Okavango

[dakota]

Karensha looked down quickly when she heard the cub make a small sound and move one of his paws to rub against his head. Puzzled she looked around, she couldn't see any insects flying around annoying him, and then her gaze landed on the ground where a small pebble was laying.

Annoyance flashed through her, how dare he pick on a defenceless cub with his boorish behaviour. Her tail started to move back and forth over the dry earth, and one paw tapped on the ground. About to push herself to her paws and go have a little talk with him, well maybe she would really like to grab some of those matted locks and give them a good yank, she found she had to stop herself as Maji pushed in even harder against her chest, and she wasn't about to leave him alone.

Moving her head in his direction again she meet his eyes and gave him one of her sweetest smiles trying not to let her lips turn into a snarl, nodded and then bought her gaze back to Maji. Lowering her head to his, her tongue came out and swept across his head, soothing and calming him, and then Karensha lowered herself so she was lying now on her side, so her head faced Basilisk, but the cub still pulled into her body sheltering him the best she could.
"Go back to sleep little one, I'm here to keep you safe, don't worry about him, Karensha will 'look after' him soon enough.

Laying there, the snow leopard looked around the area, she needed the perfect spot to carry out what was running through her mind, ...she was going to help the lion in any way she could, to over come his little... habit.

[blaqknoise]

Basilisk looked at Karensha to see if he had gotten her with the small rock, it instead had hit the cub and he was rubbing his head with his paw.

"Crap, I didn't want to hit the cub." Basilisk said.

He was sure that the snow leopard was going to make her way over to him, but she instead gave him a smile.

"Odd, I would have thought that she would have done something about that. She's up to something, I know it."

Karnesha turned onto her side and was now facing him.

"I was right" Basilisk thought to himself.

He looked straight at her.

"Do your worst" He said, hoping that she was able to read his lips

[dakota]

Karensha lay there watching him, her mind ticking over various scenarios she could use, she was enjoying playing things out in her head, she hadn't had this much fun in along time. She wasn't out to hurt him as such, all those activities her father had made her learn, were only to inflict on her enemies, where as this one, just needed to learn a lesson.

The snow leopard dropped her eyes again to his mane, in one way it intrigued her, she wondered what it look and smelt like, then realising where her thoughts were leading, her gaze moved up to where he was mouthing something to her.
'Do your worst', filtered into her mind.

Karensha stared and then a grin broke out, covering her muzzle, she then slightly inclined her head at him in a nod, closed her eyes, and curled up more covering Maji as he slept.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lion kept watching her, it seemed perhaps that his disfigured face wasn't as offputting to her and the others around him, that it had been to others he had come upon, he wasn't sure why or how and that confused him.
He saw the cheelion lower her head slightly, letting her fur drop down to cover her eyes and she started to speak. Jabari leaned forward even more to catch her words.
I'm surprised that you haven't yet said any snappy comment about my... 'abnormality'." .

Taken aback by what she said, he almost stumbled over his back paws in surprise.
"Why would I critisize what you look like, I've lived long enough with this grotesque face of mine to know you shouldn't judge someone by what you look like."

[Kirsui]

"Why would I critisize what you look like, I've lived long enough with this grotesque face of mine to know you shouldn't judge someone by what you look like."

Sera released a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. She felt relieved, but she still was slightly wary of the cheetah's words. She wasn't sure if she should completely trust him even despite of what he said.

Somehow the cheelion managed to summon a faint smile on her face, and she lifted her head so that her raven black bangs left her eyes only half covered.
"I don't know", she replied.
"I've just seen so much since I left home. I've been called on various names. It's... rare, that I meet someone who doesn't seem to be troubled by the 'impure' blood in my veins."

Sera shook her head, and fell silent. The cheetah's scarred face was troubling her, though it was more curiosity of what had caused such a damage rather than disgust.
"What happened to you?"
She blinked, and her eyes widened slightly when she realized she had voiced out her curiosity. She instantly lowered her face and hid behind her bangs again. She didn't know why, but she feared that the cheetah would be offended and leave. The cheelion flattened her ears and shut her mouth tightly so that she wouldn't say more stupid things.

[blaqknoise]

Basilisk stared into Karensha's eyes as she continued to watch him.

"I wonder what she's planning." Basilisk thought to himself.

