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 Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 7:31 am
The moon was high but full, giving the savanna an eerie white glow. Pale eyes full of intelligence scanned the ground, then landed on the small hole in the dirt. Whiskers popped up and the dogs heart began to race, and she stayed perfectly still, skin occasionally twitching in anticipation. Her mouth began to salivate but she didn't lick it away, knowing even that small movement could give away her position.
A large rodent poked his head from his den, big eyes scanning his environment. Equally large, satellite like ears popped out next and turned and twisted as he listened. Finally he pulled himself free and scurried away, ignorant of the beast that eyed him.
Hamaki watched as the mouse began to eat, going about his own hunting trip. She found prey fascinating and sometimes would watch them for countless hours before making her move. She liked to study every aspect about them, and she found it was much easier to hunt them when she knew their daily lives.
But this day the dogs stomach was empty and forced her to cut her show quickly. She waited until the mouse's back was turned to her, then leaped from her position in the grass, landing on the critter with expert precision. Her jaws clamped shut and it's life was snuffed out.
Hamaki began to feed, and her meal was goon in only a few mouth fulls. Her body was slim and she was small for a dog. She ha trained herself to live off of very little food, although she would fill her belly when given the chance. She wasn't above scavenging off of another creatures leftovers, either.
Her stomach sated for the moment, Hamaki made her way towards a small river. She drank until her belly swelled, then sat down at the rivers edge and watched the fish, another pass time of hers. The moons reflection danced in the ripples of the stream. Although she had been quite hostile in her earlier years, she now was calm and her past was no longer controlling her. The voice she used to hear had vanished, and she was glad of it. She used to attack any lion she saw, and now would just stare with mild hatred from a distance. She knew she would probably never find the lioness that gave her her scars, and she had accepted it, with the help of her son, Tulivuu. The thought of him made her smile and she began to reminisce about her children, all grown and living their own lives. A sigh escaped her.
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Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:02 am
 Dark red eyes managed to glint through the coat of night that followed an absent day. A large wild dog tread on the savanna grasses heavily, and a large but lithe shadow seemed to float through the horizon. It was an ominous image, but nothing else about the scene hinted at the presence of malice, much less the intentions of the actual being itself.
The very dark coat of the black canine blended almost completely well in the midnight sky, perhaps too perfectly, but a lighter undercoat gave away his presence to the most observant. A flash of sharp teeth flickered for just a second as his mouth opened, breathing in the cooling air, replacing the breath of his last kill.
Likewise for the second wild dog, his stomach was full from a recent hunt, but filled more gratuitously with a larger prey. He was not one to down a large beast and leave waste behind, but he knew he needed good sustenance to maintain his powerful body. Nothing larger than a hare was satisfactory for the moment, however, as his meal potentials were far from sparse during the day.
So lethal paws made their way meaningfully through the terrain, and he soon found himself walking along a calming river. He walked right next to the edge, so close that a spectator would find it difficult to keep balance; but still he managed to accomplish this. Suddenly, his head went down with another flash of teeth, and as soon as it went down, he brought it up with a struggling fish trapped in his maw. In another second, he clamped down effortlessly to make the wiggling stop. With that being uneventful, his expression showed neither pleasure nor smugness of how quickly he had executed that; it was all in a day's work. So the fish stayed in his mouth as he continued his nightly trot.
It seemed like it was becoming a rather uneventful night indeed, until he caught scent of another in the same vicinity quite suddenly; the smell of the fish had thrown him off, yet the other was far enough where it most likely could not detect him. He sniffed again, though with purpose this time, and took a few more steps towards the source. It was a female, and one of his kind. With fish in his mouth, a smile came about as he stepped even closer. It was a female indeed, and to his delight, dark as he - except a tad lighter. She seemed little, however - like she was a teenager. The size disparity was emphasized more than usual because he was much larger than a large wild dog, but he ventured forth anyways. His presence should be, after all, appreciated and revered.
"Why, hello there. Not scared to be alone and in the dark at this time of night?" he asked non-threateningly, taking note of how she seemed lost in thought, "I respect that."
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Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:37 am
Hamaki had indeed been lost in thought, and had been downwind of the large dog. Her pale eyes flashed in his direction, and her stance became one of defense. Her hackles rose but she didn't bear her teeth, finding no threat in his voice nor posture. She let her muscles relax - only slightly - as she surveyed the large dog.
Grey fur tinted her muzzle, going further even than the white spot upon her nose, revealing she was indeed long past her teen years. Her life as a rogue from puppy to adult showed on her form, for she was smaller than the regular dog. But she was faster than any she had met as well. She was flexible and her size made her hard to catch in a fight.
