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 Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:30 pm
Kelello moved slowly and purposeless against the wind, only stopping to drink in the scents that it carried from time to time. Even now that the heat of summer had long since faded and the chilling grip of winter had taken its place, moisture was still absent on the wind. In the dry, barren wasteland of which she had dubbed "home", finding water always seemed to be a challenge. But even thirsty, the young wild dog was too accumstomed to the feeling to feel any sense of urgency. Her green eyes, once full of ignorance and childish bliss, were now dull and reflectant of the broken soul within. These eyes scanned the grey landscape absently, searching for any sign of water or life among the bones.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:45 pm
He was sniffing around again. Since that last time.. he hadn't seen Kelello again. He'd have to go too far in for it, and despite him wanting to, he knew he'd get caught by one of those hyenas. He sneered inwardly at this. Bastards. He could only go a ways in and still be able to evoid them, and this time he was pressing it.
Ears perked suddenly, though, snapping the direction of a weak bone crunching under the weird of a different set of paws. He blinked, raising his head from the ground to freeze. That was so, oso familiar. It was a ways away, but inmistakeable. "Kelello.. " He whispered. He'd not seen her in so long..
Kutu loved her, simple and blunt.
They'd gone over it once, they couldn't be together. She was a slave here in this horrible place.. but Kutu wouldn't give up. If he went down, he'd go swinging.
Without a hesitation, the male started a quick trot in her direction, head low and ears perked as if to make sure this really was true; his imagination liked to soar sometimes.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:10 pm
Though Kutu's initial whisper had gone by deaf ears, Kelello certainly heard the brisk sound of paws crunching, nearing closer and closer. She froze and sucked in a startled breath, and as if by instinct dropped to the floor in a submissive crouch. Her ears perked slightly, following the sound of the thing - whatever it was - as it advanced, and her gaze moved slowly from her paws to meet it.
She gasped as the familiar figure came into eyesight. Was it..? Could it really be? It certainly didn't seem real, or right. She'd told him to leave. She'd told him to save himself.
"Kutu," she breathed in recognition. "Kutu, why? What-?" What are you doing here? The unspoken words hung at the end of her jumbled speech.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:29 pm
The first thing he did.
Was laugh.
He couldn't believe he'd just run into he like this, after snooping around so often to find her! "Keello! " He beamed despite her posture, and without a moments hesitation, he crouched down beside her, nuzzling against the smaller female's neck and licking he back of her ears. "Oh, KelloI've missed you so much.. " He sighed, eyes closed.
Perhaps this time he could get her to come with him, and they could just be happy.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:50 pm
Her eyes shifted wildly from side to side for a moment, anticipating danger. "Kutu," she began, but bit back her defense as soon as their fur brushed. She immediately felt warm, whole, alive. She sighed, relishing in the feeling as she pressed her nose against him in a loving embrace. It had been so very, very long.
Kutu was here. It was unimaginable. It seemed so long ago that she'd shooed him away, with a broken heart that had never seemed to heal. But as she thought of this, reality presented itself once more. Kutu was here. He was not supposed to be here.
Despite never wanting to move, never wanting to feel like half of who she was again, she broke away from him and took a few steps back.
"You have to leave," she pleaded desperately. "Please, go!"
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:01 pm
And the moment that should've lasted forever was over. Kutu blinked, folding an ear back to protest, but he had sort-of been expecting it. Kelello was stubborn. Then he should be more.
"I can't! " He said, folding his ears back and standing up, this time he looked more determined than last time, though. The dog had a bit of a more confident air to him today, and it was clear that this time he wouldn't sulk away. "Not while I know you're here! " He sighed, looking to his paws slightly. "I love you, Kelello.. I won't leave again, not now that I found you! " He looked up again, though this time his expression was more painful.
"They took my sister and the pack is gone. I've been coming just about every day till I fin you.. " He said, focusing more on one of her stripes than on Kelello herself. It was easier not to look her in the eyes. "You're all I have. "
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:21 pm
Kelello looked sadly back at him. Kutu's determination and persistence only made her feel deflated. She could never give to him what he was asking. It hurt. It hurt so much, she could barely breath just to look at him, just to see that look of adoration in his eyes.