The snow leopard covered her grin and nodded in response to what he had said, and he knew that he would find out soon enough. She then closed her eyes and curled up more to the cub. He was tempted to throw another rock, but he didn't want to hit the cub again, so he resisted the temptation and turned his gaze over to the cheelion. She still seemed kind of nervous talking to the cheetah, but not as much as before.

Basilisk grew thirsty again and got up to get a drink.

[dakota]

Peeking through one eye a little opened, she saw him get to his paws and move down to the water and start to drink. A grin appeared over her muzzle.. yes.. what could be better flitted through her mind.
Slowly she moved her body away from Maji, pushing herself backwards while her tummy rubbed on the ground and moved away from the two still standing there talking, to where Basilisk had only a moment ago been lying in the shade.
Flicking fur from her tuft out of her eyes, she blinked quickly and then took off running her eyes focused directly at the lions rump and if anyone could see she had a look of satisfaction running across her face.

'bang' ... Karensha's shoulder plowed into the back of the lion, she grimaced a little, thinking that he wouldn't be as hard as what she just felt, knowing somehow she'd have a bruise there later, but it was worth it, when she saw his body go into the water with this matted mane floating on top.

[blaqknoise]

Basilisk had finished taking his drink and pulled his head up. He looked over to where Karnesha and the cub were, but found that Karensha had disappeared. He thought to himself where she could have gone. As he was beginning to turn around, he was struck by something and flew into the water. He quickly pulled his head above the water to find Karensha standing there.

"Two can play at that game." He told her.

He grabbed one of her legs and pulled her into the water with him. He then got out and tried to shake himself dry.

"Very tricky" he said to her as he looked at her in the water. "If you wanted to go for a swim you could have just asked."

[dakota]

Standing at the waters edge, the snow leopard had a smug expression on her face at what had just happened, pleased Basilisk had got retribution at last.
Making the mistake of turning away to check on the cub, the next thing she felt was something grab her paw and haul her towards the water at great speed. Just as she unsheathed her claws ready to attack she was free and swallowing water, gasping for breath.

Treading water she looked around, letting a growl escape through her lips, searching for the enemy, then she heard him before she saw him.
"Very tricky, if you wanted to go for a swim you could have just asked."

Slowly she moved up out of the water and closed the distance between them stopping so they were face to face. Keeping her composure she spoke softly to the lion.

" I will make sure next time that I ask... oh and there will be a next time.. for a swim I'm meaning of course.. don't get comfy just yet will you."

About to walk past, Karensha paused and bought up a paw giving a quick tug on one of the dreadlocks hanging limply against his cheek, and then walked back over to the cub, laying down with her back to the water logged lion.

[Lyonize]

Maji waited and watched as the lion walked over to the water to drink. His curiosity grew as he saw Karensha get up and walk quietly up behind him. Finaly this lion was going to get what he needed. Maji tried to hide his smile behind his paws while he watched Karensha push him into the water. Then, Majis smile left when Basilisk pulled her in and stepped out of the water. When Karensha returned, Maji couldn't take it any more. He didn't like this lion at all. 

Maji stood up and with a small burst of courage and ran at the big lions paw. Growling, he grabbed his paw and bit it trying to do as much dammage as he could.   

[blaqknoise]

"I will make sure next time that I ask... oh and there will be a next time.. for a swim I'm meaning of course.. don't get comfy just yet will you."

Karnesha then tugged on one of Basilisk's dreds and walked away. She lay down with her back facing him.

"They always go for the dreds." Basilisk thought to himself.

He then felt a sharp pain in his paw. Looking down he saw that the cub had bitten him and caused his paw to bleed. He grabbed to cub by the nape of the neck with his paw and brought it up so they were staring each other in the eyes.

"You should be more careful about who you pick your fights with. Courage is a good thing, don't get me wrong, but fight with your head first and your heart second."

With that he bit the cub's nape and walked it over to Karensha.

"I think this is yours," he said dropping the cub in front of her.

He walked over to the water to wash his bloodied paw, and looked back at Karensha.

"You should learn to have a little fun, life is only so long you know."

[dakota]

Just as karensha settled back down, she was surprised as Maji jumped to his little paws, she thought he was asleep, but instead he was attacking the lion.
" Maji ...STOP".
Getting to her paws, she was about to go rescue him, she wasn't sure what the lion would do or was capable of. Trying not to snarl she was about to move over when Basilisk grabbed Maji by the neck and carried him over towards her.
Stopping where she was, she closed her mouth in case she snapped at the lion, it was afterall the cub had bitten him, which in itself made her try not to smile. Patiently she waited.

