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 Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:50 pm
He hadn't been home once the sun reached the half-way point in the sky, and it had made Irit curious and (though she wouldn't admit it) worried. So...the little prankster had proceeded to try and track him down. It wasn't hard, considering he always went to the same place when he wanted time away from everyone, even that git Narci. It was easy for her to sneak out...she'd gotten good at it.
All sorts of things that could have happened to him run through her mind. Maybe someone had dirtied his pretty white coat with mud. Or dumped honey and feathers on him! Or...no. Those were things she would not tolerate others doing to her family. Pranking rights were HERS and hers alone when it came to her family. So when she finally saw the white tail of her brother, twitching in the grass around a patch of flowers and unmaimed, she let out a sigh of relief.
And noticed the brown face near the tail. A cheetah, it looked like, and a rather pretty one. But still...had her brother made a new friend and forgotten to come home! She frowned and stalked up to the cheetah, pressing her small black nose against the cheetah's larger one.
"You have some 'xplanin' to do, lady."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:54 pm
She and Tama had spent the better part of the morning talking. And then, eventually, the two had fallen asleep. A nap was a good thing when the weather grew warm, and neither was a little cub anymore (though their enthusiasm for the things around them would have fooled a passerby).
And then she woke to a small cold nose on her own, orange eyes meeting crimson. Well...sort of. She had to look cross-eyed to meet the cub's eyes. The cub wasn't SMALL, per say...She was large for her species, like the white lion that lay beside Elua. But she was smaller than the cheetah. And she did not look very happy.
"Explaining? For what, little one?" Perhaps this was one of Tama's siblings, seeing where the white one had gone?
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:06 pm
Irit huffed and backed up a little...though watching the cheetah go cross-eyed was fun! So many questions, so little time. She would start with the important ones.
"Why's my brother out HERE 'stead of back HOME. And who're you?" She sat down, trying to look rather bigger than a cub and not quite succeeding. But she did have a glare. Oh, could Irit glare when she wanted to. And the bloody color of her eyes did not help soften it.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Elua blinked and then chuckled. "So you are one of Tama's sisters! Well, little one, I'm Elua. And we were out here talking...though we had ended up falling asleep before you woke me up." She smiled at the little one. She was a pretty little cub, with an imperious aura. Though...the glare she gave made Elua shiver a little.
Such red eyes shouldn't have been able to look so...cold.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:23 pm
Irit glared a little longer...then softened a bit. This cheetah didn't seem bad. But she wouldn't let down her guard. Nosiree.
"I'm Irit. And my brother should know better than to sleep out here." She wrinkled her nose. "He could get pranked! And that would be very, very bad if it wasn't done by family." She moved to wake her brother, in order to get him back home. Mom would be getting worried soon...And it was Irit she was supposed to worry about, not Tama!
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:28 pm
Ah...this was the infamous, tail-chewing Irit. It was good the little one wasn't yet aware there were worse things than being pranked...Elua squeaked and held out a paw to stop the cub.
"Your brother is tired, Irit. From what he's said, he's done a lot of growing in a small amount of time. That takes a toll on the body. And he doesn't often get quiet moments like this to sleep in." She hoped the cub would understand. Elua had a feeling he needed all the sleep he could get before going back to face his siblings. "How about I tell you a story?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:37 pm
Irit stopped and stared at Elua, almost blankly. Then she raised a brow. "A...story? What sort of story?" The pale cub trotted to Elua and sat down by her. "I rather like stories, you know...Especially ones full of adventure."
Like the ones Tama told. Tama told the best stories when one could get him away from Narci. Full of friendship and adventure and clever creatures. "It's not a princess one is it?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:54 pm
Elua laughed softly. "No princesses. Only a tale I was told as a cub." She settled herself, and spoke in a soft voice so the two wouldn't disturb the lion passed out next to them.
"It's about a God who fell in love with a Cheetah, and had to hide who he truly was, because Gods look like lions."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:04 pm
Irit grinned and snuggled up to Elua. "Really? But why hide? I mean...cheetahs and lions get along great, don't they?" She blinked. "Unless..." She looked up at Elua wide-eyed.
"Was the god a prankster? Like me?" Oooo...the thought of a god that made mischief like her was priceless!
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:17 pm
Elua chuckled and shook her head. "No, little one. Cheetahs and lions don't much like each other in most of the world. I hope to change that, little by little...but it still remains a truth." She smiled softly.
"The cheetah was the most beautiful of her kind, with a coat dark as rich loam and eyes like twin rubies. Her spots though were what really drew attention to her...silver, like the stars above. The god was captivated by her, for she had a soul as beautiful as her fur." She always loved this story. She often wondered if the god in it was the one she was descended from.
"He went to her one night, disguised as a cheetah with fur like fire and eyes like water. He stayed that way, and courted her as cheetahs did. Time went on, and they became mates and the god grew to like being a cheetah. But tragedy struck when she had cubs." She frowned, wondering if she should go on. It was a sad story at times...
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:44 pm
Irit wrinkled her nose. "Well that's stupid. Lions and cheetahs should work together. Cause cheetahs are faster...and lions are stronger! Perfect pranking team!" She giggled. "Go on? I wanna know how the story ends."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:14 pm
Elua nodded and continued. "Well...the little ones only half-looked like cheetahs. They looked a great deal like lions too. You see...the god did not know that though he could mask him appearance, he could not mask his self. And it is the self that determines how one's cubs look. The cheetah's family was outraged and thought she was being unfaithful. Until the god showed his true form. Even if he was shunned, he did not care, so long as his love was spared." She sighed wistfully. She was a sucker for such selfless love.
"The elders separated the god and his love, and argued for a while before placing the cubs with their mother. Despite their hatred of lions, they could not truly harm such young creatures. Night turned to day turned to night again. Three times this happened before the elders stopped arguing. They had come to a decision." She smiled.
"The pair were hard to keep apart, and even in the forced separation, they thought only of each other and their cubs. The elders could not bear to destroy such a rare love. So...the pair were deemed outcasts and allowed three days to leave sight of the coalition borders. They did so, and though the rogue lands were harsh, they were together. And since the god needn't hide his true self any longer, he could eat only enough to not worry his family and leave more for his loved ones. He didn't need to drink, and he could easily fend off danger." Elua churred and pat Irit on the head.
"Their cubs grew, and one could even have little ones of their own. Perhaps...you or I or Tama shares the blood of that great love."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:18 pm
Irit frowned, then got up and wedged herself between Elua and Tama. "That didn't have any adventure in it..." She smiled at Elua, however. "But it was still a nice story. It...made me happy inside, to know there's pairs out there with a love like that. I think...I think my Mom and Dad are like that." She nodded, looking solemn for a bit. "Definitely like that. They would do anything for each other."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:21 pm
Elua chuckled and nudged the cub. "You're very lucky to have such parents then. Now...I do believe you came to retrieve Tama? He's had enough sleep...let's wake him shall we?" There was a spark of mischief in her eye. "The way you would?" Perhaps a little mischief now and then wasn't so bad. And she would definitely return here often. She liked Tama and his sister.
FIN
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