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 Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:42 pm
The young wild dog barely paused to look back over one splotchy shoulder as his quick paws ate up the miles. He'd grown tired of the world he'd been born into. Being ignored. Being overlooked. Being forgotten. That had been the last straw really. He loved his family, sure. But young Aandag just didn't really feel all that loved in return sometimes. Mostly he just felt...well. Underfoot and stepped on. But not anymore!
His plumed tail waving brightly, the adolescent looked eagerly about. The world was huge. It must be full of people, people who would notice him. People who would like him. People he could play with. Lots and lots of people. Games and adventures and pretty girlies he wasn't related to... the world sounded like quite the place to be. Yes indeed.
So where was all of it? All he could see was tall grass waving and waving in the light breeze. It was almost endless, the only break a twisted tree or two and...were those preybeasts? He could go for a meal...but how was he supposed to catch something all by himself? And after he caught it, how on earth was he supposed to eat it all?
Perhaps this could have been a bit more thought through...
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:09 pm
The gray fur of the cub shimmered in the sun. The small feline edged himself along the grass. He approached his target, a small rodent sat on a boulder, creeping out from the ground. Callick moved closer and closer, the pads on his paws making little sound on the dirt beneath him. The look of fear was plastered across his gray and white face. Not too fast ... steady, steady ... and ... POUCE!! With the thought, the lion jumped up, his paw placed firmly on the rodents chest, pinning it to the ground. Callick had the small mammal capture, it was his prey. He was his prey. This was a living thing too, right? He lightened his grip on the poor rodent, which scurried away, disappearing into the brush. "S-sorry!" Callick yelled after newly freed animal. Callick looked around. Not much else to see. Grass, sky, and .. a dog? Callick could spot an older wild dog overlooking the wilderness. He sighed. People. More people. He walked in the dog's general direction. He avoided eye-contact, bowing his head as he moved forward. A gurgled noise could be heard as he slumped across the grass. His stomach. He hadn't eaten in what seemed to be days. Maybe more? Couldn't be, could it? That didn't make him any less hungry. He dropped to the ground, sluggishly. Maybe there were some berries or something in these areas. Or any food that won't feel pain as he bit into it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:15 pm
Aandag's attention was suddenly snagged by a bit of color that almost, but didn't quite, fit with the surroundings. After all, grey could be a rock, but not if it moved... so then it must be a people! His tail wagged brightly as he trotted towards the motion. Awesome. Finally. Wonderful. Someone new to meet and impress. Someone who might actually pay him attention...
...or be dying.
"Uh...hi there," he tried, looking around nervously in case there were parents. Parents could be unreasonably protective of their young...unless they had fourteen other pups. Then sometimes they didn't seem to care as much. And this cub... "I think your tummy has a bigger growl than mine," the young dog teased playfully, sniffing at the little cub. He didn't smell like lots of other lions. Just like one, lonely, little thing. Hey, maybe he could be company! Aandag could use a little fan to follow him around...
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:26 pm
Oh no! the small pup thought to himself. Someone wants to talk to me. What could he want? What if I can't help him? His eyes stared at the dirt. "Oh ... H-hi there ..." Callick's voice shook. What did this wild dog want with him? He seemed nice enough, but people usually didn't talk to Callick. He was used to being ignored and made fun of. He preferred the former.
"M-my tummy?" Callick looked at his stomach. "Y-you heard that? I hope I didn't disturb you. I-I just haven't eaten in a while." He looked up at the black, brown, and white dog. Oh no, I hoped he didn't think I was asking for something. I really don't want to bother him. Callick's eyes fell to the ground again.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:30 pm
Nervous little guy wasn't he? Aandag frowned slightly, his ears laying back just a bit at the way the other wouldn't look at him. He wasn't scary looking! Why wouldn't the cub look at him? He deserved to be looked at, with admiration no less!
