{PRP}Hoofed Trouble{Athena x Ashtaroth'sha}

[magnadearel]

Kathryn Dragonna

The male crouched in his hiding place and realized what a crazy idea this had been. He hadn't been able to find any slave willing to hunt with him, so he'd decided to go it alone. It had taken him days to find a herd of zebras. Now he was realizing his folly at not bringing someone to hunt with him. These were big animals for the most part. Ashta had considered bringing back a baby, but there wasn't enough meat to make it worth while.

Now he lay contemplating his next move. The demons wouldn't thank him for injuring himself, no matter the reason. He raised his head a bit to watch the herd wander by, eating as it went. He gave a low growl of frustration. This was to repay the favor the demon had done for him. The male waited and watched as he contemplated a plan.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena was trying to catch a nap under a rock. It was hot and he was hiding from the sunlight. He stirred at the smell of zebra. He had been here a while and the smell of something he could eat going by was not unwelcome. The fluffy lion opened one eye and watched the prey milling about. He was upwind so they could not smell him, and the rock created a good cover from which to watch them unseen. Perhaps it was time to end his nap. He was not really hungry, but at the same time. They were fun to watch and to hunt.

Athena stretched and picked out a few targets even though he had no intention of hunting. It was a predictor thing. One did not just turn off that instinctual habit for picking out the weak in a herd. He did not miss the young lion watching the heard not far off either. When the mostly white lion got close enough, Athena put out a paw and pulled him under the rock. "Shhh, you'll scare them off growling like that." The fluffy lion chuckled softly. "Hunting alone? Not the best idea with zebra."  

[magnadearel]

Kathryn Dragonna

A large lion sitting up from under a rock nearly startled the wits out of him. A large paw across this shoulders was the only thing that kept him from jumping with a yell. A sense of size and mass was all he got as he groveled under that paw. He didn't realize most of this lion's size came from fluff.

"S-sorry master." He hadn't meant to growl. Ashta risked a peek in opening his eyes and saw a mostly dark lion. "I-I didn't have a choice. No other slave would come with me." He glanced toward the zebras to see that they hadn't spooked during his laps. What should he do now? This didn't look like a demon from his pride. Had this lion already claimed the herd?  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena settled back down in his spot and looked at the younger lion. "Slave..." He started to muse quietly. "I know i am close to Marinette's home, I wonder if i got into the demon pride's territory... Hmm, i can't stay long if I have." His attention goes back to the other lion. "If you wish to hunt, you should have a partner. I am no 'master' as you call it, but I am a good hunter, old fluffball though I may be. I am Athena." This male seemed so scared that Athena could not help but offer assistance. It did not cross his mind that helping anyone from the demon pride besides Marinette might cause someone to take notice.

Athena just wished to help this poor nervous male do what he had come here to do. While he might not be hungry himself, a good hunt was always enjoyable. Of course once the hunt was done if this was demon territory, Athena would be getting more information on where they were, and moving his family group as far from here as possible in one day. He trusted Marinette, but even she advised against trusting most of her pride. The fluffy lion wished there was some way to help this one to leave, but who was he to assume this one even wanted freedom? Some did not.  

[magnadearel]

Kathryn Dragonna

He startled a second time at the unexpected mention of his half-sister. It wasn't a question, but Ashta felt he had to speak. "Do... do you know Mari?" He nodded a little, "we are close, but not quite in the demon pride sir." This lion clearly knew something of the pride.

"I am Ashta. Thank you for your help Athena. How should we start?" He was more than content to let this other lion lead the hunt. Ashta waited patiently. His eyes on the male and his ears listening to the zebras.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena blinked at the question from the white lion. "I do know Marinette... I raised a cub for her that she said she could not keep in the pride or he would be a slave." This was a slave in the pride, and knew Marinette. Hopefully he would know better than to say anything. Though really, a slave's word against a demon's likely wouldn't hold anyway. Athena thought it was safe enough to talk to this male, he seemed nice enough if a bit servile and well skiddish. The fluffy male certainly could not see this slave making any problems for Mari that the red lioness could not handle easily. She certainly was something else.

"The first thing we need to do is get one separated from the others. Too hard to go after them as a herd as they can trample you. But if you can get one running one way and the herd running another, you can pick off the one by itself." Of course Zebra were a pain in the tush when it came to being able to see individuals when they were standing together. He had see one with a limp earlier. If he could pick that one out again, they might be able to target it. It had been a fairly good sized zebra, so would make a good catch if they could get it.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Kathryn Dragonna

He was surprised and please to learn that this lion not only knew his sister, but had helped her out. And now he was helping Ashta too. He doubted any of the demons would care how he'd gotten a zebra if they managed to pull one down. If any asked he'd say a rogue helped him, and that was it. It had been Mari's choice to leave her cub with this lion. So Ashta wasn't going to say anything about it.

