Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Asina could not believe that for the hunt of the Nemean Lion, she had been stuck with Kristiana, the daughter of Apollo, and ardent rule-follower. They were somewhere in, Asina paused, thinking about it, Montana? Minnasota? Michigan? Something with an M name. She was actually fairly certain it was Montana, but US Geography was not her strong suit. Or geography in general. Which might be why she kept getting lost shadow travelling. She could travel by highway, though. Of course not with Kristiana by her side, she would never be able to get her hands on a car.

The other problem was that it was broad daylight, and the sun was killing Asina's eyes. She had her dark sunglasses on, but it still made her squint looking around. She grunted as she crouched, looking at some tracks on the ground. "It's going south. Across the plains." She sniffed the air, but couldn't locate anything. "Up-wind. What doest thou think? We could cover fair ground walking, or... We could try to find shade and shadow travel farther south. Or find a car." A car would be nice. Just drive. Speed. Talk her way out of a ticket.

Kristy shook her head at the mention of a car.We are not stealing a car so you can speed Asina. The daughter of Apollo said as her hawk flew overhead and let out a screech.Help me find some shade. We shadow travel as soon as we can. She said standing up and walking in the same direction they had been going for hours. Fell and Larka had run far enough ahead where their voices were faint but able to be heard. They had picked up a scent but weren't sure if it was the lion's.

Asina grunted at Kristiana, "With a car we would not be likely to miss something. Also, I do not always speed. I am a very good driver. I've had almost, um, several decades of experience." She said in protest as she also started walking south. Mr. Angry-face was not with her, since it was broad daylight. This annoyed Asina, because for some reason the past several hunts she had been sent on during the daylight. Which everyone knew was her weakest time, since she had the whole photophobia and sensitivity to light.

Being sensitive to light was definitely not fun when hiking with a stick-up-the-podex Hunter in the middle of the plains, because she wasn't allowed to steal a car. "We're going to have fair trouble finding shade, Kristiana, the last time I checked, plains were referred to as such because they were vast. And plain. There is at least ten leagues of flat grassland in any direction."

Then I suggest you save you're energy for walking and less talking. Kristiana said though a clenched jaw as she marched on. Larka had returned to her side and followed along obediently as always, telling her that Fell was scouting out more with the hawk. Kristy smiled and ran her hand through Larka's white fur happily, it was soft as always and cooler than her own skin was in the sunlight.

Larka and Fell have picked up on a scent. Fell and my hawk went on ahead to see if it is indeed the lion. Keep your eyes sharp, Asina. The experienced hunter said picking up her pace slightly so her wolf was now trotting long side her. If finding the lion meant she could get back to camp and not worry about the rule breaking Asina than she was going to try twice as hard to do so.

"'Keep your eyes sharp, Asina'" Asina mimicked mockingly. "I always keep my eyes sharp, even in the daylight, Kristiana. I have been in the Hunt far longer than you have." She said sharply, pulling her hasta from her belt where it had been disguised as a scrotum.

The child of Apollo flaunted the fact that she had three familiars that always hunted with her. Asina loved Mr. Angry-Face, but the screech owl didn't hunt during the day. It fit closer to Adina's preference. The sun was her enemy. "The sun is far too bright." Asina complained, rubbing her right temple with her spare and.

Asina can you, and I mean this with the most possible respect, zip your howling screamer. Kristy said squatting down as Fell came bounding back to her with news.The lion is farther ahead than we thought. If Larka and I hunted it we would be out of range from your telepathy me thinks. The midnight wolf said glaring at Asina. He hated her with the utmost passion. She was rude and mocked his master, something he couldn't stand in the slightest.

After telling her wolves to track as far ahead as they could while in range the two ran off and Kristy started picking up the pace.They're found it. She said once more before running off ahead in the sunlight, her bow and quiver making little to no noise as she did so.

As a migraine from the sunlight pounded against the temples and behind the back of Asina's eyes, she vaguely thought of slitting the throat of the wolf and hunter next to her and blaming the Nemean lion. But she wouldn't actually do that, she couldn't actually do that. Aside from the fact that she was already trying to save herself from the fields of punishment, she would feel guilty and Lady Diana would know the truth. So Asina didn't reply to the disrespectful malus solida.

The last thing that Asina wanted to do was run, but run she did, her shorter legs pumping hard and evenly to keep pace with Kristiana, hasta in hand ready for the attack. Her bow and quiver were on her back, strapped to make less noise. For the Nemean lion, she was sure that a stouter weapon like a hasta would be better equipped for it.

The two ran in mostly silence, although Asina did take the opportunity once they had gotten their stride to point out that this would have gone much smoother if they had stolen a car to drive. To be honest, she actually didn't mind running most of the time, it didn't fatigue her for great lengths, unlike shadow travel, but in the sun, with a headache, it made her feel like she wanted nothing more than the crawl out of her skin and stab her own eyeballs with icepicks. Unfortunately, that would do no one any good, and the sun wouldn't fall for another six hours at best, and by then, they surely would have caught up with the beast.

