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 Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:11 pm
 Zuri looked around carefully as she walked, cautious of everything around her. Her mother had warned her not to venture off too far, but Zuri chose to neglect her mother's wishes. It couldn't be too dangerous to wander out by herself now, could it? Oh, she was only a cub, she knew she wouldn't be able to defend herself against every threat that would cross her path. In fact, she would prefer not to have to defend herself at all. If she had to defend herself, that'd mean there was danger. And danger is certainly something she didn't want.
If Zuri got in any form of trouble or danger, she wouldn't know what to do. Run? Fight back? Scream for help? Perhaps wandering off on her own wasn't the smartest idea after all. Zuri gulped, now getting truly afraid of what may happen to her. The sun was starting to set, it wouldn't be too long before its dark out. Hopefully her mother was looking for her...
Zuri turned back, deciding it may be best to run home. Zuri's nervous face morphed into a face expressing panic. Which way exactly was home? Zuri looked down to the ground to try and follow her paw prints back, after all, they may leave quite a trail. There were faint prints, but it would involve to much concentration to track them all the way back home; concentration that was also needed to make sure she is in a safe area.
"Hello?" shouted out Zuri, hoping there was some gentle being out there to help her return home. She doubted anything had heard her, or anything that Zuri would feel safe around at least. The area around her wasn't quite comforting.
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:39 pm
Neus hadn't wandered this far out of the graveyard since he'd first met Mafa on the borders. Hopefully this trip wouldn't end as poorly as the first one - hopefully his back leg was a good enough reminder of the dangers. The grey pup paused and sniffed the air, his ears flicking nervously.
Lion.
A low rumble began in his chest and worked its way up to his throat. The hair on his back stood high, tail straight out from his body. But his right hind leg remained stubbornly useless, and the growl was quelled. What could he do, challenge it? A full-grown lion would make a meal out of him before he could scream.
So maybe just a cautious investigation would be good. Slinking through the boneyard, Neus crept towards the source of the smell, green-grey eyes glittering in the growing darkness.
"A cub?"
The pup hesitated, uncertain what to do. She looked so lost, and alone. Like he had been...
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:46 pm
Zuri's body turned sharply to the sound of a faint noise. In front of her now stood a hyena of white and grey fur, the grey not too different from Zuri's own fur. In another light, another setting, Zuri might not have been so afraid. But under the current conditions, Zuri was completely terrified.
"Please, don't hurt me," said Zuri with a shaken tone in her voice as she took a step back, away from the hyena. "I'm only a cub. You wouldn't hurt a cub now would you?"
Zuri paused as her eyes widened, now worrying and scaring herself.
"Would you?" Zuri asked softly, taking a few more small steps back. Had the hyena been aggressive, he probably would have attacked by now, but he seemed to have hesitated at first. Zuri stood, now unsure on how to react or what to do next. She tried to swallow, but her throat was dead dry. Her entire body felt chilled in absolute fright.
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:30 pm
Her voice shocked him out of his thoughts, and brought him back to reality. The pup knew he should attack, he knew Mafa would punish him if she found out he'd left a lion cub alive, but... how could he? It was too familiar...
"No." The pup spoke gruffly. "But others would make a meal out of you."
He sat and scratched idly at one ear, wondering what he should do. Maybe Mafa wouldn't be mad. After all, she didn't really want an angry lion family descending on their pack. Especially with the new pups that kept showing up. Neus winced - they were part of the reason he'd gone out this far in the first place, hunting prey for their meals. Finally, with a sigh, he sat up straight and looked the frightened cub in the eyes. "Do you have a mother, kid?"
More than he had. "If you do, you'd better leave. Now. Go home."
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:38 pm
"Thank you," said Zuri with a sigh of relief. Zuri paused, unsure of what to do next. She was still unsure of exactly which way is home. Zuri looked around, a bit nervous.
