Siochana - -_Wish of the Goddess_-
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Cionaodh - Das Tor
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Hakuna'jina - Das Tor
Siochana's paws pressed into the earth, as she made her way to see her Grandmother. She knew that today was yet another day to train, and she was enjoying the night lights. Her crimson fur flopped into the one dark eye, golden tail flicking back and forth, "Grandmother? I'm here..." She called out, curiously, wondering if the elder female was here yet. She knew that usually she was early, and this was good. The young female was finally a Juvenile. Her lips curved in delight, and she bounced slightly. Her training had been going well!
Hakuna made her way to the training area, a bit late thanks to Nak bringing questions from Domefae. The crimson lioness arrived in time to hear her granddaughter's voice, the older female smiling slightly at the sound. Ah, good. She was proud of the little one so far. She learned so well, so quickly. And she was growing in such a way that indicated she'd inherited the largeness of Hakuna's line. "And I am here as well, Sio. I apologize for not being here when you got here. One of your cousins sent his Na'artu with questions for me."
Her body raised immediately into an attentive, ready stance, watching her Grandmother with bright, eager eyes. Her tail flicked back and forth, and her paws kneaded, "It is alright, Grandmother! I was early, anyways. I wanted to be prepared!" She'd become a lot more bright and energetic from the young cub she'd once been. It was a good thing, pushing her to be a better fighter, to learn how to teach others, as she would one day follow in her grandmother's steps...
Hakuna chuckled, nodding. "Being prepared is a good thing. Thinking ahead. Though a fight is very much a matter of the 'now', it doesn't hurt to give yourself little advantages beforehand. And to put a little more thought into a fight beyond 'I should dodge this way'." She motioned for Sio to follow her as she moved to go up a small hill.
The Juve nodded, following the elder female's footsteps very religiously. "Yes Grandmother." Always very direct. Those mismatched eyes took in every detail of what was going on. Every inch of the terrain was being memorized, how it felt under her paws, what could be used to her advantage...All of it. Her grandmother had taught her very well. Taught her to always plan. "Where are we going?"
Hakuna didn't look back to her granddaughter yet, simply leading her up the hill. "Tonight is a lesson of thought during battle. Or before battle, if you are fighting a war." She stopped at the top of the hill. "Tonight, you learn about taking the high ground."
She nodded slowly, understanding that this was something she needed to learn. Her eyes gazed around the terrain, a tiny frown quirking her maw. This would be tricky....Learining how to use the High Ground. Looking to her Grandmother, she stood tall, "...Yes, Grandmother." She was more than ready to do learn.
Hakuna smirked, then turned to her granddaughter. "The high ground is a very important facet of battle. If you have it, you have the advantage. It's easier to strike at weak points, easier to defend yourself. You have the high ground, and you make the battlefield YOURS."
The girl nodded. She could see how that would work. From here, she could see tactics. Anyone below either had to climb the cliff face, or come from behind her. Either way, she could knock them over the edge, or roll them downwards. She had the home-field here. "I see." And if it were war, she'd have control. Others could hear her from here. She could give orders...and see tactics.
There was a flutter of wings, and the magpie often around Hakuna landed in front of the two lionesses, wings tucked neatly to his sides. Matata nodded to both females before speaking. "Sorry for being late. Got caught up looking for something." Hakuna snorted and rolled her eyes.
"You didn't get the shiny you were after. No worries, we just started the part we would need you for." Matata nodded his little black head. "Now...many think the high ground includes only the ground itself." She smirked. "Not so. It also includes the air. And it is also an attitude."
Siochana nodded slowly, "Yes....That would be advantageous. I can see how it would work. With Matata helping me, I would be able to scout further, and see the things I was otherwise too occupied to notice. The opponent could also have assistance from above, or attempt a sneak attack."
Hakuna nodded. "Having eyes in the sky is very, very helpful. Also, against opponents that have...an ego, remaining impassive causes them to second-guess themselves. To make mistakes. It makes them think you have the higher ground somehow, that their actions are not affecting you."
