Kweupe:
Kweupe was tired.
She was tired of looking over her shoulder, tired of feeling unprotected, tired of her flitting lifestyle. Ever the cheerful one of both her families, she thought she would always be the energetic one who couldn't sit still, literally and metaphorically. Two large litters of cubs and a terrifying encounter with her youngest brother later, all she wanted to do was find someplace she could settle down and find safety.
She still had her little wolf with her, only not at the moment. He was off somewhere, hunting for one thing or another. And he wasn't so little anymore, but he would always be her little wolf, even when he was a tall, full-grown male.

She lay on a sun-warmed rock, watching the world around her as she waited for her son to return. Watching the grasses for a tell-tale scarred white pelt.

Bai Feng:
It was time to break the young chikyou out of their baby paws and push them along their way towards becoming productive members of the troupe. Jowy and Aila were the first to wake that morning and so they were the first to get the trainer's attention. They were far too young for anything more than a simple jog to work their limbs and stretch their backs, but it was a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately for the old courser, a loping pace for him was a run for the cubs.

"Keep your feet up, don't drag your toes. Look ahead and keep your shoulders loose." He ordered over his shoulder.

Jowy'Atreides:
Jowy was already panting, his tiny mouth cracked open as his sides heaved. It was all so complicated! Just to run he had to perfect a specific stride, a breathing pattern, he had to roll his limbs just the right way, catch the ground just so, and try to keep his mind far from the fategue that burned through him.

The cub galloped forward, his lage, awkward paws hit the ground much harder than they should have. He'd likely have to practice his stride after Feng had worked him and his sister to their limit.

"O...Okay..Feng..."

Aila:
Aila labored as much as her poor brother.
She really wanted to yell at Feng, he was pushing them way too hard, or at least she thought so. But he was her elder and wiser and she didn't yell at adults. Period. So she did her best to o as he told them and keep up. But it really was difficult.

Really, she was glad for this time, the sooner she started her training, the faster she would rise to be a great fighter like her father. But that didn't mean she had to actually enjoy the run. Her legs and paws were killing her and she was just looking up to ask if he could maybe slow down just a little bit or maybe even give them a rest when she had a good feeling. She blinked and looked around as they ran, spying another figure out of the corner of her eyes.

"F-Feng... over... there," she huffed, nodding towards the figure on the rock.

Kweupe:
Kweupe's mouth stretched in a yawn and she shook her head to clear it. But when her eyes open, she caught sight of white and her breath caught. For a brief moment, she thought it might be her brother, thought he had come back to finish her off, to beat her up, to hurt her family. But no, her fears had made her mind ignore a crucial detail.
Red, and a good bit of it, too.
She frowned, he looked familiar, and not in a bad way. Sitting up to get a better look, her mind clicked. She had seen him, briefly, she her first litter of cubs was born. He had been at the naming celebration, one of the members of that troupe that her adopted brother had joined. Where two of her daughters and one of her sons had gone. There were two young cubs with him, they reminded her of Shaha's cubs, cheetah-lion hybrids and they were running at his side. She couldn't figure out why they were running, maybe training.... They looked a little young for that, but she wouldn't question it. The little female had seen her, was looking in her direction.

Jowy'Atreides:
Jowy was gasping hard by the time his sister brought Feng's attention elsewhere. The elder cheetah came to a sharp stop and lifted his head up in one swoop of his long, graceful neck. Jowy, unfortunately, turned to see what all the fuss was about. In doing so, he lost his concentration on his trainer ahead and went bowling into the older cheetah's leg.

"OOF!" He tumbled back, nearly falling straight to his back as the sturdy limb cut his jog short. With a groan, the cub sat himself up and rubbed at his forehead.

Bai Feng:
The cheetah narrowed his eyes and lifted his chin. Aside from the suspicious, leery look in his eyes, he didn't have a single hair raised in an aggressive manner.

The female didn't look harmless... she looked lost in fact. He cleared his throat and slowly took a step forward. "Can I help you miss?"

Aila:
And when Jowy fell, Aila tripped over his limbs. She was launched into the air and sent sprawling in a heap in reach of her brother. She groaned and whacked her brother's paw.
"N-Nice.. going... Jowy," she grumbled as he sat up. Her paws, though, thought it was a good idea to not be up anymore, so she laid there glaring up at her brother.

Kweupe:
A small, friendly smile came over Kweupe's features when the male asked if she needed help. Her attention was partially caught on the cubs, they were quite adorable, reminding her a little bit of when her first litter was their age. She glanced back to the male after a moment and bobbed her head a bit, a mixture of a nod and a shake.

"Yes and no, I think. You're a part of... the Chokwe Troupe?" It took her a moment to remember what the group was called. But she got it in time and tilted her head a bit, hoping she was right.

