Of animals in Africa, if they knew the fears of men's failures and the coldness abound of two-legs, perhaps they could commiserate their fears of the unknown.
The stars were masked by clouds seeping in while Nasa was hunting, away from them as the lightning flashed and the sky quaked, and they began to huddle in a cavern quietly. Dulce moved first, entering the cave without hesitation - the canid hated wet paws - and she was followed up by Angaza as he trailed her with minor concern, paws tapping lightly as he moved, Adhari on his heels quickly. Only Tencho remained outside, the leotah watching for signs of movement in the dark soggy night - perhaps signs of Nasa, perhaps signs of attack. Still friendly and lithe as she was, the female remained attentive to the outdoors, eyes flicking about idly as she hummed.
Rain drizzled softly and Man'Tah walked with Shuu Mei along the road the Dvergr had taken to locate their new home, the new Matriarch and her companion silent as they peered about with curious eyes, exploring new land. Both had been rogues much of their lives and now, in the Dwarves, it had been of help finding new things, seeing much more cavern-adapted lions may not. Such as a white and brown figure in the rain; or a lighter figure in the air - clearly on a ledge - watching, the male leopard looking particularly sour and angry. Shuu Mei nudged Man'Tah when she recognized Tencho, eying the male sas she strode over calmly, tail swaying.
"Soggy night, fluffy." Shuu grinned. Man'Tah moved up behind her, dark side to the leopard to hide her movements as she grinned at Tencho squealing. The sound drew Angaza's head out, the male tucking over his daughter defensively as his nose twitched a moment before he eyed the lighter dwarven female, sniffing.
"Get in here." The hyena grumbled. "Before you catch cold. Hello, Man'Tah."
Angaza drew back, and the pair moved in appreciatively, Tencho following to join catch-up. The den inside was warm and dry, heated by mjultiple fuzzy bodies and soft fur, and Dulce was licking herself furiously to dry her paws when they entered, Adhari watching with ears perked in curiousity, giggling just a little. Angaza hulked against a wall - not large, but certainly unafraid of stranger fights, and he nodded to Man'Tah and Shuu Mei as they shook themselvers, eliciting a noise of protest from Dulce combined with a "That's not faaaaiiiir!"
The low, drawn out cry was greeted with purring and snuggles from Shuu Mei and Man'Tah, and Dulce blinked, head tilting. After a moment the dog settled, Adhari flopping on her and earning protest and she grinned.
"What are you two doing out here?" The Hyena asked eagerly.
She was interrupted by another interloper, however.
Mauji had followed the band for days trying to work out what the pale, long-legged female was and for some time it eluded him. Still, enough time and patience rewarded him and he learned she was a hybrid - in her case a leopard-cheetah cross, and while he was less than pleased with cheetahs, the male /was/ interested in the leopard half - mildly irritated she played with a lion - but also others.
He hadn't seen anything like it in a long time and while the male was curious, he didn't want to admit it lulled out a sense of homesickness. Tonight, however, was simply awful. His fur was soggy, he was wet, and cold, and necessity drove him into the cave, to be greeted by no less than a small pride's worth of creatures, and Mauji, for a moment, froze, ears pinning down as he grimaced.
There was silence, Angaza's fur ruffling and Adhari hiding from the large leopard behind Angaza only to pull Dulce with, the wild dog making a face at the newcomer. Tencho seemed to rise up and eye him a moment, but Man'Tah herself turned toward him, squaring her shoulders. She was a Matriarch of the Dvergr, and she would present herself as such.
"And who might you be?" Man'Tah questioned. Shuu Mei moved beside her, eying him warily, and for a moment, Mauji was sure they knew what he did to lions. His fur bristled and the male pursed his maw a moment before Dulce began whining, paws covering her nose objectively.
"He smells!" The canid whined. Her ears flattened, tail drooped, and she positively whined, hiding from him. Adhari rolled her eyes.
"Of course he does, he's wet." She retorted, the female hyena approaching before sniffing him over, and pulling him in deeper. Man'Tah blinked, exchanging looks of meaning with Shuu Mei as they watched, Adhari trying to groom the bewildered leopard some.
"You're all soggy, come here, dry off and get warm."
The female set to work, grooming and preening at him carefully, and Angaza watched warily as Dulce and Tencho moved to help. The male excused himself and rose, padding to move away from then with the pair, ears going out.
"There's a problem, isn't there?" He asked worriedly. Shuu Mei frowned first, but Masn'Tsh spoke with a frown.
"Something's weird about him, ain't it?" Angaza asked with a sigh. Shuu Mei sighed.
"We saw him watching you outside." Shuu Mei whispered. Man'Tah blinked, ear flicking a bit.
"Dunno. He's... Weird too. He flinched when we spoke up."
