{SRP}Commence Training! {Itsaso x Kacivu}

[magnadearel]

She was excited! The young adol had finally made up her mind which rank she was going to train for. It had been quite the ordeal for her; though she'd probably been making it seem bigger than it really was. Her mother had not been helping the fact that her siblings had chosen and she hadn't. Itsaso had had to get some advice. Her choice had proven fruitful and insightful.

Now that she had a goal, she was forging ahead full steam. As an adol she was supposed to train in the rank she wanted. There weren't many Gacherus currently, but she'd approached one and asked to be trained. The wild dog had agreed to take her with him and train her on the job. She was excited as she gathered herself up in the morning and let Mochni hop onto her shoulder for a ride over to the meeting place. This was going to be exciting! The morning mists swirled around her ankles and gave it an other-worldly quality. Granted it was the gloom just before dawn. Once the sun was up most of the mist would disappear.

"Are you ready Mochni? I heard he has a vulture familiar too." She wanted her friend to be happy doing this too. Hopefully the two birds would get along. Itsaso paused in a clearing to wait for her mentor.


Mochni was still sleepy. The crazy part about bonding in a pride where almost everyone was nocturnal. The sun wasn't even up yet. He could tell there was a least a couple more hours before the sun would even -think- of rising. The vulture ruffled his feathers as Itsaso called him to join her. He was very tempted to just tuck his beak under his wing and ignore her.

Unfortunately he knew that he was part of her team. If this was to be her job when she was an adult, then he needed to go with her. Luckily for him as he fluttered sleepily down, she let him land on her shoulder for a ride. He could nap until he was needed.






Kacivu had initially been surprised when a young lioness approached him for training. In the end it had been her determination to have a mentor in her newly chosen rank that had convinced him. That and the pride was still small. They all had to pitch in to make it grow. Since these were the first of the next generation, he should do what he could. He was pleased to see that she had vulture familiar. Birds were quite handy in this as they could range out quite far and then report back. He collected his own vulture and went to the meeting place, well before dawn.

The wild dog approached slowly in the dark; observing his new protégé before she became aware of him. This was the essence of their duty to the pride. To see before they were seen. The first thing he noticed was that she was very relaxed, true she was young but she needed to be aware of her surroundings when all she had was herself out in the wilds. Her familiar was even more hopeless. He was sound asleep on her shoulder. His own vulture was awake and watching.

“Good morning!” He said loudly as he stepped out of the shadows. As he intended, they were a bit startled. “I hope you’re ready to get started.” He nodded to them and headed out, not looking back to see if they were following.


Koli was wide awake and alert despite the time of day. Kacivu had wanted him awake for this first show, so had given him enough time to wake up before going to meet their new sidekicks. He was interested in the other vulture the lioness had bonded to. Vultures were clearly the best and there wasn't nearly enough in the pride. He was amused that the other was nodding off and almost falling off the lioness' back before the wild dog spoke up.

Poor bird, he'd get use to it. While Kacivu didn't look back, he did from the corner of his eye. He could see the pair glance at each other for a long moment, then being to follow along.
 

[magnadearel]

Itsaso had had no clue that she was being watched. She hadn’t really been paying attention to her surroundings. All of a sudden a loud voice spoke up behind her. She turned startled and wide eyed. It was clear this would be her first lesson. Don’t take for granted that you’re in ‘safe’ territory. The lioness shared a long look with her familiar. The poor vulture was quite ruffled up as he’d nearly fallen off during her turn. Kacivu wasn’t going to make this easy on them.

The wild dog didn’t waste time and set off immediately. Itsaso took a deep breath and followed. It looked like he was heading out of every area she knew; even further than her mother had taken her before. To do her job, she’d have to go out and be able to find her way back. Ugh this was turning out more complicated than she’d thought. He wasn’t helping any with his great silence either. Maybe she’d picked her mentor wrong.

It was a little late for second guesses now. She was rather stuck with it for the day. “Sorry,” she mumbled guiltily to her familiar. She’d dragged him into this after all. Itsaso followed the wild dog as he led them outside areas that she was familiar with. How far were they going to go today?


