Ayumi hummed to herself as she danced along. She had already done her part in hunting today, and as much she didn't have much else to do. So she was off to do what she did best. Talk!
It was taking longer than she previously thought to get to know everyone on a good basis. It seemed that whenever she turned around, more cubs were appearing. And she was a little jealous, if only because it distracted others from wanting to chat with her. Sigh. She let her paws guide her around aimlessly, knowing that she would be able to run into someone that was free.
With her luck, she easily ran into someone. Siha was a guide, but she wasn't the guide that was normally chosen to help visitors. No, she was still trying to remember the paths, not get lost, and most of all, not embarrass herself in front of others. It was a long path, but she was slowly getting better at it.
"Hey!" Ayumi scurried up to the blue lioness, intent on getting some attention. The lioness was pretty, except the worry lines on her face weren't helping her. "What's wrong?" the cheetah asked, genuine concern crossing her face. Only she would get into everyone's business, but she just wanted to help.
"Oh!" Everything seemed to happen so fast. She blinked, and there was a cheetah right in front of her. "You're Edea's friend, right?" So strange to figure that the quiet, stoic-like leopardess was friends with the bubbly, social, chatty cheetah. "I'm ok, just trying to remember the paths..." She probably shouldn't admit her problem to everyone that walked by, but she always hoped that someone would be able to give her new tips on remembering things.
Ayumi shook her head. "Well, don't wrinkle your face up so much. You'll never get a mate if you keep doing that!" Siha looked sheepish, but Ayumi just laughed. "Don't stress so much! You'll age yourself so fast, and you don't want that around these parts." The one thing that the cheetah really liked about this pride was that there were constantly visitors here, at least as constant as could be when they were still building. That meant lots of males passing through!
Siha blinked. "Oh. Well...yeah." Siha had never really thought about anything like that. She wanted to make sure that she was able to be a good guide before thinking about anything else. "I'm Siha. Nice to meet you..."
"Ayumi."
"Right, Ayumi." Siha smiled. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
The cheetah grinned. "Well, if you need more practice...Edea is hanging out at the Star Shrine. I figured she wouldn't mind me bothering her, so perhaps you could take me there?"
Siha took a moment to remember where that was. It was near the Earth Shrine...wasn't it? "Ok, I can take you there." She sounded a little worried.
Ayumi on the other hand was certain that this would go smoothly. Besides, she knew where she needed to go, for the most part. This might be a good test for Siha, and she wouldn't have to worry about it happening in front of a visitor. "Lead the way!"
Siha took the lead, watching her surroundings carefully. She had started to leave herself little notes here and there - things that visitors might not be able to see, but members might notice them if they passed through certain areas enough. She hadn't damaged anything, but still she hoped that nature around her didn't take offense to the fact she couldn't remember well. Her senses heightened, she picked her way through the jungle, leading towards the mountain range that their pride resided against. It was a peaceful place, even if the rains weren't always the most pleasant of things. There had to be a price to pay for all the green shrubs that grew around them.
"So how do you like this job?" Ayumi asked. She was curious, as she was only a huntress and didn't have too many responsibilities. Feeding others was about it, and she had to keep herself fed, why not feed everyone else? Siha shrugged. "I like it. That's why I'm trying to hard to get good at it. I want to succeed at it, and be trustworthy. Always."
Ayumi nodded. "You'll get the hang of it. I think you're doing quite well for someone who things they're terrible at it. You just need to have more confidence. Then everything will fall into place."
Siha was surprised that she could speak so truthfully, without her normal chattiness. Ayumi could get quite annoying if she wanted to be. There was more to her than just the surface, that was certain.
"Thanks," Siha answered with a soft smile. "I hope so. I know I worry a lot, and that's getting in the way of my success. Everyone around me is patient and kind, and Salma assures me that she doesn't mind if I make an error somewhere. As long as the visitors are not too upset, there isn't any damage." To her, there would be, but at least it would not be something visible.
Ayumi agreed. The two of them chatted for a while, fulfilling Ayumi's need for attention, and giving Siha something to do for the time being. Suddenly, they were at the Star Shrine. "We're here! See, I told you you could do it. No need to worry so much, ok?"
Siha nodded. "Do you want me to stay to guide you back to another area?"
Ayumi shook her head. "No, I think I will hunt again after this, so I will be fine. Keep yourself safe on the return home, and don't forget to keep yourself happy!" Siha was always going to need that as a reminder, wasn't she?
Siha only laughed as she turned to leave, amazed that even in the middle of conversation she had been able to take Ayumi to where she needed to go. Perhaps she was getting the hang of this after all. She took a bit of a shortcut back to the central part of the pride. A way that wasn't very easy, but she wanted to get back to see if anyone else needed her help. She was ready!
(1,047 words)