Kristy skidded to a halt a hundred yards from a wooded area.First off, I could care less if you think we could travel faster by car. Secondly, cars are loud and produce fumes. The Lion would have been long gone if we took a car, this is easier and safer as far as hunting him goes. The daughter of Apollo said before moving her bow from her back to her hand. They were going to have to do extreme hunting now with the woods and it was dangerous to not have a weapon handy. Putting a single arrow in the notch, Kristy walked quietly into the woods as her wolves and hawk appeared near her. They were going to be her greatest ally in this hunt, she knew that much for a fact.

Asina glared darkly at Kristiana as they came up to the highly wooded area and the younger hunter started pontificating about cars producing fumes and making noise. Did she not realize that hunters in Africa where lions were originally from often hunted by jeep? Or that there was something deeply wrong with the idea of hunting a lion in a wooded area.

The Roman adjusted her hasta, cocking her head. "Something is very wrong, Kristiana. Lions do not like woodlands, unless they're looking for cover to attack." She said, looking around like her head was on a swivel. "Either we're tracking the wrong thing, or you've lead us straight to an ambush with your less than subtle wolves."

At the mention of her wolves Fell bared his fangs and growled at Asina while Larka stood in front of the other hunter like a protective barrier as the siblings were at a stand off.It's not a large wooded area, maybe ten to fifteen deep. This is just an uncut area for trees to grow. Would you rather we abandon the hunt and return empty handed? She asked, genuinely curious and not giving an attitude at all. Larka and Fell we're still dueling via the telepathy link the four of them shared but Kristiana ignored it as best she could.It's up to you in all honesty, seeing as you are taller than me. At the finish of her sentence the hawk screeched and took off into the woods, causing Kristy to turn and draw her bow taught.Something's wrong. She thought to her wolves. The siblings stopped their stance and took off into the woods quick as lightning.

Asina didn't answer the other Hunter, despite thinking that the question and statements made no sense. Why would they abandon the hunt because Kristiana made a mistake sending her wolves in? Or because they were perhaps hunting the wrong thing? Improvise, adapt, overcome. Not abandon, give up, go home. They were Hunters of Diana, not little boys who got their first spears broken. Then the statement about being taller. It must be some modern slang. Asina stood nearly a foot shorter than her companion, and while she was a better hunter and far more experienced, height had nothing to do with it.

The hawk screeched, which nearly got it speared by Asina as she wanted silence. Then the wolves ran off. Something had been detected downwind. But something wasn't right about this, Asina shifted as she looked where the familiars had gone. Did she hear something? Her head snapped upwind as her gut feeling told her to look. A glint of bronze fur. Then the sun was blotted out by the leaping form of a giant lion. Her spear slid off it's hide like it was dull, but the spear was the only thing that saved Asina from behind squished. She rolled out of the way, pulling her bow off her back and notching an iron tipped arrow, but she wasn't sure where to shoot.

Bloody hellKristy thought as she Leaped into the shade of the trees for cover. Her wolves were in hunting mode and prowling along the edge of the shadows while her hawk circled over head, screeching and trying to get the beasts attention away from the hunters. Notching an arrow and pulling it taught, the daughter of Apollo let her arrow fly at the beast inky to watch at he knocked it away with a massive paw. Asina. Shade, now!She shouted, knowing the shade and darkness would help her immensely.

Asina did move to the shade, trying to keep out of the glare of the sun enough to see the Nemean Lion as it bore down towards them. Once the shade hit her eyes, she was able to see more comfortably, taking aim to fire her arrow into the lion's eye. She whispered a quick prayer to Diana, then let loose the string sending her arrow flying, but the lion turned it's head before it could find it's true mark, instead bouncing harmlessly off it's pelt.

Asina cursed in Latin and pulled another arrow as she moved quickly from her spot to another. If they could get it to open it's mouth. Oh what she wouldn't give for a demigod that could throw vegetables right now.

Crio, now! Kristy thought to her hawk. With a final screech the hawk started dive bombing the lion, getting it to roar in anger and try to swat the bird out of the sky. Crio was quicker though and dodged all the swipes of its massive paws. Notching a silver arrow the hunter released with a long exhale and hit her target right on its left front paw.Crap. She said aloud. It wasn't her actual target spot on a creature but it was sure to slow it down and stop it from running away.Any ideas?! The daughter of Apollo shouted to her fellow hunter.

The Nemean Lion was not slowed down by the arrow, because it has bullet-proof fur. Instead, it focused on its attacker and headed for the Hunter that had tried to shoot its foot. Asina looked calm, her bow drawn, her breath still, a determined look on her face. Inside, her mind was racing a hundred leagues a minute. She needed the lion to open his mouth. Maybe she could shoot it in the ear? "Make him open his mouth, fool! His skin is impenetrable!"