Welcome to Gaia! ::

Breakfast was exactly what Lani had in mind for herself this early morning. She’d already stretched, groomed her fur, and started off through the savannah as the first rays of sunlight touched the grass. Early to rise, early to bed. She certainly wasn’t nocturnal, like a great many other species of the plains. No, Lani liked to get herself a head start on things, to warm her fur as she stalked the scrublands.

Being a lone dog, she didn’t have much chance of bringing down large prey like antelopes or wildebeest. Instead she’d been satisfying herself with whatever rodents she could find, occasionally peppering her diet with carrion. Vultures weren’t any fun to deal with though, and she was hungry.

Lani paused and lifted her snout to the air, sniffing great whiffs of the breeze. Nothing of interest anywhere close except… Something but e watering hole. Her dark ears flicked forward and she sauntered off in its direction, keeping her nose to the wind. Her bushy tail flicked nervously behind her as she approached what… what…

“A lion!” Not often had she run into them, and for good reason, too. They were so very large after all. She appreciate the leftovers they tossed around the savannah, but other than that, she hadn’t had much dealings with them.

Lani crouched low and approached cautiously, her pale eyes fixed on the lion’s large and brutish (in her eyes) form.

“My goodness, you’re a big fellow,” she chortled from her spot, low in the grass.

Just as the lion chose to err on the side of caution when sniffing an unfamiliar scent, Lani, being so much smaller and slighter, preferred to keep herself in easy sprinting distance from any predator that could fit her head into his jaws. One didn’t have to seem unfriendly, to still be dangerous. And Lani loved life. Life was amazing. She didn’t want hers to end any time soon, simply because she was careless.

Nevertheless, Lani popped her head up over the grass and perked her large ears,” Small and quick, my lion friend!”

As if to emphasize, she shot up out of the underbrush, leaping with all four feet in the air. He tail curled high over her back with excitement and she let out a sharp yip. Her toes barely touched the dirt before she zipped off in a wide circle… careful to keep the water between herself and Mr. Lion. Finally, panting, she dropped her bottom to the grass and tossed her head with a smarmy grin.

“Small isn’t always so bad,” she dropped her chin a bit, flopped her tail,” I’m Laniluana, but mostly I prefer Lani.”

(ooc: I don't know why this didn't post. :C Retry!)

Lani jerked her head to the side, lips parted in a toothy, open-mouthed grin. She was panting lightly from her exertions, but that was only to be expected. If need be, she was totally ready to take off once more. This lion didn’t seem to be unfriendly, but… well… when you were this small you were slow to trust animals that big.

“It certainly does, Mister Neirin,” she stood, popping her bottom up with a bounce. A lively gal, this one. Nothing was slow or thoughtful. All of her actions were done with joy and enthusiasm. She wagged her tail, partial anxiety and partial excitement, and took one careful step toward the large feline.

“Being large gives you quite the advantage over the rest of us little animals. Why, you look as if you could take down a whole rhinoceros all by yourself!” She paused and cocked her head,” Well, I suppose you’d have to, wouldn’t you? Being so big, you must need to eat a… eat a… whole buffalo every day or something, don’t you?”

Clearly, Lani had not spent much time in the company of lions.

[ooc; I think a post got deleted or something. Silly, silly Gaia!]

Lani squealed with laughter at that, a high-pitched yipping sound quite suitable to her species. Her tail thumped on the ground of its own accord. “Well, alright them M- Neirin.” She was used to use mister or ma’am. An odd version of etiquette here in the Serengeti, but one Lani had trouble dropping.

“Unless you have help?” she cocked her head, eyes bright with ideas,” Like dogs. We’re normally in packs but I- Well I’m not. We’re very good hunters when we’re together. I bet… I bet even better than a pack of lions!” her lips split from ear to ear with a grin and she popped up onto her dainty feet, dancing a little closer to the lion.

“But you’re alone now, and I’m alone so… I have an idea,” Lani was nearly vibrating with excitement. She’d been eating rodents and carrion for so long, she almost forgot what antelope tasted like.

“We should hunt together! Maybe we’ll even get something big enough to fill both our bellies!”

“I was born in a pack,” said Lani, prancing a few more feet toward the lion. She did not, however, come close enough for either of them to touch, even if they both stretched out their forepaws to meet. And here, standing so close, she kept on her toes,” We were very small, and many of us were tiny compared to most wild dogs. We hunted well enough together, but much of our kills were stolen.” And that was all she had to say about that. Her tail had ceased wagging for a few moments, jaw shut in contemplation.

She had only been a pup when her mother dragged her away from their dying pack. She remembered very little of it, but that she had kind uncles. And ate better than she did now, even with larger predators stealing their kills.

“Well then,” she barked, leaping into a play bow and bounding upright again,” Let’s find us something to hunt!” With that she turned tail and hurried off toward the horizon, her nose held high and inhaling rapidly for the scent of prey.

“Do you know any good grounds?” she asked Neirin over her shoulder.

Lani grinned at that and whipped herself around to scan the horizon,” You are very large. I’d be scared of you too if I had hooves.” She wasn’t totally comfortable with him anyway. One paw swipe and Lani had a broken neck. But he was friendly enough and if he could help her take down some real food, all the better. She’d just keep herself out of range from any smacks or bites he could offer.

A smell, hmm? Lani dropped her nose to the earth and snuffled around a bit. She had a canine’s fine senses and could pick up old antelope trails here and there. A giraffe had passed by some time too, but that trail was cold, and even with a lion’s help, they’d never take down prey that large. Lani’s nose brought her along the edge of the watering hole.

Aha!

“I’ve got one!” she barked to the lion, tail wagging,” Smells like gazelle, and it’s fresh.”

“Well, we ought to stay together while we track. The trail is new, but that doesn’t mean the herd hasn’t gone far. Gazelle can move quickly when they want to.” Lani doubted they were all that far off, though. The watering hole meant there was plenty of green grass around for them to eat.

“We should stay quiet when we get near,” she nodded to herself,” You’re a big fellow, so I think you should make the kill. But I’m fast. When we get to the herd, I’ll try to break them up and chase on towards you. Does that sound like a do-able hunt to you, my friend?”