Eun Mi was still on her quest visiting far reaches of water and delivering her own small prayers to the spirits. She took her role as water priestess seriously and planned to get the blessings of all the spirits of the water she could so that she could bring honor back to her pride.
She was free now that her cubs were grown to make such pilgrimages. Something she had been wanting to do since she had happened upon the Arba lands.
The cheetah knew water was near by. She could hear the rushing sounds and pounding on rocks. Just a little closer and she could start her prayer. Still the cheetah could not yet see it crystal clear in her mind like she was right there. Yes it was close and the waters she just knew would be cool for her to take a lap in.
Naiya wasn't completely on her own today but she was a little off the beaten path from her family. She was going to catch a fish! Yes, and share it with her brothers if they were nice enough. That would show them that she was no girl. Hmph. Well she hoped it would show them any ways. No, it would show them! Stupid boys with them being boys and what ever.
The little leopard awkwardly and loudly made her way through the brush. Twigs snapped under her foot steps and leaves cracked. She was still young and didn't have stealth quite down yet. This would probably be bad if there was some one around who had the taste for leopard cubs. Lucky for the cub, this didn't seem the case. At least for today it seemed pretty safe.
Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch. The cheetah could hear who ever was in the brush a mile away. The uncleaver footing with the snapping and crunching of leaves gave away that who ever it was had to be young or very naive or very stupid. She tilted her head and followed her ears to see just what could be making all that sound as quietly as she could. Her own paw steps were more careful and planned.
The leopard did not hear nor smell the adult cheetah coming towards her as she moved skillessly through the brush. She was going to get that fish damn it! Her brothers would finally respect her and she would be deemed the best of her litter mates. At least her disillusions lead her to believe this. Oooh youth. So naive.
She was nearing the crunching but still no sight of what was causing it. From the scent it had to be another feline though. The scent was strong enough for the cheetah to pick up on this. Eun Mi could only assume it was a cub. Had to be. She'd had seen a full grown adult by now if it wasn't. Plus it was unlikely an adult would make such noise. Either that or she was dealing with some sort of idiot. She kind of was hoping it was an idiot and not a cub. What kind of parent... wait a minute. Eun Mi erased that thought from her mind.
Eun Mi nosed around soundlessly.
Naiya still had no clue that an adult was close by as she did not think to sniff the air for clues. She was to focused on one thing. Getting to water and getting her dang fish! She continued onward in egoistic bliss. Her egotistical loud bliss that was.
Ah ha! A tail! Eun Mi had not been noticed either. A sly playful smile sprouted on her maw as she padded forward towards said tail and put her foot down on it as gently as she could manage. She'd been right! This had to belong to a cub!
Naiya continued forward, not yet noticing that she was pinned by the tail by a cheetah. It took her a while to realize this too as she padded proudly forward.
"...." She looked behind her and yelped, "WHAT! WHERE... WHEN.... MAMAA MAMMA !" She yelped.
Hmm, maybe pinning this leopards tail had been a bad idea. She probably shouldn't have... The cheetah released the tail and shhed at the little leopard cub.
"Its alright its alright!" She assured the cub in a soft paniced type of way. "I didn't mean no harm!"
The leopard fell forward when her tail was released with a dull thud. Her tears were already starting to dry up.
"How dare you sneak up on me like that."
The cheetah shook her head, "You were making so much noise.. Your lucky it was me and not something else," Seriously she could have been a hungry predator on the prowl.
"Loud!" The leopard hmphed a little, "I'll give you loud if you really want it!" She screamed on the top of her lungs.
Oh crap. A playful gesture turned into a panic for the cheetahs life. She could have been bluffing but the cheetah highly doubted it. No way such a loud cub lived on her own and was so well fed. s**t, the parents would probably kill her for upsetting their daughter. The cheetah had no choice but to bolt out of there.
The leopard wailed a little while longer even after the cheetah seemed to have disappeared. Her voice was hoarse after so much screaming but she didn't have the gut now to go down to the water alone. Not with strangers all around. She'd ask mom to escort her maybe.
That cheetah could have eaten her alive.
Eun Mi had sprinted as far as she could away from the cub. Though it had been a mixed blessing she found her self near a nice body of water that she could pray to the spirits for good fortune. Phew. What an ordeal though, cubs. That was two bad encounters back to back. The first had been a smart mouthed leopon and now this awkward easy to scare full leopard. Eun mi wasn't sure how she felt children mixed with leopard.. seemed like they were trouble some. Her kids hadn't been like that.
Naiya wandered back safely... and loudly back home. And boy did she twist the story of her encounter to her favor to make her sound tougher.
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