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After meeting Kujack, Mleli has found herself in a pleasant mood despite all odds. It was nice to see another leopard, especially one that shared her opinions on many things. She'd awoken this morning to find that she has no food laying about, and has decided to go hunting. She is, however, a nice walk away from where she usual hunts so she is taking her time as she goes. When one lives alone, worrying only about one's self, one has all the time in the world to spend if not starving. While the leopardess walks leisurely, she is careful not to make herself too obvious in case something particularly tasty happens to appear along the way.
Being tasty was not a subject the little lioness took pride in. Of course, she had no idea if one would find her tasty or not, but it was best to assume she wouldn't be, and thus, prevent herself from being eaten. All of the creatures she'd met so far had been nice, of course, but Siku did realize that not all creatures were as friendly and caring as the others. Cautiously treading through the jungle, unaware that another was present in the area, she was more focused on learning her way around without Kijibwa than hiding at the moment, which might've proven to be a grave mistake. Still, it was something she didn't realize at the moment.
"So if I turn left at this tree.." she mumbled aloud, glancing around to establish her current location. Cocking her head to the side a bit, she hesitated.
"...I'll be just as lost as I am now."
The sound of careful steps reaches Mleli's ears before any other sign of something being about. Her ears turn, and she crouches low to the ground, another measure taken in hopes of finding something tasty. After staying still for several seconds, Mleli edges in the direction the steps are coming from until she hears words. Lost. She could almost laugh, whatever it is (and it doesn't sound much like prey) it's lost. The leopardess stands back up more naturally, not so concerned with hunting the lost creature as she is with figuring out what it is. She steps in the right direction, though not as stealthily.
Tensing at the sound of another creature, Siku frantically looked around, ears flattening as she tensed in preperation to pounce whatever was around. She lost footing at the sight of an unknown creature, not being a lion, nor cheetah, nor wolf. In fact, this new creature is something Siku hadn't seen before, but yet it seemed oddly familiar. Relaxing entirely, her memory fell back to Colche's tale of the leopards, and she assumed this must be one of those creatures. Backing away some, in case she wasn't friendly, Siku spoke softly.
"H..hello there. I.. assume you are a leopard?" She asked curiously, wondering if she had made the right guess.
Mleli makes no extra effort to conceal herself once it's obvious the creature has noticed her, it isn't long at all before she gets a good, clear view of the lost soul herself. A lioness, she thinks with an inward laugh, should have known. The leopardess wears a neutral smile, one that borders friendly and unfriendly. Despite whatever she thinks of lions, she is pleased to hear that this one at least has heard of leopards.
"I am," she confirms Siku's guess, "I'm surprised to meet a lion who knows."
"I.. I heard a story about leopards, as a cub.." she said timidly, seeing the leopard fully emerge. Sitting in her position, as to attempt at not seeming scared, she managed a soft smile, tail swishing back and forth in nervousness. The leopard didn't seem all too happy to meet her, to say the least, and it was a bit of an uneasing concept.
"M..may I ask what your name is?" Siku asked quietly, wanting to seem friendly and open.
"I..if you don't want to tell me, I understand.. but.. mine is Siku."
Mleli stays on her feet even when Siku takes a seat, watching the lioness carefully. She smiles a bit more genuinely, deciding that Siku is being adequately timid but friendly, and the leopard is in a decent mood after all. Her tail sways calmly behind her, forgetting all pretense of hunting for the moment.
"My name is Mleli," she holds her head high and proud, "Tell me, Siku, was this story about leopards a good one?"
"O..of course!" Siku said, though genuinely unsure if the leopard would decide if the story was good or not. Managing to hold a smile, she worriedly thinks to the fact the leopard may not think the story was all that flattering. Shifting uneasily, she decided to just continue the conversation anyway, and improvise on the story should the need arise.
"I..it's nice to meet you, though, Mleli."
Mleli nods, but ignores the friendly comment from Siku and instead focusses on the story with seemingly genuine interest. Would this story have come from another lion? What opinion do they have of leopards, if so? She tilts her head ever so slightly, and then takes a seat opposite Siku, curling her tail around her feet.
"I'd love to hear this story, if you don't mind," she says, though the 'if you don't mind' doesn't sound like she'll be happy if Siku does mind. Not angry, but perhaps disappointed.
"O..of course!" Siku said in suprise, realizing she was going to have to improvise in the story. Gulping, she thought for a minute, trying to piece together a believable story. Ears drooping, Siku looked to her paws nervously, her mind whirling with thoughts a mile a minute.
"I.. I'm not so good with telling stories, though, if you don't mind my saying so in advance.. I sort of fu..fumble over words, and whatnot.." She said, desperately attempting to stall for time.
Mleli watches her expectantly, though not so impatiently. She watches Siku's reaction carefully, wondering if she was telling the truth about the story, or about the story being good. If she was told a story, she should be able to tell it, especially if it was good things about leopards. She gives what she guesses would be an understanding nod, though the leopardess is out of practice with friendly gestures.
