The Drought

[coolcoyote]

Even the pride lands suffer from the occasional drought. This one however seems to have taken perminant residence over the land. With the grass withering prey animals are migrating elsewhere, forcing predators to hunt farther and farther for their food.

It is a time that really tests the mettle of each beast. After all, only the strongest will survive.


...


"Charlie, get back here." And then there is Vrasku.

The little meerkat gulps, twisting around to face Vrasku with a forced smile, "Is...is there something wrong, s-sir?"

Dispite the harsh dry weather and lack of food this jackal appears to have packed on weight. A thick roll of flesh blankets his hide, wrapping around his neck and rounding out his stomach until it hangs nearly to his knees. "What do I see here?" The jackal points to the small bushel of grapes at his feet.

"I think they are called grapes?" The meerkat laughs. The laughter dies down as Vrasku sighs. Rubbing his eyes he steps closer to the beast.

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie." He wraps a paw over the Meerkat's shoulder, making him Yelp, "I don't see grapes here Charlie, I see...a lack of effort."

"But it's all I could..." Charlie is cut off as Vrasku places a paw on his snout.

"Excuses don't become you Charlie. I know things have been tough, but you have to remember, it's tough for all of us. Even us jackals. And if I go hungry well then...I guess I will have to find my meal elsewhere won't I? I don't think your herd would appreciate it if I had to gobble down a few of your people just because you couldn't meet a quota Charlie."

"M-meerkats don't have herds we..."

"I imagine they would be rather angry with you," the jackal continues undisturbed, his claws pulling Charlie closer to Vrasku's muzzle. "After all the work that went into our deal, to keep you lot safe from ground predators and keep you off my own menu. No, they wouldn't like that one bit. You remember what happened to the last meerkat that didn't meet his quota, don't you? All...feeded up and served on a player. I always liked you Charlie, so I would hate to see something similar happen to you." The meerkat is now eye to eye with the jackal who is careful to show off his teeth as he smiles. Are we clear?"

The meerkat let's out a whimper. "Good. Now, let's all pretend this didn't happen and bring me twice your quota next time. M'kay?" And with that Vrasku gives the terrified creature the boot.

Once Charlie scampers off out of sight Vrasku sits down to eat his grapes. "How is this supposed to feed me for the day?" He chuffs. "Look at me, wasting away into nothin'. At this rate I will have to go hunting again..." He shivers at the thought.

[Lokisenna]

Naiief had been keeping a watch on the strange development between the two species for a couple of days now, keeping low to the underbush, the tall, lifeless patches of savannah grass.

Unlike the jackals, Naiief had very little weight on her, as to her nature she didn't steal off others, and had developed a tactic of getting food by waiting out the dehydration and starvation in other animals. Zebra, gazelle and rodents were alot less alert when they were hungry or thirsty. She didn't takk to much advantage though, meat was scarce, and other animals needed it to survive. Her body was angular but lined with powerful muscles, she dug her claws into the dirt a little as she saw the jackal wave the meerkat off, with a push of his paw.

She wondered if she would've resorted to this kind of system is she was able to eat fruits and vegetation, the canids had it easy. Her ears flicked with irritation as she looked around for a clear path away from the jackal back to where her friend, Sembe was keeping cool and safe from predators.

Unfortunately she couldn't see one, there was a jackal in the far distance either way. She huffed, and rolled to her side with impatience, perhaps she'd just have to wait a little while then. Her tail tapped ever so slightly as she resigned to waiting.

Huh, she could really use a drink.

[coolcoyote]

Vrasku seems hardly concerned with the lioness. It's hard to worry about things you didn't even realize were there. The portly Jackal spits out a seed before resting on his rump. "Blast it Charlie, I was really counting on you to pull through, now where am I going to get supper?" He sighs, struggling to pull himself up, "Nothing left too it. I'll just have to grab a bite to eat on my own. I wonder if there is anything down by the watering hole..." It is unclear why the jackal talks to himself but he either way he begins trotting off in one direction while the meerkat continues on his less than merry way back home in the complete opposite.

[Lokisenna]

Pulling herself back onto her feet as she noticed a gap in the surrounding Jackals, Naiief begins to carefully make her way to the waterhole. She goes a round about way and crosses Charlie's path as she skulks through the underbush, giving a cheeky smirk as she moves by. Presenting her obvious lack of interest in him as a meal. She ate that morning and she won't try for food again till the next day if she could help it.

As she zigzagged through the grass, her line of site fell on the withering waterhole, not as full as it once was due to the effects of the drought, but definitely still a flow with water, the shimmering surface glinted in the midday sun. This part of the land, though in this rainless drought, was still much more bountiful than her own homelands, and it amazed her at its resilience.

coming out of the grass she made her way to the waterhole and began to drink. Some animals tittered at her presence, but they new that, within the law of he Pridelands, they were fairly safe from harm. That is, unless someone decided to break it, though lions of any land tend to keep to their laws of the circle of life rigidly.

Naiief drank hungrily at the water before finally looking up to look about her surroundings.

[coolcoyote]

The little meerkat nearly has a heart attack as he watches the lion waltz by him. He emits a terrified squeak before leaping behind a log to hide. Chest heaving he tries desperately to get his heart to calm down. "It's ok Charlie...it's ok. You are not going to be eaten, not today."

"Well that depends mostly on you." Charlie'snack' eyes twitch as a second predator appears, leaning over the log to smile at him. "And whether or not you tell me where you picked up that jackal sent..." Chuckles the hyena...

....

Vrasku casts a keen eye over the beasts assembled at the watering hole. There is an unspoken law to keep watering holes neutral, to not eat the animals that are here.

No one said anything about eating them after they leave though. Nothing here though seems particularly eatable, at least not in his power to bring down easily.

Vrasku does however try to strike up a conversation with a pair of field mice, although it ends up going no where as the mice scjrry off to somewhere...somewhere away from Vrasku's reach. "Come back! You're missing out on the vacation of a life time!"

He growls before trying a similar scheme on other creatures, "Hello friend! You are the 1000th visitor today and have won a free vacation to..." With mice.

"All expenses paid! Luxury shady trees to rest under..." With Birds.

"Fine dining and all the free grub you can eat!" With warthogs.

"...an opportunity of a life time!" The gazelle chuffs at the jackal before splashing water at him. He retreats yelping.

"Lousy no good upstarts. Don't know a good deal when they see one..." The jackal shakes himself clean, not realizing that he is now standing next to a lioness as he does so...

[The-odd-crow]

(( I hope it's okey I jump in. Love your characters so far!))

Embamba squinted her eyes as the jackals' shakeing fur threw water on her face.
" And what is this oppurtunity of a lifetime you speak of Jackal?"
The elderly lioness used her front paw to rub the water off, as the smell of wet dog wasen't pleseant to her.
Em (short for Embamba) stood infront of the jackal alone, her body visably skinny with a scruffy pelt and was even missing her left canine tooth which made her voice sound a bit lisp. This elderly lioness didn't look fit at all to get food for herself jet she didn't seem to be dying but instead, appered quite healty despite her fragile looking body.

[coolcoyote]

(eep! Ive been gone for a while havnt I? XD so sorry for my absence. Life...happened.)