Leaving Delaeni and Mila behind, Azoula ventured into a neighboring eastern territory. Drawn to the pink mass of foliage, and wanting to satiate the hunger pangs settling in her stomach, the tigress had two objectives- enjoy the beauty of this forest, and find herself something to eat. And so, she would enter the forest in the early morning hours- following a trail that served as its borders, before entering from the western direction. As she walked, she took note of her surroundings- admiring the redbud trees, which shed pink flowers across the grasses at their base. There was an array of foliage here as well- though it looked young and renewed, as if this forest as burnt down in the past. Slinking through the tall grasses, Azoula was also searching for her next meal. Moving on silent paws, weaving through the foliage with feline precision. There was the scent of wild boar in the air- and Azoula had an affinity for the sweet, salty taste of pork. ”Speech”

Pink petals drifted into the air, landing on top of his pitch black pelt. Tarnish licked one off before focusing back on the unusual trail he'd found. He didn't know what animal this scent belonged to but it seemed to have cleared a space in the brush which meant it was pretty big and also rather low to the ground. Not a deer or antelope, definitely none of the small game he'd hunted. He followed the scent trailing it to a fresh and very large pile of droppings. He wrinkled his nose, head snapping back. Oof! Whatever the heck that was it was smelly and clearly ate more than just grasses if the droppings were anything to go by. He was so entranced in his tracking he almost didn't notice the large cat in the area, weaving through the foliage. Tarnish instinctively froze, his fur standing on end. He kept quiet, waiting to see if she'd notice him or mistake him for another shadow. That's all he needed, to become a snack himself.


Raider Brats

Moving through the grasses and stalking her prey, Azoula was quite observant of her surroundings. Noting the height difference in each redbud tree, revealing the variation in age between each one. Some of the foliage seemed more mature than others- though, most of it was fairly fresh. And the scent of boar was heavy in the air, indicating the presence of a small passel in the area. She had also passed a pile of droppings, which were surrounded by hoofed prints in the dirt. Not much further now.

Coming around a bend, a new scent intertwined with the porcine- the pungent, wet-dog smell of a wolf. Azoula’s nose crinkled, whiskers twitching upon her cheeks. Perhaps, she would feast on dog and pig? The thought brought a wicked smirk to her lips. It may be more beneficial to use the wolf’s aid in the hunt. Altering her course, she sought him out- emerging from the grasses, sauntering forward with silent steps, graceful and predatorial. Her pupils constricted to slits, and she eyed the large, younger looking wolf. “Got a knack for hunting, boy?” Her voice was almost purr- sultry and smooth, which did little to cover the dangerous aura that surrounded her.

If this boy was up for a hunt, she would allow him to join her. And, if not… perhaps, she would change up her choice of prey.  

"Azoula Davati"

Tar's breath caught in his throat as the beautiful cat pinpointed his location and spoke out to him, asking if he had a knack for hunting. He stared at her, open mouthed for a moment, before he quickly nodded. "Yes, I'm told I'm quite advanced for my age. I was thinking of trying for one of the creatures with the weird teeth coming out of their nose." He'd never hunted such prey before and so didn't know what to call them, but he assumed the great cat would know. "I just want one of the legs, you could have the rest." He didn't have the guts to ask for a half and half split with the cat and in all honesty one leg was going to be a good enough portion for him to haul back to the Hollow as proof of his kill.

His own cat-like claws flexed in anticipation of the hunt and he knew when to let a more experienced killer lead. "What do you need me to do?"

Raider Brats

As he spoke, Azoula’s ears flicked on top of her skull, lips quivering, whiskers twitching, claws wanting to unsheathed out of pure, predatory lust for a kill. He claimed to be advanced for his age, but didn’t know what a boar was? She couldn’t help but laugh, as that wicked smirk of hers kept dancing across her features. He even dared to offer the queen of the jungle, the majority of the carcass if she could spare him one of the legs. Cocky little boy. “Perhaps, I’ll spare you a single leg,” She said as she snaked forward, the movement in her shoulders heavy and exaggerated- characteristic of a jungle cat. “If you prove to be useful.” Words meant nothing to the feline- she wanted to see this boy in action, if he claimed to be… advanced for his age.

Moving past him, she resumed her tracking, assuming he would fall in place beside her. Still surveying their surroundings, admiring the beauty of the pink forest. “Once we find the passel, you’ll separate one of the younger boar from the group.” Boar is what they were called. Hopefully, he will remember it for future reference. “And I’ll do the rest.” A single task, yet it was a dangerous one. Putting himself on the front lines, engaging a group of large pigs with tusks and nasty attitudes. Was he up for the challenge?

