Hunting Lessons: Lesson 1 - Of Dangers and Secrets

[Msasi]

Characters Involved:
Waset, Barbary Lioness. Huntress of Tyne.
Dhoruba, Lioness. Huntress of Tyne.
Nyala, Adol. Lioness. Princess of Tyne, Huntress-in-Training.
Almasi, Adol. Lioness. Princess of Tyne, Huntress-in-Training.
Sundali, Adol. White Lioness. Huntress-in-Training.

Summary: Time marches on, and the young females of the Tyne Pride are now old enough to begin their huntress training. Their first lesson is mostly talk.. but important talk.

Location: [Tyne] Tetesi Grasslands

Afternoon in Tyne, and class is in session! Gone are the days for the local youth when they can spend all day playing and exploring. No, they are growing and before too long they'll all be grown up, so they need to learn to be helpful, contributing members of the pride. For the local females, this means learning to hunt. Waset is out on the expanse of the grasslands, waiting for the other lionesses and the young females to arrive so that another day of training can begin. The once Queen of Tyne is easy spot out amongst the grasses, seated peacefully with her eyes half-closed against a faint breeze. From the direction of the river, another form is easy to spot. Sundali, her white pelt standing out in contrast to the surrounding grasses, trots lazily towards the meeting area, a focused look on her features. Ever since returning to Tyne, the white lioness is determined to make a place for herself. And if that means constant training to learn to hunt.. so be it! Spotting the barbary, Sunny issues a low chuff in greeting, her tail lifting briefly in greeting.

Indeed class is insession and Dhoruba is settled not to far from Waset as she waits for the other youngester's to show up. A yawn escapes the red fured liones while she stretches and lifts a forepaw to scratch at her neck. Its not like she minds teaching the younger ones how to hunt but they always have to WAIT forever for them. She peers over at Waset and half leans over to poke at her shoulder playful like as she catches the other seeming to be half asleep. Unwanting to make her mother angrey for being late, or not showing up at all for that matter, Almasi is making her way on out to the meeting spot glancing around all the while as if to make sure she's not the last to show up! Her ears perk as she hears someone chuffing and she moves a bit quicker and comes bouncing into view after a few moments. "I'm here!" She announces, as if no one could see this.

Practically bursting with excitement at going to her very first class, Nyala would have shouted from the top of Tyne Rock. But instead, the young Princess contains herself and makes her way to where the class would be meeting. Ahead, she could see the small group and she quickens her pace, troting over with a smile on her maw. "I hope I'm not late." she murrs as she joins them.

The nudge from the other lioness gets a grin from Waset, and she opens her eyes, tossing a grin over at Dhoruba and lifting a paw to swing halfheartedly back at her. "Be careful who you mess with," She warns playfully. "Or I'll make the girls use /you/ as a practice target. It'll be somewhat like when they were cubs and chewed on your tail and ears.. only now they're big and heavy." Which, Waset thinks as she turns her head to watch the girls as they all approach, seems like it was just yesterday. Where have her little babies gone?! Sundali joins up with the other two adolescents, giving Nyala and Almasi a quick, excited grin, and settles into a seated position before Waset and Dhoruba. Waset, after a quick glance to Dhoruba, stands, looking between the three adolescents. Hm. They're missing Stara. Ah, well. "Alright girls," The barbary greets them, grinning. "I hope you're all ready to put in some hard work. Hunting isn't as easy as it looks. There's a lot to know. It looks like just running and jumping and biting.. but you have to learn patterns and hold techniques." Another quick glance to Dhoruba, with whom she shares a small smile. "I'm sure Dhoruba spent a lot of time practicing hunting patterns when she was first learning, just like I did."

Dhoruba makes a face at the thought. "Hey.. We all know that /you/ taste better." She points out with a grin. While she isn't full barbary she's still pretty big, it would be rather amusing to have three cubs come tackle her and she still be standing there. Sure there not cubs anymore.. BUT. Her ears flick forward as she watches the three file in. "Ooo.. sounds like she's gona work you all good." A faint eh escapes the lioness as she hears Waset. "Hey, Msasi was here, you have any idea how it is to get trained by her?" This said in jest as she really did like the older feline. Almasi shifts on her paws and has to sit herself down to keep still, a ear perks an she looks over to her sister and smiles while nodding before looking back to her mother and Dhoruba. "So.. how we gona do that anyway?.. Do we get to run something down and pounce on it?" A glance is offeerd to Sundali and she offers a smile back.

