Ryo & Dolia

Dolia

The hill was approaching and Dolia was surprised when Ryo quickened his pace. She wasn't in any hurry to arrive at Dead Hill. It was a place where animals left there dead to rest. Dolia thought disturbing it would bring an upcoming of bad luck. But when Leo began walking quicker she didn't want to be left behind so she followed his actions. 

She wasn't ready to admit that she had deep feelings for Leo, even though it was obvious to everyone. Especially to Leo. She hoped.

"Why don't I go pick some flowers for Aster? You guys go ahead, I'll know where to find you." Dolia offered when she realized she could look helpful,  rather than fearful. When Ryo grunted in response, she squealed inwardly and ran off a little too eager in a way that might have blown her helpful disguise's cover. Luckily Ryo hadn't noticed. Leo might have... not that he'd talk badly to Ryo about her fears behind her back. She hoped.

A bird twittered in her ear from a tree branch and she felt like hunting. Dolia looked around for a small, non-flying animal that she could practice on. Sniffing the air, something alluring tugged at her scent glands. A hare? She squinted and looked around for where the scent could be originating from. There! Under a tall Baobab tree digging a den. It was female and generally large, perhaps pregnant. Dolia felt guilty for finding her so enticing. 

The young feline crouched and her shoulders bobbed up and down adjusting to balance her pounce. Leaping with great strength for a feline her age, she landed directly atop the prey she sought. Suddenly, something landed atop her, a male leopard. His scent was unfamiliar. She growled and tossed him off her back with her hind legs. Returning to her crouched position circling the recovering male, she bore her bloodied teeth from the fresh kill.

"Whoa, whoa." The male shook his head, obviously stunned. "That's my kill. I saw it first." He acted as if he was entitled it. "Just because you pounced first doesn't make it yours." He tried hiding his impression behind an accusation. 

"It's in my jaws, so technically.. it does." She began walking back in the direction of her cub-mates. The male shouted,

"Oh for Panthera Pardus' sake!" He cursed in a desperate tone.

"Go away, kid." She tried sounding more experienced. Confident and happy, she steadied to a proud step and ignored the eager leopard following.

"Look, I probably have months on your age and I'll be generous and let you have my kill. What's your name?" He seemed  timidly intrigued by her mysterious gleam. 

"Dolia, friends call me Dolly." She kept walking and smiled when she noticed Leo was watching her from the hill jealously curious of this new male following her. It's not just the fact that he was following her, it was also that she was allowing him to. 

"Alright, Dolly. I'll do you the favor of letting you be my traveling partner. I-if you'd like." He stuttered, suddenly nervous as he realized what he was asking of her. She seemed startled by the fact that this male she'd barely even met had an interest in her right away, when it took her so long for Leo to stop noticing her as a helpless cub and rather as a possible mate. Or at least she hoped that's what he saw her as. Hope, hope, hope. Dolia's life consisted of a lot of this hope.

"So, you like me.. that's what you're saying?" She started to accept his presence slowly.  He answered,

"U-um. Well, I... I was certainly.. impressed.. by your whole hunting bit.. I-i just-" 

"You don't?" She interrupted.

"I didn't saw that.. I-i just don't really know.." He replied forcefully. Dolia was both confused and let-down that she might have received the wrong message. "I like you. Yes, if that's how you'd explain it, than yes. Why are you curious?" He stood his ground and Dolia turned to face him and realized she was blushing.

"Follow me." She said, turning and running up the hill. She was more brave going up the hill with a new friend then she was with the ones that would only make it worse when trying to comfort her.

"Okay." He answered obediently. Running after her, he smiled to himself. Dolia hadn't noticed, but he was blushing as well.

"Before we get up there, tell me your name. So it looks like we're proper friends." She urged him.

"I'm Luke. I'm not from here." He answered just before they came to a halt in front of the place where Ryo and Leo were offering sadness to Ryo and Dolia's dead sibling, Aster. Dolia gave a respectful nod to the place where Aster had been laid to rest, dropped her kill, and offered a chunk to both Leo and Ryo.

"Who's he?" Ryo asked in a curious, yet welcoming tone. He appreciated the gesture of fresh meat as a way of asking forgiveness for her awkward display with Leo earlier.

"Yeah, who's he?" Leo asked in a rigid, serious voice. He glared at the new, somewhat tough looking leopard in an unfriendly way.

"Ryo, Leo, this is Luke. Luke, this is Ryo, and this is Leo." Dolia introduced everyone kindly, nodding to each animal as she addressed them.

"Nice to meet you." Luke nodded respectfully, and he was being honest. It really was nice to meet new creatures, especially those of his kind. 

"How do you do?" Ryo smiled, eager to make a new friend his age.

"Well. Better, now that I've made a new friend." Luke eyed Dolia shyly.

"Whatever." Leo turned and began walking down the hill. "I'm going home." He sounded as if he was trying to conceal something. Jealousy? Anger? Frustration? All of the above? Good. Dolia thought. That was part of the reason Dolia accepted Luke's feelings so willingly. She wanted ever so much for the new cub to bother Leo. He seemed jealous, what he displayed right there must have been jealousy. She hoped.