Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Oh, suns and stars! They’re coming in already,” Lani cocked her head back to watch a group of circling vultures gliding swiftly towards her and her… well, meal. Not her kill. She’d found an abandoned buffalo carcass, mostly ravaged off all the good bits, sitting out in the sun to bake. No lions around. No leopard could have done this on her own, and if she did, she’d be much more careful about hiding it. So it seemed safely abandoned for the moment. Lani had been picking strings of meat of the bones when she heard the first fateful caw.

No sense fighting vultures. There was only one of her and many, many of them. Lani darted in, chomped her teeth on a partially-attached leg bone, and snapped it off with a bit of heaving and hoing. That was all she’d get of this meal. With a gruff snort she scooped up her prize and skipped a few feet away from the buffalo, allowing the first of the vultures to swoop down.

“Mangy creatures,” she snorted, and yipped sharply at the birds as they descended. She flipped her ears back and bared her teeth, but there was nothing to be done. Even if she were willing take on a bird nearly as big as herself, getting rid of one just left an opening for another. Vultures were endless.

She plopped onto the grass and gnawed halfheartedly on the end of her leg bone, shooting daggers at the birds with narrow, lemon eyes.

Lani was much too small to try to impress a flock of vultures with her vocal skills… and it hadn’t even occurred to her to try a fearsome bark. All of her previous experiences with the birds had been pretty negative. She’d gotten some nasty pecks for her efforts and decided at a young age that vultures weren’t something to deal with. They were numerous, gluttonous, and tenacious when it came to carcasses.

No, she was much happier to take what she could get without injury. It wasn’t the best, but it was better than nothing. And much better than getting some beak-shaped holes in her hide.

She had been so engrossed in licking out the marrow that she hadn’t heard the approaching footsteps. At least, not at first. Not over the ruckus of the vultures. Finally, her ears perked and she dropped the bone, swinging her head up in search of the speaker. It was… it was…

Well, she couldn’t make him out too well in the grass, but she was darn certain he was a dog. He smelled like a dog, sounded like a dog. And that bit about the big kitty cats left very few choices.

Lani popped up to all fours and offered the stranger a cocky grin,” You really shouldn’t live things lying around then, Stranger. I only took a little bit of leg. Those vultures did much more damage to your food than I did.” She paused, brow furrowed,” And I’ve never known a wild dog to take down a buffalo all by his lonesome, so I suppose you’re not so guiltless yourself, ha?”

Lani squawked and scrambled backwards. Oi, this male was a pushy one, wasn’t he? Her fur bristled of its own accord as she tried to catch her footing again. Nimble, nimble, now. She danced away, tucking her tail a smidge as she shook off her surprise. Well, at least she could see him now. Bigger than her, obviously, with a much more muted pelt than hers. Clearly at an advantage.

Eventually, Lani settled herself back to a sit, eying her femur hungrily. It was now lying between them, closer to him, and she wanted it.

“I hunt just fine, but I don’t see the need to get myself all smashed up under a buffalo’s hooves. All by my pretty lonesome I stick to hare… and rodents,” she stood, lowered her ears and eyelids, and tiptoed daintily toward the other dog, tail wagging. “I can’t overpower an antelope, see? But I am rather…”

Lani pounced and snagged the end of the femur, dashing off to the side and slinking into a playbow. She dropped the bone just for a moment. Just long enough to end with,”… Fast!”

Praise was something Lani could respect. Her ears perked and her tail wiggled with glee behind her. She grabbed the femur and tossed it into the air, leaping up on her hind legs to catch it while it fell, shaking it as if it were one of the aforementioned rodents. She gave it a few good gnaws, leaving grooves from her teeth, then tucked it carefully between her forelegs.

“Speed and stamina have suited me just fine, and I don’t see why one shouldn’t be praised for hunting rabbits,” she took a few prancing steps forward, “Have you ever tried to outsmart a hare? Fast as falcons and wicked tricksy! Oi, and they’re teeth!” She turned her head and wrinkled her muzzle, revealing a small set of rectangular scars, barely visible under her fur.

“Their teeth are nearly as big as ours!”

“Oi!” Lani squeaked with surprise, ducking hard when he leapt at her. Her ears flattened to her skull and she crinkled her nose,” We might be talking about rabbits, but I’m certainly not one myself!” She scuffed a paw in the dirt, aiming a rash of sand in his direction. But she wasn’t angry, merely surprised. Upset with herself for letting him catch her!

That simply wouldn’t do.

Lani flicked and ear, brow furrowed, and eyed the mostly-eaten femur bone.

“I’ve got an idea, mister… oh! I don’t know your name,” she grinned, and shook herself, bright hair looking glossy against the sun,” I’m Laniluana, but mostly I prefer Lani.”

Lani watched the impressive display with no small amount of appreciation. She certainly couldn’t grab a bird out of the sky. She padded softly forward, sniffing at the strange bundle of feathers.

“Very lucky indeed, Tadelesh. That was impressive,” she pranced around him, sticking her nose against his fur here and there as she inspected,” You’re very athletic, it seems. Why, I don’t think a serval could have jumped as well! But-“she danced away and snatched up her femur again,” – but why don’t we have a little competition? You said this was yours and, well, I stole it fair and square.” She spat it out and dropped her forelegs to the ground, wiggling her bottom with playful energy,” Let’s play keep away, Mister Tade!”

“You cheated!” Lani barked, but her tone was jovial. If he hadn’t done it, she would have! She yipped with excitement and took off through the tall grass, using her ears to track Tade. The grass rustled ahead of her, and she could hear his footsteps as he ran, his breathing, his heartbeat. Oh, what joy! The leapt out of the tall grass, nearly on Tade’s tail, and snapped her teeth at the end of it, hoping to catch him. But no such luck! He was too fast, and out of sight before she could count her own toes.

She slowed, listening carefully, and padded through the grass toward the tree. Here the smell of meat and dog was strongest. She dropped her nose to the ground and quickly found Tade’s trail, following it until she saw him. With a yap she pounced at him, grinning wide,” Where’s my bone?”

Lani stepped back as Tade wriggled about, ears perked but brow furrowed. She could smell the bone, but it had no scent trail on the ground. Where could he…? The tiny bird gave it away. She followed its fight, eyes wide, mouth agape.

“No!” she whined, padding up to the tree,” You didn’t!” But he had. She could see it, many dog-lengths above her head, nestled in some branches. With a growl she clenched her hind legs and took a leap toward the branches. Her teeth snapped shut on a couple twigs and she landed gracefully on the ground.

“Oh, suns and stars!” she growled, glaring up at the branches.