|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:33 pm
There was movement in the land. Lilah felt it rumbling up through the soil, through the grass, humming its way up through her bones. For days she had felt as though a huge weight hung suspended over her, ready to fall. And now it was falling.
Sunrise stained the sky a bloody orange as the new light reflected off a vast, distant dust-cloud. Lilah had never seen such a thing, but ancient instincts had come alive. Run/hide. Chase! Avoid. Danger/opportunity. Memories of the dark river and the crushing jaws of the crocodile. The black hyena didn't know what to make of it. She sat on her haunches, staring into the fierce bloody glow on the horizon. No new ideas presented themselves. If Lilah wanted to know what was going on, she would have to see for herself.
The prey animals surviving in the waste were usually spindly things, roaming in herds of no more than a few dozen individuals. Lilah could feel the sense of great change, something huge and sweeping and unstoppable churning towards her. Though she did not know it, could not imagine it, one of the great migratory herds of the past had returned. For the first time in generations thousands of animals were moving as one in the search for water and graze. Corroded instincts pulled at Lilah, tugging her towards the hanging pall of dust far away.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:58 pm
Diallo awoke with a start, gulping air down his nostrils as they flared with the absolute necessity to discover what the problem was. He was on his paws in the same instant, though it was an uneven and shaky movement that brought him there. The fur along his ruff was partially raised in all the wrong directions from his sleep and his uncertainty now. His ears swiveled as his eyes found Lilah before they found the source of the distant roaring noise. It was less startling now that he was awake, but it still didn't make him easy to know that whatever it was was far in the distance. He'd been around Lilah long enough to know that she needed to investigate these types of things.
He whined lightly, keeping his head down as he walked over to her and lightly pressed his nose to her foreleg. He gave a small lick before raising his head and pricking his ears in the direction of the rising sun and the noise. Hesitantly, he took a few steps forward. He would go with her to see what this was, to be her legs, but he would not do so alone or of his own choice. Likewise, he wouldn't hinder her decision one way or the other. Diallo's senses, compared to Lilah's, were almost dull. But his physical body had gained muscle and built bulk since he was a scrawny pup. Even so, he was wary as any right-minded male would be for his size wasn't anything to rival even Lilah let alone another, stronger female. He was almost always preoccupied with running across other hyenas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:42 pm
Diallo seemed alarmed by the strange sound. Hmmm. Well, maybe he was right. Lilah felt pretty alarmed herself. She also felt ... eager. She sucked in deep breaths, straining to catch the wind. No clues, not yet. The disturbance was too far in the distance.
"A new thing." Lilah considered. "An old thing too." New to her and her kin, surely, but Lilah felt certain that her ancestors had known about such things. She could almost see them, shaggy spotted beasts stretching their legs and letting out high weird hunting cackles and going... where? Hmmm. She would find out.
Lilah shared her companion's distaste for strangers. Diallo's obvious anxiety calmed her urge to be off. If she felt drawn by the dust cloud, surely other hyenas would feel its pull too. Maybe even other kinds of predator. Lilah shivered. Strange hyenas were bad enough. She had no desire to meet the exotic hunters that sometimes prowled in the distance.
Danger or no danger, Lilah's curiosity was swiftly overcoming her natural caution. There was opportunity here, she could practically smell it! Lurching into a trot, her bones stiff from the night's rest, Lilah called cheerfully to Diallo. If they went quickly, they could make it before the others.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:32 am
He watched Lilah start her move toward the distance, taking a moment to bow down and stretch out his own muscles before he broke into a trot. He picked up his pace to catch up to her, and then dropped his speed to match her own as best as he could. As they ran, Diallo's thoughts tumbled with Lilah's own statement. Something new, and yet something old. He had grown accustomed to Lilah's sometimes-strange suggestions about things, but this one had him entirely confused.
New and old cannot be the same. Unless it's old in body. That sounded to be more like what it must be, which meant that perhaps she had found them a potential prey item. It was rare enough to find an old or sick animal that wasn't in clan territory or being hunted by something else. Yet the growing rumbling as they neared the clouds increased Diallo's worry. As they neared, his own curiosity was piqued by the strong almost over-whelming scent that the wind carried in their direction. He still could not make out anything in the distance, but he was far more certain that it was something that could be eaten.
Letting his jaw hang open to swallow the scents, Diallo also decided to see if Lilah knew what this was. "New scent?" he questioned her, "but you know it?" Surely he'd figured out the problem now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:11 pm
The drumming in the ground grew stronger as they neared its source. The scent of animals on the wind was strong, too. Lilah breathed deep, sneezing occasionally as the dust caught in her nostrils. Her pace slowed as the run took its toll on her muscles. Good for her, that Diallo put up with her slowness. It frustrated her to no end.
