Raynah:
She was home, or at least.. What she considered home. Having left her father and brother in the lands of her birth she had traveled to find the least obvious place where she could be found. Though the jungle lands weren't her number one choice, she had taken a little residence there anyway. A giant banana tree leaf had been her shelter from the rain for a few days. She hadn't had the chance to find any sort of denning lands. Hopefully she ran across somewhere more stable soon.
She yawned, and sat with her tail curled around her legs as she looked at her surroundings. She was only a little ways away from her Banana leaf home but still she felt nervous. She was normally an aloof, bored child who just wanted something to entertain her. Or to sit lazily, she was good at that too.
Shujaa:
"You shouldn't be here." The voice was soft, smooth, a male's voice coming from somewhere around her. Shujaa lay stretched out on a tree-branch, hidden from view. He had been watching this female for several days now. She had found her way into his territory and he had been fine with that, to an extent. He was such a quiet, secluded individual for the most part, keeping to himself and avoiding his neighbors. Oh, they knew he lived there, but they never saw him. He made sure of that. he didn't like to be bothered.
This female, she was rather pretty. He could tell by her scent that she wasn't all of one thing, like he was. And being born of a cheetah and a leopardess, he had a slightly dimmer view when it came to what he was attracted to. Regardless, that didn't change the fact that in her wanderings of today she had left his territory and moved into that of a rather grouchy lion and his family. Shujaa had taken some measure of happiness seeing the antisocial bully of a lion finally find someone who put up with his high-and-mighty attitude enough to fall in love with him. It gave him a bit of hope over his own lot in life. Although, he was still a hybrid, he had the feeling the odds would always be stacked against him in that sense.
Raynah:
Her tail twitched nervously as she scanned the area around her. The voice coming to her ears made her perk her ears as she glanced around. She was a calm female, not much could really bother her. She just preferred to be alone and she didn't really care to be useful.
"Whos there?" She asked, voice level and not showing an ounce of the fear others might have felt. She wasn't scared, more anxious about what would have said those words. But the voice had been soft, yet firm enough to know it was male.
Standing, she sighed with she could find nothing in the shadows around her. The jungle was great for hiding things you didn't want to find. But she wasn't sure she wanted this voice to stay hidden from her.
Shujaa:
"No one of consequence. But you're not in my territory anymore, and the owner of this one really doesn't like trespassers," Shujaa replied, not moving from where he was for a moment. He just watched her for a while, turning around, looking for him. He toyed with the idea of staying where he was and throwing his voice around, something he had learned to do to amuse himself with other creatures that wandered into his territory.
But no, he didn't want to remain invisible.
He was silent as a shadow moving out of the tree. He came down on the other side, moving out from behind the trunk to sit down and watch her back.
"It would be a shame if he hurt you."
Raynah:
She thought about the words, and wondered if maybe the jungle lands were haunted. Why else could she not see the creature speaking to her? She narrowed her eyes, unable to locate where it was the voice was coming from but still she listened to the words.
"Why would you warn me? Wouldn't you want me out of your territory?" She asked, though she felt silly talking to a shadow of a creature she couldnt lay eyes on.
After a moment she could see the golden orbs of someone climbing down the tree trunk. She watched as he moved, or as much as she could since his body was mosltly hidden in shadows. Soon he was sitting in front of her, looking at her with curiousity.
"Who are you?" She asked, raising a brow.
Shujaa:
He gave her a small, almost tired smile as he glanced around himself, ears perked, listening for sounds of the Huntsman. There was a detachment among the neighbors of this place, each had a nickname, names were never used if one could help it. The Huntsman and his Lady, Tree Shadow, the Healer and her Golden Bird, Iron Jaws. Shujaa was the Ghost. No one saw him but everyone knew he was there. His mother and father had long since left the jungle, as had his brother and sister. He couldn't bring himself to. It was his home, he knew nothing else.
"Not really. It's big enough and I keep to myself anyways," he replied with a small shrug. She asked him who he was, it took a moment before he could answer. He could treat her like the others, tell her he was the Ghost, keep her at a distance.
Something compelled him otherwise. Maybe it was her eyes.
"Shujaa. Now can we please leave? I would rather not be caught here."
Raynah:
He was a strange creature. Interesting yet something about him mysterious. She wasn't sure she could put her paw on it but she sighed. If she was in a dangerous place, she supposed they could leave. But truth was she wanted to finish exploring. Maybe he would take her later if she asked. Maybe once she got to know him and learn about him.
"Fine. But only if you promise we can come back sometime." She finished. She was assuming that she would share his territory as she had no desire to leave her little makeshift home. She stood, looking over his sandy golden body and she offered a small smile that didnt quite reach her eyes.
"You didn't ask for my name." She said, as she turned to head in the direction of which she had come. She knew hed follow, or at least she hoped he would. She wanted to learn about him.
Shujaa:
"It didn't occur to me," Shujaa replied as he strode to her side, letting out a slow breath when they finally left the Huntsman's territory. He glanced at her again, wondering why she was s fascinated with the place that he had told her she could get hurt in. Did she not believe him? Or was she just suicidal? With the Lady getting fat with cubs, her mate had become increasingly more territorial. Even the Golden Bird knew to stick to her "nest" rather than come visiting.
