Hunter padded along quietly, for once, after the smaller tawny-colored female. His attention darted all around them as he took in the new terrain they were entering. The forest here seemed wilder and less explored, and the young male wondered how long Akiko had lived in the place. When they at last reached their destination, his maw split into a pleased grin and he nodded at the girl.
"Just as astonishing as I thought it'd be," He murred approvingly, joining her at the stream and bending to take a drink. He could detect the scent of several other males around the place and only a single female other than Akiko; her mother, he guessed. The multicolored male raised his head and glanced towards the darkened den-mouth with an anticipating grin and a challenging glint in his eyes; that meant that her father and three brothers lingered about somewhere. This would be interesting indeed, for Hunter was certain that the masculine-dominated family would most likely be quite protective of the young and relatively inexperienced Akiko.
At least one of those males was nearby; Hunter could hear the subtle scuff of his paws as he moved, and it sounded like he hadn't yet realized there was an intruder in their territory. He must be inexperienced as well. Interesting. Stepping closer to the small, tawny female, Hunter sat back on his haunches, the fur on his flanks brushing hers, and craned his head over, nuzzling into the ruff of fur just behind Akiko's right ear. "Well, are you going to introduce me to your parents, or not?" He growled low and soft, letting the reverberating sound of his voice tickle the fur in her ear. She would most likely become flustered, this much the leopard palu knew, but even as he showered the intimate physical attention on her, his ears were listening for her family. That male should be approaching any minute now, then the fun would begin.
Moving through his forest home with familiar ease, a banded shadow stalked through the trees. He knew the terrain was rugged, and that dangerous creatures lurked within it's depths, but he picked his way through skillfully, unaffected by the hidden threat. Tanuki was making his way home after an unsuccessful hunt, his spirits low and his ears drawn back. He needed to work on his stalking. Fully immersed in his own self-irritation, the dark-colored male completely missed the unfamiliar scent trail that was lingering on his family's land.
As he approached the small clearing that held his home, a deep, growling voice met his ears, jolting him to attention. That voice was new; it didn't belong to his father or either of his brothers! He came to an abrupt halt, too abrupt as he slammed his paw down on a brittle stick, snapping it in two with an embarrassingly loud 'crk.' Quickly pulling back both long ears, the young male ducked down and breathed quietly for a moment. There was a strange male in their territory... at their den! Mom was in danger! Where was dad? Akiko's sweet scent wafted towards him on the slight wind, causing his red-green eyes to snap open; Akiko was in danger!
Pulling all of his reserve together and fluffing up his fur to make himself look bigger, for he didn't know exactly what he was going to be met with, Tanuki took a deep breath and charged through the undergrowth, claws tearing at the ground, ready to leap at whatever might be waiting for him. When he cleared the foliage and bounded into the small clearing, the sight that met his eyes was completely unexpected, knocking the wind out of his little sails. Stumbling to an awkward halt only feet from the two palu, Tanuki stared dumbfounded. His little sister.... was... being...by that..stranger..?
His eyes narrowed in an instant and he lowered his head as a snarl ripped from his throat, "What do you think you're doing to Akiko, trespasser!?" His tail lashed behind him and his eyes darted to the den mouth, as his voice came out again, less threatening but still a low and even tone as he addressed his sister, "Akiko... Where's dad?"