Coming around a bend, Azoula suddenly stopped. The slits of her pupils grew wide as saucers, as her body lowered closer to the ground. Ahead of them, just beyond a patch of foliage, she could hear the grunts and snorts of their quarry. Shifting her gaze to the boy, she stared at him expectantly- waiting for him to complete the task she’d assigned.  

"Azoula Davati"

Tarnish puffed out his chest, eager to prove himself. He could be useful, annoying prey animals was one of his talents. "You got it!" He shoot out his coat and set his nose to work, following the fresh trail to a small group of stocky animals, wild boar. He matched the scent of the beasts to the trail and tried to hide his nervous swallow. They were big, and he didn't like the look of those tusks though he had some familiarity with them for Kaija, one of the raiders, boasted her own set.

Setting his brow with determination Tarnish slunk down into the brush and started slinking forward. His deep coat blending in with the shadows of the undergrowth. Above his companion Worc kept watchful eye, the crow waiting to dive in. tar's dark eyes sorted through the pigs, focusing on a young one that seemed a little more sluggish than the others. Perfect. Carefully, he altered his position and then sprang. Leaping out of the brush and into the center of the group of hogs, causing them to panic and scatter, but only for a moment before a large sow turned on him. Worc called out to him just in time and Tarnish rolled swiftly out of the way, learning from his experience with the bison. In a split second he lashed out with his claws at the smaller target, claws piercing flesh as it squealed and ran, seeking to join with the rest of the group. Fuck it was fast!

He darted after it, paws beating the ground as he sought to get between it and the herd. At that moment Worc swooped down and lashed at the young boar's face, between the two of them they drove it back but not before the sow reappeared. Tarnish barely dodged her tusks though her shoulder slammed into his hip, knocking him down. He wasn't down for long, springing back up through the pain and targeting the young boar once more, driving it farther away as Worc dove, talons out for the sow.

Raider Brats

It didn’t take much prompting to push the boy into action- those volcanic eyes of hers tracing his movements, as he slunk down into the underbrush and stalked towards their prey. Anticipation was rolling down her spine in shockwaves- muscles coiling beneath her pelt, shoulders having rolled forward, body aching for the feel of a mammal writhing beneath her. Helpless and afraid. And the sweet taste of pork belly, it was a delicacy to the feline- one that made her mouth water, tongue sliding across her inner lips, preventing the drool from seeping from her jowls. Hurry and pick your target boy.

And then, the wolf irrupted from his hiding spot. Lunging straight into the fray, causing a panic in the passel, whose members screamed and fled in all directions. One of the sows even turned on the boy- charging at him, but he avoided those dangerous tusks and stomping hooves by rolling out of the way. The mother ran off, leaving her youngster behind. And Tarnish took advantage of that- lashing out with a paw, chasing after it, forcing it to run and separate from the group.

But that wasn’t the end of the pursuit. The sow reappeared, slamming into the wolf, while a crow swooped down from the trees and clawed at the younger boar's eyes. It was fucking chaos. Azoula decided, enough was enough. Leaping from the underbrush in a single, fluid motion. Landing between the sow and the kid who was picking himself back up, while the crow dove back down to claw at the mother boar. Peeling her lips back, folding her ears, and baring her enormous incisors. Azoula released a throaty, deafening roar, while swiping a massive paw at the sow’s face- sending it fleeing into the forest.

Whirling around, Azoula chased after Tarnish and their target. Closing in with alarming speed, leaping forward with feline precision, and landing on its back. Shoving the boy out of the way if she had to. Using her claws to anchor herself, her weight buckling its knees and forcing it to the ground. Jaws closing around the side of its throat, upper canines puncturing through the cartilaginous tissue of its windpipe.  

"Azoula Davati"

Tarnish trusted Worc to have his back, knowing the bird was particularly practiced at plucking eyes from larger beasts. Instead he focused on the smaller hog, weaving through the underbrush, gaining on it. A sudden roar caused their prey to stumble and Tar's heart to race. His fangs darted out, latching onto the left hind leg, just at the back of the knee to make it far more difficult for the hog to kick. It tried to drag him along but before it could go anywhere the great cat landed on it, forcing it to the ground. Tarnish held on for all he was worth until the boar slowly stopped moving. It took a moment but then he felt comfortable enough to let go, dragging with his fangs a chunk of meat which he chewed on thoughtfully. "Wow, those are pretty tasty." He scratched at his side where the sow had rammed him, bruised but no worse for wear. He was used to taking a beating during raider training sessions.


Raider Brats

end?