"That's fine," she says.
"M..many ages ago," Siku started, sitting up and looking to the lioness once more, "before the great mountains were formed, and lion prides divided, Leopard hunted alongside Lion, free to roam and do as he pleased." She said quietly, working on the story as she went. So far, so good..
"O.. one day, however, lion became jealous of leopard's hunting talents, and.. and pleaded to the gods to work magics to prevent him from hunting. A.. and so, hearing lion's plea, the lion gods c..created the jungles to separate lion and leopard, and make prey harded t.. to hunt for leopard. Leopard, hurt by lion's b..betrayl, remained in the jungle, b..but because he was such a skilled hunter.... w..wasn't affected by the sudden change in scenery. A..and so, as time passed, lion and leopard grew distant in relations.. a..and leopards lived in the jungle, growing more skilled in hunting as time passed on." Finishing the story, Siku drew a deep breath, shifting nervously as she looked back to Mleli.
"A..and that is why Leopard lives in the jungle."
Mleli's ears perk forward when Siku finally starts the story, keen on making her own judgement of how flattering the story is. She snorts when the story starts with leopard and lion hunting side by side, as if they were friends. It's evident something much change, otherwise there'd be nothing valid about the story. Her entire outlook on the tale brightens at the mention of the lion's jealousy, and her nose rises just a bit more.
"A fine story," she declares when Siku finishes, "Though a bit odd for a lion to tell it like that, I don't suppose you heard it from another lion?" A fine story indeed, seeming to backup most of her opinions about lions in itself. She attributes the nervous way of telling the story to the fumbling speech Siku warned her of before.
"I..I was told it b..by a cheetah.." Siku said quietly, managing the truth on this comment atleast. Feeling somewhat guilty, she tried to shake off the nervous feeling, hoping to make decent conversation with the leopard.
"W..who I met.. on the way to the jungle." She said, tail curling itself about her legs.
"A..and I can always appreciate a good story.." Siku added, deciding to make the tale seem more legitamite.
"A.. a good storyteller must always be able to tell a tale that captivates the listener."
"A cheetah," she repeats, not sounding too sure on that, though an impartial third party is more believable than coming from a lion. Mleli nods slowly to show she accepts the answer, deciding it is also a good one. Why bother questioning the stammering in a 'true' story if everything said is in your own favor? Despite her anxiety, Siku is doing rather well. She smirks at the mention of the way to the jungle, nodding.
"I suppose that's why you've found yourself lost, is it?" she asks, "New?"
"Y..yes, I am..." Siku said quietly, looking to her paws and sighing quietly. Apparently Mleli had overheard her guiding herself around. Looking up nervously, she managed a weak smile.
"I.. I was actually trying to find my way back to the waterfall.. where the lion I cam with is.." She said quietly, knowing that part was the truth, and blushing slightly.
"I.. I wanted to be able to find my way.. around.. on my own.."
The lion she came with? More lions, fantastic. At least, by the sounds of it, it isn't a lot of lions, just one. Hopefully equally unimposing as this one is. Mleli's steel blue eyes move from Siku to the trees behind her, where she knows one waterfall to be at the least. She stands up once more and stretches out.
"Well, you're headed in the wrong direction," she says, "Unless your friend is by one of the littler, less interesting ones." Who knows, maybe lions would be amazed by the smaller waterfalls. More like streams that change in altitude, is what they are, but she can only guess what a stranger may think.
"R..really?" She asked quietly, looking around the jungle. Sighing, she looked back to the leopardess in disapointment. It was in her own actions, at the fact that she'd once again managed to get lost. Looking up to Mleli, standing from her sitting position, her head drooped slightly in disappointment.
"W..would you mind.. telling me the way, Mleli?" She asked quietly, looking about the area once more.
"I..it would be a wonderful help."
Mleli nods, glancing back at Siku, feeling sorry for her at the disappointed look on her face. She smiles, still in a good mood thanks to the general idea in the story Siku told, deciding there'd be no harm in telling her the right way to go. As an added bonus, it would even lead her away from the leopard's own tree-home.
"If you go that way," she nods to a direction a little to the side, but back in the direction Siku'd come from, "You'll come to water, walk against the water and you should find it's source. It's a useful way of learning where everything is around here." Mleli nods a farewell, and then turns to continue her hunting trip without worrying about how clear her directions are. If you can't follow simple directions, you deserve to be lost. Besides, she's getting hungry.
"Thank you very much, Mleli." Siku said quietly, bowing her said in respect as she had seen the wolf do. Looking up with a smile, she turned and headed off in the other direction as she had been told, hoping to get back to the waterfall soon. Smiling, she turned back once more.
"A..and I hope you liked the story!" She called, before taking off in a run. This would be a story worth telling Colche and Yazid, just as she had promised they would one day.
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