Watching as he stood before her and dropped Maji to the ground, karensha kept quiet.
"I think this is yours,"
Leaning down she licked the cubs cheek, not knowing if he needed reassurance.
"Maji I know why you did that, but you need to not go biting others... wait till you're older."
Smiling at him, she lay back on the ground and pulled him in between her front paws.

"You should learn to have a little fun, life is only so long you know

Karensha head snapped up at the lions sarcasm, and for some reason she felt sad at his words, he didn't know how close he came with them.
Quietly mumbling under her breath "I wasn't allowed fun, I don't know what fun is or how to have fun.. all I know to do is kill and rip someone's throat to pieces and to ambush and to cause harm."
Turning away from him, she lowered her long lilac lashes shutting away her emotions.

[blaqknoise]

Basilisk was suprised when Karensha snapped her head up after what he said.

"Did I say something wrong?" He thought to himself.

"I wasn't allowed fun, I don't know what fun is or how to have fun.. all I know to do is kill and rip someone's throat to pieces and to ambush and to cause harm."

"Well that explains a lot," he said in his head.

"Surely you have some idea of what fun is," Basilisk said walking a little bit closer to her, "I saw you smiling when you were planning out your revenge on me, and the look on your face when I pulled my head out of the water. Maybe this cub will be good for you."

He looked down at the cub who sat close to the snow leopard.

"We can show Karensha how to have fun."

[Lyonize]

Karenshas words about her being taught to kill all her life reached Majis ears. It made him a little uncomfortable. If she was always taught to kill then why didn't she kill him? Maji wasn't sure if he should stay close to her or try to keep his distance now.

He still didn't trust the black lion. Maji didn't like the way he did dumb stuff for no apparent reason. The cub had already been a victim of that. The cheelion was still someone Maji didn't even want to think about. She scared him half to death. But the Cheetah was different. In spite of his deformed face, there was something else there. Something that didn't scare Maji at all.

The black lion walked up to them and spoke to Maji.

"We can show Karensha how to have fun."

Maji thought for a moment.. Show her how to have fun? Was it even possible for anyone to not know how to have fun?
If it was true that Karensha didn't know how to have fun, Maji thought he could teach her. But not with the Black lion. Maji didn't like his kind of fun.

The cub turned away from Basilisk and looked through the foliage at the wide open fields and waters. Maji wanted to go away from here with Karensha for a while. With all these other felines around, Maji was becoming a bit uncomfortable. He looked at Karensha and then back at the opening in the foliage and then back at Karensha again.

[dakota]

Jabari stood there listening to the Cheelions words, it seemed she had had a rough time throughout her life by the way she looked as well, it didn't matter if you were pure or impure, if you were different, you were a target. Scuffing his paw in the dirt, the cheetah was about to question her more when she spoke, but instantly flattened her ears and lowered her head, hiding her facial features behind her fringe.

"What happened to you?"

Jabari's blue eyes moved away from Sera and stared at a point above her head, where his face took on a thoughtful pose. For an instant his memories flashed back to that day when the tower of flames came running at him. He had wandered off from where had had been told to stay, thinking he was older and wiser than his small cub years, and in doing so had lost everything that he had loved, finding himself damaged goods, alone to survive by himself.
Snapping his attention back to where she stood, all he could mumble to her was one simple word.

" Fire"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karensha lay there, with her head turned away, her lashes shielding her eyes waiting for the sarcasm from the lion, she was sure he had alot that came forth from that muzzle of his, no matter what given situation, and doubted much could keep him quiet.

"Surely you have some idea of what fun is, I saw you smiling when you were planning out your revenge on me, and the look on your face when I pulled my head out of the water. Maybe this cub will be good for you."

Surprised at what she heard, the snow leopards head lifted up fast, as she stared him, feeling confused.
why's he being so nice I wonder
Stiffening a little as she saw him bend down towards the cub, but all he did was speak.
"We can show Karensha how to have fun."

Karensha stiffened a little as she felt Maji push away from her and get to his feet, she hoped he wasn't about to bite Basilisk again, especially after he had just been so nice towards her.
The cub stood there looking past her into the bushes, and then met her eyes, and turned away again. Standing to her paws, she turned herself so she was facing the same way. Moving her head slightly she couldn't see anyone or anything out of the ordinary.

