[JRP] The Language of Friendship (Rian & Tara)FIN

[Lorne_Sionn]

Rian raced up the trail that lead to Beo's Bench, his paws flying as he stretched out cub muscles. He LOVED running, it felt so good to feel the earth under his toes and the wind whistling past his ears. There was nothin, nothin like a good run.

His goal this morning was the meadow that Beo often took sick cubs to for field trips. It was a great place, filled with soft grass and flowers and cub sized caves that the boulders on the south side made. The sun made it warm and the trees to the west made it cool, and best of all you could see for MILES on the North end. Rian loved to go and sit as close to the edge as he could and pretend he was flying.

Secretly, he also hoped he would catch a glimpse of his father returning home. He may have been raised by nannies, but he knew who his dad was and couldn't wait for him to come back.

Bouncing with expectancy and simple cub joy, he sprinted the last few feet to arrive in the meadow out of breath and very pleased with himself.  

[Talencia]

Tara was heartily tired of the chaotic, noisy pack of youngsters the nannies looked after. Her siblings, both lion and leopard, mixed with other children and the result was not conducive to the more one-on-one play that Tara preferred. It wasn't that she didn't like playing... but if you were playing tag, it wasn't fun to get tackled by someone playing pounce who didn't care who was participating or not. It was kind of exciting the first few days they'd been here, but now all she wanted to do was escape for a while.

She'd been given permission to explore by one of the harried nannies, but given specific instructions to obey any adult, to stay within sight of the dens, and to mind her manners. She gave a soft sniff as she padded sedately along. As if she'd ever not mind her manners! A shadow passed over her, and a swift glance skyward revealed a soaring shape. That probably was why the nanny had let her go explore. Everyone knew Auntie Bird kept a close eye on all her little charges. So long as that shape was in the sky, she knew she'd be safe.

She wandered up a sloping path that wandered back and forth lazily. It was much quieter here, with only the soft sounds of wind in the leaves, the cheerful sound of smaller birds, and... the sound of running paws? She paused a moment, poised between hiding and speeding up to find out who was running. In the end, she did neither. Cautious but innately curious, she padded onward, heading for where the sound had disappeared to. She might not even catch up to whomever it was, but she wanted to see maybe where they were going.

She left the path and pushed through a bank of bushes, and came to an open space. She blinked in the sudden sunlight before spotting a form up ahead, coming into the grassy space from another angle. Her ears pricked up as she realized it was another cub! There were so many that she hadn't really met any of them individually yet, and she was eager for the chance. She picked up the pace to a trot, heading directly for him. "Hey! Hi!" Her tail waved behind her in youthful joy. "I'm Tara. Who are you?"  

[Lorne_Sionn]

Rian looked up at the sound of another cub's voice calling out and broke into a grin as he bounded up. Cool! Another cub, and she looked healthy.

Maybe she'd want to play a game of Rock-Feather-Seed. He loved that game, it was his favorite. Beo had taught it to him and his brother Ruko. It was a game he could play in the den with his sibling, but it was MUCH more fun outside.

" Hi! I'm Rian," he greeted her enthusiastically, " I've never seen you up here, this the first time you've come up to Beo's bench?  

[Talencia]

It was a delight to find that the other cub was as interested in her as she was in him. Finally a friendly face that didn't immediately want to knock her over! Or get someone else to come play too, whew. She might have to wander off more often, if this is what happened when she did! "Who's what?" she asked at his question, glancing around. "Is that what this place is called?" She supposed it was alright, as far as names go. Thought it might depend on who Beo was. "Who is Beo? And does he live up here?"

The idea of intruding on someone's living space gave her pause, though. Her eyes widened, and she looked about herself more carefully. Perhaps this Beo was this cub's father? Would he yell at her for being here? She ducked her head defensively, as if waiting for someone to appear and scold her. "Am I not supposed to be here?" she whispered quickly to him before he could answer any of her questions, eyes shifting warily and body hunkering closer to the ground. "I'm sorry if I'm not." One could never be too sure how adults reacted to things. The nannies tended to be more tolerant than others. Her mother was not particularly patient or tolerant most of the time, which kind of made Tara glad she wasn't often around.  

[Lorne_Sionn]

Rian blinked at her, and tilted his head at her odd behavior. OH she must think she was in trouble. Poor kit! He'd better explain. The snow colored cub gave her his best grin. " Beo is a Secret Keeper. he knows all kinds of stuff, but he's not as uptight and stuffy as other grown ups. He brings us up here to play on good days. All of us, sick or not sick. He teaches us the best games, I know a few if ya wanna learn any."

He pranced around her, tail held high, " I dun know if it really IS Beo's meadow, but its called Beo's Bench'. Neat huh? My brother Ruko said that Beo ate a snake who up here once. I dun know if he did, but as soon as I see him am a gonna ask. Isn't that awesome, eating a snake who? " He bounced a few times, clearly excited about the idea of eating one.

