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It was another new day. Dooley had joined the stormborn for a reason, he'd joined to protect the lady he loved, perhaps that was a silly reason, what with this being a pride of warriors. He had been born in to that world though, his mother had taught him how to fight, how to survive, and if his colour hadn't banished him he would probably still be on the motoujamii sands. None of that mattered now though, he would make this home and though he had no ambition to become a reaver that didn't mean he couldn't use his strength and skill for some good in the pride.

It was as he was pondering his place in the pride that he came across Skummelt. He paused in his movement and sat down, curling his tail around his paws. "I'm not sure if you are trying to move that boulder, or something else." He pauses for a moment and chuckles "I'm not really sure what else you could be doing." He stated, tilting his massive tan maned head to one side and concentrating on the lioness before him. She was young, he wondered who had told her to do that or if she had decided by herself to try and to shift something far too large for her. He pursed his lips his pale blue eyes glancing over the female and the boulder, he wondered if even he could shift it. It was a very big rock.



As Dooley sat a white jackal settled herself next to him, she leaned against his pale hide and watched the dark lioness. She said nothing, she was learning quickly that not everyone looked fondly upon creatures such as herself. She was safest by Dooley. Still she laughed quietly as her lion companion commented. "Dooley don't tease the girl." She yips wagging her tail swiftly.

"Perhaps a better day to live." The massive lion chuckled, he had heard this greeting around the pride, the lioness was obviously born here, she greeted as many of them did. "Hm, I suppose that is one way of doing it, not sure that is the most efficient though." He mused his dusty blue eyes resting gently upon the young female. It amused him constantly that all lions in this pride simply walked up to him, he was after all pretty huge and in the rogue lands most backed away. This pride, it would take some getting used to.

"Perhaps I can help? The rock may cut your paws." He stood and walked towards the female and without a moments notice he lifted her fore paws one after the other with his own looking at the pads. "Seem to be okay at the moment. I think you may be doing your feet a detriment though. You may be training your shoulders but if you can't unsheathed your claws or use your pads to grip you may find your self tumbled." He gave a nod. "Is that why you were pushing? In case you meet a bigger opponent? Theres a much easier way of toppling someone bigger than you."

Wessex almost fell as her companion moved she shakes her head and rolls her eyes, she moves and settles herself upon a flat-ish boulder to watch. It seemed Dooley had decided he was going to train the young female. He was such a helpful guy, she could see him doing this all the time. Perhaps he had found a calling in this pride after all. One that didn't just revolve around the sun marked lioness.

Dooley chuckled at the look upon her face. Obviously close contact was not appreciated but he had always been touchy feely. Still perhaps he should have introduced himself before he started to mess about with her paws. "My name is Dooley, my little friend over there is Wessex, we hail from the firekin and we all have to face an opponent bigger than us at some point in our lives." He had been out in the rogue lands for longer than he really cared to admit but his heritage, he was from the firekin and he was okay with that. He had been taught well how to fight, how to survive and he had survived well. When he had met Kaelyn she had made himself tart sparring again and that had built up the massive solid muscle in his shoulders. He knew though that his size and weight were handicaps sometimes, you just had to know how to topple.

"You're fast yes?" He raised a brow, she was young, youth brought speed, though not strength. He stood and padded around her before stopping himself in front of her once again. He pointed to his chest. "You get under even a big lion will fall. It was how I was taught, usually the other lion is so surprised they forget to attack. There is the odd one that will snap at your back though." He nodded.

"Wessex come here." He called to the jackal, his tail tucking around his toes.

The pale dog got top her paws and padded towards Dooley, she had no idea what he had in mind. "What can I help with?"

Dooley grinned and picked up the pale jackal turning her on her back. "You see here." He pointed at the bottom of the rib cage. "You get your head here and the lion will raise his paws then its just a matter of pushing." He flipped the jackal back to her paws shifting a massive paw he pressed at her under belly.

Wessex automatically lifted her paws. She didn't like this but she trusted Dooley he would never hurt her.

The tan maned lion pushed her gently and watched as the jackal rolled on to her back. "Hard to recover from that." He stated looking at the dark lioness. "Do you understand?" He raised a brow curiously.

He smiled gratefully as she gave him a much easier name to pronounce, he very much doubted that he could have said her full name. It was way too much of a tongue twister.

He points to his own back "Get a really good pelt, wear it when you fight, this move is best if you have something on your back to protect your spine." He rights the little jackal and brushes the dust off her back with a nod.

"Yes I was born in the firekin, my mother was third generation, they are mighty warriors but they care deeply about your fur colour." He smiles a little sadly, it had been a long time since he truly thought about the home he had been tossed from on the sand. He didnt miss it, he had happily been a rogue for years before he had met Kaelyn. It was still a little strange for him that he was a member of a pride once again. "If you wish I can teach you to fight on sand. It can be a tough substance to keep your footing on."

Wessex shook her head and sat herself down beside dooley, she leaned against him and wagged her tail. She didn't mind if she could help Dooley out, it seemed he was finding himself a career here. He liked youngsters, he wanted to help them, she could see that. It seemed he had dubbed himself a trainer.

Dooley gave a nod "The firekin have a lot of old traditions, one of them revolves around the colour of your fur. My brown and tan are not welcome there. My mother taught me well how to survive in the outside world and I have been a wandering rogue for many years. I am not angry with them, they raised me well and I have survived well and lived long and now I have a home again." He chuckles quietly.

Turning his gaze on Wessex he gave a little smile "Creatures like her are welcome if they can perform a task. As you probably know the firekin live in the desert so they are forever looking for water. Jackals, snakes and birds are most useful of course, though to answer your question they are not really considered members so are not bound by the colour rules. They are tools. Wessex here has been my companion since I was a young cub, she has never steered me wrong."

He turns his gaze to the rising tide and gives a nod "So strange seeing sand and so much water together, though I suppose I shouldnt find it weird after all this water is undrinkable." He paused in his musings to look the lioness. Over carefully. "Perhaps another day then. It takes time to learn to splay your paws."

The white and black jackal wagged her tail, she shifted nervously. The problem with this pride, well the problem was that creatures like her were tools. She knew Dooley didn't see her that way but, she was positive she would never go any where without him. Even if this was home now.

Dooley smiled a genuine smile, one that made his face look all fluffy and friendly. He felt at home here already, he knew he would find a place and become useful and that was all he needed out of life. "I'm very glad to hear you say that." He chuckles "You can call on me any time. It has been a nice distraction, I think I may like teaching youngsters how to defend themselves." He nods, mostly to himself. He liked the idea immensely and once he set his mind to something, he usually saw it through.

Wessex nodded at the lioness. Hm, perhaps others would not be so bad here, "I'm sure we would be happy to help." She smiles wagging her tail happily, she wasnt about to correct the lioness about her name, she was close enough, it was nice that she had tried and had at least addressed her as something. She had a feeling about what Dooley was thinking and she definately knew she would be a training aide from now on. He was so single minded once he set his brain on something.

"It was most adventagous meeting you Skummelt." He smiled a broad grin and nodded. "Come and find me tomorrow when the tide is out and I will show you how best to fight on sand okay?" With that the massive tan maned lion got to his paws nudges his jackal companion gently and trotted off back towards his den, he would have much to tell Kaelyn when she came home, he would tell her of his new ambition. He would train youngsters and he would be an asset to the pride he now called home.