starting to move off. She sucked in air and pushed herself up on unsteady legs to stumble after him. If she dallied she might lose him, and her meal, too. When she got close she called out, “Hello! Excuse me, sir!”
Though she was only a teenager, she was already the size of a fully grown leopardess. Her proportions were slightly awkward, if one mistook her for a leopardess: paws a bit too big, nose a little too large, clumsy, long-legged gait, but with a charming and plucky spunk. She was always the stubborn optimist.
Tilting his head to the side, the aggressive look falling from his face to be replaced with a blank look. She looked like a leopard, though a little gangly. Perhaps she wasn't quite an adult yet? Or maybe she was just awkward. Pushing aide the idea, he relaxed his stance.
“Greetings. What is it?” He sounded slightly impatient, but he was hungry and she was keeping him from his meal.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:48 pm
Xenia slowed to a stop, smiling sweetly. Oh, he looked a little irritated. The last time she met a rogue leopard he seemed a little irritated, too. Nash always told her that life in the rogue lands was hard. She decided to be as polite as possible. “Well, it’s just… um, you see sir, you only caught that gazelle because I ran it right into your paws. I’m trying to teach myself how to hunt, you see. I know I’m a little old to still be learning but if you wouldn’t mind sharing, please, I’ll gladly explain. After all, you might not have caught it without my help. It’s almost like we were working as a team.”
Not that she really wanted to eat the poor thing. She was alright with eating a meal she’d never met before, but after chasing it so far she felt like they had something in common, she and the gazelle. But the poor thing was dead now and she felt exhausted and hungry. She would feel even worse about herself if she had to trudge back to Achana with nothing but the empty taste of failure in her stomach.
To say that he was annoyed that she suggested he had only caught the gazelle because she had helped him was an understatement. He didn't allowed anything to show on his face but inside he was fuming. How dare she? He was a good hunter, a good provider! He could hunt anything he wanted, without help.
“How is it you don't know how to hunt already?” he growled lightly, trying to keep the anger from his voice. He didn't want to scare her, just that she irritated him greatly. “Where have your parents been? It's their job to teach you to hunt and hunt properly.” It ended on a light snarl, though he stepped back from the carcass.
“You may share the food, if only because I would not willingly let another starve and if you don't know how to hunt, there is a high chance that you may not find another meal today,” he eyed her and nudged the body towards her. “You eat first. I will eat what's left and find other food later if I must.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:30 pm
Her ears flattened apologetically. “I-I’m sorry. My mother left me when I was a cub. I never met my father,” she said softly. She never meant to make him angry. What she said was true; she had chased the gazelle right into his paws, but she did not want to argue.
She was in no danger of starving. If she could not catch anything on her own her pride would still provide a place for her at the hunting party’s next kill. The only reason she hadn’t eaten recently was that her nana warned her that if she didn’t learn how to hunt soon the elders might not grant her the position she wanted as an adult, since all nannies needed basic hunting skills to teach and provide for their charges. She would have explained this, but she felt so intimidated by his tone that there was nothing she could think to say, except for, “Oh, you don’t – I mean, you needn’t be so kind. I wouldn’t want to make you go through all that trouble…”
Dysi rolled his eyes, aware he must have scared or startled her at least. He felt a little guilty, hear her mother and father were both gone, but she must have had someone, else she would be a lot worse off then she was. A leopard who didn't know how to hunt never lasted long on their own. “That's no excuse, you should know the basics at least.”
Eying her, he scoffed, pushing the body towards her again. “Just eat,” he suggested firmly. He didn't offer food lightly, and if she didn't take it, then he would just take his food and leave. “It's no trouble. We caught it...together, if what you said is to go by, then it is partially yours. Just eat it.” He moved away from the carcass slightly, stretching. His muscles were firm from his years of hunting, and there were a few scars on his body from fights with other creatures, but he was a strong male, if nothing else.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:52 pm
“I’m sorry. Thank you,” she murmured, head lowered. No one had ever been this firm with her before. Ordinarily she protested a little when her elders scolded her, but this was a stranger, one who spoke with so much wisdom and authority that she couldn’t think of a single word to say against him. After the way he spoke to her she felt like nothing but trouble. She stepped forward over the carcass, but before she started eating she had to say something. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”
He nodded his head, glad she had stopped complaining and had just done what he wanted. It wasn't like he was asking anything crazy. He just wanted her to eat, which was exactly what she had said she had wanted to do earlier, else she would have been hunting in the first place.