I love you. The words seemed to sting. Oh, how she loved him. She resisted the urge to collapse against him again, and instead slid a few subtle inches away. She had to restrain herself; she had to save him.
"I told you.." she started, but paused for a moment. Her voice sounded withered and bitter even to herself. She hated that she had to push him away.
"I told you never to come back. Don't you remember?" she asked, though it sounded more like pleading to her own ears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry about what happend to your family. But I'm fine here. I'm fine... but you won't be if they catch you. If they catch you..." she trailed off.
"You have stop looking for me."
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:35 pm
He looked away, ears flat against his skull. "If the hyenas find me, I can outrun them. They're dumb and slow. And I know their patrol times. The brown one only passes around here at sunhigh and sundown. " He swished his tail behind him for a moment. Tibuka had already past today, he could scent it. It was just after sunhigh, so he could stay here for some more hours if he wished. In the rotting graveyard, his scent didn't stand out much; Kutu had come here enough to blend in, so if Tibuka really wanted he could snoop around. He'd probably noticed the scent before as well, but didn't care.
"There are other.. yes, but I hardly even see a ghost of them. " He focused his eyes on a bone, trying his hardest to fight back any tears. "And if they catch me, they'll probably just enslave e. Their grudge is with lions.. " He came from a lion-loving pack, yes. But Kutu felt nothing for lions. They were there.. just there. "Maybe I should get caught. If I'm a slave we can be together. " He said bitterly, looking towards Kelello once more, moving towards her and resting his head on her shoulders for a moment, eyes closed.
"I just can't lose you... " The male whispered, pulling Kelello closer to him in the best hug a dog could manage.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:09 pm
Kelello stiffened at first, but then melted into Kutu's touch. She just couldn't bring herself to move away this time.
"Just enslave you?" Kelello sadly shook her head. Kutu just didn't understand. "It's not like that. It's...", she paused, trying to think of a word that best described the treatment she received, the life she was to lead, the murderous leader Mafa to whom she fed dreams of blood, annihalation, and.. "...hell. This is hell, Kutu. I grew up in this world, and I know no different. Can't you imagine what it would be like for me to suddenly step into yours? I'd be lost, even with you there with me. And it goes the same if you came here - only worse, so much worse. You can't just adjust to this thing."
She shifted so she could press her nose against his cheek, trying to catch his eye.
"Besides, if they catch you," she said, her voice lowering in fear, "they will kill you. Not ensalve you, Kutu. They will kill you. They are slow, yes, so perhaps you may outrun them.. or perhaps you may not."
She sighed, trying to hold back the tears that pricked at her eyes, but to no avail as one tiny droplet meandered slowly down her cheek.
"Can't you see why I wouldn't want to take that chance?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:37 pm
He blinked, for a moment simply pressing his cheek against her neck as she spoke, tail swishing to the side.
...hell. This is hell, Kutu.
"Then leave with me! " He said, pulling his head back just far enough to be able to look her in the eyes. "It may be all you've know, but you deserve better! And I can show you.. They won't care if you're gone. " He sighed, as if he already knew what the answer would be.
"They wouldn't kill me. I'm more useful alive. " He said, looking up. "I'm first born, largest of the litter. They kidnapped my sister into slavery. They'd happily get her older brother who isn't blind. " He shook his head. Ticdat.. he missed her aswell. But was it bad that he felt more intent on freeing Kelello?
"A chance.. " He looked back at the female again, almost wincing at how this was being hard. "I'd take any chance for you, Kelello. I'd go to the end of the earth and back. " He shook his head, before burrying his face into her fur again, as if trying to close any possible distance between them. "Maybe.. maybe we could find a place just for us to meet-- when you're off duty.. And then we could still see eachother and everything would be fine.. "
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:06 pm
Kelello continued to press her nose further into Kutu's warm fur, trying to ignore that nagging being inside herself that told her that the moment would inevitably end, and she'd be in her own private hell once more.
