Ufisade woke up as he did most days: to his daughter stepping all over him. She seemed to be an early riser, unlike her father, who was certainly not. He groaned softly as Hara pressed her full weight into his stomach to try to rouse him, and it worked. He flicked his tail at his daughter, who giggled and swiped at it. Ufisadi knew why she was particularly persistent today: he had promised her he'd take her out and teach her how to pounce.
It was a vital lesson for any predator to learn the finer points of pouncing, that much was for certain. He had learned at a young age thanks to his older cousins and some hapless bugs. He was sure Hara's mother was a much better teacher for the lesson, but for some reason she was his little shadow. Wherever Ufisadi went, he had to make sure not to step on Hara who would certainly be weaving between his legs. It warmed his heart to know someone could love him so unconditionally, simply for the fact that he was alive and there for her. It was for that reason that he rose from his resting place, even though the sun hadn't broken the horizon yet. It was close, if the color of the sky was anything to go by.
"All right, I'm up," he said with a yawn. Hara gave a squeal of delight as she darted around. Cubs were always full of energy, no matter the time of day...unless they were napping. While Hara wasn't as strong as her brother, it didn't mean she sat around all day doing nothing. No, she wanted to keep up with her father and brother and mother, learning everything she could at every moment. That was what got her excited.
"Yay! Pouncing! Oh, I'm going to be so good at it once you teach me how," she said as she rubbed against Ufisadi's legs. The two made their way to an open field where a few bugs were starting to hum and buzz in the early morning heat, perfect for a lesson in pouncing. Hara looked up expectantly at Ufisadi. who was still half asleep. He licked his lips and yawned again before nodding just a bit.
"Right, first step," he said, looking for a bug that looked big enough to practice with. "Find a target. Obviously this will be easier when you're hunting bigger game...but...ah!" He found a nice, slow bug that didn't appear to have wings. "That one. That's the one we'll go for. So what you want to do is get low. We're in tall grass, so that's always helpful. If you can find something to hide in, that's always better than just approaching. So, crouch down in some grass."
Hara nodded and eagerly lowered herself into the grass beside Ufisadi, her eyes glued to the big ugly bug a few paces before her. Her tail, however, had other ideas, and it bobbed and waved high above the grass that she was hiding in. Ufisadi chuckled and watched her as she shifted her weight, testing the dirt beneath her paws before settling in. She looked up at him, a hopeful look on her face. "How is this?"
"Perfect...except for this," Ufisadi said with a little laugh as her tail swerved away from his paw as he went to grab it. "Keep that crazy thing under control, and you're golden."
Hara laughed and let her tail settle down. She loved her father's tail and wished that she had a tuft like him, but instead she'd gotten her mother's genes and didn't sport such a thing. It was okay, though, she liked her tail just the way it was. Once it settled she looked forward again, intent on the bug.
Seeing that Hara had her tail under control, Ufisadi leaned down to speak softly to her. "Now, you must be very quiet. You want to wait for the best moment to jump. When they're not looking is the best, or when they're off-guard. It's hard to tell with a bug, so...just...whenever you want, I guess!"
Hara nodded and tensed her muscles, waiting for the best moment to pounce. The bug shifted slightly and turned, and that's when she jumped. Paws outstretched with a little roar, Hara flew through the air and landed directly on top of the bug. "I got it!" she said with a happy laugh, lifting her paws. She hadn't landed hard on them, and the bug had survived. "Oh good," she said, leaning in to nudge the bug's behind with her nose. "Go on, little guy!"
"What, you're not going to eat your catch?" Ufisadi teased as he sat down. "That was a great pounce, though! You're a natural, just like your mom."
"Eewwww daddy, no," Hara said with a laugh. "I wouldn't eat a bug! And really?" Her blue eyes were bright with delight. "Not just like you?" That made Ufisadi laugh as he tugged his daughter closer to nuzzle her affectionately.
"Your mother is a far better hunter than I, my dear," he said gently. "I'm not so much a natural as 'learned through trial and error'. If you want a really good lesson you can ask her...or you can do it my way and just kind of figure your way through it once you know the basics."
Hara nodded and nuzzled Ufisadi's leg. "I wanna do it your way," she said with a delighted smile. "So I can be just like you!" Ufisadi's smile weakened just a bit, but he hid it behind a chuckle as he returned the nuzzle again. If only she knew what he'd been through before he had made it to the pride. Perhaps he'd tell her one day...but that certainly wasn't today. It wasn't a story for cubs to hear.
They headed back to the den after that, Ufisadi bargaining with his daughter to let him sleep just a bit more. He did love spending time with her, but he preferred not to be awake when the sun wasn't up.
FIN
WC: 1020