It had been a long day of travel with her mother and siblings, looking for a new spot for a temporary home. Mother's work kept them on the move, but even this long trek was pushing it, and poor Lithophoro was exhausted and grumpy. Too grumpy to tolerate her rowdy siblings' whining and brawling, and she couldn't get to sleep while they kept up the racket. It was a conundrum.
Easily solved, though. She'd learned long ago that mother, while all knowing and wonderful, wasn't the best at keeping track of six cubs at one time. So when one of her brothers started fussing and took up most of the attention, she slipped out of the shallow den and wandered off through the grass, looking for a spot to rest. She'd wait until the family had settled down, then come back to sleep.
Ilo jump and hop and look up in the sun. He was nearing the boarder of his land and he had a bid decision ahead of him. To cross it and follow the sun or to stay and not to get a yelling by mama. He sat on his hind leg to ponder these ideas. Did he really want to go out of his lands to go to the vast Rouge lands or stay in he beloved pride land. He started to bounce as he thought about it. He could sit still for long or ponder on things for long or he wold just get bored. He fell over and tumble over himself right outside of his lands. He brush himself off and giggle. Well he was already out, he had to go and explore the lands now.
He ran and bounce and giggle. He was loud with he walking and laughing and he didn't care. He was free in this land. He could do anything, anywhere because Mama wasn't here to yell at him. He roll in the grass and spotted a big red butterfly, which of course spark his interest. He rand and paw at it until he saw a pretty little cub walking through the thick green grass. He bounce over to hiding spot to watch the female. He hope he could find a friend in her.
Finding a nice soft tuft of grass to settle down on, Litho yawned mightily, and nearly choked when a bug hopped into her mouth. For any other cub this might've been a traumatizing occurrence, but Litho merely chewed and swallowed, carefully considering the bitter aftertaste. She'd picked up a fondness for crunchy little insects, even if they did sometimes taste rather badly.
She eyed the nearby scratches in the dirt where mother had been looking for bone-stones earlier, and snorted. Mother cared more about rocks than anything. She was a good and wise mama, of course, but sometimes Litho wondered if her absent father would have been more doting. But she was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of something running towards her, and stood up quickly, just as another cub came towards her. She backed away nervously, wary of the stranger.
Ilo saw that the little female was backing away. He couldn't let that happen,right? It's wasn't fun to see someone that could be your friend just leave like that right? No, no that couldn't be right, right? Oh he was so confuse. He didn't know what to do. He giggle nervously and yelp as a sigh that he wasn't comfortable thinking about these things. He move his paw around the grass and twisted them between his soft paws. He look up at her with a soft smile and got up. He was not going to let her get away. He needed more friend. He had to make tons of friends before he die. That was his biggest dream to make over 100 friends and then he could really die happily.
He smiled and jump up. He was never to sad for too long, it wasn't him. He smiled again and bounce around. He jump up to her and greeted her with a big, "Hello! How are you. I'm Ilo! It's really nice to meet you. I'm really glad you're here, know I can talk to someone. Who are you. You're very pretty, you remind me of my sister. She just as cute as you" he said with a big giggle. He always did talk a lot in one breath. Fast and loud. Yep, that was him. Very fast and loud. He bounce around her clapping his paws together. He wanted to play so bad.
Confused by all the sudden talking, Litho kept backing away. Remembering what she'd seen her mother do before, she moved sideways and started circling the new cub, trying to keep some distance between them. He was louder than even her brothers! But he wasn't trying to bite her ears like they did, at least not yet. Maybe his company would be better than theirs. At least he was an interesting new color.
"Oh yeah, well, you remind me of my brothers!" she retorted teasingly. "You're loud like them. You don't look like them, though." She looked him up and down, curious about the black coloring. "How'd you get so dark, didja get covered in mud? And you're a strange shape, too." She couldn't put her paw on it, but something about him looked different. "You don't got a hair tuft! Did it fall off?"
