(A continuation form here.)

The scent had begun to grow stronger, easier to identify as they’d moved farther from the flamingos. She hadn’t even realized how the string scent of bird and water had flooded her senses and overwhelmed everything else until the obstacle had been removed. She could still see the tracks as well and noted how the ground around the roots of the tall grasses had been occasionally disturbed as if something had been rooting around through it. I think we’re getting close papa. she looked over her shoulder and whispered towards @Milano, looking for his guidance as she carefully moved to keep the wind blowing towards her. The weather was still pleasant- not overly hot, hopefully whatever she was tracking would be relaxed and letting its guard down.

Ranger
+5 Follow the scent of prey (1/2)
+5 Study and track footprints (1/2)
+5 Learn something from another about your trade (1/2)

code by corvus | art by Shazaki

The sun shining down on his back felt amazing having hidden away in the dark of the Hollows for so long being out made him realize that his mood had changed for the better now that he was outside. Maybe he’d talk to Khadija about the future of the family. Surely they could find another place within a pride that wasn’t a place they had been forced into. Maybe join his mother in the plains? Or perhaps even check out the rainforest? He doubted they would be welcomed at the lagoon and the Cove? Well as much as he would love to go back there would be issues. Maybe one day.

Clearing his thoughts he shook his head to focus back on @Lyla. Looking at the tracks he followed them as well. Taking notes of their size and of the grass around them. As they stopped he listened and nodded. Sniffing the air he had to agree with her. "Yes and will use the grass to our advantage. Follow the scent until you can see the prey but don’t go right up to it. Leave some room to watch it for a few moments so you can come up with a plan." He instructed. Getting low in the grass he kept his breathing even as he scanned around them.

RANGER;
+5 Follow the scent of prey 1/2
+5 Study and track footprints 1/2

code by corvus & art by moogle

She listened to the elder lion, but turned her focus to the gaps between the grasses in front of her and the tracks she was following. The scent intensified and she began to slow her steps so that she might have a more controlled entrance when she came across her prey, just as her father instructed. Boy though did it take all her willpower not to break out into a run and race towards whatever she was following.

Finally a sound caught her attention, a mixture of sounds actually. Grunts and snorts could be heard up ahead as the scent became overwhelming. Her eyes shone with excitement as she peered through the grass and a gathering of warthogs rooting around the fields. Jackpot papa! she whispered low, a grin cracking across her face. How to figure out which one to get?

Ranger
+5 Follow the scent of prey (2/2)
+5 Study and track footprints (2/2)
+5 Learn something from another about your trade (2/2)

@Milano

code by corvus | art by Shazaki

Taking a deep breath to make sure they were going the right away and that he didn’t need to steer @Lyla a different way to find the prey. He was pleased that she was doing a good job staying on track and staying calm. He half expected her to take off running chasing the prey away. If she had he wouldn’t have been angry with her excitement. She was still young and it happens. Following the Warthog tracks he could tell for sure that is what they were now. For sure not goats.

"Great job. Looks like a sounder of them. Sounder is what a Warthog group is called." He explained giving a fun fact that really didn’t matter too much. "Normally females and young are in the sounders, males tend to live alone." He added as he scanned the prey. "Now do you see any that look injured or perhaps have traveled a little too far from the group?" Whispering to her as he settled in the grass and watched the prey.

RANGER;
+5 Follow the scent of prey 2/2
+5 Study and track footprints 2/2

code by corvus & art by moogle

Sound-er she repeated the word clumsily, confusion etching itself on her features as he explained the dynamics within them. You mean their papas aren’t with them? I’m glad I’m not in a pig pride, er, sounder. she allowed herself to get distracted for a moment before he asked her to survey the group for weaker individuals. They all seemed pretty much the same to her at first. They all look like they’re staying together. What do I do if none of them come to me? she asked, looking away from the warthogs and back to the elder Huntsong for his advice.

code by corvus | art by Shazaki

Hearing her say the word out loud he shook his head and puffed his chest proud to be a useless fact collector so he could share random information that had no real value in this lesson. At least he didn’t go into details about how there can be up to what seemed like a hundred but was really only forty or so.

"That is right. They make the mama’s do all the work while they be deadbeats. You know why what the word for bad papas are called deadbeats?" There was a joke being lined up in there about Khadija beating him until he was dead if he ever abandoned them to go live a bachelor’s lifestyle.

Though when @Lyla asked for what to do now he let out a soft hum looking at everything. "Do you see any that look hurt in some way?" If none are farther from the group than the others he would then look for injuries.

code by corvus & art by moogle

Lyla snorted, she knew exactly why they’d be called deadbeats, Cause mama beat you until you dead and then bring you back to be useful again. she snickered, fortunately her mind lingered on her papa getting an earful from mama, and not the idea of him being dead, else her mood surely would have deteriorated quickly.

Oh right, he’d said to look for ones that were hurt too. She scanned the group again until she spotted it. There papa. she hardly breathed as she spoke, excitement coursing through her as she spotted a sow with a large gash across its shoulder - it looked like someone had started the hunt already but it had given them the slip. Or maybe it had gotten tangled and tripped by something. It was impossible to know.

@Milano

code by corvus | art by Shazaki

Chuckling he wanted to let out a big belly laugh but kept it together as to not scare away the prey or give away their positioning. "That’s right my clever girl, but that just means your mama cares about papa. Grownups are weirdos about our feelings." He praised as his eyes left the pigs for a moment to look at @Lyla. Giving a smile he looked back at the pork chops in question.

He had spotted one that was injured already but wanted to see if she would spot the sow too. It seemed like Lyla just needed a reminder to look for injuries too as she spoke pointing out the injurered one. Head nodding again his smile grew bigger. "That is right. That is the one we will go for. Now you see how the injury is on the one side? That tells papa we should try to break her away from the sounder and knock her down onto the side with the injury that way she has less strength to get herself up due to the injured shoulder." He explained pausing to see if she was understanding what he was saying. If she was he would go on with the lesson.

RANGER;
+5 - Teach someone under 2 years some hunting tips 1/2

code by corvus & art by moogle

An inner war was beginning to wage inside the girl- her habit for distraction and her desire to be the best huntress and impress her father. She noticed how the pigs rooted around in the ground, and she wondered what they were looking for.

Oh, right, they needed to get the sow away from the others. Ok papa, why don’t you scare her away, and I’ll cut off her escape? she suggested, claws digging into the earth as she crouched, waiting on @Milano to give his approval of her plan, or to give her an alternative if he didn’t think it was good enough.

code by corvus | art by Shazaki

Thankfully @Lyla was being a great student and not one of those punk in the back of the class messing around. Hunting was important after all. A life skill that everyone should have and he was surprised by the few souls that don’t know how. Eating scraps and stealing from others was just an awful way to pretend like one is really living. That wasn’t something he wanted for any of his girls.

Hearing her plan he nodded but didn’t run off just yet. "Ok. Now there are a couple ways to finish the kill. The two ways I prefer are going for the throat and wrapping your mouth over its nose and mouth so it can’t breath. Normally the throat way is faster to end things. Do you want papa to do the finishing blow this time to show you or do you wanna try it?" He asked giving her the choice as he got into position for the hunt but would wait until she gave the signal. He normally did so with a flick of his tail. His mama does it with a wiggle of her butt.

RANGER;
+5 - Teach someone under 2 years some hunting tips 2/2

code by corvus & art by moogle