While Wolfbron wasn't exactly an enemy of the Brook, Raizel merely thought that Cassandra respected the Leaders of the Bluffs. She wasn't the type to pick fights on purpose, but she was willing to protect herself and her friends. Pink gaze looked at the tiger before shaking her head. No, I'm just the Lead Hunter. I patrol and upkeep the caches in and around the Brook. With the pride being as large as it was, she couldn't keep the caches solely within the territory. That would be too many holes so she had to expand some of her caches around the Brook into the Grove. Though she did patrol the pride borders as well to keep up on keeping an eye on things going on around.

@Leila

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Lead Hunter, eh? Leila’s head tilted in interest, relaxing a little. “Oh!” she said eagerly, “I’m a hunter too! I keep the bluff’s cache’s tidy and full. But- I can’t have a rank because, y’know. Not a lion.” But she had led plenty of hunts in the time she’d been there - at least five successful ones so far.

“What’s your favourite thing to hunt?” she now is overflowing with questions, her special interest topic accidentally piqued. “I like antelope, because I collect their horns.” And pelts, but Leila thought the horns were more impressive. And interesting-looking.

@Raizel

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As the tiger perked up and seemed interested to the fact that the pink lioness was a hunter, @Leila piped up that she hunted too. It was pretty interesting to Raizel that she couldn't hold a rank because she wasn't a lion but thought not much else about it. Maybe it was a thing done here. Then at the question, the lioness smiled. My specialty is giraffe calf. Though, I have taken down rhinos and elephants. I once took back an elephant trunk from a hunt for the cubs to play with and practice on. That hunt had been at the Shores and it would have been a lot to take back something heavy to the Brook. I've felled a few of those but never thought of keeping the horns. Pelts she had kept to help line her den mostly.

SUBMASTER: AMBASSADOR
+5 Learn a character’s full name and rank (Leila, no rank)

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Leila listened patiently, intrigued by @Raizel’s mention of… a specialty? Leila didn’t consider herself a particularly adept hunter of a type of beast, instead focusing on the general fun of the hunt and what the pride preferred. “That’s very thoughtful of you.” she mused with a nod. Until recently the bluffs had not had many cubs to speak of… and in truth Leila was a little nervous of them. They were so small, and seemed so fragile.

“I’ve hunted elephant too! And rhino- though only young rhinos. They’re scary things! So tough.” Those few large autumn hunts had helped her easily fill the bluff’s resources, and kept them fed for a long while. But she had been both exhilarated and terrified. Perhaps not an experience she would dive into quickly again.

“The horns are great for your teeth.” The tigress supplied after a moment of thought. “And just for decoration.” She had no preference of which, but some were unique enough to leave as true trophies, rather than a toothpick waiting to happen.

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The pink lioness listened to the tiger as she seemed excited about the harder hunts. As a pride, we've hunted pairs of rhinos with ease. Thankfully, we have several of us Master Rangers to help supply the pride with food. The Brook pride was huge and with many new cubs now eating meat or just starting to, the need for the many hunts were important. As @Leila talked about the uses for the horns, Raizel nodded slowly. Elephant tusks and rhino horns are the same way. Did you ever hunt those big hairy elephants? That was an adventure in itself. The Master Ranger thought back to those days. She had never seen those creatures before and they never appeared again.

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“That’s very impressive.” She hums with a twitch of her ear, a little wistful.

“I think I’m the most skilled ranger at the bluffs.” Leila said, unable to resist the urge to boast. Though she had hardly mastered her trade. Not yet. That being said, Leila thought the bluffs got on very well despite the lack of a master ranger. There hadn’t been a pride hunt they’d failed yet, and she’d been here going on a good half a year. Possibly more.

She focused once more as @Raizel mentioned… a hairy elephant? “…What?” the tigress echoed with a puzzled look, “I’ve never seen anything like that before, no.” Elephants had hair, she knew well from the calves she’d hunted last autumn. But noticeably hairy ones? How unusual! “Where can they be found?” she queried eagerly, ears pricking.

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Nodding slowly at @Leila, she smiled slightly. Well, I'm glad that you are able to help out with your skills! The Brook was also a large pride but they had plenty of skilled hunters, many who occupied the hunts that she called. Thankfully. Eisa was also a Master Ranger, which helped when they were hunting larger prey.

At the puzzling look and the question that came with it, she nodded slowly again. It was so strange. There were several in different areas on the island last spring. But I haven't seen them since. I don't know where they came from. She could remember the hunt in the back of her mind. The memories of the hairy beasts and how they were taken down.

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Leila tried to picture the beast the Vermedan huntress had described. Elephants were huge, menacing things - especially the adults. In this bitter weather, she thoughts a hairy one would do far better than their grey-skinned counterparts she was familiar with.

“That’s very unusual,” she mused with a slow and musing nod. “Did they taste any different? To normal elephants, I mean.” Questions aplenty were buzzing in her mind. Did they have tusks? Where had they come from? Perhaps it had been a odd species wandered into the isle - just like many travellers - only to be hunted to extinction? She blinks, fixing warm brown gaze upon @Raizel.

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While the Brook's Lead Hunter had helped take down the gray-skinned elephants during several other hunts, it was the mammoths that had her puzzled. Why had they only appeared that one time and then never again? At the question, she bobbed her head slightly side to side. There is slight difference but it's been a while to be honest. I've done so many hunts that the taste of the hairy elephants is just a floating memory. A shame too. She would have loved to bring down another one for the Brook to share together. But that would likely never happen again in her lifetime.

@Leila

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@Raizel

A mystery, it was. Leila wished she could have seen them. With on odd amalgamations of the wiry-coated goats and elephants she’d hunted before running through her mind, she sighed wistfully.

“Thank you for telling me of them.” Leila bobbed her head gratefully. “I will keep an eye out for them.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement and intrigue, and she scanned the forest thoughtfully.

“Well, I should get back to hunting.” the tigress finally sighs, and dips her head a final time in farewell. “Have a lovely rest of your day, mm?”

And with that she excused herself, heading to more open pastures where she hoped to catch a scent - and bring something tasty back for Dragos.

/exit Leila

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