Noelani looked at the male before her, who was currently locked in a deadly staring contest with a small bird who looked completely disinterested in the whole process.
“Oh, just leave her alone, Uri,” Noelani grumped, rolling her eyes at the male she had known for years. Uri'm, the male cheetah, blinked and glanced back to her.
“Hey! I was winning,” he complained, but grinned as Noelani pawed at him.
The bird, Sonali, just smiled at the two of them, the motherly amusement giving away her affection for the pair. “As I was saying,” she said, fluffing her wings. “Have either of you seen a male by the name of – goodness, what was his name? It started with a 'M' I'm sure. Mala? Mana? Ma...something.”
Noelani, stretched out leisurely by the pond. “Majaliwa?” She suggested dryly.
“Yes!” Sonali squawked eagerly. “Have you heard of him?”
She shook her head, looking regretful when the bird slumped. “You told us his name before,” she reminded her gently. The bird was getting on in years, she realised sadly. Perhaps she should have stopped taking messages, but that would be like clipping Sonali's wings. It would just kill her to stop.
“Oh,” Sonali sighed. “Well, keep an ear out for me will you, you two?” She said, including Uri'm though he was far too flighty to really pay attention. Already, he was looking out along the savanna, eager to move on.
“We will,” Noelani assured her, stepping on Uri'm's tail to get his attention.
“Ah? What?” Uri'm shook his head. “Yeah, sure, Sonali. I'll keep an ear out.”
Sonali rolled her eyes – which seemed to be a feminine habit around someone like Uri'm, who desperately needed someone to ground him from his flighty was. Similar to the same way Noelani needed it. Perhaps that's why they were such good friends. “You just keep your ears and eyes focused on you, else you'll walk into a tree or some foul beasts territory,” Sonali scolded.
Uri'm's ears fell flat. “One time!” He insisted. “One time and neither of you have let me forget it!”
Both Sonali and Noelani laughed.
“How are your little ones?” Noelani asked, making smalltalk with the motherly bird.
“My chicks? All flown the nest, I'm afraid. Tega's getting ready to head off on his own too! Out looking for that boy of his,” Sonali said, shaking her head with a sigh.
“You're not going with him?” Noelani began to clean one of her paws, already loosing interest in the conversation but at least feigning some faint attention.
“Oh, I'll check in on him, but I won't stick around always. Just not in my nature,” Sonali insisted, nodding her head and ruffling her feathers as the weather picked up. Night was fast falling and the wind chill was bitterly cold. “Speaking of which! I should head back. I'm trying to get as much time with him as I can at the moment, he leaves soon,” Sonali murmured, a sorrowful expression on her face. When her chicks had left, she hadn't been too upset. She had loved them – of course she had – but to be honest, she was simply heartbroken over Tega. She'd raised him from a little cub, far longer then she had nursed her chicks.
“Say 'hullo' to him for us,” Noelani suggested, not really meaning it. It was polite though. Noelani was nothing if not polite.
“I will,” Sonali said warmly. “Let me know if you hear about that Majaliwa fellow, you hear?” She fluffed her feathers, and spread her wings. “And for goodness sake, Uri'm, play attention when people are talking to you.”
Uri'm's ears drooped again, and he offered the bird a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Sonali! Take care,” he called to her as she began to drift higher and further from them.
“You're such an airhead,” Noelani scolded him.
“Oh yeah? This coming from you?” Uri'm pawed the lying female, and both began to laugh. They had known each other since they were very young, and had kept in touch purely by luck as they grew older.
“I'm not an airhead,” she insisted, giggling. “I'm just...”
“Non-serious. Like I am,” Uri'm finished, and grinned. “Except...”
“Oh not again,” she rolled her eyes. “Don't start spouting poetry about the cheetah you met!”
“I wasn't going to!” Uri'm retorted. “I was just...going to suggest we find a den for the night. I'd rather not freeze to death tonight! I have things to do tomorrow.”
“Like stalking a certain female?” Noelani drawled, but got to her feet to help him search. She had little interest in the other male for a 'companion'. She'd know him too long and too well to really want him as anything more then a friend – and perhaps a heater, since the night was freezing.
“I'm not stalking her!” He growled, before pausing. “Am I?”
“You're an idiot,” Noelani laughed and pawed at him again, scampering away like a cub and leaving him to follow.
“Oi! Get back here!” Uri'm bolted after her, swiping at her back legs as he ran without real intent to stop her.
Noelani enjoyed these moments with Uri'm. They reminded her of when she was younger, and things were simple, and she was happy. Not that she wasn't happy now, but it was a different 'happy' then. It was innocent. Now every bit of stolen happy moments felt borrowed and fleeting. Like this.
“Hey, why are you slowing down?” Uri'm asked, padding to a stop beside her as she paused altogether.
“No reason,” she promised, shaking herself out of her daze. She pointed to a nearby thicket of bushes. “Could find something there to shelter us,” she suggested and moved ahead before he could comment.
Uri'm wasn't stupid. He was just a bit of a flight-risk when it came to serious talks. So he let the odd expression he'd seen on her face go uncommented upon. She didn't want to talk and he didn't really want to listen, so it worked out well.
He just really hated that sad, sorrowful look her face would get.
They soon found a few raised roots with the dirt beneath dug away. It was a little small, but it was cold, so the closeness wasn't uncomfortable.
Spotting that same odd look on her face, Uri'm couldn't let it go again. He pawed at her, awkwardly since he could barely move. “Hey, cheer up, moonface,” he said brightly. Moonface was due to her pale colouring. The nickname was given – affectionately, she had always hoped – when they were younger.
“Shut it, jerkface, I'm fine,” Noelani retorted, but the small smile which tweaked her mouth assured him that she wasn't really annoyed. She rested her head on her paws set before her, a sigh shuddering her body. Uri'm mimicked her pose, and stayed silent. It wasn't uncomfortable, despite the cramped space, nor awkward, despite the silence.
“Tell you what,” Uri'm began, unable to keep silent for too long. He shot his friend a playful grin. “If you ever own up and tell me who it is who's bothering you – and I know it's a guy, 'cause it's always a guy with you – I'll go and beat him up.”
She rolled her eyes, touched but not really by his concern. “You couldn't beat up a fly,” she responded calmly, and laughed at the outrage on his face.
“I'll show you [ifly!” He yellowed. As she bolted from 'their' den for the night, him hot on her heels, their laughter echoed in the cold night. She was grateful for his stupidity, and his company and -although she would never admit it out loud to him – his protective nature, or rather simply, his friendship.
(WC: 1,341)