New scent? Did she know it? Well, it smelled of animals. Lots of animals. Surely Diallo could see that. What was he really asking her? Lilah had to consider carefully before replying. "Animals. Do not know, of where they come. But many animals." She paused to sneeze and paw at her nose. The combination of scent and dust was overpowering. No need to strain at the wind any more. She could have found the massive herd with her snout buried in the mud.
The drumrumrumming was close now, but still Lilah had not seen any outrunners from the herd. Interesting. What was holding them up? She and Diallo were passing through nice enough country now. Plenty of graze for the beasts. There must be thousands of animals to create all that noise and dust and reek. Strange, for them to remain so tightly packed. She padded over the loose, dry soil, moving at a walk now. Suddenly a new scent came to her attention, masked beneath the smell of the herd. Ah. That was why the beasts were stalled. Between the grazers and Lilah, hidden in a wrinkle of land, lay a river.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:11 pm
His ears by this point were pinned to his head not from their speed but by his own will. He didn't lift them as they slowed down, and indeed tried to fold them up tighter. The noise was louder than anything he had ever heard before, rivaling only the great booms that sometimes could be heard when the sky went dark and it flashed its anger across the landscape. As if the noise wasn't enough, the dust and the scents were clogging up his sense of smell. Dropping his head, he pawed at his nose a bit before following Lilah further.
"How close?" he pressed his nose against her side, snuffling a bit more to comfort himself than to reassure her. He didn't like being deaf and dumb to his surroundings, but he trusted Lilah's senses more than his own. If all these animals meant a meal, he was also more willing to try things that would normally have kept him back. Absently, he pawed at the loose sand and the new layer of settling dust over it. He was anxious to at least do something besides sit still. He wanted to know what was going on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:25 pm
Lilah shrugged, glancing up at the dust cloud before returning her attention to the cleft in the land where the river must lie. "Close. See." The herd itself was barely visible, a dark scrum of movement low on the horizon. The thought of meeting thousands of panicked animals in the water was distinctly unappealing. However, something told Lilah that the river crossing was the place. If they didn't get a feast, they would at least get some good entertainment.
Her steps weary now, Lilah pushed herself forward. It wasn't far to the river bank. She approached cautiously. The bank was steep, far steeper than she could have climbed. The bank was nearly vertical. Lilah couldn't imagine how any beast could scale the cliff of loose soil. Dirt crumbled away beneath her paws. She backed up and sat down. In the water far below, dark shapes slunk along by the shores. Some had ridged backs. Lilah knew those ones. Others were massive, round, almost as big as elephants. Lilah stared at the water-elephants in fascination. She avoided rivers as a matter of course, and had never seen the things this close before.
On the opposite bank animals swarmed like ants. Brown and beige, black and white, deep ocher and tawny gold. She could barely distinguish one animal from the next. The sight made her dizzy. Lilah looked around for Diallo, wondering what he made of all this confusion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:51 pm
Diallo let loose an uncustomary whoop at the sight of it all, hovering a little too close to the edge to peer down at everything. He'd never seen a river with water like this before, and if he didn't watch his step he'd repeat his childhood experience of toppling in from a height. He couldn't name any of the creatures in the water or on the opposite shore, and this was far more life in the wasteland than he'd even imagined the whole thing had altogether. His tail wagging, discomfort entirely forgotten, Diallo turned back to Lilah.
"Big meal!" he yipped as he returned to her, excited and wound-up enough to lick at her cheek before dropping back a pace. If he hadn't been covered in fur, he might have been blushing a bit as he looked over his shoulder at the river and the animals there. He danced from paw to paw, looking back at her again and dropping into a play-bow. "How do we catch them?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:05 pm
The black hyena watched Diallo closely, hoping he wouldn't tumble right off the edge. She felt a wash of relief when he turned back. His enthusiasm was invigorating. Despite her weariness, Lilah found herself echoing Diallo's silly bouncing dance. She licked his cheek in return, jaws hanging open in a grin.
How were they to catch something? Fording the river would be too dangerous. The crocodiles and other nasties were waiting for a meal too. Lilah supposed they would have to wait for the animals to begin crossing on their own. When they attempted to climb the bank, she and Diallo might be able to snag one. On the other hand... the river was wide, and dangerous. Supposing some of the herd drowned? They might, they just might. She and Diallo would have to wait and see.
