Keantha
Everything hurt, from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail. For one heartstopping moment she was back at the feet of the 'monsters' and she felt her heart stop,but it didn't take long for Ebere to force her eyes open to take stock of where they where.

Over head the sun shone through the sinkwhole that the two had fallen into. "Ele? Ele are you ok?"


Manda
Somehow, the young leopard had managed to land halfway on top of Ebere... and now he was just a bit dizzy - as his head had cracked against the ground. "I ... I think so," he replied after a moment, sounding dazed, a little confused. "What ... happened?" He remembered feeling the ground shiver, and then trying to warn Ebere. Then ... nothing, until hearing her voice just now.


Keantha
"We stepped in a sinkhole." Coughing faintly to clear out her lungs, she looked about the cave/tunnle they had fallen into. " Are you sure you are ok? " She hurt herself, but the healer and comfortor in her needed to reassure herself he was ok first.


Manda
Oh man, that didn't sound good. Wriggling -off- the female, Ele got slowly to his feet, testing each paw before he put weight on it. He wavered a little bit, then shook his head. Being dizzy was ... really strange when he couldn't see anyway. "Just ... a little dizzy. I think I hit my head. It's not bad, though. What about you..?"


Keantha
Reassured her friend was ok, Ebere tried to get to her feet only to fall back with a soft cry. Curling her injured paw to her chest, she whimpered softly, ears twitching back in pain. " My paw hurts."


Manda
Ele's ears also went back at that and he moved carefully toward Ebere. "That's not good... I ... it's probably my fault. I kind of landed on top of you," he murmured, sounding rather upset at the thought.


Keantha
"It;s not your fault Ele, I simply fell wrong....but we are going to have to get out of here. I don't know if it is safe and there may be dangerous creatures that life down here." She whimpered faintly afraid but trying not to show her fear to him.


Manda
Lifting his head, Ele nodded at that ... sniffing at the air a little. He'd never... exactly been inside of a cave or anything before, but he knew they were dark. Had to be, since they were underground. "Can you see any way to climb back up..?" he asked - not even thinking about hiding his blindness for the moment.


Keantha
"The walls at smooth, even if you could climb up, I couldn't." She looked around frowning. "We will have to see where the cave goes." She hopped Hippy wasn't going crazy with worry about her. There was no telling how long they had been knocked out.


Manda
Ele nodded unhappily at that. "And it's going to be darker away from the crack..." he murmured. Dammit. He was probably going to have to tell her. "I ... can probably still find a way out, though. I think..."


Keantha
"It's ok Ele I trust you to lead me." She smiled gently knowing he knew how to move in the darkness, how to feel his way where she would be unable to see.


Manda
"All right... uhm. The thing is... I can't exactly ...see," he replied, hesitantly. He needed to tell her, so they could work together. Or they'd never get out of here. "And since we're still where the crack is, the only air I can smell is up there... So we need to get to somewhere ... away from here."


Keantha
"I know Ele. About your eyes that is." Whimpering softly she got to her feet, well three of her feet.


Manda
There was a moment of silence at that. Then the leopard said, "Oh..." very quietly. And sighed. "I guess I'm not all that great at hiding it, huh? I just... it's hard sometimes to feel ... -normal-, like this."


Keantha
"I am a healer Ele, well a healer of sorts." She smiles gently, " I notice things about people, things that others don't notice."


Manda
He nodded at that, though he still felt a little stupid for trying to hide it from her. "Well ... you can lean on me too, if you need to," he murmured - then picked a random direction and started walking slowly. He slid his front paws out before him in a kind of shuffling step - feeling for obstacles before stepping.


Keantha
Ebere's ears strained to hear as she limped after him, making faint noises of pain though she tried to muffle them. She trusted him to led them to safety, leaving her to worry about her own health.


Manda
When Ele heard those noises, he slowed down a little bit so that she wouldn't have to hurry to keep up with him. Though his gait was awkward ... he'd grown up like this, so it wasn't all that much slower than the normal pace of someone who could see.


Keantha
"I am sorry if I made you feel bad...I just never thought I should mention I knew. It was your secret and well," She knew she was babbling but it distracted her from the pain in her leg.


Manda
Ele smiled slightly at that, having had a little time to think about it now. "It's all right... I really shouldn't try so hard to hide it. I mean...it's part of who I am. So it's like lying." Turning his head a little, he nuzzled carefully at Ebere's shoulder.


Keantha
She leaned against him witha soft purring sound for a moment. "Be proud of who you are Ele. So you are blind, so what? That doesn't change that you are a good friend, a wonderful listener and a strong man. If anything it makes you stronger."


Manda
Ele felt himself flush slightly at that - and was suddenly glad that it was dark. "Thank you..." he murmured softly. Then they walked in silence for a little while... until he paused, and lifted his head. "This way..." he murmured. The scent was getting stronger now. "Tell me if you can see any light ahead... I think we're close."


Keantha
"Can..please can we sit for a moment?" By now she was panting from the effort of limping along as well as form the pain of her leg.


Manda
"Oh! Of course... " Ele replied, stopping almost instantly. He'd almost forgotten about her leg being hurt...


Keantha
She sank down with a groan, atleast the floor of the cave was cool. "Ele is there any water here in the cave?" Maybe if she could find some cold water she could numb her foot and they could move faster then.


Manda
Perking his ears up at that, Ele listened for a moment or two. "I think there might be a stream or something up ahead... I can hear some water."


