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 Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 3:44 pm
Ng'arange was feeling pleased with herself after a successful hunt by herself. It had been a struggle, especially where she had been ambitious enough to target a wildebeest by herself. It wasn't the biggest or the healthiest but she didn't let that detract from her good mood- it had put up quite the fight, getting in a good kick to her shoulder that nearly let it escape. Now, as the adrenaline was wearing off, the lioness could feel the pain in her leg properly, combined with fatigue after the great effort, she was ready to just enjoy her meal. Nose down, she was oblivious to her surroundings. Had the hunt lead her to any other place, Ng'arange might have been able to enjoy her meal in peace but a desperate purple vulture was lurking nearby, having spotted the chase and positioned herself where she might watch. She'd seen the kick and knew Ng'arange was tired out and probably hurt- a perfect target for a hungry vulture who couldn't find another meal. Normally, Lila wouldn't have bothered attacking anybody and waited for an easy meal but.. how hard could it be to fight off one tired lioness?
Pushing herself off the ground, she flew only as high as was necessary to get good momentum as she dove down at the lioness. It wasn't very graceful and relied more on her size than actual hunting ability, looking almost like she was falling. Completely focused on what she was doing, Ng'arange was an easy target. Lila was far enough away that she made no obvious movements in the lioness's peripheral vision but it was hard not to notice when the large bird suddenly bowled into her, pushing her weight onto her bad side and knocking her over. All she had time to do was clumsily reach out at her colorful, feathery attacker, snarling. Somehow, Lila managed to keep herself from tumbling over with the lioness, pushing off Ng'arange just in time to stay in control of her own movements-- until a flailing paw struck her. She let out a screech, lifting up her talons and striking back as she headed for the ground. Wings out, she was ready to right herself and fight for the food. Claws extended, she could feel the feathers before she really saw what she was aiming for-- and the talons that struck back at her earned another growl as she retracted her paw and struggled to get up to her feet. Her heart was pounding, she wasn't ready for another fight -- but she had worked so hard to get this meal for herself! Though hungry and obviously desperate, Lila was healthy and more energetic than the tired out lioness. She hit the ground and was back on her feet almost immediately. She didn't have speed but her talons and beak were sharp and strong. With another cry and one strong leap in the air, she was lunging talons-first at the lioness. If she could just get the lioness a little farther away from the fallen beast, Lila would be free to claim it for herself.
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 9:35 pm
His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of all out battle. Alarmed but cautious, he crept closer, unwilling to charge in like he had when freshly beyond the pride's borders. He gave a faint smile as he remembered his lesson in being cautious from the leopardess. He crept through the foliage, keeping low to blend in better. Slowly he raised his head, eyes wide to catch as many details as possible.
What he saw was eerily familiar, but this time entirely different. There was desperation on both sides of the battle, but he knew immediately which side he'd throw himself in with. With a bellowing roar, he flung his large frame out of the brush and into the fray. He didn't have time to present an offense first, just barely enough time to get to the point of contact as it happened, if he was lucky. So in those few slowed heartbeats as his paws flew across the intervening space, he made a choice on how to handle it.
He tried to be gentle, but he was forced to shoulder the lioness aside so that he could duck between her and the outstretched talons. He should have turned his head away from the vulture, letting his thickly growing mane take a good deal of the impact. He didn't, however, too caught up in the heat of battle roaring through his veins, the drive to protect the lioness too powerful to deny. Instead, as he slid into place between bird and feline, he roared his defiance, facing the talons with ears pinned and fangs flashing.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 4:06 pm
Stubborn and unwilling to give up her meal, Ng'arange only put herself into more danger as she clumsily tried to position herself to fight back- completely unaware of what was about to happen to her. She gasped as she was suddenly shoved aside by something much larger and stronger than the vulture, unable to keep her footing, she hit the ground. She looked up with wide, dark eyes just in time to see what happened next.
Lila barely had time to register the roar and the flash of gold that forced its way between her and her target, it cost her a second as she hesitated but ultimately landed her attack, though not nearly as forcefully as she originally intended. With a screech to counter the roar, she grasped at his muzzle with her sharp talons. She couldn't give up yet!
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 9:37 am
Before he could adjust his balance to bring up even one of his paws, the out-stretched talons connected with his muzzle. Because his mouth was gaping open, the vulture's strike not only raked across his nose and cheek, but one sharp point curled under, circumventing teeth to tear into the roof of his mouth before pulling back, catching on his teeth before he was released from the grip. Tasting blood only made his battle-fury stronger, losing all sense of anything but his enemy. He tried to snap his jaws shut on some part of the bird as he pivoted on his hind paws, letting his hind end swing wide with his momentum.