Jowy'Atreides:
"Sorry... he just stopped so fast!" He rubbed his forehead and slowly glanced over to the stranger, blinking. Another cheetah? She certainly wasn't anyone that he reconized. She was pretty though.

Bai Feng:
"Ah." He relaxed slightly, visable only in the slight drop of his shoulders. "So you know of our troupe. Have you come to call for our assistance?"

He glanced shortly to the cubs, offering them a sterm look that both would know full well translated to 'stay here'.

Aila:
"Clumsy butt," Aila replied, though she was grinning in a playful, albeit tired, manner. She crawled over and curled around her brother, one of her rare moments of affection. Jowy was her favorite brother, mostly because he put up with so much crap and she didn't think it was that fair to him.
Plus, of course, he put up with hers, too.

Kweupe:
"A bit. I met a few of you in passing, my brother and his family was an addition to the troupe some time ago, but I haven't see him since. He's a big gray lion, Tembezishaha?" Kweupe paused there to give the name and description a moment to sink in. Once it had passed, she slowly shook her head.

"I haven't come looking for assistance, actually I just came here by chance..." she added and a thought struck her. This collection was made of mercenaries, warriors and protectors. Maybe she could find the safety and piece of mind she was looking for.

Jowy'Atreides:
"I'm not clumsy! I just...didn't see him stop. That's all." He smirked and nudged his younger sibling, offering her one of his distant smiles. Under Feng's gaze, he froze up and lifted his chin up to offer the elder cheetah a firm nod.

Bai Feng:
"Ah yes, the story tellers. It has been a very long time." He nodded slowly, recalling the day in vague detail. The gray lion with the dusty orange mane and the scarred muzzle, The cubs had been hybrids of some sort...he rememberd.

"Ah well...perhaps it was fate that brought you here. I'm beginning to think less and less of the notion of luck and chance."

Aila:
"Yeah, yeah," Aila replied and happily rested her paws. Feng gave them a look and she kept where she was, but didn't get all rigid like Jowy. She was tired from the run and the female didn't seem to take any offense at her relaxed position. She even reached out a paw and wiggled it briefly against her brother's side, trying to get him to loosen up a bit.

Kweupe:
Kweupe nodded, glad that he recognized her "younger brother". But apparently Shaha hadn't been around the troupe in a while. No matter, though, she missed him, but what she needed was a place to finally settle, with faces she saw more than just for a few days. She was used to a nomadic life, it was the company and the protection that she wanted.

"Maybe it did. I... actually have a... monster lurking in the darkness so to speak. I was actually hoping to find... somewhere that would..." She sighed and ran a paw over her short ruff. So much had changed. "I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder, constantly watching my sons' backs, jumping at every bit of white pelt I see."

Jowy'Atreides:
Jowy snorted and pushed her paw away, defending his rather tickelish sides as she prodded at him. "No don't!" Not in front of a stranger! Especially not in front of Feng. The trainer would make them run further or longer... two things he seriously didn't want to do at the moment.

Bai Feng:
"A monster." He tensed and gave the area a short look around, his ears flattening behind his back. Somewhere behind him, Jowy sank down into the grass, eyes wide.

"...so you are in need of a sancuary... what is the manner of this...monster? Where is it?" If something was on the loose, the rest of the troupe should be notified. Perhaps Lucia's boys could track the beast down.

Kweupe:
Kweupe looked down.
"It's hard for me to even say it... It's my baby brother..." Gods, how terrible did that sound? She looked over at the cubs and saw herself at their age, cuddled up with Mafunde and Wingu. Wingu was so small and weak in comparison to her twin and herself, but she loved him no less. In fact, she did her best to look out for her little cloud. When Mafunde would get snippy, she would cheer Wingu up. When he got in trouble, she tried to take the fall. It was like a horrible dream that he would come back from the dead only to have a demon's heart.

"We didn't know he was alive, he kidnapped my nephew and threatened my cubs," she paused there to raise her head, showing the thin scars across her neck. Further inspection showed thicker ones on her back and shoulders. "They're all grown now, but... He's fast, strong, and cunning. Every day I wake up wondering if he'll show up again."

Aila:
Aila listened in shock and curled closer to her brother. How could that be true? Sure, she fought with her brothers and sisters sometimes, but she would never really hurt them and they wouldn't hurt her. When the adult female had talked about a monster, she thought it was just a nightmare or something she had. But this was real.
And frightening.

And suddenly it dawned on her. Her feeling, they needed to let her in, give her sanctuary. She didn't know what this new female would do in the troupe, but it was the right thing to do.

