Restless Wanderer (Private: Arbarano and Azdgari)

[Arbarano]

“Yes, I suppose you could call me that,” Ni replied with a little shrug, “but you quickly learn that it’s the only real way to survive out here.”

Hiding the wince that sparked from his limbs as he lay down, and quelling the momentary thought that he had left this journey just a tad too late, he continued. “Once you’ve been a rogue for a few years, you’ll notice something; there are some old rogues, and there are quite a few aggressive ones, but not many fit both of those descriptions.” His lips curled in a small smile, as he remembered the day he heard that little nugget.

[Azdgari]

"Well, I'll hope that little nugget is false if we ever get into a fight, Kopa muttered. "How long have you been a rogue?" Kopa considered for a moment. "...If you don't mind my asking?"

[Arbarano]

“Not at all,” Ni began, happy that Kopa seemed to have finally mellowed a little. He quickly racked his brain for the answer. “Well, I was about three when I left my pride, so…around six years, I’d say.”

[Azdgari]

That's a lot of years, Kopa balked. Six years? Ni had been a wanderer longer than Kopa had been alive. Kopa considered asking why he had left his pride, but he reconsidered. Partly because it could be too soon, and partly because Kopa really didn't feel like having a heart to heart at the moment. He kept his silence and turned over, resigning himself to sleep.

[Arbarano]

Ni considered answering “Yes, it is when you think about it,” but he managed to stop himself when he saw Kopa turn away. He could see that it wasn’t in anger, and this was confirmed when the young lion’s breathing slowed and deepened.

The cream lion gave a slight sigh, before plopping his head onto his forepaws. He was surprised at how suddenly the wave of tiredness came, but it had been a particularly long day. It was almost unbelievable at how quickly things had changed for him, from his sedentary life by the waterhole, to travelling with a lion he barely knew but was starting to grow on him. Slowly.

With one last look at his companion, who was now well and truly deep in slumber, the elder rogue briefly pushed his chin against his forepaws and let his eyelids come together.

[Azdgari]

[It would probably be better for you to start this day, Kopa will probably oversleep. xP]

[Arbarano]

The next thing he knew, Ni’s eyes felt very sore. Partly because of natural grogginess, but mostly due to the bright light of the morning. After a few blinks, the elder rogue’s vision cleared, and he tilted his head upward. The healthy growth of acacias prevented him from seeing much of the sky, but judging by it’s slightly orange tint, and by the coolness of the air around him, it was still fairly early in the morning.

This wasn’t the only thing he noticed, as a dull, almost angry spasm ripped across his midriff, and a forepaw snapped to it instinctively. When had he last eaten?

Three days was the answer. Even with the kills at his oasis growing scarcer in the past few weeks, it had been a fair while since he had gone that long between meals. No wonder he was having difficulty shaking this tiredness off.

Still laying down, Ni looked across to his companion. Kopa was still lying in the same spot, his chest rising and falling in the same slow rhythm, though the peace of the clearing was slightly spoiled by the young lion’s snores. It was a wonder Ni had slept this long through that, and he had to fight back a smile at the contrast between the peaceful rogue now and his fully-awake self.

However, the fact that Kopa was still asleep, despite his apparently ruthless background, left Ni with something of dilemma. Should he go hunting now? It didn’t take long for the answer to form, which was neatly summarised by another rumble in his stomach; a resounding yes!

Given how much travelling they had done the day before, and how worn-out Kopa seemed in general, it was likely that he would still be asleep by the time Ni got back after his hunt; he wasn’t planning on going too far, after all. Besides, even if he did wake up, Kopa’s mind seemed pretty sharp alongside his tongue, and he could probably work it out for himself where Ni had gone to.

Satisfied with this, Ni rose to his paws, extending each limb to its fullest as he did so to rid them of their lingering aches and tiredness. A routine with his neck later, during which he was sure he heard a slight pop, the elder lion began to make his way out of the trees.

Given how long it took them the previous night to reach the clearing, and how secluded it seemed in the heart of the grove, it was a surprisingly short time before Ni set paw on open savannah again. Tilting his head from side to side, he could just about make out the edges of the tree cluster in each direction. With the likelihood of there being other creatures in the trees now evaporated, the lion set out further into the grasslands.

His body barely above the grasses, his legs moving swiftly yet softly, Ni searched for his prey. He was careful, despite his building desire to eat, to keep his breathing gentle. That way, scents would simply waft into his nostrils at their own pace, and distances could be made out much more easily than a sharp sniff would allow. He had to rely on his sense of smell and also his strength; his rather prodigious mane would ruin any chance of stealth being included in his arsenal, and had cost him meals several times in the past.

