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 Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:56 pm
Safi: Safi was practicing the new dance she had been working on. Her papa had found a new song, one she couldn't deny dancing to. She spun and hopped from one foot to another, all the while her little Altai watching excitedly. She always liked it when her mommy danced. Her jewelry always made such a lovely tinkling sound. Gremio: There were rumors that he never actually slept. He was first to rise and last to curl up in his den. Every sunrise, he would go from one den to the next, insuring that everyone was down for the night, the cubs were sound asleep, and the perimeter was secure. An hour before sunset, he was up and hunting so come sun up, dinner was laid out and ready to go. He slept near the mouth of the cave, one ear always up for danger. So when the dancer began her routene, he was up and ready for a fight. Stepping out, the veteran relaxed at the sight. The slender, youthful form of Safi dancing in the full light of the sun. Safi: Safi ended with a flourish, her tail flicking out and tossing her mane back, blue eyes catching green as she did so. Altai was already hopping up and down, clapping her wings together. Well, it wasn't really a clap, but Safi understood the little twittering gibberish as praise. It wasn't that Altai wasn't old enough to start talking, she did talk. But when she was excited, all that came out were twitters. "Oh, hi Gremio," Safi said, moving out of the pose and into a sitting position. She felt her cheeks heat a bit as she tried her best to not be too noticeable as she smoothed a paw at her mane, trying to put it back into order after the toss. "Did you sleep well?"  Gremio: "You move with confidence." He chuckled, his tail flicking gently behind him. "You shouldn't stop on my account. I should be getting an-" His mouth parted in a long, loud yawn. "Anyway... I need to be going on a hunt soon. Everyone will be on in a few hours. No doubt they'll be hungry." A pair of wings clapped from above, introducing Shoka prior to his arrival. Gremio lifted a paw and rolled a shoulder, allowing his avian to land. "Well enough, yes." Safi: "Oh, that was the end," Safi replied, listening as Gremio continued and then his falcon flew down to join them. Altai took that opportunity to flutter up to land amid Safi's mane. Safi thought for a moment, he had to go hunt, she couldn't keep him around chatting... But she did want to spend some more time with Gremio. "Sweetie, why don't you go wake up grandpa?" she asked, doing her best to glance up at the young bird. She received a small okay and the little falcon fluttered off, back to their family's den. "Might I... come with, or walk with you for a while?" It was a silly request, but it was said and there was no taking it back. Gremio: "I could do with some company." He jerked his chin towards the boarder. With the subtle signal, Shoka launched from his shoulder and went on ahead. Between the two of them, they had a decent success rate, though it meant the kills were smaller and he needed to hunt more frequently. "You're up early." Safi: Glad that he didn't mind the company, this might even be a good opportunity for her to learn some hunting tricks. She knew how, but she wasn't very good at it. She could survive, she could even support Altai and her papa, though it was much easier when her papa helped. But she certainly could not hunt well enough to support more than that. "Oh, well, I suppose I just woke up. Sometimes I get up early, sometimes with everyone else. It just seems to happen," she replied with a smile as they headed after Shoka. "You're always up early, aren't you?" Gremio: Gremio began loping after Shoka, a brisk but easy pace. The falcon was circling, keeping his companion in sight while scanning the surrounding territory for game. For the moment, it seemed the game had traveled away from the troupe's territory. Perhaps closer to the watering hole or the shade of the trees. He nodded, smiling softly. "Yes... I want to insure that everyone has enough in their bellies at the beginning of the day. Hungry cubs need to eat well to grow strong, and young warriors need their strength to maintain their health."
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:19 pm
Safi:
Safi had gotten different jewelry as she had gotten older, much quieter jewelry. It still made a bit of sound, but she didn't wear anything but her earrings when she wasn't dancing for the rest of the group, so she wouldn't make the hunt any more difficult. She kept her ears, nose, and eyes alert for any sign of a preybeast.
Safi couldn't help but smile.
"That's very true. We're really lucky to have someone as responsible as you around." It was true, absolutely. She was thankful to have the others, too, they were all very helpful in maintaining the well-being of the group, everyone had a role. Safi spent a lot of time taking care of the cubs, her father, despite his push-over attitude, was often out hunting or patrolling. He would say that time alone like that would help him find new stories and songs.
