In the second part of this series, Dan undergoes an assessment of sorts by the chieftain, who refers him to a warrior lion for training. How will the golden lion fare? This is my end of a second trade with CrazyBaby from ToyHouse!

Lion Warrior Assessment

Following further introductions between Dan and Juan in the process of getting to know each other, there was a brief conversation following this focusing on assessing Dan's skills as a hunter and a fighter. Following this brief chat, Juan directs Dan to Benito for further assistance.

~~~~~

Benito has just finished retrieving an arrow during archery practice when Dan marches up to him upon approach, informing him, "Hey Benito. Juan referred you to me to help me in some training. So where do we start?"

"Well, you caught me at a good time! Here, we can begin your archery practice right here, right now!" Smirking at Dan, Benito proceeds to pass off his bow and arrow to Dan for practice, stepping back to observe his progress. At the same time, the wind begins to pick up again, causing both lions to reel slightly from the increased force.

While both lions are hardly affected by the wind, Dan observes the target ahead and makes a face, "How long have you been practicing your archery in this spot? I can make out some holes here."

Stepping towards the tree before them, Benito relates, "Training has been my specialty ever since I became a warrior. Did this quite a lot; we usually don't paint bull's-eye targets on the trees unless absolutely necessary." Seeing the quizzical expression on Dan's face, Benito sighs, "It's a bit complicated but we usually go by memory. I assume you never played with darts before?"

The golden lion just shrugs while answering, "Can't say I have, but I have seen dartboards and bull's-eye targets before. But making one on a tree is too time-consuming."

The brown lion grins at Dan while implying, "We can always improvise. We have custom bull's-eye targets made for practice when we're out; some were bought, some were homemade."

Dan hums, "I like the sound of that. After this, I would like to see if I can create one."

"Then it's settled!" Benito agrees to the demand. "After we finish your training, then we'll see your craftwork in action!"

Raising an eyebrow in anticipation, Dan presumes, "So archery first and then what? Crafting? Weapons? Traps? What else is next?"

"Once we're through with your archery training, then we'll go to swordfighting, and then bare knuckle fighting." Benito assesses, counting on his fingers.

*WHOOSH!*

"Oy, watch it! You could have– holy smokes, a bull's-eye on the first attempt!" Benito nearly loses it upon Dan suddenly firing his very first shot at the tree ahead and nearly hitting Benito in the process; his composure turns into amazement upon seeing Dan's shot hit its mark.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." When Dan moves in to retrieve his shot, he too is greatly amazed, commenting, "Hey Benito, what are the chances of pulling off a perfect shot on the very first try? Very slim, right!? This is impressive!"

With Dan in the process of getting his arrow, Benito steadily observes from the sidelines. He also cautions Dan, "A word of advice; pay attention to the wind. It will either help or hinder you."

"Thanks for the tip, Benito." Dan acknowledges while getting back into position.

Dan's archery training had some remarkable progress for his very first day. While Benito coached him on his aim and line of fire, Dan was able to picture a makeshift bullseye target on the tree itself, scoring numerous hits along the middle and outer areas. The hard part was the distance and the altitude for his shot. While Dan excelled at close-range archery, the farther the distance, the more he struggled with his practice.

One particular instance was when Benito accompanied Dan to a clearing and they selected a tree target located at least 40 yards away, giving Dan an immense challenge. The wind was already picking up seconds after their arrival. However, what further complicated matters is the direction in which the wind was blowing; there was no clear direction. This actually posed a challenge for Dan.

After about 3 tries with no success, Dan attempted to make his fourth one count where he managed to nail his target but on the outer part. Still, at least his effort was commendable.

~~~~~

Following the next day, Dan went to see Benito again and the brown lion was nowhere to be found inside of his tent. However, when he confronts Juan about it, the white lion chieftain explained that given Benito's status as a warrior, the brown lion is usually out on patrol.

Benito, meanwhile, is walking his way along one of the trails along the territory with his sword drawn, keeping watch for anything suspicious. But when he hears rustling nearby, he utters a loud roar to draw out the source. Out scampers a tiny critter that begins scampering away, which Benito watches with a 'Really?' expression. Shaking his head, the warrior lion continues along the trail, sighing to himself.

The rest of Benito's patrol was left uneventful, though he was presented with a marvelous view of the horizon. When he arrives back at the camp, he secures his sword while searching around for Juan and Dan, until he senses another presence; too late to react, Benito's vision is obscured right as he begins to search around for the source, yet he feels another mane brushing against his.

