She was delighted. They were so close, close to her new home, and close to the home she'd share with Kero. Looking over at the younger, the blond Hyena licked his ear, gently, "Kero, are you excited to be going home?" She asked softly, lovingly. She knew he wanted her to meet the family, but she was unsure as to exactly what the family would mean. She wanted to be accepted and liked, her quiet kind nature something just innately a part of her.
Kero wagged his tail as he felt the lick to his ear, and bounced back and forth on his paws for a moment. "Definitely! Definitely excited, my family's gonna love you because you're so nice and pretty and sweet and awesome! Maybe they'll even stop telling me to shut up but I doubt it and I don't get why they tell me thay anyway, do you know why they tell me that so often?" He paused for just a moment to take in a breath, and then continued going on. "I'm sure they'll let me back in now that I'm not alone, and then you can teach my sisters and my mom how to move with the rainbow and it's going to be so great!"
Mayrah'kirra smiled softly, chuckling lightly, "I suppose it is because you enjoy talking so, dear one. I do not mind, myself. Though....that is because I am not much of a talker myself." Tail flicking a bit, she gazed up at the sky, lit with the colors of sunset as the two padded side by side. Her flank gently pressed against his, and she sighed softly, happily, "It will be nice to be with a pack...."
"Well there weren't many of us when I left," Kero said, actually pausing for long enough to think before he added, "But Mom was getting fat when I left so maybe there are more of us now! And maybe my sisters finally got mates and my brothers found someone and maybe there will be a lot of us there and we could even have a real chance against the lions Mom hates so much - I don't really understand why they hate lions but if they do then they do and I'll do what I'm supposed to but my brother Igola thinks the lion that lives with us is his mom - did you know that? Maybe she is is mom and he just got born into the wrong body or something, can that happen?"
She blinked, "A Hyena with a Lion mother? I am not sure Dear one. Perhaps the Gods can play such games with the souls of mortals." The female shrugged her shoulders and continued padding forth, stopping as she stretched down, yawning, "How much further, love? I am getting quite tired." She smiled, "Though this land is quite pretty, and I am rather fond of it." Her eyes softened, head shaking a bit, so that she could get the fur out of her eyes.
For quite literally the first time in his life, Kero waited a few moments and thought before speaking. "It's not too far away now - see that funny shaped rock in the istance? It means we're close! But we can stop and rest if you want there's probably a good place around here to hide out in if you need to sleep, because really I don't mind waiting if you need to and I'm sorry there aren't any rainbows here to make it go faster for you!" In his own, slightly-addled way, Kero was concerned for the female hyena - he wanted to get home, sure, but if she needed to rest then they would rest! He'd just find something to talk about during the break from traveling!
Licking at her tiny paws, she looked over at Kero, her eyes showing her exhaustion, "Kero, love.......they wouldn't make it that much faster." Her voice was a low chuckle, and she stretched, "I suppose we can find an alcove to rest for a moment." Moving forwards, her eyes cast about, curiously, her eyes catching sight of an overhang. Trotting over to it, she glanced upwards, "This will do for the time,"
The brownish-tan hyena trotted after the female, sitting down just on the outside of the overhang - he had been raised properly, as much as could be sunk into his head, and that included letting Mayrah (or any female, but ESPECIALLY miss Rainbow's End!) have the shade - where he proceeded to watch the orange female with worried eyes. "You're okay, right? You're not sick, or hurt, and oh no you didn't walk so much that your paws are going to fall off did you?!?!? OH no oh no how will we put them back on what do I do what do I do?!?" It would probably be hilarious if he wasn't... seriously worried about that happening.
She laughed softly, "My paws are fine, Kero." Leaning her head down, gently nipping at a rock that had caught itself between the toes of her paw, and flinched slightly when she felt a little blood seep out. Sighing, she huffed a bit, "Nn....I will be alright NOW at least."
Spotting the rock and the blood, Kero's ears fell back and he whimpered. "You're hurt! You're hurt and it's my fault, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! How did you get hurt why didn't I notice!" And he was off on another ramble, this time one made up of whimpers and apologies because Miss Rainbow's End was bleeding and it was the worst thing to ever happen in the entire world, ever.
She chuckled and leaned forwards, licking his nose, "Ssh...It's only a little scrape. It will heal in moments." Licking it again, gently, she looked down at the stone. It was an undaunting brown little thing, and she snorted slightly, "I must have picked it up, and didn't notice."
Kero sniffed at the rock as well, and then growled at it - how dare the stupid rock hurt Miss Rainbow's End! She should never hurt, never bleed, shame on that rock for attacking her! "That's a bad rock, then," he said, still glaring down at it, though his voice took on a softer tone as he added, "Nothing should ever, ever hurt you!" It was the shortest sentence he'd ever said, and probably the one with the most meaning.
Her eyes softened, and she leaned forwards and licked his nose gently, "That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, Kero." Nuzzling him, she huffed and licked her paw again, "There, The bleeding's stopped, love. I'm alright." Smiling a bit, she closed her eyes and yawned, mouth parting to reveal her teeth, before laying back down.
His eyes crossed as Kero watched Miss Rainbow's End lick his nose, the male hyena for once staying rather quiet. It wasn't that he's run out of things to say - really, he had so much more to talk about! - but rather that his companion seemed genuinely exhausted, and he really didn't want to keep her awake... she was probably the only being in existence that Kero could ever halt his ever-constant rambling for, and he did so now, choosing instead to just lick at her ear fondly from his place just outside the overhang.
Moving forwards, she pressed her flank against his, and sighed as his warmth began to lull her into sleep. Kero was....somehow perfect for her. Though she could not figure out the how, or why.....there he was, her own perfect other. The one she intended to remain with . As she fell asleep, her mind began to drift into thought, and she began into the dream world.
Word Count: 1294
