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Post by wahots on Apr 15, 2007 12:57:37 GMT -6
:: Ibalo glanced over as she spoke, her roar barely penetrating through the sound of the wind, the rain and the thunder. He blinked at her and the looked ahead, his eyes easily looking through the darkness, at the bushes ahead. He nodded, and allowed speed to kick in, pushing his muscles harder and faster towards the makeshift shelter. He made sure that Lothril was inside the bunch first before entering himself. He glanced down at himself as he sat down, his body caked with muck and mud. He looked over at Lothril, and nuzzled her before coaxing her to lie down...it was going to be a long night.
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Post by Lassiel on Apr 15, 2007 13:50:51 GMT -6
Lothril shook herself before laying down next to him on the short grass. Looking over at Ibalo, she smirked slightly. He was so covered with muck that it was almost difficult to see what his true color was, and she had no doubt that she looked the same. Leaning closer, she carefully began working clumps of mud out of his fur with her teeth. It was a futile effort really, but it comforted her as it continued to thunder outside. The rain was coming down in sheets now, hopelessly obscuring her view even a few feet away from the bushes. She sighed, stretching out beside him. It shouldn't last for too long--these storms rarely do.
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Post by wahots on Apr 15, 2007 17:57:41 GMT -6
:: Ibalo knew that her grooming would do no good, but it felt really nice so he wasn't about to stop her. As she lay down and stretched out, he too layed down, and rested his large head on her back, placing a muddy paw on her back beside his head. He knew it would make her even more dirty, but he planned to clean her up as soon as the storm was done. His eyes drooped slightly, he wasn't tired but her presance and the storm had completely relaxed him. His ears remained alert though, pivoting atop his head to maintain his radar. Between crashes of thunder he spoke to her. <b>Well thats good..</b> He nuzzled her back before resuming to rest his head on her back, while the wind picked up considerably.
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Post by Lassiel on Apr 15, 2007 19:24:31 GMT -6
The heavy, warm feel of his head and paw calmed her despite the storm. When she was young she had enjoyed the freedom that came with being alone, but she had forgotten how nice it was to have companionship. For the first time in awhile, she was able to relax, knowing that he was watching over them both. She flexed her claws, and the dried mud on her paws cracked at the movement. Absentmindedly, she wondered how the other animals in the land were doing--more importantly, the prey. Perhaps she and Ibalo would be lucky enough to find some that were wounded or stuck in the mud tomorrow. She hadn't eaten in a day or two and was beginning to grow hungry.
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Post by wahots on Apr 15, 2007 19:29:59 GMT -6
:: True to her word, the storm began to move on as quickly as it had moved in. And just in time too, the bushes were beginning to give way and water was dripping along his body from the leaves. He stood up slowly with a bit of difficulty; the mud had caused his limbs to dry in that pose and he had to crack it to be able to move anywhere. He lowered his head to begin to groom Lothril so she wouldn't have the same problem. He was hoping for similiar luck, that something had been too imature to note the oncoming storm...and was sitting in a pile of muck. After hunting perhaps they could relax, something he hadn't done a whole lot of since coming here. He pressed his head into her side to nuzzle her, and then turned and emerged from the bushes...immediately stepping into a deep puddle once more. Perfect.
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Post by Lassiel on Apr 15, 2007 20:14:05 GMT -6
Lothril smiled when his rough tongue swept over her, taking the mud away. She nuzzled him in return and then waited for him to leave the bushes. A splash came from outside and squeezing between the bushes and him, she looked to see what it was. For a moment, she just stood there, then she snorted before it turned to full blown laughter. After quieting to a few chuckles, she crept around the puddle, avoiding the water. She tilted her head, looking at his newly mud-splattered form, before turning and leading him toward the driest spot she could find.Come here. Let me help you get that off.
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Post by wahots on Apr 15, 2007 20:20:29 GMT -6
:: Ibalo didn't deal well with being made a fool of, but who could he punish but himself. It was he who hadn't looked before he had stepped out of those bushes. He followed her, a bit shamefully towards drier land and stood while she made his coat gleam again. A deep purr began to be heard by them both; and he eventually resumed grooming her. Not like she needed it at this point, but that didn't stop him at all. He placed a paw on her back again and closed his eyes as he lapped at her neck. Once he considered himself satisfied, he lowered his body to the ground with a soft grunt, and rolled to his side...so happy to be on dry land.
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Post by Lassiel on Apr 15, 2007 21:06:17 GMT -6
Her optics closed as he groomed her and she arched her neck against him. Opening them when he stopped, she eyed the lion as he laid down, exposing the soft fur on his stomach. He was obviously happy to no longer be surrounded by mud and water...but that would soon change. Her stomach was reminding her of its current lack of food and she began to listen intently for any sounds of prey nearby.