Mochni had managed to nod off again on her shoulder when she stopped moving. It really was too early for any decent bird to be awake! A loud voice startled him awake again. If that wasn't enough he lost his balance as the young lioness turned to face the owner of said voice. He squawked and flapped his wings until he regained his footing. His feathers were completely displaced and he was rather annoyed at the wild dog. Then he noted at the other vulture appeared to be quite awake. It made no logical sense! Mochni figured he'd find out about it soon enough during training


Kacivu heard the footsteps behind him and smiled. So he hadn't scared her off. That was good. The way her paws dragged though suggested she wasn't so sure about it now. He glanced over his shoulder to look at her. "Quite often we go out into the outlands alone. We have no one to rely upon but ourselves and familiars. Your vulture might fly back to warn the pride that you're in trouble, of course. How long will it take him? How long will it then take help to come to you? You must be use to relying upon each other, and defending yourself against bad odds."

He knew his lesson had hit home. It might take her awhile to be constantly aware, but she'd learn it. “What would say our primary objective is?” Many might say spying. Kacivu didn’t really consider it spying so much as simply being observant. One could go a long way using the brains you were born with. The other thing many forgot was that since they worked alone it was usually up to them to find a way back to tell the leader their news.

“Tell me what you see.” They were some distance away from the pride now. Kacivu stopped atop a small hill to give them a vantage point.


Koli kept his head on a swivel. Usually he flew up high and ahead of his partner. For today, he'd been asked to remain with the group until they reached their location. Since this was mainly training for the newbies he was alright with that. There wasn't nearly as much as he was use to seeing high up. It would be so easy to let himself get bored. He did his best to amuse himself, and kept half an ear on what the others were talking about. The other vulture seemed to be sulking in silence.
 

[magnadearel]

She perked up some when the wild dog started to speak. So she wasn’t going to get just the cold shoulder! Itsaso sped up enough to catch up with him and listened. She hadn’t quite realized they’d be alone most of the time. Granted she had her trainer right now, but afterwards? It really was a small pride once she thought about it. It wasn’t logical or feasible to send search parties out in pairs regularly.

“So I have to learn how to be a survivalist.” To rely on nobody but herself. Itsaso hoped that it wouldn’t turn her into a hermit. It meant she’d have to watch out for dangers, hunt for herself, and find water. Just as she was coming to the conclusion she could send Mochni back if she got into too much trouble, Kacivu made another good point. Should she be far out, it might be quite a while before she got help. That didn’t sound appealing.

The young lioness considered his question carefully. Everything so far had been a trick of sorts. “To be aware of everything going on around the pride?” Even as she said it, she realized it wasn’t a complete answer. Itsaso slowly became aware of her surroundings. The sun was just starting to show and they were sitting atop a small hill. The world opened up before her.

“Woah……” It was a breathless moment and she had to take it all in. “I see a river. And a herd of something over there.” It was hard to tell what exactly the herd was in the faint light. Even as she watched it changed.


Mochni wasn't even going to try to pretend to be awake as the other vulture. He was still very much sleepy. It was difficult for him to pay attention to what they were talking about. He drowsed as he rode on Itsaso's shoulder. When she stopped, he opened an eye. The sun was just starting it's accent. Finally! The vulture ruffled his feathers and shook himself out. He looked around with a bit more interest and alertness.


The wild dog gave the adol a welcoming smile as she caught up to him. He let her sum up the job in her own words. Over time it would have it’s own meaning to her. It could be the same as his or different. “I like to think of it as we are a jack of all trade. We do everything for ourselves while we are out, and then return and report what we’ve seen.”

“We don’t simply observe the world around us. I think our main focus is to bring news of the outside world in to our leader, Najwa. If we have a pack of hyenas bearing down upon us, she should know. If there’s prey within easy distance to the pride, the hunters should know too. We are, in essence, the eyes, ears, and nose of the pride.” He grinned. Trust a wild dog to put it into such terms.