"Wait." Lilah followed her own advice, looking over at the herd impatiently. Other carnivores were beginning to arrive. Slinky cat-things, all spots and bony grace, were lurking in the far grasses. Movement in one of the twisted trees, almost too far to be seen. Another type of cat-thing. A distant cackle drifted on the air. Hyenas! Unseen for now, but present. Lilah shook off her worries. There was plenty of food for all of them. Plenty! On the opposite shore, the huge press of animals was beginning to shove the herd's frontrunners into the waters. The crossing was about to begin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:30 pm
In a rare display of comfort and territoriality, Diallo hollared back his own barking howl to the other hyenas in the distance. He wasn't aggressive, but he was clearly stating that he was here and he wasn't moving. Tail still waving back and forth, he danced over to Lilah to give her another small lick and a playful n** before bounding a few feet away.
Despite her urge to wait, the male was having more trouble standing still than he had in a long time. He knew, somehow, that this great movement of animals meant great change that was going to last longer than a few hours. Perhaps all of his puppy-sense hadn't been entirely forgotten and he just needed to relax a little bit more in order to pay attention.
He swiveled his ears at the sound of bodies crashing into water, moving quickly to look in the direction of the river. The mottled colored beasts were indeed beginning their plunge, and the scale-backed swimming things were moving in quickly. He gave a yip and jumped back a bit in surprise at the sight of one of those thing's jaws - it was all teeth and mouth! And it was able to take down the swimming herd animals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:49 am
Lilah gave a low cackle of her own to match Diallo's more exuberant howl. There was a volley of yips and wails from the unseen competitors, but no furious spotted forms came bounding towards them. Good. This bizarre migration was enough to focus on without adding in strange hyenas! Lilah had heard stories about the angry queen that that ruled nearby. She hadn't met the fearsome beast, and she had no desire to.
In the river below, the crocodiles were working the edges of the herd. So much muck had been churned into the water that Lilah could barely see what was happening. It was a seething mess. Horns, hooves, broad wet backs, gleaming dark eyes -- Lilah only saw bits and pieces of animals as the herbivores plunged through the froth. She could see that the scaly swimmers weren't having it all their own way, though. As she watched, a gnu's heavy hoof caught one of them square in the eye. It sank back into the water and was gone. Hmmf. She smiled slightly. Faced with thousands of desperate animals, even crocodiles could be overwhelmed.
Lilah tensed as the herd finally reached her shore. They clawed at the vertical bank, seeking purchase and finding none. Beast after beast dropped back into the waters. Soon they must either find a way up or die. Lilah's paws scrabbled nervously against the dirt of the cliff's edge. Even though it was impossible, she wanted to somehow pick her way down and face the trapped animals. In reality, she would fall, be ground under their hooves, and slide into the river. Still. The waiting was killing her! Lilah began to pace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:30 pm
Diallo's attention was securely on the scene below them, his tail wagging faster and faster as the animals neared their bank and began attempting to climb it. Him having his nose stuck over the edge in a poor rendition of a play bow while yapping probably wasn't exactly the most encouraging thing to those who were trying to escape the jaws of the water beasts below. It was his jaws or their jaws as far as Diallo was concerned, and he was all for getting his own share of this floating buffet. His leg muscles tensed and untensed as he shifted his weight, ears pricked the furthest forward they could possibly go. If Lilah had wanted to, she could have easily knocked him over the edge and into the fray that was taking place below them. Truly, this once-pup had not learned from personal experience that cliff edges were not good.
Unfortuntely for Diallo and Lilah, thier calls went unanswered but not unheard from this queen's clan. She knew their scent was unfamiliar, and her large form quickly covered the terrain towards them. She was alone, her clan staking out places along the riverside downstream where the bodies would wash up or the animals would swim towards to get away from the steep banks of the cliff.
She opened her mouth and gulped down air. Strange... multiples, traveling alone it seems. To be together, they must be trying to stake land for their own. She laughed to herself, finally breaking her silence with a sharp, harsh ar-ar-arrrr! to let them know before she was upon them that they were not welcome. Uchawi, though willing to cede that there was plenty of food, was not willing to allow strangers to run so close to her clan and her home. Even if one of their smells tingled her nose, and the other brushed something in her mind.