Ilo giggle. She was playing with him now too. He was going around her and she was going around him. How fun was that, lots of fun. He giggle again. This was so much fun. He perk up as she said that he remind of her bother. He was never as loud as someone. This was just too special. Usually he was louder or softer never as loud. He giggle, this was great he was so glad to meet her. In Ilo mind, it was teasing to him. He didn't know mean, it was just happy or nice. He didn't even know what the word mean, mean. Was there such a word, no never. He was so clueless to mean, he thought everyone was was good and happy just like him. He titled his head, well maybe that was a good thing. He wasn't related to them so he could look like them. She was right by saying that very right.
He blink. He wasn't black he was brown. Very brown, not black. What was she looking at. He was so confused. He wasn't sure were she was getting mud at too. It didn't make any scent at all. He shook his head and answer, "No. I didn't I don't have mud, or roll around in it because mama would get mad. I'm just very brown." he said with a smile. She must have love his fur if she was talk about it so much. He giggle again. He was a strange shape. He didn't look strange to him. Mama said he looked nice. He looked at himself and started to walk around in a small circlt to look at his whole body. She must have been looking at something else. He look just fine, just like always. Ear tufts? He didn't even know what that was. He giggle and wave his paw in a playful way. "You're silly. I like you." he said with a big giggle.
Litho didn't really know what to make of this new cub. He was just so... happy. If it had been one of her siblings, she'd have to be careful about what she said, or they'd either start a fight or go whining to mama that she was being mean. She used to be a bit of a bully, when she was the biggest of the litter and could get away with it, but then the others had quickly outgrown her, and now the fights were unfair. But this cub didn't seem to mind being called strange.
She grinned to herself. It was freeing in a way, to not have to keep from saying what came to mind. "I'm brown too, and I didn't get it from mud either. I got it from my papa. Mama says so. She says he was huge and brown and now he's far away but he might come back some day." Curious, she mimicked his paw wiggle, and when she noticed an ant crawling across her toes, she licked it off and munched happily.
Ilo giggle and noddle. He could see that she was brown. Very brown and light brown and green. All natural colors and very pretty at that. He giggle and clap his paws. He watch her eat the bug and giggle. He wonder how it taste and wonder if all she did was eat bug. "You like bugs? Are they good? I mean wouldn't then taste icky? Do you just eat bugs?" giggles. "That funny. May I try the next bug you taste?" he said with a big giggle.
This was so cool. He was going to try a bug and might even taste good.
Surprised to find someone interested in what her brothers called her "icky habit", she shrugged. "They don't always taste good. Some are really bad. Taste all bitter. But I like the crunchiness. They go 'crch crch crch'. And some of 'em do taste good." She couldn't really formulate her entire liking of insects in words, being so young. But she got a bit of pleasure from stalking and taking them down, even if it was only helpless bugs.
Spotting a few more ants, probably from the same colony, she trailed after them and tried to nose them in the cub's direction. They fled her, but in the direction she'd been aiming them anyway. "Here, these are pretty good. Taste kinda meaty, and the legs wriggle and tickle. I'm Litho, by the way."
Ilo nodded at every single little word that the female said. He was trying to take everything in. He had to know how they taste and bounce in joy as she said that they crunch. He start to drool. They did sound good. Bitter sound good to. He had never tried bitter so it must take yummy. He nodded his head and ask, What's does bitter taste like? Does it taste like sweet" he said with a innocent smile. It was turn, Ilo was very innocent of the world. Maybe that's why he didn't know what mean or nasty was. He never knew things that were negative just positive. Just look at his life, he was a half spirited and was going to be a sacrifice. Wasn't that great. He got to know how it feels to e half one thing and half the other and then die for his pride in a high honor. Who wouldn't love that?
As he was thinking he saw the female nodded her head, as to tell him to follow her. He got up from where he was at and follow her. He watch as the ants move around and sniff them. They did smell, bitter! Bitter must be every so good. He started to drool again as she talk about them and pick a handful and place them in his mouth. He didn't bite or chew but he just let them crawl around in his mouth and he started to giggle, like he never did before. This was so much fun, that he start to roll on the ground. The ants were tickling his mouth, oh this was great. He munch on them and glee. Oh they taste wonderful and they did have the wonderful little crunch.
