Sercy was feeling quite happy. She was pleased to have made two new friends. The first was a hyena named Okonoko. He was a reserved, someone lonely-seeming hyena who had clearly been through something rough. She was sure he used to be happier, and she didn't know what had happened to make him sad. But she didn't want to ask, either. It seemed like it would be rude to do so, and she wasn't looking to upset the male that had decided to be her guide.

The other friend was a young Jackal named Gard. He was small for his species, small in general, but he had a big heart and a lot of courage. She was sure he would do anything to protect the beings that were important to him, and even though he was not large, she felt safe around him.

Gard wasn't sure what he was doing there, really. He knew he didn't have much to offer. He couldn't guide them, as he didn't know where Sercy's pride was, and he couldn't fight off any thing that might have been a threat to the two larger beings. Still, he wasn't going to leave someone who needed help. Sercy needed them- he was going to do what he could to make sure she got back to her home safely, even if it didn't seem like there was actually much he COULD do.

Okonoko, the last of the group, was currently the one furthest out ahead. He was the one who knew the way, after all, so it made sense for him to be out in front of everyone else. Naturally, he would glance over his shoulders to make sure they were still following him, but for the most part he didn't have much to say. He didn't even know why he was there at all. There had to have been better things he could have been doing with his time. This was all just because he had wanted to repay her for some meat?

No, that wasn't it.

The three of them walked in silence for a little while, until Gard had to stop because he was feeling very tired. Sercy smiled, helping him onto her back. "I'm sorry. We are much larger than you, and you have been traveling with us for so long! Please rest on my back- we will find a place to rest for a while as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sercy," sighed Gard, resting on her back with his legs draped over either side of her, "I'm not sure what I would do without you here!"

Sercy giggled at that. "My dear, you wouldn't be here at all if not for me! If anything, I should be apologizing for putting you through all this, too."

"Not at all!" Replied Gard, stifling a yawn, "I'm very happy to be here. If there's anything I can do to help you, you just have to tell me. I would definitely do anything to make you happy. And to prove... that I'm someone worth keeping around." He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, nodding off while he remained on top of the lioness's back. Sercy smiled and moved move evenly, though did her best to quicken her pace to catch up with Okonoko. She was surprised when he stopped to wait for her.

"Guess the mutt couldn't keep his eyes open, hm?" Okonoko chuckled, rolling his eyes as he continued to walk again. Now, his pace was slower than before, so she wouldn't have to travel so quickly to keep up with him.

Sercy sighed softly, smiling at the hyena. "He worked very hard to keep up with us. It's very kind of him to want to protect us."

"What could he really do, though, if trouble came?" Huffed Oko, "He's barely bigger than a pup!"

"Oh, I know, but he wants to try. That has to mean something, right? I think it's very noble for him to try and help, even with the odds against him. I would be very honored to have a knight like him back at my home." She noticed Oko give her a look at that, and she chuckled. "I suppose my pride is very strange to you- have you always been a member of these lands? Have you never had a pack?"

"Nope," he replied, "always been alone. Well, always been in these lands, anyway. There was a little while where I traveled with a leopard. We would pull cons together and have a lot of fun. I guess that's as close as I'll get to feeling like I'm in a pride. Like I'm a part of something." He realized he had been talking too much, and quickly huffed. "Not that it matters much, of course. I'm happy being alone. It's not that big a deal."

"but what happened to your leopard friend?" Sercy asked, clearly interested in what he had been opening up about before, "did he... die?"

"I don't know," Oko replied, "I just woke up one day and he was... gone. Didn't even tell me why or what was up. If I did something or he just got bored. He probably found a really good score somewhere and decided that he didn't want to share with me. Like I said, it doesn't really matter to me. I'm happier on my own, anyway."

"you don't sound very happy," Sercy pointed out softly, to which Oko glared at her.

"Oh yeah? And what do I sound like, then?" He demanded somewhat bitterly, though he still remained at her pace, going slower for the sake of the creature on her back.

"You sound... sad. Lonely. Perhaps even a little hurt,' Sercy told him honestly, "I think you're bothered about your friend leaving and not telling you where he went. Perhaps you feel a little bit betrayed by him. I know I would, if someone promised to stay with me and then left without saying good bye. It would hurt me a lot."

"I'm not hurt," Oko assured her, "I'm just... a little surprised, that's all. I didn't think he would leave without saying anything. But it really doesn't matter- I'm totally fine. I'm used to being on my own anyway, you know?"

"I see," replied Sercy, unconvinced, "I'm not going to pry- if that's what you believe, then that's what you believe. I hope you find something to make you happier than you are right now, though. Even if it's not because of your friend, you still seem sad to me sometimes. But I guess I've only been with you a couple of days. Perhaps we're the ones who make you seem so sad."

"Nah, it's not you. I'm just not sad," Oko told her, wanting to get away from the topic but unsure how to change it, "don't worry so much. We're just together temporarily. You don't need to be worried about either me or Gard."

Sercy nodded, looking down at the ground. She didn't need to be worried, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to be. Of course, she couldn't force someone to change. If Oko had convinced himself that he was fine, there was little she could do to help him. She really could just wish for him to find real happiness, so he wouldn't have to suffer for very long. On her back, Gard let out a heavy sigh.

"You can be worried about me if you want," he whispered to Sercy, "I'm worried about you and him, too! Maybe we don't know each other long, but we're still friends now. It's normal to worry about friends. To want to help them."

"Thank you, Gard," she said lightly, "I'm happy you feel the same way. We can worry about each other, and we can worry about Oko together too, alright? But only when we need to. Otherwise, we'll never find room to be happy ourselves!" The two of them laughed together, Oko looking over and arching an eyebrow in their direction once more.

"You were awake, mutt? Just being lazy then, huh?"

"I'm just resting my legs! They're not as foolishly long as yours!"

"Humph! You rat. And just when I was going to suggest we settle down here for the night!" He had found them a nice little area to camp, with a den dug out under a tree. it wasn't deep, but it seemed more than enough for the three of them. Sercy smiled at the offering, lying herself down in the grass. Gard slid off to the side of her, curling up next to her for some more proper sleep.

"This is a lovely place, Oko, thank you. Come and sleep with us, okay?"

"No thank you," replied the hyena with a grunt, "I don't want that mutt's smell all over me. I think I'll just stay over here and keep watch. You're supposed to be the big lioness protection here, but whatever. I guess it's my job."

"Don't stay up long," Sercy said softly, ignoring his insults as she lowered her head, "you need your rest too, my friend."

"Yeah yeah."

WC: 1521