Waysm walked as if he were on ice. Each step softer and smoother then the first. Everything he did was done with careful precision. Other entertainers were able to dance better then him and sing better. But he was sure that no one could be as precious and focused as he was.

That said. There were still things he had to learn. His skill could only take him so far. Where he could do tricks perfectly, he could improvise at all. How he preformed was almost set in stone. He couldn't come up with a new show off the top of his head like others.

He wanted to learn how to do that. He wanted to learn how to be creative just on a whim.

However he also needed to learn how to fight.

Being a lower ranking entertainer usually meant he didn't leave the pride and thus never was in danger. However eventually they would have him do missions outside the pride. His life, and his companions lives would be in his paws and he needed to learn to protect himself and others.

For the first task he knew already who he wanted to talk to. Tailtiu. She was around his age and had no technical skill when it came to dance. She was like a droplet of water in the wind, he thought. Unpredictable yet oddly graceful. He had never really had much time to talk to her. She seemed to be constantly stuck in her own world.

The second task, learning how to fight, would be a tougher one. There were many fighters in the pride, but most of them scared him. He had siblings, Rada and Sol who were both fighters. But he had never talked to either of them. His mother had warned him never to talk to Sol unless it was dire. He had heard rumors of the king pin cheetah whose temper could lash out at any moment.

He slowed his pace as he saw Tailtiu practicing her dance. He saw in the distance a couple on lookers. It wasn't surprising. Even when she wasn't moving she was breathtakingly beautiful. The whole family was. The three girls were all entertainers. Their mother was a informant who traveled in and out of the pride. He had never seen her before, but he was told that she was just as lovely as her daughters.

When Tailtiu moved, she moved like water. She had long clothes tied to her front paws. When she danced, the cloth would move in motion with her. He stepped forward so he would be in plain view of her. However she didn't stop. It wasn't till he cleared his throat that she slowed down. She stopped with a spin. Her eyes watched him and she gave a smile.

“You interrupted my dance.” She said coolly as she walked toward him. “Is there something you need lovely Waysm?”

Tailtiu had been practicing for a while now and needed a break. She didn't mind that Waysm interrupted her. Though her admires seemed to be bothers. She did a quick glance at them, giving them a warm smile. “Maybe later boys you can get a private show!”

Of course she wouldn't do it for free! She would only dance for those she found attractive for free and there were hardly anyone in the pride she found attractive.

“You are Uncle Sol's little brother right? One of Lady Leenahs second litter?” Waysm nodded his head as Tailtiu stepped closer. “So we're sorta related but not really at all.” She said in a puzzling tone. Waysm had no idea what she was talking about.

“I was wondering if you could help me with something?” He asked, ignoring her last comment. He was sure that he was in no way related to the cheetah in front of him. “I've been having some trouble with my dancing and I was wondering if you could give me some pointers?”

He felt embarrassed asking for help, but he wasn't sure what he should do.

She just tilted her head at him. “You're dancing fine. You're good at what you do.” She said. “You're problem isn't your moves, but your mind. You over think things. You are over thinking them now. You should just relax and when you dance.”

Tailtiu couldn't understand how he couldn't see that was his problem.

He hung his head down. Maybe he shouldn't have come to her for advice. However he didn't want the trip to be wasted. “I'll keep that in mind when I practice. I was also wondering if you knew any fighters who would be willing to teach me some fighting moves. I want to be able to defend myself if anything ever happens.” He explained.

Tailtiu looked away and seemed in deep thought. Though truly she was just wondering why Waysm kept asking her silly questions. “Lovely Waysm. You have family don't you. You have Uncle Sol. Who else could be better then him? If you would like we can both be trained by him. That way you don't have to be alone with mean scary Uncle Sol.” She gave a giggle.

Sol had raised her from a cub. The cheetah was not as bad as everyone said he was. In fact he was somewhat of a pushover. “We can go talk to him if you would like. I was going to go say hello to him anyways.”

“He doesn't like me.” Waysm said quickly, looking around to see if there was anyone listening. They had family troubles, lots and lots of family troubles. Sol had practically left the family when his mother joined the pride.

But Tailtiu shook her head. “Uncle Sol doesn't hate you. He just hates your mother. Trust me, if you got to meet him, I bet the two of you would become friends. He gets lonely a lot and could use company when mama's away. As long as you don't tell him you're an entertainer, he'll be nice to you. Though eventually you'll probably have to tell him you're an entertainer. It's hard to lie to him for too long.”

The thought of being closer to his brother gave him a pick up. However he wasn't sure how sensible it was. If Sol did dislike him as much as he disliked his mother, there was a chance he would attack on site. “If I go see him you'll stick with me?” He asked nervously. Seeing his own brother was the scariest thing he had ever done.

Tailtiu grinned and nodded her head. “Of course I will lovely! I'll keep you safe from mean old uncle Sol!” She wrapped her tail around his. “I would never leave a damsel in distress, fighting against a sleeping monster like Uncle Sol! Oh! And if he attacks, best to strike him on his left side. He has a slower reaction time.” She said with another giggle.

For a brief moment, Waysm wasn't sure whether he should laugh or be afraid. He kept close to Tailtiu as they made their way to Sol's den.

WC: 1,186