Once the small group had vanished from sight, Notegeku and Keetongu exchanged another smile, *So, young hunters in our home and they mean no harm to us or the cubs. The Great Beings move in strange ways.*
*Indeed, and Lannair adores them. Now let's finish here and join our friends.* Notegeku replied, scooping up the baskets their offspring had forgotten in their excitement. Her mate gave a rumbling laugh and moved to lift up the basket they'd been filling before they headed back towards their cavern, moving in the ground covering lope unique to healing rahi.
xXx
Opening their eyes to peer around for their friends, Keliana and Naneki grinned on spotting Anuenue leaning over a moss bed, gently brushing her hand over Lannair's pale mask before glancing up as the cubs approached. "I see you've had a growth spurt." the rainbow hued Turaga smiled as Keliana and Naneki took turns hugging her before peering over to the second occupied bed, "We're just a bit taller than you now 'nue." Naneki grinned, as they walked over to the sleeping twins, "Can't wait to show them around my home at last." Keliana giggled softly, smiling as Farran shifted closer to Sàraich.
Tugging Anuenue over to the largest log seat, the cubs insisted on fetching her a drink and snack before sitting either side of her to find what had happened to upset their friends.
They were still sat there when Wanimua and Makeo swooped into the cavern and landed beside their friends seat. While Makeo slithered onto the log to drape himself over Anuenue's shoulders, Wanimua trilled a greeting before walking over to perch on Lannair's bed where he settled down to watch over her.
Arriving back at the cavern, Keetongu and Notegeku shared a smile at the sight of their quarter-grown cubs hugging a sleepy twin each and rumbling soothingly to them while Anuenue sat with Lannair and the peach/light gold Turaga scratched Wanimua's crest. Murmurs of amazement came from the young hunters as they smiled at them before nodding to Anuenue and Lannair.
The twins peered at the huge rahi as they put the food away before joining the group then snuggled closer to Keliana and Naneki when Keetongu spoke, "Looks as if you'll be spending a few days here along with Lanna. I'm sure Anuenue has told you about us." he smiled as Farran and Sàraich nodded, their gaze never leaving the golden rahi. "La says you're a powerful rahi..."
"and that her boss tried to grab Keli and Nane one time..."
"but failed 'cause of 'nue and the shadow twins." Sàraich finished and giggled at the expression on Keetongu's face at how she and Farran had finished each other's sentences.
xXx
Tracking the grey/mustard hued Dark hunter, Anuenue's shadow twin grinned as she chose the best place to set the colour sphere she carried. Waiting until he'd been called to the throne room, the rainbow hued shadow twin waited until the group he was with had passed through the door, then, as Darkness watched curiously, she popped her hand out from the shadows and dropped the sphere directly on Milltear's head.
Looking up from a map at the sudden flash of colour, the cold, grating laughter of the Shadowed One rumbled through the room at the sight of the formerly mustard hued hunter staring down at his multi-hued form in disbelief. As wolf-whistles and cat-calls rose from the other hunters, Milltear hoped this latest humiliation wouldn't last as long as the previous, only to groan as a small rainbow hued figure appeared from the shadows and moved to confront him. "This is retribution for what you did several centuries ago. If my real self or I knew where to find some, we'd have no hesitation in shoving you in energized protodermis. As my real self doesn't we'll settle for changing your colour permanently." Smiling sweetly at the multi-hued Dark hunter, the rainbow hued shadow twin nodded to the smirking Shadowed One and vanished back into the shadows.
xXx
Now fully awake, Farran and Sàraich were glancing around the cavern with great interest, between glancing over to where Lannair rested. The peach/light gold Turaga was still asleep, curled up in the moss bed and watched by Wanimua and Makeo, who'd coiled around her. Nearby, Keliana and Naneki had finally persuaded the twins to sit with Anuenue and their sire and dam while they fixed something to eat.