He took a deep breath as she was absorbed in the view that spread out before them. “Awesome isn’t it? With practice you’ll be able to pick out more details. This is where our birds come in handy. Find something interesting. We’ll send them there to check it out in closer detail and report back to us.”


Koli had been waiting for this. This is what he was built to fly for! Well he was just built to fly. But that aside, he brought the ability to get to a place quickly and safely, see what was going down, and then return with that information. It was faster for him to fly than for them to run and they weren't no spring cheetahs! "You ready finally to stretch your wings, lazy bum?" He eyed the other vulture who was finally waking up. Koli waited for Itsaso to pick her target. "Don't make it too close young lady. Give the old bird a challenge eh?"
 

[magnadearel]

The young lioness nodded thoughtfully as he mentioned return and report. That in essence was the fulcrum of their job. What use was their information if they couldn’t get back to give it to the ones who needed it? Itsaso considered for a moment. Was she really up to this? For now, she wasn’t sure. That’s what more training would teach her. How to live this live style or make her realize this wasn’t for her.

It was rather exciting to think of herself making a report to the Ammon herself! It was all very well in a daydream, but she knew hard work would be ahead of her before that. That, however, gave her a goal to push toward. She would do her best! Itsaso laughed softly at how he described them.

She nodded to his comment about the view. It was well worth getting up early for. When he mentioned practice, she knew there were many more early mornings sitting up here observing in her future. She felt Mochni starting to stir and knew she’d picked the right familiar for this job. Itsaso stared hard at the landscape before her. She couldn’t send them just anywhere, it had to be a place she wanted to know about. That and the other vulture said it couldn’t be close. She wanted to giggle at Koli, but managed to refrain.

The river looked a long way off, but a river was just a river. What did she really need to know about it? The herd? It’d be nice to know what animals they were and if a hunt was possible. It wasn’t much of a challenge though. She gave a sigh. This was harder than it looked. An idea practically hit her in the head and she smiled.

“Alright! Go out and do a scan of the surrounding lands. I want to know if there are any lions, hyenas, or wild dogs in the area. And find out what prey that herd is.” She pointed with a paw at the unidentified herd.


Mochni was having mixed feelings now. He knew he said he'd support her, but now it was time for him to work. The vulture was realizing there was more work involved in it for him than he'd thought. He'd had it easy while she was still young. This would be a big change for him to. He flashed a glare and harumph at the other vulture as he was ridiculed. Lazy bum indeed! He'd show the other he was ready for this! Mochni listened to what he was suppose to do from Itsaso. It didn't sound that hard. "Well then let's be on our way!" With a strong flap he rose into the sky.


This was going rather well all in all. Kacivu hoped Koli got along well with the other vulture. It would be Koli’s job to train Mochni on what he was supposed to look for. From the ruffled feathers it looked to be an interesting time. He nodded to the birds as Itsaso gave them their directions and they flew off. It would be awhile before they returned. Now he could focus on the young lioness alone.

“I am curious Itsaso. Why did you only ask about those three? Are you not worried about leopards and cheetahs?” He had to wonder if she was taking it easy on her friend during their first time. “Are you going to send him out again?” That could be tiring for a bird to make two trips for one thing.

“While we’re waiting for them to come back, let’s take a second and closer look at what we can see.” He knew she didn’t have any experience with what was out there. For now he wanted her guesses, and some other day he’d take her out to actually see those places. Then she’d know what that terrain looked like from afar and up close. He wanted her to get comfortable with what things looked like so she could identify them at a glance.


Koli only laughed at the other vulture. He was sure Mochni would settle down with the long lonely hours. The birds flew steadily for several long moments. He kept looking down and around; the other stared straight ahead and flew with determination. As if trying to out fly a rival. Koli pulled along side the other vulture. "So, how many have you counted so far?" As expected he received a slightly surprised look from the brighter bird. "You haven't forgotten what you were tasked with already have you?"


Mochni wondered if Koli had lost his marbles. "What? We only just got up here. She wants us to check over there." He sounded miffed that the other would think he had forgotten already. In truth he hadn't been counting or even looking. He just wanted to prove to this dumb bird that he could do any task the other could just as well.

