Hunting Lessons
Aug. 31st, 2011 01:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breezeshadowTitle: Hunting Lessons [pending]
Genre: Fantasy
The Troops: Viorica and THE DEMONS YESSSSS
Status: Complete
Rating: PG, maybe PG-13 if you're squeamish about dead animals.
Summary: Underneath the bustling human cities, a few growing cubs learn how to survive -- and how to be a demon.
Prompt: None. Unless you count my boyfriend wanting me to write something adorable.
Author's Notes: Demon cubs = so fuzzy. That is all.
--
She paused in the expanse of the cavern, lifting her nose from the earth to test the air. She could not locate anything too interesting -- there were remnants of moles that had made their way through here, before no doubt scenting her clan's boundary a few paces back and deciding that this was not the best area to create another tunnel, thus leaving her with nothing to report. Neither were there any rivals; she wasn't stupid enough to say they knew better, but they did keep their distance, making sure to only test the dirt when the hunting slowed and the cubs kept them occupied.
Now was not quite one of those times. Turning, the demon crooned softly, the fluffy tufts tipping her small ears spreading and swaying, her toes widening as she tapped them into the earth. After a brief pause -- just long enough to make her tense, ready to turn around and charge after threats -- she heard a series of chirps and they came running. They were roughly half her size, all oversized feet and head and long limps, but regardless they came with grace.
The biggest cub came first, nosing her and brushing cheeks with her, before chirping and sitting expectantly, ear tufts raised as high as possible, newly grown fangs bared proudly. She turned from him to watch the other two, scampering over the last of the rocks to greet her as well, then shove over their bigger companion, resulting in hissing and all three of them smacking their paws at each other.
She growled softly, then, and instantly all three came to attention, ears perked, paws firmly on the ground, the middle one's body wriggling in an effort to keep still. They were still fairly young, of course, so she didn't expect perfect performance this time; after all, their final teeth had only just grown in, meaning they had all the physical capacity to be demons and none of the brains.
Viorica smiled, tail swaying as she sat down and sniffed at the ground, then projected a small image to the cubs of herself sniffing around, tracking a scent. The cubs all looked on with awe -- telepathy was not a typical demon trait, so they would not be expected to know much about it. Still, it made lessons that much easier, and gave her clan a tactical advantage.
And no advantage was unfair in the caverns.
The middle one sprung to his feet and sniffed the ground, spinning in a circle that bumped his companions and got him growls and smacks on his thighs. He paid no attention, though, as his ears perked, the smell of excitement reaching her, and he looked up and huffed exactly once -- Prey.
She nosed him, then put her head on his and tucked it down toward his chest -- No, but close. The cub looked at her with confusion, ears pulled back, toes spreading and so she sniffed out the scent again, then huffed twice, and moved a bit forward, pointing out toward the cavern.
The biggest one understood first this time, jumping up and following the scent ahead of her, pausing, before he pointed off a veer, ears flopping. She padded over and licked his nose and got a happy chirp and nuzzle under the chin.
And then all of them were moving -- the other two understood the point and the four of them tracked, her slightly ahead of them, making sure the cubs never wandered from her heels lest they get a stern growl and nip on the ear. Someday they would be big enough to wander from her to bring back their findings -- but until then a rabid female may get them, or even a rival clan, or they may just get lost and starve. They were a little too distracted and unfocused, too likely to run off and never come home.
So she kept them beside her, not wandering once, an added lesson in obedience. Some cubs needed that a little more than others, male or female; such did not really matter until they grew older anyway. She taught them all the same.
Then the small female -- she liked to herd these two males around, and refused to be separated even for hunting -- paused, sniffing, and lifted her nose to the air, like a miniature hunter. Then, ears perked and tail wiggling, she turned to Viorica and huffed, then chirped, then spun in a circle for good measure; a
little less like a miniature hunter
Viorica had already noticed it of course; the scent of the moles was more pungent, recent, and staring to gather like clumps of fur. By now they were very close to the creatures, who no doubt knew they were coming, having heard the scampering of feet. Still, Viorica nudged the cub and they all froze, coming to attention, understanding that they must be quiet but perhaps not having the attention span for it.
