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There was no history of deep and meaningful relationships in Sanuye's past. The closest things she'd ever known to the type of connection Kagami shared with Akira was the fierce love and devotion she felt towards her own sister- but they could not look at one another and know, just like that, what the other wanted to say or do. Sanuye's behavior was usually far too radical and her emotions too extreme for anybody to relate to her. She was a lioness of intense feeling. Nothing about her was mild. It never had been. The bright red lioness went from one extreme to another and didn't hold anything back. Still, the fact that she wasn't afraid to express herself didn't necessarily guarantee that she knew how.

Kagami's brilliant smile delighted Sanuye, and the adolescent positively beamed at the older lady. She wasn't dealt compliments very often and one from such a pretty girl, even if it had come from the lips of a male, was more than she would have expected. An urge to return the favor tickled stubbornly at the back of her throat and, because Sanuye was certain it was the only proper thing to do, she declared proudly;

"I think you're beautiful."

It didn't occur to her to say thanks.

Sanuye hadn't thought far enough ahead to consider what Kagami's reaction to her compliment might have been. The purple female's energetic response and brief show of affection caught her completely off guard. She watched, wide-eyed, as the older lady pulled away. Heat rushed through her veins and collected in her cheeks, but it was thankfully invisible behind her bright red fur.

A smile practically the size of the sun lit up her youthful face and, for a moment, all she wanted to do was sit there forever. It didn't matter to her if she never ate or slept again, as long as she could remember this situation exactly as it was; significantly simple. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before and, therefore, so much more special than most things she'd ever known. Sanuye wished she could have said something to prolong the moment, but her vocabulary was unfortunately too limited.

For fear of stumbling over her words and making a fool of herself (she'd never been so conscience of her actions before), she returned to familiar ground. These were pridal lands. Kagami and her brother were trespassing. It was clear to the adolescent now that they meant no harm, but she felt that they ought to at least know where they were going.

"These are the Kunanda'Nakhun lands. We are a proud and strong family of warriors. If you insist on passing through these lands, I can guide you."

In the back of her head, Sanuye couldn't help wondering if there was any way she could get Kagami to stay.

Sanuye had, indeed, almost forgotten about Akira. That was, until he answered for Kagami.

It was strange, the way Kagami let her brother speak for her. Sanuye had no personal qualms with any male in particular. In fact, all she knew about men was what she'd witnessed of the goings on within the pride. She had, however, been raised to think of them as inferior. It was the natural interpretation her mind had made of their roles in the pride. The men looked after the little ones and, other than that, they lazed about in the sun all day. It was simply the way that things were. The women ruled. The idea that a female who refused to speak in favor of a male's voice was difficult for her to understand.

With a slight shake of her head, she chose not to dwell on it. She couldn't comprehend Kagami's actions, but thinking about it too much was a great strain. It all seemed so complicated.

Instead, she focused on ways that she could convince the purple female to stay. It occurred to her that Akira might not want to leave his sister and that, maybe, if she could get him to stay, Kagami would too.

"Alright," she smiled as sweetly as she could manage, while trying to commandeer some form of master plot to entangle them there, "If I'm going to lead you through these lands, I'm going to need to know where you are headed and where you came from."

Actually, she didn't need to know where they were from. She just wanted to.

It was easy going. Sanuye had spent a great deal of her youth patrolling the borders of the pride lands, pretending to be a great and intimidating warrior. The months of practice showed in the way she maneuvered about the jungle, selecting the wider paths so that she and Kagami might always be able to look one another in the eye as they walked. She wasn't so eager about having Akira close by, but she had acknowledged him as Kagami's brother and tool. They needed him if they were ever going to get to know each other- and, at that particular moment, there wasn't really anything Sanuye wanted more.

She wasn't a genius by any means, nor was she very smart at all, but Sanuye caught the way Kagami frowned at her questions and had enough sense to realize that there was something off. The adolescent was sure her questions hadn't been especially rude. A little bit nosy, maybe, but not insulting. In any case, she shouldn't have cared if they had been. They were the intruders. It was her place to ask questions, and to get answers. She may have liked Kagami a great deal, but Sanuye was loyal to her pride and her family above all else. Kagami was still very much a stranger.

Sanuye glanced sideways at Akira as he answered her questions. Kagami had left before he had? How had she managed, without somebody to speak for her? Surely, there must have been more than meets the eye to the pretty lady that walked by her side.

