::-::Discovery Of Loneliness::-::

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

[glow=blue,4,000]Padded paws three-beat across the lonely lands, her own mourning comming up in her mind. Soft baby blue orbs looked around the lands, wide with wonder. She slows to a slow trot, then to a stolling walk. She approched the sparkling waters infront of her leaning down to let her tongue lap up some of the crystal clear water. She swallowed, then lifted her crown, letting the coolness run down her throat. She softly called for another, lonliness creeping up on her. She sighed, deciding this would be her new home. She let her wandering body lower, and relax, for once in a great while. She was done wandering, this was her home. [/glow]

[xxequestrianxx]

A flash of white and black streaked across the land. White-tipped paws touched the ground at different times, but pushed off and rose from the ground as one in an even, steady rythm, carrying their load foreward. Green orbs took in the scenery, most of which was trees and grass, which all flashed by too quickly to truly study.

After another moment of running, the great brute slowed to a two-beated gait and finally stopped alltogether, panting slightly, searching for breath, but pleased with himself for the great distance he had run. Despite his labored breathing, not a single bead of sweat had broken out on his body. The white and black stripes still lay neatly on the Siberian Tiger.

He stepped foreward towards a lake, the waters inside rippling and glittering in the sunlight. Lowering his head, he lapped up a few mouthfuls before something caught his eye. On the other side of the lake, another being lay. Though it was far, he was sure it was a female. He spun and took off again, racing around the perimiter of the pond toward the femme.

As he reached her, he slowed, stopping in front of where she lay. Before greeting her, he lifted his head and took in the air, making sure that she was truly alone. When he scented no other, he turned back to her.

"Hello, M'lady," he said in a deep, rich voice, tucking one leg underneath him and lowering himself slightly in a courteous bow. "I be dubbed Bandit. If it pleases you, M'lady, what are you doing here on your own?"

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

Light aqua orbs looked up at the brute simply. She slowly lifted her crown from her paws, satin white pelt glinting lightly in the suns radiance. She listened to his words, then allowed her own sweet vocals to sing from her chest, propeling softly into the ozone layer.

'Lo brute. I be dubbed Sonya. I am here in search of a home, and until now, I havnt seen a soul.

She seemed sad, perhaps bepressed. She continued to gaze at the male, soft, angelic, baby blue orbs glistening in the sun's rays. Her melodic tone was soothing, and she was calm, and layed back.

[xxequestrianxx]

Bandit held his gaze on the female for a good amount of time, taking her in with his deep green optics. He lowered himself to the ground, not so close to the femme that she might get angry, but not a mile away either.

"These parts do seem to be a bit deserted. Though now I must stop and wonder why. This is a wonderful land, with plenty of fresh water. You would think that someone would be living here," he said. "I must ask, have you yet to find your home?"

She seemed to be rather lonely, and she right should be if Bandit was the first she'd seen in so log. However, he very much admired her calm, layed-back demeanor. He himself was never so relaxed.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

She sighed, laying her dish against her paws, looking out over the crystal waters.
I dont know if I'll every really find a home... But, I may stay here, until another decides to run the land, and then I'll attempt to find another as peaceful.
Her mind wandered as her soft baby blue orbs watched a fish jump from the water. Hunger pains lurched at her stomach, not apparent till then. She ignored it though, she could wait, she was used to being hungry. Her gaze traveled to the brute, looking him over. He was large, and quite handsom, and much in similar color to her. It had been so long since she'd seen another, that she had had to keep looking in the waters at herself, to remember, what another might look like.

[xxequestrianxx]

The brute blinked, watching Sonya's optics flick from him to the small, scrawny scrap of meat that hopped up from underneath the water, causing the clear water to ripple. It never occured to him that, being alone, she may be hungry. Of course, he himself was alone, but he had grown up with friends, and still had them. He wasn't sure about her. Where had he last seen food?

"Well, Sonya, I'm heading out on a little hunting expidition. I passed a herd of Okapi on my way here. I'd be honored if you would join me. I'll be glad to split the results with you."

Bandit truly hoped his offer would help her. He knew quite a few tigresses that couldn't stand help of any sort, even when it was most needed. They did things on their own, and that was the end of it. Their pride got in the way of all else. He stood up, stretching out quickly, and looked back down at Sonya, hoping she would take him up on his offer.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

She hesitated. Why? She had been alone for so long, she didn't really have friends, nor did she know much about group hunting. Soft baby blue orbs looked up at the brute, before Sonya picked up her slightly under weight bodance. She had been traveling a long time, and hadnt really eaten much.

Sounds fair.

She was one to keep things simple. She shook off, and picked up her paw, licking it lightly and rubing it over her pools lightly, then looked to Bandit, ready to follow.

[xxequestrianxx]

Bandit grinned as she accepted his offer, and turned to the northeast. He couldn't see until now how thin the femme was, but she was certainly a bit underweight. As she looked to him, he set off at a slow lope towards their prey. The herd couldn't have moved much.

He kept the pace slow himself, unsure of how much strength the tigress truly had. If she wished to speed up he would gladly follow, but their was no need to go sprinting off through the grassy plains.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

A burst of speed broke from Sonya's hindquarters as she lunged to keep up with Bandit. Though she was underweight, she had plenty of muscle from wandering the lands of the mountains. She three beated evenly with him, slowing slightly to keep a step behind him, for only he knew where this back was. She lifted her crown, sniffing the oxygen in hope to small the creatures before she saw them.

