[PRP] Forest Spirits [Heketoro and Shil'ta]

[sesshiyasha]

Heketoro was laying under a tree in the forest, Watching the snow on the ground around him. It was somewhat cloudy and so the snow wasn't blindingly bright. He didn't necessarily mind the snow, It was cold on the paws but he didn't mind. He Looked up to the clouds in the sky and watched as they slowly made their way across the sky. He loved the forest and he loved wandering through it to see if there was something new for him to find. He looked back towards where the town was and wondered if anyone else would be out to venture the forest today. Maybe he could make some new friends. He wasn't opposed to making new friends and he didn't mind spending time with other Nekos, but he tended to be more of a loner because he didn't really share the interests that the others seemed to have. He got to his paws and walked out from under the tree. The snow crunching under his paws as he walked. He made his way back towards the town and to the line of trees that marked the edge of the forest. The pattern of the remaining leaves showing on his pelt for a moment as a ray of sun shown down through the tree tops. He raised his head and sniffed the air, He wasn't quite ready to head back, so he walked along the treeline. Not really looking for anyone, But not looking to be alone either. He looked through the trees as he walked the tree line.  

[Renshu Li]

The past couple of days had been crushingly dull. Shil'Ta had been to Okugi Park, but there had been surprisingly few people there; he had been to his normal haunts, with little success; and even most of his thieving grounds had been absent of both Maneki Neko and leftovers. He was thankful that he wasn't reliant on theft, and although his first impulse was to feel pity for those who did, the fact that he hadn't run into any of them suggested they had either found somewhere to shelter from the weather, or had run into some kindness to provide for them.

Either way, it felt as though there was simply not much to do inside town. Unsure if the weather was keeping others inside or if there was another reason, Shil'Ta didn't much care; all he knew was that he wanted something to happen. Someone to talk to.

Or perhaps, a change of scenery.

So it was that the late morning saw Shil'Ta wandering outside of town, headed towards the tree line. He had no intention of entering- he was a town cat, who lived with people and other Maneki Neko, not with trees and leaves, and he knew it. But he was able to enjoy the sight of the woods and was not afraid of the new, and the weather didn't seem too threatening. And so, he approached the edge of the copse, prepared to wander and observe this place and hopefully take the edge off his boredom.
 

[sesshiyasha]

Heketoro walked further down the tree line, he spotted something he thought was odd and darted back into the little bit of cover that the forest offered him. He wasn't sure what he had seen quite yet, but he was going to be cautious regardless. He used the shadows of the trees and what little brush that the winter had not claimed. He Lowered himself into a crouch as he slunk across the ground. He was almost prowling as he came up behind the thing he had seen.

When he got closer he realized that it was another Neko. He tilted his head to the side as he watched the newcomer to the forest. He was trying to place this newcomer in his mind. He knew some of the town cats came to the forest occasionally, but he wasn't sure that he had ever seen this one. He followed him from the forest as he contemplated on what to do. 'Should I just jump out and surprise him? Or should I Just kind of walk up to him?' He thought to himself as he still absently followed the newcomer.

He decided to pick up his pace and he caught up to the newcomer. He jumped from the trees and landed beside the newcomer and playfully batted at him.

"What are you doing out this far Town Kitty?" He said in a playful voice, He wasn't trying to be mean, He was trying to be playful. He didn't meet new nekos often and he enjoyed making new friends. Even if he only saw those friends every once in a while when they decided to venture out to the Forest. With the current weather conditions he knew most of the town nekos wouldn't be out to the forest. He waited to see what this new comer would do.  

[Renshu Li]

Although the sounds of the woods were foreign enough to Shil'Ta that he couldn't tell the difference between the breeze and the movement of another being, the scent of another Maneki Neko, mingling with the scent of pine and dirt and nature, was slightly easier to pick up on. Shil'Ta had suspected he wasn't entirely alone out here; although, given that he hadn't spotted anyone and he himself was rather conspicuous, he decided to leave it up to the other to greet him- if indeed there was another out here, and his nose wasn't fooled.