Suddenly, the air carried a familiar smell. As he moved closer to its apparent source, and its presence grew thicker in his nose, it identified itself as an antelope. One not too far away. One that was alone.

Silently, Ni swept through across the ground, his gaze firmly set on the direction his nose pointed, seeking out his new prey. As he almost crested a small lip, Ni spotted the lone ungulate and instantly crouched as low as possible. For a short while, his red gaze followed the herbivore as it innocently grazed down below, utterly oblivious of the large predator nearby.

Perfect.

A quick shuffle back gave him some room to work with without being spotted. Preparing his muscles for the upcoming attack, Ni crept forward. The momentary creak of his joints gave him an instant of pain, though the sudden rush of adrenaline silenced this as he leapt over the rise, bounding towards the antelope at terrific speed. He had halved the distance between them before it turned around at the source of nois, and stared directly at him.

This gave the herbivore a moment’s head-start, and its hooves threw up great plumes of dust from the dry earth, that would have burned his eyes at any other time. But now, there was only the antelope. Nothing could stop him now, as he took a leap at the beast, claws unsheathed and jaw opened, both aiming for its neck…

[Azdgari]

Kopa licked his chops. Somewhere in his head, very bad news for a tender, tasty antelope had been very, very good news for Kopa's stomach. Suddenly the world began to blur around him. Oh, nononono! Kopa exclaimed. No, just one--. The sunlight shining pointedly down at his eyes drew him kicking and screaming from his dream. "...bite, he finished lamely as he picked himself up off the ground.

With a prodigious yawn, he arched his back and shook the sleepiness from his coat. A look upwards reassured him he had overslept. Naturally. Shaking his head in frustration, he glanced around without much hope. Nope, Ni was already gone. Great, Kopa thought. One day in and he's already got a foreleg up on me. With a huff, Kopa set out of the campsite to find some prey. He wasn't going to be outdone by Ni this quickly. Catching sight of a set of antelope tracks, he allowed himself a primal grin.

[Arbarano]

Allowing his mind to clear of its predatory haze, Ni stood by the side of his kill. Blood was spattered across the forelegs that had sliced almost effortlessly through the antelope’s neck, and scarlet was still seeping out of the ungulate’s throat as its rattling breaths finally ceased. His own breathing returned to normal levels, Ni looked over his prey.

It was particularly fine specimen, if he didn’t say so himself. Admittedly, one of its hind legs looked quite straggly, and there seemed to be a network of nearly-healed wounds spanning its muscular, tan-pelted haunches. Evidently it had already survived one lion attack. This and the glassy, petrified stare of its perpetually open eyes almost made Ni feel sorry for the herbivore.

Almost.

He was still a predator, and he still required a meal.

The extent of this requirement hit him when he ran his tongue along his forepaw, clearing the blood away before it clogged in his fur. The heavenly, savoury aroma flooded his nostrils and Ni felt his hunger roar within him.

Fresh, delicious meat was so close, he had to have just a taste.

But he couldn’t. For all he knew, Kopa was still asleep in the clearing, and was easily as hungry as he was, if not more-so. Calming his desires, Ni sat patiently while the flow of scarlet from the antelope’s neck dribbled away to nothing, keeping his eyes peeled for any scavenger wanting to wrest his hard-won meat from him. This done, he grabbed the beast’s nape, and a fresh wave of craving appeared as the fragrance wafted into his nose once again. This time, however, he kept control. Careful to avoid spearing himself with the awkwardly-shaped horns that sprouted from the kill’s head, his began to traipse back to the clearing.

[Azdgari]

Mmm... so, so good, Kopa thought, savoring the taste of the tender antelope meat. After a day and a half's fast, it was an ambrosial experience. Blood trickled down from his mouth, sullying his mane an incriminating shade of crimson. It was the shade of victory, of a predator's success over its prey. Kopa continued to gorge himself for a few more minutes before lifting his head from the kill reluctantly. That should tide me over, he thought as he clamped his jaws around the misfortunate antelope's neck and beginning to lug it back to camp.

I wonder what Ni brought back... Kopa's mind wandered off, conjuring up outlandishly improbable kills for Ni to have caught: a wildebeest, an elephant, an entire pack of gazelle. Who knows how the lion would try to one up Kopa next? He shook his head to clear his mind of such thoughts. Not this time, he assured himself as he neared the campsite. The sun was just inching past the midday point in the sky, and the breeze gingerly swept through his coat. With a confident smile, he stepped back into the camp.