He really needs to let go of being called a pet and a child, but he was stubborn like that. He’d have to either get over it soon or challenge Skjol to a dominance match. Not wanting to be seen as if he was just a push over he’d probably do the latter and challenge the man. Not now though. Now as he looked at @Rose with a fish in his mouth he listened to her words. He watched her waving and struggling with her footing. Looking at the shore for a moment to make sure it was clear he tossed the fish up upon it. His gaze then turned back to the lioness. "Here come stand where I am. There are stones here to grip your claws and toes around." Ushering her towards him he would wait until she was closer then he would move out of the way and wait. "Don’t let the waves bully you try to sway with them."

code by corvus & art by Rabbit

Her feet felt heavy, almost as if being dragged down by suction as she slowly and painstakingly made her way to where he indicated. The few moments it took her felt exaggeratedly long as she moved against the shallow water's strange currents, her heavy body trying to push her downward. Fortunately once she began to get her momentum she made it without much effort, paws instantly finding relief when she felt hard stone just beneath the sand. So that was his secret. she mused internally as understanding dawned on her. It wasn't so much how he was standing, but the fact that he knew where to stand. Ah, much better! she spoke with relief, squaring herself against the tides again and taking much a much more stable position. She moved to echo him, patiently waiting as her yellow eyes scanned the water's surface with keen interest waiting for a fish to swim near. She waited, and waited, and waited- a long moment of silence for the rarely silent lioness. Still now fish came her way, and to pass the time while she continued to wait she asked, So, @Milano lead hunter and master fisherman of Caladan Cove, tell me about yourself. Does your family hail from these lands? She asked, curious as to the rest of his story- who he was and where he came from, not just who he was at that moment.

art by rabbit + code by spu

Knowing where to stand helped greatly. He had plenty of practice in his craft but he had only gotten better with learning the good spots to stand like where there was large stones underneath the sand, and sturdy sandbars just under the surface. Watching as she had made her way he was ready to jump in and catch her should she had fallen and been sucked under bullied by the current. Thankfully she hadn’t or it didn’t seem like so. Still he moved to place himself near but not to close. Turning his body so that he was in front of her and blocked some of the waves. He used his body as a shield for her.

At her question he smiled again. "Yes and no." Pausing he thought of the best way to explain it. "My mother isn’t from this land by birth but travelled here and claims it as the home of the Huntsong family since Amaryllis is where the name was first earned after being gifted to her by a dear friend and old pride leader." He hinted that there was a story behind it but didn’t tell the story just yet. "I have siblings that where born here though I was born outside of Amaryllis."

@Rose

code by corvus & art by Rabbit

She continued to stare down at the water, so clear she could easily see her paws under her as she waited for an opportunity to strike. She noticed not without gratitude was the waves seemed to become a little gentler as they swept up around her paws. She hadn't asked him to shield her from the worst of the waves, and yet he had taken it upon himself to do so - a surprisingly gentlemanly move on his part. Her eyes widened as she looked up from the water at his words, You mother earned her surname in Amaryllis? She questioned, having picked up on the potential for a story straight away. Huntsong... hmm, was it some grand pray she managed to fell? She questioned before turning back to watch the water again. In her brief moment of distraction a fish had begun to swim tantalizingly close to her feet. Excitedly she shifted on her rocky perch, squaring her shoulders until she felt it was close enough and dipping her snapping jaws into the water - to come back up with nothing but a mouthful of saltwater and a scowl as she just missed. Blinking away the water that stung at her eyes she tried to focus again as she waited for an answer to her question. Bard +10 learn a pride or family's history (1/2)

art by rabbit + code by spu

She wanted to hear the story while looking for fish? Well he would happily tell it to her. Who knows maybe she will enjoy it and retell it to young aspiring hunters who will find inspiration from it. Clearing his throat he nodded at @Rose. "Yes! It was a bull elephant!" He said proudly. Swaying with the movement of the water as he shook his head throwing his dripping wet bangs out of his face and making them stick to the back of his neck with a small sticking thud. "The story goes that she was out hunting with her pride mates. At the time she lived in Wolfbron Bluffs but it was a different pride of lions that is found there now. Anyway she was out hunting leading the party with a party of five others I believe the story goes. They chased that thing down all across the bluffs and together they took it down as a team. It was afterwards that the current pride leader gave her, her last name as a reward for all her hard work. As my mother Arjana abandoned the name she was given at birth because her father, my grandfather was a tyrant and mad with power. So she stripped herself of the Blazedawn name." He explained his storytelling skills not that great but he gave all the facts about the story that he could remember.

