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 Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:49 pm
The time was upon them- if not already here. Ryega was growing bigger and stronger, as had Usiku, and Fenris. He woke in the early morning and looked out from the overhung rock of their "den." Sukari still lay resting, side by side with Fenris's father. He'd miss the cheetah, but knew he had no choice. Fenris needed away from his slave-capturing mother, as did Ryega and Usiku.
It was much easier for the leopard Sukari had enslaved to preform an escape than it as for the wild dog. First off, Usiku could see, and second, Sukari gave him complete freedom at night, with his only order being to return in the morning. He could slip off in the night, and Sukari'd never know.
Not Ryega. He needed him. Fenris was his ticket back to his family... And he was going to help if it got him killed! Nobody deserves to live the way Ryega is being treated. And so, long ago, Fen had made an oath to himself that he'd help break Ryega free. He glanced at his mother, making sure she was into that heavy sleep, before slipping off to meet the wild dog.
The time to leave was quickly approaching. The cheeton could feel it in his bones.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:13 pm
Ryega laid along the tree line not too far from the den. It had been almost three moons since he has last eaten a good meal. It was always leaves or bugs or a scrap of meat that Fen would occasionally bring him but that was it. It was hard as it is to hunt and do things blind but he was getting used to it. He knew where things were with a wiff of the scent. But it was hard to tell where they were if they were close to him. The scent would be everywhere.
He yawned lightly as he stared off at the moon in the distance. The moon... the feeling it gave told him where it was. He knew where it came up, he could sense it somehow. But it was there. His head moved in its direction knowing that somewhere, his family was looking at it too, under the very same light he was. At least, he hoped he was in the moonlight, can't really tell if he was in the shade of the tree or not being the night time.
Soft footsteps came around the corner, he knew it. The scent. His head looked over his shoulder with slight pale eyes.
"Fenrir, you have to be careful when you are out at night. This may be the territory of your family, but that does not stop thieves and whatever is out there to sneak in and attack you. Your mother isn't the only slave-taking scum out there."
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:13 pm
While the moon was still visible, it was by no means night time. He caught himself before he told the dog to look around him, remembering that he couldn't. "Uh... Ryega? It's morning," Fen said, standing before the dog. "Besides, I'm getting really fast, you know. I feel I could outrun lots of guys," Fenris said, plopping his butt down into the dirt, making a little plume of dust.
"So what have you been up to recently, Ryega?" the cheeton asked cheerfully. He expected the dog to be moody, as he usually was, but Fen knew that Ryega was really a nice guy. His crankiness probably came from the lack of sleep and decent meals, and lack of decent treatment in general.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:01 pm
That was embarrassing. He was looking directly at the sun and yet he could not feel the searing pain most would. He was blind, he could not tell the difference between the moon and sun. His sense were way off today. He felt cool though, so maybe he was under the shade. His tail flagged a little before his head turned back to Fenrir.
His face had scratches and so did most of his body, luckily they were faint and easily hidden with his fur. His fur had grown out instead of being short and he had not quite kept himself neat. Felt no need to knowing that Sukari would probably make him do something else to mess it up. He stopped caring a long time ago. His eyes narrowed as his face always seemed pastured with a scowl of some sort.
"Sleeping, patroling, hunting for you and your family. Dying from the smell of your mother. Avoiding her. You see, nothing out of usual. I have no idea why you always ask that, Fen, when you should know by now that I always answer with the very same reply. I am a slave, I can't do anything on my own anymore. I wished your mother was pregnant again, at least then I could do whatever I wanted for a while," he complained, still laying where he was. Fenrir was the only cub of Sukari's to actually interact with him. He had hardly known the others and he hardly got to talk with Usiku. Poor fool was really loyal to Sukari. "Did anyone see you?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:35 pm
"You never know," Fenris justified. "You might've found some time to do something out of the ordinary. And nobody saw me, don't worry," He said, still cheery. He hoped that one day, perhaps some of his cheer would rub off on the poor wild dog.
"You know what I think Ryega?" Fenris asked while plopping down on the ground. He continued without an answer. "I think we should get you out of here. You can't keep living like this, and neither can I. I think we should both leave and never look back, what do you think?" He asked, looking at the dog who couldn't look back.
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:09 pm
"I would like that... but I have mentioned once that it would difficult," he sighed and moved closer to Fen, nudging him a little. He knew Fen for the little hybrid's entire life. He was not welcomed to the cub's birthing, though he saw no point even if he were. Fenrir was a bright one and strong too, holding both his mother's and father's genes. Half lion and half cheetah. Speed and power.
"Fenrir, I don't want to make you do something this dangerous, I don't mind staying here. Besides, at least I have you to look forward to to talk to. I mean, come on, you have your family here. I'll be here," he sighed. "this is dangerous, Fenrir. If your mother found out, she may think about actually killing you after she gets me."
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:55 pm
"She wouldn't, something tells me she wouldn't kill me. Hurt me maybe, be mad at me, maybe, but she'd keep me around, be mad for a while, and get over it. You can't keep living like this... I heard her talking, she speaks of you like you're a fly whose life she wouldn't mind ending for no real good reason. She plans to kill you off anyway, Ryega. She talks to herself too loudly. You can't live like this." The cub's face turned serious. "She wouldn't be able to catch me anyway, and I'm just as sick of her as you are. She may be my mother, but... I can't stand her any more."
The idea that his mother would kill Ryega just for the heck of it bothered him. She had muttered something about him being too mouthy... He needed to free Ryega. "I'm in the process of freeing the leopard," he confided as if it was a sin. "Nobody deserves to live with her like this- not even the most sinister of creatures."
