Shinsei walked through the roguelands evenly, pace metered by the ratel dozing on her back, eyes shut in deep slumber as they crossed the grass and shrub. Shinsei would have loved to run, but travelling with Gatita made it hard, and the female moved carefully, eyes ahead as she continued to travel, sighing. There was dust in the air and dirt everywhere, and she could cover more ground running, but for now, Gatita made running near-impossible. Shinsei didn't dare let the female off or fall behind for fear the ratel would kill her, and Gatita didn't do anything to fend the thoughts off. Shinsei stopped by a spring as she settled, laying and drinking, and Gatita stirred, the ratel baring sharp teeth while yawning, before sliding off to drink herself. Shinsei looked over, before catching a fish, placing it before the ratel who tore in calmly, and Shinsei looked around. All around, there was nothing, and she shook herself out, stretching breifly before looking around, drinking again once. Gatita sniffed, stopping, and grumbled.
"Company."
Shinsei looked up as a male leopard prowled to the shore, eyes locking on the two as he drank, sizing them up. The cheetah was tiny, Mauji decided. He wasn't used to the small breed of feline, and he wondered if she was some form of underfed leopard, frowning as he drank. She seemed to dance in place, and he wondered if she was emaciated. The leopard then studied the ratel with her fish, snorting. Was that tiny little monster responsible? Mauji snorted, shaking his head as he moved a bit, pacing, watching. He couldn't fend off a ratel, not easily, and the slender female was baffling. What was wrong with it? Curiousity finally won and he moved over calmly, carrying himself like royalty.
Shinsei looked up at the male when he approached, and her ears went back at his motions. He didn't seem-- right, not really, but he also didn't seem fully wrong. His eyes flicked from watching her to watching Gatita, and she became vaguely aware the ratel was keeping him at bay. Shinsei moved closer, and Gatita snorted, looking in the male's general direction.
She scented blood on this male. Gatita didn't like that, the ratel shaking herself out, and snarled, baring sharp, lethal teeth.
"This is MY area and MY companion, male. You'd best move off elsewhere." Gatita warned.
Mauji could've laughed. The ratel never looked directly at him, indicating to him she was blind, and he wondered if her survival was luck. The male grinned too, realizing once closer the female wasn't a leopard-- too small, and her body wasn't shaped right. Whatever she was, she was weaker, easy prey for slavery, or even a good hunt. He grinned, a dark grin, one warning of malice.
"Is it? And how do you plan to enforce what you cannot see?"
Shinsei pinned her ears back, watching the male as he moved, his stance becoming hunterly, and she felt fear grip her chest. The female took a stepo back, frowning.
"Look, we don't want trouble." She pinned her ears further, trying to look small. This amused the male, who simply moved forwards, grinning more.
"Oh, that's a bit late to say, little kitty... A bit late indeed..." He grinned, and moved to lunge.
Gatita gave a little noise, before jumping at the male with surprising accuracy, clamping down. Mauji roared, snarling and tried biting, pulling her off and tearing a bit of his skin, the ratel wriggling and biting down on his muzzle as he snarled, biting harder. He was annoyed-- his fangs weren't peircing her hide, and he was angry. The ratel, however, simply attacked, biting, clawing, tearing at him, trying to find his eyes as they struggled.
Shinsei squared her shoulders, and growled. He was bigger than Mah'Rie'Meiah but she fought off a lioness, and with Gatita... She'd fight off this leopard, and the female lunged, swiping at his face as well, fangs baring. Mauji half snarled, half yowled as her claws sliced down his left side, leaving a gash down his face before Gatita tore into a leg, and the male felt bones crunch, snarling as he moved back. Blood seeped from the broken leg, and he couldn't pl;ace weight on it, but je did snap at the ratel, Shinsei bodily throwing herself into him, claws ripping in, forcing him to yeowl as she started biting. Mauji bit back, but she danced out of the way, squirming free when he even got some grip before he could clamp down fully, and Gatita struck again, latching to his maw. Mauji screamed, and threw the ratel off. He was bleeding, his face covered in gashes, and he moved back, fangs befored. Shinsei styood over Gatita, snarling back, and the ratel rolled to her feet, issuing a challenging noise. Mauji hissed, stepping back before the ratel could strike, and he eyed her, coursely. The small feline he could fight. That little ratel-thing.. Hell no. Thaqt albino was crazy. Gatita growled again, and Mauji limped back, frowning in uncertainty. OK. He couldn't fight that thing. At all. Another warning snarl, and the male moved off, limping with a growl. His luck after killing that lioness. It sucked.
Shinsei waited until the male was gone before looking down at Gatita, grooming the ratel gratefully, and she settled smugly, allowing it.
"Idiot leopard." The ratel huffed, stretching under the grooming. "I warned him. Honestly."
Shinsei smiled, laughing a bit.
"Yeah, from what I was told, fighting ratels is pretty stupid."
"It is." Gatita rose, shaking herself. "But you're fine. Smarter than he was, at any rate."
Shinsei smiled, shrugging before looking out, and moved, taking another drink.
"You okay, Gatita?"
"I'm fine. Thick skin. You?"
"Nicked, but OK." Shinsei stretched, moving to lift the ratel. Gatita allowed it passively, and once placed by water, knelt, taking a sip of water herself. The ratel stretched, then nodded.
"Good. We should move on, before that idiot male decides to try again, busted leg or not."
"Alright." Shinsei lay down, and Gatita snuffled about, looking around by scent before climbing onto the cheetah's back, growling to herself, and Shinsei rose, looking outward. Gatita nodded, and settled, as Shinsei moved at a light trot, humming happily as they continued on. Gatita, shje decided, was definaitely good to have around, and they began to tyravel together once again, happily feeling a good deal safer.
-Fin-
