[Private] Initial Rivals

[SnowyCheetah]

Snowy, already deathly hungry, nearly passed out when the huge lion made his dramatic and frightening appearance. He braced himself for a fight, though one which would be in vain, as Tanga forced him behind himself. Snowy's relief apparently wasn't shared by Tanga as the lion changed his attitude. After Tanga introduced himself, Snowy did the same. I am Snowy. You could say it's my fault we intruded your territory, so my apologies. The lion sat down and smiled just a little. You're both fine. he said, I don't care if you stay here. I was only worried you were some of those blasted Outlanders, coming over here to get back at me for leaving them.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga sighed in relief. "You really don't mind?" he asked, before managing to release a single laugh. "I know I'd rather not bother you...but that desert's killing us, Snowy particularly." He paused, then spoke again. "What's your name?"

But Tanga got a little distracted once more by the lion's mention of Outlanders. "Outlanders? Are you from somewhere else?" he asked, moving back to the river for another drink as he spoke...the desert heat always left him thirsty, but now that he knew he could stay in the jungle, he felt a little better, knowing things might just be looking up for the first time since his pride had exiled him.

[SnowyCheetah]

The lion smiled warmly as Tanga said the desert was killing them. Help yourselves to the food this jungle has to offer. There's plenty for us all. then Tanga asked about his origins. He hesitated, then spoke reluctantly. I... used to be one of the Outlanders. I left them and began a new life among the Pridelanders who graciously accepted me. But when my mate was killed in a rockslide I left that land and started yet another new life here, alone. he sighed. I've thought about going back, but...[/b]

[AustralianChaos]

"I'm sorry," Tanga said as the white lion talked about his past. He was curious as to who these Pridelanders and Outlanders were, but decided against it, seeing that the loss of his mate had been a blow for the lion, and was almost certainly an aspect of his past he did not want to discuss.

"I guess we've all had it rough, lately," he commented dryly, before his stomach gave a distinctive rumble, reminding him what he was doing before he had come across Snowy. "But anyway, I think I'll take up your offer of food." He made to leave to hunt something down, before turning back to the white lion and cheetah. "You two want to join me on a hunt?"

[SnowyCheetah]

I've just eaten, so you two can go on without me. Oh and forgive me, I believe I forgot to introduce myself. I am Dixon. the lion said, beginning to walk off. Happy hunting. he said as he walked off back into the trees, leaving behind huge pawprints.

Snowy sat down and watched closely as Dixon left. He was perhaps the biggest creature he'd ever laid eyes on. Wow Tanga, he's... big. Snowy said, forgetting his hunger for a bit.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga looked back at Snowy, managing a half-smile. "Yeah, he is...which makes me glad he's nice...I seriously thought I was going to die when he first showed up."

But his rumbling stomach reminded him of his need to hunt, and as Tanga took a few more steps into the jungle, he picked up the scent of an antelope, which appeared to have wandered off towards the grasslands bordering the desert. "You coming to get something to eat?" he asked, gesturing towards the small stretch of grassland visible between the trees. "I can smell something out there."

[SnowyCheetah]

Snowy's ears perked up when he heard the mention of food. Yes! he exclaimed, but quietly so as not to scare off whatever Tanga had smelt. Following Tanga to the forest, he tread lightly and quietly as thoughts of wonderful food went through his mind. He was a bit nervous to venture near the desert again, but he told himself it was alright. Not like he was going to end up stuck there again. What kind of prey they would find, though, Snowy didn't know. Surely, like water, it would be different from anything he'd ever seen living in the frigid mountains.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga walked out of the forest with Snowy, following the scent trail of what appeared to be a lone antelope. Tanga had no idea what a lone antelope was doing out here, but he wasn't about to complain.

Soon, his wanderings out in the sparse grasslands paid, off, as he caught sight of his prey, bending down to graze. He held a paw out in front of Snowy to stop him, before motioning towards the antelope. Ducking down low, and indicating for Snowy to do the same, he turned to his companion, whispering as softly as he could manage. "There it is...you want to get it, or should I?" he asked.

After their rather shaky start...Tanga was starting to like Snowy. The cheetah was unique, different from anything he had ever seen before, and once he had gotten over his grumpy, Tanga was finding that his company was quite pleasant...or at least, it was better than wandering the schorching hot desert alone, struggling to merely survive.

[SnowyCheetah]

Snowy bumped Tanga's paw lightly and took the cue to stop and duck. Hearing Tanga's question, he replied, Ehm... What is that thing? I've never seen one before. his suspicions about another new creature were confirmed. This weird-looking Hoover creature wasn't familiar, though tasty-looking to someone as hungry as Snowy was just then. He waited for Tanga's explanation, watching nervously the strange thing as it grazed.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga gave Snowy a perplexed look at the idea that he had never heard of an antelope before. Making a mental note to ask about Snowy's homeland later, he decided to run into a brief explanation. "It's called an antelope. The move about through this strange leaping movement most of the time, but they're everywhere across the grasslands. I honestly don't know too much else, except that they usually travel in groups, and that they are really tasty...at least to me, anyway." He offered Snowy a sheepish grin at that last comment.

With that, Tanga started to sneak forwards, staying low to the ground and using his paw pads to remain silent as he moved. "I'll get this one, since you don't know much about it yet," he advised, before moving on, using the sparse grass for cover as he moved closer, doing his best to stay downwind of his prey as he moved close and closer, occasionally looking back at Snowy every now and again.

Finally, Tanga figured he was close enough to the antelope. Doing his best to as quick and quiet as possible, Tanga stood up straight and went into a full-out sprint, aiming straight for the antelope's flank. The creature barely had time to react before Tanga leapt at it, wrapping his forelegs around its shoudlers and bringing his jaws down upon the creature's neck, ending it's life in one swift movement.

Rding the antelope as it collapsed lifelessly to the ground, Tanga rolled off it, before turning to Snowy, knowing he probably looked a little scary now, with his silver muzzle stained crimson from the antelope's blood. That did not stop him from grinning, however, as he called over to the cheetah. "Got it! Come on and dig in!"