Eyes flutter open at first light with the rising sun, arms flex into a deep stretch sending ripples of movement through her corded muscles from a lifetime of hard work. Sighing with satisfaction from a good stretch she makes fast work freeing herself from the bindings that keep her falling from the tree that she slept in coiling the binding fiber up to toss it to the center of her hunting platform that she soon joined as she leapt nimbly to it from the branch she had bound herself standing to as she slept; sleeping so was the way of the Panther Girls, it made it easy to be on the ready for any danger as well as kept her from falling from the tree.
Sleeping on the platform the night before was reckless as she could have rolled and easily fallen off. It was during her second stretch, a full body stretch that she heard the thrashing noise along with squeals of anger coming from the pit below bringing a look of satisfaction and a smile to her face; nothing like a fresh kill first thing in the morning.
Shimmying down the tree, grateful for the ease of climbing in the skins of the big cats of the Forest, both Panther and Leopard alike it is not long before she lands on her feet that she left bare today feeling the need to connect to the land, she was always barefoot when up in the trees or on a hunt, it allowed her to grip better with her toes making her one with the earth or tree she stood upon.
Making sure to grab two spears she makes her way to the now open pit, dark chocolate gaze flecked with gold widening with surprise as she peers in and sees she not only caught one Tarsk, but she had also caught two; though the young one she would not kill just yet if she didn't have to as she had to remember there was only one of her to carry all the meat back to the main camp of Etna's band of Feral Women of the Northern Forest.
Walking the perimeter of the pit she was trying to figure out how to get the smaller one out when it dawned her that she could kill it and then offer some of the meat to the Cannibal who haunts me asleep and awake to maybe turn his liking into meat other than the flesh of people.
Molten gaze take in the larger Tarsk and notes the six perfect tusks, the two upper tusks were quite large, which pleased her and the four minor tusks would make for a fine collar of proof to display her feat in such a kill; the smaller Tarsk's tusks would be quite useful in making herself sturdier hairpins or maybe as tips on a spear for fishing larger fish. Making up her mind she was going to kill and smoke both beasts she stood and gave a nod of approval to her plan and leaving them alive for the time being she took the time to gather large stones and hauled them to make fire rings that were lined with smaller stones that were placed around the pit to keep any of the non-human Apex predators from her once she had small but hot fires going in all six of them.
She knew she had to execute the kill with clinical precision, one cannot simply rush in or act carelessly; a trapped tarsk is a thrashing mountain of muscle, adrenaline, and razor-sharp bone; even inside a narrow pit, it will frantically try to ram the dirt walls or scramble upward to gore its captor.
She stands firmly on the solid earth at the edge of the pit, carefully avoiding the loose, crumbled soil where the false lattice floor broke away. She keeps her body weight centered and low. She observes the tarsk's movements to find the perfect opening.
The animal was circling frantically or rearing up on its hind legs, exposing its throat and chest; she knew that was how she was going to have to kill it, the smaller tarsk was backed into far end, frozen with fear as if it knew it's time was limited eyeing heavy hunting spear, which is tipped with a broad, razor-sharp steel blade obtained through trade with river outlaws.
She grips the thick wooden shaft of the spear with both hands—one hand braced near the butt of the spear for maximum leverage, and the other guiding the point. Waiting for the moment the tarsk rears up and pauses its thrashing, she drives the spear straight down into the soft junction where the neck meets the shoulder blade.
She uses her full body weight to force the blade deep into the thoracic cavity, aiming directly for the heart and major arteries. Once the blade penetrates, she twists the shaft to maximize internal damage and holds it firmly against the earth. This anchors the dying animal and prevents it from thrashing violently enough to shatter the spear shaft.
Once the tarsk collapses and stops thrashing, she performs a final safety check after pulling her spear free tapping the animal ensuring it is indeed dead before she walks to the far end of the pit driving the spear down swiftly ending the second tarsks life.
Knowing time was of the essence she drops into the pit and pulling her skinning knife free she guts first the smaller tarsk after removing all twelve tusks, six from each tarsk, her flesh was coated soon in the blood from both. After gutting both animals, she skins the hides free before collecting the brains, Panther girls knew that every animal's brain had enough oils within it to tan it's own hide and that is exactly what she intended to do once she got the meat quartered and smoking.
Setting both brains in a hallowed out log she made short work of wrapping the meat in Vilo leaves, these broad thick leaves were perfect for this method of cooking because they retain moisture keeping the meat from scorching and the stay flavorful. It also would cover the scent of the fat rendering which was a much-needed thing for safety reasons as it would keep the prey away.
Moving to cover the meat wrapped leaves with the stones from the fire until all the leaves are covered, she finally climbs from the pit to clean her spear and getting the brains to simmering with a bit of river water before she finally allowed herself to relax.
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Well done Panther!