Having awakened from her short night of slumber, the female wild dog awoke to the early morning next to the pond she had settled beside earlier. Waking up in such a tranquil and peaceful state often reminded her of the lonely travels, the being alone on her journey without her siblings, without her twin, without her parents.But journey on she must. It was a calling, it was a duty. She yawned, pulling over to the pool of water to take a sip from it. It was another day of long walking alone. It would have been good to have a companion, but she had spoiled herself on Ereshkigal before - it was just... she had to wean herself off of that, right? She could do everything on her own, was well capable, and was surely independent.
She needn't company. And still... It would be good if she did have it.
Blue eyes from a similarly grey and black spotted wild dog came forth onto the clearing, searching for an early morning drink. His tail wagged behind him eagerly, thirsty for the fresh water. As he walked to the pool, he didn't even notice the other company that was there. All he cared about was the nice, cool, yummy water... The same crisp and clear blue as his eyes. Oh, the water was so great."Amiri!" he called back to his twin through one of his breaks from lapping up the water.
He continued for some time until he realized there was no answer.
"Amiri?" he called again, looking back.
He thought his twin was following him! Goodness, it was obvious his twin probably just fell back asleep when he woke the two of them up for the morning. He just wanted some water... And it would be a great start to the day! The sun was already shining and beautifully bright!
There was, albeit after a great pause, an answer, though. However, it was not from his twin.
Someone was shouting about something. The female wild dog saw a wild dog snapped out of her morning daze and realized a male had stepped into her clearing - one that looked mightily similar to herself. He seemed to be enjoying the water, and she laughed at that - the pond that held all of this water sure was delicious in her opinion, too. He was too absorbed in it, she could tell, that he didn't even notice her presence.
"Hello," she called, taking the few steps towards him that separated the two.
He must have been too focused on something to notice that there was another in the area. What if it was a lion! Or something else that wanted trouble for him. Well, maybe that was what he had Amiri for - to keep watch and be on the lookout for stuff like that.
At least it was another wild dog, and a female at that. And a pretty one. That part was nice.
"Hey there," he replied, instinctively grinning.
"Amri here."
What was he grinning for? It was sort of odd, but she waved it off of her mind.
"Pulika."
"So, you come here often?"
He was curious about her, no doubt. It even took his mind off of his twin for a moment. Ah, Amiri would be okay. The buffoon was just sleeping his day away, missing opportunities such as this! Well, that was what Amiri would get for such laziness.
"Not at all. Just been passing through, getting through a lot of ground in just a day. I'll be far away from here by the time night rolls in, I assure you, Amri."
She smiled cordially, that sentence not even phasing her or the thought; it had been simply what she had been doing, and so she was used to it. There was nothing to discuss or mourn over it by now, although the missing her family and Ereshkigal part did come up sometimes, and travelling alone.
But Pulika was certain with patience, she would find what she was looking for in these rogue lands.
"Say what?"
It was puzzling. She really meant it? Pulika meant to travel far away from here as she could by the time the day ended? Did he smell or something? Was he really that bad looking? He gaped at her for a few seconds before finding composure, closing his mouth.
"I hope you're just a traveler, then. I'm only just passing by myself, so if you are leaving because you think... well, if you think that you're infringing on my turf, well, then, you aren't!"
He nodded firmly, closing his eyes to settle on a complacent yet happy face as an expression.
"Oh, no, nothing of that sort. I've left my family, along with my... thirteen other siblings to seek a new life. We wish to find something new and distinct for each our own, and so are travelling to the far corners of the world to do that. I've heard that at least one or two of my sisters have found something new to call home, and I've not yet to find one yet. But surely it will come."
She breathed out, wondering if it was a little bit too much to give a stranger a monologue of her life and life's goal. She did have a question, though.
"What were you shouting about earlier?"
"I see. Best of luck to you on your travels, then. Hey, maybe you'll find home. I know my dad's found got one of his own from mom, but we've just been out here wandering ourselves, too. And the shouting? Ah, I was that loud, was I?"
Amri laughed at his own naivete towards his volume. If he was that loud, who knows what he could have attracted to his brother and himself!
"I was calling for Amiri, my brother. See the similarities? Amri, Amiri? We're twins. Identical twins, right to the eyes. Mom always got us confused, but it didn't help that she named us to confuse herself, either."
"You're a twin, too?" she asked, touched by the connection and creating a secret desire to see the other twin, having one herself.
"I'm one, too, but Ereshkigal is brown and has lighter eyes. We separated not that long ago, or perhaps it was, but her memory is as fresh and fond to me as if she was right next to me during my travels. Well, then, Amri, you better get back to your twin. I'll be on my way. Perhaps we'll meet again, but best of luck to you, as well."
She bowed and headed out before she could get into any sappy twin moments.
"Good day, lady," he called after her, nodding.
He stopped down to take some more sips of that water before he would return to Amiri. That fool! Well, all the more strangers to meet for him!
