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Ikkio paced along the roots of the tree that Daddy had built their home into and muttered unhappily to herself. Where was her sister. They were supposed to go out and play, and Ikkio had been waiting forever!

It was probably not forever, really. Maybe a minute or so, at most. But Ikkio was bored. Ikkio was often bored, and she hated it. She amused herself, usually, by messing with people and playing with animals, but it was painful. And she was not happy. She kicked the tree root briefly, grumbling.

"Ikuri!" she called. Where was her sister? Getting that Mammu, probably. It was so unfair, that her sister would get such a spectacularly fluffy creature. Ikkio wanted it. At least she had a pet of her own, finally.

"Ikuri, come on!" Patience was not a virtue of Ikkio's, at least not yet. It was a minute and a half now, at most.

Finally. There she was. With her mammu. Gods, Ikkio wanted that Mammu. She put her hand posessively on Zumurundi's back. He was small, now, but he'd grow. Ikkio knew it.

"Hmm." she said, thoughtful. Tag was fun, but Ikkio had been waiting and she wanted something more.
"Lets go explore. In the jungle." she said, smiling. Yes. That was more fun.

Well, paths were boring... except not really. They were trodden and only went in one direction, but you found interesting things on them sometimes. Like people. People were fun.

"Lets start on the path." she said, as if the suggestion had been hers. Truth was, she was making it up as she went. Ikkio had no idea what she wanted to do. But she wasn't going to tell Ikuri that. Ikuri had to think that Ikkio was in charge. That was how it worked. That was how Ikkio won. "And then, if its boring, we go into the jungle and play there."

Good. Of course good. Obviously good. "Yes it does" she said, stomping out ahead with an exaggerated gait.

Zumurundi sniffed Loxy before giving the pygmy mammu a crooning purr and a headbutting nuzzle. The juvenile Radaku liked the little Mammu, and especially its soft fluffy fur. He wanted to cuddle the Mammu further, but his master had gone on ahead and he didn't want to upset her by lagging. He gave Loxy another snuggle and an apologetic bark before bounding ahead to trot alongside Ikkio, his green eyes staring at her with a mixture of awe and respect. And fear.

Ikkio didn't know why her sister was bringing up the war. What was war anyway? Ikkio didn't know. She didn't understand. She didn't care. "Yeah." she said, "What about it?" she turned to watch her sister carefully. It was a stupid question, but Ikuri had asked it for a reason. "Are you worried?" she asked. She didn't see any reason to be worried, but she also didn't understand this War thing and a lot of people were worried.

Ikkio thought for a moment, skipping along the path. Should she be worried? Well, she wasn't. Mommy was going to war. What did it matter, really? She stopped. "No." she said, shrugging. "I'm not worried about Mommy." she frowned, "I dunno why everybody else is worried." She went back to skipping. "We're gonna win anyway." that much was clear. Everybody she knew was strong, even (grudgingly) her sister. Though Mommy was the strongest. That she was sure of. Because she was mommy, obviously.

Zumurundi bounded along beside his master, skidding as she stopped, his head bowed apologetically as he waited for her to catch up before bounding along beside her again. He sniffed the air and barked. Someone was there!

Ikkio looked at Zumurundi, briefly annoyed. Why was he making noise? But he'd stopped. Good boy.

These days Jahuar had many travellers on it's paths. The jungle lured them in with promises of treasure and trapped them in its beauty, tangling them in root and web. Most of the travellers hadn't come out alive. This leaf woman didn't know that as she tromped through what, to her, seemed a paradise of food and water. She didn't know how lucky she was to have made it so close to Ast at all, or how lucky it was that she would soon meet two others on the path..

Ikkio liked the idea of celebrations! Parties were fun, when they had them. They didn't have them so much with the war coming, but maybe later...

Ikkio stopped - she heard the noise too. The decision fell to her, as it rightly should, and possibilities flashed through her head. "Lets hide," she said, darting to the side of the path, "And see what it is!" Already she had ideas on what to do with whatever was approaching. Friend or foe or neither, she and her sister could still have fun.

Or at least she could.
"C'mon." she said, "lets get up in the trees."

Zumurundi growled towards the approaching person, quietly, since he could tell he was needed to be quiet. He stayed out in the path until Ikkio and Ikuri had gotten themselves hidden, then he trotted over to Loxy to help the mammu hide. Poor Loxy! The radaku gave him a soft croon and nudged him further into the bushes, trying to block the Mammu's bright bulk with his own subtle greens. He had to help his friend!

It was a lady. A really strange lady with dark brown skin and pink crystals and muddy brown hair. Eww. Ikkio made a face. Brown hair was kind of icky. The lady needed to wash her hair.

Other than her gross dirty brown hair and skin, the lady looked harmless enough.

"We play with her." she said, watching the lady scornfully. "I have an idea." she said, beginning to smile with anticipation. "You drop in front of her and talk to her. I'll sneak up behind her and surprise her!" she whispered.

This could be fun. Lots of fun.

Good. Ikuri was lying well. Ikkio gently leapt from branch to branch until she was just above the woman. She hesitated before she was to drop down and startle her - she'd just remembered.

She'd been trying to get Ikuri in trouble for some time - revenge for a nearly-forgotten and likely only percieved slight - but Ikuri, little miss perfect, seemed impervious to it. How, wondered ikkio, could she somehow manipulate this so that Ikuri got in trouble? Or hurt?

The woman frowned, concerned. "All alone?!" she was horrified. She was desperate for food and water, and more than a little scared, and someone let their small child run amok in this... place?! She stood up. "Show me where you live, sweetie." she began. She wasn't going to let a little girl be off out here by herself, and besides if her home was nearby, so was food, water, and shelter.

Ikkio frowned. She couldn't think about getting Ikuri in trouble anymore! This was too perfect! She dropped down onto the woman's shoulders with a cry and held onto her neck and shoulders, kicking until she got her balance. "I got her Ikuri!" she called out, peeking over the woman's shoulder, "I got her!"