Nyala sits down upon her haunches, giggling softly at the playful banter going back and forth. She smiles to her sister before her attention returns to her mother. "Are we gonna have to start with mice and work our way up to the really big prey?"

Waset chuckles at Dhoruba, taking a moment to recall younger days spent in hunting training herself. "No kidding! Remember how often she used to have us out working on techniques? I'm surprised I ever got to have anything resembling a social life!" This, too, is said in jest. While it seemed completely unfair and too much /work/ when she was younger.. Waset can't argue with the fact that Msasi's stricter methods produced results. Waset started out a clumsy huntress.. but has evolved into a fairly decent one. Waset turns back to the girls as they question, smiling as Sundali tosses in her own question. "When will we get to start hunting with the hunting party?" The adolescent white female asks, ears tilting forward curiously. Sunny is eager to get out and be helpful. Though she understands that training is important (and needed), the sooner she feels less like a dead weight to the pride, the better. Waset grins, and looks to each young female in turn, answering their questions in reverse. "It will be a while," She tells Sundali, chuckling lightly when the white female's ears droop slightly. "Don't worry.. you'll get there soon enough. We'll have to work with you to help conceal your coat, Sundali. White does tend to stand out a bit." And then, to Nyala, "No, no. Unless you want to do that on your own for extra practice, of course. When you start on actual prey, you will start small.. young impala and the like." And finally, Waset's gaze shifts to Almasi. "Good question, Ally. We're going to start by learning basic hold techniques. Dhoruba and I will demonstrate them to you on this zebra foal, here." And Wasets shifts aside to reveal, behind her, a dead baby zebra. "But first... Nyala. Do you know what the best hold is if you're going for a quick kill?"

Nyala thinks for a moment, picturing it in her mind, slowly closing them as she does. After a time, her eyes open and she answers hesitantly, "The throat?"

"How can I forget.. I was always trying to prove that I could do it and not mess up." Dhoruba says and smirks at the comment about white fur. "Hey.. dark fur isn't the best to hunt with in all this grass you know?" This questioned to Waset as she grins and sits up a bit more. Almasi peers at the two adults then back to Nyala and Sunny while listioning. She blinks as her mother moves and sees the calf and ohs while rolling her shoulders some. "Guess that sorta makes sense, gotta work on the holds first."

Waset grins to Dhoruba. "Ah, true. Then maybe you can work more with Sunny here to help her learn how to not be spotted so easily." Sundali, listening to the exchange between the two older lionesses, perks with interest. She had always figured that her white coat would be a bit of a bother when it came to being stealthy while hunting, so any tips from a more experienced huntress would be extremely welcome. The white female smiles, a bit shyly, at Dhoruba, before turning her attention back to the lesson at hand. It wouldn't do to get distracted now and miss out on something important! Waset nods to Almasi. "Holds are very important. Though they have their weaknesses, the prey we hunt are not without defenses. And speed and stamina are some of their greatest allies. Learning the holds is important because when you finally catch up to your prey, you want to do everything in your power to bring it down as soon as possible.. or injure it enough that it can't get too far ahead of you and you have to call off the hunt because you're suddenly out of energy." Waset herself has been in such a situation; not all hunts end in success, after all. Glancing back to Nyala, the barbary beams. "Yes, exactly! The throat hold is the easiest one to kill with. You're using the power of your jaws to crush the throat of your prey, so they can't breath. Dhoruba, would you demonstrate a proper throat hold to the girls?" She asks of her pridesister, glancing to Dhoruba.

Dhoruba ohs and looks to Sundali and smiles. "I'm sure I can figure out something to give you tips on." This said as she winks to the white feline before eyeing the dead zebra and smirks. "Hey.. alright I guess I will if you do all the talking then." This said to Waset as she stands, stretching and turns moving on over to the kill. "Better I get all dirty again." She rumbles out with a playful tone as she steps about the kill and makes sure not to block the three youngesters while she goes to take hold of the zebra by the throat all proper like! Almasi grins and wiggles her tail some while she listions to her mother before peering over at Dhoruba to watch curiously.

Nyala tilts her head, watching Dhoruba carefully, hoping she won't let her mother and sisters down.

Waset makes sure to stand out of the way, so that the young females all have a clear view. "You see how Dhoruba keeps her jaws clamped on the throat, up close to the head? That's the ideal position, although it isn't always easy to get. But anywhere you can grasp along the throat will do the trick good enough." And a light chuff to Dhoruba signals her thanks, and that she can stop with the demonstration. "Now, it looks easy, but keep in mind you're usually running around, getting tired and out of breath.. an no self-respecting prey beast is just going to /let/ you chomp down on its throat." This is said with a slight smirk. "Ally.. what do you think you need to watch out for, when you're trying to get in position to bring down an animal with this hold?" Sundali's ears fold back slightly. Geez, now that they talk about it, hunting really does sound like it's harder than it looks. Softly, so that her voice doesn't carry any further than Nyala and Almasi, she murmurs, "Gee, this hunting stuff sure is looking tough, aye?"