"Pfft, like a little guy like you would bother me," the young dog rolled his eyes before his gaze landed on the small herd of antelope. Hello idea. "Maybe you could help me out a bit, eh little guy?" he said teasingly. "It sounds like we could both use a meal...what do you say? Promise it won't be hard." He knew better than to make a cub hunt, but he could let the cub help. A little roar would do nicely to scare the antelope, and he could catch one as they ran past. Easy as winking, and then both of their stomachs would cease to be growling...
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:50 pm
"A meal?" Callick's ears perked up. "A meal?" he asked again. He hadn't eaten in who-knows-how-long, and this dog was going to get him a whole meal? "W-wow? ... really?" Callick continued to question. He had never gotten so much charity before. He's survived on scraps, plants, and bugs for as long as he could remember. "Th-that would be ... a-amazing."
Wait. Not too hard? Callick would have to help? That's ... great. if he didn't, he'd feel like a parasite or a mooch of some kind. Beside, some hunting or gathering tips would be fantastic, and, lets face it, save his life. "W-what would you want me to do? D-do I have to ... k-kill anything?"
"A-and why would you want ME to help you? I can't even catch ... or hold onto a little rodent."
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:56 pm
"Aw, nothing like that," Aandag soothed, though he wasn't sure what he was going to do with a lion cub that didn't want to kill anything...well. Maybe he just didn't think he could. Which was probably accurate. A zebra could kick the little guy's skull in if he wasn't careful after all. But he'd grow into it, surely. "All you gotta do is sneak up really quiet-like, and then give a great big roar to scare off all of those preybeasts so they go and run. I'll take care of the rest." That shouldn't be too intimidating, right? Unless... "And don't worry, your tummy can probably growl enough if you don't think your voice is big enough yet," Aandag added in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Well? Think we can pull it off?" the dog asked, dropping down into a play bow as his plumed tail waved in the air above him. This was going to be easy. And then he'd have food and a new friend to share it with. Better and better.
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:51 am
"Preybeasts?" Callick repeated. "Roar? I-I ... um ... well, I never learned how to roar." He looked over at the beasts. They were bigger than what Callick was used to 'confronting.' Why didn't Callick learn, when everyone else seemed to know how? Who was suppose to teach him? He's been alone all his life, no one taught him anything, except maybe how dangerous the world is. At least this person wasn't mean. Most were. Maybe those older lions Callick often saw cubs with taught them. What were they called? Parents? Relatives? Moms and Dads? It didn't really matter, none of those words meant anything to the young Callick.
Callick lifted his heavy head up to look at the wild canine. "I-I mean ... I could try, if you want ... I probably won't do good." His piercing blue eyes looked into the dog's. "But I'll try ... "
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:36 am
He really was a quiet little cub, wasn't he? Aandag tipped his head, eying the grey lion with mild curiosity. Maybe the poor thing was just used to being alone. Terrible fate that.
"Aw, don't worry. All you have to do is startle them somehow. Just make some noise, flail around, whatever. I'll take care of the rest," the young dog assured the little lion. The cub was apparently parentless, or neglected by said parents, and he looked like he could use a bit to eat. Not that Aandag wasn't hungry too. But it was easier with a partner.
"I'll head off now, you just mind you make them run off in this direction. So slip your little self around that way, and we'll just see how it unfolds." He gestured in the directions, watching the cub to make sure he seemed to understand before he would head off to get into position. Food soon...
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:31 am
Callick nodded hesitantly, watching the prey beasts. "Okay ... " he paused a moment, "It doesn't sound too hard." Could he really scare a bunch of animals? Could he do what this dog wanted him to do? Fear was an obvious emotion, but excitement also raced through Callick's mind. "So just sneak over, and make a bunch of noise, and make the beasts run over here, right?" Callick clarified.
He moved in a far right from the herd, and after moving past the herd, he headed for the group of large animals. He attempted complete silence to the best of his mediocre ability. The occasional trip, the badly timed cough. Just failure. The prey beasts hadn't moved yet. Callick approached slowly before yelling,
"BOOO!!!" No moving. "OOGA BOOGA!! ... HEY!!!! ... RUN!!! ... FIRE!!!" No avail. He lowered his head, lifting his body with his hind legs. "groooooar!!!!" And still nothing. He thought a moment. How could he move them. He approached a bit closer, waiting. "Growl!! Rawr!!! MOVE!!!!" Callick moved through the herd, heading back to his new friend, head down in shame.