RANGER;
+5 Tell a hunting story 1/2

code by corvus & art by Rabbit

She breathed deeply as she stared down at the waters, resisting the urge to wiggle her toes and tap her feet with impatience. She knew well enough that moving would only cause the fish to be weary of her, to flee before she came within range of them. She focused instead in the story that was now freely flowing from the lion she was quickly growing to consider friend. It took less time that she anticipated for a curious fish to swim towards her, nibbling at her paws and exploring into her fur. She took a deep breath before opening her jaws and plunging her head into the water, singing her sharp teeth directly into its flesh. When she brought her head back up out of the water she had a moderately sized fish dangling between her jaws. Pride shown in her eyes, but her ears were still fixed in @Milano as he concluded his tale. That’s a fine story Milano! she spoke mumbled words as she continued to clench her prize between her jaws. A true tale of overcoming and making ones own way. she would add it to her memory and share the glory of the Huntsong name happily around many a merry table if he’d allow her to share his tale. Bard +10 learn a pride or family’s history (2/2)

art + code by spu

He wasn’t so much as worried that she wouldn’t enjoy the story. He did worry that she wouldn’t believe him but if that had been the case there would have been nothing he could have done. It wasn’t his story after all but his mother’s story. So he could only take her to word for it and to be honest he believes it to be true. Possibly a little embellished but what cub doesn’t like to hear an embellished story?

In any event he watched @Rose and watched the fish that swam around her. He wanted to grab it but it wasn’t his to get. Instead he watched with pride as the lavender bard put everything into motion and snagged the fish. "Very nicely captured. Shall we go to shore and dry off?" Suggesting he gave a smile. "I am feeling a bit soggy and uncomfortable myself." Admitting he lifted his tail out of the water and flung some water off of its tip.

code by corvus & art by Rabbit

Rose would have had no problem with knowing his story was embellished a bit, she was the queen of embellishments and flavoring her stories to make them more interesting. Interesting stories were more memorable, and it did her no good to tell her stories if no one remembered them. As @Milano suggested they get out of the water and dried off she nodded, already turning towards the shore. You don’t have to tell me twice! muffled words came from around the prize she was not willing to let go. Someone was sure to be surprised by the impression of her teeth left behind if they pulled that fish out of the stores later! She made quick work of stumbling out of the water and finally tossing her fish down- now nearly torn in too from how hard she’d kept ahold of it. She wasted no time in shaking off, her extra fluffy fur heavy with saltwater and sand. Her beautiful tail looked ragged and dirty, but she was beaming from ear to ear as she turned to look back at Milano. Thank you for the fishing lesson! I won’t forget what you’ve taught me! was she a master fisherman? No. Could she probably feed herself enough to stay alive by fishing now? No. But she’d have a better shot at trying.

art + code by spu

Watching @Rose book it out of the water made him chuckle. Staying in the water for too long could be uncomfortable for him, so he can only imagine how it made her and her fluffy tail feel. Reaching the shore he moved away from her and shook himself out as well. "Much better." Musing aloud he stretched out his back, then his legs and finished with his tail. "Being all wet like this reminds me of my first hunt with mom at the hunting school she ran in the Valley. There wasn’t any oceans but there was a creek that ran into a pond. At the time though I was so small I thought it was a raging river that ran into a lake." Laughing he made himself comfortable in the sand in a sunny spot to dry off. "We were chasing hares and at one point that sucker started chasing me back. I got chased right into the pond and mom had to fish me out." It was a bit of an embarrassing story but the point behind it was to keep practicing and she’s sure to get better.

Now looking at the pile of fish he couldn’t help but smirk at the teeth marks in the one she caught. "Safe to say yours isn’t going to try to wiggle back into the water. Good job!" It might have came off as sarcastic but he didn’t mean for it to sound that way.

RANGER;
+5 Tell a hunting story 2/2

code by corvus & art by Rabbit

Even the autumn sun was warm and welcome as they lingered by the shoreside, freed from the waves and tide and with a sort of impressive pile of fish beside them (admittedly all but one had been Milano’s doing, and it was clear their differences in skull level just by looking at the now slain creatures.) As she took a moment to dry and bask in the sun she listened well to her companions story about his childhood adventures, a warm laugh leaning her, Lets see a hare try to give you chase now my friend!the laugh that came from her touched both her eyes and her belly - she was having a truly grand time with the hunter. Looking back at her lone, somewhat mutilated fish she laughed again. Thank you, thank you. she said with a bow, allowing any hint of sarcasm she might have picked up to flow over her easily. And where shall we put these @Milano? Surely you couldn’t be hungry enough to eat them all in one sitting? she asked.

art + code by spu