She noddded, slowly, "I can see that." She listened well, wanting to be the best....wanting to be just like her Grandmother some day. The perfect Sinta'hare for the Pride. Her fur puffed slightly, as a noise caught her ear, but she didn't move. It was just a noise. She knew better than to jump at every little sound, "...It would be quite the advantage."
Hakuna nodded. "Now..." She sat and motioned towards the area below them. "Down there is your brother. I had Matata get him from his lessons to help with this, though he isn't aware of this. Your job is to find him, and pin him. You may use Matata's aid if you see fit to."
She grinned slightly, but nodded to her grandmother. Looking to Matata, she murmured, "Scout out his location for me, please. Once you have found him, report back to me, and I will relay further instruction." She waited until the bird had taken off to bound a bit further up the cliff face on light paws, scouting out other routes down from several sides. There was a sheer drop one way...a rocky path with too many loose rocks....and then a small, narrow, but smooth path that would allow her silence from the left flank....
Matata nodded and took to the sky, scouting for the lone son of Tuli. Hakuna smiled slightly in pride as she watched her granddaughter move. She was definitely a prodigy, someone she could see defeating her in the future. Someone she was proud to call 'granddaughter'. It wasn't long before Matata returned to Sio. "He's at the base of the drop, trying to be sneaky along it."
She nodded, figuring as much. "Matata, see if you can't distract him from the right, while I use the left path. If he gets suspicious, kick a rock. It'll be a good signal. One he won't expect." Darting towards her destination, her movements slowed, each one carefully made and precise. Her claws pressed into earth, and she stalked down, her larger build nothing more than an existing condition, one that didn't matter. There was no sound made as she made her way along the face opposite her brother. She would win.
The magpie nodded and took off again, the bird divebombing Cionaodh to distract him. The juvenile male yelped and growled, swatting at the vicious little bird, not knowing his sister was coming. And Hakuna watched from above. A shame her grandson hadn't a mind for combat yet. (Oh he'd learn, though. He'd certainly learn.)
Her paws carried her slowly behind him...until he was just within paw's reach, and she pounced, using her sheer size over her brother to her advantage. Those paws pinned his front two, the hind ones on his hips, just behind his tail. Claws pricked through fur to skin, just enough to be a warning. "Don't move, Cionaodh."
Cio hadn't been expecting his sister from behind. He knew whatever Matata had pulled him here to do involved his sister but...he hadn't expected her to sneak up on HIM! He made an odd little noise that vaguely sounded like a squeak, body flat against the ground now. "Hi, Sio. Grandma lesson?" Dammit.
She tipped her head, watching her brother for a moment, holding him pinned, waiting on Hakuna now, to tell her the lesson was complete, "Yes. You were very gullible, brother." Those mismatched eyes were alight with her own pride. Her ears were alert though....Hakuna could be planning on sneaking up on her, and she needed to be ready to MOVE if the elder female did.
Cio grumbled, ears back. He hated getting used for lessons. It always ended in him getting pinned or his butt kicked. "Whatever." At least Matata wasn't attacking him anymore. And Hakuna jumped down, landing next to the two juves.
"Very good, Sio. Lesson over for today. This one, anyways. You are still to be at the group lessons for fighting tonight."
Sio bowed her head, "Yes, Grandmother." She leapt off her brother, elegantly, "I will make sure I am prompt and on time....and I will do my best, as always~"
"Good." Hakuna nodded, then started off to make her rounds before the lessons. Cio sighed, getting up and shaking himself.
"I better go practice." And hope he didn't get his a** kicked in training again. He was getting really tired of it. He tried! It wasn't his fault he was gangly and awkward!
The young female moved to her grandmother, rubbing against the elder lioness' chest, purring loudly as she did so, those mismatched eyes proud...loving, "I'll see you tonight grandmother. I want to go bathe in the lake and wash some of the dirt off." Licking under the elder female's chin, the young Sinta'hare to be found herself with a new sense of purpose. This was where she was meant to be.
