More to huntin' than just a sniffin' and a trakin'

(October 18th, closed to Copper and Dixie's pups.)

A light wind lightly rustled the golden grass, as a slightly shadowed figure moved through the yellowing plants. Dark, deep, brown eyes watched ahead of him as the canine took a slow step forward. He'd learned many things in his short lifetime and how to stalk had defiantly been one of them.

The canine moved forward until he came to a small clearing. There were no big pray in the area that he could see, but he could smell some a bit farther off, however he wasn't worried about them. As his paws hit the soft dirt he turned, looking behind him as he waited for his trainees to follow. Copper had to admit this hadn't been the first thing he thought he'd be doing when he woke up this morning, but having been asked by a certain golden female to watch over her pups for a while he had found himself unable to say no.

"Alright pups," He said as the three smaller canines stepped into the clearing by his side, "we'll start here, practice a little, then see if you've got what it takes to real huntin' dogs. I'm sure you've had to have learned somethin' by now so show me what ya got." The older dog stepped back to let the pups demonstrate just what they'd learned so far, hopefully it was something Copper could work with.

Copper knew that the pups would still have a way to go, he hadn't been nearly as good at hunting as he was now at their age, he had learned a few things sure, but he hadn't even caught his first varmint until he was around nine months old, but then again this was a war they were living in now and they needed to learn fast. It was kill or be killed in this world and Copper only hoped he could make survivors out of Dixie's remaining pups.

"Uh-huh." Enzo was eager, Umeme was bracing herself for battle. Sasha was hanging behind. She hid in the crook of Copper's legs. The girl had become a fearful little thing; no longer quiet but just as terrified as when she'd heard her paternal uncle talk about taking her father away. Her nub of a tail would have twisted itself between her legs if it could. She watched her coarse coated ebony sister stick her nose in the air and sniffed gently on the air. Her graceful steps were in contrast to her bulky form.

Enzo had his nose to the ground, smelling the dirt. He'd seen Copper do this before so he was copying him to a T. Enzo liked Uncle Copper. He was gentle with them but still ready to whip them into shape. His fluffy tail wagged behind him as he sat back, frowning. "I don't smell nothin'."

"Then you're a moron," Umeme squeaked, "There's probably those little rat things other this ridge. What'd the lions call'em? Meerkats? I dunno but something sure stinks."

Copper held back a laugh as he watched Enzo lower himself to the ground. He seemed ready for whatever the older dog might throw at him. Umeme looked ready to attack something, and Copper found himself smirking at the thought. She'd be a great fighter one day, just from her looks alone the hound could tell. Then there was Sasha, the little pup was sitting silently between his front legs. She seemed very scared, of what? Copper wasn't sure.

He lowered his head so that he could see her better. "What's wrong?" He asked as he spared the other two a quick glance to make sure they were still in line. "You can tell ol' Copper." He offered her a small smile before the sound of the other two's voice drew his attention.

"I don't smell nothin'."

"Then you're a moron, there's probably those little rat things over this ridge. What'd the lions call'em? Meerkats? I dunno but something sure stinks."

Copper smirked and scented the air lightly himself. "Very good, Umeme. Those are meerkats just over that ridge. That isn't a borrow however must be a hunting group." The last part was said mostly to himself as if he were musing something. Despite being rather quick on their feet the little mongoose-related animals could provide to be great practice.

"Ya know what?" He asked all three of them as he looked toward the ridge then back to the pups. "Those meerkats are going to be our targets for the day. I'm going to let you try out what you already know on them, then I'll give pointers where I think they're needed." He slowly stepped over Sasha, careful not to hit her with a paw or step on her. "I will let you know this, there is always a look out, it's normally just one meerkat and he can't look everywhere at once, keep that in mind." He paused as he scented the air once more for a quick second. "Well, off ya go. Show your Uncle Copper what ya can do."