The biggest one sniffed at the ground, looked over at Viorica, and then crouched low to the ground, moving forward cautiously. His body wiggled and he looked up at the Queen when his companions followed, mimicking his movements, though Viorica did not crouch quite so slow, knowing they were unlikely to actually see any of the creatures. Instead the four of them moved carefully, claws nearly silent as they scraped over the rocks, veering toward one cavern, illuminated vaguely by bioluminescence in the ceiling.
And then they all saw the packed dirt. The female almost bounded straight over to it but Viorica blocked her with one large paw that the cub tripped over, sprawling into the ground with indignant hissing. Then she bowed low to the ground and licked at the Queen's muzzle in apology, and Viorica nudged her in return -- no harm done, after all. Failed hunting trips were just as informative, after all.
Something rustled beyond the packed dirt. All four of them heard it, snapping to attention, and even Viorica crouched, tail twitching, ear and feet tufts flattening down so she did not blatantly announce her presence. The cubs instinctively followed that response, though all three of them twitched and shook. She knew they were excited, but also a little nervous -- no cub wanted to screw up.
The movement beyond the dirt paused, and then she pounced, launching the last couple of feet and plowing through the dirt; her eyes closed against the spray but she could still hear the scampering and landed, crouched, and launched after it. She heard frantic squealing as her paws smashed into something that squirmed beneath her. She didn't give it time to think further, reaching down and crushing its head and stubby body in her jaws until it finally stopped twitching.
Behind her she heard scrambling, squealing, and occasional hisses and yowls; lifting the mole in her jaws, she turned around and scented the air, listening to the movements, and opened her eyes to see vague squabbling and rolling, as she expected. Finally she saw the small male emerge victorious, jaws clamped around a twitching mole, ear tufts raised high and proud, while the other two pawed at his thighs and hissed indignantly.
She could smell the blood on him and knew that he had rushed in and gotten it first, and just had a little trouble completing the kill. She growled sharply at the other two, who whimpered and crouched low, ears back and toes pressed into the ground; and then walked over to the other male trying to maintain dignity but shaking a little too much for it. As she approached he dropped the mole at her feet, nudging it toward her.
Instead she pushed it back at him, set her own kill down, and licked his bloodied nose. The cub's eyes widened and he chirped rapidly, bounding over the dead moles and nudged her chin, snuggling up against her chest; she reached a giant paw and hugged him close, then released him and nosed him back over to his kill, moving past to comfort the other cubs.
The female had watched bitterly, ears flat and toes curled toward her, a low growl in her throat; the other male, though almost double her size, watched fearfully, whimpering as he lied on his stomach. Viorica growled softly at the female, who startled, then relaxed a bit and looked away, crouching low; but the Queen just nudged her and hugged her too, licking the top of her head reassuringly: next time. Then she crooned at the big cub, who rushed over and pressed against her, shaking and nervous, feeling like he had done something wrong but not sure what it was.
It hadn't been anything, really; the female cub was just jealous, she knew, wishing she had been the one to get that mole and blaming the other male for screwing up. Hopefully she would lose that attitude; Viorica would be willing to help her with that. But until then, she just nuzzled the smaller male, licking his head a few times until he stopped shaking and chirped hopefully, finally certain that he was okay.
Then the other male suddenly bowled him out of her grip, cackling as the bigger male hissed and knocked him over the head. Then he flopped the dead mole onto the other cub's exposed belly and walked off of him, grinning his oversized head off, infinitely proud of his generosity. The female cub watched with wide eyes and half-lowered ears, dumbfounded that she did not get the prize as "his" female.
Viorica just smiled, lowering her head at the smaller male: Well-played.
And the cub grinned back.
Genre: Fantasy
The Troops: Viorica and THE DEMONS YESSSSS
Status: Complete
Rating: PG, maybe PG-13 if you're squeamish about dead animals.