"I have not heard of the Hitoshirezu'bakufu pride lands before," she admitted, unconcerned by her own ignorance. Her home, the Kunanda'Nakhun, was the only place that mattered.

"Why did you leave?"

The bright red adolescent listened as intently as possible. She was careful to store every single word of what he said to her limited memory as, for some bizarre reason, Kagami's story interested her like nothing ever had before. Sanuye would never have admitted it, not even to herself, but she was very curious about the pretty purple lady. She longed to know everything about her, and then more. It irked her a little bit that she had to hear it from Akira, but she managed to shrug it off successfully as an inevitibility. She resolved, however, to hear it all from Kagami's own lips someday. And, if she had anything to say about it, that day would come soon.

The more Akira explained, the more pleased she became that they'd agreed to to tell her. She wasn't surprised when Akira admitted that he was too cowardly to protect his sister. Most of the men she knew weren't warriors. Although, she was a little intrigued by Akira's description of Suijin. Sanuye couldn't imagine being afraid of any male, even if he was as viscious and bloodthirsty as Akira said. She was a giant of an adolescent; made almost entirely of muscle, but with a little bit of extra fat, and utterly fearless. When she finally grew into an adult, she'd be an impressive force. Sanuye was certain now that Kagami belonged with the Kunanda'Nakhun. She would be safe with them.

"You are running now, then," she asked softly, chocolate brown eyes fixed on Kagami's face, "running from him."

"It is safe here." It was as close to an invitation as she could give, as Sanuye suspected that she might have to ask for permission from one of the Adhi-Raj before allowing either of them into the depths of their pride lands.

Sanuye watched the pair of them closely and strained her own mind as she attempted to determine the thoughts swirling around in both their heads, according to the expressions on their faces. As a warrior-in-training and a decent huntress, she was naturally pretty good at anticipating the actions of her foe or her prey. But, Akira and Kagami were neither of those. They were, until she decided otherwise, extremely likable strangers. It was hard for her to guess at what they might be thinking.

She hoped that Kagami would agree to stay. Of course, they'd need to speak to an Adhi-Raj, but Sanuye was almost definitely certain that they would not turn Kagami away. She needed the safety the jungle and this remarkable pride could provide.

When Akira announced that the purple lady would remain, Sanuye couldn't hide the brilliant smile that lit up her youthful face. Sanuye sensed that this was the beginning of something incredibly important. For somebody who spent a great deal of time alone, the prospect of having the likes of Kagami as a kind of companion was more than a pleasant idea.

"You would be able to visit, I think," Sanuye nodded at Akira. She chose her words carefully. It was important for him to accept her advice as the truth. If he did not, the consequences might be disastrous. "It would be a bad idea to wander into these pride lands without an escort. We are all warriors here. You, as a strange male, wouldn't make it passed the borders unharmed."

She paused and then, watching Kagami carefully from the corner of her eye, continued with a sigh; "It might be wise for you two to arrange a date, so that we could meet you back at this exact spot. After every visit, you could set a new time."

How many moons would Kagami be able to sleep away from her brother?

Sanuye knew very little about Suijin. Kagami's and Akira's anxiety concerning the strange male did not bother, nor influence her. She had no reason, so far, to be worried about the nasty creature they fled from. It pleased her immensely that Kagami agreed to stay not only because they would have many opportunities to become closer, but also because the other female demonstrated a great deal of faith in the abilities and strengths of the Kunanda'Nakhun Pridelands and, therefore, in Sanuye herself. The bright red adolescent swore to herself that she'd do her best to look after Kagami, and ensure that her transition into the pride went as smooth as possible. All she needed now was to get ahold of one of the Adhi-Raj.

"That's a fine time to meet," she nodded sincerely at Akira, "If you're late, we will linger for a couple of days. That is, if Kagami would like to."

She couldn't help wondering how they were going to get along, without him there to translate. It was a good thing Kagami was so beautiful. They hadn't known each other for even a day and, yet, Sanuye already found herself charmed into patience by Kagami's very presence. Whenever the older lady glanced her way, everything she felt instantly subsided into something strange and fuzzy. It'd never been easier for her to keep a check on her temper.

If she was going to be totally honest, Sanuye would have admitted that it frightened her a little.