Keantha
Ebere smiled. "Thank you...help me over?" She hated to ask for help, but she needed it to get over to the cool water so she could numb her paw.


Manda
Ele nodded quickly at that and then moved to get his shoulder kind of ... underneath her. "C'mon ... I don't think it's too far." He ended up stumbling just a little over the rough floor of the cave since he was paying more attention to helping Ebere - but that was okay. "Here..."


Keantha
She moaned softly as she eased herself down, easing her twisted ankle into the cold water. A soft hiss, eased from her throat but it was followed by a soft sigh. "Better."


Manda
"That's good..." the leopard murmured, leaning against Ebere's shoulder a little. He was trying to be comforting... glad that he was able to help.


Keantha
She nuzzled him gently before giving his cheek a quick lick. "Thank you Ele, I don't know what would do without you."


Manda
Ele just smiled at that - not quite sure how to reply. After a few minutes, he lifted his head a little. "Just tell me when you're ready to go again, okay?"


Keantha
"Once my foot is numb, I will be able to move alot faster." She winced flexing her foot in the water, not yet ready to stand on it yet. " Ele...we will make it out of here right?"


Manda
"Yes... I'm sure we will," he replied instantly at that. Couldn't have her getting discouraged, after all! "I know where we're going... I'll find the way out."


Keantha
"I have so many thing I want to do before I die." She sighed softly ears flicking faintly before she smiled up at him.


Manda
"No one's going to die anytime soon," the leopard replied, rather firmly. They hadn't even been down here that long... and even now, there was water. He knew that they could probably go days without food if need be, so long as they could drink. But that wasn't going to happen.


Keantha
"Oh I know Ele. I am sorry, i suppose this just made me think. I really haven't done anything with my life yet. I want to do so many things. I want to help Hippy regain her life, I want to find a mate to love me, but more than anything I want to be a mother."


Manda
Ele blinked at that. "You do... ? Why is that?" he asked, genuinely curious.


Keantha
"My mother was so strong and she loved me so much....I want a chance to do that . And..." Her voice turned sad, " I want them to live on. If I died tomorrow...no one would even know they had lived."


Manda
Ele winced slightly. "So morbid..." he murmured. "I'd remember you, you know... and I'm sure there's others who would too."


Keantha
"No, my family Ele...they were murdered. I am the only one that survived the attack and only then before my mother gave her life to save me."Her voice was filled with pain.


Manda
"Oh..." he said quietly. "I'm sorry..." Ele murmured softly - nuzzling gently at Ebere's cheek. He hadn't meant to remind her of bad things, really.


Keantha
"I want otherts to know their story, to know who they were and that they existed. So that they won't be forgotten when I go to join them in the next life." She purred softly smiling at him.


Manda
He nodded at her words then. "Yea... I can see that," he murmured. "You ... could tell me if you wanted. I mean, if there's more to it... "


Keantha
She blinked , " You..you want to know about them?" Her heart lept with both joy and sorrow, sorrow at their loose but joy that someone other than her would know they had lived."


Manda
"Of course," he replied at that, smiling. "I ... want to know everything about you, if you're willing to tell me."


Keantha
Then she told him a heartbreaking story of how the odd little family had given their lives to protect their only cub and how he mother had made the ultimate sacrifice when the hyena pack attacked them.


Manda
Ele sat still and listened to her story, ears laying back against his head every now and then. Once Ebere had stopped talking, he leaned against her a little. "That really is terrible... but it also shows how much your family loved you..."


Keantha
"I never doubted for a day then or now the depth of their love for me." She smiled leaning her head against him, before slowly getting to her feet. They had likely been sitting there an hour while she told him the story.


Manda
The leopard nodded at that, purring softly. "Does your paw feel better now...?" he asked then - feeling her move.


Keantha
"It is numb at least." She chuckled softly taking a tentiv step on it. It still hurt but the pain was bareable now. " I can go on."


Manda
"All right... back this way then..." So saying, he led the way slowly toward where the fresh air was coming from. And when they came around a bend after a few minutes - there was light up ahead, though Ele couldn't see it.


Keantha
"There is light Ele!" A bright smile broke across her face as she nuzzled him, " We are almost out"


Manda
"Oh good! I knew this was right," he said, sounding relieved... and a little proud of himself. Even though he had known they were following the air, still ... he was glad that it seemed like there was a way out here.


Keantha
"You saved us Ele!" She purred happily as she turned her head to look at him. "I knw you could do it."


Manda
Ele purred at that, smiling back at her. "Yes... and now I know the story of your family as well."


Keantha
"....I can't thank you enough Ele." Words could never express how much it meant to her that he had wanted to know the story of her family. In a way, it almost felt like they lived again.


Manda
"You don't have to thank me... it's an honor to know about them," he replied at that. "Though now... I think that you probably won't be able to hunt very well. Maybe I should find us some breakfast?"


Keantha
She broke into a startled laugh as they emerged into the warm sunlight. "This all started over breakfast didn't it?"


Manda
"Yes... though this time, I'll make sure there's no sinkholes around!" he replied, echoing her laughter. Now that he could feel the sun on his fur again ... the whole time they were in the cave seemed like some kind of odd dream. Not really -bad- ... but not exactly real, either. Though he would remember the story of Ebere's family.


Keantha
"I will wait for you right here." She smiled limping to lay down under a tree sighing in relief as she was off her feet again.