Kryb didn’t like night time much- it was too dark and she could never figure out which way she was going. Not that she was very good at that during the day, but still. There had to be a better way about navigating in the dark than blindly walking and hoping for the best. But she was not blessed with the best sight, and that was even worse when everything was pitch black around her. Those lions and such, they were lucky- they could see in the dark where she couldn’t. Sighing heavily, the wild dog continued along her path, hoping to make a little more headway before finding a place to rest for the night. All the trees she was running into, however, was making it clear she needed to reconsider her idea. Maybe it was better to just wait for the sun.
She stood a much better chance of finding her way in the daylight.
“My my, you’re not very good at walking, are you?” A voice said from above her, Kryb tensing suddenly.
“Who’s there?!” She barked, to which she was met with a laugh and a thud somewhere behind her. Whoever it was had jumped from her perch in the trees, to be more level with the dog she had frightened.
“Don’t worry,” the voice cooed with genuine calm, “I’m not going to hurt you. My name’s Bato. You really can’t see where you’re going, can you?” She asked, moving to stand directly in front of the other. It was only then that the wild dog could see the figure of a leopard in the darkness, white with dark speckles. She couldn’t tell if they were black or just a dark color of some kind, but she thought better than to ask about it. There was no telling what might make the larger animal turn against her.
She really didn’t want to try and fight a leopard, who could see perfectly well in the dark while her nose remained attracted to any tree within several feet of her.
“My name is Kryb, and no, I can’t see. I can barely see during the day, much less at night!” She huffed, plonking down on her hind quarters. The sleek leopard laughed, circling around her slowly. Still, there didn’t seem to be anything threatening about her movements, like she was just looking the other over. Good.
It helped Kryb relax a bit.
“That must be very hard. But why are you moving around at night if you know you can’t see very well? Wouldn’t it be better for you to find somewhere to sleep until the morning came?” Asked the leopard, sitting down again once she had gotten a good look at the other. Kryb sighed.
“I’m looking for someone I used to know, and I thought I might cover as much distance as possible before getting to sleep. I know where they are, and I just… want to get to them. But I hope I don’t end up getting myself lost in the process. Maybe I should just find somewhere to sleep for the night…” she sounded defeated, which Bato didn’t really like to hear, especially since she felt her comments had brought on the gloom. Not what she had been intending at all! So she sighed and offered the other a kind sort of smile, even though she wasn’t so sure Kryb could see anything but a whiteish blob in the darkness.
“Why don’t you explain to me where you’re going, and I’ll be your eyes for you? I don’t have anywhere to be, and I love travel. So it would be fun to tag along anyway. And I don’t have to go the whole way- just for tonight until you get tired. I’ll make sure you don’t run into any more tress.”
“Really, you would do that for me, even though we only just met?” Kryb ask, to which the leopard gave a nod so wild even the wild dog could see it in the darkness of the night. She smiled, feeling a rush of glee fill her. “Thank you! I don’t know how much further we can go, but I would be happy to have a guide! Are you sure you don’t mind? We might end up walking for a few hours more- you could end up quite far from your home before I decide to go to sleep…”
“That’s alright- this isn’t really my home. I live where ever I stop, you know?”
“I understand, and thank you. But if that’s the case, you’re free to come along with me as long as you like- you don’t have to leave once the day breaks. You know, if you want to hang around a silly, mostly blind wild dog, I mean.”
“Can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing,” laughed the leopard. She listened as Kryb began to explain where she was going- a rocky area where an old pack had once resided. Apparently she had heard rumors that some of her old kin still remained there, and wanted to check things out. She had left years ago when war tore the pack apart. They had been scattered by invaders. It was all very interesting, though Bato was more interested in the location than the history behind it. She really did like going place more than anything else in the world- traveling was the life for her. Just the idea that Kryb had once been in a pack made her uncomfortable. One place for all of her life? It seemed… so boring.
Her paws were always so restless.
“I think I know the place you’re talking about,” she said once Kryb had finished explaining, “I should be able to get you there, no problem! Lucky I came along, too, as you started to get a bit off course with all the tree bumping.” She chuckled and nudged the wild dog, directing her towards the correct direction once again. “Come on! What are we waiting around here for? We have a pack to find, don’t we?”
“I dare say we do!” Laughed Kryb, “thank you… I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Just getting to see something new is payment enough, now let’s go!”
And away they went.