Mbwamwitu:
"You don't think I can protect you, Mother?" A brown male, taller than Kweupe walked up to the gathering. He shared a number of her markings and some of her coloring, but not enough to be her brother. Plus, he looked much younger, as if he had just grown into his full form. With that and his comment, it was clear he was one of the sons she spoke of. Mbwamwitu moved to stand by the rock his mother was still perched on and briefly frowned at the male and the two cubs with him. He wasn't sure what to make of them as he had just gotten upon the scene after a little jog to get some alone time, but Mother wasn't crying, nor was she hurt, so he decided it was best to be civil.
So her frown quickly faded into a sort of small, neutral smile.

Bai Feng:
Feng's ears rolled back as a suprisingly gentle look of understanding overcame the stren, almost critical look that had been there before. He glanced shortly towards the cubs behind him then turned his attention right back on the female.

"I myself have felt the bitter sting of trechery.... you'll be in good company here. If it's refuge that you seek, we can offer it. I'll have you meet with our leader here...."

Jowy'Atreides:
As the female explained her past and the origins of this 'monster', Jowy found himself sitting upright, his ears perked forward, and his face wrinkled into a scowl. Trechery was perhaps the worst thing anyone could commit. To turn on comrades and family was an unspeakable act. Even as young as he was, he was fully aware of the gravity of the female's story.

The cub opened his mouth, just as another cheetah stepped from the grass. The comment died before it had a chance to form and errupted in the form of a snarl.

Bai Feng:
Feng tensed once more and tossed his chin back up, giving him the look of a much taller, much stronger creature. He eyed the young cheetah sharply, taking in the similarities between the two. After a few silent moments, he took a few steps back to join the cubs in his charge.

"...you are welcome into our boarders...I would have you report this...individual's presense to our leader. Perhaps we can send out a unit to track him down."

Kweupe:
Kweupe smiled at her little, well, not-so-little wolf and shook her head.
"Of course you can, but... I don't want you hurt, either," she told him, knowing full well that though the eldest of her second litter was strong, fast, and dangerously clever, he had no battle training. And her baby brother... he had fought to survive his entire life. She knew she was only alive because Wing- Barafu had wished it so.

She turned back to the white and red male, having caught the soft look on his face, no matter how brief it was. The look warmed her a bit and some part of her wanted to know more about this male. He was older than her, she could tell, and he reminded her a bit of her twin.
A pained laugh escaped her at his final suggestion and she looked down, shaking her head slightly.
"I... I can't bear the thought of anyone killing him, though. He's... Still my baby brother," she mumbled before sighing again.
"I would like the sanctuary, very much so. My name is Kweupe, and my son is Mbwamwitu."

Aila:
Aila's ears flicked back at the arrival of the other male, but when he addressed the female as his mother and she smiled at him, she relaxed. She was surprised Jowy snarled, normally it would have been her to express the warning.

It seemed to her that the interlude was coming to a close, so she finally uncurled herself from around her big brother and sat up, feeling her muscles protest as she did so.

Mbwamwitu:
Witu's shoulders straightened a bit at the critical looks from the strangers and gave the male cub an incredulous look. Ever the cocky b*****d, he was mildly amused at so much ferocity in such a small package. Of course, he shouldn't have been one to cast stones. When his mother would sit up at night, his brother Halali and he would huddle close, promising to protect her from the world. She would just coo down at them, giving them that sad smile of hers, and cuddle them close, whispering about how lucky she was to have them.

He glanced at her when she accepted the offer to go to their group, for protection against his uncle. Much as he hated the thought of being tied into one place, he would stay at her side for as long as he could. She needed him more than he really needed his space.
Deciding to be polite for her sake, he smiled and dipped his head when she introduced them.

Bai Feng:
"Kweupe then." Feng reached a paw out and nudged Aila on the back, urging her to stand once more. If such a creature was on the loose, the cubs couldn't be permitted to leave the safety of their boarders. Even with him standing guard over them, it was far too dangerous. Taban had worked years of his life away to catch the wind goddess to bring children of the wind to the earth, they were far too important.

"If he poses a threat to you or to any of this troupe, we may have no alternitive. There is little to be done for such madness. To turn on one's own family is unspeakable."

Jowy'Atreides:
Jowy eyed the other male suspiciously and stepped inbetween his sister and the strangers. Even with Feng providing a barrier enough between them, he wasn't entirely trusting of the new comers.

They had a point though...if one of his family turned in such a way, how could he kill them? How could he even hurt them? He gave a short glance to his sister and forced one of his soft, distant smiles back to his maw. "Well... father will be happy."

Aila:
Aila wiggled her shoulders once more, feeling a pleasant burn before standing at Feng's nudge. Hopefully that meant they were going back now and she could get a nap. And she HATED naps.

She smiled back at her brother and nodded.
"I had a feeling. And it felt good. I think... I trust them," she whispered back.