He got up and brush his little body off and giggle. "They taste wonderful! And your name is wonderful to!" he giggle again and went over to her and gave he a nice big lick on her let side cheek and giggle again. He like her. She was now his official friend because he lick her and he giggle once more. Ilo didn't know that most licks symbolize that you "like"someone he knew it as you thaught someone was neat and wanted them to be your bested friend and that was what Litho was to him. He smile and bounce on his hind legs waiting to play with his best friend.
Litho was very startled to watch the cub let the ants wander in his mouth, and she started to laugh. She'd never seen anyone do that before! Now she wanted to try it herself, and she slurped up the nearest ant and held it behind her teeth, letting it roam her tongue. The sensation was bizarre, like when a bit of grass got in your nose. Not sure she liked it, she swallowed reflexively, and felt the tickle slide down her throat. Now that was much better.
She tensed as she was licked, and scrambled away, thinking he was starting a fight. Her ears tucked flat to her head to ward off attempts to bite them, but none came. After a long moment without any assault, she calmed down. "Yeah, they do taste good. Bitter is like...like this." She made the face she usually made when she chose the wrong bug, a scrunched up 'bleagh' face with her tongue sticking out.
Ilo happily giggle and clapped his paws as his friend did the same thing as him. He was so happy. She seem that she was coming out of his shell and Ilo thought that maybe he could he to know her better now. Oh this was perfect, just oh so wonderful. She could be herself and Ilo, well could just be Ilo, like always. He giggle at his though. He thought he had the best giggle in the world. The giggle of always pure joy, since he was always in a constant state of joy. He could never be brought down. He smile at her and keep bouncing on his hide legs.
He thought the backing up of her was that she wanted to play and he started to bounce higher and higher. Oh this was going to be perfect. He watch her show him what better meant but that could be it. The bitter that he just tasted was wonderful. It was a knew flavor that he had never tried before and he felled in love with it. He jump up and swiftly place a light paw on her shoulder and yelled, "Tag, You're it Litho!"" he said running on all four to try and find the best hiding place.
Happy to share the company of someone who wasn't teasing her or biting her ears, Litho danced about and slurped up any ant that crossed her path. The cub's giggle was curious, and she tried giggling herself, and found it very agreeable. The clapping of paws was stranger, but she mimicked it anyone, though she didn't know what the relevance was. Some sort of dance step, maybe.
When she was tagged she froze up again, unsure of what was happening. She'd never played this game... mama had never taught it to them, being too busy with her digging and search for special stones. But she soon recognized the game for what it was, and dashed after the other, yelping joyfully. "Lookout, I'm gonna getcha!" she hollered, her exhaustion set aside for the exuberance of youthful play. "Get back here, you!"
Ilo dance happily around his new best friend. He clap louder when she started to do it and he giggle in happiness. He was so happy. He friend was also dancing with him. This was so great! She was so neat! Almost like him in a way. She was so cool! Best friend material! He smiled and giggle and lick his own nose.
He ran off looking for the perfect hiding place. It was a vast open area so he had to find the best place. There was a shrub by a small tree, which was just big enough to hid him. He slid in and wiggle his little body to try to hid his body more. He giggles as he yelled and keep quiet because it didn't want to get caught.
Bounding along after her newfound friend, Litho gleefully tore up the ground underneath her. She missed him going into the shrub, and circled the nearby trees trying to figure out where he had gone, her tail bobbing behind her as she frantically tried to figure this game out. But by the fifth lap, her spirit was waning, and she finally stopped to pant, frustrated and confused, her feet aching.
She sniffed, peering around but seeing nothing. Had he gone back to his mama? Did 'tag' mean 'I'm leaving now'? She waited for a while, but soon her eyes were threatening to droop, reminding her of the reason she'd come out in the first place, to escape the wildness of her siblings, only to find more in a new playmate. Life was funny. Well, maybe he'd be around tomorrow, and she could ask him what tag meant. Stumbling back towards her den, she hoped she could sneak in and just pass out without being noticed by mother.
