She moved slowly, silently. Her body was in the shadows, she was well trained. He didn't see her, at least not yet.
The deer raised his head for a moment. What did he hear? Nothing...it was nothing...He continued eating, his ears still perked, his mind still slightly alert.
Nala considered all the possibilities. Would she charge directly and kill him without a chance to run, or would he spot her. Would she lead him toward the river where he'd slow down and be easier to capture there? If he ran, she would give chase, but she didn't know his speed. The deer was heavier, bulkier, than most others.
He's easy prey..., she thought to herself, and continued moving. She decided she would charge at him, he would be too slow for her.
Closer...closer...
Her heart was pounding so loud she thought he could hear it. She made sure she wouldn't step on anything that would give her away - she had to maneuver around twigs lying on the ground that would snap if she stepped on them. She was so close that his stench was much thicker. She gagged just slightly, the deer must have eaten something that made him smell worse than she thought.
He raised his head again. She kept still. Did he hear her? Should she spring at him now? Let him lower his head one more time, let him lower his guard...
The deer slowly lowered his head and ate one more strand of grass.
Nala pounced on him. She was much, much closer than he realized, her fur camouflaged her well in the surroundings. He wasn't expecting the lioness' attack, and without a chance to run he was tackled.
The lioness wrapped her mouth around his neck. The deer closed his eyes, letting out a surprised sigh.
"Tag.", Nala said under her breath.
"You're good.", Quad replied. The lioness let go of him, the deer stood and shook the grass and dirt from his fur. "I thought I heard you choking, glad I let out that fart a minute ago."
Nala laughed, "You don't realize how badly you smell either. It helps you hear anyone who chokes on it coming up, but at the same time you can be smelled for miles. Not a good trade-off, and you can tell that even with it, you still get killed."
Quad nodded, "Worth a try, I suppose."
"Okay, my turn! Come hunt me!", Nala said, and ran off.
"Wait...", Quad tried to say, but the lioness was long gone. Quad shook his head, "A deer hunting a lion...who would have thought..."
He sniffed the air for her. His own smell masked her scent. Wonderful..., he thought, and then pursued the lioness in the direction she ran off in.
Off to the side, Nala watched as the deer stupidly ran past the bushes that hid her, completely unaware that she was camouflaged. The lioness smiled and shook her head, and creeping out, she caught a whiff of his strong, foul scent, and then hunted the deer once again.
Nala (c) Nala_91
Quad (c) Me