Proof came in the form of another male bounding out of the trees. He wasn't taken by surprise as much as he could have been, out here where most was unfamiliar- but certainly more than he would have been back in town. He backed up a couple of paces as the stranger batted at him, unwilling to be pawed at by a complete stranger; and firmly sat down and curled his long tail around his paws, in a manner that clearly said, "no, I am not at all concerned about you." He was used to having at least equal control in a situation- often more than equal, as he was often a mentor or aid to the less privileged in town. He was determined to be treated as an equal even here, where he was unfamiliar with the surroundings. He refused to be pushed off guard.

When he spoke, however, there was no sign of displeasure in his warm, even voice- there was even a slight trace of amusement, as well as a slight gleam of the same in his eyes.
"I wasn't aware that, ah... "Town Kitties" weren't allowed to wander when and where they wished. Have I fallen into the territory of a great lord of the woods, then?"
 

[sesshiyasha]

Heketoro looked to the newcomer as he backed up a few paces. When the newcomer sat down and wrapped his tail around him, he himself sat down as well and watched the newcomer. He never took his eyes off the new neko. He smirked to himself as he noticed that the newcomer was not nearly rattled by his sudden appearance. He tilted his head again as he wondered about this new neko.

When the newcomer asked if he had met one of the great lords of the forest, he had to try not to laugh. He tried not to think of himself as a "Lord of the Forest" Because it just seemed to amuse him. His bob tail twitched slightly as his amusement and curiosity grew. He debated on whether he should introduce himself to this newcomer or not. He figured it was only the polite thing to do. After all how would he know the new neko's name if he didn't give him his.

"I don't consider myself as a "Lord of the Forest" But I am a Forest cat... I spend most of my time here, but I do tend to venture into the town every once in a while..." He said as he straightened his head back up. "I am Heketoro....." He said simply. He wasn't sure if the newcomer would give up his name or not, but he figured this way his was out in the open for the other to use.  

[Renshu Li]

Shil'Ta's brow raised and his ears flicked. Did he honestly think... I was calling him the lord of the forest? He made no effort to hide his increased amusement, even letting out a little chuckle; he had no intention of being rude, but he was definitely amused by this oddity of a Maneki Neko. Of course, oddities also had a good chance of being fun to be around. Perhaps this would be today's boredom cure.

"Well, I am Shil'Ta, and I am certainly not "lord" of anything." He chuckled again, shrugging his massive shoulders and flicking his tail. "Well, other than of myself, of course."  

[sesshiyasha]

Heketoro Watched as the other seemed to chuckle. He tilted his head in mild confusion but soon pushed it out of his mind. He didn't take anything by the chuckle and was somewhat pleased that he could make this town neko laugh. He wasn't normally good with others and so it pleased him that this neko seemed to share his "No Nonsense" Attitude. He would never let on that he was pleased to meet another though, and he would also never admit his inadequacies with being around another neko.

He listened to what the other had to say. His name was Shil'ta, that would be fairly easy for him to remember. He was somewhat bad with names and sometimes had to hear them a couple times before he remembered it. he was much better with faces. He glanced back into the trees before looking back to Shil'ta.

"Well... I was just wandering through the forest looking for something to do..." He smirked as his tail flipped once more. "That's when I spotted you..." He said with a mild bit of amusement in his voice. She lifted his head and sniffed at the breeze that ran through the trees. "You wanna explore the Forest Shil'ta?" He had contemplated calling him a Town Kitty once more, but he had opted for His name instead. He didn't want to taunt Shil'ta to much to make him want to go back to the town and not spend some more time wandering the forest with him. It would make things more fun to have someone with a new set of eyes wandering the forest with him.  

[Renshu Li]

The woods weren't too dark or dense; the bare branches of those trees who had shed their leaves let light into the lower regions, and the occasional patch of snow added bright spots on the earth and piles of leaves left dead from the autumn. He didn't think he would get too lost even if he was careless; and he didn't plan to be that. This wild Maneki Neko seemed to be okay, but he wasn't about to put his faith in that with so little knowledge of him.