"You're welcome," he remarked, settling not far from the body. He began to clean his paw and around his mouth, getting rid of the blood from the gazelle which was starting to stain him lightly pink.
"My name?" He said, peering over at her. "Dysini'mbus, but most call me Dysi, my other name is too long. Your name?" He continued to watch her, more then a little curious as to why she wasn't eating yet. She had to be hungry. Foolish girl
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:18 pm
She perked up a little, glad to know his name. For a moment she thought he must be really mad at her but since he told her his name he must not be completely furious. She smiled sweetly. “My name’s Xenia. Some people call me Xexe.”
With that she sat down and started to eat. Like a true leopard she plucked the fur from the carcass’s hide before she dug into the flesh. She never picked up this habit from her mother. Eating fur with flesh always displeased her. Even though she was very hungry she was mindful not to eat more than her share, sine it was Dysi who actually delivered the killing blow. “Are you going to eat with me?” she asked after a few bites, curious. In the Coalition everyone always ate together and shared their food, like one big family.
Xenia. It was an interesting name and certainly not one he had heard before, or even ever. Xexe, which was an even stranger nickname. Why would anyone call themselves that. "A pleasure to meet you then, Xenia." Dysi was not big on nicknames. Afterall, his nickname had been Sissy as a cub, which didn't start him liking nicknames from a young age.
He watched her eat with a faintly amused look. She was eating properly, like a true leopard would if given a carcass with fur on it. It was a good thing to see, at least she knew how to eat even if she didn't know how to hunt.
"No," he responded to her question, going back to cleaning himself. "I will wait until you're finished. Eat your fill." He didn't enjoy eating with others, it meant they were too close together. It was always awkward.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:37 pm
“Oh. Well, alright, if that’s what you want.” He would rather just sit there all alone? How odd. Suddenly she started to feel sad for him. Maybe he never had a family like she did in the Coalition. Her birth parents might never be a part of her life, but the Coalition was everything she ever wanted in a family and she couldn’t imagine life without them. Life in the rogue lands must be harsh for one lone leopard.
When she had eaten her fill she stepped away from the carcass to give him room, assuming that was how he wanted it. She felt much better now. “The rest is your’s. Thank you so much for sharing. Is there anything I can do to repay you? Maybe I could help you catch your next meal, so you won’t have to work so hard?” She really wanted to show her appreciation.
He gave a funny half growl and grunt at her comment. It was what he wanted. He hated being squished in close with other people, he had had enough of that when he was a young cub. He and his sisters had slept in close quarters when they were much younger and even as they grew. Their mother had little space to keep them as they grew, their den was tiny. Shaking his head, he dispelled the images of him when he was younger, glancing over.
She was stepping away, he realised and got to his feet, moving back towards the kill. Glancing at the carcass, it was still quite full and he wondered if she had stopped because she was full or because she didn't want to eat all the food. "There is no reason to return the favour, as you said earlier, we shared the job of hunting it, it is only fair to share the kill." He moved over to it, and with a firm paw on the remaining carcass, he gave one tug at the furr, hearing the rip of the skin as he removed it. He lowered his head, biting down on the meat and pulling it away from the body. He placed it beside the kill and ate it from the ground, rather then from the kill. "Do you think you could actually catch a meal?" He asked, sounding slightly amused.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:53 pm
She caught the teasing note in his voice as she was cleaning herself and gave him a softly chiding look. He seemed calmer now and she was feeling brave. “Practice makes perfect,” she sang. “I know I can do it if I keep trying.”
She wasn’t going to tell him that she never learned before because she was so against hurting other animals. Dysi was the kind of rogue Nash always talked about. He probably killed the young, the sick, and the old, just like Nash said hunters always do. Come to think of it, she wouldn’t be mentioning Nash to Dysi either. He’d only laugh at her if he knew the best hunting advice she ever got came from a sarcastic rabbit.
He rolled his eyes at her when she cast a look at him. Obviously, she'd caught the joke, though he hadn't really been completely joking. If she couldn't catch a gazelle, could she really catch him something to eat?