Dhoruba keeps hold of the zebra throat to show how its done, an she lets go once she hears Waset and licks across her maw while her tail sways about as she settles down to her haunches and listions. She's rather glad that Waset is here to go all the talking because she really isn't that great, specially when it comes to actually /teaching/ something to someone. Almasi ehs softly as she watches and listions to what is said. She's seen her mother an the others hunt plenty of times, she doesn't remember them paying attention to all stuff like this. A faint nod is offered to Sunny before she blinks and peers at her mother as she nears missed the questions. Her eyes dart around the rather dead foal and they soon rest on its hooves. "What about the hooves?"

Nodding her head in response to Sundali's words, Nyala grins inwardly and was glad her mother had asked her an easy question. Still, after watching the demonstration, she was a bit aprehensive. Things often looked tougher when watching than doing, she found.

Pfft. Just for that thought, Waset should make Dhoruba teach the next lesson! Waset hopes it's not obvious, but teaching the adolescent females has had her nervous for quite a while. Teaching always seemed more like a /Msasi/ thing. Even Takiyah or Tisea would be more preferable, in Waset's opinion. They're.. older. More experienced. Waset may not be a horrible huntress anymore, but she feels hardly qualified to be /teaching/. Waset settles back onto her own haunches alongside Dhoruba, glad at least for the company of her pridesister, before smiling to Almasi. "Yes, very good. Almost every prey beast we go after use their hooves as a means of defense. Now, these may not look like much..." She lifts a forepaw to gently nudge one of the foal's hooves. "But they can do more damage than you would imagine. And you're in even more trouble when you get into larger or more mature animals. Lionesses have died from having their heads crushed by hooves." Sundali's ears fold back completely how, and she scoots closer to her two teenage companions. Crushed to death? Suddenly, hunting doesn't sound like all that much fun anymore. "Have.. have you ever seen someone die like that?" She asks, looking between Waset and Dhoruba, her tail twitching nervously. After sharing a glance with Dhoruba, Waset shakes her head. "I haven't. Not personally, anyway. But it just goes to show, hunting isn't a game, girls. It's serious. That's why training is so important. Dhoruba and I.. and the others.. will teach you everything we can to keep you safe. In fact, that's one of the reasons we lionesses hunt as a group most of the time, instead of individually." Now her gaze sweeps to include all three adolescents. "Can you guys think of any other reasons why hunting together might be better than hunting alone?"

Dhoruba tilts her head while peering at the girls curiously and turns slightly to show off some scars across her right shoulder and side. "Them was done by a water bufflo when I was about your age and I scared some impala into the water where a herd of them bruts happen to be.. So injuries will happen from time to time an you all have to remember to keep your wits about you. AN always make sure to know what other herd might be around before going hunting!" She got hurt back in Kivuli right after everything happened in Tyne and she was in a rather depressed state, though she was also hunting on her own. Almasi twitches at he talk of lionesses dying, the thought of hunting and then being dead never crossed her mind. She swallows and peers at Sundali then over at her sister before looking back to the adults an ums faintly.. "Cause.. its easier with more help?" Yes.. PERFECT answer..

Nyala hmms thoughtfully, "It's safer in numbers in case one of us is hurt, we can have the rest of the pride to save us from being trampled to death and help us return home in one piece." Was this the right answer? Maybe, maybe not, but after listening to the talk, it seems like a good response.