Thus at a stop finally, he roared again, rearing up on his hind paws to raise both front in an attack of his own. Things moved in slow motion to his frenzied brain, his whole being hinging on either killing or driving away this feathered foe. He swiped the air with first one, then the other paw, so that to dodge one was to be at risk of the other. He was pulling no punches, for his claws were fully unsheathed and slicing through the air with deadly force. Feathers were likely to blunt some of the damage, but there still was the force of his large paws to consider as well. It likely was to the bird's favor that she was in the air, or she'd have been dead within moments.
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 10:08 am
All desire to stay near her hunt was forgotten as she stared up at the lion who had come to her rescue. She scrambled backward as best she could before pushing herself up to her shaky feet. Ng'arange couldn't see his face but she knew something happened-- and when he swung around she caught a glimpse, though everything was happening very fast.
Scrambling to keep a hold on something, her foot got caught in his jaw and she let out a shriek. Her wings flapped frantically as she realized how much danger she was in now that someone had intervened-- barely had she freed her leg before she was struck with a heavy, claw-filled paw. She made no effort to stay where she was now, she would be dead if she played at this game any longer. Once she was thrown to the side she turned herself and flapped away. It was lucky her wings had not been hit, had she not been in flight already she probably would have been grounded at the least.
With an mangled foot and wounded body, she made her escape. Now Lila would have to hope an easy meal presented itself or she was in serious danger.
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 10:17 am
He wasn't aware he'd caught the vulture's foot, but the scattering of feathers and the satisfying thud of paw meeting airborne body told him he'd scored a hit. He missed with the other paw, but the damage had been done. The bird struggled to right itself mid-air before turning tail and fleeing. Faraji came back down heavily onto all fours and stood there for a few long moments, panting heavily. Blood trickled from his torn nose and cheek, and his tongue was coated in the metallic taste of his own blood.
His battle-readiness faded swifter than he could haul breath into his lungs, and very soon his head sagged, strength leaving his young body as quickly as it had come. This was not something he'd experienced before. It was totally unlike hunting, which was exhilarating and left him feeling good. No, this was entirely different. He'd never had to fight for his or anyone else's life or food before. Perhaps it was because his enemy had escaped, but he was left feeling only exhausted and shaken, even though the encounter had been brief.
But as his breath eased and his blood cooled, sense returned as well. He turned abruptly, remembering he'd been protecting someone and their... no, her kill. His eyes widened as he realized he didn't even know if she was alright. "Are you okay?" he asked, voice a bit thick due to not wanting to touch the roof of his mouth just yet. Let it bleed a little, then he'd explore it later to see what damage had been done. He was still mostly unaware of his injuries, the last vestiges of blood-rage still holding the pain at bay.
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 10:34 pm
Ng'arange knew the vulture was flying away, she didn't bother watching her go- instead, she stared wide-eyed at the lion who had intervened on her behalf. She could see he'd been hurt and felt a rush of guilt mixed with appreciation that kept her speechless until he turned and addressed her.
"I- I'm OK," she said, "Thank you for helping me."
Her eyes moved to the bleeding marks on his muzzle, glancing back up looking concerned. She couldn't spit out the question in return. She was impressed and grateful, he was still standing and the injuries weren't grave.. but they could get worse and they were because of her.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:29 pm
With the relief at hearing she was unharmed, a lot of his strength seemed to seep out of him entirely. He half-collapsed where he stood, folding his legs under him and almost sitting down rather than falling. He heaved a great, deep breath that ruffled his growing forelock, then gingerly licked his jowls. He couldnt' help wincing as tongue met deep scratches not only along his lip, but across his nose and up beyond where his tongue could reach. What he wanted most to do was to begin grooming it with the side of his paw, but likely that would only get dirt into it. Head beginning to hang, he gave the female a slightly lopsided smile, as half his lip burned if he moved it.
"Sorry that I knocked you down, miss," he said in quiet sincerity. "I didn't want you to be hurt, but then I was afraid I'd hurt you myself." It was another case of not knowing his own strength quite as well as he thought he did. What he had meant as a nudge had turned into a hard shove. He made a mental note to take more care when handling females in the future. "Are you sure you aren't hurt?"
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:45 pm
Wincing when the male collapsed into a sitting position, she eventually followed him and sat herself down shakily. She really needed it- just like she needed to eat, but the fresh bout of adrenaline and the company of a stranger delayed her appetite.
"No worse than before," she murmured, managing a small, shy smile in return. Her shoulder had already been bothering her, she wouldn't blame him for that.
"I'm Ng'arange," she introduced herself, inching a bit closer, "Are you ok..?"