He approached where the dog had been ... he wasn't there. Callick sighed. "He abandoned me?" he whispered. "Why? I was helping, wasn't I? I tried so hard." He lie on the ground, tears in his eyes. "I'm alone ... again."
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:45 am
Aandag watched as the little cub slipped off, dropping into a slink as the grey lion vanished around the herd. Perfect. This was going to be easier than he'd thought... Now all he had to do was move enough that he wouldn't be trampled and wait for dinner to come to him. Body low to the ground, tail tucked along his legs to keep it still, the young dog waited with ears laid back against his skull.
He could still hear though. And...nothing seemed to be happening. He could...sort of...hear a little cub. Just a little. Well, it certainly seemed he was trying...but not that successfully. Poor little guy. Well, maybe this would work out after all. If they weren't reacting to a little lion wandering around them, then he could probably sneak his way in...
Abandoning his original plan, the splotchy dog slipped through the grasses towards the gazelle. He was much quieter than the cub had been, and if they weren't noticing him then the dog was all set... Just a little closer...a little closer... The cub was quiet now, but that hardly registered. Aandag was so close he could practically taste it...
With a sharp bark of excitment, not the most subtle approach, he sprang at a preybeast with a crooked leg. Chaos was instant, and he felt a kick in his gut that almost sent him flying save for the fact that his teeth were locked in the gazelle's throat. He hit the dirt, but so did dinner, kicking weakly for a moment before stilling. Coughing, he lifted his head, then yelped as his tail was stepped upon. Ow, ow, owowowow... shoot!
The dog bolted, leaving his food behind as it wasn't going anywhere to avoid the rest of the herd before he wound up crushed. And where was the cub???
"Kid! Hey kid!" he barked, twisting around as he tried to get a glimpse of gray. Where'd he go?
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:01 pm
The cub heard commotion coming from behind him. It sounded big, really big. At least big enough to squish little old Callick. He jumped to his feet, spinning around. He could see something, it looked like the splotchy dog, but he was on the ground, and so was one of the prey beasts. He ran over as soon as the crowd had moved off, waiting until anything moving had left.
He ran over to where the dog had been lying. "Hey! ... Hey!" Callick yelled through the clearing dust. "Wild dog!" He couldn't see, the dust getting in his piercing blue eyes anytime he opened them. He stopped where he was, "I'm here, please be okay!"
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:08 pm
Aandag shook himself vigorously, stretching slightly before limping a few steps, coughing briefly. Well that hadn't been the best idea he ever had. But it seemed to have worked...so long as the kid hadn't gotten trampled. He didn't hear any moan, or terrified screams. He supposed there was nothing to do but to wait then. When the dust cleared he'd figure out what had happened.
It took a while, and he occupied himself licking his sore spots. Being stepped on was not fun. Not at all. But the prospect of food on the other hand...that seemed like a good thing. It was worth it...
"There you are!" Aandag said finally, catching a glimpse of the little cub. Somewhat stiffly, the splotchy dog made his way over to investigate the little lion, sniffing him attentively before giving the fluff that might someday become a mane a quick lick. "Thought you might've gotten stepped on little guy." And wouldn't he have felt guilty. "C'mon, lets go eat," the dog proclaimed brightly, his sore tail wagging nonetheless as he turned to limp his way back over to dinner. He was hungry after all...
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:22 pm
Callick his head, dust seeping in his nostrils. Sneezing he spotted the wild dog standing. He was alive!! "Hey!! You're alive!" Callick ran up to him. "Wow, I thought you were hurt, thank goodness!" Wow, this dog is really good, not too many people could do what he did. Callick was in on the plan and didn't notice him go. Really good.
He looked over at the dead animal, "Uhh ... is it okay to kill them ... they ARE living, right?" He glanced at the bloody corpse. "But thank you ... uh ... what's your name?" Come to think of it, Callick never learned his name. Some friend Callick was. "Sorry."
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