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 Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 9:24 pm
The sun had tucked behind the horizon for the day and was replaced with a rather cheerful full moon. The sky was brightly lit with stars and the sky was clear. Normally Pilate would sit and enjoy such a splendid scene only today she was in a bit of a hurry to find her way back.
The little streak of green was accustomed to wandering the vast plains of Africa on her own and never worried about being lost since before she had not established a home. Now that she had her adopted older sister to worry about her, the ball game had changed.
Her paws skillfully whisked them selves through the dark like they knew where every stone and soft ground spot was. It was almost second nature for the child and made up for lost time. Still the cub was worried she may have to slum it in some unfamiliar place for the night. Her sister would worry but what could a small adventurous cub do. She was getting tired.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 9:32 pm
The scenery in Tayhira's mind was far less beautiful. Her cubs had ran off again. Damn that Banji soul for leaving. She was going to rip him to pieces.
That was, if she could move fast enough to catch him. Flicking her ears to and fro, she listened for any sound of anything. Chances are she'd find the little devils causing trouble back at home. A grin spread over her lips at the idea. They had been a witty bunch. At least the lion had a brain; stupid flattery, too, but that was in the past.
The heavy limp in her step would have been apparent from a long distance. Tayhira practically dragged her left front leg. The shoulder had an old scar over it, and it was clear that the muscles had not healed properly.
But she hobbled just fine on three legs, thank you.
It might have been thought her eyesight was going when she spotted the cheetah cub skirting across the outskirts of the pridelands. She didn't recognize it, but she decided to get a closer look.
Even with her heavy limp, she still knew how to sneak, and so she trailed it for a little while until she realized it was in a hurry. "Hey. Where's a little thing like you going at such an hour?" she asked.
Normally a snide grin would have followed. Tonight she was not up for being a leopard. Tonight she was simply a tired mother with a useless leg.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 9:43 pm
The small cheetah hadn't even heard the other trailing her or even smelt the air. The leopard didn't seem to be hunting her, only mildly curious at most. Pilate's ears dipped down some in her own shame for not being more careful. She was lucky right now , that was for sure.
"Oh, ummm." Her pink eyes trained on the leopard's arm for a split second and then back to the others eyes. "I'm umm... looking for the right way back to my hole." The problem was there were a tone of a holes all over the plains and the cub was lost. Pilate eyes sneaked a glance at the others arm and then looked at the ground in shame. The cub knew staring was rude but a child's curiousity is a powerful force of nature.
"Why were you trailing me?" It was clear the leopardess wasn't hunting her, other wise the two wouldn't be talking. Pilate couldn't help wonder what other reason some one would trail another other then playing or hunting.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 9:54 pm
That's right. Little baby cheetahs would end up as snack food. The shame was good. It meant that it had learned something.
By the sound of its voice, she guessed it was female. The females could always be smarter, a little faster to the kill, but they fell fast to the men. It was unfortunate, and for a while she'd laughed at it.
Now. . . she was still laughing, but it was thick and laced with acid.
Hole? They lived in holes? Tayhira grimaced and looked at the cheetah sidelong. "Ngh. Holes? Filthy."
She cocked her head to the side. "You know; you're a sleek creature. Pretty maybe when you get older. What on earth would you find fanciful about a hole?"
Tayhira wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to know.
The question caught her off guard. The lie was on her tongue. 'I wasn't trailing you.' She didn't say it.
"Curious, I suppose. It's not often you see a little scamp running about by itself. You out where you aren't supposed to be? Don't worry your mother." As if her own children didn't do that enough.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:05 pm
The cheetah felt a sting at the mother comment. That was something she had never known, her mother, but she kept it to her self. Her disappointment showed on her face but only for a brief moment. The twinkle in her eye quickly returned. She was used to the tinge of pain in her heart and had gotten used to blocking that pain. There was no use in being sad over things you couldn't change. Moving forward was this cheetahs motto.
"Yes, of course...." Her eyes trailed back to the shoulder and back to the females eyes. She couldn't help it, the cub had to know, so she asked. "What happened to your arm?" Pilate wasn't the one to sugar coat questions, that was a mannerism she had never learned growing up mostly on her own. Her innocents to the blatant rudeness of her question was completely over her head.