[xxequestrianxx]

As Bandit reached a lone tree, he made a gentle right turn, catching the familiar scent of the okapi herd. They were still a ways off, but he knew their scent, them being his favorite. He saw the graceful tigress had no trouble keeping up, and risked taking up the speed a notch, now sprinting lightly across the flat land towards the aroma of fresh meat.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

The strong scent of meats filled her nares, and her orbs brightened, hunger eating away at her hesitance. She picked up her own speed, and flew over the lands on light paws, the only sound of the natural hays brushing up against her giving her away. She flew past the brute, taking on her own journy and need for hunger. She didnt seem to notice her passing Bandit, and continued on.

Then, the sight of the okapi came into veiw. She instantly came to a stop, freezing and crouching in the grass, tail flicking lightly. Her sholder blands stuck out of her back a little more than they should as she waited on edge, ready to spring. Her orbs flicked back, looking for signs of Bandit approching.

[xxequestrianxx]

Bandit slowed a bit as the tigress sped past him, hesitated only a moment, and picked up his own speed, nimbly racing after her. The scent of okapi was growing stronger with every bound, and when he saw Sonya freeze and drop to the ground he stopped as well, crouching low and stepping very lightly, carefully watching where he put his paws as to not step on a twig or a loose leaf.

He crept up beside her and whispered, "You wanna chase or catch?" He didn't think that she may not know how to hunt duo, just that she was apparently very hungry. It was, after all, pretty simple. One feline chased the animals, and the other brought one down to the ground. Sometimes they even manage to snag two if there are several young in the herd.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

Baby blue orbs glowed dangerously, but not towards the male. She smiled coyly, and said in soft, tones...

Chase.

With that, the tigress lept to her pillars and flew across the distance to the okapi, rawring dangerously. She lept up, missing perposly to get the herd moving. She loved the adreneline rush of the chase.

[xxequestrianxx]

Bandit grinned as the tigress rushed off to chase the herd forward. Though she leapt up and made herself rather obviously known, he stayed crouched, prowling quickly towards the front of the herd before they started off.

As the small pack began their stampede, running from Sonya, they took no notice to Bandit. His eyes expertly deciphered one animal from the next. He knew from experience to always pick one off from the back of the pack. Two if you can manage. He noticed a large male running behind the herd, bawling loudly to keep everyone ahead of him running.

Without a second thought, he sprung at the animal, dashing towards him and pouncing. He knocked the large Okapi to the ground and soon his job was done as well. He gazed off a ways at the dust that had formed from the stampeding herd. Then, he turned back to his prey, beckoning Sonya over to share the meat.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

Sonya rushed forward, bounding lightly on paws, past the male and his catch. She threw herself at one female in the back of herd, even though she seemed strong. Sabers sliced through the leg of the Okapi, pulling the animal down with the heavy bodance of the white female tigress. Sonya rushed to the shocked Okapi's nape, sabers simply sliping into the throat of the animal, quickly killing it off.

Licking blood from her chops, she then took ahold of one of the Okapi's front pillars, leaning back on her haunches and dragging the female over closer to Bandit and his catch. Without a second glance, claws struck at the stomach of the animal, ripping open his barrel. She carfully used her claws to easily make an autopsy on the helpless heap of meat.

[xxequestrianxx]

Bandit looked up quickly as Sonya darted past him, and watched in awe as she took down a second okapi. It wasn't young and it wasn't sick, but she took her down just the same. The female certainly had speed on her side! He flashed a smile at the tigress, though he couldn't help the slight pang of jealousy. There weren't many who could beat him in a race, and Sonya had just proved to him that she was one of the few who could.

In any case, he smiled at her, and began ridding his catch of it's flesh as well. He spoke not a word, but ate silently. He would never let fresh meat stand. It became old and hard after so long.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

Sonya watched blood spill from her prey as she made the autopsy. She just looked at it for a moment, then suddenly lurched into the stomach meats of the okapi. Her sabers dug into the meat without any hesitation, hunger paines ripping at her sence of manners while eating. Her paws held the meats down, as she ripped at the flesh. She was hungry, perhaps starving from almost a week of nothing but a wild rabbit, and cool, fresh river and stream waters. She hardly even gave the other brute a glance as she gorged herself.

[xxequestrianxx]

Bandit lifted his head a bit, startled as she dug into her prey. He himself continued on somewhat slower, not as hungry as she. He tore the good bits of meat off the bone and moved the rest aside. As he finished eating his fill, he stepped away from the fallen Okapi, licking at a paw and running it over his cheek before folding his legs underneath him and letting his body fall to the earth, waiting patiently for Sonya.

[~[]-[] [] []) []) []E []\| ~]

Not much meat was left from the okapi as the once starving feline licked her chops. He tore peices of meat from the healthy bones of the skeleton, sorting them out with the bad to help the next group to wander find good food easily. She placed the bad meats from the animal on a pile of skins and dragged the pile from the area, into the treeline. She then trotted contently back , bringing herself close by to Bandit, ploping down lazily and licking her chops. He licked her paw lightly, washing her face like a lady, before licking her chops one last time. She yawned broadly, sabers showing bright in the soft sunlight of the solar system around them.

[xxequestrianxx]

"Have a good meal?" Bandit asked, slightly amused as she sorted the meat. He himself never did such a thing. Maybe it was a trait only active in females. He was glad that Sonya had eaten, as she seemed so thin and frail before. Now, though she hadn't yet begun to put on more weight, she seemed much more content and much less tired.