Still, he wasn't afraid- merely cautious. Shil'Ta's ears pricked up and tried to catch the sounds of this new place- to explore somewhere so very different from what he was used to did sound enjoyable. In one swift movement he got to his paws; stretching his large body out for a moment before standing, facing the trees.

"That sounds interesting. As long as we don't get too far in." His green eyes surveyed the scenery, gleaming with mischief, adventure, and eagerness. "Yes... It sounds like it could be very interesting. Somewhere new!" He nodded, his long tail curling upwards and resting on his back. "Feel free to lead on!"
 

[sesshiyasha]

Heketoro's tail twitched as he waited for a response from Shil, He was eager to show this town cat around the forest. He loved sharing the forest with others that could appreciate the adventure and the beauty that it held inside it.

His ears perked up as he heard Shil respond to him. He was ok to go into the forest and explore. It would be fun! He had to try to keep from bouncing as his excitement started to take over. He wanted to dart off into the forest and explore with this new neko. You never knew what kinds of new adventures you would be able to find when you had a new set of eyes with you.

"Alright..." He said, trying to keep the excitement from his voice. "Lets head towards the Lake...." He figured since the lake wasn't to far into the woods and the humans tended to use it sometimes for different things, like swimming or fishing, it would be a good place to start.

He stood up and turned, then jumped over the small wall of brush and into the forest. He glanced back over his shoulder. "You coming?" He said waiting for Shil to catch up. He wouldn't let Shil get lost, after all he wouldn't be a good woods guide if he let his companion get lost in the forest.  

[Renshu Li]

Shil'Ta's large, sturdy body was not so well-built for lightly hopping over branches and bushes as those of most Maneki Neko; so instead of jumping over the bush after him, Shil'Ta's green eyes found the lowest place of bush and simply stepped over it, his long tail raised and curled over his back to try and avoid catching.
"Yep," he replied. "The lake sounds interesting." It would probably make the pond in Okugi Park look like a puddle by comparison; and he was genuinely intrigued.

His companion seemed very happy with the situation as well. He was clearly alert; his ears pricked, and his body seemed full of energy. Shil'Ta chuckled quietly to himself as he followed Heketoro; this new male was certainly an oddity, but he tended to enjoy oddities in general. As he looked around the forest, trying to remember certain things (a bush laden with red berries, or an impressive mound of snow) he was pleased with his situation, despite his earlier decision not to enter the forest. Still, his enjoyment didn't stop him from stepping into each patch of snow they neared, leaving a clear mark of where he had passed.
 

[sesshiyasha]

Heke Wandered through the trees for a short while before coming up on a slight incline. He knew the incline would lead them up on top of the Spirit Rock, Which would be fine since it overlooked the Lake. He glanced back to Shil as he debated to himself which way to go. If they went up to Spirit Rock then he would be able to point out other parts of the Forest to Shil and then they could decide where to go after that.

He turned and watched Shil as he caught up the rest of the way. He had decided to take the path up to the Spirit Rock, it would offer a nice view of the forest and they could both plan their explorations through the forest from there. His Bob tail swished around as he stood there.

"We should head up this way... The View will be something you will want to see.... I'm sure of it!" He said as he turned and waited for Shil to walk next to him up the path. It wouldn't be long before they would reach the Spirit Rock.  

[Renshu Li]

Shil'Ta paused for a moment and turned to look back the way they came. He thought he was fairly confident of the way back; but he suspected that he would feel differently after they'd left the forest and returned. He'd done his best to leave himself a trail, and he wasn't a Maneki Neko given to fits of nervousness, fear, or even concern; but basic caution told him that it would be best if he kept Heketoro in a co-operative mood- the trouble with oddities and eccentricities was their unpredictability.

Still, he didn't expect it to be an issue, he pondered as he turned back and resumed walking with Heketoro. His companion had been nothing but friendly, and certainly seemed to be happy to have the company- even if it was of a "town kitty". So he was perfectly happy to follow, and discover what this view was.
 