After eating, it didn't take long for the twins to begin to fidget and look around for something to do. Their eyes lit up when Keetongu rumbled at the cubs, whom grinned before joining their friends, "Come on, we're gonna show you our favourite places." Naneki chuckled as he scooped Sàraich up and sat her on his shoulders. Nearby Keliana did the same for Farran and the foursome headed out the cavern, a series of rumbles being exchanged with the cubs and their parents before they vanished from sight. "They'll come back exhausted." Notegeku chuckled as Anuenue wiped tears of amusement from her mask and grinned up at them, "And will prevent them from thinking too much of last nights' events."
"Indeed. Now 'nue please elaborate on what Macku's shadow twin told us." Keetongu added as he refilled their beakers and sat beside his lifemate.
xXx
Loping towards their favourite waterhole, Keliana and Naneki had paused to allow Farran and Sàraich to attempt to keep up with them and were delighted when the twins managed to overtake them at one point. Stopping on the hilltop overlooking the waterhole, the foursome paused to get their breath back, "W-w-w-wow, it's p-p-pretty." Sàraich panted, her gaze taking in several rocky outcrops that would be fun to climb. "Y-y-yeah, who wants a swim?" Farran added before giggling at the grins that appeared on Keli's and Nane's faces before they began picking their way down the hillside towards the waters edge.
Giggles and splashing reached the Kikanalo herd as they approached the waterhole and before their dams could prevent them, the calves and their half grown brother raced ahead to join in the fun. Further squeals and giggles followed and as the adult Kikanalo circled around the outcrop they snorted in amusement at the sight of the calves, cubs and young hunters racing through the edges of the water, splashing each other as they ran.
Moving to drink their fill, the adults took turns watching for signs of danger and the youngest female watched curiously as the young hunters slowly moved away from their friends and towards the tallest of the rocky pillars. Intrigued by their actions, she followed the twins and reached them just as they reached the bottom of the pillar.
Rubbing the Kikanalo's nose, the twins sized up the rock, noting plenty of cracks and crevasses that they could use for climbing. "So shall we?" Sàraich grinned wickedly, "Oh yeah. Bet we making it to the top before Keli and Nane realize what we're doing." Farran giggled, her expression just as mischievous as her twin's.
"Maybe they'll follow us." came the reply as Sàraich rubbed her arm to warm up her muscles before picking her starting point and began climbing, Farran beside her as the Kikanalo rumbled in surprise.
Swiftly the twins scrambled up the side of the pillar, leaving the bemused Kikanalo staring upwards before she rumbled, calling to the rest of the herd knowing they'd alert the cubs. On hearing the anxious rumbling coming from where they'd seen the twins heading, Keliana and Naneki shared a puzzled glance and shook the last of the water from their fur and went to find out what was going on.
Glancing down from their position a quarter of the way up the pillar of rock, Farran and Sàraich grinned at their concerned friends, "It's a brilliant view, come and see." Farran called to them as her sister added they planned to see how high they could get. "We can't and I hope you've got water canisters." Naneki rumbled before blinking in surprise as Keli cautiously began climbing up after the twins, a couple of water canisters draped around her neck.
On reaching the giggling pair, Keliana waited, hiding her shock at how seemingly careless the pair were in swinging from where they hung while taking the canisters from her, "Thanks Keli, we won't be long."
Nodding, Keliana risked a glance down to begin climbing back to join her brother, then froze as she realized just how high up she now was. Having clambered a bio further the twins paused on hearing a whimper and glanced down to see Keliana shaking as she clung to the rock-face. On the ground, Naneki and the female Kikanalo shared a concerned glance, then she called out to the rest of the herd while the orange/gold healing rahi rumbled a reassurance to his sister before racing off in the direction of Keetongu's cavern.
Sharing a glance, Farran nodded when Sàraich sighed and they clambered back to be level with Keliana to see if they could persuade her to follow them back to the ground. After several minutes of trying they settled for trying to reassure their pale green/gold friend that things would be alright.