Summary: Underneath the bustling human cities, a few growing cubs learn how to survive -- and how to be a demon.
Prompt: None. Unless you count my boyfriend wanting me to write something adorable.
Author's Notes: Demon cubs = so fuzzy. That is all.
--
She paused in the expanse of the cavern, lifting her nose from the earth to test the air. She could not locate anything too interesting -- there were remnants of moles that had made their way through here, before no doubt scenting her clan's boundary a few paces back and deciding that this was not the best area to create another tunnel, thus leaving her with nothing to report. Neither were there any rivals; she wasn't stupid enough to say they knew better, but they did keep their distance, making sure to only test the dirt when the hunting slowed and the cubs kept them occupied.
Now was not quite one of those times. Turning, the demon crooned softly, the fluffy tufts tipping her small ears spreading and swaying, her toes widening as she tapped them into the earth. After a brief pause -- just long enough to make her tense, ready to turn around and charge after threats -- she heard a series of chirps and they came running. They were roughly half her size, all oversized feet and head and long limps, but regardless they came with grace.
The biggest cub came first, nosing her and brushing cheeks with her, before chirping and sitting expectantly, ear tufts raised as high as possible, newly grown fangs bared proudly. She turned from him to watch the other two, scampering over the last of the rocks to greet her as well, then shove over their bigger companion, resulting in hissing and all three of them smacking their paws at each other.
She growled softly, then, and instantly all three came to attention, ears perked, paws firmly on the ground, the middle one's body wriggling in an effort to keep still. They were still fairly young, of course, so she didn't expect perfect performance this time; after all, their final teeth had only just grown in, meaning they had all the physical capacity to be demons and none of the brains.
Viorica smiled, tail swaying as she sat down and sniffed at the ground, then projected a small image to the cubs of herself sniffing around, tracking a scent. The cubs all looked on with awe -- telepathy was not a typical demon trait, so they would not be expected to know much about it. Still, it made lessons that much easier, and gave her clan a tactical advantage.
And no advantage was unfair in the caverns.
The middle one sprung to his feet and sniffed the ground, spinning in a circle that bumped his companions and got him growls and smacks on his thighs. He paid no attention, though, as his ears perked, the smell of excitement reaching her, and he looked up and huffed exactly once -- Prey.
She nosed him, then put her head on his and tucked it down toward his chest -- No, but close. The cub looked at her with confusion, ears pulled back, toes spreading and so she sniffed out the scent again, then huffed twice, and moved a bit forward, pointing out toward the cavern.
The biggest one understood first this time, jumping up and following the scent ahead of her, pausing, before he pointed off a veer, ears flopping. She padded over and licked his nose and got a happy chirp and nuzzle under the chin.
And then all of them were moving -- the other two understood the point and the four of them tracked, her slightly ahead of them, making sure the cubs never wandered from her heels lest they get a stern growl and nip on the ear. Someday they would be big enough to wander from her to bring back their findings -- but until then a rabid female may get them, or even a rival clan, or they may just get lost and starve. They were a little too distracted and unfocused, too likely to run off and never come home.
So she kept them beside her, not wandering once, an added lesson in obedience. Some cubs needed that a little more than others, male or female; such did not really matter until they grew older anyway. She taught them all the same.
Then the small female -- she liked to herd these two males around, and refused to be separated even for hunting -- paused, sniffing, and lifted her nose to the air, like a miniature hunter. Then, ears perked and tail wiggling, she turned to Viorica and huffed, then chirped, then spun in a circle for good measure; a
little less like a miniature hunter
Viorica had already noticed it of course; the scent of the moles was more pungent, recent, and staring to gather like clumps of fur. By now they were very close to the creatures, who no doubt knew they were coming, having heard the scampering of feet. Still, Viorica nudged the cub and they all froze, coming to attention, understanding that they must be quiet but perhaps not having the attention span for it.