Sasha's large chocolate orbs just stared up at Copper, her maw shut tight, not saying a word. She trusted Copper more than her Uncle Desoto despite one being of blood and the other not. Copper was kind to them and was very kind to Mama. Actaully, Sasha had never even heard Mama raise her voice to Copper, not snap at him once. It put Sasha at ease that even her feisty mother liked Copper more than Uncle Desoto. So she scrambled back between his front legs, mouth shut tightly, leaning she head against the inside of his left front leg.

"Well why can't we just take out the lookout? Then they all scramble," Umeme said, turning her head over her shoulder, "And what are they hunting for Uncle Copper? They're so small!"

"Yeah, what's somethin' like that gonna hunt?" Enzo said, turning himself fully around, His nose hit the dirt again, "I'll betcha I can find the leader first. Then we can get a plan." Umeme rolled her golden eyes.

Copper's brown gaze flickered the the small female between his legs for a moment as she leaned her head against him. He was starting to worry about her, if she didn't start to come out of the shell she'd put herself in she wouldn't survive out here long and that-as much as he hated to admit it,- scared him.

He then turned his attention back to the other two pups, as he thought over Umeme's suggestion it sounded like it could work. The look outs usual stuck to high places however, but if this mob's had chosen a rock to perch on it shouldn't be a problem. "That's a excellent idea Umeme, we should try that and see how it goes." He nodded his head once to signal that was the plan.

He couldn't help the small chuckle that left him as Umeme's next words, though there were no meerkats in the Outlands, you would think their mother or father would have thought them something about their prey. "Bugs mostly, but they do go after lizards sometimes." He then looked to Enzo and shook his head. "You'd be lucky if you did find her, she tends to hide out in the middle." For a dog who was born and raised in the country Copper realized he knew a lot about the animals here, but he guessed that was hunting dog nature, learn what your prey is so you can learn their weaknesses. That or he's just been here long enough to learn a thing or two.

"Alright pups, let's test out those huntin' instincts of yours." The hound said as he slowly walked toward the small ridge knowing the pups would follow.

"Yuck! Bugs!" Enzo scoffed.

"Why would you need to hunt a bug," Umeme said, eyebrows raised in a look that could only fit on her or her mother's face, "That's weird." She lifted her head to the air and sniffed again, lifting a gentle paw. Her eyes narrowed, a sick grin appearing on her face. She turned back to Enzo to signal him but found her doofy brother sniffing on the ground again. Rolling her eyes she pushed forward, claws digging in the dirt. She was small, yes, even smaller than the pups who'd first joined the war. But with her father's thick body weight on her flat fur she was still a force to be reckoned with.

She sniffed the air again. There he was. Standing atop a rock above the others. She decided to spring and while she did, Sasha looked up at Copper. "I'm not scared," she remarked. She left it at that.

Umeme's spring was half successful. She did manage to get the meerkats to scatter but just because she scared them not because she took out the lookout.

The much larger dog settled into the tall grass just at the top of the ridge. This wasn't his hunt, and despite all his instincts telling him to do just want his breed was bred for, he stayed where he was. This was the pups hunt, not his. He was just the teacher and nothing more.

He ignored Umeme and Enzo's questions about why the Meerkats choice of hunting were insects. He didn't know, and honestly didn't care. It was just food to them and that was all that mattered to the hound. He watched Enzo stick his nose to the ground again, Copper made a note to show him the right way to do it later. The only thing the pup would get doing it that way was a nose full of dirt.

His deep brown eyes flickered to Sasha as she spoke, he knew what she said was a lie, but if she could make herself believe that then maybe it would help her come out of the hole she'd dug for herself. "I know." He said in a soft voice as he offered the pup a smile.

Turning his attention back to the 'hunters' of their little pack, he saw Umeme was ready to strike at any second and when she did her marking was good but slow. The lookout had seen her just before she jumped and had barked a warning to the others causing them to scatter and duck into a nearby mongoose borrow.

"Hmm." Copper stood up, and looked around. The distance between the lookout and the ridge had been farther than it looked. And though Copper knew he could have made it without the lookout having the time to do what it did, the smaller pups wouldn't have. "Good job, but you jumped just a half-second too late. Come on, let's teach you the right way to track, then we'll come back to stalking." He then turned and headed back toward the small clearing they'd been in earlier.