Kweupe:
Kweupe's eyes went distant for a moment, thoughts passing through her mind. She knew he wasn't her Wingu, not anymore, but... he was still her brother. And it had been a while since that fateful morning, Witu and his brothers and sister had just been conceived when her brother clawed his way back into her life. A small part of her clung to the hope that he might have changed.

She nodded slowly.
"If it comes to that, it comes to that," she finally said and stood, ready to follow them. She paused, remembering that Halali hadn't come back from his wandering yet, turning a look to Witu.

Mbwamwitu:
Witu's heart ached for his mother as he caught the look and the sadness in her voice. He wouldn't know what he would do in her position. He had only grown up with one of his brothers, two others and his sister being raised by their father. And all of his older half-siblings were grown and gone by the time he was born. He held few emotions towards any of them, but they were still his blood, his family. He doubted he would be able to hurt any of them, or allow them to be hurt.

"Point me in the direction of your home?" he asked the older male, gesturing over his shoulder at a lone tree not too far from where they were.
"I'll be waiting for my brother to get back and then we'll come along. Won't be too long."

Jowy'Atreides:
"Still...we can't trust right away." He reminded her in a low whisper, his eyes leery. The most recent group of new additions had been a rare exeption. He'd seen Tir and Teyd, he'd watched them through Riou's eyes for weeks before he'd even met the strangers. Their coming to the troupe, as Leknaat so gently put it, was a brush of fate's hand.

These ones though... with a traitor on their heels and what seemed like an upstart...it wasn't so encouraging.

Bai Feng:
"We do what we must for the greater good...even if the task is an unpleasant one. Sometimes the act of not taking a life can be just as dire as taking one. But... we will not ask you to fight. If you can earn our trust, there are many tasks that do not require a harsh paw to earn your keep here. Everyone has a part to play, even the little ones."

Feng stopped and glanced, uncertainly, towards the young male. His brows tightened as he ticked the tip of his tail. "I will send an escort to guide you the rest of the way."

Aila:
Aila shrugged. She trusted her feelings and this fema- Kweupe knew Feng. She heard about the artisans that had joined the troupe long before her birth. But she hadn't met any of them. If her father trusted this group of individuals, she would too... for the most part.
"I'm not gonna be TOO trusting," she whispered back, sticking out her tongue at him.

Kweupe:
Kweupe nodded, understanding that what the male said was true. That didn't mean it hurt any less to think about having to lose her brother all over again. She shook the thoughts away and considered his words on the troupe. All the skills she really had were in hunting and acrobatic dancing. She hoped that would be enough.

Mbwamwitu:
Witu cocked a brow at that, thinking it a little superfluous to send an escort when he could just tell him where to go, but after a moment he shrugged it off.
"If your escort doesn't see anyone about, I'm likely in the tree, still waiting for Halali," he said with a small grin. And with that he turned around, amused at himself. Let them stew over that for a while. He wasn't a terribly strong climber, but he could do it. In his youth, he used to climb up there to impress his mother by getting up there only to jump off the branch he was on and do a front-flip before landing. It scared the living daylights out of her when he did it, but he knew she was proud by the way she laughed with him afterwards.

Jowy'Atreides:
Jowy rolled his eyes and heaved a long sigh. Of course she was going to be too trusting... she was eager for new faces in the troupe. New faces meant new stories, new stories meant they had something to listen to other than Fakhir's grumblings and Feng's life lessons. Which...normally came along with one of Feng's training lessons as well.

Bai Feng:
"You must excuse our caution." Feng explained gruffly. "We have young ones about and if you say this... individual is dangerous and a cub-napper, I would rather not risk anything.."

Feng shook his head and picked up the pace, moving from a brisk walk into a quick lope forward. "I'm sure you can understand. I don't mean to be rude to your son but...well I have my own family to look after as well."

Kweupe:
Kweupe moved to the male's side, keeping her distance, but matching his pace. She purposefully placed herself so that he was in the middle, the cubs at his other side. She understood what he meant, that he wanted to protect the cubs and she nodded.
"Witu is a bit too headstrong sometimes. He didn't take any offense, I'm sure," she replied and smiled a bit in amusement.

"He tends to not see the bigger picture very well," she added, the fondness for her offspring reflected in her eyes and words. She wondered if the two little cubs were his own, an easily taken path for her mind to wander down.

"I don't remember getting any of your names."

Aila:
Oh. Great. Running again.
Aila groaned inwardly as Feng picked up speed. It hadn't been bad at first, but now he was going fast which meant she and Jowy had to run. Her paws would definitely need a rest, maybe even a soak. She almost wished Feng and Kweupe would carry them back. But it wasn't going to happen because she knew Feng didn't trust the female and she doubted he would carry either of them.