She bent down, rubbing against his head. What do you say about trying to find some prey? Now would be a good time. Everything is still recovering from the storm. Then with a spine-popping stretch, she took off at a quick trot, leading the way. No matter how strong Ibalo was, it was the lionesses that did most of the hunting and she fell into the role easily. Her ears flicked constantly as they loped carefully along, trying to avoid the deep water.
Lothril halted when the scent of buffalo greeted her and her ears rotated as she searched for them. She nudged Ibalo, alerting him in case he had missed it, and then took off toward the center of the marshlands.
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Post by wahots on Apr 15, 2007 21:14:07 GMT -6
:: Ibalo knew that when it came to hunting, lionesses took the lead...and he was more than happy to let her do most of the work. He was the typical male when it came to being lazy in terms of food. He got up with a grunt, wanting nothing more than to sit and do nothing after the crazy afternoon. Hauling his mass up, he shook himself, afterall, he was hungry. He took off at a slow trot after her, his blood taking a while to fully get to his appengages. He sped up to a run as a buffalo came into view, it was bleating for help from the herd that had abandoned it. And just like Lothril had predicted it was up to it's knees in the mud, stuck and alone. He waited for Lothril to make the first move, and then he'd come in to help take it down.
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Post by Lassiel on Apr 15, 2007 21:58:08 GMT -6
Lothril watched the buffalo carefully, working out which way would be the best to attack. The herd was far enough away that she could take her time and not rush in too fast. The buffalo struggled, but its movements were weak. It was obvious that it had been here some time. She stalked nearer, approaching from its side to avoid the hooves if it pulled free from the muck. Unlikely, but it was best to be on the safe side.
As she came closer, carefully so as to avoid getting in the same situation, the prey began to bleat helplessy, making her blood pound faster through her veins. This was it. She broke into a sprint and with a sudden burst of power, she launched herself onto the beast's back. Sharp claws dug into thick hide and fangs clamped down. The buffalo tossed its head and tried to dislodge her, but she hung on. She was not strong enough to pull it down and deliver the killing bite on her own though, and she waited for Ibalo to join in the kill.
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Post by wahots on Apr 16, 2007 14:53:02 GMT -6
:: Ibalo watched as Lothril went to work, and held his breath as she sprung onto the back of the buffalo. At this point, he was sure he'd only present an obstacle to her, but he ran forward anyway. He circled the buffalo, before moving infront of the beast, and with a snarl moved the attention of the buffalo from Lothril to him. He made little jumps toward the prey, nothing to inflict any damage but enough the keep attention focused on him and not on the lioness that was going to deliver the final blow.
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Post by Lassiel on Apr 16, 2007 17:13:29 GMT -6
Lothril was too busy with the buffalo to know what exactly Ibalo was doing, but the movements it was now making were enough to tell her that its attention was no longer on her. It would only last for so long though, and now was her chance to deliver the killing bite. A low growl was the only warning before she latched onto its neck. In a split second, her powerful jaw closed on top of the spinal cord and crushed it. She stayed attached to the buffalo even as it sank to the ground and only when it lay still did she let go.
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Post by wahots on Apr 17, 2007 14:51:12 GMT -6
:: Ibalo kept his eyes firmly fixed on the gaze of the buffalo until it sank to it's knees and gave the final bleat. He glanced up at Lothril as he stood up, a splash of mud having landed a few inches from his paws...the result of the buffalo falling over. He was quite impressed by her hunting skills to be sure. He waited for her to let go, before placing his front paws on the carcass so he could begin to dig into their meal. He smiled at Lothril, Nicely done. With that, he quickly began to eat, knowing scavangers could already be on their way, and he wanted to eat in peace while he could. Teeth tore through muscle, as his muzzle took on a bloodstained tint.
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Post by Lassiel on Apr 17, 2007 20:05:26 GMT -6
Her fangs already stained with blood from the bite, Lothril gave a feral grin. Thanks. Crouching on the opposite side of the body, she buried her muzzle into the still warm meat and tore through quickly. She knew as well as Ibalo did what lingering around the carcass could mean. Every predator within hearing distance would have heard the buffalo's struggle, and it would not take long for them to converge upon the kill.
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Post by wahots on Apr 17, 2007 21:21:31 GMT -6
:: Ibalo ate until he felt his sides would explode, his muzzle a dark crismon red as he pulled a final piece out of the carcass and chewed on it, savoring this bite as much as the first. His breathing was slow and lathargic, and he glanced up over the heap of flesh to see how Lothril was. Not being able to see her face, he wandered around, as buzzards began circling up in the sky. He sidled up to her nudged her with his bloody muzzle, before slowly lapping the color away on both her side and his muzzle.
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