[sesshiyasha]

Heke walked up the trail with Shil next to him. It was a short walk, as they started to get closer to the top the trees started to thin out just a little bit and The snow had melted more. The ground beneath their paws started to get rockier then the normal forest floor.

"They call this Spirit Rock..." He said to Shil as they got even closer to it. "it overlooks the Lake and most of the forest. If you look hard enough you can even see parts of the town from here...." He said in a casual voice. He had been up here plenty exploring but he liked having company. He turned the bend in the trail and walked out onto the great rock's surface. There was a small waterfall that ran down the side of the rock and into the Lake. The trees made a giant ring around the lake below and the water looked like a cool Blue. There was plenty to watch and Heke waited to see what Shil's response would be to the view.

He loved the feeling of being so tall, so high up that to some it would make them nauseous to look down. He didn't mind it and always figured he was more of a wild spirit then most of the others he ran across. He looked out across the lake and watched the clouds as they made their journey across the vast open sky.

"I have always loved it up here...." He said absently, normally he wouldn't open up that much of his thoughts to another, but when he was caught up in his thoughts and the things he was doing he would mention little things like that. He didn't notice and kept watching the clouds, but he did keep an eye on Shil to see what His reaction was. He hoped that Shil wouldn't be freaked out by the Height and would enjoy the view and how much you could see from this spot.  

[Renshu Li]

Shil'Ta was pleased when the trees started to thin out and the ground got firmer under his paws. He supposed the forest would be much more pleasant in summer, when the lush plant growth would provide fresh smells and interesting sights, a full and vibrant reminder of life. Right now it smelled of dampness with a slight hint of rotting; and although Shil'Ta knew that the right eyes could find beauty in almost anything, he couldn't see it here.

But the trees were opening up, allowing in more light and lifting the feeling of oppression which had started creeping over him; and the ground was a welcome relief, with less mulch and more solid, reliable, familiar stone under his paws, and far fewer rotten leaves to shake off. So he was feeling rather cheerful as they stepped out onto the rock.

He had never felt so high up, even on the roofs of the larger houses had felt nothing to this. In town, scaling the heights and taller buildings had left him feeling like a great lord- here, he felt humbled, a reminder of how small he was and how vast the world around him was. It was incredible.

He looked around for a moment; his tail held high, his ears pricked forwards, but his eyes working the most as he surveyed what he could see on the horizon.
"Wow," he breathed, before slowly turning to where the rock overlooked the lake. Struck with that huge expanse of water he approached the edge; lowering himself to the ground as he neared it and slinking up to it. He looked over, at that seemingly bottomless expanse of dark blue, and lost any remaining ability he might have had to speak. There was nothing in town like this.

He lowered himself to the ground, lying down exactly where he had been crouched, and drank in the slightly dizzying sight. His tail lazily swished from side to side and his eyes roamed over the view below him- Heketoro was all but forgotten for the moment, in the impact of this incredible view.
 

[sesshiyasha]

Heke Watched as Shil moved to the edge of the Spirit Rock and looked over the edge. He could tell that Shil was amazed by the view and the Lake below them. He was happy that he could share this with him. He couldn't help but try and show others his love of the forest. He just hoped that shil wouldn't get to terribly close to the edge. It was a long way down and he didn't know what he would do if Shil fell.

He moved up to sit next to Shil and continued to look out at the clouds. As he watched them move past in the sky above the treetops his tail twitched slightly. He enjoyed the calmness of the clouds and the sound of the trickling water from the small stream that ran down the side of the rock. His ears were still Positioned to the back so that he would be able to hear should anyone or anything try and sneak up on them from behind. He loved the forest and called it his home, be he also knew that he shared this home with many others.

He looked to Shil and said simply "Nice view isn't it?" He smiled then as he Looked down at the lake below. It seemed that there was an occasional set of ripples on the surface of the water. 'The fish must be hungry...' he thought to himself. He knew that occasionally the fish would jump out of the water to catch bugs that were hovering above the surface. He looked around the edge of the lake. He also liked to make sure there wasn't anyone to close to him. He didn't like surprises.