"No, dog. I am not a fledgling youth still hiding in her mothers shadow. What would I fear of the night?" Her voice was soft and low, slightly strained from not being used. It had been a long time since she had met a stranger. Her eyes narrowed, noticing the fish he had caught. Perhaps trying to show off? But she dismissed the thought, not really thinking this dog was one for juvenile performances.
His size obviously didn't frighten her, though her eyes took in his massive form and dark colors. Much like her own colors, and scars as well. She wondered what he had done in his past to bare the marks of battle now. Perhaps he had been mauled as a puppy like herself? She doubted it. No creature she had met had had anything like the experience she had when she was just a weanling.
"And what brings you out at this time of night?" She mused, her stance getting less and less defensive. She sat down on her haunches, her bones sticking up and her ribs fairly visible. Her large ears were focused on him, her eyes going up to his own crimson ones.
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:51 am
A rather content smile formed as the male observed the expected defensive action. It was comforting knowing the female was as wary as she should be despite the prior obliviousness. In response, he slowed down his pace and evaluated her comfort level of his distance. It was never a surprise when others were impressed by his, well, first impression. His body language told those who perceived it that he was of significance indeed, and not a canine to trifle.
The closer he got, the more he realized the other wild dog was older than he first judged. She had unhealed scars--more than himself, and at once he felt a slight connection to her because of that. However, his only visible scar was well earned by the opponent who made them. Others he had received while training his skills had been long healed, as he never let anything else get close enough to cause permanent wounds. It was a lesson well learned, anyways.
As the other spoke, however, his smile immediately vanished as he was called a dog. He kept his composure, though a serious expression now substituted for the smile he had on, and placed the fish he gripped onto the ground in front of him. He would save it to eat later, now that he found company. It did not seem like the stranger was in a rush to feed, and so he did not offer at the present moment. He always rationed that an individual should hunt for themselves, as well.
"First," he began smoothly as soon as she asked her question, "I am no mere dog or some mutt that just happened to be conceived by the wilderness. I am Nkosi, and good answer. There is nothing to fear."
When he noticed her seemingly weak voice, her eyes on his catch, and, when she sat down, her prominent skeletal structure, he found himself speechless for a second. She sounded confident and assured of herself, but a wild dog would not purposely starve if they had the ability to prevent it. While his morals went against it, Nkosi picked the fish back up and sauntered closer to her, thoughtfully placing it down again. He made sure to examine her reaction to the small meal; perhaps her words were betraying the reality of her hunger this night.
Despite his current thoughts, Nkosi saw that the female had gotten less tense, brightening the atmosphere between the two. He took a seat himself, tail waving curiously as he began his reply.
"I only sleep whenever it suits me," he stated simply, "And I have found that resting for shorter periods for possibly more than once a day aids endurance and strength. Closing your eyes at day or night are the same to me; it is what you do during the day or night that matters. Sparring at day, for example, under the beating sun, helps stamina, but there is a limit. Doing the same thing at night is different. Can you guess my reasoning?"
His head lowered and leaned towards the female, getting comfortable as he waited patiently for her answer.
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:01 am
The small female watched the big dog as his expression changed. She could tell he did not like being called dog, and she wondered what this large canine thought himself as. A king or leader, no doubt. With no actual group to lead. Hamaki had met many arrogant, thick headed canines that thought themselves Mkodi's gift to canines, but this one seemed intelligent, at least.
"Nkosi, alright." She was smiling at the serious face he now had, glad that her words had changed his mood. Hamaki thought herself a very sly dog and she knew that certain key words could easily make or break a creature.
When his eyes went to her body though, her face became hard once again. Although she had eaten a small meal not long ago, her stomach was eager for the fish that he dropped before her. But she knew she could keep going for another night without the fish in her belly. But, she wasn't stupid, and although it hurt her pride ever so slightly, she bent down and began to eat the fish, tail wagging ever so slightly.
Her large ears were perked towards him as he continued speaking. Sparring? Did this dog think fighting was a game? A fun afternoon romp? She huffed over the fish, looking up at him with her pale eyes.
"Of course fighting during the day and night are different." She muttered as she began to lick her chops clean of the fish that was now just a few bones on the ground. "During the day the sun is hot and drains you of your strength. The moon doesn't have the same effect, the moon actually helps in my opinion. It makes your night senses keener to run and fight at night. I, too, sleep for short periods throughout the day and evening, whenever I get tired enough to do so."
With a final lick of her lip the fish traces were gone and her belly was more full than it had been in ages. She wasn't one for manners, but she knew that Nkosi didn't have to share his catch with her, and that he had given it to her out of , most likely, pity. She hated being pitied, but she swallowed her pride and muttered, "Thanks, by the way." Under her breath.
"But why all the talk of fighting and sparring? Is it a mere game to you?" She mused, finding this Nkosi more and more fascinating, despite herself. She settled down more comfortably and continued cleaning herself as she waited his response.
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