Raynah:
She had been tempted to go back to the lands where she had met Shujaa, but his comment still rang in her ears. She wasn't looking for death but if it found her then it found her. She couldn't be afraid of death if one day it was going to find her anyway. She was a bit morbid of mind sometimes, but she didn't see anything wrong with it. Instead, to keep her mind off of the place, she had been hunting. A small bird at her paws, she was proud of herself. It wasn't much, but it was something, and it was her first step at proving she could live on her own. She smiled, pulling off the feathers with her claws. She didn't much like feathers but if she was in a hurry she would eat them. It was a good thing she was in no hurry. So for the moment, her time was spent picking each individual feather and placing it in a pile at the side of her.
Shujaa:
Shujaa lay on a branch above Raynah's head, watching her with something of a soft look on his face. He had spent some of his own time during the day to get something to eat, but besides that he had spent the time watching her. He would need to go back to patrolling his lands against intruders, but he would do so once he wasn't distracted by the hybrid beauty that had effectively moved in with him.
It was almost the time that he promised to show her around, however, so he moved silently out of the tree, landing with a soft thump behind her.
"Catch that all by yourself?" he asked, though his tone was rather neutral, his smile was mildly teasing.
Raynah:
She had been expecting him to show himself some time, so she didn't jump like he might have expected. She smiled while picking the feathers off, not looking at him and nodded.
"I'm apparently quite talented." She grinned, and then looked up from the meal. Her eyes met his golden ones, and her heart fluttered again. He was such a handsome brute, she couldn't help but feel a pang of somethingn when she looked at him. But he was remarkably odd, and able to appear as silent as could be. It was almost like he could appear at will.
"Are you jealous?" She asked, her grin only spreading and she used her paw to push him gently. The bird, now pink and bare lay there uneaten as she joked. She wasn't all that hungry, so eating hte bird wasn't really the first thing on her mind.
Shujaa:
His smile softened slightly as he bumped his shoulder against hers in payment for the push.
"No, not jealous at all. Birds are low on my preferred food list, have all you want," he replied, sitting at her side and nipping at her ear once. He didn't know why he wanted to be close, if even affectionate with her, but he did. He'd met females before, had run across the Golden Bird, had even talked to her. She had been nice, but there was something about this female.
"Still want that tour today?"
Raynah:
She grinned, and pushed him again with a playful glare. "Hey, Im proud." She teased, and pushed the bird away. She had been hoping he would give her the tour. She half wondered if he would forget, but he had said he would meet her here. It hadn't been a promise, but hse had taken it for such. With a nod she stood quickly.
"Of course I am. I was hoping you wouldn't forget. I had my mind on it pretty much all day."
Shujaa:
Shujaa frowned when she pushed the carcass away, then used his paw to push it back towards her paws.
"Eat your snack, there's still plenty of the day left." He made it obvious that he wasn't going to be going anywhere until she did by flopping down on his side and watching her. He didn't like the thought of wasted life.
His tail flicked idly as he watched her, waiting for her to eat up. While he waited, he considered where he was going to take her exactly. He would certainly show her the borders to his and his neighbors' territories. Wouldn't want her repeating the mistake she almost made with the Huntsman or accidentally run into the Tree Shadow's territory and Iron Jaws that lived in the river there.
Raynah:
She looked at the bird with distaste and frowned. She had been all excited to leave that the want to eat the bird had left her moments before. But she groaned, grabbing at the bird and crunching on its small body. She tore into the wings first, crunching it between her jaws. She was happy she had chosen a small, easy to eat snack over something larger that would have taken more time.
Within a little bit of time, the bird was consumed, leaving a few extra bones. She licked her lips, cleaning the blood that had been evident off.
"That make you feel better?" She asked.
Shujaa:
"It does. No reason to waste the sacrifice of the bird's life by not eating it once you've killed it," Shujaa replied, standing up and brushing one paw against his chest idly. He shook himself once to rid his fur of any dirt that might mar the sandy and brown of his coat and looked around.
"Well, come on, then. We have a lot of ground to cover," he finally said and started walking towards the far edge of his territory, towards the border of the Healer and her family.
Raynah:
"You are such a treehugger." She pointed out, but a smile was playing on her lips. She would be the type to tease him, and she hoped he could take it. Though something about him told her he would handle it just fine.
She closed her eyes, turning her head when he shook the sand off his pelt.
"Hey! Watch it kid." She said, and stood with a bounce. She didn't know why she was in such a good mood this evening but she was. It was probably because she was excited. It didn't usually affect her so much.
"Yes sir." She said at his command, and caught up with his steps with one leap. Then she made sure to stay the pace he was going.
Shujaa:
He shook his head when she called him kid. She was very likely younger than he was, after all.
It didn't take long to get to the edge of his territory. They had to cross a stream that fed from the crocodile's river, but the killer reptile stayed in his area, so Shujaa never had to worry about him. The jungle was really rather beautiful, flowers abloom everywhere, the trees tall, birds flying overhead singing their songs.
