Ele was off on his own for a little while today - having left Pich sleeping back at the last place they'd stopped. It was really nice having someone around who could actually describe how things -looked- to him. But Pich -did- chatter on, and there were times the young leopard liked to go off by himself to someplace quiet now and again. They had been around this area for a few days, so it wasn't all that hard for him to figure out where he was going and how to get back. After all, he could always just follow his own scent back if he got -really- lost. Smiling slightly to himself, he moved slowly and carefully toward the scent of water - ears perked to catch the murmur of a small stream.
It wouldn't be long till he would hear the soft voice of a female near the water. She was splashing softly in the stream humming as she fished for her breakfast. From the sound of her voice when she muttered, she was an adult, though the tone was very quiet and soothing. "Stupid fish! Suppose to be easier than rabbit hunting..."
Ele paused, listening cautiously for a moment. Well... it seemed like there was someone else around here. But from the sound of the voice, it wasn't anyone hostile. So after a moment or two, the adolescent leopard resumed walking - wincing slightly when an outstretched paw banged against a rock he hadn't known was there. Ouch... where had -that- come from? Sighing softly, he stepped around the obstacle and smiled faintly in the direction he'd heard the voice. "Hi ... sorry if I startled you or anything..."
"Well hello there!"Ebere smiled brightly as she turned her head towards him, her golden eyes dancing. "I am sorry if I am intruding into your home. I can go if you like?"
Oh, she sounded really friendly too! That was good... it had been a while since he and Pich had run into anyone new. "No, it's all right... this isn't really our home. We're kinda just passing through," he replied quickly, with a smile. Even if he couldn't see her expression, he could hear the smile in her voice.
She laughed softly as she darted her head back down, “Well in that case join me! Would you like something to eat? I am not a wonderful hunter but I can catch a fish or find you a rabbit." She defiantly was on the friendly side, warm and caring seeped into her very tone.
Ele tilted his head a little and considered that. He wasn't sure if she was just being polite or really intending to hunt and then share. Finally, he settled on a neutral response. "If you're hunting anyway, I wouldn't mind a bite or two ... but don't worry about me, really. Pich and I managed to find some rabbits earlier today."
"I love to help others" she chuckled as she snapped her jaws shut on the tail of a fish and headed for the bank, dropping the twitching fish on his paws with a soft chuckle. “There you go, make sure you don't let it get away." Chuckling more she headed back for the water for her own fish. "I am Ebere by the way."
Ele jumped just slightly when that very wet and wiggly fish landed on his paws. But he moved quickly to trap it - claws digging into the slippery flesh. Laughing softly, he nodded. "Thanks ... you're good at catching fish. I'm Eletumaini... though most just call me Ele."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ele. Forgive me but you seem a little young to be out here alone." It wasn't that she was trying to be rude she just worried about anyone out here alone.
Leaning down, Ele took a bite out of that fish, purring appreciatively. He liked fish, but Pich wasn't all that good at catching them... and he couldn't exactly hear or smell them under the water, so -that- was a lost cause. "I'm not exactly alone... " he assured her with a smile - recognizing that she was just concerned. "I've got a uhm... travelling companion, kind of. I just left her for a while to ... get some quiet. She ... talks a lot."
"Well that is good. No one should be alone all the time" Her golden eyes grew sad as she thought of those she had lost. Shaking her head firmly, she grabbed another fish and padded back to the bank, purring as she tore into her own fish.
Ele smiled at that, and nodded. "Yea... that's true. Being alone isn't any fun at all." Tilting head a little, he 'looked' in her direction. "Speaking of... are you out here alone, or are you also travelling with someone? I mean ... if that's not too sensitive a question."
"I am alone right now." Her voice was soft and full of pain as she looked away from him. A deep breath, eased out of her clenched slowly before looking back at him. "For now anyway."
Whoops... even though she -had- answered, it seemed like he'd hit a sensitive spot anyway. "I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to make you sad," he said softly. Hmm... "If you wanted to stick around with us for a while, I'm sure Pich wouldn't mind."
She smiled gently chuckling "thank you for the offer, but I would hate to impose upon you all. I am fine for now, but thank you all the same."It wasn't that she didn't want the company, but she hated to impose on people.
Ele nodded at that, smiling a bit. "All right ... well, the offer's still open for the future. You really wouldn't be imposing much. We do all right."
The lioness chuckled softly, " Who is your friend anyway? Maybe she wouldn't like having a stranger around."
"Trust me... she wouldn't mind. Pich is ... really friendly, actually. She found -me- a while back, not the other way around. And she kind of decided to travel with me on her own too." It was obvious that he didn't mind the other, though ... Pich was his best friend, really.
"Well that is good, everyone should have someone to care for." She purred softly as she tore back into her fish. "Do you two have a home you are going too?" She cocked her head studying the younger male, something was...off.