Gremio:
"There would be some arguments against that." He rolled his eyes in good humor. "Master Tir would say that I'm a bit over-bearing at times. I've been accused several times of being the mother hen of this group."
And a few other names... certainly Viktor would have a thing or two to say about his continuing behavior- but at least Safi saw that he was at least meaning well.
"Your troupe seems content here. Performers and musicians? Some of our best friends were traveling performers. The stories you must have."
Safi:
" Well, you are a bit. I think you worry a bit too much. I mean, Tir's young, but he's still grown up," she paused there to look at him, shrugging a bit. What could she tell him, really?
"Just try not to fuss so much, I suppose."
She considered his words for a moment, nodding after the thought.
"I like it here. Oh, not here-here, though this area isn't bad, I'm just used to moving around. But I love it with the group. When I was little, our family was larger. Then it was just Papa and me. It feels right to be back among so many," she replied with another nod. What more could she really say about it? This was home.
Gremio:
He'd heard it all before, several times from several sources in the past. Perhaps he did fuss too much, but as much as Tir was an adult now- he was still young. He had won a war but he still thought with his heart more than his head.
"I try to think of myself as... a guiding hand if anything. Master Tir lost his mother when he was very young, and his father... he was a good man but he was blinded by his loyalty to a corrupted king. Over the years, Tir has had to bury many of his companions... he nearly had to bury me. He carries a heavy burden."
He nodded his agreement. "I admit, we are not exactly used to a stationary life either. For so long we wandered the land, one battle after the next."
Safi:
Safi's face grew sad as Gremio spoke. She could tell that there was not much age between them and yet he was so much older than she was. She had lived a charmed life in comparison, even with her troubles. She had lost her brothers and sisters to their own wanderings, had to help her father pick up the pieces of their lives after her mother left them, watched friends fade into the shadows of time. She'd met males who frightened her, knew part of what had happened to her mother before her parents had met, knew why her aunt was afraid of storms and followed her cousins around worse than Gremio fretting after Tir. And yet none of that compared to the trials Gremio and Tir and their friends had gone through.
"There's nothing wrong with being a guide, with trying to help. But I'm sure he worries sometimes that you'll hurt yourself with all your fretting," she explained, her voice taking on a soft quality. She worried about that, too.
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:56 pm
Gremio:
It was too late for that, but he'd not bother her with such things. It was in the past, forgiven and forgotten. Tir had been young and gullable, even as a young man fresh out of his teenaged years.
"Well we're settled now. There's others about that can keep him and his young pupils safe. So my fretting can be devoted to keeping the cubs out of trouble and hungry bellies full."
Safi:
Safi let out a little snort of laughter.
"It doesn't have to be fretting, you know," she replied, nudging her shoulder against Gremio's. Then again, those cubs did need several pairs of eyes on them to keep them out of trouble, so it was probably a good thing that Gremio knew to look after them. Despite their rambunctious ways, Safi adored Taban's cubs. They were fun to watch, she didn't mind playing with them, and at least a few of them loved the stories she and her father could tell.
"Even though they're a pawful, I'll be sad when they're all grown up," she added with another small laugh.
Gremio:
"I caught Riou and Jowy peeking out of their cave when you were dancing a few mornings back." He glanced over, his expression hardening slightly. "Those two boys, with their abilities, have gotten in more trouble. Poor Leknaat was yelling at a tree for a full hour before she realized it. Apparently Jowy had tugged on her ears."
He couldn't help but snort at that. "...Tir used to do that when he was a cub. I'd be preparing a kill and this little mouth would tug at my tail or ears." And tickle his sides- but that part he'd leave out. The fewer individuals that knew he was tickelish, the better.
"Hopefully, they'll remain within the troupe."
Safi:
Safi coughed a bit, dipping her head to hide her smile. Safi didn't really mind an audience. Well, she did mind it a bit when she was practicing, or working on a new dance. It wouldn't be in its full glory and she would make mistakes. And besides, if they watcher her while she practiced, then they would already know the dance when she actually performed it.