Smirking, Benito calls the new arrival out, "Going at it again, aren't we Bruno?"

"I only came out here for a visit; thought I could surprise someone." Bruno removes his hands from Benito's face, stepping around to face the brown lion directly. After Benito shakes his mane, the two embrace.

The two rub heads together and separate with Benito acknowledging, "Popping by for a visit? Good to see you again, Bruno."

"Likewise, Benito. How are things going?"

"We got a new member; I'm overseeing his training as a warrior." Benito answers in return. He smiles softly while assessing, "How is your tribe coming along?"

Bruno informs him, "We're doing well, though we had to chase off some intruders looking for a quick fix on our land. You know how that goes."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I have to go now; I'll see you later, Bruno!" Right as Benito waves goodbye to Bruno, he comes face-to-face with Dan. Caught off guard by Dan's sudden appearance, Benito quips, "How long were you standing there!!?"

"Not that long;" Dan steps forward to meet the brown lion. "Juan told me you're usually out patrolling by this time so I thought I'd come looking for you; or is this a bad time?"

Sighing, Benito rubs his head timidly, "Actually, no it isn't. I just got back when Bruno here decided to surprise me out of nowhere." Here, Benito turns to the golden lion beside him, smirking knowingly at the redheaded lion.

Bruno calmly asserts, "I'm just here for a visit; nothing more, nothing less." Then he pauses and directs his green eyes to Dan. Curious, he whispers to Benito, "Hey, you mentioned you took in another guy; is that him?"

Benito whispers in return, "Yeah, that's him. Why do you ask?"

"You mentioned you were training him to become a warrior. Mind if I help out?" This was Bruno's request now. But as much as he wants to help, Benito denies this, advising, "You may want to see our chieftain about that; I'm not at liberty to say yes or no to that."

Raising an eyebrow in question, Bruno acknowledges this and admits, "That's who I'm also here to see. Where is that white lion anyway?"

"He's usually around his tent working or away on other duties." Benito assumes casually. However, when he gazes back at Dan, he is surprised to notice the white lion chieftain himself emerging from the trees. Juan was coming to oversee the progress with Benito and Dan, unaware of the visitor at first.

"Hey Benito, how is your training wi– Bruno, fancy seeing you here! What are you doing here??" When Juan notices Bruno, the white lion steps forward, stretching his arms out in a welcoming gesture to meet Bruno; Bruno does likewise and the two lions embrace each other, rubbing heads with each other.

"I came to visit and to see you, actually." Bruno informed while gazing happily at his ally. He shifts his gaze towards Dan and Benito and turns back to Juan, suggesting, "Let's head somewhere more private and leave these two so they can get on with their training."

Both Benito and Dan perk up and watch Juan and Bruno leave; they glance at each other in question before finally watching them leave. After a short silence, Benito finally speaks, "Dan, why don't we find a spot to practice your training some more?"

~~~~~

Picking off a new spot inside camp, the brown warrior lion chose his personal tent so as not to be disturbed. Because of this, Dan was given plenty of insight and direction on how to skillfully use and carry a sword. Often, the brown lion will use different objects to slice them up, leaving Dan to imitate him as best as he can. And then after that was a swordfight between the two in practice, which was rather brief. While they practiced, Dan was able to hold his own for a matter of time before Benito managed to defeat him. Unaffected by the recent loss, Dan's still in good spirits.

Laying flat on his back, Dan is left breathless after the practice session. Benito reaches down to grab him and pick him up, which Dan accepts. Panting to catch his breath, Dan acknowledges, "That was a good match! How long have you been doing this?"

Benito chuckles at this and begins playing with his brown mane a little, commenting, "Funny you should ask that; I've been raised as a warrior, actually. I've been doing this for a few years, really."

"No wonder you're so skilled! I don't know if I'll ever reach your level of potential!" Dan acknowledges, half complaint, half astonished.

Here, Benito hugs Dan while relating, "It took a few years for me to get where I am now; even as a rookie, you learn as you go. Trust me, give it some time and you'll be a skilled warrior and fighter in no time."

"Thanks Benito, for the help. I appreciate it tenfold!" Dan hugs the brown lion back rather tightly, squeezing him a bit. The brown lion flinches at first, but eventually relaxes. Then after separating, they begin to depart again.

~~~~~

Dan belongs to CrazyBaby from ToyHouse; Juan Tivola, Benito Benagua, and Bruno Harley belong to me!