Diallo's neck ruff stood up straight on end as he spun from the cliff, hunkering down low to the ground at the sound of the hyena that was oh-so-very-close and oh-so-very-mad and she sounded big. He swallowed his own fear quickly, darting to stand in front of Lilah, low to the ground still, growling silently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:03 pm
Danger! And not just danger from the oh-so-hateful crocodiles below. Lilah whirled, staggering slightly. That rough little chuckle didn't sound pleasant. Certainly not the inoffensive greeting she had given the distant others. The voice was deep and gruff. A large hyena, probably female. Lilah's ears lay flat against her skull as she struggled to get a fix on the hidden newcomer. Her small skill at empathy was nowhere near strong enough to pick out the strange hyena amidst the overwhelming chaos of the struggling herdbeasts below. The strange, cold emotions of the crocodiles gnashed painfully at the edges of Lilah's consciousness when she opened herself up. In their great hunger, they were more machine than animal. Lilah's perception shut down in self defense. Here, now, facing this angry other, Lilah was no more than a crippled and doubtless unwelcome nomad female.
And nomads, unfortunately, were often killed by clan members. A lone male like Diallo might find acceptance and a mate, but Lilah? She didn't know much about clan life, but she knew that most clan females were related by blood, no matter how distantly. She wouldn't fit into their sisterhood. With Diallo at her side, she was doubly dangerous -- their dysfunctional little 'clan' of two might be perceived as a serious threat to this clan's territory.
This is foolish! There is enough for everyone! Get back to your bunch, and leave us be!
The angry words were lost en route from her head to her mouth. Confused, frightened, angry, Lilah simply stared past Diallo, waiting for a glimpse of this rude interloper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:09 am
The black and white spotted female made her way into view, slowing into a very deliberate walk once she had them in her sights. Her tail was poised over her back tightly, head and ears held upright to state that she was not afraid of them. Her lips were pulled back in an obvious gesture of dislike, yet Uchawi was not foolish with her display. They were still two, and she but one. Her movements as she came closer became more and more guarded, the fur around her neck ruff remaining flat and calm despite the situation. To become a pawn of anger was to become an easy target. Uchawi had, after all, lived these many years herself as a loner without turning rogue.
Diallo fought his own instincts and fearful urges to throw himself to the ground in submission or turn and run with his simple possessiveness of Lilah. If he ran, she could not keep up with him and would be made an easy target. If he submitted, though he could hardly understand why he would, Lilah would again be made a target for reasons that he couldn't grasp at. Maybe he was just a stupid, stupid male for not giving in to his own instincts.
His lips were still pulled back to reveal his teeth, his growl still muffled somewhere within his throat. Diallo's body, his side brushing against Lilah, was stiff as a board in anticipation of what could happen here and now.
As the female came into view, Diallo's worries that she was large were confirmed. Perhaps his worst fear come to light was that she was healthy; a member of a clan. He drew the scent of this stranger in through his nose, trying to figure how many other hyenas' scent were on her. Perhaps she was newly a nomad? They wouldn't be so lucky.
Uchawi stopped a matter of ten feet from them, her body drawn to look its largest. "You come to see this mess that muddies the water, I have no doubt. But you come close to clan territory in your journey." She was sure of herself, showing she had nothing to fear from this pair. And, as far as she knew, she did not. Diallo's body was mostly covering Lilah's oddness. "You are no threat to our numbers," she pointed out to them, growling lightly to accent her phrase, "but you are not welcome here." She was not chasing them outright away, perhaps still wary of the numbers set against herself right now. Perhaps she also knew, like Diallo and Lilah, that this crossing of animals meant a change for everyone was coming. Not that Uchawi would admit something like that to two strangers who looked too much like a new clan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:24 am
Anger warred with fear. Why couldn't this beast push off? They had more important things to do than fight. Lilah took her eyes off the big female for a moment to check out the situation below. The herdbeasts were still having trouble, scuffing and scraping frantically at the crumbling wall of dirt. Some of them appeared to be gradually carving out a path further down the river. Probably a good thing that they weren't going to make it over the edge right in front of Lilah and Diallo. Although, the sudden arrival of dozens of angry, frightened animals might scare off the strange female... Lilah almost grinned at the thought of the stranger being chased off, but caught herself in time. Truly, she was feeling aggressive today!
Diallo's protectiveness was touching, but Lilah couldn't hide behind him forever. She was a cripple, but she had to either face the threat or die. With halting, dragging steps, the weary black hyena moved around Diallo's rigid form to stand in front of the other female. She was black as well, starred and streaked with pale markings. They could almost be sisters. There are enough, she wanted to say. There are enough. Go back and help your own sisters and brothers now. Leave us be.
"Enough," she said quietly, her voice a strained rasp. "Go."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