"I'll remember to be more careful when actually working on a surprise," she replied, glancing back upwards. Poor Leknaat, indeed. She needed someone to be her eyes.
"I hope they will, too, it's really hard to watch others leave, especially since there's no guarantee you'll cross paths with them again. Before my father and I returned to the main troupe, we were part of the troupe, but traveled separately, with our family and a few friends. I have four brothers and sisters who I haven't seen since they left. It's just Papa and me, now," she explained, trying to keep the sadness from her voice. It was difficult, though. She missed her family, but knew they were probably happier wherever they were.
Gremio:
"And do let me know if they do it again. I'll have a sharp word for them both. They need to be concentrating on their studies and getting plenty of rest." He shook his head. What to do with those two... he'd caught them trying to slip out of Feng's training lesson for the day, he'd caught Jowy covering Riou's escape from one of Lucia's tests... what trouble.
"After the war, everyone went their seperate ways. It's...difficult to say good-bye. I like to think that one day we'll all see eachother again." He had a glympse into the forever lands... but he'd been leery of mentioning it to anyone away from Tir. It had been haunting but at the same time comforting. It wasn't all that bad on the other side...
"Seems Shoka's speeding up. Do you stalk or are you an ambush hunter?"
Safi:
"I will, I promise," Safi replied with that little laugh of hers. But then again, cubs needed time for play just as much as they needed rest and lessons. Sometimes she'd tell, other times she'd make a game into a lesson.
"I can only think of one time that I crossed paths with someone more than once... It didn't turn out as well as I had hoped." The male had become cold and frightening. She didn't like to remember that.
She looked up to the sky.
"When I hunt alone, I stalk, but when Papa and I are hunting together, I herd it to him, and he takes it down." She was, of course, referring to larger game with the second part.
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:45 pm
Gremio:
"Ah...well you let me know if that happens again. I may not look like much, but I can certainly hold my own in combat. I won't have a member of this troupe falling under hostility." A flare of the old warrior came to life in his patient green eyes and for a moment, the docile 'nanny' had become a proud combatant once more.
"Good... If you herd the prey my way, I can handle myself." A dancer's grace would do well in such a hunt. His own fortitude made him an able hunter when it came to bringing down the prey, but stalking and ambushing were a little more difficult.
Safi:
Gremio was so chivalrous. It warmed her to know she was back among those who would look after her if she was ever in trouble. And for a moment, she was actually scared of light in his eyes. No... she wasn't scared, she was comforted. Patient and fretful as he was, she could see that he was strong and a fighter. She was safe here, this was her family.
"Gotcha," she said and broke away from him, keeping low in the grass as she glanced up to find Shoka in the sky.
It was gazelle, a small herd, but a herd nonetheless. She picked one out, it was large, but also very gray-furred, old and slower than its fellows. Ears back, she stalked closer and closer... and then sprang out of the grass, sending the herd scattering. She followed the old one, snapping at its legs, dodging from one side to the other to get it in the direction she wanted to push it in. That was the advantage of being half cheetah, half lion. She was faster than a lion and stronger with more stamina than a cheetah.
She kept up with it well enough, pushing it straight towards Gremio.
Gremio:
Gremio had trailed along until a suitable ambush point had been located. In his case, a nice outcropping of rock just downwind of the herd. Shoka circled in the sky, then broke out into a swift dive his way. The gazelle was on its way.
A shrill cry from above signaled the prey's approach. In a silent leap and a flash of blonde and tan, the gazelle was floored, crying out as a powerful pair of jaws clamped down on its back. It struggled helplessly, hooves kicking at the air as life slowly bled out of its throat onto the dusty ground.
Safi:
Safi ran herself down when Gremio leapt out at the gazelle, dodging around and gradually slowing down as Gremio dispatched the prey. She walked back, huffing slightly, though her ears were pricked forward and she had an energized light in her eyes. It had been a while since she had been on a hunt like this one. Usually she was just hunting by herself. She forgot how much more of an adrenaline rush it was to just chase the prey to her comrade.