"Why would you want to go back?"
Raynah:
"Because you don't want me there." She responded simply, looking at him and peering into his golden eyes. He was a handsome guy, and his voice seemed to soothe her spirit. She smiled, looking away from him as they continued walking.
"If you knew I was in your territory.. Were you watching me this whole time?" She asked, arching a brow as she looked at him with interest. She wouldnt really condemn him for it, but she would have liked to know he was there first.
Shujaa:
"There are faster ways to get yourself killed or maimed. There's a river here with a rather nasty old crocodile," Shujaa said with a shrug, deciding that if she really wanted to go back into the lion's territory she really did have some sort of death-wish.
Gold eyes watched her with a neutral look that hid his interest in her. So many questions, did she have to know everything in the world? No matter, he didn't mind answering them.
"No, I have to eat and sleep sometimes." It was a very open answer, for sure, hinting that when he wasn't hunting for his food and sleeping, he was watching her. Which was true. He didn't want her messing any of his things up or getting herself hurt, after all.
Raynah:
"Im not looking to hurt myself." She said, her eyebrows knitting together to show her displeasure at the statement. But she quickly relaxed and shrugged. So he thought she wanted to die because she wanted to go back to the territory. Well she supposed that was just has dangerous the place actually was.
"Interesting." She responded, and thought of what else was possible for her to say. She didn't want to just keep asking questions but her curiousity was sometimes insatiable.
"You're pretty sneaky." She said, and looked at him again.
Shujaa:
Shujaa smiled then, dipping his head slightly in a nod of approval at her observation. He did try so hard to be sneaky. Here in the jungle where dark-colored pelts were the best for you, he had to work extra hard. He could easily take himself out to the savanna and survive well out there. But this was home.
"Thank you, I try," he replied and glanced at her again. So she didn't want to hurt herself, well going into the lion's territory, especially when his mate was pregnant was a death-wish in his book. But she didn't know that, did she?
"It belongs to a lion and he doesn't like trespassers. His mate is expecting cubs, so he'll be even more put off by others crossing into his lands."
Raynah:
"Oh.." She finished, understanding the danger and grinning. "So I guess anyone who becomes our enemies, we know were to send 'em huh?" She asked, amused with herself. She was mostly just kidding but her tone really didn't convey that.
"I'm Raynah, by the way." She spoke, looking at him as he smiled. "You never did ask." She stated, wondering who had taught him hismanners. Not that it mattered, her manners were few and far in between and she had a temper if truly annoyed. But she didn't think she was too bad a cheeton.
Shujaa:
"it's a sound plan," he replied with a small smile. Though, if he really had a problem with someone, a swim was all they needed to solve that one. But, then, telling her that would probably just freak her out.
"It's nice to meet you, Raynah. I figured that you would tell me when you wanted to." It was true, he didn't want to ask her for it. Here you simply didn't. If someone wanted to tell you his or her name, they would, you didn't ask. It was a common courtesy.
"Why did you decide to come here?"
Raynah:
"I left home. Time to venture out on my own and enjoy my own life. Though its hard to enjoy life when you live under a large leaf." She grinned and chuckled. She had been born in the Suka Fumo but her mother and father not being around much had given her an excuse to slip away, likely unnoticed. Of course she had never been one to draw attention to herself. Quite the opposite usually. Her voice was calm, though it was pretty lackluster in tone. She just was too laid back for her own good most times.
"Where I come from, you ask." She informed, though she smiled and nodded. "Guess I have some things to learn around here." She chuckled, looking at her paws as they walked. Though after a few steps she looked at him curiously.
"Have you lived out here long?" She asked.
Shujaa:
Shujaa looked at her, wondering how much he should tell her or if he should just let her learn on her own.
"Here we tend not to. We're neighbors, but we don't... interact," he explained with a nod. He found it interesting that she had taken it upon herself to leave her home and make a life for herself. He, on the other hand, had never left his home. he was still there, after all.
"I was born here, I've never been inclined to leave. Well, at least not much farther from the borders of this jungle. Never wanted to."
Raynah:
"I don't think I want to leave here. I like it here." She stated with a nod as she thought about what he said. She hadn't felt that she really had a home in the birthlands. She had felt out of place and unloved. But here she was, striking out on her own. She had always been a pretty independent girl.
"Maybe you could show me around some." She hinted, though she stopped and looked at him.
"Im sorry for taking up residence in your territory. If its alright with you Id prefer not to leave."
She had found she liked the seclusion and mystery of the jungle. Everything was unpredictable and she liked it like that. She felt..home..
Shujaa:
Shujaa shook his head at her partial questions.
"I don't mind. You can stay here for as long as you like. Unless you do something to ware out your welcome," he replied, giving her that small smile again. He considered her request, showing her around the area. He much preferred staying out of her way, just watching her go about uninhibited by another's presence. But then... It would mean he could spend some more time with her and a part of him did like the idea of that. While he hated to admit it, while he wanted to remain the neutral hermit that he was, he could at least admit to himself that at time he did get lonely. And she seemed nice.