The biggest one sniffed at the ground, looked over at Viorica, and then crouched low to the ground, moving forward cautiously. His body wiggled and he looked up at the Queen when his companions followed, mimicking his movements, though Viorica did not crouch quite so slow, knowing they were unlikely to actually see any of the creatures. Instead the four of them moved carefully, claws nearly silent as they scraped over the rocks, veering toward one cavern, illuminated vaguely by bioluminescence in the ceiling.
And then they all saw the packed dirt. The female almost bounded straight over to it but Viorica blocked her with one large paw that the cub tripped over, sprawling into the ground with indignant hissing. Then she bowed low to the ground and licked at the Queen's muzzle in apology, and Viorica nudged her in return -- no harm done, after all. Failed hunting trips were just as informative, after all.
Something rustled beyond the packed dirt. All four of them heard it, snapping to attention, and even Viorica crouched, tail twitching, ear and feet tufts flattening down so she did not blatantly announce her presence. The cubs instinctively followed that response, though all three of them twitched and shook. She knew they were excited, but also a little nervous -- no cub wanted to screw up.
The movement beyond the dirt paused, and then she pounced, launching the last couple of feet and plowing through the dirt; her eyes closed against the spray but she could still hear the scampering and landed, crouched, and launched after it. She heard frantic squealing as her paws smashed into something that squirmed beneath her. She didn't give it time to think further, reaching down and crushing its head and stubby body in her jaws until it finally stopped twitching.
Behind her she heard scrambling, squealing, and occasional hisses and yowls; lifting the mole in her jaws, she turned around and scented the air, listening to the movements, and opened her eyes to see vague squabbling and rolling, as she expected. Finally she saw the small male emerge victorious, jaws clamped around a twitching mole, ear tufts raised high and proud, while the other two pawed at his thighs and hissed indignantly.
She could smell the blood on him and knew that he had rushed in and gotten it first, and just had a little trouble completing the kill. She growled sharply at the other two, who whimpered and crouched low, ears back and toes pressed into the ground; and then walked over to the other male trying to maintain dignity but shaking a little too much for it. As she approached he dropped the mole at her feet, nudging it toward her.
Instead she pushed it back at him, set her own kill down, and licked his bloodied nose. The cub's eyes widened and he chirped rapidly, bounding over the dead moles and nudged her chin, snuggling up against her chest; she reached a giant paw and hugged him close, then released him and nosed him back over to his kill, moving past to comfort the other cubs.
The female had watched bitterly, ears flat and toes curled toward her, a low growl in her throat; the other male, though almost double her size, watched fearfully, whimpering as he lied on his stomach. Viorica growled softly at the female, who startled, then relaxed a bit and looked away, crouching low; but the Queen just nudged her and hugged her too, licking the top of her head reassuringly: next time. Then she crooned at the big cub, who rushed over and pressed against her, shaking and nervous, feeling like he had done something wrong but not sure what it was.
It hadn't been anything, really; the female cub was just jealous, she knew, wishing she had been the one to get that mole and blaming the other male for screwing up. Hopefully she would lose that attitude; Viorica would be willing to help her with that. But until then, she just nuzzled the smaller male, licking his head a few times until he stopped shaking and chirped hopefully, finally certain that he was okay.
Then the other male suddenly bowled him out of her grip, cackling as the bigger male hissed and knocked him over the head. Then he flopped the dead mole onto the other cub's exposed belly and walked off of him, grinning his oversized head off, infinitely proud of his generosity. The female cub watched with wide eyes and half-lowered ears, dumbfounded that she did not get the prize as "his" female.
Viorica just smiled, lowering her head at the smaller male: Well-played.
And the cub grinned back.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 09:02 pm (UTC)One thing: I noticed a few places in which physical gestures showed up. Is this narrator intended to be blind until the bioluminescence shows up?
no subject
Date: 2011-09-09 01:55 am (UTC)I THINK that the demons at least have very minimal motion in the low light before the bioluminescence and so can see basic gestures. However, it's also likely it's completely dark, in which case I have to do some editing.
And as to that sequel: oh man. Viorica would kick some serious ass, being a double mage.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-09 01:56 am (UTC)