Welcome to Gaia! ::

Whew! Smell that open air! There was nothing quite like getting away from the den for a bit. Lately things had been more and more cramped around home. That was to be expected though, with mom and dad and 'Bega and his littermates, all of whom were nearing their full growth. They'd all inherited their family's size, which made the already small den even smaller. People were always stepping on tails or bonking heads. Sure 'Bega did that on purpose sometimes to hassle his siblings, but still.

All in all it was good to be free. He was old enough now to get out of sight from his family (though he knew where they were, and could get back to them in moments if need be) and he was loving it. There was so much world out there, so many things to eat and check out.

Speaking of...what was that running towards him?

Mana checked his speed, spying a figure in the mid-ground ahead of him. He didn't want to be put in the position of tripping over any more lions. That hadn't been a great deal of fun the last time he'd tried it, though it had proved to illustrate how little he knew about the world outside his pride. Outsiders had stupid ideas of honor and shame. Also, they couldn't be trusted. However, as Mana drew closer to the figure, identifying it as leonine and picking out the generally white color, he relaxed somewhat, even when he noted - to his distress - that the enormous creature was only in his adolescence. White was not a threatening color, in Mana's upbringing.

He slowed his pace until he was walking and walked directly to the pale lion. He didn't want to waste a lot of time talking to this enormous innocent, he just needed to get some information out of him, and then he'd be on his way. When he was standing a few feet away from the lion, outside of paw-swiping range, Mana shifted his weight so that his wounded forepaw bore none of it. It was an almost orgiastic pleasure not to be running or walking or standing on that paw. He'd tried to take more care with it, but the urgency of his flight meant he'd still been forced to neglect it more than he would have liked to.

"Do you live here?" he asked the adolescent, looking up at him. "I'm almost certain I've passed this spot before in the last two days and I'd like to avoid passing it again. Which direction will take me out of this particular territory the fastest?"

Well what do you know! Strangers were fairly rare in this neck of the proverbial woods, which was why his family had settled there, but here came one right along. A cheetah, from the looks. Pretty cool colors too. He seemed pretty cocky (or was it friendly?) just walking up like that--Mlipuko'Bega knew he was huge next to the other cat. Still, he didn't look like much of a scrapper. Maybe he'd have made a good toothpick! The thought made 'Bega smile, which probably helped Mana's forming idea of him as an 'innocent'.

"Sure I live here. Well, over there." He tossed his head back over his shoulder, the way his den was. "With my family. We're not a pride though, so don't worry. Well, worry, dad's got a bit of a temper, and so do some of my siblings, but it's not like you're tresspassing."

Hmm, now that didn't eem like the truth. Surely one of the family would have caught the scent of someone nearby, and this guy was as strange as strangers went. That was cool though! He was probably some kind of adventurer on a secret mission or something..."Hmm, well to be honest I'm not sure. Mom never lets us go too far. She's protective, y'know? I mean, I'm old enough to mind myself, but I still listen to her. Mostly because if I don't she'd just sit on me. I'm still not big enough for her not to do that. But if you wanted, I could ask her! Or you could...?"

Mana, with all the wisdom of a cheetah who was only a few seasons out of adolescence himself, couldn't help thinking how he had made a mistake in asking this particular lion for directions. Not that he'd been spoiled for choice or anything, but he'd forgotten in his time away from other big cats how stupid and naive anyone younger than he was would be. No one in their right mind would point out where they lived and admit to living without the protection of a pride. That was just sheer idiocy. Though, he thought sardonically, if the rest of his family was as large as he or larger, they probably wouldn't need a pride's protection anyway. He'd no idea lions came that large.

"I'm relieved to hear I'm not tresspassing," Mana said truthfully. "I'd like to avoid committing that particular crime at most costs."

The fact was, he may or may not have passed through this same area before. Yesterday evening, just at twilight, he'd finally given in and killed a hare, but he'd not eaten before that for several days. He'd been in a state where he wasn't entirely sure where he was, just that he had to keep running. That was a bad, dangerous state to be in, he had concluded, and even if it meant slowing or stopping, he couldn't allow himself to reach it again. That was how people ended up lost or captured.

"Protective parents," Mana said with a grimace he hoped looked sympathetic. His own parents had hardly been that, but he did know that it was a common trait among parents and one which offspring were expected to bemoan in their youth and give thanks for later in life. He thought he might come off as condescending if he pointed out that parents' overbearing habits were probably for the best, so he decided to downplay his age. Being underfed and tired as he was, he probably passed for someone younger anyway.

"If it's all the same, I'd rather not bring your mother into this. It's nothing important. I'm just lost. Nothing exciting or interesting about that."

'Bega shrugged. "Mom doesn't need to be involved I guess, as long as you don't mind my directions being...not the best. She'd probably try to talk you into staying over with us for a bit anyways." He chuckled. "Not that there's much room for you as it is." He rolled his eyes. "She's always trying to baby everything she sees." The truth was that he did love her though, dearly. "Anyways, I'm Mlipuko'Bega."

"You never told me where you were trying to get to, you know. Just outta the area. Heh, what's wrong? Had one over on a local gal and got her family after you?" He winked. At his age, female conquests were still a far off dream, not because of his youth, but because of his family's watchful eye. He knew he'd be running break neck if he got in trouble for it though. Which he figured he would one day. Clearly he was already a stud girls would swoon over at first sight. As soon as he found some girls.