"I could show you around. When would you like that?"
Raynah:
"Oh, whenever you want really. No hurry I guess. But it would be nice." She grinned. She looked at him and shouldered into him gently before chuckling.
"I promise to not wear out my welcome. Or..Ill try not to." She said with emphasis on the word try. But she grinned again, one that matched his.
"I think I might like it here."
Shujaa:
"Another day then. I'm not really feeling up to playing tour-guide today," Shujaa replied, a little stunned when she nudged him. He'd never had that happen before... Raynah was definitely a different creature from what he was used to.
He smiled at her again, stopping when the tree she had been sleeping under came into view. The smile faded when he looked at it, tilting his head to one side a bit.
"Has it rained on you yet?" he asked, glancing from the tree to her. He doubted the leaves would do any good against a downpour. He knew better places.
Raynah:
She shook her head, rather thankful for the fact it hadn't rained yet. That was her one fear, was being caught in a downpour with nothing but a leaf to keep her from the chilled rain. But she was a tough girl and figured if it came down to it, she could handle it.
"No, not yet. Does it rain here alot?" She asked, and then looked at her home, and stared at it. It was modest, and.. almost nonexistant. The one leaf bent over strategically so that it would cover her from the sunshine through the trees.
"I'm not really looking forward to when it does." She smiled.
Shujaa:
Shujaa looked off for a moment before nodding his head.
"Often enough. Staying here would not be a good idea. Follow me if you want a better place to stay," he finally said after a moment, turning away from the tree and heading away from the tree and further away from the lions' territory. He walked for a while before coming to a huge tree. Really, it was massive, the largest he had ever seen in the jungle. And on one side, the ground had eroded into a dip, and some animals had dug a space among the roots, sheltered by the tree. It wouldn't flood during the rain due to the ground dipping even further down, the tree almost sitting on a hill.
"You can stay here, if you'd like."
Raynah:
When he told her about not being safe down under the leaf, she nodded, and followed him obediantly. She was happy that she had someone who knew something about the jungle so that she could actually maintain herself out here.
The tree didnt sneak up on her, as it was huge and she cuold see it before they even had reached it. It was huge, with its branches reaching out towards the sky. She jaw dropped, but quickly cleared her throat to regain her composure. She had simply never seen a tree so massive.
"Woah.." She said.
"Are you sure? Is it safe?" She asked. She didnt ask her other question of 'are you around these parts alot.' But she thought them.
Shujaa:
Shujaa smiled in pleasure at her reaction to the tree. He prided himself over having the territory with the largest tree in all of the jungle. Whether that was true or not, he wasn't entirely sure. He hadn't explored too much of the jungle and tended to stay out of the way of the lions that lived around him. It pleased him to see her so entranced with his home.
And it was indeed his home. On overly hot days, he would sleep under the tree rather than in it. He didn't know why he was letter her take the hollow for her own shelter. Maybe he was curious, maybe he wanted to keep an eye on her. Whatever it was, he was sharing an awful lot with her.
"It's perfectly safe. You have nothing to worry about."
Raynah:
She smiled, turning to look at him once he spoke. She headbutted him gently, a form of gratitude.
"Thank you. You're pretty cool." She said, looking into his golden orbs. She wasn't sure why he was sharing his home. But she was thankful. It could have been worse.. He was handsome, and made her feel that jumpstart feeling she hadn't felt in awhile.
Shujaa:
A paw rose and he brushed the pads of his paw against her jawline.
"You're welcome. Just be sure to appreciate it," he replied with a small nod. He stepped away and looked around. He should be going, letting her settle into her new home, maybe climb up into the tree where she couldn't see him and go back to just watching her, see how she reacted to meeting him and learning that she had intruded on his territory.
"I could take you around tomorrow, after the sun has reached the highest point in the sky, if you want?" He posed it as a question, his head tilting slightly to one side.
Raynah:
She felt herself push her cheek into his paw when he placed it on her jawline, though he pulled it away quicker than she had wanted. She nodded, smiling a bit.
"I won't make you regret it." She rolled her eyes, but a smile was on her face by the time she looked at him again. She repressed a purr, and looked up into the treeline.
"I suppose you are going back up there, huh?" She asked. She wished her paws allowed her to climb the trees. She had just never mastered the talent. Father always told her it was a leopards chore, climbing trees. So she supposed that maybe, Shuuja was of leopard descent. She'd ask later though.
"Do you promise?" She asked, hopeful.
Shujaa:
Something in him said that he wouldn't regret it, but he wasn't terribly sure why. Regardless, he kept the smile on his maw when he nodded to her.
"I'll be here tomorrow." It wasn't a promise, but there was a conviction in his voice that said he would be there. He turned his attention up to the trees and nodded again.
"I am. I'll see you tomorrow." And without another word, he was walking away, to the nearest tree he could climb and disappearing into the leaves and branches.
It took a minute, but soon he was in the branches over Raynah's head, his gold eyes watching her intently.