Finally he stopped at a rather large rock.
"This marks the edge of my territory. A lioness and her family lives on the other side. You won't have any trouble from her or at least one of her daughters, though some of her other offspring could be problematic. Their father was a bad influence and very territorial. He's out of the picture now, though. The lioness is a healer if you ever need one," he explained, glancing away, feeling vulnerable being out in the open as he was so close to the female's territory. He didn't want to stay too long.
Raynah:
She followed him willingly, her eyes looking over the scenery while she did. It truly was beautiful out here. She could have sat out there and just daydreamed all day. Or just slept, that would have been pleasant too.
"Have you ever just sat out here to stare at the lovely picture this all paints?" She asked, turning her head to look at him after he had spoken. She made a mental note of everything he had told her. However she wasnt sure if he knew by telling her to be careful it made her all the more interested in the area.
"A healer? Thats a good thing to know about." She grinned.
Shujaa:
"I have. It's hard not to sometimes," Shujaa replied, turning away and heading along the line of his territory. He kept his ears trained on any unfamiliar sound, anything that might harold the coming of another creature. He was ready to leap out of sight if he did.
"From what I have seen, she is a kind-hearted individual willing to help any that come across her," he added on the subject of the Healer. It would take a little longer to reach the border of the Tree Shadow's territory, he didn't need to be too quiet unless the older leopard was being his nosey self. Of all his neighbors, it was the dark-brown leopard that caused him the most trouble when it came to trespassing.
"Do you really like it here that much?"
Raynah:
"I wouldn't stay if I didn't." She responded honestly. She kept her gaze around her surroundings, drawn in to the lovely flowers and smells. It was so much different than her old home, and yet.. it was more home than home had ever been.
"Don't you?" She asked, shouldering him gently, but making sure to keep her pace alongside his. She didnt want to annoy him, and make him not want to take her anywhere else.
Shujaa:
Shujaa stopped then, looking around for a moment. How much did he like this place? Should it matter? It was home, it was what he knew, he had no desire to leave. But did he like it?
His gaze traveled the area around him, taking it in until his golden eyes landed on the female next to him. He saw her and felt that she added something to this place, something it had been missing, at least he thought so.
"I hadn't thought about it," he replied softly, still starting at her from behind the leopard's tuft that fell into his face. Without another word, he moved close and nuzzled his cheek against hers before quickly moving away, walking again in the direction of the nosey leopard's territory.
Raynah:
When he nuzzled against her, she didn't have the time to nuzzle back or she would have. Instead she just looked at him with interest before shaking her head to get back into reality. She wasn't used to affection, but she had rather liked it.
"Well you should. Its good to know your own view on things." She responded, and followed him. She had considered him a friend from the first time she had met him. He was kind, and there was something about him that made her feel..drawn to him.
Shujaa:
"This place is all I know. I don't want to leave, but the view has become pretty much the same over time." Shujaa paused in his speaking to turn his head and look at her, though he continued walking. "Until you showed up."
He looked away again, not saying anything more. Had he truly meant to say that? Yes, he had, there was no denying it and he was a truthful individual. She had changed his view of this place. She saw things in a different light than he did, with young curiosity and a hint of cynicism while he viewed it through slightly aged and jaded eyes. He was the Ghost, after all, he saw everything that went on. When the Herbalist left to save his mate and cubs from his father, when the Healer cried for days afterwards. Several times he had found the Tree Shadow staring down at the old crocodile, Shujaa could see the look in his eye, the wondering if maybe it would be better to just take that final jump. He had heard the battle cry when the Huntsman's Lady was taken. Life was hard. This place seemed a haven for misfits and runaways, creatures who couldn't take living among others. His mother had been surprised to find lions living in the jungle, supposedly they were more suited to large groups on the open savannah. Several lived among them, and yet they were all separated. Neighbors and yet near strangers.
Raynah:
"Well I will take that as a compliment." She responded, finally meeting his eyes and watching as he turned away. She wondered if maybe she was imagining things. Imagining the power he had to draw her to him. She probably was, and he would likely have made fun of her if she had even mentioned it. She was a misfit, that was true. She had always been one though. Even surrounded by so many others she was withdrawn and silent. She sighed and tried to stay out of her own thoughts, but she couldn't. She kept wondering what it was he might be thinking.
"What are you thinking about?" She asked. okay, so she was too curious to not ask. She chuckled at her inability to just let things be.
Shujaa:
"How messed up all of us here really are." It took him a while to reply, he stopped when he did so. A tree stood there, a mark carved into the bark. It was a sort of spiral diamond shape with a line connecting the center point to the start at the top.
"The leopard that lives here likes to get creative sometimes. I think it was a tradition his group once had. He's quiet like I am, nosey like I'm not." He wasn't, really, he just happened to be in the right places to find things out.
"He'll flirt with you, I can promise that. Unless he's in a mood, then he'll just be depressingly nice."
Raynah:
"I don't want to flirt." She said, squinching her nose. She really just didn't care for it. She was painfully bad at it. Not to mention, she was almost positive she heard Shujaa say that he was also an older leopard. Yeah soo not in her playing field.
