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 Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 7:28 pm
"You're not concentrating."
"Damned right, I'm not concentrating, you won't shut up. Since when did you get so chatty?" Percival growled with a frown as he slowly circled the older patron. His old mentor didn't give off a single air that they were sparring. In fact, he almost looked like he was bored. Honestly, he probably was. The last thing Stormclaw wanted to do was spend time with someone else. Gods forbid he ever had to be sociable. It was so strange to have such an antisocial lion be a part of the pride, much less be one of the most dedicated members.
But then that's what Fuil'fiach was, a living contradiction. He was completely devoted to the pride he'd been raised in, willing to lay his life down if necessary to protect it and its members. He was such a quiet individual and yet his calm, silent exterior hid a ferociousness he rarely showed, one that scared the hell out of him. It was why he didn't even like sparing with any of the other patrons. There was always the threat of his demon returning, and his raven was no longer with him to hold it back.
"Maybe the Godchild is rubbing off on me. Either way-" He didn't finish what he was saying, because he lunged at Percival without warning, one heavy paw swinging out. The younger male barely dodged it.
"Your head isn't in this. You're not worth my ti-" He had to rear back so that Percy's claws didn't slash his throat. An eyebrow rose over hooded pink eyes.
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 7:55 pm
Ugh, I can't believe we're still not allowed to leave the camp. But at least we're able to leave the den without Mom and Dad. Sometimes.
Hana'Hofu entertained herself by brooding as she walked through the camp. As much as she enjoyed the freedom, going off on your own could sometimes be boring. Her ear twitched at the sound of voices; her head shot up and she faced the direction the noise had come from, her ears pricked forward to catch the slightest noise. The voices were accompanied by the sounds of a scuffle and Hana's whiskers flicked with excitement. Patrons!
As stealthily as she could, she rushed toward the sounds. Peeking out around a bush, she spotted the patrons - two of them, and they appeared to be training! Oh, goody! For a couple of heartbeats, Hana crouched behind the bush and watched, but when of the two - a pale lion with blue lightning on one foreleg - suddenly lunged at the other, making him leap back in surprise, she leaned forward in awe. She had to try that!
She pulled herself back, hind legs tucked under her with her forelegs stretched out, and then lunged forward, swiping out with one paw. Unfortunately, she was rather clumsy, and as she stumbled her paw landed on a stray twig, which cracked loudly under her weight. She froze in surprise and listened intently for a reaction from the two patrons.
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 8:15 pm
Percy's ears were back as he lunged for Stormclaw again. Honestly? He was grumpy. Which wasn't a common mood for him. But he'd had a severe pang recently brought on by thinking of an old friend he hadn't seen in a while and had thought that maybe, just maybe a match with his old trainer would help. So far, it wasn't.
He heard the snap of the twig, but for a moment it didn't register in his mind.But only for a moment.
Or perhaps the fact that Stormclaw's ears rose and he said, "Hold" had something to do with it.
Both males paused in their motions, Fiach waiting for Percy to relax before turning towards where the sound had come from. He let out a fierce sigh and returned his gaze to the younger male. He tried to cuff Percy on the back of the head for rolling his eyes, but his former student had spent many moons learning the surly patron; Percy expertly slid out of the way.
"You know, it's not good form to spy on your pride members. You should come out from behind that bush." Fiach snorted at Percy's called words. Now where had he heard that before? Oh, right, whenever he'd have to reprimand Percy for shadowing him and surprising him.
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 8:57 pm
Hana could hear the blood rushing in her ears and feel her heartbeat in her paws; until, of course, she heard one of the patrons call for a pause. Now, Hana was only afraid of one thing - her parents scoldings. And she had a feeling her parents would be puh-retty mad at her for spying. As the second patron addressed her, she gulped audibly and folded her ears back against her head. I am in so much trouble...
However nervous she might be about how her parents would react, she forced her ears forward and held her head high as she emerged from her hiding place. She padded out into the open, stopping a few paces in front of the two large males. Boldly meeting each of their gazes in turn, she cleared her throat.
