Dusquei

Green was filtering back into the prairie after a long winter, delighting Dusquei's senses with verdant shades, and splashes of purples and white where little crocus flowers managed to flourish in pockets between the taller vegetation. The snow was mostly gone, save for some blankets on the northern faces of steeper hills and shaded little gullies. Songbirds were out in force, and a brave frog was just warm enough to be singing a chorus after emerging from a deep slumber.

As the liger wove through the awakening prairie, she looked back at her niece and nephew. "Tell me, what's one of the first things you do when hunting?"

Nero

"Observe your surroundings?" Nero said

Korra "look for a scent?"

Sarabi listens but lets dusqui do the talking

Dusquei

"Good, both of you are right." The ligeress raised her dial and took survey of the land around them. Nostrils flared and twitched, while her ears shifted this way and that. "You're not only looking for prey, but taking note of what's around you. You don't want to run into trouble, for one. And knowing the landmarks well can aid you in catching your quarry, or at least knowing where to start looking for them."

As she finished her own survey of the swaying grasslands, Dusquei focused back on her niece and nephew, "Scent is a reliable starting point. What prey are you two looking for?"

Nero

He listened and then he and korra both spoke.deer!they said.

Sarabi was keeping alert for everything.

Dusquei

The mention of deer made Dusquei's stomach rumble and her mouth water with anticipation. It had been a while since her last meal, and venison didn't sound half bad. "Alright then, not a bad choice. All the stags will be without their antlers at this point in early spring, and many of the does getting fat with fawns."

Ligeress surveyed the land once more, then glanced upwards at the sky to gauge the sun's position. It was somewhere around midday. "The second step to hunting is understanding your prey and their behavior. Right now, most deer would be hiding away in thickets chewing their cud from the morning's grazing. I'll let you two make the decision on where to start tracking them."

Nero

Nero looked around. "That thicket over there perhaps?" He said

Korra looked to another one "i heard something in that direction like a twig snapping"

Sarabi listened

Dusquei

An ear pivoted towards the distant snap of a twig, and a small shudder of anticipation ran through the feline's long tail. The sound could have been from anything, but deer was always a possibility too, "Both are suitable starting points. As a pride, we must work together though - which thicket are we going to try first?"

Nero

NEro listened.To the one where the twig snapped they said.

Dusquei

Dusquei's voice quieted and her body lowered, "Now comes the hard part - how are you going to approach this? A deer hiding in a thicket has the advantage of cover, and may already have spotted us." The liger's ears went back as her head dropped level with her shoulders, lowering her overall profile below the line of swaying, brown grasses. She turned a furtive glance in Sarabi's direction, signalling her to be ready. Even if the youngsters flubbed this up and spooked whatever prey was hiding in the thicket, Dusquei wanted the lioness to be ready to catch their quarry.

Nero

"I would have 3 of us positioned in seperate spots with one going in to flush the deer out" he said

Sarabi crouched

Dusquei

Dusquei smiled inwardly, impressed by Nero's tactical thinking. "That's a fine plan. Sarabi and I will hold positions out here, along with whichever one of you is joining in the ambush." She gave a nod to Nero and his sister, signalling that she was ready to play her part in the hunt.

Nero

Ill flush them outHe said and when his sister agreed and took up a position where hse was well hidden he began creeping to the other side of the thicket. Then he began crouching to the thicket.

Korra hunkered down in the long grass.

Sarabi too hunkered down.

Dusquei & *Prey*

The prairie seemed to go quiet as Nerogi began his stalk towards the thicket, leaving the other three felines patiently tucked away in the tall grasses behind him. A few meters away, a blackbird trilled and sang, either unaware of the advancing cat, or unnconcerned with the young carnivore.

Upon reaching the copse of sumac trees where Korra had initially heard the snap of a twig, it would take Nerogi's eyes but a moment to adjust to the filtered light. Buds were already sprouting along the branches of the thick tree stems, and hardy spring flowers added a splash of color to the shaded thicket. And just a few dozen yards in, Nerogi would see the rough brown hide of three red deer hinds blended in against the brown grasses. Two were laying down chewing cud, while the third had stood up, and was looking intently in Nerogi's direction, having heard a sound...