"No one flirts with someone who can't give them cubs anyway. So I think Im safe." She grinned, though only a touch of sadness hid behind those eyes.
"Watching me isn't considered nosey where you are from?" She asked, merely teasing and she showed it by brushing her cheek against his shoulder.
Shujaa:
"I'm not nosey, I monitor what goes on around me. I need to know who's in my territory and what they are doing, what my neighbors are doing," Shujaa replied with a shrug, looking away again. A glance to the sky said they should probably start heading back.
"We should be getting back. I think it might rain soon," he added, returning his attention to Raynah for a brief moment before starting to walk back to his tree home. He wanted to ask if he could stay with her under the tree, he had less likelihood of getting wet in the storm, but that would be too much, wouldn't it?
And yet she had nuzzled his shoulder. She said she didn't want to flirt, though did she mean just with the leopard? He hadn't missed the hint of sadness in her eyes when she spoke of how no male would flirt with a barren female and it struck a chord in him. He had given up on ever finding a companion because of his own heritage. He though that this place was really for those who couldn't keep a mate. The leopard didn't have one, the lioness couldn't keep hers and her daughter didn't have one. The only one who had succeeded was the lion by kidnapping a mate, but who knew if that would last.
"Come on, don't want you getting drenched."
Raynah:
She nodded, and took off beside him to keep from getting stuck away from the tree. Her ivory fur around her paws was starting to look dirty and she partially wondered if staying out in the rain would be a good idea. But quickly decided it wasnt. When they made it to the tree, she turned to look at him.
"Thank you for showing me around Shujaa. It was quite kind of you. And, I was only kidding about the nosey thing. I promise." She said, hoping he hadnt been offended. Though when she looked up in the trees branches, she frowned and looked back at him.
"How do you stay out of the rain in the branches, Shujaa?"
Shujaa:
They were back at the tree in no time and her attention was back on him as the clouds continued to move in and thunder rumbled in the distance. Elsewhere, the Tree Shadow was hunkering down in his own den, the Healer and her family huddling in their cave, the Huntsman trying his damnedest to make it back to his mate with a kill before the rains came down. The entire jungle was hiding and huddling in expectation of the rains and he was about to head up into the trees where he would probably get soaked.
And then she asked how he would stay out of the rain.
"I probably won't. Even as abundant as in this tree, leaves can only do so much."
Raynah:
She frowned and looked at him like he might be stupid. "Why dont you stay in the hollow with me? Seems only logical." She responded, and raised an eyebrow. Had she really said what she thought she just said? Yes, yes she had. She was happy for it though because it really as just common sense. She wouldnt have him being soaking wet and cold, up in a tree all on his own. She wouldnt allow it
Shujaa:
Shujaa couldn't help but smirk a bit at her response but he nodded.
"All right, but only because you asked," he replied and rushed into the sort-of cave as a drizzle began. It was still as clean and "homey" as he had last left it, some grasses strewn on the ground in a pile at the back, the pile that he went straight to and flopped down on, closing his eyes with a contented smile. It really was more comfortable than the tree-branches.
Raynah:
She knew she was being forward, but she didnt think he would mind sharing the bed she had taken the night before. Walking up to the pile of grasses, she flopped down next to him, nuzzling her nose under his chin. She took a deep breath, and then sighed. She felt warm, and safe next to him. She was half expecting him to push her away, but she was hoping that he would accept her cuddling into him. Being alone so many days of her life, she just wanted the company of someone. She was likely not to want it from anyone else, but Shujaa.. There was something about him.
"I can move, if you want." She finally said, offering him a way out.
Shujaa:
Shujaa was a little surprised when she joined him on his nest and cuddled up to him, tucking her head under his chin. It was a new, different feeling for him, a contact he'd never really encountered.
When she asked if he wanted her to move, one heavy paw was thrown over her side, tugging her closer and holding her secure.
"The rain could make it cold, this it probably best," he replied and gave in to the urge to nuzzle the back of her neck.
Raynah:
When he placed his paw over her, and pulled her closer, she couldnt help but smile. A purr radiated out from her throat. She liked this feeling.. It was new, but she liked it.
"Yeah, it probably would. We wouldnt want to get cold." She said back, making sure she was snuggled tightly into him.
"I've never had a friend like you Shujaa." She said, tilting her head back so she could look him in the eyes.
Shujaa:
Shujaa's ears pricked forward, his eyes closed as he listened to her speak. Of course she was agreeing with him, it was a very logical conclusion, after all.
He felt her move, twist in his hold as she spoke again. His eyes opened, meeting hers for a moment before he closed them again.
"I've never had a friend," he replied, rubbing his cheek against her fur.
Raynah:
"I've never had a friend either. You're pretty good for the first." She smiled, closing her eyes and relaxing against him. She was warm, and happy.. and totally falling asleep. She yawned once, and her tail stopped fidgeting.
"Goodnight, Shujaa."