"That's the thing...," said Zuri nervously, hoping she wasn't going to be pushing her luck. "I don't remember exactly how I got here. I was just walking and, well, ended up at these parts. Could you direct me on my way out of these lands? The nearest way out of here, most likely, I haven't been travelling for too long."
Zuri looked down at her paws, ashamed. Oh, lost, confused and afraid. Zuri's first night out on her own certainly wasn't going too well. The sun continued setting as the skies grew darker. Hopefully she'd be home before its too dark.
"Please?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:48 pm
Neus didn't reply at first. He studied the cub, noting her nervous, confused glances and knowing immediatly what was wrong. He frowned and swore under his breath. He'd been telling the truth though - there -were- those out there who would eat her without a second thought. Probably some in his own pack.
So could he just leave her here to stumble into another predator? The frown eased as he reached his conclusion.
"Where did you come from? Can't get you back there if I don't know where I'm heading." He muttered and sniffed at the air. Damn. Others were nearby. They'd have to get moving quickly, or risk being caught.
"Your paw prints. Can you follow them back?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:57 pm
"I think so," said Zuri nervously. "I just also need to pay attention on what's going on around me. I'll start finding my track back...could you make sure nothing is coming though? I can trust you to do that, yes?"
Zuri gave a nervous smile and then directed her attention down to the ground, starting to slowly follow her prints as well as she could. She had no other choice to trust the hyena. Hopefully the hyena would warn her if anything was indeed coming at her though. She moved rather quickly and as quietly as she could. She didn't get too far before she stopped to turn back to the hyena, to get another look at him and see if he was watching.
"I'm Zuri, by the way," she whispered. Not that it mattered too much, but she felt she should introduce herself, even if she was already on her route home.
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:23 pm
"Yeah, sure kid."
Tss. Of course she could. He was as good as his word, wasn't he? Besides, it was his neck at stake too. If he was caught helping a lion cub out of hyena lands...
There were little mouths to be fed now, and Zuri would privide a fine start.
Shaking his head, the juvenile padded softly (except for the faint dragging of his back leg) after the cub. He wished they didn't have to follow the prints exactly - he'd rather stay downwind from the others he scented earlier. Less chance of being caught.
"Zuri." The grey juve nodded curtly. Good name, short and to the point. "Neus."
Damn. The scent was getting close - someone unknown though. If she slowed, he'd ditch her. He wouldn't risk his hide (anymore than he already was) to save a lion, even if it was a lost little one like he'd been once. "Hurry up, if you don't want to get caught."
Everyone had to learn lessons.
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:40 pm
Zuri's eyes widened in fright, she heard something approaching. Zuri began to speed up her pace drastically as she ran off a few yards and then leapt to hide behind a rock stray of the path of her earlier paw prints.
Hiding behind the rock, Zuri took a deep breath in and exhaled deeply. It was continuosly getting darker, but out in the horizion, Zuri recognized her home. It was a long distance away, but she should be able to make it before it gets too dark. Hopefully. It all depends on how long she would have to hide for.
She peeked her head out a tiny bit from the rock to see if there was anything nearby or what was going on. She didn't stick out too much of her body, only a small portion of her face so she can see. If anything would look in her direction, she would promptly return to hiding, or in worse case scenarios, run.
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:10 pm
Neus swore and trotted as quickly as he could towards a mount of bones. One advantage of his pale coat in the boneyard - he could hide and no one would see him in lurking behind the erie piles.
Bones rattles against each other and rocks clattered down. Someone whispered and muttered, then laughed, a high pitched eldritch sound that fluttered out of the darkness. Neus winced and crouched lower, praying that Zuri had hidden well.
He wasn't sure what he would do if she was caught...
But the other retreated, and with them the sounds faded into the night. Silence regained it's hold and Neus let out a sigh of relief. Hauling himself up, he padded forwards and sniffed out the cub.
"Let's go, kid. Hurry."
There was no moon yet, but the stars that had come out were casting their light down on the boneyard with startling clarity. The landscape became an erie mix of shadow and faintly glowing bones.