"Not really..." Ele replied, shaking his head slightly. "We're wanderers, of a sort. My family was too, before we decided to go off on our own."
She chuckled again but she was watching his movements now. They were all right just...a fraction too slow. Something was defiantly off with him.
The smaller male smiled just a bit, pointing his head more or less in her direction. "What about you? Are you headed somewhere specific?"
"I really have no where in mind yet, Somewhere safe, away from the monsters" she shuddered faintly her ears laying back.
Yikes... "What ... monsters are you talking about?" Ele asked carefully. "I mean, are they chasing you or something..?" If there was something dangerous around here, maybe they should move on soon.
"Th...the dogs...they" She shook her head stubbornly as she got her feet. "Do not worry it was a long ways from here and quiet some time ago." Sighing softly she paced towards him, silently.
"Dogs?" Ele repeated, suddenly ... very glad he'd never actually mentioned that -Pich- was a wild dog. If this lioness was so afraid of them...
Concentrating on her words, the leopard missed the sound of her silent paw steps - unseeing eyes fixed where her voice -had- been coming from.
Ebere shook her head when she realized she was right, the young male was blind. She moved back to where she had been and smiled, making sure she leaned enough to make a noise "Yes. Dogs."
Ele winced slightly at that. "Ah ... I guess... something bad happened to you with some dogs. But they're not all bad..."
"They killed and ate my family, I would have died too if my mother hadn't fought to sneak me away." She whimpered softly, tears welling up in her eyes.
The leopard moved a bit closer at that, carefully ... so that he could press his shoulder against hers for a moment. "Well, it makes sense why you'd never want to see another one again..." he murmured softly - sympathetic.
She smiled gently at him, sniffling "yes well..my mother would want me to forgive, but I can't. " It was the first time she had spoken of what had happened to them.
He nodded slightly. "That's ... understandable too," Ele replied. "I don't think I could forgive a creature that killed my whole family, either..."
She sighed softly smiling at him, " So young yet so wise." Though honestly she wasn't much older than him. She nuzzled lightly when he leaned against her, enjoying the contact.
He purred softly at that nuzzling, smiling faintly. He ... should really be honest with her, though. "Well ... just so you don't uhm. Freak out, hopefully ... I should tell you that Pich is a wild dog. But she's -really- nice, and if I told her to stay back she would... she wouldn't want to scare you..."
She froze her eyes going wide as she tremor ran through her. "I...I..I have to go! I have to get away!" She leapt to her feet whimpering softly. She was normally calm and collected but canines pushed her back to the level of terror she felt that day
Whoops. "Hey! Hey its okay, she's nowhere near here right now... I promise... calm down..." Ele tried to keep track of the older female, backing up a little and raising a paw to make what he hoped were soothing motions.
She shuddered, making soft distressed noises sounding like a cub and not a grown lioness. She hunched down to the ground, her ears flat back against her skull, her golden eyes wide in terror.
Moving slowly closer again, the young leopard leaned against Ebere carefully, purring softly. "Really ... it's all right... I'd been walking for at least an hour or so before I got here... she's not anywhere close..."
"I..I am sorry. " she closed her eyes ashamed of her panic. "I will go so I don't bother you more."
"You don't have to leave..." he insisted quietly, nuzzling gently at her cheek. Even though she was older than him, he felt like he was comforting someone much younger right now. He wished now that he hadn't said anything at all ... though how was he to know her fear was that bad? "I'm the one that's sorry... I didn't have to say anything at all, really... "
"Better that you did now then if I had decided to travel with you and meet..her." she shivered unable to help her fear. Taking a deep breath, the healer centered herself before smiling at him, " thank you for comforting me."
Ele nodded at that, wincing slightly. No kidding... if she had seen Pich, she probably would be -gone- now. And the leopard was enjoying talking with her. "It's all right... it was sort of my fault."
She smiled gently,"It is ok, you didn't know that I was that big of a chicken." She chuckled faintly, her body starting to relax slowly but surely, sitting up more as he fear subsided.
Ele smiled at that and nodded - moving back to give her a bit of space. "And ... you really don't have to worry about Pich coming over this way, either. I told her I'd be gone for a while...she's probably just taking a nap or something."
"True...but it is getting late and I should get some rest...Will you be around for a few days?" She wanted to see the young leopard again, though she wasn't sure why. He was friendly and well...frankly she felt that she hadn't showed him the best side of her personality.
He nodded at that. "Yea... we should be. And it's all right if you don’t' want to come anywhere close to Pich. Just ... stand off a little way and call for me. I ... have really good hearing." Ele smiled a bit shyly.
"I would like that Ele," She smiled and nuzzled his cheek gently debating if she should tell him she knew or not then decided against it. "I will see you tomorrow my friend."