Sundali frowns thoughtfully. Hm. Almasi and Nyala said what she'd been going to say. She'll have to speak up quicker next time! "Um.. because if one lioness misses, there's still a chance that the others will get it, so more chances for success?" It seems like a good idea, in her mind.. but who knows. Sunny didn't expect all this hunting business to be as dangerous as it sounds. The white female's pale golden eyes widen as she studies Dhoruba's scars, and she shivers faintly. But all that information is filed away for future use. "Did it hurt?" She asks Dhoruba, her ears slowly cupping forward again. -- Waset smiles to Dhoruba, nodding her thanks for the display of the scars. Very helpful to bringing the point home. Waset has massive scars herself on her left side.. but as they weren't obtained hunting, there is no need to be launching into explanation about them. The barbary's gaze slips between each girl as she answers, and once Sunny has answered, Waset smiles at them. "Very good, all of you! Yes, hunting together IS easier, Ally. The more lionesses, the better the chances, and the larger the prey we can go after. I would NEVER go after a buffalo with only a lioness or two.. but get a whole hunting party together, and a single buffalo could feed the pride for a while." Waset smiles to her daughter, then looks to Sundali. "That's right, Sunny. Hunting is hard. On your own, you might not even get something half the times you go out. With more lionesses, you better your chances of actually getting something. Which is good since the males do not eat unless we bring them the food." She pauses here to smirk at the younger females. "And males are really whiny little things when they're hungry." Lastly, Waset's attention turns to Nyala, and she smiles again. "Right, Nyala! Safety in numbers. If you anger a mother buffalo on your own, she won't waste any time trying to trample you to death. If you're injured but have your pridesisters there to help you, you stand a better chance of getting out of there alive, if only injured." Now Waset sits back, looking silently between the three young females.. and casting a quick glance at Dhoruba. "Now, girls, there is something you need to know about a hunting party. It's /more/ than just a bunch of lionesses going out to hunt. We're a sisterhood." Inwardly, Waset almost laughs. She can very clearly recall Msasi's speech on this very subject.. though the old hunt mistress was much more passionate about it than Waset is being, even though the barbary is quite serious. "The other lionesses are not only your lifeline, but your dearest companions and closest confidantes. We share many things together, more than simple gossip. When I was learning to hunt, I was told that the hunting party is the backbone of a pride. With no lionesses, there is no pride. And the closer those lionesses are, the closer-knit the pride is as a whole." Each adolescent receives a long look in the eyes. "From this moment on, everything that goes on in hunting practice.. and later, the hunting party.. /stays/ in the hunting party. Your pridesisters will need to know they can trust you with their secrets.. and in return, they'll keep your secrets near and dear to their hearts. Your pridesisters are the ones who you will share everything with.. even more than you'll ever share with your mate, should you take one. I know I share more with Dhoruba and the others than I do with Elimnyama. Not that I don't trust him.. I do, and I love him dearly.. but this is vital to a pride that lionesses trust each other so. For now, you are just trainees.. you won't be considered a true lioness.. an adult.. or a pridesister.. until you make your first true kill. But even those in training are expected to hold to the laws of the hunting party. Is this understood?"

"Hurt like he.. heck it hurt like heck." Dhoruba says with a sly grin, she is at times rather tom boyish with the way she acts and talks now an't she? "You all listion to Waset, to hunt large enough prey to feed the whole pride we must all work with one another. Because getting up to hunt everyday can be a real work on the body and when you are tired you tend to make more mistakes, an any small mistakes could get you killed or someone in the hunting party killed." Well its the truth. Almasi gulps as she hears this and makes it a point o never go after anything big on her own that's for sure. Dhoruba humms and grins whilenodding to Waset. "So true.." Oh what she could say could make the kids ears burn for sure! "So if a pridesister tells you something as a secret you /have/ to keep it.." Almasi blinks and peers at her mother. "You keep things from /dad/?"

Nyala nods her head, listening and taking it all in. There was one thing she knew how to do well and that was to keep a secret.

A glance to Dhoruba, and Waset nods, giving her pridesister a grin. A very good point to bring up.. maybe Dhoruba /shuold/ teach more! Hunting can really tire a lioness out. But it's something that must be done. A lioness should just learn her own limits, and know if she will be more a danger than a help on the hunt. Another glance to Dhoruba, a more devious grin. Yes, there is certaintly always interesting chit chat amongst the lionesses on the hunting party. Waset, who once considered heading out of Tyne to live on her own, now cannot imagine life without pridesisters to talk with. It would be so /dull/! But the question from Almasi sobers Waset a bit, and she bites the inside of her cheek a bit, trying to figure how best to continue. "Well.. yes," She begins, slowly. Honesty is the best policy here, and she /was/ just pointing out how lionesses on the hunting party share with each other. "I know that sounds horrible to say. It's nothing against your father. He's a wonderful lion and the most loving mate I could ever have hoped to have. And, if I - or /any/ of the huntresses, for that matter - learned something that would put the safety of the pride at risk, of course I would go to him, or Uncle Aitan, or any of the guards in a position to do something about it, immediately." She pauses, thinking a moment. "But.. lioness talk. That we all keep to ourselves. Things I'm sure males aren't interested in anyway. Things that lionesses.. especially young lionesses like yourselves.. should know. Sometimes we share funny stories, or jokes. It..." Waset pauses again, glancing at Dhoruba. A little help here? "..it strengthens the bond between us lionesses, knowing that there are things we share with each other that we don't allow the males to be privy to..." Sundali listens to the explanations, the faintest of smirks appearing on her pale muzzle. "I changed my mind," She whispers, leaning closer to Nyala and Almasi so that they can hear her. "This hunting party stuff is sounding interesting again..." Of course, not sharing sounds a little hard, since her two best friends are /males/. But.. this could be a chance to get to know the other lionesses.. especially Nyala and Almasi, who are her age.. better. Sunny hasn't really ever had friends of her own gender. Could be fun! )