He shivered. It was beautiful - and unearthly.
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:17 pm
Zuri nodded at Neus and began to follow the tracks that she left behind, staying low down to the ground, hoping nobody would aroudn her would notice. Her legs were shaky in fear, but she tried to be brave and continue going on. She had no other choice.
"Thanks," she whispered softly as she walked. The hyena, Neus, was definetly one that she could trust afterall. If he hadn't been, well, he probably would have attacked or killed her by now. Zuri was definetly thankful that this hyena had a heart.
The area around her was very uncomforting, a vast area furnished with skeletons of large living creatures. For a moment, Zuri wondered wha happened to them, how they all died. Surely the hyenas must have killed them, but it still seemed illogical for hyenas to be able to kill such a massive creature. Or perhaps Zuri is underestimating the true power of a hyena?
It then occured to Zuri that she was even luckier than she had thought to find a hyena that would actually take care of her. If a hyena could take down a massive creature such as those whose bones lie before her, with out a doubt it would have no probem tearing apart Zuri.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:39 am
He stalked tensely behind the small cub, eyes scanning the eldritch scenery with a critical eye. It was hunting time, after all - night had just fallen. It was the best time to catch creatures tired and returning home to rest. Neus muttered softly to himself and padded forwards until he was next to the cub.
Maybe if he stood closer to her anyone looking would only see one small, scrawny hyena pup. NOT a hyena pup and a lion cub together.
"How much farther, girl?"
No new threatening scents tingled in his nose, but still. He'd rather not be in the company of a lion anyways, even a cub. Now her scent would be all over him and he'd have to explain himself to the others. Maybe he could pretend he ate her or something... eh. Maybe he'd just take a bath.
A new thought occured to him. "When we get close enough, I'm leaving. Your parents probably don't want you wandering around with a hyena anyways."
As much as he wished he could, with his crippled leg and youthfulness he didn't think he could take on a full grown lion. Well, not if he expected to walk away alive and in one piece.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:09 pm
"I only have a mother, I don't know if she'd mind too much, especially since you took care of me. But if you'd just feel uncomfortable, then I understand," said Zuri with a tiny toothy smile to Neus, her first friend.
It then occured to Zuri that Neus indeed was her first friend. They had really only just met and in the strangest of situations, but Zuri was able to trust him, which was all Zuri needed to declare someone a friend. She wondered if Neus considered her the same.
"Neus, would you consider me a...friend?" asked Zuri, feeling that it was somewhat stupid question to ask. "I don't really know much about friendship, but I guess you are a friend to me, in a way."
In the corner of her eye, Zuri recognized a tree out in the distance, signifying they were coming close to home. However, Zuri chose not to react so she could spend a bit more of time with Neus.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:48 pm
"A mother is better than nuthin', kiddo." Neus didn't have anything more than a few memories, and even these seemed to be slipping quickly out of his grasp. But maybe he wasn't missing too much - he could take care of himself. He didn't need anyone.
Right? ... right.
"A friend? Sorry kid, you're a lion." He didn't elaborate. Friend? Maybe once before, a long time ago. But now? No. He didn't think he'd ever really have friends. Just... strangers and not-strangers.
Friends just held you back.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:01 pm
"Oh," she said, only a little disappointed. "Its alright, I understand. You're a hyena."
Zuri gave a nod, acting as if she fully understood, though in actuality, she hardly understood. She did understand that hyenas and lions were different and weren't neccessarily always on the 'friendliest' of terms, but she didn't understand why that meant that they couldn't be friends. Maybe Neus just misunderstood lions.
Perhaps there was more to know about hyenas afterall.
"Well, we are getting close, that tree over there isn't too far from where I live," said Zuri, feeling a bit defeated, yet, still victorious. While she was wandering for no reason, she felt that something had been accomplished, she had met a friend, whether or not he considered her the same.
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