Welcome to Gaia! ::

The red maned cub sighed softly from his shelter under a large tree. Here he was hidden and protected from the larger nightime predators, but he could still look up at the stars.

He was tired, he should be sleeping in the burrow he had dug under the roots of the tree, but he didn't want to just yet. He felt draw to lay here in the cool night air under the stars. Was his mother up there watching over him?

He sighed and laid his head down, chin resting on the earth. Idlly he pawed at the charm around his neck, a silent tear rolled down his cheek as he closed his eyes.

The cub's ears twitched at the sound of the approaching canine and his head snapped up to search for the source. Living alone one's senses became very keen, always on the alert for possible danger, especially from predators. But...this wasn't a predator? It seemed smaller, closer to his own size, and it didn't move or smell like a predator.

He watched, pale eyes settling on the canine's form, picking out the colors of silver and grey. Wait, he'd once met another cub with those colors; but no, this couldn't be him, the scent was different and now that he thought about it so was the color.

Juhudi stood, and perhaps braver than he should be, stepped from the shadows in an attempt to get a better look. For some reason he felt drawn too, perhaps this would be a friend.

The moonlight shone down on the cub's coat, illuminating his small form, his eyes glowing with reflected light. Surely he had been seen, there was no hiding that irridescent white fur.

The cub stood silent and still, eyes focused on the approaching canine. Juhudi dared not move, that could be perceived as a threat, which in turn was a sure way to draw an attack, something he wasn't especially keen on. He knew he had been seen, and though instinct told him it would be smarter to retreat, he couldn't. He remained where he stood, frozen by curiousity and a desire that he could not explain.

As the pup drew closer, Juhudi could clearly see his form and the patters on his fur. For a moment he thought he saw the stranger sparkle, but immediately dismissed it as his imagination, that wasn't possible was it? He soon realized that this wasn't a cat of any sort, it was a...dog? He'd never seen one before.

With a curious tilt of his head, the cub sniffed at Nafasi who now stood so close to him. He lifted one paw in a cautious step forward, his tail flicking lightly against the ground. Was the stranger friendly?

A moment later, his ears flicked, suddenly remember the danger of predators, especially to two young creatures with white coats that stood out so well against the dark sky.

"It....it's dangerous to be out here alone at night..."

Juhudi puffed out his chest and ruffled his mane, attempting to look very brave and fierce, at least as fierce as a lone lion cub could.

"I'm not afraid of the dark," he nodded his head definiately. "It's the bigger predators out in the dark that worries me..."

He ducked his head a bit, ears flicking in every direction, consciously searching for the faitest sound that might betray the presence of a predator.

At Nafasi's words, the cub lowered his head, ears and tail drooping as he started at the ground, shuffling his paws in the earth. He wasn't alone because he wanted to be, he wanted more than anything to be with his mother again; but she was gone and all he had left of her was the charm rattling around his neck in the breeze.

"I...I don't have a pride."

Juhudi looked up, the trace of a tear gleaming in his pale blue eyes, which he quickly wiped away with his paw. Nightime was the hardest for the cub, when the quiet dark allowed him to reflect and dwell on what had happened, and the stars reminded him of his mother. He used to watch the twinklings lights with her and ask questions and listen to the lessons she taught him.

"You're...alone too?"

His ears lifted in a sense of hope. This pup was a kindred spirit? Would he be a friend? Maybe they could be alone together, and then they...wouldn't be alone anymore.

"I'm Juhudi. Do...do you have someplace to stay?"

Juhudi nodded, he knew the feeling. Since his mother had died he hadn't had a permanent home either. He wandered and scavenged during the day, settling in a new shelter each night. Some nights you could barely call it shelter, but so long as it kept him hidden and protected from prowling predators it served it's purpose.

"I have a small shelter under that that tree over there," he paused to point. "It's not very big, but it's warm...you can share it with me if you like."

He paused, ears falling back, wondering if it was okay to ask what he was thinking of.

"A...and in the morning we could look for...a better one." He looked down at his paws, shuffling them in the dirt once more. "If..if you wanted to that is."

Juhudi looked up, ears upright, a sparkle in his eyes. He had found a friend, a kindred spirit, and he didn't have to be alone anymore. A huge weight lifted from his shoulder and he bounded happily toward his new friend,

"You think so?" the cub tilted his head to look up at the stars.

He had always wondered if his mother was up there watching, but he didn't know anyone else thought that. Then maybe he had been right. After several moments of watching the stars, he nodded, determined that what Nafasi had said was true.

"Then we'd better make sure we have lots of good stories to tell them."

He flashed a goofy grin at the pup before turning to face the tree that would serve as shelter for the night. He looked back over his shoulder, his tail flicking, perhaps an attempted imitation of Nafasi's previous genture.

"We should get some sleep then, so we can get an early start in the morning."

Juhudi nodded enthusiastically, bouncing on his paws. He was so exited he couldn't help the rumbling purr that echoed in his chest. There were others out there like them? Surely there must be, others that would join them, and they'd all have a family together.

"Yeah...we could be called a umm...pride...pack...herd...a pr...ack...erd."

Well that didn't sound right, oh well, there'd be plenty of time to think up a name. He bounced in a circle around his exited friend and nudged him toward the shelter. The sooner they went to sleep, the sooner morning would come and the sooner they could start looking for their new home...together.