Hunting Practice (Closed)
Jul 29, 2012 1:54:40 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2012 1:54:40 GMT -5
She didn’t know what thought process had led her to take her daughter to a place neither had been and train her to hunt, but here they were, right in the middle of the savanna, walking along a stream as they searched for the perfect spot to practice. Nerah was walking with small, slow steps to give the smaller, weaker, much newer-to-life Seraphi an easier time keeping pace. Nerah loved her daughter, she really did, and she wouldn’t trade her for anything…but she’d be a lot happier when Seraphi was finally fit enough to run and bound along with her.
“Mommy, can we rest soon?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Of course.” Nerah slowed to a stop and nuzzled the tired-looking mix. Had she been pushing too hard? Should they have stayed in the forest? Well, they were here now. She looked around and then directed Seraphi to a flat rock shaded by a lone tree. The mix gratefully climbed onto e rock and laid down, and Nerah sat next to her, gazing out at the landscape.
“Tell me what you can smell,” Nerah instructed after they had rested several minutes, sniffing a few times to see what her own nose picked up. Something rodent-like, something snake-like, the water from the stream emptying into a larger body of water just out of sight, and something that might be flowers all caught her attention, and she waited to see if Seraphi picked up those things and possibly more.
“I smell water…something sweet…oh, and prey!” Seraphi responded after several sniffs. “It’s coming from that way,” she gestured toward a clump of dense grass. “And something else there—I see it! By the stream!”
Nerah looked, spotting the rodent-like creature taking a drink at the stream. It didn’t see to notice either of the mottled creatures that noticed it.
“Very good.” Nerah’s voice dropped to a near whisper – the prey hadn’t been frightened off yet, but she didn’t want to take the chance. “Now, let me see the hunting crouch I taught you before we left.”
Seraphi hopped off the rock and hunched low to the ground, keeping as still as possibly while Nerah examined her prodding her back end to lower it and gently pulling her tail down so it stuck straight out behind her rather than up like normal. “Remember, you’re making yourself as unseen as possible. Keep low, but height enough that as little of you scrapes across the round as possible. Be very careful, be patient, focus, and don’t be discouraged if it gets away.”
Seraphi nodded and stalked silently toward the creature. Nerah watched, fighting the instinct to help. This was Seraphi’s hunt, and she wouldn’t learn if Nerah did it for her.
Seraphi edged continually closer to the rodent, who noticed her just as she began her pounce. She still managed to catch it – barely by the tail – but it was all she could do to keep it from getting away, and Nerah had to step I to deliver the killing blow.
Seraphi frowned once the struggle was over. “I’m not good at this, am I?”
Nerah licked the pup/kit between the ears. “You don’t have much experience, yet. You’ll get better.”
“Mommy, can we rest soon?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Of course.” Nerah slowed to a stop and nuzzled the tired-looking mix. Had she been pushing too hard? Should they have stayed in the forest? Well, they were here now. She looked around and then directed Seraphi to a flat rock shaded by a lone tree. The mix gratefully climbed onto e rock and laid down, and Nerah sat next to her, gazing out at the landscape.
“Tell me what you can smell,” Nerah instructed after they had rested several minutes, sniffing a few times to see what her own nose picked up. Something rodent-like, something snake-like, the water from the stream emptying into a larger body of water just out of sight, and something that might be flowers all caught her attention, and she waited to see if Seraphi picked up those things and possibly more.
“I smell water…something sweet…oh, and prey!” Seraphi responded after several sniffs. “It’s coming from that way,” she gestured toward a clump of dense grass. “And something else there—I see it! By the stream!”
Nerah looked, spotting the rodent-like creature taking a drink at the stream. It didn’t see to notice either of the mottled creatures that noticed it.
“Very good.” Nerah’s voice dropped to a near whisper – the prey hadn’t been frightened off yet, but she didn’t want to take the chance. “Now, let me see the hunting crouch I taught you before we left.”
Seraphi hopped off the rock and hunched low to the ground, keeping as still as possibly while Nerah examined her prodding her back end to lower it and gently pulling her tail down so it stuck straight out behind her rather than up like normal. “Remember, you’re making yourself as unseen as possible. Keep low, but height enough that as little of you scrapes across the round as possible. Be very careful, be patient, focus, and don’t be discouraged if it gets away.”
Seraphi nodded and stalked silently toward the creature. Nerah watched, fighting the instinct to help. This was Seraphi’s hunt, and she wouldn’t learn if Nerah did it for her.
Seraphi edged continually closer to the rodent, who noticed her just as she began her pounce. She still managed to catch it – barely by the tail – but it was all she could do to keep it from getting away, and Nerah had to step I to deliver the killing blow.
Seraphi frowned once the struggle was over. “I’m not good at this, am I?”
Nerah licked the pup/kit between the ears. “You don’t have much experience, yet. You’ll get better.”