Almasi grins a bit and nods to Sundali before peering at her mother an ohs some. "Guess that makes sense.." Not like she tells her brother's everything, or her cousin's for that matter. That would just be strange! Dhoruba chuckles and grins at Waset. "Trust us girls.. There are some interesting things we talk about.. When your /older/." The lioness says with a teasing tone.

Nyala smiles as she nods to Sundali's whisper, this part certainly sounds like fun. Not being able to tell Kione anything didn't seem to bother her much, though he was the only friend she had.

[Msasi]

Waset grins at Dhoruba, but remains otherwise silent on the issue for now. The girls will learn as they become more ingrained in the hunting party.. and when they are finally honored as pridesisters. That is something that Waset, though sad that her babies are growing up, is excited about. To laugh and joke and hunt with her daughters, not as her offspring, but as her pridesisters.. that will be a most awesome thing. "Alright girls," She says. "Dhoruba and I have to get going, as we have a hunt to go on. But, I want you girls to practice your stalking. Try seeing if you can sneak up on each other." And she smirks, trying to forstall any protests. "Yes, I know stalking seems like cub's play.. but you'll see soon how important it really is." Stepping forward, she clears her throat. "Now, what I'm going to show you now.. though only basic.. is a hunting party secret. For lioness ears only. This is a formation I want you to memorize, as we use it quite a lot when hunting together. It's called the Crescent Formation." And, in the dirt, Waset draws a wide 'u' shape.. like a bowl, or a crescent moon tipped on it's back. "On either edge," She says, pointing out the two ends. "Are the positions called the 'point' position. There are two, though sometimes three or four lionesses in this position, depending on the prey. Everything else here..." And her paw indicates the rest of the shape. "..are the sweep positions, or sweepers. You'll learn about pointers and sweepers in the next lesson.. but for now, memorize this. It's important." A step back, and Waset looks to them all. "Think you can handle that for now? Stalking practice, and memorizing this." Sundali, who listened with keen interest, nods. "I think so. I suppose if we get it wrong, you guys will just spend more time beating it into our heads..." The white female looks to her two fellow adolescents. "I'm a better /pouncer/ than a /stalker/.. but I bet I'm better than either of you!" It's said in a manner of a friendly challenge.. to break the ice a bit, and start to settle in and get to know Almasi and Nyala better.

Watching her mother draw the Formation in the dirt brought it all together for Nyala... one day she would be a Huntress. Slowly she nods her head, "I only hope I can be half as good as you are, mom."

Dhoruba just grins as she listions to Waset, a ear perking as she eyes the ground an ohs to herself, ya that one.. She remebered it really. Normally she just went to what ever spot was empty half the time *cough*. A glance is offered to Sundali and she chuckles. "You got spirit kid.. Your gona need that trying to stalk around here and standing out like me." This said as she winks to the younger feline as she turns and starts to slip off. "Come on Waset.. If we don't hurry up Eli will be out looking for us and he might start eatting rocks for all we know." She says all in a teasing tone as she moves into the grasses. Almasi awws faintly at the talk of stalking and eyes the drawing in the dirt. "The cresent formation.. I won't forget!" She says with a smile and blinks while peering over at Sundali and huffs while hopping up onto her paws. "Bet I can out stalk you any day!" She looks to her sister and grins. "Come on Nyala.. let show 'er."

Aww.. mommy-heart-melt-moment. Waset smiles to Nyala, and steps forward to nuzzle her daughter warmly. "You will, dear. Better, even. All of you." An ear tilts back to Dhoruba, and Waset laughs. Yeah, that sounds like her darling mate, all right. "Coming, Dhoruba." Nuzzles are now offered to all three adolescents, before Waset turns to trot after her pridesister. Duty calls! -- Sundali grins to the other two adolescents. "All right, you guys are /on/!" And so it begins. Hunting training should be quite interesting indeed.

[lutalo]

Dhoruba as a teacher is rather scarey XD