Chizoba and Celestyn walked through a dense jungle, trees protecting them from the sunlight that was probably scorching the plains right about now. The trees offered ample shade and, though humid, it was a nice walk. The green leaves covered everything around them and their paws squished into soggy dirt sometimes, where small watering holes sat surrounded by lush vegetation. Chizoba was several paces ahead, per usual, and Celestyn trailed behind, keeping his ears open and eyes constantly flicking behind them.
"What time do you think it is? Midday?" Chizoba said, turning her head over her shoulder. Her eyes glinted in the rays of sunlight that hit the forest floor, broken by the branches above. She continued to walk at a brisk pace.
Celestyn looked up at the trees, trying to find the source of the sunlight. "Perhaps, I'd say it's probably a little later though. Sun's pretty high. Maybe we should stop for some food soon." A break would be nice, especially here, before they reached the grasslands again.
Chizoba made a funny face, turned away and huffed at the suggestion, obviously not agreeing. "Where do you see food around here, Cel?" She stopped dead in her tracks. "Antelope galore in these parts." She rolled her eyes. There's a reason Celestyn usually followed, this was definitely one of them.
"Sorry I even suggested it. There is sure to be something to eat around here. These parts are teeming with birds!" He caught up to her and stood by her side. He was always larger than she was, but he often felt smaller. She generally led them where she believed they should be going. Celestyn never really cared before, and he never really minded where they were. But lately, he felt a little different, felt as though there was more to do than just explore new areas and be nomads, of sorts.
Chizoba refused to make eye contact or even look at him, stubborn girl she was. "We aren't stopping yet. I'm sure we'll find a more suitable area soon. We can fish."
Celestyn swiveled ears in each direction, hearing no running water and giving a sigh. "There's no flowing water that I can he-"
"Fine! We'll stop here!" Chizoba stormed off toward a rock and heavily flopped her body on it. She was tired, just as he was, but she just wanted to be somewhere else. This place wasn't home-like, it didn't feel welcoming, it felt stifling. Did he not feel the same about this place? Was it so difficult to keep moving to somewhere better?
Celestyn sighed again as he went to look for food. This was his main job between the two of them. She was the leader and he was the ever loyal friend who supplied for them both. Thinking about it, he swatted a small rock out of the way with his paw. Why was she always in charge?! There has to be more to life than this. But at the same time, this is all they both knew. This is how they grew up.
Celestyn was probably gone an hour or so before he returned with some food. Chizoba was napping silently on the rock where he left her. Celestyn had found some nuts, fruits, and also caught a couple birds that they could munch on. He ate his share and placed Chizoba's in a leaf and wrapped it up for when she awoke, leaving it by her side.
Chizoba was, in fact, awake by the time he placed the food by her. She was both happy he still got her food and still a little annoyed by his actions earlier. She just wished he had the same desire to keep moving that she did.
She rolled her head over and could see him laying up in a tree. "You know I didn't want to argue with you," she started with that.
"I didn't know that. You just seemed to have to keep going." He started to boil with anger again. "You know we hadn't eaten since yesterday. We needed to stop!" He was talking more loudly now, obviously upset.
"I just.. don't like it right here!!" She said quickly in response.
"It's just fine."
"No, it's not. I don't want to be here any longer." She said as she got to her feet.
"What? Are we leaving, Zo? Just get up and go because you want to?" Celestyn normally would have just gone, whether he wanted to particularly or not, but he wanted to put up a fight today. figure out exactly what was ticking inside her brain.
"Yes. I don't like it here. It's.. crushing."
"Crushing?"
"Yes, it makes me feel confined." She had a tone of urgency and upset in her voice. She wasn't trying to be a problem. She literally just wanted to leave and go somewhere else. It's what her paws wanted.
Celestyn looked at the ground and shook his head. "I don't know what that's like." He said calmly.
"You don't?" Chizoba asked, genuine concern in her voice. "How don't you? Isn't that why you travel with me, why we travel?"
He shook his head again. "I travel because it's all I've known. No where feels any different from anywhere else we've been."
This confused Chizoba. Everywhere they went she had a feeling about it: either to stay or to go, that it was promising or a pit. She sat back down, pressed her white paws into the rock under her, as if feeling for a weak point, where it would just shatter as she sat there. She knew it wouldn't. She grabbed the leaf pack of food and opened it carefully, not to waste any, and started to eat.
Celestyn watched as she seemed to give up on leaving, and didn't say anymore. He wasn't quite sure what had ticked in her head to make her eat and stay, but he wasn't really complaining about it. He laid on his tree branch above and watched as she ate, walked about and explored, then returned shortly after. Celestyn knew that there would come a point when their journey together would have to fork, have to become two separate ones, but when? Was it now? He didn't know quite what to do with himself alone, where to go, and Chizoba always seemed to have a destination in mind, even if it was "West until the sun goes down," and that was something he wouldn't be able to fathom on his own.
But it seems there will have to come a time for everything.
Chizoba was mainly silent for the rest of the day, and didn't ask that they resume travels that day either. They stayed in the small jungle clearing for the evening, her on her rock and Celestyn above her in the trees somewhere. She knew that a time would come when things would change. She believed it would be soon.