Claw had made it all the way to the watering hole in Celosia Fields when he decided there was no finding that herd of Elephants he so desperately set out to look for. It was a sad thing, and it dampened his own mood.

Yes

He should be proud of their accomplishment, having worked as a strong and impenetrable unit to take down such a massive beast.

True

It had strayed way too close to their borders, and with the newest little ones bounding around carelessly... it was a risk that they simply could not take.

Still, that elephant that had been slain at their border had been a calf at one time. It had a mother, a father... possibly siblings. An entire family herd might be waiting, wondering what had happened to their brother or son. The thought simply made Claw's heart hurt.

He sighed around the tusk that he held in his maw as he moved toward the water's edge for a quick drink. Gently placing the tusk in the mud nearby, he would crouch down and begin lapping up the clear liquid. His ears swiveled as he drank, eyes on the water's surface to watch for crocodiles while he listened to the Zebras and Gazelle nervously trot past him to give him a wide berth.

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Eventually he grew bored of the jungle, satisfied for the time being with all that he has learned during his time between the boughs. A crude satchel made of boarskin hangs from his thick neck, attached by a few carefully twisted vines that mingle within the multicolored hairs of his mane. Inside of it are a selection of herbs varying in use, some (the smaller bits and, of course, the poisons) wrapped in broad leaves, the harmless samples free so long as they wouldn't suffer damage as the bundle gently moves with his slow steps.

While sufficient for now, he knows that over time the components that make his bag will decay. He needs to find a base of operations, and damn his kin if they believe he'll return to the mountains. Despite being picky, though, he immediately finds these fields to be inadequate. Too flat and much too exposed for his liking, Odhgrimm is intent on merely passing through. Figuring that he will spare only a few days to take a cursory look around for useful plants, the lion has his nose to the air and his eyes on the golden scrub around him.

Slim pickings has him more interested than usual in the scent of a lion once he happens upon it. More aptly it's the additional scent alongside the stranger that draws Odhgrimm off of his trajectory, one that gives him a faint impression of prey. Did someone have a meal to share steal? Meandering closer, he also catches a whiff of water, and hums to think that he could have a drink after filling his gut. Perhaps this wasteland of grass wasn't so useless after all. Before long, he spies the brown male at the water's edge.

Non-aggressive is the roar that lifts from the Rike's panting jowls, but it is by no means quiet. It is offered before he can invade the other's space, before even the drum of his overly large paws might have been heard. The lion stops before he steps into the mud, position behind the other and off to one side a little. While Odhgrimm was no stranger to stealth attacks, he finds no need for it now that he has realized he hasn't smelled prey. Only what remains of it. "Impressive catch," he hums, eyes on the tusk left lying all alone in the mud between them.

@Claw

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Claw had been relatively at ease as he drank the cool water. The Crocodiles seemed lethargic indicating that they must have had quite a good meal within the last week or so. It was fortunate for him, and he took his time at the waters edge. Not long after he had deemed the crocodiles a non-threat, a loud announcement of approach sounded from the maw of another male lion.

Claw's head shot quickly from the water's surface to face the approaching stranger. He sized him up with an expression of both surprise and serious reservation. The male that approached was large and burly, draped in a dark pelt that contrasted with a pale white or cream in his mane. He carried a satchel, leading Claw to determine he may be either a medic or perhaps an assassin.

The lack of aggression in the stranger's voice, coupled with the fact that he stopped his approach a rather respectful distance away gave Claw a sense of general security. There was no immediate threat here, at least. His Magenta gaze slid down to the tusk when the man humms his comment in regards to the prize. Claw chuckled quietly, then turned his gaze back to the man.

"As much as I'd like to boast, I had quite a good deal of help from the rest of my pride. We live to the South... are - you familiar with the Cove?"

Claw recalled his encounter with Aquila... how he had taken offense when it was assumed he didn't know where Caladan Cove was located. Best not make that same mistake twice.

@Odhgrimm

image by moogle/code by saph

As could be expected, his voice causes quite the stir in the lion that he has approached, understandably slow. Odhgrimm's eyes flicker up from the tusk, finding the other's face and staying there. Those gaping jowls of his close slowly, and at his heels his dark tail tosses lazily. He wouldn't put it past this stranger to try to run him off, perhaps possessive over the item in question or even of the watering hole itself. There's a small tingle of anticipation in his blood as they linger there for a breath, for two, before the other male is releasing the tension with a chuckle and a glance away.

When those magenta eyes find again the the Rike's face, they'll find the grey's features imperceptibly softer, eyes half-mast and lips once again slackened so the warm lion can pant. "I am not," he replies, limbs easing forward to approach the edge of the water. Odhgrimm does not crowd the other's space, but there is no question in his intentions. "I have only just arrived here," he offers as an explanation. "I did not know that there are prides here," he lies easily, large body drooping to the ground as he crouches for a drink, ears angled toward the stranger off to his side.

@Claw

Assassin
+5 Tell a lie without being caught

ooc: so sorry for the huge wait!

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