Penwakani smiled curiously at the male cheetah which appeared to flutter around her in a somewhat maddening flurry of white and pink fur. It was somewhat cute, she mused to herself, how he thought he had to protect her. She was just fine though, just because she had walked into a tree he suddenly thought she might need a hero. She was ok, though she really wanted that bell to stop ringing in her ears about now.
She rested her head on her paws, peering at him curiously.
He froze, feeling her gaze on him, and raised his head from the grass that was slowly forming a comfy looking bed near the back of the cave. “You ok?” He asked, worriedly. He jogged over to her side, nudging her with his nose, and peering down into her eyes.
She smiled back, dazedly. “I’m fine, Yuuki, thank you for your concern.” She tilted her head to the side, peering at him curiously. “You’re a strange fellow.”
He blinked. “How so?” He sat down near her shoulder, close enough to her head that she did not have to shift in order to see him still. Polite. She didn’t have to move, which was good, because she was rather comfy where she was, even though the ground was hardly soft.
“Well, we have barely known each other for an hour,” she pointed out, “and yet you have found me both a den, food, and made me a bed – not to mention you have been nothing but sweet to me. Strange male.”
“Well, to be fair, you did just headbutt a tree rather solidly,” he couldn’t help but return. “It may just be pity.”
She laughed. “Good point, but I don’t think it is.” She looked rather pensive for a moment, before saying carefully. “I just think you might actually be a good person, Yuuki. A rare find these days it seems.”
“It’s not that rare, Pen,” Yuuki pointed out. “I think you just might be looking in the wrong places.”
She shook her head. “I’ve looked in a lot of places, Yuuki.”
“Perhaps you’re just looking for goodness in the wrong people then,” he concluded, and rose back to his feet. “Now, let me get this bed sorted and then you can lay down and rest your head. Must be ringing rather solidly now, hey?”
“A bit,” she said calmly, peering at him. “How do you know it’d be ringing?”
“I’ve fallen from trees before,” Yuuki admitted with a wince. “My mother is a Leotah, leopard and cheetah, and had a fondness for trees. As a cub, I would follow her when I could convince her to let me, and there were a few times I had fallen. Hitting the ground, or hitting the trunk, either way I know that it’s not a pleasant experience afterwards.” He laughed, and she joined in.
“You’re silly, Yuuki,” she giggled, and closed her eyes with a sigh. “So?”
“So?” He repeated calmly, nudging the last few bits of grass into place, stepping back to eye it critically.
“So, where are your family?” She prodded.
“Ah! Them. Well,” he mused. “My mother is still travelling with my grandmother and my aunt as far as I am aware, not to mention my two sisters. I thought I would strike out on my own for a little while, see how the rogue lands were when you didn’t have an entourage following you everywhere.” He grinned. “Also, my mother…has a suitor that I figure is probably following, and it seems my sister has gained one too, in the son of my mother’s suitor. All very confusing.” He shook his head. “I used to hate it.”
“Hate what?” Penwakani prompted.
“Hate that they were moving on,” he mused, walking over to her and nudging her to her feet. “C’mon, get into bed.”
“Moving on?” She continued to ask, as she obediently padded over to the padded ground. Curling up easily, she gave a contented sigh and stretched out, loving the soft feel of the grass.
“Yeah, I liked how things were when it was just our family, selfish, I know,” he chuckled. “But it was how I was. I hated Yuuli getting a boy interested in her, and I wanted Mother to stay single, I thought that would keep things the same, but no, that wasn’t right.” He shook his head. “I miss the simple days but it’s not like I can go back, so there’s no use holding them back either.”
He fussed over the grass, making sure she was laying on it everywhere, before taking a seat beside her. “What about you, Pen? Where are your family?”
She tilted her head, contemplatively. “I’m not sure.”
“Not sure?”
“Some of my siblings went with my dad, and I’m not sure where they are, though I know that Mother is still in her home pride. She was happy there – I wanted something more than a pride, and she understood that. She let me go, and told me I had to come back and visit. That was it.” She smiled. “It was nice, having her let me go.”
Yuuki smiled. “Sounds like a good woman.”
“The best,” Penwakani agreed emphatically.
“Do you miss her?” He asked curiously. “You’ve been away from home for a while.”
“A little,” she agreed, closing her eyes and sighing. “But I know she was happy there, I just hope she’s not lonely. That’s what worries me – being lonely.”
“Her, or you?”
She laughed, opening one eye to peer up at her strange companion. “Both. Either?” She shook her head. “I hate being lonely.”
Yuuki smiled. “That’s why the rogue lands is magical.”
“Oh?”
“No matter where you go, no matter which direction you choose, you’re never alone. There’s always another face to see, another voice to hear, another story to learn,” Yuuki said, stretching his muscles languidly. “There’s no such thing as truly alone in the rogue lands, you just have to look up at the night star and realise that thousands of other eyes are seeing the same stars you are.”
Penwakani smiled, feeling exhaustion creeping up on her body and her muscles relaxing back into the bedding. “I like how you think, Yuuki.”
“Thank you, Pen,” he grinned crookedly, and rose to his feet. “Now sleep, I’ll keep guard. Being alone isn’t all that bad at night! Means there’s nothing out there that can get you, but no worries, I’ll make sure it’s just the two of us tonight in this den! Well, except for the bats.” He peered to the very back of the den, where a pair of eyes were watching them.
Penwakani grinned. “Bats, I don’t mind. Thank you, Yuuki.” She closed her eyes.
“You’re welcome, Pen,” he returned, with a grin. He settled himself against the wall of the mouth of the den, leaning against the wall comfortably, and staring out at the brightly lit night sky.
- F I N -
[Word count: 1,160]
