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 Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:29 pm
"KHIMA! KHIMA!"
Gzifa didn't know what happened. Alright, that wasn't true. She knew that the rain had suddenly picked up again, even though she'd been positive the storm was over and done with. It just had happened so fast, and before she knew it, the wind was howling and it was pouring too much to see save for the occasional flash of lightning, and even that helped a minimal amount. At some point, they'd lost Khima. She'd lost Khima.
It didn't feel right to be standing in this cave without him. "KHIMA! KHIMA!" Thunder roared and Gzifa whimpered in response, ears laying low. She hadn't forgotten the fear that plauged her since...forever, really. Even so. "I'm going to go find him."
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:57 pm
"And lose yourself for good out in that mess?"
Mati stepped in front of Gzifa and shook his head, sodden ears flopping. He wasn't letting her out in that! He risked a glance over his should and couldn't see much beyond the waterfall the cave entrance had become.
"The chances of you finding him are bad." Even so, he wished Khima were with them. Not only because he worried for his brother, but because... his eyes darted to Gzifa and he blushed.
No matter what he said, it still felt wrong. Trapped in a cave with his brother's girlfriend?
"He's smart and brave, remember?" The dark male managed a weak smile. "He'll find us!"
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:16 pm
That logic didn't settle well with Gzifa. Even if Khima was brave--and he was brave, but she wasn't going to touch the smart issue, being smart enough to at least know neither of them were particularly bright--this storm was a mess. The winds could sweep him off with as bad as they were.
The world was huge. They'd barely seen any of it in the months they'd been constantly traveling. She'd never find him again if that happened! The female paced back and forth, just a few steps since the width of the cave wasn't too impressive.
What to do, what to do...?
"Alright," she mumbled in defeat. She had to trust her friend to find them again. "I believe in Khima," she stated, and meant it, suddenly wondering why she had ever been concerned.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:38 pm
"Good." He agreed, relaxing. With a tired sigh the dog padded away from Gzifa and shook; water and mud splattered against the wall of the tiny cave. It didn't do much good, but at least he felt a little better.
"And even if he doesn't get here before the storm," Mati added cheerfully, "We can search for him when it's gone!"
Surely the storm wouldn't last for much longer. Of course, that one he and Ban had been caught in... well, it didn't matter. It would end soon or not. His blue eyes gazed balefully at the dark opening, then turned back to Gzifa.
"How did you and Khima meet, anyways?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:44 pm
Gzifa had settled now, only jumping when the thunder sounded. She was doing a relatively good job of hiding her fear of it, making the motions look like they were caused simply by surprise and not terror.
She wracked her brain trying to recall just how she'd first ran into Khima. It felt like that had always been together traveling lately. A time before him was foggy.
"Just like this," she realized. How funny! "Yeah, just like this. It was in a cave and raining really hard like this, too"
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:51 pm
Mati's face fell. Could things get -any- worse?
"Oh... that's, um, funny." He dredged up a smile, but it felt awfully strained. "Did you get lost from a friend that time, too?"
A weak laugh escaped his jaws, and he quickly hushed it up. Gzifa, however, didn't seem to be upset about this at all. In fact, she was rather taking everything in stride.
Maybe I should take lessons. Mati smiled wryly. He opened his jaws to speak again (hoping to tactfully change topics) when a loud roll of thunder ripped across the sky. The words he'd ment to say were reduced to a squeak and he jumped back.
"I hope Khima found another shelter."
Oh, good job.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:56 pm
"No, I didn't have any friends at that time." Not that she didn't love her siblings. Maybe they were friends, sort of, but... None of them had ever been like the friends she'd made out here, especially her partner in crime. Strangers always had more time than any of her family ever had for her. She knew they were huge, but...
She shook her head, attempting to rid herself of those thoughts. It didn't work. The remedy came in the form of thunder so loud and mighty and it felt like it shook the Earth. Not that Gzifa would know the difference, since she was shaking now.
The sudden burst of sound had caused her to squeak, too, and without thinking she'd jumped right next to Mati, face hidden in his furry side. "I hope so too," her muffled voice agreed.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:12 pm
"Oh." That was kinda sad. No friends? Had her mother abandoned her when she was little? How had she survived? ... then again, he didn't really have friends either. Ban was a friend, and that lioness he'd met so long ago.
... and Mikondo. Mati smiled. It had been a long time since he'd seen the jackal.
Gzifa's sudden presence, so close, shocked him out of his thoughts faster than the rolling sound of thunder could. He stiffened, ears pricked and tail straight. What -- how was he... ? What should he do? Khima would be so upset...
"Uh, Gzifa?" He glanced down at her shivering form and sighed. He couldn't just tell her to get away. "Um..." Quick! Think of something!
"Ihatethunderstorms." He gulped. "Don't you?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:34 pm
"Just the thunder part," Gzifa admitted. Her head rested between her paws, but aside from that, she hadn't moved away from him any. She saw no reason to. It was obvious he was scared, too. I mean, just look at him. He looked ready to faint! "But we shouldn't be. My Mom always said it can't really hurt you even though it's so loud."
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:52 pm
Mati remained standing; he could feel her shaking next to him.
"My mom says that too." He didn't really mind the storms too much, actually. Sometimes lightning was pretty, when it was far off. "I saw a tree hit by lightning once. It was all black and twisted when I looked at it the next day."
Good story. Real uplifting.
"So you have a family, then?" He prodded. At least she hadn't been abandoned!
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:02 pm
Black and twisted? Cool! The lightning, as little sense as it made, didn't frighten Gzifa at all. The sound it made, when it made one, was actually cool. It was just the thunder that did it for her.
"Yeah," she answered, sounding somewhat confused. When had she said she didn't have one? "A huge one." And again, she loved them all, but her tone still sounded regretful. "Tons of brothers and sisters. And there was a pack, too."
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:21 pm
"Oh! Cool!" He heard her confusion and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. You said you didn't have any friends, so I thought maybe you didn't have family?" He shrugged. "Glad I was wrong!"
His eyes strayed back out to the storm that roared just beyond their shelter; nope, not slowing up a bit. His legs ached, his feet hurt... maybe lying down wouldn't be -that- bad. The male eased himself down and sighed with relief.
A sudden pang on hunger made him wince, and he thought of that rabbit. "Too bad you're dinner's sopping wet out there."
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:06 pm
"Nah." Gzifa herself looked more settled now, too. The rain was not done, but it had let up some, and there hadn't been thunder since that last huge blast of it.
"Yeah, it's too--" She stopped. The rabbit! Khima had worked so hard to get it for her! What would he think if it went to waste like that?! "Oh no! I have to go get it!"
Without another word, she hurried up and dashed outside.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:11 pm
No, wait --!"
Without a second thought, Mati sprinted after her. The wind shrieked around his ears like a living thing, and the slippery grass gave him little traction. He stumbled and fell, landing heavily in the mud.
"Gzifa! You'll never find it!" Surely she knew that?! And scent would've been washed from the air. He didn't even know where they were, much less where one small rabbit corpse was! Stumbling, he pulled himself to his feet and followed what he thought was her shape through the pelting rain.
"Gzifa!"
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:17 pm
It didn't matter how bad the rain was, she had to at least try. Her nose was on the wet ground sniffing rapidly, and she was getting nothing. Okay, fine, eyes then.
Squinting through the sheet of falling water, she looked left and right. Which way was it they had come from? If only it was clearer. ...That way! She was sure of it!
Lately, Gzifa had started improving her memory of where places were, since her and Khima both lacking direction had given them so much trouble. It was only now she had a chance to test it.
"Mati?" she called back. "What are you doing? Go back!"
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