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:31 pm
He scoffed, his tail wagging a little. Fenrir but a lot of responsibility on his shoulders for the wild dog and the leopard. Sukari was a monster in the sense that she deems anything worthless and it was only natural that she favored her own over the two slaves. Ryega scowled at the thought of being killed without a reason. He could understand if he had harmed Fenrir, but no reason was... well, enough of that.
"The thing is, because you are helping me get away, I guess there is a higher chance of me living if you are telling the truth," he tilted his head back to him. "Then again, I have not known you to lie to me. Though, mind you, I would not think twice to hurt you if you ever double crossed me, whelp."
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:41 pm
Fenris' black ears folded back with a small sound- muffled by the softer fur there. "Ryega..." He was at a loss of words, for once! The cub considered Ryega his best friend, and trusted him endlessly, despite the words of his mother. More than once, Sukari had told him that Ryega would kill him, if given the chance, but Fen didn't buy it. "I would never knowingly double cross you," he said, not exactly sure what the term double-crossing meant. Still, it didn't sound good, and he was sure he wouldn't do that to his friend.
"I will get you out of here, Ryega," he said again. His mother needed serious help though. From whom, he didn't know... she just needed to treat everyone how she treats her family. Apparently, this is a hard task, but if he could manage it, anyone could.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:49 pm
Ryega sniffed the air a little before moving over to him, nipping at Fen's neck... or was it his shoulder. He could not tell, his tail was rigid as he glanced in the direction of the den. He slowly moved around the small grove of trees to keep out of sight. It has become strange living there, sitting there. Even on the hill, he felt as if he was being constantly watched by Sukari.
"You need to stop taking me too seriously, Fen. I'm just this way because I am defensive. You will understand if you were like me," he spoke. He knew Fenrir would never double cross him, it was more of a reminder of sorts.
"Get out of here... that sounds nice, but what will I do then? I have no idea how to get back to my family anyways so it would be pointless afterwards unless we are to wander around aimlessly."
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:28 pm
That was a good point. Fenris knew that at least Usiku had a friend outside the family to go with- someone who knows their way around the region. Ryega, though... he had no idea where to go, and neither did Fenris.
"We could ask for directions? Someone should know the way. And there's nobody meaner than mom," he joked, chuckling.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:32 pm
"Yeah, ask somewhere where there is a pack where there is a large mountain that surrounds it and even then you have to get through a forest to find the pack. What a wonderful thing to ask a stranger. Besides, what will I do with you if we even got there? Demand that you become my slave? Ask the leaders to allow you to stay? ... though that latter option seems more workable..."
Ryega raised to his feet again before stretching out his back.
"When do you suppose we can get all of this done?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:33 am
"Well, I haven't thought about how we get there... We'd reach it eventually, I'm sure." Fenris, it turned out, wasn't as ready to go as he thought. Sure, he knew how to get out of here, but... Then what?
They could call for the help of a god, Fen knew in his heart there must be one for the lost. All they had to do was get lost and ask for help, simple! That's the plan, he thought to himself, more for reassurance.
"I'm fine with being called your slave. I trust that you wouldn't do anything too bad to me," he replied. "And I'm ready to go whenever you are. I'll start hunting things and sneaking you kills, since you don't get to keep much of the bigger catches for yourself. With the food I bring back in addition to what you catch, you should get strong enough to walk or run long distance," Fen said. He wasn't sure that Ryega could handle it in his current state. Maybe he could, maybe he couldn't, but a little extra food never hurt.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:32 pm
"You are real smart aren't you," he voice rolled of sarcasm. "You plan to get me out of here, along with you, mind, and you haven't thought about how we are going to do this!? If we mess up, you know well might happen to us. Your mother has that stupid leopard now, she could get rid of the blind, insolent slave."
He scoffed and jerked his head away. If they messed up, it could cost him his life. Fen may get a slap on the wrist or he could be killed too. Who knows, Sukari was unpredictable in his own thoughts. The father was around at times but he didn't seem to be as mean as her. Hell, he could say that he was almost a saint when compared to Sukari! However, things needed to be done and excuted quickly otherwise, Ryega was going to end up a useless dog than just a blind one.
"Calling you my slave will just be a ruse. I will only tell you to do something if you are with me when I am in the presence of someone important, and mind you, there aren't many I can think of," he spoke. "I have been ready the day she 'napped me. Kill what you can, practice is a better term than hunting. I will eat and hunt in my spare time to build my weaken body, hopefully by the time we think of something, I will be more than ready."
Ryega grinned and put a paw on his head, gripping him fairly hard. He growled with a sort of sinister expression. "Oh!? You don't believe I won't do anything bad to you!?"
He was laughing on the inside.
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Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:38 pm
"Ha, Ryega, that hurts!" Fen said as he tried to squirm out of the blind dog's grasp. It didn't really hurt, but dogs couldn't retract their claws like lions, (Or cheetons, for that matter,) could.
"It'll be easier than you think, Ryega. Mom takes naps pretty predictably. We just wait for her and dad to fall asleep and we take off. Heck, we could do it now, but I don't feel we have what we need. We ought to take some extra kills, if we can manage." The cub paused to think of what he had just said. "Actually, we shouldn't take kills, easier to track. Either way, there's a river that way," he pointed a claw, forgetting for a moment that the dog couldn't see, "To the North," he amended. "We could follow that for a while until our scent gets lost. From there, I say we run. We might find a goddess or something to guide us to your home. How's that sound for a plan?" The cheeton cocked his head waiting for a response. Everything made sense to him.
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