[PRP] Grunt Work (Aagen & Maysa)

[Princess_Feylin]

One of the less glorious things about being the new kid on a viking was that all the least fun jobs ended up being his. So Aagen was hunting on his own, but the goal was to bring back enough to feed his entire band.

Had there been any herds around, it would have been an almost simple matter. One animal, maybe two. But there was no herd. Just the flattened grass and piles of poop that showed a herd had been there recently. Irritating.

Well, that didn't change his task. It was Aagen's job to bring food back for everyone, and if he didn't have the option of bringing down one or two larger animals, he would just have to make several smaller kills. Fortunately, he was pretty good at that. He'd done much the same thing when he and his family had made their way to the Stormborn.

Finding a meerkat warren was an unlooked for boon. In relatively short order, given the nature of the task, Aagen had a decent-sized pile of dead meerkats. Several uncomfortable nips on his paws and toes, too. But also a respectable kill. He was proud of it.

Dame Nightfury

I completely forgot to quote you with this. I'm sorry.

 

[Dame NightFury]

Maysa raised her head from her front paws, having her several sounds coming from not too far away. Apparently, she had been far more exhausted then she had realized. Hunting and traveling by herself was really starting to wear her down. And she hated it. She dreamed of not having to do it anymore, or at least have a companion to help share the responsibility with. Gods to have some care for her again, to take care of her again. Pure unadulterated luxury. The mere thought made her sigh and close her eyes again in longing.

This life wasn't meant for her, but she wouldn't shame her ancestors by giving up. She would find her way. Somehow. Because no one else was finding it for her.

With that thought, Maysa stretched out and took a look at the sky. She really should start figuring out what she should be stalking to hunt down in a few hours. Possibly less. Or she would go without dinner. Not something she wanted to do. But large animals were scarce. That and really she didn't want so much food that she had to stuff herself not to waste a meal. Seriously, this entire experience was making her realize just how much another lion, lioness, or whoever would help having along. But there was no one but her. No one but spirits, ghosts, and two-legged hunters continuous haunting her thoughts for how much they had taken from her. But they weren't here to hunt down and they may never be. Maysa let that go, finished stretching, and sat up tall to start scenting out prey and looking for clues of where to find some meat.

And then she caught the scent of a predator. Male lion. Close by. As Maysa looked around for the lion, she had no idea what she should do. Her experiences with males were unpredictable. It was a fifty-fifty split between good and eh. Did she want to walk away now, stay where she was and see if the male even noticed her .... although that was a long shot considering her coat, or approach and meet this lion head on for better or for worse. At least this time she wasn't hunting and the prey was in threat of running away from her.

Maysa still hadn't caught sight of him yet, so decided to go about her business as if she hadn't scented him. Maybe he was napping. Sniff of the air. After eating a meal of something. Maysa definitely didn't want to wake up anyone from a nap. She didn't like it happening to her, and so she would start the beginnings of her own hunt as quietly and politely as she could. And maybe the prey would lead her away from the sleeping male.

Princess_Feylin

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[Princess_Feylin]

The obnoxious squeaking and chittering of meerkats had worn on his nerves something awful. After all that, Aagen's ears seemed to be particularly sensitive to any non-meerkat sounds, like the one of a lion-sized creature sneaking badly. He inhaled through his mouth, holding the air against the roof of his mouth to get a more detailed reading of the scents. Lioness. Possibly a threat to his hard-killed pile of dead meerkats.

"You're not getting any of this," he called to the general area. "So you can just keep right on walking. I'm a Stormborn reaver, and I guarantee I can take you in a fight."

It wouldn't intimidate someone who was truly desperate, or someone who didn't know of the Stormborn, or someone with enough bravado to think they could take him, but for the rest, it might do.

Dame Nightfury