Nero

He knew if he could get close enough he mifht actually beable to nab one before they ran so when he noted one stand and its body turn his way he froze in place. Before creeping closer when he believed he was close enough to perhabs get one of the ones sitting he sprung racing toward them

Korra heard her brother when he started and she watched intently

Sarabi waited

Dusquei & *Prey*

There was just enough brown in the surrounded grasses to give Nerogi the benefit of camouflage as he entered the thicket and found his quarry. He'd also paused at the right time, as the hind turned a watchful gaze his way, trying to spot the source of rustling leaves that she'd heard. A tongue flicked over her wet nose, and she raised a front hoof, ready to slam it down and give warning to her friends that trouble was afoot. But, after a long moment of seeing and nearing nothing, the red deer shrugged off her concerns and turned back to her companions.

Nerogi was able to stalk closer. Outside of the little grove of trees, the waiting she-cats would hear a startled bark and a wild scramble of hooves and smacking branches when the hunter launched his attack, sending the three deer in a mad dash to get away. The hind that he'd targeted was a little slower than the others in standing up, and after getting slowed up by the thick cluster of little trees, she couldn't quite evade the predator - Nergoi managed to catch her by the hindquarters...

The other two exploded out of the copse and began to run through the field...

Nero

Nero clung onto the does hind quarters the best he could only falling off once they got into the clearing.

Korra watched and as her brother fell off and the doe neared her spot she lunges for the does throat.

Dusquei & *Prey*

The three-hundred pound hind lashed out with her hind hooves, trying to throw Nerogi off, and even clip him in the face or shoulder in an effort to free herself. Whether she managed to strike him or not, the young hunter eventually lost his grip after they'd broken out of the trees, and fell to the ground as the hind bounded out of his grasp. She rushed across the ground, hooves thundering through the tall grass, and right into the waiting ambush of Nerogi's sister.

A panicked bark was uttered by the red deer when Korra launched at her. She spun and tried to pivot away from the cat, but there was too little time or spcae for such a maneuver. She was also heavy with fawns, which didn't help her in the speed or dexterity departments. Korra was able to latch onto the hind's throat, and for her efforts, the hind kicked ferociously at the cat, trying to beat her back before she might be dragged down...

Dusquei made a half-hearted rush at one of the other hinds, but neither of them were close enough to her hiding spot for a good ambush. Letting her prey dash away, Dusquei began to sprint towards Korra, ready to jump in and help if need be...

Korra

The moment her teeth made purchase she became focused and with her hind feet firmly on the ground she sttempts to sink her claws into the hind

Nero is back and lunges for the hinds hind end once again

Sarabi is carefully watching

Dusquei & *Prey*

Korra took a few glancing blows from the hooves, but had pulled herself in close enough to her prey to make it difficult for the deer to land any serious injuries on her. Her claws dug in securely, and being nearly double the weight of her prey, it didn't take long for Korra to drop the hind to the ground. Any chance at kicking herself free was ended when Nerogi leapt onto her hindquarters and fully pinned her to the earth.

Dusquei dropped into a saunter as she approached, seeing that her niece and nephew had their prey secured. In the distance, she heard the other two hinds fade further into the prairie, but didn't give them a second thought. The one deer would be more than enough to feed the four of them, with some left over for Nemu.

"Good hold, Korra. Keep it a little longer." The ligeress purred encouragingly. The hind's struggles began to wane, her energy quickly fading as pressure closed around her throat. Dusquei paced, watching and waiting, until finally, the deer moved no more. They had made a clean, successful kill.

Korra

She knew what she felt had been instinct as she held on just as her aunt said to and only once she was sure the hind was gone did she release her hold on her throat. Panting as she plopped down to rest a minute.

Nerogi only released as well once his sister did also plopping down.

Sarabi walked up.Good job you twoShe said calmly.

Dusquei

Ligeress smiled proudly, "That was excellent teamwork as well. Keeping the deer pinned made it easier for your sister to finish the kill, and saved you both from those hooves." Dusquei sat back after giving the pair a bit more constructive praise.

She waited for Korra and Nero to catch their breath before she moved in to begin feeding, though she let the siblings have their choice of feeding spot first. Once all the cats had had their fill, she planned on dragging the rest back to the pridelands for Nemu.