"I wasn't spying. Well, I guess I was, but I didn't mean to spy. I just want to learn how to fight, and well..." Thinking on her feet, Hana decided that maybe flattery would help to soothe any anger the two patrons felt - and keep them from telling on her. "You guys are really good so I thought I could learn if I copied you."
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 9:16 pm
When the little female came out to them, the lighter of the two settled down on the ground, stripping his height away so that he was closer to her eye-level and not towering over her. The older patron, on the other hand, just sat down, frowning at her.
"You deal with her, Gale Claws. I'm not being saddled again," Fiach growled. The last thing he needed was this little female to take Percy and Baris' places now that they had grown into their manes. He hated cubs being around him, it wasn't safe. He just couldn't bring himself to give anyone a good reason to keep cubs away from him.
Percy shot a glare at his mentor before smiling at the little girl.
"Are you wanting to be a patron when you grow up?" he asked with a small tilt of his head. His tone wasn't patronizing, merely curious. It wasn't often, at least not that he'd noticed, that females took the mantle of pride protector on their shoulders. If she wanted to learn, good for her, but... "You know, you learn a lot more by training with a patron than just observing them. Just learning what we do in a fight is only part of it."
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:10 pm
Deal with me? Saddled with me? What's pulling his tail?! Hana thought indignantly. She was a heartbeat from saying her thoughts aloud when the other patron spoke - in a much more suitable tone, she observed with a glare at the grumpier lion.
Turning her attention to Friendly - that's what she would call him, Friendly - she listened intently as he spoke of learning to fight. When he finished, her excitement had returned; she kneaded the ground with her forepaws, claws curling out to dig into the sand, while waggling her rump ever so slightly. She hoped he was making an offer and not just a suggestion.
"Oh, yes! I've wanted to be a patron for a long time now. Ever since my parents said it would be a good place for me, since I can fight without getting into trouble. I fight with my siblings a lot - only playfully, of course, I'd never hurt them - but I loove to fight. You might know my parents! Fireheart and Straw Dog? Everybody knows them." Hana stopped short with her mouth slightly open; in her enthusiasm, she had been ranting. She couldn't help it! But some lions found it less than appealing, so she always tried to catch herself before she got really out of hand.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Hana closed her mouth and regarded Friendly. Puffing out her chest and doing her best imitation of how Mother said a Gypsy Lady should act, she asked calmly and sweetly, "Would you show me a move or two, Friendly, sir?"
Sometimes, it was difficult for her to remember to act like a Lady. Okay, most of the time.
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:37 pm
Percy blinked a bit in surprise at the glare the young lioness gave Stormclaw.
To his credit, the older lion merely held his frown, one eyebrow rising slightly at the unspoken challenge.
Percy smiled a bit at the youth's exuberance. Now... that wasn't quite what made a patron, but he supposed it was something of a start. Perhaps. He didn't want to crush the girl's hopes, but being a patron wasn't about fighting, not at all. At least, not to his way of thinking, and if his training had been any testament, not to Stormclaw, either. Deep down, they were both devoted protectors who honestly hated conflict.
They just needed to know how to fight if they were forced into a confrontation.
At something of a loss, he looked to Stormclaw for something, anything. All he got was a shrug and a wave of one paw, as if to say that he'd gotten himself into this mess, it was his job to get himself out of it.
Percy let out a slow sigh and returned his attention to the hopeful female, putting that charming smile of his back on.
"Please, call me Gale Claws," he replied, preferring she use his name rather than one she'd given to him. "And this is Stormclaw.... Now, little one, being a patron isn't all about fighting... It's... Well..."
Fiach watched as Percy floundered in his explanation. And he knew without a doubt in his mind why that was. Percy was always trying to keep the spirits of others high.
Suppose it was a good thing Fiach didn't really care much what others thought of him, no matter how often Riddle Mouth or Godchild scolded him for his bluntness.
"Being a patron is about protecting the pride, not fighting others. And learning to fight is the last thing you do. Learn to hunt, to read others, to judge situations, those all come long before you ever learn a move or two," he drawled out, using the same tone of voice he'd once used to instruct Percy and his brother. Honestly, his voice was gruff. He wasn't one for talking at all, so his words came out more rough than Percy's smooth tone.
