It was the day to follow after the night of the council meeting, Bagheera had but already began to full fill the word he had come to give Diata. Upon the mid time of the early morning, Bagheera had taken Elsa out into the jungle for her session of lessons for hunting. Within an open clearing from the jungle, Bagheera was laying on the banks of a watering hole under the bright, warm, sun above him. Along with him was Baloo, relaxing in the shade underneath a tree. Bagheera was holding his head held high as he was gazing up to the watering hole, where Elsa stood in the water trying to catch a fish that was swimming below her. The girl stood steady, waiting for the chance to pounce upon the first fish that were come her way. The chance of which had came much sooner then she thought.
Just below her feet, the girl cub spotted that of a dark shadow just before her feet. She gasped as a wide smile appeared upon her face, right then she tried to catch the fish at the moment. Her arms zipped down into the water as she tried to grasp the fish, however it had but slipped out from her reach and swam out into the pond.
"Hey, wait!." The girl said as she followed after it.
From the sight of the girl's progress, Bagheera sighed and shook his head. It was all morning he had to come and bare witness to that of the girl incapability to catch a single fish at all. She was clumsy with her attempts to take hold of a single one, the speed that consisted with her attempt wasn't enough to make the small amount of time she had in catching the fish. This was such a viral part of hunting, what the hunter must always be able to strike within the small chance they had. If she was to hunt along side her she needed to be able to strike swiftly then she already could.
"Come back!"
"Keep at him, Elsa." Baloo encouraged.
"You can do it, he's as good as breakfast!"
The young girl pushed her way through the water which were up to her waist, trying to follow after the fish she had come to deem as her prey. Yet the girl Tripped upon something below her, causing the girl-cub to fall into the water. By the time she submerged to the surface of the water, she looked about for any sign of the fish. Yet it was by now she had come to find the small shadow was gone and nothing but clear reflecting water before her. She looked all around and saw but no sign of any other.
"If your going to catch them you need to be quicker then that, Elsa." The panther said as the girl looked over to him.
"I'm sorry, Bagheera." the girl cub insisted, as she picked herself out of the water.
"I just can't catch any fish, they're just too fast for me."
"Ah well." said Baloo who simply shrugged.
"It's alright, there's plenty of fish in the pond."
Bagheera turned back to the bear with a stern expression upon his face. The look of which caused the bear of which faulted as he was told.
The black panther got up on his four paws and walked toward the waters edge, the rally of excuses were but all too irritable to hear at this point. Any noble hunter of the jungle never have any excuses, nothing pardons you from ever trying, not when it's their survival hanging in the balance.
"Do you think a rabbit or a springbok will be of any difference to you?" Bagheera asked curiously.
"Those we hunt never look are never eager to become our next meal, Elsa. They will always try to slip from your grasp at any opportunity, you have to be faster if you going to run with the pride."
"But how can I?" Elsa asked curiously.
"I'm too slow compared to everyone to mama and Everyone else, and I can't catch anything. I don't have any fangs or claws."
It was a true aspect to her, there was but no denying that for certain. However still her words could not be so far from that of the truth, for there was a way of course a way for her to surpass that of her fellow pride members. What was to be the inabilities, it was to be his greatest strength.
"She does make a good argument." Baloo called out from where he sat.
Bagheera groaned in response to the Bear, neglecting all that he had said.
"I'm afraid that your far mistaken, Elsa." The panther said as he turned from the girl cub.
Elsa stood curiously to the dark hide leopard, curiously.
"What do you mean?" She asked, curiously.
Bagheera of which turned back to the girl-cub, a smirk written upon his face.
"Come with me, Elsa." He said.
"There's something that I want to show you."
The two walked out from he watering hole and walked out into the jungle, leaving Baloo to remain where he sat. The bear turned forward for a moment, pondering over what he should do looked all around for but a moment before turning back to them.
"Uh, I'll just stay here." The bear said.
Bagheera led Elsa through the jungle, though their trek had but lasted a time which didn't drag a time to long. For the short while of travelling had but brought the two before that of a great tall tree, wide with many limbs and branches reaching high to the great sky which it covered away with it's countless leaves. The girl-cub of which stopped dead as gazed upward to the tree.
"Wow." she said.
Though the girl observation was cut short.
"Elsa." The panther called to the girl, as she looked down to him.
"Come."
As told, the girl rushed after Bagheera, who turned and continued to the tree.
"What are we doing here, Bagheera?" Elsa asked, curiously.
Bagheera stopped and looked back to the girl.
"Elsa, who are but one of the few humans I have come to see dwelling in the jungle." Bagheera stated.
"You mean there were others like me?" Elsa asked, the idea of other people in the jungle brighten her mind ever so.
