A little red wild dog trotted out into the open rogue lands with her head held high. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be this far away from the pack, but so long as no one knew, she couldn’t get in trouble, right? That was Adaminna’s thinking, anyway. Her wide eyes scanned the horizon; not for danger, but for something to play with. Almost instantaneously she came across the brightest mane she had ever seen! Granted, she had never seen a mane before, but she had heard stories! Her little legs sped up, sailing across root and stone alike, just to make it to the lionesses’ side. “Oh my gosh, your mane is so pretty and it’s so bright like a rainbow and I just want to touch it isthatokaybecauseIreallywantto-“ At this point her hurried speech had erupted into excited squealing.
Eris tilted her head at the little blur of red. She had barely paid attention to her surroundings, and found it odd that such a vibrant canine had appeared beside of her so quickly. Was she truly losing her touch, or was this dog just that fast?
There was the possibility of both, however.
Just as well, she smiled and replied, “Thank you. I’d rather if you didn’t touch it, however. Rainbows disappear when touched.” This may have been true for the real thing, but perhaps not for a mane. The canine need not know the truth. “I think you should breath.”
Adaminna’s gasp caused her mouth to form a very wide, very comedic ‘o’. “Oh my gosh! I’m sorry, I don’t want your rainbow to disappear, and that was so bad of me to ask. We’re still friends, right? I promise I won’t touch it.” Even though I really, really want to. Why was it that when someone said not to do something, it just made you want to do it so much more?
She didn’t stop to breathe, though, and instead continued to bounce all around the lioness. To Eris’ credit she didn’t seem fazed by it, which only gave the young canine permission to prod her more. “What’s it like living with a rainbow? Do you only come out when it rains? Is that why your eyes are blue?”
The grey and white lioness picked up her paws, keen on continuing on in her journey. If her newest companion wished to follow, then she wouldn’t deter her. She just hoped Elam wouldn’t mind her mouth. “I’ve never known a life without a rainbow in it, so I can’t answer your question. It would be the same if I asked you what it’s like living with a red pelt.” Eris laughed at little when the canine seemed taken aback. She watched while she pulled at her fur, trying to look at it through another’s eyes. “I’m not a true rainbow, though, so I come out as I please. My cousins are much pickier.” She stepped up onto a rather large boulder, leapt off and climbed up another for no reason at all. “As for why my eyes are blue…why are yours green? Do you eat a lot of grass?”
That seemed to catch her off guard. The little canine paused. Had she ever even eaten grass once? “No, not a lot of it. Maybe I did when I was a pup, though, or maybe my momma did when she was carrying me. Green eyes aren’t uncommon in my family, though, so maybe my great-great-great-great-great grandma ate grass.” It didn’t seem to be so farfetched in her eyes. She trotted along the ground, watching the lioness as she bounced from one giant rock to the other. “How come you’re by yourself, though? Do all rainbows travel by themselves?” If they did, then Ada was glad she wasn’t one. It seemed awful lonely.
Eris laughed. Her paws skirted along the side of a particularly steep boulder, before bouncing back down to earth once more. She liked games of skill and chance, with higher stakes to make it interesting. Elam didn’t like to play those sorts of games, however, so she was sure they would part ways sooner or later.
“A lineage of grass eating dogs. How fun.” In her mind she pictured gazelle of all shapes and coloring, running like a pack while howling at the moon. It was an amusing image. “Normally I would say because I enjoy my own company, but right now my companion is off on his own. I’ll be going back to him sooner or later.” That in itself was a vague concept; Eris might be gone hours, weeks, perhaps forever. It all depended on what she thought of Elam at the time. “What of you? Why are you on your own?”
Oh. OH. Adaminna grinned and couldn’t stop herself from giggling. She was with THAT kind of friend. No wonder it was just the two of them! It sounded awfully romantic; being on your own, out in the wilderness…without anyone telling you that ‘this’ and ‘that’ were dangerous…It sounded like paradise to her.
“I’m never alone.” Ada chirped pleasantly. “We’re next to my pack. I’m supposed to be hunting, but I got bored so I decided to explore for a little bit. If you can keep a secret-“ She leaned in, keen on telling it anyway, “-I’m looking to find some pups. I was hoping to bring some home today but I haven’t seen any. Do you know where I can find them?”
Now this was just too good. Eris couldn’t have imagined a better face of naivete if she had tried. “To find pups you’re going to need a male. After all, all pups have fathers, right?” She watched with no small amount of glee while Ada nodded. “Find a male and ask him the same thing you asked me. If he’s smart, he’ll know where to find them. All males do. And then you’ll have all the pups he can give you.”
Eris imagined this canine’s family likely wouldn’t be as pleased with her secret desires as she would. She imagined the family would be raising these pups, but at least now she wouldn’t be talking to every random lion. She could stick to her own kind now.
“Oh thank you, thank you Miss Rainbow!” Eris yipped and turned three times before giving into another bounce. There was just too much excitement in her to keep the little dog still. “Now I can FINALLY find the pups! Everyone else has and I want them so bad! I can play all the time once I find them, and no one can tell me to go home since they’ll be my pups and they’ll live with me.” It seemed as if the only time she stopped to breathe was when it was absolutely necessary.
“I’m going to go find a male now! I don’t mean to run off because it’s rude, but I want to do this soon.” Nodding her head furiously, she gave a little bow and sped off.
Shaking her head, Eris watched the little red blur before walking off to find Elam. He likely wouldn’t find her advice as amusing as she did, so what he knew wouldn’t hurt him. Hopefully that little female would have the support of her family, otherwise those pups would either die or grow up feral.
Either way, it would make for an interesting story. Perhaps I should stick around and find out how it ends? Eris rather liked that idea. All she had to do was keep Elam busy enough so that he wouldn’t want to start traveling again.
Grinning from ear to ear, she realized that in giving her advice to the wild dog, that she had given advice to herself as well. If he can’t leave the den, then he won’t want to travel.
Problem solved.