"I mean..." The cub began, " Its really kinda cool. Are you a warrior or a guard? " The questions spewed from the little ones maw, curious, and a little up front.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:21 pm
It wasn't 'cool', it was a hindrance. It meant she couldn't climb trees with the grace she had once done, people generally looked at her and found her nonthreatening, and a pluther of other things; it sucked if you wanted to use the proper 'child' term.
Still, she only flicked an ear at it. For a moment she debated another lie. "This is why you don't steal from lions," she said with a grin. They bit, and they bit hard.
"It's actually a long story after that." But, the little cubbin' hadn't really answered the 'mother' question. Suspicious little bugger. Oh well. Sometimes they could have their secrets. It was smart to have secrets if you needed to.
"A warrior, guard?" she tried to stifle the laughter but it came out as a snort. "No. Definitely not. You'd have to be stupid to shove yourself out into danger. I can't fight with this injury in any case."
Her brain went back to the topic at hand. "Your lost, you say?" She chewed over her lip. It was a chance to cut a deal, but a cub wouldn't know what one was most likely. Plus, it seemed unfair. She would have had a hissy fit over the creature that would have screwed over her own kids.
Holy impalas, she'd gotten soft. "I'll keep you company until you find it. You never know what's going to find you a tasty treat. The lions will sometimes pick on cheetahs like you. And a little one? Whoo. Nice evening snack, I think. Lead the way."
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:35 pm
The cheetah opened her maw about to protest about lions not being all that dangerous, but she had laid eyes on the wound a lion had caused to this leopard. So the cheetah cub shut her mouth and nodded instead. After all, this cub knew she had alot to learn. She had just been schooled by this leopard just moments ago. Best not question a master.
"I'm sure I'd be a stringy tough snack, " She smiled and showed off her lean muscle toned legs. She almost retorted ' But they'd have to catch me' , however, the leopardess had proven tonight just how easy that would have been. For one, she hadn't even caught hold of the others scent. That was embarrassing.
"Really your not?" The cub smiled, "You seem so tough." In all honesty, the little streak of green had not meet alot of adult felines. Most of her companions had been close to her age. Nor did any of her companions have many life lessons under their belt. This leopardess seemed to have an idea of how life worked. That was something new and fresh for the cheetah.
"Its a far distance, if you want to help me find the path back, that would be a great help.... " Her ears lowered. She worried what the leopard would think of her if she knew she didn't have a mother and she was living with a lioness teenager. Usually the cub didn't mind having judgement passed down on her but for some odd reason , or other, she cared what this leopardess thought. Odd.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 9:45 am
Tayhira chuckled. "You would be," she agreed and mirrored the little cheetah's smile. Most cheetah's tended to be, but then again, most lions didn't actually eat the cheetah's they messed with, and those few lions actually cruel enough to do so were quite undeterred by the sinew.
It was nice to hear the cub's flattery, and unless this was one of those early liars, Tayhira assumed it to be very honest. There wasn't really an answer for it, though. She was tough in the fact that she was a survivor, and she'd had a great deal of help. When it came to a real situation, however, she was more likely to tuck tail and run. Life before heroism had always been her motto.
"I don't see why not," she answered to the cub's proposition. Rolling her shoulders back and stretching out a few of her legs, she took up the walking pace after the cheetah cub.
"I know it's none of my business, but what are you doing off this far?" And this late, but she didn't add that.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 2:21 pm
The cheetah paced to match that of the leopardess, trying not to get to far ahead.
"I was... " Pilate had to think about it, "May sound weird but my old wandering habits some times come back. I don't think I was thinking and just ended up here..." Was the truth, no matter how odd it was. Pilate, after all, had been a wander most of her life. The habit was a hard one to 'kick'.
The cubs head dipped a little low feeling slightly useless, "Anyways..." She began, "thanks for taking the time to see me safely on my way. I'm sure I came from some way... having trouble picking up my own scent." The cub slouched a little pitifully as she stride. She'd need to learn to keep all paws dipped in reality and not drift off so much. One day, her obliviousness could betray her. And she wouldn't have that.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:37 pm
The little cheetah's repsonse surprised the leopard quite a bit. She looked down at the creature with a cocked brow. "Really?" It was a strange, awful habit at best. However, it also came with experience if one could live through it.