At Kutu's words, she just shook her head again. Already she felt as if she'd done it far too many times. The adventurous part of herself that she thought had died screamed that she ought to just go with it. Stop being so negative, right? You can have the happy ending. But logic overshadowed what she wished to be true. Kutu just didn't understand, and she supposed he never really would.
"I can't leave, and I can't let you be here. You just.." she sighed, wishing she could just make him grasp this, "...you just have to trust me. There's no going, and there's certainly no coming. I won't let you do that yourself."
I'd take any chance for you, Kelello. I'd go to the end of the earth and back.
Kelello's breath stopped for a moment. She knew he loved her. He'd told her twice before, and even she had said it once. But to hear the raw pain, the raw passion in his voice.. it almost startled her. She didn't know what was expected of lovers, she just knew that she simply loved him, and that she was loved in return.
"I'd go to the end of the earth for you too, Kutu," she whispered. "Maybe," she began hesitantly, "maybe you're right. Maybe we can meet sometimes, in this spot, when the moon is up and my captors are asleep. Yes, when the moon is up.. say, every full moon. You wouldn't be in as much danger. It wouldn't be so bad," Kelello said as if trying to persuade herself rather than him.
She needed to feel alive like this. She needed him. She needed to feel loved. But she dared not think of the cost of such an arrangement...
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:58 pm
"I know, I know, " He sighed, nuzzling her neck sadly. Why didn't anything seem to work?! He did feel a flicker of hope at what she said next. Yes, yes.. they could meet. Every full moon.. once a month. And they could be happy and they could be together.. He looked around, as if to see their meeting spot better..
But it wasn't exactly wonderful, was it? He frowned, perhaps he was being picky. But he'd only get to see Kelello once a month-- every full moon.. they could at least get a nicer spot.. maybe? And if hyenas did happen to stray around at night-- surely there were the occasional night patrols.. they were in the open.
"I know a better spot, " He said quietly. "It near the border-- but they wouldn't be able to smell us out there. "
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:18 pm
"Near the border?" Kelello repeated thoughtfully.
She contemplated this - would the hyenas really not be able to catch their scent out there? It was true that many of the guards tended to slack off on their duties from time to time. It was also probable that if they caught the scent, they'd just mistake Kutu for herself. Hyenas really weren't the most intelligent of creatures. The plan seemed like their best shot, and yet she couldn't help but remain skeptical.
"I don't-" she started, but paused, relishing the feel of his fur brushing hers. Kelello sighed. She couldn't bring herself to change her mind now, not after she'd given him hope.
"Where exactly is this spot?"
We'll be taking a risk... but it will be worth it.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:24 pm
"It's just near the borders, there's a tree, but its surrounded by ferns 'n plants and stuff. They don't smell great, but at least they won't smell us, " He said, looking in the direction of the borders for a moment. "The brown one sniffed me out once, he's pretty smart. Has a good nose, " Kutu sneered. His largest issue wasn't with 'the brown one'. It was that black and white one that looked like some sort of zorilla or skunk.
"He didn't care much, but the others might not. " The male's fur prickled slightly and his brows furrowed, almost as if looking at some unseen enemy. Should a hyena catch him, it was obvious that he'd fight, stupid a decision or not.
"Come on, before we leave too much scent behind. The more we stay in one place, the easier. " He sighed, looking back at Kelello with a weak smile.
Perhaps there was a chance..
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:46 pm
She nodded, and stepped forward to pad alongside Kutu.
Kelello had seen the spot that Kutu mentioned before, but she had stayed wary of it ever since first stumbling upon the fowl-smelling plants as a pup. Although it wasn't ideal, it provided them with a meeting place of relative safety, an oasis of their own where they could be together despite the scrutiny of her captors. It wasn't a half-bad idea. After all, she'd go to almost any length to live a life with Kutu in it. And now that an option had opened, she would be holding on.
"No, they wouldn't smell us there," she decided, "how could they?"
She flashed a small smile at him as she walked. There was a chance.
"Let's do it."
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