By the way Elsa looked to be taking what he had told her, Bagheera knew well that she wasn't entirely understanding of what he was saying. There was indeed humans seen in the jungle, that was not with the colour of skin which was not the girls. He meant that of the tribes that thrive within the jungle, who's hide was dark and were immobile when growing in time and remain completely domestic.
"Not entirely like you." Bagheera said.
"The jungle has seen people before, tribes, who thrive among us."
Elsa of which gazed about the jungle all around her. She had never seen any of those tribes from which Bagheera had spoke of, of course she never did know of it, even before she had ever come to inherit the life in the jungle she lived today.
"Where are they?" Elsa asked curiously.
"They are hidden away in the jungle." Bagheera said.
"By far distances and by the forest itself. But I have come to see them many times and I have come to gain thing from those experiences, things that may help you in the jungle."
"Really?" The girl cub asked, having high anticipation.
Bagheera nodded his head to her, before turning away and approached what was a small entrance between the sprouted roots. Elsa followed after him, stopping a time soon after as the panther pressed the front end of his body inside. He of which then back out of the small entrance, bringing with him in his jaws a wooden staff with an iron tooth at the very top.
By sight of it, the girl expression was in utter shock as the panther approached her and set it down in front of her bare feet. After of which, he back away from her.
"The man's claw." The panther said, staring down at the hunting staff.
"I have seen the use of it by these pack hunters, it's strong enough to bring the life of an elephant down to it's death. That power and strength is now to you, Elsa."
The girl cub gazed down to the spear, a feeling of being nervous swept upon the girl. The weapon aloe cam to built such an intimidated the girl ever so, the power to bring down even the mighty jungle lords, the elephants. All that to be given to a girl as young and feeble as she. An action that could have much regret down the very line, for much can possibly occur in such a manner of speaking.
The girl looked up to Begheera, who only nodded her head in assistance to her. For he felt it was of this weapon that was to her salvation. Elsa of which looked back down at the spear, in hesitation she slowly reached down and gripped the hunting staff in her young hands.
As she came to stand up she held the staff with the bottom end tipping downward to the ground. Feeling how much it weighed, it wasn't anything she couldn't lift but it still felt very heavy.
"It feels heavy." The girl said, looking to the panther.
The news of which was not unexpected to hear from the cub, after all she was young and had yet to have the strength that was needed it the way he had seen it been.
"You are still young." he said.
"It will come time that you come to hold it like the the hunter before you."
The young girl gazed down to the spear once more, dwelling over what she should do with the power given to her.
"Of course, a hunter needs far more then just a claw to hunt." Bagheera said.
"It is the fangs that truly deliver the kill."
It was then the panther turned back around and approached the tree's cave once more. Much like the spear he had extracted from it's hiding place, the panther pulled out a large hunters knife tucked away in a light brown leather case. To which later on he came before the girl-cub, who set down the spear just before Bagheera had set down the knife in her hand.
"This is your fang, man's iron tooth."
The young girl looked down to the large hunting dagger which laid in her hands. She of which took one hand and gripped hold of the dark brown hard handle of the knife, pulling out the small blade from it's case. Holding out the knife, the girl's eyes went wide.
"Wow." she said, seeing the small silver, reflecting blade of the knife.
The girl of which quivered, staring back at herself witch was reflecting back at her. She of which looked back to Bagheera, appearing so frighten.
"Bagheera..." She said
"I... I'm not sure I can do this."
"I understand how you feel, Elsa." The Panther said as he step forward to her.
"But understand, this is your way for your survival in the jungle. These are what will help you be a hunter like the other lionesses in the jungle and I will show you how."
A moment later, she lowed the knife and slipped it back in it's case, feeling her body shivering inside. She wanted for her to be able to hunt with her mother and the rest of the family, but the way Bagheera came show her seemed so far out from how she had thought it was.
"Come with me, Elsa." The panther said, walking passed the girl-cub.
"It's time you learn."
It was out upon the open Savannah fields, where Bagheera had continued on with the teaching of hunting to Diata's adopted daughter. Though the panthers observance was of very slow progress with Elsa's learning to use the tools he had given her. The panther stood in front of Elsa, providing all he had come to know of man's claw and the use it had provided for the hunter who wield it long ago.
"Your claw is used in many ways, Elsa." The panther explained.
"From every predator, the claw is one of our greatest uses when we are to hunt. They are what help us bring down our prey, as such, your claw shall do far more then what mine can do."
With the very idea of her claw exceed that of any predator in jungle, there was a feeling of hope and salvation in the girl's very young mind. Elsa gazed down at her hunting staff as she felt her anticipation heighten ever so. To be given the chance to finally be the hunter that she was being brought up to be.
"Really?" Elsa gazed up to the panther.
"Like what?"
