The colony was getting busy. Isamu had a lot of work to do, going up and down the mountain to trade. Thankfully he had help with his lioness servant, and he took good care of her in exchange for good work. Hopefully it would remain a good relationship; Isamu couldn't imagine doing all this work without a partner to drag the goods back up with him, lion or not. He had just returned with a good trade, mostly trinkets for the vain and some dried meat. It wasn't easy to eat, but it was good to store in case the hunters came up empty. He wasn't going to let his mate go hungry.
Speaking of...
"Isamu!" Upala's entire face brightened as she saw her mate coming up to her. They hadn't been together for a long time, but she still couldn't help but rush up to him and nuzzle him. "Its so good to see you," she said with a hint of a laugh, pacing around the tired blue leopard. "Come on, let's get you warmed up."
They walked side by side to their little corner in the den, barely big enough for them, their servant, and their supplies. It was a snug space, but well worth it. Zhaleh was there already, tucking away the new dried meat before going to deliver the bulk of the supply. Isamu kept a bit of the surplus, but he was trying to be giving in what he could for the overall colony. He and Upala were not originally from the colony, and as such he wanted to make sure that his loyalty was known. His home pride was far away, deep within a forest. He missed it to a point, but always being under the shadow and disappointment of his mother was hard. He had said goodbye, and realized only then that he didn't completely understand his mother until she finally showed more emotions at that point. Regardless, he still left. His future was with Upala, and at her insistence they came here. He was not used to the cold, and had a tough time thawing out after a trading trip.
"Come here," she purred, and he let himself lay on the cold ground. She came over and laid her warm belly on his paws, helping to ease the cold while spending time being close to one another. "There. Boy, your feet are cold. We need to get you something to protect them when you're climbing back up."
"Maybe soon, love," he agreed. He needed more furs...perhaps he could get something soon from a hunter. "Brrrr. Its only going to get worse, isn't it?"
"I think so," Upala sighed. "I don't know about the weather around here much, but its the season for it to get colder." Upala hadn't been born on a mountain, but she coped with the snow much better than her mate. She helped thaw him out when he got home, and perhaps a bit more than that. Heh...well, she had to warm him up somehow.
"Just let me help you warm up and you'll be fine," she giggled, nuzzling him again.
"Hey, hey," he laughed. He wasn't quite ready for that yet, still feeling as frigid as ever. "Any news?" He wondered if anything had changed around here while he was gone, even if it was only for a couple days.
"No, everything is good. I think we're adjusting to the changing season well, though getting some food storage is smart. Its not the best thing to eat, but..." She glanced back at their own personal bit of dried meat, wincing at it. She always preferred fresh (if cold), but survival was pretty important.
"Its food. You'll eat it."
"I know, but...ugh." Gross! Oh well. "Still, I need to get more furs for you, you're freezing! She shifted a bit on his feet, starting to feel the coldness drift off against her belly. "You should trade more of the extra for some, and soon. Like you said, its only going to get worse. I don't need my mate to lose his feet because he's too stubborn to use them!"
"Fine, fine," he sighed. He didn't want to lose his surplus, but Upala had a point. "I'll start that tomorrow, when the sun is high and it won't be quite so cold. Use your time to see if anyone's got some extras." They had a few furs, but they weren't the best quality. Still, something was better than nothing, and as long as they were warm it would be ok. Zhaleh always seemed ok with what life handed her, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure she had enough furs to keep her warm. Isamu couldn't do this work alone, and it was easier to not need to split profits if he got a leopard partner.
"Good." She sniffed. "I'll hold you to it."
Isamu dreaded that. He knew that she would. Ugh, well, perhaps he should start earlier than noon, if Upala was going to keep an eye on what he came home with tomorrow. "Well, my feet are getting warm....how about my tail?" He received a swap for that comment, and he laughed.
"Your tail is just fine, you silly male." Her own tail twitched behind her as she said that, giving him a sly look. She rolled onto him now, instead of just his feet.
"Oof! Not fair!"
"Hey, don't your dare insinuate that I'm heavy." She wasn't that vain, but it was an easy way to get him shaken up. She liked playing around with him, physically and emotionally.
"You're full grown, my love," he grumbled. "I didn't say anything. You're just trying to turn this into a tussle."
Without saying anything Upala grabbed his ear, growling at bit as she rolled more again. He had to give in, since he would lose his ear otherwise! He tried to kick her off with his back feet, but he was still tired from his return trek. She had him pinned without much of a struggle.
"And I win," she grinned, finally releasing his ear and smiling triumphantly. "Now you're my little slave."
"And when am I not?" he sighed, though peering up at her with the beginning of a grin in the corner of his mouth.
"Never," she said, and claimed her prize.
(1,056 words)