The black vulture cocked an eye. "Did she say that? I heard her say surrounding lands. Do you think a critter in this area isn't as dangerous as one over there?" Of the pair, he felt they had to be more observant. They were the ones that could go high and wide. This was his first protegee, and it was a bit of a learning curve for himself. He wanted Mochni to become the best spotter he could be.

Mochni felt guilty. He'd really only been thinking about his pride. There should only be pride in doing his job well and ensuring the safety of all. He took a deep breath. "Your right. I should have been paying more attention. I realize now that you're here to teach me just like Kacivu is teaching Itsaso." He vowed he'd do better. The bird focused his eyes downward and started counting all he spotted.

It was probably half an hour later when he realized they were finally over the herd they'd been sent to identify. It surprised him to find they were gazelles. They looked so different without their horns that couldn't be seen well from a large distance. "Right. So we go back now?"

"Right. We have our information. Keep your eyes peeled, but we'll be hurrying back." Koli wheeled around and headed back in the direction they'd come from. Not really much should have changed in the short time since they'd just flown over, but it never hurt to keep an eye out. "Othertimes, we might make a circle and not re-cover ground too."  

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She wasn’t sure how she felt as Mochni lifted away from her for the first time in a flutter of green-blue wings. He’d always been the steady voice on her shoulder and now he was gone. Suddenly she felt naked. While he was out flying around, she’d truly be on her own. Itsaso was grateful to have Kacivu with her this time, or she’d have probably broken down and cried. She had to keep her chin up with him here though. Afterwards, she’d tell Mochni about it.

The adol realized she’d forgotten to name two major players in the lands. Leopards and cheetahs could just as easily be a menace. How could she have been such a dunce to forget them? “That was my fault, I forgot. I couldn’t go look myself?” No she’d take too long to cover the ground. “I’d have to send him back out. That might make him mad. I could offer to feed him.” She’d want to make up for her mistake.

They continued to talk about what they saw as the sun continued upward. She made her best guesses for what she thought the different things to be. It was hard and he gave her no clues. It felt like forever before she saw the birds winging back. Itsaso gave a glad cry to see her friend again.


Mochni was happy to see the lioness and wild dog sitting where he had left them. It was like coming back to an old familiar roost that meant warmth and comfort. He hadn't realized how much he depended upon her until he really had to spend time away. Judging by her reaction she felt the same. He was sure they would compare notes tonight. Remembering his duty, he landed before her and made his report. "I counted 10 lions, 2 hyenas, and 5 wild dogs. The wild dogs were moving in a pack, but away from our lands." He glanced at Koli to see what he thought of the report.


Kacivu nodded as she admitted her mistake. They couldn’t discriminate. Everyone had to be views as a potential threat. He knew many would prove to be harmless in the end; there was always the chance that some wouldn’t. That was what they guarded against. “It would be best not to make the mistake again, so you don’t have to pay for it.”

The male sat quietly as he listened to her guesses. Some were clearly off to him, but he more experience with the situation. He did his best to give no hint when she was right or wrong. Already he was planning her next field trip.

Kacivu smiled as the young pair was reunited. They were quite fond of each other, he could tell. It was a great start for them, and he looked forward to seeing them grow. He grinned as Koli perched on his shoulder. How he wished he could fly and see the world as they did. The wild dog listened to the report of the novice first. It wasn’t bad over all, but it was exactly what was asked for and no more.

“Well done for your first time Mochni. It will get easier with practice I promise.” He smiled at the vulture. “Alright Koli, what was it?” He knew Koli would also be keeping count.


Koli fluttered down to land on the wild dog's back. He watched Mochni give his report. There was hope for the bird yet. "17 lions, 2 cheetahs, 4 leopards, 3 hyenas, and 5 wild dogs." He beak gapped a grin at his fellow vulture. "I'll teach you all the hiding tricks you'll have to look out for as we go."


"Excellent for your first time, Itsaso, Mochni. That's enough for today. Let's head home." With that he rose to his feet and the group headed back.

(fin)