"Hmm, you're kinda scrawny for that though." He gave poor Mana a rather condescending look. "What's wrong, can't catch yourself any food? Maybe I SHOULD let mom have at you. She's good at bulking a guy up." He laughed heartily at the thought of that. "That'd be a laugh for sure!"

"Then it really would be best not to involve her. I don't have time to stay over, no matter how strong your mother's maternal instinct is." He continued bluffing, grinning wearily, as though familiar with the ways of mothers rather than making it up based on cobbled-together memories of mothers he'd known who weren't his. "Besides, if she's anything like most mothers she'd be horrified with you bringing home a stray cheetah. Or do you often find yourself saying, 'Look what followed me home. Can I keep it?'"

"I'm Mana," the cheetah said by way of introduction. He'd still not come up with anything better to use to introduce himself. He supposed lying shouldn't be so difficult, but he had this horror that one of these random people he met would run into him again sometime down the line when he was using a different name and get him into trouble by insisting that his name was something else. He didn't give his full name, however, in an attempt at disguising his identity he hd little hope would be successful when the hunters of his pride came this way.

He was perfectly willing to go with whatever story Mlipuko'Bega came up with to explain his presence and his haste. Running away from an angry father? Fine. It was actually closer to the truth than any lie Mana might have concocted, which might make it easier to adhere to His pride was pricked, however, when the younger lion speculated that he was too scrawny to get into trouble over a girl.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Mana replied with a sly smirk. "But you're actually very close to the mark with that guess. Thing is, I didn't even have one over on her. She just wishes I did and thought to trap me into a commitment by telling her family I had."

'Bega chuckled at the cheetah's face. He obviously knew the troubles of mothers! "Nah I don't say that much. Dad usually chases off strangers before I can get up close." He grinned toothily at the maybe-threat. "Good to meet you Mana. You seem like a decent enough guy."

He laughed again as Mana confirmed his guess. "Man that stinks! Girls are so confusing, I don't get it...Sucks trying to be pinned down like that though! I tell you what, I'll show you the fastest way outta the area." He smirked. "Just tell me what way your girlfriend's in, and I'll get you going the other way!"

He swished his tail and looked back over his shoulder...the family was still out of sight. Good! Maybe he'd finally get himself a bit of an adventure!

Mana's ears flicked backward when 'Bega brought up his father's tendency to chase strangers off. That was exactly the sort of reaction the cheetah would like to avoid. He had one set of determined pursuers already and hardly needed to add to them , though he doubted that this lions father could be a fearsome as a warrior of the Mizimu in spite of his size. Mana imagined that 'Bega's father must be a giant of a lion, probably completely incapable of stalking or sneaking to save his spirit.

"Afraid you'll catch something from us strange types?" Mana asked dryly. "I assure you that I, for one, present little enough threat to a family of lions."

The relief of not running or standing on his forepaw had faded into the dull throbbing it tended to do if he let it rest for too long while not lying down. He resisted the urge to look at the wounded appendage and thought with disgust that the paw would just have to deal with it. He had many miles to go before darkness and little time for coddling his paw until then. Besides, 'Bega had finally decided to be useful and give Mana the directions he'd asked for to begin with.

He picked the direction he didn't think he'd been in yet, choosing at random from among all the compass points. One of the frustrating things about being lost was that it was also difficult to know where to go next, since one had no idea from whence one came. "They live to the east of here, so I suppose west would be a good direction. Any idea what sort of prides lie in that direction?"

He would travel east for a time and then head to the north, he decided. That way when the hunters came through and asked and 'Bega said he'd gone west they would be delayed somewhat by tracking him to the west while he went north.

"I dunno. You do look kinda scruffy. You're not sick or anything, are ya?" His question was half jest, and he quickly shut up to listen to what Mana said. "Hmm...Well my family's originally from the east! Way out in the desert. To the west...I have no idea. I've never been there. But you're scrawny, like you said. I doubt any pride'd feel too threatened. Unless you're diseased."

"Anyways, if I see anyone coming from the east looking for a cheetah, I'll try to stall them for you. Maybe have THEM over for dinner. Mum'd like that I think. Dad too, especially if it got rough. I think he misses fighting, being a soldier. Ah well! He gets enough fun with mom around..."

"Come on then! I'll run you part of the way. I don't want to go too far, but I'll at least see you off. Hey, if you get into more trouble with any girls, just send 'em my way, alright?" He winked.

Sick? Ha!" Injured, yes. Sick, no. Thank the gods and spirits. He had so far been the recipient of much unexpected kindness which he was certain would not have been extended to him had he been ill. No one wanted to take their chances with contagion, and he couldn't fault them for that. Illness was neither a proud nor shameful way to die. In many cases it could be humiliation if the mind failed before the body or vice versa. He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"I appreciate your complicity," Mana said truthfully. He didn't know how successful the lion would be, or if he could trust him, but a small glimmer of hope that there would be even a little more distance put between him and those hunting him was a pleasant feeling. "And in return I shall certainly send any more troublesome females in your direction. I think this experience has put me off the hunt for the next little while."

It was getting easier to embrace the lie 'Bega had given him, and Mana did so, wondering how close he was to pushing it into the realms of unbelievability. He didn't want to make that mistake, but he couldn't believe how gullible this young lion was. The cheetah guessed he could tell him anything and have it go over without question. It was an interesting, heady power to have over someone else.

He grinned. "You're going to run? With me? Do you think you can keep up?"