He nodded at the wisdom of the male. It sounded like a good plan to him. Now he turned his attention fully to the herd. They needed to find one to separate like Athena said and two pairs of eyes looking were better than one. The black and white stripes wanted to make his eyes cross and Ashta shook his head to clear his vision. This was harder than it looked!
 

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena had the problem of his eyes wanting to cross as well, but he had done this enough times that he knew how to look past the stripes and see the little gaps between zebra when they moved. It helped him to pick out individuals a little better. He also focused on the legs some to see if there was anything there. He was searching for signs of wounds or limps. Anything that could make one fall behind if the herd ran. There were several young in the herd, and he knew they would not be able to keep up when the rest of it moved quickly, but he also did not like hunting the young if he could get something else. They were the future food animals, and one should be careful about picking them all off.

It took a few long moments of them watching the herd before Athena spotted something. He thought perhaps the younger lion saw it as well, but figured he would quietly point it out anyway to make sure they had the right target. "Right there on the end of the other side, there is one older zebra with a limp. That leg looks scarred for a long time, if we can chase the herd, he should fall behind, unable to keep up. You get the herd running and I'll go after him, get him going the other way. Once the herd is going pretty well, you can circle back to join me." If all went well, he should have it dead before the younger lion came back, but things didn't always go to plan.

It was best to have the other lion come back just in case Athena needed the help, and well, if he could, he might just let the killing to the younger lion out of respect anyway. It was Ashta's hunt afterall. The old fluff ball would have to see how things turned out. "On the count of three. One, two, three, go." The darker lion let the lighter one take off first, counting silently in his head, and watching the herd move before he took off after the target. Had to give the herd time to get away from their older companion so he could be cut loose. Athena was thinking this young lion might do very well as a hunter if he kept up as he was right now.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Kathryn Dragonna

Once again he tried to stare at the zebras. Every couple of seconds, Ashta glanced away to clear his vision and his mind of the numbing effects so so many stripes. Ugh! Who ever designed these things? When he glanced at the other lion, he thought the male was handling the stripes better than he was. At least Athena seemed focused on the herd. Ashta was surprised as Athena directed him to specific zebra. Obviously the old lion was a pro at this. He squinted his eyes to try to make out the zebra he wanted.

His eyes roved over the trailing zebras. He said it was right at the back... ah! Ashta thought he spotted something with movement that wasn't smooth. "Right," he whispered and began crawling forward. With direct orders on what to do, he felt confident. It sounded simple enough. Scare the herd into running on direction and the limping zebra another. Ashta moved in behind the herd getting quite close then standing up. A white lion among green grass surely attracts attention. He made sure to step loudly on stuff and scuff the dirt.

It didn't take long to get noticed and get the herd moving. The male chased after them aiming to run between the limping zebra and the main herd. He didn't his best to act disinterested in the their real target as he drove the herd away.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Athena noticed the younger lion's trouble with the stripes and couldn't help but think back to when he was first learning to hunt on his own after his sisters left him. Zebras were always so hard to pick out and he had avoided them for that reason for a long time. But like with anything he eventually had to face what he thought too difficult and learn to overcome his problems. Given time and practice, he was sure this young lion would learn to look less intensely at the stripes and look past them. It really was a shame this lion was a slave for those demons, not that all of them were bad, from what he had seen of Mari.

The fluffy lion crept into position while the younger lion went to scare the herd. Athena focused completely on the target, waiting for the creatures to start to run. He was happy to see the herd go racing away too fast for the limping zebra to keep up and sprang into action as the thing tried to make up it's mind on if it should run after them, and risk the lion chasing the herd or go the other way. That hesitation would cost it dearly. It was scared of the sight of the lion chasing it's comrads, but did not know there was another lion coming for it until it was too late.

The limping zebra spotted Athena when the lion was almost upon it, and when it turned to run, Athena picked up speed. His target had lost valuable time by hesitating, and he was going to take full advantage of the headstart he had gotten to cut the creature down. The quicker their prey went down the quicker the younger lion got to take it home. He leaped and brought all of his weight down on the zebra trying to run and limp away from him. The zebra fell over, unbalanced from it's bad leg, and Athena made quick work of it. That had gone almost seamlessly, and he was quite proud of his work. "We have your prize." He called the other lion over to the kill.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Kathryn Dragonna

Fin

After a good run on his part, Ashta turned back to see the outcome of the joint hunt. He loped back slowly. The white male perked up his ears to hear the good news. "Excellent! Would you like some? You did most of the work." Ashta bobbed his head gratefully.