"I'm sure you can," he remarked, biting down on more of the meat. "Just be careful not to intrude on other's territory. Some creatures get agressive if you steal their prey."
Thankfully, Dysi was not one of those. If she had attemtping, and suceeded, in getting the gazelle, he would have left with only a few sarcastic words. It wasn't her fault if he failed, it was his fault.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:30 pm
“I know.” He was one to talk about stealing prey. Though, if she was being honest with herself, he was only taking advantage of her terrible hunting skills. There was no blaming him for that. “I just… need to find a style that works for me. I tried outrunning it but I guess I’m not fast enough for that. I bet I could do that waiting and pouncing thing you did. That looked easy.” She snuck a glance, wondering how he would react.
He snorted, finishing off what he wanted from the meat. He stood up, stretching again and settlign down to clean off his face at paws. "Please, if you do plan to wait and pounce like I did, let me know in advance," he remarked, sounding pleasant, "I would love to be around to see you fall on your face."
He licked at his paw and began to wash his face to try and dispell the blood around his mouth. He wasn't really trying to be cruel, it was jut his persoanlity.
"If you plan to wait, you need to be patient. It takes a while for them to think you're gone and come through the area." He yawned, glancing over at her. "Have you ever suceeded in capturing prey?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:16 pm
Xenia frowned as she started to clean herself. Why were all leopards so rude? That cub she met when she was little made her cry - she couldn't remember what he did to make her upset - and the only other leopard cub she knew in Achana was the one that tried to kill Nash before they became friends. Now this leopard was making fun of her poor hunting skills. Alright, so she was bad, that didn't give him the right to make fun of her.
"Of course I have. I'm not completely incompetent you know. I bet you weren't a great hunter when you were just starting out either," she huffed, trying to keep a rein on her indignation.
Dysi didn't seem to notice her indignation at his comments, thinking of himself as teasing rather than being cruel. He was not purposely being rude, it was just his attitude at the time that meant he didn't notice her annoyance at him.
He tilted his head to the side when she made the comment of his youth, his face forming a roguish grin. "Oh no," he said, with a laugh. He remembered those days well. The games spent pouncing on things, chasing his sisters. "I was horrible." All the times he fell on his face when he stumbled. "My sisters used to call me clumsy paws. I can't even count all the times I manged to ruin a hunt with my family by falling out of the tree I was in, or forgetting to watch where I stepped." He eyed her, a small grin on his face still. "But I learnt...eventually."
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:49 pm
Xenia arched a brow. She never expected him to be so honest. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.
She never went hunting with her family when she was young. The grown-ups took care of everything. Sometimes it was hard to believe that in a few months time she too would be one of the grown-ups. But she wouldn’t have to grow up very much. After all, she’d be looking after cubs. She smiled at Dysi and stretched. “Thanks for the advice. I better be getting home now. How long will you be in the area?”
He was a bit annoying, but she had to admit he was interesting too.
Dysi knew he had suprised her with his honesty. He was not particuarly secretive. He had enjoyed every moment of failing at hunting when he was a cub. He loved the challenge of getting better and improving himself, without help...or with little help, his parents had been very encouraging to him to learn.
When she stretched, Dysi stiffled a yawn, glancing at the sky. "You're welcome. In this area? Probably not long," he said, knowing he would likely move on as soon as she left, but he tilted his head. "but perhaps some other time, I will find myself back in this area. Perhaps we will meet again." She was a little foolsih at times, and seemed perhaps a tad too childish, but she was good company. He met few people he wanted to meet again, so that made her unique in a way.
"Good luck with your hunting," he added, almost as an after thought.
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:07 pm
“Perhaps,” she parroted, thinking it a very adult word. “I’ll keep an eye out for you the next time I’m hunting. Take care of yourself.”
With those kind words and a parting smile she headed for the jungle, still thinking about the strange male called Dysi. She hoped he would take care. The rogue lands seemed like a dangerous place to live. That must be why he’s such a good hunter, she decided. Xenia never had much incentive to hunt when she was young. Maybe Achana was just too nurturing, but she couldn’t imagine living in the Coalition was a bad thing. She would have asked Dysi to join if he hadn’t given her a share of his meal. He practically forced it upon her and she didn’t want him to think she was taking advantage of him, because she lived in a Coalition, and no one would really let her starve to death.
((Fin~))
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