Though he sighed at Stormclaw's explanation, Percy smiled and nodded.
"I've never had to use my skills outside of practice, and I honestly hope I never have to." He paused for a moment, couldn't resist grinning just a bit. "Whether the ladies would love to see it or not."
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 8:22 am
Even though she'd rather continue giving attitude to Stormclaw, if he was going to give her advice about becoming a patron, Hana knew she should show him some respect. Reluctantly, she forced her expression to remain friendly and attentive. That is, until Stormclaw finished his rant.
While his description of what made a patron confused Hana slightly - How could it not be about fighting? - she still listened intently while he spoke and soaked it all in, willing to adjust. But when he openly mocked her, her eyes narrowed to irritated little slits again. Great Gods, Stormclaw was such a grump! She didn't really know why, but being her mother's daughter usually brought special treatment from the other lions in the pride. Hana hated it - the constant fussing, all the love from lions that didn't even know her - but had, apparently, grown used to it. Gale Claw's treatment of her was like a breath of fresh air, but Stormclaw was like a gust of wind with bits of sand in it. Luckily Gale Claws' sigh, followed by his voice, kept Hana from making some smart remark. Although she didn't take her angry little glare from Stormclaw.
When Gale Claws said that he hoped he'd never have to fight, Hana's eyes finally snapped to him and flew wide open with surprise. "You don't like to fight? But... but what happens if you find a rogue in our lands, or an enemy pride invades? How can we protect the pride without fighting?" It was one thing to understand that she'd have to be patient to learn how to fight. This just made no sense!
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:07 am
"What I mean is, I hope it never comes to that. I, we'll do whatever it takes to protect the pride should a fight come to our lands, but most of us find a secondary calling in life. When I was your age, Stormclaw refused to teach us how to fight, not until we learned how to hunt and track first." Percy explained, glancing over his shoulder at the older male. Stormclaw had a somewhat irritated look on his face. Percy would never understand it. For a male that had grown up with two sisters and absolutely no brothers, his mentor really had trouble around females, of any age.
"I'm going to go do my rounds. Your head wasn't in this today," Fiach finally said, standing and turning away. His steps paused as his vision clouded for a moment, causing him to flinch ever so slightly. He hated to fight, it was all too close to what could happen. But he was made to protect, came from a line of such, no matter how old he'd been when his family had left their former pride. Percy was, too. The cub's father hadn't stayed long, but those who'd seen him knew the bearing. It was what they'd been born and bred to do.
"Sir?" Percy's question registered as he shook his vision from his mind.
"Don't ask to practice again until you've got whatever's bothering you out of your head," he shot back with a bit of a growl before walking away.
Percy rose an eyebrow but said nothing about it.
"Play-fighting with siblings is one thing, fighting someone who has every intent to kill you is a completely different experience," he explained, trying to help her understand. Fighting wasn't fun. It was dangerous and difficult.
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:32 pm
Hana hung on Gale Claws' every word, nodding every so often to show she was paying attention. When he looked over at Stormclaw, she followed suit, wondering what could be so interesting about the old badger. She had to admit - but only to herself - that she was a little glad when Stormclaw announced he was leaving. He was so snarly.
Hana cocked her head to the side in confusion when Gale Claws tried to explain the difference between fighting a sibling and fighting a stranger. "'Kill'? What's 'kill'?" she asked.
Hana knew about hunting - lions going out and bringing back food for the pride.
Hana knew about fighting - using your claws and teeth to make another surrender and retreat.
But she'd never heard of 'killing'. From what she gathered, it wasn't very nice. Gale Claws seemed to think that the word would scare her, or make a big impression. For a moment, all her desires to learn how to fight, and hunt, and track were pushed aside to make room for her curiosity. If this 'kill' was supposed to be so frightening and important, she wanted to know more about it.
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:00 pm
Percy's eyes grew a small fraction when she asked him what kill meant. Gods, did she not... No, of course not. Theirs was a peaceful pride, why on earth would a young gypsy know what killing meant? But then it had to do with hunting too... No, there was a difference. There was a difference between the killing prey for food and killing to gain a pride. Or worse, killing just because one could.