There was but many answers to that particular question of the girl-cub. From his time of observing the hunters, he had but come to see many ways they had used their claw staffs. One way in particular was but a far passed the way claws are used by cats and other animals of the jungle, that being they were able to throw them at great lengths of distances. This was a trick he knew would work well for Elsa, helping her bring down prey for her fellow pride members.
"A man's claw staff may be thrown." The panther said.
"In a hunt, I suspect it would give you a great advantage. I suggest we try it first."
Elsa of which nodded her head in agreement.
"Yeah, lets do it." She said.
Just on the boarder that separated that of the jungle and the open grass lands, Baloo had but walked into view. He had come to see that of Bagheera and Elsa in the outer fields, the young girl cub armed with that of a man's hunting staff. The bear of which stopped and gazed in shock and aw at the very sight, seeing the girl holding a spear. He trusted Bagheera was handling the task of teaching Elsa to hunt, yet never did he suspect something as extreme as this.
"Oh boy." He said as he came a halt between two trees.
"Baghie what are you doing?"
Elsa stood trying to hold the spear Bagheera had given her, trying to work with the balance that shifted back and fourth. Desperately she tried to hold the spear the way of a hunter who Bagheera had told her of. With a sudden jolt of her body, she threw the spear forward, only to watch as it plummeted to the ground a few feet before her.
"Ohhh." The girl moaned in disappointment.
Bagheera came up to the girl side.
"That is not how you throw it, Elsa." The panther said, seeing that how she held the spear was nothing like the hunter who held it before.
"I'm sorry." She said looking to the black panther.
"It's just too hard."
"Elsa, there are several ways that were how the hunter threw his claw." Bagheera said as he came past the girl and approached the spear.
The panther took the staff in jaw and carried it back to the girl, setting down before the girl cubs feet.
"Here, try again." The panther encouraged.
The bear sighed, shaking his head. From how everything was proceeding Bagheera's plan was ceasing to be of any assistance to that of the Elsa. Here it looked like it was becoming no more then a waste of time, having her do nothing but just throwing sticks and chasing fish in a pond. From what was she gaining from all this, he couldn't see just what it was or if Bagheera was guiding her down the right path. The whole plan appeared so futile.
"This is never gonna work." He said.
Pondering over the situation however, lasting only but a short time.
"Hey, hey, Baloo," A voice called from behind.
The bear looked from the open fields and to the jungle that was behind him. There he saw a small meerkat and a warthog approaching walking up to him through the clearing through the brush.
"Hey buddy." The small Meerkat said as he came to his side.
"Whatcha you up to?"
"Hey Timon!" The Warthog said as he looked across the bear.
"Look at that!"
The two looked from Baloo and out to the fields, only to lay eyes upon that of Elsa and Bagheera.
"Wow, whats going on here?" The meerkat asked.
"It's a hunting lesson." The bear said as he looked down at Timon.
"A hunting lesson?" Timon asked.
"Yes." Baloo said.
"For what?" Pumbaa asked.
"its for the the girl-cub." Baloo said.
"Oh, the girlcub." Timon said as he looked back toward Bagheera.
There was only a moment of silence to follow afterwards, yet it was then intervened.
"GIRL-CUB?!" The two shouted as they looked to him.
"Yeah," The bear said.
"Now would you mind? I'm trying to listen!"
As told, Elsa kneel down and picked up her hunting staff. The girl then stood up and raised her spear high above her head, just about to throw however it was Bagheera who then spoke up.
"Don't strike yet!" Bagheera said, making Elsa stop and turn to him.
Bagheera stepped forward to the girl cub as she lowered her spear a bit.
"When a human hunter strike, his claw needs that of strength to fly." Bagheera explained.
"Take a step forward and then throw it."
Taking his advance into consideration, the wild girl looked back to the land before her as she raised her spear. She stood for but a moment, trying to prepare herself to commence on her action of throwing her spear. She tried hard to focus the way that Bagheera had told her to do, to always keep her eyes upon that of her prey. She pictured she was in the same position as her mother was, when she hunted for her. There before her in the field was a zebra or antilop, right for the taking.
She drew in but a small ounce of breath before finally ceasing her chance. She took but a step foward before she flung her spear outward. She watched as it glides out further from her, even more then before. Though it didn't improve much as it landed down on the ground, tipping over upon landing which made it flip over.
Elsa frowned upon the result, believing it had failed once more. She glanced to Bagheera, who appeared unconcerned to say the least. In fact, it didn't look he was upset at all.
"Better." Bagheera complemented.
The panthers turned to the girl-cub.
"But your aim is still a bit off. That will be you main focus with your claw, you'll need to practice making your aim more on point."
Bagheera looked foward and began making his way toward the spear. He picked up the staff once more and walked back toward Elsa, setting it back before the girl's feet.
"Come." He said.
"let us keep trying."
"Boy, quite the shot." Timon said as he looked over at Baloo and Pumbaa.
(I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please comment and review.)