"Maji..what is it...what did you see ?"

[blaqknoise]

The cub got onto his feet after Baslisk had spoken to him. He hoped he wasn't going to bite him again. Instead, the cub turned away in the opposite direction. He turned back to Karensha, and then away again.

"Well, can't say I tried" Basilisk said out loud.

Basilisk looked back at the snow leopard. Her past interested him, and he wanted to know more. He wanted to know what I life of violence and training would have been like, but suspected it would be hard to make her talk about it.
Realizing that he was staring at her, he quickly looked back at the cheelion and the cheetah. They looked like they had to both relaxed a little.
He looked back at the cub again, it seemed he was eager to leave.

[Kirsui]

Sera felt uncomfortable waiting for Jabari to answer her question. She thought that perhaps she had gone too far, and that she shouldn't have asked such a thing. Perhaps the cheetah was not thinking she was nothing more than a nosy half-breed who stuffed her nose into stuff that didn't belong to her.

"Fire"

It startled her when Jabari answered her. She raised her head quickly and stared disbelievingly at Jabari. It took quite a while before she understood he had actually answered, and that it hadn't been just her imagination.

She closed her eyes, and shook her head.
"That's... terrible..."
She fell silent, not knowing what to say.
"You've survived well though... I don't think many would if they were in the same situation."

[dakota]

Watching the cheelion closely Jabari saw her eyes close and nothing came forth from her mouth, not knowing what to do, he was about to turn away when finally she spoke.

"That's... terrible..."
"You've survived well though... I don't think many would if they were in the same situation."

Jabari met her eyes, but couldn't bring himself to smile, his face staying emotionless.
" I have survived, but I haven't lived...There were times I wanted to throw myself under a herd of wildebeast, just to depart this sorry world I've found myself in, but I couldn't even do that so I just kept moving, till I found this oasis."

The Cheetah looked past her, his head moving slowly in a circle, surveying all the lushness, his eyes coming back to rest on the cub and the other two adult felines.
"This is the closest I have come to others in... well.. I don't know the last time actually."

Blushing a little, Jabari stared back at female, who it seemed wasn't in any hurry to move away from him.
"And... you ? why are you here by yourself ?"

Looking quickly behind himself, Jabari, then turned back to the Cheelion.
"You are by yourself arent you.?"

[Kirsui]

Sera stared back into Jabari's eyes when he replied to her question. For the first time in a long time she felt sorry for another being. The cheetah was giving out the impression he was a strong being who didn't desire company, but for some reason Sera thought that this might have been just a shell to hide how the cheetah really felt.

"And... you ? why are you here by yourself ? You are by yourself arent you.?"

The cheelion snorted un-amusedly.
"I'm always alone", she said with a slight hint of bitterness in her voice.
"I've been alone ever since I was born... Both lions and cheetahs - no offence - have seen me as a worthless half breed. I've been forced to move along... I don't remember when the last time was I saw a friendly face."

She smiled faintly, though it wasn't a very happy smile smile.
"Life has made bitter, I suppose", she said and shrugged.
"It's how I've survived in a world that doesn't seem to want me to exist."

[Lyonize]

Maji was getting a little impatient. He scampered back over to Karensha and nuzzled her shoulder with his forehead before walking back towards the opening in the foliage. He stopped about half way there and turned to look back at Karensha.

Then the lion caught his eye. Maji hoped he didn't follow them. He just wanted to get away from here for a while.

[dakota]

Karensha was standing there looking around her at what could have caught Maji's attention, when her gaze settled on the new female and the cheetah. Smiling a little she realised that everyone here seemed a bit awkward with each other, maybe this place in the Okavango was a refuge for each of them in their own way.

Looking down when she felt the cub nudge her again, but before she had a chance to question him, he moved away on his little paws towards an opening, he was beakoning for her to follow him.
"Maji..wait, you don't know what's through there."

Moving off after him, Karensha sped up till she was blocking his path and then leant down and picked him up in her muzzle and placed him amongst the purple fur that hung down her neck.
"We will have a look, but slowly..ok.. we can't just go charging into something where we don't know what is on the other side. You're safe up there, just tap on my head if you want my attention."

Sighing a little, she looked over her shoulder at the lion Basilisk who was watching, but she couldn't fanthom what the expression was on his face, but to keep Maji happy she turned and slowly went in the direction where he had tried to go on his own.