"If he did, am a gonna ask him to show me how, imagine, eating a snake who!"  

[Talencia]

This boy was very energetic and bouncy, which made Tara smile. It was always nice to be with someone who was happy, as opposed to those who were sad or hum-drum. She knew a couple cubs like that, and tended to feel uncomfortable around them. His easy-going demeanor and words reassured her, so that her ears unfolded and she stood straight slowly, taking more time to gaze about her. This Beo sounded like he was good to cubs, so surely he wouldn't be mad at her for coming here on her own, would he? Even if he hadn't met her?

But the rest of what Rian was babbling about baffled her. She paused, belly deep in grass and one paw raised, giving him a sideways look of confusion. "A snake who what?" she asked with a faint frown of puzzlement. "What did the snake do, and why does that make it awesome to eat it?" On their way to the pride, they'd stumbled upon a snake, but their mother had immediately leapt upon it and slapped it hard enough that it had flown through the air and disappeared somewhere far away. Ever since then, she'd wondered if snakes could grow wings and fly, if they really wanted to. Hadn't her first mother had wings too? She thought she vaguely remembered that, somehow. Elera had dismissed such a notion, but she was certain she remembered that!  

[Lorne_Sionn]

Rian sat down, giving the girl a huge cat grin, " Exactly! A snake who is a snake what. It makes the snake a snake. See, it couldn't be a frog who..cause a frog who wouldn't make it a snake what. It would make it a frog what..which would really be confusing cause you'd have a frog who and a frog what in a snake body."

The white cub's tail swished back and forth as he thought about this, but then remembered her other question, " Oh the snake didn't do anything, Beo just ate it, but see if he ate the snake who than he may have a snake what in him, and if I ate a snake who then I could too. AND that would be awesome!"

He gave her another bright smile, yes this was turning into a wonderful plan, " We could go look for Beo if ya wanna? Maybe we can find two snake whos to eat."  

[Talencia]

To be honest, she was somewhat alarmed. What in the world was he going on about? Snakes and whos and whats and eating them and being them... good grief! Without thinking, she blurted, "You're weird!" However, it was said in amazement, not in scorn or rejection. It was merely an exlaimation of astonishment and discovery. "Where do you get crazy ideas like that?" Now it was curiosity and mild fascination. She padded closer to him in interest.

"My mother wouldn't want me eating a snake. They are dangerous," she declared confidently. "So no snake who for me." And really, the idea of having a wriggly snake who or what or both inside of her make her squirm. Bad enough when one of her sibs found a worm and ate it! Blech. She paused to think again, cocking her head to the side adorably. "But we eat prey all the time. Does that mean we are part zebra, or gazelle?" It was a strange idea, but it seemed to suit this strange boy and his funny ideas. This was certainly and interesting conversation!  

[Lorne_Sionn]

Rian sat back down on his hunches, tilting his head to the side mimicking her, " The snake who was my brother Ruko. OH you have to meet him, he tells the best stories. He can't come out of the den much, but he loves to have visitors." He jumped up onto his paws and bounced around a little, " Maybe you could come over for dinner, we eat all together, the WHOLE family. I have a HUGE family."

Brought back to the snake portion of the conversation Rian blinked, " Oh, we don't wanna get you in trouble wif your mum. Eva would be very, very upset if I did." The young male's ears drooped down, but perked right back up at the mention of gazelle and zebra.

" I dun know. We can ask Ruko, come on. He is the one who knows all about whos and whats." He began to walk back toward the direction he'd come by, " Maybe you could stay for dinner tonight! That would be great! Don't ya think! " He bounced on his toes, clearly pleased by this idea.  

[Talencia]

She couldn't help but smile shyly at his exuberant enthusiasm. "A big family?" She paused uncertainly. More cubs to knock her over and play rough? Well... Rian didn't seem so bad. Maybe it would be okay. She had to admit, she didn't want to go back with the other parentless cubs. So many of them were sad! Tara herself wasn't really sad, it just seemed like that's what she was stuck with. She knew Momma Elera tried... but she just didn't seem to have time for them all. Auntie Bird was around often, so Tara didn't exactly feel like an orphan. But she didn't really have anyone but her sibs to curl close to, and not even always them. Eating with a big family might be fun.

"Okay, but I want to make sure Auntie Bird knows where I am," she answered finally, clearly catching some of his excitement. "Are you sure your parents won't mind?" She began following him, quizzing him about his siblings and the odd arrangement his entire family seemed to have. It was the start of a very close friendship, closer than either of them would dream. Happy and content, Tara trotted off with Rian and into a whole new world of love.  

[Lorne_Sionn]

Rian grinned at her, bouncing down the trail, his eyes full of laughter and welcome. " Nah, Eva raises all of us, no matter who are mother's are cause our Father is all the same ans she loves him with all her heart. One more mouth is nothing to her. Besides, I like you."

Trotting ahead, he lead is new fired into his world, never guessing that it would become one she would never leave and become his very heart.