"You Spoke, Man'Tah." Shuu grunted. "He's a weird little hobbit, though, for sure."
Angaza frowned, looking back to the group, before looking to the lioness pair, ears now pinning.
"So, what do we do here then?" He asked in concern. Man'Tah frowned.
"I'd watch him." Man'Tah recommended. Angaza nodded, looking over.
Tencho groomed the male with Adhari and Dulce, contentedly helping him dry off and grinned, headbutting him at the sight of his confused and mildly alarmed expression, the large leopard mass of muscle and alarm looking to her a bit, almost trembling in confusion. Dulce giggled, pawing him next.
"Relaaax, you're fuuuun!" The dog drawled. Adhari nodded.
"Fine but... Dulce is..."
"Mentally not all there?" Mauji finally spoke, eying Dulce who pouted, pawing at Adhari objectively.
"That's not fair! I'm awesoooome! One day I'mma be an alpha too! It's true you know!" Dulce nodded, Adhari whispering to Mauji.
"She wishes."
Tencho happened to hear and began giggling, rolling with peals of laughter as Dulce and Mauji stared, the male huddling a bit anxiously. This was all entirely odd to him and he wasn't sure he liked it, ears flicking before he looked to Tencho, reading her face.
"So... You're... Some kind of hybrid?" He asked. His gruff voice cracked and shivered shyly and Tencho nodded, grinning.
"Yeah. Dad was a Cheetah manwhore and Mom's a Leopard whore." She noted. Mauji blinked, cringing and shivering. Hybrids. Willingly? Weirdo, she sounded like. He sighed, and blinked, sniffing her pelt idly. The scent reminded him of - of -
He stopped and blinked, looking to Tencho curiously, Dulce eying him before looking to Tencho.
"I think he likes you." The dog mumbled. Adhari giggled and Tencho prepared a retort when Mauji shook his head.
"No, she - smells like someone I saw a few times as a cub. She was a cub too. Upenzi?" He offered. He vaguely recalled his mother watching the cub come, and Tencho perked.
"Yeah, that's mom." Terncho nodded, pausing. "You know her?"
Mauji nodded, sighing.
"As a cub." Slowly, the male grinned, ruffling her head tuft. "I can tell you about it later." He offered. Tencho grinned, nodding, and then settled. Dulce shrugged.
"I only got these friends." The dog noted. "Angaza an' Adhari, Tenchy an' Nasaaa... Nasa's gone thooouuggh. Huntin'. It's truuuueeee!"
Adhari nodded, stretching a bit herself.
"Yeah, we've - traveled together a while." Adhari admitted. "Dad asnd I - we left our packs to live together cause Dad was abused once and I... Didn't want him alone. Mom never cared much anyhow. Dulce there and Nasa and Tencho were born rogues. We just sort of... Began roaming together."
Adhari shrugged, Mauji nodding, blinking a bit. It seemed odd, seeing non-leopards so calm with him, and the one leotah was downright friendly. His musing was interrupted by Angaza returning with Man'Tah and Shuu Mei, the lions eying him a bit briefly rising his ire before he looked to the females whom had stayed close. Adhari rising to snuggle her older father. Dulce and Tencho remained seated, leaving Mauji to bristle unconsciously. Angaza stretched, ignoring it.
"We're stuck till morning," He mumbled. "At earliest. But there's a tunnel into the Dwarves' lands if you guys want. Manny here's apparently a Clan leader."
Man'Tah nodded, bowing slightly.
"There's fresh air, water, plenty to eat, and the others adore hyenas and leopards." Man'Tah noted. Shuu Mei nodded.
"Tencho, you might need to claim you're a skinny leopard," She noted. Tencho nodded to Shuu Mei calmly. "- but there's nothing wrong otherwise. And it's only until the rain is done."
Shuu Mei motioned, grinning.
"So what do you say?"
Silence. Adhari yipped a minute later, nosing her father in agreement, and Dulce did the same. Tencho too, nodded and looked to Mauji.
"C'mon. It'll be fun."
Mauji, however, balked.
"A... Lion pride? No. Absolutely no.... Thank you." He added quickly.
"I've no desire to subjegate myself to lions."
"Suit yourself." Tencho shrugged. "I'll see you soon, then, I suppose."
Mauji paused, nodding as the group rose, the male moving to watch water drip down the cave mouth as the others ventured deeper into the cave.
"He was weeeeeird." Dulce said after a minute. Shuu Mei nodded, frowning.
"There's cats and animals against lions, though." She noted. "It's common enough."
Angaza groaned.
"Don't remind me. Please." He shook, frowning. "Some creatures are odd. Now, you were leading, Man'Tah?" Angaza offered gently. Man'Tah nodded, and began padding through the tunnel, and the band made their way to hide from the rain on dwarven land.
