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 Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:23 am
Blood and sand.
She’d have to get used to that taste. It was everywhere now that she was dragging the limp body of the antelope. In her mouth, in her nose, on her paws up to her knees. After having the run in with Siraj, the black lioness had had to follow the poor antelope most of the night. It was a lonely trek- and by the time she'd finished, she'd half felt sorry killing the poor beast. But by now it was already just breaking into sunrise. Too anxious to eat- she dragged it back towards the dark rocks in the distance, as if it had to make the journey back with her.
She couldn’t not say she wasn’t pleased with herself, however. Hunting in the desert was a major change from anything she’d seen back home. There wasn’t any picking and choosing- she stuck to that one animal, and had followed it halfway across the Motoujamii before it had gotten close enough for her to chase and bring down. It wasn’t the most remarkable thing for a lioness to do- but she was pleased and satisfied in herself.
Now if only she could relax enough to get some sleep! With a slight grunt, she dropped the body of the blood rended creature, and licked the end of her black paw. The sandy taste was a peculiar texture, but the blood was satiating. She gave a slight harrumph and took the creature back by the throat, and continued towards the rocks; the sunlight hitting her and projecting a shadow many times larger across the sands.
As she moved- she caught sight of the black snake she had spotted earlier. It was slithering back into the rocks- perhaps about as sucessful as she had been over the night. That too, was decidably nice. She liked to think she was adapting to the desert.
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Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:19 am
Just as the "slave" was returning with her kill, one particular lioness was just rising after a good night's sleep on a full stomach. She had the most incredible fortune the day before of managing to come upon her own kill just after dark, surely enough to feed herself and Tamu'meka, as well as the children. Someday they'd be old enough to hunt for themselves, but for now, she considered hunting for seven more of a gift than a curse.
She might not have seen the other for her naturally dark pelt, which blended in well enough with the very shadows her figure created, but as the large shadow did indeed cast itself towards the dens it drew Azula's attention. The lioness turned her gaze from her grooming to the slave.
Aa.... she'd seen the black cat when just some days ago at a large, impromptu gathering here before as well. She was the Heir-prince's slave, as she sharply recalled. She spoke in No's direction, black masked red eyes keen on the slave, and not the antelope hanging from her jaws.
"It would seem the hunting is plentiful this eve...."
Azula lowered her blackened paws back to the ground, resting it once more around the sleeping bundle of her daughter Zari. The child's black and red ears flickered now and then as she dozed on, lightly, despite apperances. She'd just woken up to join mother a few minutes before No came over the horizon, and Azula was fine with rewarding early rising with a bed between her forelegs.
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Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:40 am
The black cat paused, shifting her ear to the side as a voice fell across it. It was familiar...but it wasn’t until she turned her head that she remembered the mother lioness and cub from the day before. There had been another cub too- and, although she didn’t know it, many others; but at the moment only one rested on the mother’s paws. She was a good looking cub, No noted. For the harsh conditions and limited blood, what firekin had managed to breed seemed to produce healthy and large cubs. There was so much potential in this land!
And yet...
No dropped the carcass with a weak thud to the ground. The antelope’s head rolled back and stared blankly at the rising sun. Before speaking, the lioness rubbed her face again to rid the blood and debris from her whiskers. It was questionable as to whether she should speak or not- but perhaps a bit enthused over her hunting victory, she did not hesitate too long to respond.
“Plentiful enough,” She thrummed cooly. “-to allow me a kill, my lady.” Unlike in other times, she did not directly lower her head; and instead, she angled it slightly to the side in a sleek slope.
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:01 pm
A calculating stare met No's response. The red lioness' mind was slowly turning, though Azula did not bother to hide it. It seemed almost out of place in the scene, but it was her way. Something, and she wasn't certain what, seemed off about the dark female. Generally that meant that something was afoot, as Azula had yet to come across someone suspicious with harmless intentions. The only question in Azula's mind was-- who was the girl siding with, and for what reason was there any such need? (She'd always given females an indefinite amount more credit when it came to the potential of being crafty.) It was almost as though she was some type of supersticious omen. A black cat...
"You're usually in company with the young prince... I did not catch your name the last time that we met."
Nor had Azula given hers, but then, if No wanted it then she'd ask, even if she didn't want it, normal habits had one ask for the other's name on reflex. Azula wasn't certain if this was a behavior practiced by slaves or not.
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