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 8:06 pm
He frowned faintly at her words. No worse than before? Did that mean she was already hurt? Concern rose, but it was a fuzzy, unfocused thing in comparison to the fire that was steadily growing on his muzzle and in his mouth. He tongued at the gash in his mouth finally, tasting the salty flavor of his own blood. The odd observation of how funny it was that his own blood tasted differently than that of prey crossed his mind fleetingly, but faded as she introduced herself.
He attempted to gather his wits about himself as he replied to her introduction. "I'm Faraji, miss. I'm glad I could be here for you." It wasn't exactly the best circumstances to meet anyone under, but there it was. Her next question caught him a little off-guard, though. His eyes defocused as he tried to take stock of himself. "I think so," he hazarded. "Nothing time won't fix, and nothing serious." He licked his nose again and flinched once more, still tasting fresh blood. "Though it hurts," he admitted sheepishly, regaining a bit of his normal boyish charm. With his family, it wasn't anathema for a male to admit to vulnerability. He still hadn't quite learned that it was best to hide such vulnerabilities out in the roguelands, despite the lecture the leopardess had given him.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 8:20 pm
She winced against watching him assess the damage done to him during the fight and verbalize it. It didn't bother her that he admitted that he was hurt, he really could have said nothing wrong unless he started whining about it. He was obviously hurt, commenting was nothing and denying it wouldn't have been much a surprise from what Ng'arange had experienced in passing.
"I- I'm sorry-" Ng'arange stopped herself, not wanting to bumble around saying the same things over again. She didn't want to make that kind of impression.
"Faraji," she said, raising her voice to a more natural tone, smiling at him, "Thank you."
She glanced to the preybeast that had sparked the conflict and then back to him.
"Are you hungry?" she asked. It was all she really had to offer as thanks-- though thinking about it, it might not be that easy to eat with your mouth all torn up. But then, this was still fresh and clean. She didn't know much about healing, but that seemed like it would be better than something rotten.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 8:45 pm
He was touched that she offered some of her hard-won prey to him. Now that she mentioned it, he realized that this weakness he was feeling pulling at his limbs was indeed much like the weariness that sucked down any hunter that waited too long after the kill to eat. Eating, much as it might make his face uncomfortable, might resolve at least one of his problems currently.
As if triggered by this realization, his stomach rumbled very loudly, a mocking mimic of his earlier challenging roar. The uninjured side of his mouth tugged up into an amused smile that soon broke into good-natured laughter. "Ah, even if I wished to refuse, it seems my belly has betrayed me," he chuckled wryly. "I would be most honored if you'd allow me to share your meal, my lady," he said genuinely, rising to stand and give her a deep, if slightly wobbly bow.
He moved to the carcass, gentlemanly leaving the best parts for her to feast upon. He sank his teeth into shoulder muscle and ripped off several bites, swallowing quickly past the pain in the roof of his mouth. The hide scraped terribly, but the warm flesh didn't cause as much sharp pain. Saliva flooded his mouth, and seemed to numb the injury there. He carefully licked his jaws clean before speaking again. "Are you out here by yourself, miss?" he asked with some concern. A lone female could potentially be a vulnerable target, whether to a pack of hyenas or a ill-minded male.
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:59 pm
She couldn't help but glance down to his middle when his stomach rumbled, looking back up to him with a small smile and a gleam in her eyes. He was right to say it'd be hard to refuse now, she might not really be able to force him but she might insist.
"I'd be happy to share," she answered sincerely. Limping the few steps over to the beast after him, she took a seat, taking the weight off her injured leg and took several bites herself.
Ng'arange glanced up when he spoke, lifting her head and licking her lips before speaking.
"I am," she admitted, "I'm not normally this bad at it, though."
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 4:08 pm
He considered her limping gait with rising worry, which only redoubled upon her admission of being alone. That heart-felt concern was clear in his eyes and he stopped eating altogether. "Are you injured, lady?" he asked, disregarding his own injuries and rising to move closer to her. "May I see?"
Alone and injured? She was in great danger, or so Faraji felt. This was the exact sort of thing is father and mother had taught him was his responsibility to look after a female in. It was not meant to besmirch her capability, but her vulnerability and weakness in this setting set off all sorts of alarms in Faraji's tender heart and caring mind.
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 4:15 pm
"Oh, it's fine," she murmured, surprised by the sudden change in subject- though she knew it wasn't really that big of a change, this was part of what she had meant in saying she was normally better at being a rogue. It would have been fine if the fight with the vulture hadn't happened.
"I was kicked when I brought the beast down," she said, leaning over to show him a dusty shoulder, though there was no visible injury on the outside, "It'd be better if the bird hadn't been pushing me around but it's not that bad."
Truthfully, it could be far worse- and it probably would have been if Faraji had not appeared.
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