Wing trotted lightly through the tall grass of the savanna. It was a nice, lush area near the Pridelands and it was one of her favorite spots to visit during her rounds. The creatures that lived in the Pridelands were always very kind and would sometimes attend their parties, even if the lions and other critters were not nearly as rowdy as her pride mates. Still, they enjoyed themselves and she could always find one or two to spread the word to, and they would in turn bring the word to their friends in the pride. It made her job incredibly easy and she could relax in the lush, bountiful planes for a day or so to rest. She wasn't the only one with that same idea, though. The green grass and plentiful water attracted all sorts, both friendly and unsavory. Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed that someone was watching her. As it was, she continued on through the grass until she reached a small pool of water where she stopped to drink. It was always nice and cool refreshing, and her tail flicked back and forth happily as she refreshed herself.
Indeed, someone was watching her. Waasi's bright blue eyes honed in on the cheetah as she moved around while he hid in the tall grass. His white coat did him no favors in hiding, but the female was distracted enough that he hadn't been spotted. He wasn't on the hunt, though, and even if he was he wouldn't have tried to attack her. Cheetahs were fast and not very meaty, and made for poor eating. Not that he'd know from experience...
The female was drinking, though, and he figured it would be a good time to make his move. He pushed his way through the grass, making enough noise to let her know she wasn't alone, and approached the other side of the small pond. He licked up some water as he kept his eyes trained on the cheetah, who lifted her head once she heard the commotion.
"Oh...hello," Wing said, eyeing the surprising hyena. He was a pristine white except for very faint, almost tribal markings on his back. They were incredibly pale in color but with the sun hitting them just right every now and then they'd pop, showing their warm, red and yellow colors nicely.
"Hello," Waasi said, lifting his head to give her a level stare. There was silence for a while before Wing cleared her throat, remembering her duty. She had to treat everyone kindly, after all! She couldn't be a rude crier, that wasn't the way her job worked.
"My name is Wing and I come from the Sikukku pride, where we have fun and games all year round! We're not too far off from here, just a few days journey, and all are welcome to come partake in the festivities and food." She gave the hyena a smile, trying to calm her racing heart. The way he had just come in quietly was a bit odd to her and she had to fight her flight response. She couldn't be rude or run until he proved to be dangerous or unfriendly.
Waasi remained silent as Wing spoke, calculating her words. A pride? No, that wasn't what he wanted. He was trying to see if there were scouts out and about that were looking for him, to return him to the pack he had escaped from. He had been gone for a year, though, and he was hoping that they'd forgotten about him, or didn't care enough about him. He was just one slave, after all.
"That sounds...amusing," he murmured quietly. Normally hyenas had a rather cackling laugh that finished up sentences, but Waasi was very subdued and more snarly than laughy. Sometimes he'd laugh, of course, but it was a malicious laugh. For now, though, he stayed silent on that front. "I'm afraid I won't take you up on that offer, though. I have no time for games."
Wing's ears pressed back against her head as the hyena gave his answer. "Oh...well...that's all right! If you're ever passing our way and need a place to rest your paws, you're more than welcome to stop in for a spell."
Waasi snorted softly but nodded, an amused look on his face. "Right. I'll keep that in mind," he murmured softly. "I must ask you, Wing. Have you seen any hyenas around lately? Female ones?"
The odd question made Wing stop and think. No...she hadn't seen any as of late, now that she thought about it. "No...none, actually. You're the first hyena I've seen in quite some time, to be honest. We don't have very many canines in my pride, it's more of a feline dominated place...but we are very welcoming to all types. Even creatures like avians and hares and waterbucks!"
Waasi snorted and flicked his tail. "That's lovely," he muttered. "You're almost sickeningly cheerful, you know that?" He stared at the cheetah as her ears wilted and bared his teeth at her. "You've used up your usefulness, Wing. Time to go." He charged suddenly, racing across the small pond that only got up to his shoulders.
Wing nearly tripped over herself trying to get away from the snarling hyena, but she made a quick escape as she darted away. She could hear the hyena behind her, paws heavy on the ground and breath hot on her heels. She put on another burst of speed once she got out of the tall grass and put the hyena far behind her.
Waasi slowed to a trot as the cheetah took off, a smirk on his face. Good. Now he had the information he wanted and a nice pond all to himself. He turned around and headed back to his pond, content to take his time and have a drink. It was nice to know that he wasn't being hunted or followed, at the very least. Once he got back to the pond he drank deeply and settled down in the grass for a nap, resting much easier now.