He considered her for a few moments, debating what he should tell her. Should this be something her parents should explain? It had been so long ago in his memory, was Stormclaw the one who'd explained to him what killing was? He'd been officially training under Stormclaw to be a patron, though.
There wasn't anything he could think to say to dissuade her, though.
"When we hunt our prey and take its life to feed ourselves, that's killing. Any time a creature takes a life, it's killing. Sometimes another creature will fight to just drive another away. Other times they'll have every intention of taking a life, even if it's not prey." He paused, tilting his head a bit to one side. "Do you understand?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:22 pm
In Gale Claws' brief moment of hesitation, Hana wondered if he even knew what kill meant. But why would he use a word if he didn't know what it meant? Shaking her head slightly, Hana dismissed the thought. Of course he knew what it meant. Maybe he just thought it would scare her if he told her. But nothing scared her! Well, nothing except her parents. Would her parents be angry if she learned a scary word?
Hana's eyes grew wide with awe as Gale Claws explained what killing was. She hadn't realized that life was fragile; she hadn't realized it could be taken away. She remained silent as thoughts whizzed through her head - This means that every time I eat, something had to be killed. And every time the patrons go to protect the pride, they might not come back.
It seemed silly to her know that she hadn't known this before. Where else would the meat come from? And why would Mother and Father tell her that fighting is dangerous if there wasn't some sort of risk? Blinking to bring the present world back into focus, she gazed into Gale Claws' eyes with a completely new understanding of what being a patron meant. She nodded in response to Gale Claws' question and shuffled her paws in embarrassment when she realized how childish and.. just plain bad she must have looked to be so eager to learn how to fight.
"Gale Claws, I'm sorry for how I acted before. I didn't understand then, and I realize now that I was wrong. Thank you for training me." Dropping her gaze, her pelt burning with shame, she continued in a lower and meeker tone, "Do you think you could show me what tracking is, please?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:28 pm
Percy smiled as he watched the change go over the cub. And when she finally spoke, he reached out one huge paw and touched the top of her head, smoothing down to her cheek.
"You weren't wrong, you just didn't know," he replied and finally sat up. The smile remained on his features, ever the charmer. And yet he was determined, fierce at heart and just as dedicated as his brother, as their mentor.
And really, just as honest.
"I'm not sure I'd make a very good teacher, but I can try. But first I need you to do something for me first, okay?" His head tilted a bit to one side with his question.
"I need your parents' permission to start training you. Wouldn't want to get in trouble with your mother," he explained before he got her answer. Almost as an afterthought, his expression softened a bit more. "And don't think to harshly of Stormclaw. He might not be the nicest lion in the pride, but you don't see what he does for us. He spends more time patrolling the pride's borders than any of the other patrons combined."
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 4:42 pm
Hana grunted faintly in disappointment; changed or not, she was impatient to learn. But Gale Claws was right. No one wanted to get in trouble, especially with her mother. Brightening up at the thought that Gale Claws was at least willing to train her, she lifted her head and flashed him a smile.
"Alright, I'll go an ask. I think they'll be okay with it though. They even suggested it to me, so it'd be strange if they said no, wouldn't it?" The question wasn't meant to be answered, and as an afterthought occurred to her, she wouldn't have waited for an answer if she had wanted one. "Would you like to come with me?"
Maybe Gale Claws would like to visit with her parents. And maybe her parents would like to speak with the patron who would be training her. Or maybe nobody wanted to see anybody, but it was still polite to ask.Reeshie Hack Did you want to write one more post and then this is finished? We could always start up another of Percy actually training Hana. Whenever you have the time, of course, no rush.
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:00 pm
Percy returned her smile and nodded. Well, he hadn't known that they'd suggested she train to be a patron. That was a different story, but rather be safe than sorry. He wanted to hear it from them that it was okay that he take her under his wing.
"I think so. Let's go get their permission," he replied with another nod. Standing and pointing himself back towards the inner pridelands, he paused to give her an expectant look.
"Lead the way."
(Short fin is short. XD)
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