Alonya had done it - she had crossed the border on her own! She was sure someone had noticed, and would be there to pull her back into the safety of the lands soon enough. She was suprised at how soft and dry the sand was beneath her feet. She remembered the drought quite clealy in her mind, but the ground hadn’t felt like this. It had been, at first, a stinking sucking mud that pulled in her paws until the ground completely dried. It was a hard as a rock after that, nothing like what she was feeling now.
It was like stepping onto a cloud. She gasped softly, taking in the area beyond the border. She wasn’t sure how long her wonderment would last, but she pressed forward. She could vaguely remember a large tree halfway between somewhere, where she’d met some of her siblings once.
She couldn’t remember the feeling of the ground though. It felt new, exciting.
The young cheetah made her way towards the tree, nearly bouncing with her excitement of finally being out. She would return to her home willingly, as soon as someone spoke to her about it, but not now. She was also sure she could have asked her littermate or father or... Hell, anyone in her family. She had plenty of siblings that fit the criteria for a hybrid.
She was also sure her father would say that the mischvious joy of escaping herself came from both her parents, not just her mother. She grinned as she made her way to the spot from her memories. It was normally an emply place, being so close to a graveyard...
But that didn’t stop Alonya from flinching away from another figure standing on the shrore of a watering hole that she barely recognized in itself. Perhaps she should leave, the regret washing over her suddenly.
Her abrupt movement, however, did attract the attention of the other shape, and she shrunk back from the bright-eyed stare that zeored in on her. The figure looked somewhat dark in the distance, and Alonya gulped. Wings spread from the back of the shape and suddenly seperated from it.
It took Alonya longer than she’d like to admit that she didn’t know the figure was a bird. The avian had spread its wings, landing graciously before her. It clacked its beak twice, tilting its head, before calling back out towards the figure.
“Um...” Alonya said softly, uncertain in the approach of... Either figure, really. She sat, hunched into herself as if she could make herself smaller.
The other figured turned out to be a cheetah... One that wasn’t dark at all. The bright yellow pelt hadn’t been easy to see in the distance, but up close the other cheetah didn’t appear to be entirely threatening. Alonya gave a small, shy smile, but all she could say was a small ‘um...’ again.
Are smiled at the small cheetah, sitting before the other. Ilwe hopped back up onto Are’s shoulders, clackign his beak softly once again.
“She looks frightened,” Ilwe said, unhelpful and obvious, but Are gave a small nod anyway. She watched Alonya’s ears flick forward when Ilwe spoke, but Are shifted a bit to try to shine herself in a more positive light.
She didn’t speak directly back to Ilwe, but focused her attention on Alonya. “Hello, sweet one. My name is Are,” She started. Alonya’s eyes darted from Are back to the blue bird. Her eyes focused on him for a long moment. He wasn’t the first Raven she’d seen, but the first she’d seen so close.
Ilwe gave a kind chuckle, hopping down from Are’s shoulders to stand quite near Alonya again. Are watched the two with an uncharacteristic fondness. Normally, she’d just like to be on the move. She was somewhat already planning for the future already, but Are found that she was... Slower than before.
“My name is Alonya,” the smaller cheetah said softly, reaching out one of her paws to touch the bird. Ilwe played his part and allowed to touch to happen. He stayed completely still, trying not to startle the other cheetah. Alonya’s focus was almost completely on the bird, only turning back when she heard a small chuckle come from the other cheetah.
“This is Ilwe,” Are said with a small flourishing gesture towards her companion. She didn’t think that Alonya was a traveller like she was. No traveller would roam constantly and be this she or wonderstruck over simple things. She felt the fondness grow in her chest.
“Is your pride around here somewhere?” It was a simple question, but it brought Alonya’s attention completely back to the yellow cheetah. She looked back behind her towards the border before her pale blue eyes found Are’s again.
“Um, we’re not far from the border. I’m not actually supposed to be out here without an escort,” she gave Are a sheepish smile, her shoulders hunching back in again.
Are frowned and the demenour change. She wondered what that meant - was the other a noble or a royal? Thats the only thing that would make sense in her mind. She’d never encounted a noble so body shy though, but she gave a small nod instead.
“Would you like me to escort you back, then?” Are asked softly. She didn’t want to upset the other cheetah, especially not if she was running away from something or hiding from someone. Alonya frowned at the question - it was a completely valid question.
But it was also one she was quite uncertain about. Did she want to go back already? Or should she truck forward. She could travel! Maybe that would kill the empty feeling in her heart. But on the other paw, she definitely wasn’t ready to strike out on her own. She looked back at Ilwe who gave ger an encouraging sound.
It took a long beat of silence between the three of them before Alonya gave a small nod. She was nearly breathless with uncertainty. She could always try again if she truly wanted to leave, she’d be more prepared next time!
“Yes, can you take me home please?”