"Did I... pick... a good... one?" she asked between breaths, eyebrows raised slightly.
Gremio:
Gremio released the gazelle's neck only after the creature stopped panting and fell loose in his mouth. He sat himself upright and wiped his now bloody maw on the back of his paw. He'd have to clean himself up later on.
"Oh yes." He offered her a wide smile, noting her exhaustion. "And we can catch our breath. Let me know when you're ready."
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:24 pm
Safi:
Safi grinned at the praise and flopped down into a sitting position, taking slow, deep breaths to get her breathing and heartbeat back under control. She gave him a small nod, closing her eyes to relax herself. It didn't take terribly long, just a few moments.
"Okay, I'm ready," she finally said, standing back up and walked the last few paces over to Gremio and the kill. Now... how did they want to do this?
Gremio:
The veteran waited patiently, allowing his own breathing to slow to a steady pace once more. He didn't exhert nearly as much energy, but struggling down a squirming, crying prey beast was no small chore.
As Safi rose to a stand so did he, and rather than allow her to offer her services in taking the kill, he lowered his head and lifted the gazelle. With a smile around the creature's neck, he nodded her forward.
Safi:
"Wait, you're not wanting to drag it all by yourself, are you?" Well, if he was... it would certainly be showing off. But she didn't want him to exert himself or anything, not when she was here and could help. Besides, she didn't want him to think she wasn't helpful, either, was just some female who would let the males around her do all the heavy lifting. She wanted to... to be useful.
If that wasn't some kind of revelation, she didn't know what was. A quick thought back showed how she had been trying to be more of an asset to the troupe, mostly helping watch the cubs, hunting on her own to bring more food to the "family," little things like that. Before, she had thought she was useful being an entertainer and a huntress, but lately it just hadn't seemed enough. Maybe Gremio's sense of responsibility was rubbing off on her.
Or maybe, now that she was among more adults and more cubs, something in her was telling her it was just time to finish growing up.
Gremio:
The lion walked a few more paces before laying the kill back down to the ground. Licking his chops before turning to speak to her, he smiled once more. "I couldn't ask a lady to drag back a kill. Besides, I need a way to keep this aging body in shape."
He waved a paw for her to continue on. "Lead on. I'll be fine, I do this every morning."
Safi:
The look Safi gave Gremio was somewhere between amused and rolling her eyes.
"You are quite the gentleman," she replied, her tone teasing as she turned with a shake of her head and started walking back towards the dens. Oh, there were other things she wanted to say, like how she didn't think he was aging or anywhere near being out of shape or that even if he did do this every morning, there was nothing wrong with using help when it was there.
But then, he was being chivalrous and she figured arguing would get them nowhere. If he wanted to do it himself, she wasn't going to try and force him to do otherwise.
Gremio:
It was a long walk back, sadly. Gremio was panting by the time they broke over the hilltop leading into the troupe's camp. He dropped the kill and settled himself down for a short rest. He'd clean the kill, seperating the best cuts for the youngsters and the tougher cuts for the adults.
"Thank you...again for your assistance."
Safi:
There were so many times in the trip back that Safi wanted to ask Gremio if he was sure that he didn't need any help. But at that point she decided it wouldn't matter. He'd told her he was fine, why should she pester him about it?
He flopped down when they finally made it back to camp, she padded over and sat down beside him as he thanked her for helping.
"It was my pleasure, I like to help where I can," she said and brushed her nose lightly against his ear.
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:29 pm
Gremio:
It was a long walk back, sadly. Gremio was panting by the time they broke over the hilltop leading into the troupe's camp. He dropped the kill and settled himself down for a short rest. He'd clean the kill, seperating the best cuts for the youngsters and the tougher cuts for the adults.
"Thank you...again for your assistance."
Safi:
There were so many times in the trip back that Safi wanted to ask Gremio if he was sure that he didn't need any help. But at that point she decided it wouldn't matter. He'd told her he was fine, why should she pester him about it?
He flopped down when they finally made it back to camp, she padded over and sat down beside him as he thanked her for helping.
"It was my pleasure, I like to help where I can," she said and brushed her nose lightly against his ear.
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