Perhaps it was not the wandering that the cheetah had to worry about, but the getting lost. She chuckled a short while after and let silence take over until the cub began to speak again.
"Hmm. . . not really such a bad thing. It's good to learn to go on without your scent. Everyone can follow scent trails; not just yourself. Try landmarks instead." She took a heavier step forwards as she slipped over a small cropping of rocks.
"An odd looking bush, for example. Don't pick things that repeat, but recognize oddities. You shouldn't get lost again after that. You're pretty lucky to not have run into trouble so far, neh?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:07 pm
The cheetah just listened as she paced onward with her leopardess companion. It was one of the best ways to learn something new she had found. Who would have thought? After the leopardess said her bit the cheetah gave her a curt nod.
"I suppose something good came from my bad habit then , eh?" Her pink eyes trained on the leopardess. Pilate gave her a big grin before starting to study the path the two were on. Nothing looked distinct so far. Just rocks, grass, few stray trees, big collection of trees, rocks grass. Nothing caught the cheetahs eye.
"Maybe I should have paid more attention......" Still her mood had lifted some. Embarrassed as she was, she knew that the leopardess had at least been worth the trip to meet.
Then came a sound, distant and far, yet not so far. Running water, the cheetah's ears perked up and her eyes lit up so bright they almost glowed.
"Water! I remember water!" The cheetah cheered, only to dip down a little not meaning to have been so loud.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:48 pm
Something good had come of the little cheetah's habits, but Tayhira only gave a smile in return to the large grin. For now, she was focused on the task at hand. It was rather hard to pick up a scent when what you were tracking was standing right next to you.
After a while, she gave up on the idea, and it was just about that time that there was an exclamation from the cheetah on her left. Tayhira only flicked an ear in response. Any scolding she might have given was quickly voided when the cheetah seemingly scolded herself.
"Well then; let's pick up the pace a little." She moved into a quick limp, following the sound of running water. Hopefully it would be fresh and clear without too many animals that would find her a snack. Even this close to home, Tayhira could feel her throat parching. She had been out looking for her troublesome children for a while.
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Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:24 pm
The cheetah kept up with the leopardess and also followed the sound of the running water. It came louder and louder as the two neared. This was almost exciting like an adventure, but the cub didn't say that out loud in case the leopardess didn't approve.
When the water came into view, Pilate almost gave a happy cheer but didn't. She didn't want to alert any preditors to the twos where abouts. Specially if it was a whole lot of preditors. That would be bad.
The coast looked clear though, as far as the cub could tell. Foolishly the cub pranced to the bank and had a good long loud drink not thinking of what may be out there.
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:34 pm
Tayhira said nothing at first. She slipped to the water as quietly as she could and kept her eyes on the lookout for any sort of movement.
There was nothing she could detect at this point, but there was always the chance for a large, scaled beast to take your face right out from where you were looking.
Eventually she settled down to lap up what she could. She went slowly and tried not to make herself sick. She remembered when she'd come to the Mtaishi with her bloody leg and hadn't had water in a couple of days.
She'd drunk herself to a desire to puke that day and it wasn't an experience she wanted to repeat.
"Sh," she said sharply after a while, her ears rotating at a quick speed and her eyes straight ahead. She couldn't see it, but she swore she'd heard something. Scowling, she said her next words quietly. "I think there might be some hyena's across the way. They shouldn't try to cross this time of night." But that didn't mean they wouldn't, and hyena's, the ones that weren't kind, could be volatile.
"But we should still be careful." Standing up a little to look farther, she asked another question quietly. "How far is it from here?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 4:22 pm
Hyena's? But hyena's weren't mean were they? The cub thought about it and came to the conclusion anything out at night bigger then her looking for something to eat probably would take its chances with her. Not a settling thought at all. Pilate even made a wincing face.
"I think we're getting closer.." Her voice was a low whisper. Her innards were starting to feel sick with the thought of being prey. The cub kept extra close to the leopardess in fear and kept as close as she could. The cheetah did not want to cross now but home was just over the bend. She knew where she was and some hyena's wouldn't stop them.
Right? RIGHT? Okay, Pilate was so scared she about pissed her self. For once in her life she was scared.
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