Tan'un slowly prowled through the thick shrubberies. Stealthy and agile, that was what the panther was. Ofcourse, she wouldn't hunt in her human form, that form was merely to lay traps and inspect them. Her form as a panther was far more capable in terms of strength, speed and agility. Though it lacked thumbs.
The prey? A poor deer that had tripped one of her small traps, but, managed to break loose. The scent of blood in the air was only amplified by the predators nose. And with a slow snarl, she followed the scent, brushing aside plants and leaves as she did.
Her life continues to get strange, Meeta thought. First she found herself teleported to a castle in the northern lands, fighting undead soliders and nearly slaughtered by a dragoness. Now the mixed bloodied Essnryi found herself in an jungle which she guessed to be Kishahn, recalling some stories from her late master.
For the last hour and an half she been wandering aimlessly through bushes. Meeta was completely naked due to her robes being shredded in the castle incident and she growing hungry. She suddenly down an small ridge tripping over due to a tree trunk with her left foot. She grunted and cursed while rolling and hitting the ground hard a minute later. The noise was so loud it could be heard by Tan'un and her wounded nearby north of her.
Just an inch. Slowly prowling, the panther inched closer and closer to the wounded deer. Her front was low, butt of the panther raised slightly and wiggling around in anticipation of the pounce. She darted forward, swift and silent like a wind in the night. Her ears twitched as she heard a loud sound. And she missed. Her prey was gone. With a low, seething growl, Tan'un watched her prey flee swiftly. Missed chance.
She turned around to the direction where the sound came from and slowly trodded towards it. Moody because her prey got away, tail drooped and swooshing silently.
What she came across wasn't what she expected. She stood eye to eye with a naked woman. She was frozen solid and stared the woman down. Ready to pounce if she became hostile.
Fate must love toying with me. Meeta thought to herself with frustration while staring eye to eye with a panther. She remained still, but with a defiant expression that declared that she was ready defend herself.
Tan'un stared into Meeta's eyes. A human. It had been a long time since she saw or even ate a human. And they didn't taste well. She chose to hunt more than to target this human.
But. There was still the stand-off the two were in.
Tan'un dropped to the floor, rolling on her back and raising her paws playfully. Letting out soft purrs and mewls.
Needless to say, Meeta was suprsied by the creature's actions. She thought the big cat was going to pounce on her. Still the young woman remained cautious, it could still attack her though. Slowly Meeta raised herself up to feet level, while keeping her eyes on the curious panther.
Tan'un looked at Meeta inquisitvly, purrs still thrumming her chest. It was pretty obvious she wanted to have her belly rubbed. She rolled around over the floor, still looking at Meeta.
Meeta remained still for another minute before, cautiously apporching the man-size cat. The former slave knelt beside the panther and with her left hand rubbed its belly. She slowly lowered her guard, finding this beast's playfulness rather amusing.
Tan'un let out a rumbling purring as she felt the hand on her belly, closing her eyes in delight and rolling over towards Meeta, so that she could give her belly-rubs more easily.
A sutble smile formed on Meeta's face. She rubbed the belly more vigorously with both hands this time.
"Big softie." Meeta commented with amusment in the common tongue.
With a soft mewl, Tan'un looked up at her, still purring loudly under the rubbing, mouth opening and tongud lolling iut as she yawned.
Hearing Tan'un yawn reminded Meeta of her own exhaustion. She kept smiling and rubbing the cat's belly before finally collapsing into unconscionusness beside the panther.
Tan'un curled up on the ground, still purring extremely loud at the affections, closing her eyes.
Yet. The hands stopped and she heard a soft thud. Opening her eyes and standing up. She prodded Meeta with her nose, softly whining.
Tan'un would find that the human girl was still breathing but knocked out nonetheless. Meeta laid where she was.
With a low growl, Tan'un shifted to her human form and picked Meeta up, throwing her over her shoulder. Her temporary shelter wasn't far off.
Meeta remained in an sleepy-like state though she did grunted when thrown to Tan'un's shoulder. It wasn't long before they reached the shelter nearby.
Tan'un put Meeta under a cover of leaves and branches, a make-shift rainshelter. She pulled a thick leaf out and covered Meeta with it like a blanket, taking up watch next to the shelter.
Meeta rested comfortably beneath in the leaves. Half an hour later she began to stir, loud enough for Tan'un to hear.
Tan'un arched an eyebrow, but decided not to disturb her 'guest' during her resting up. She had fainted all of a sudden, so she needed to rest up.
The ex-slave continued to sleep for three hours before finally waking up. When she did, Meeta spotted Tan'un much to her alarm. Meeta rolled out of the leaves and gotten into a fight stance.
"Who are you?"
Tan'un glanced over her shoulder and slowly put her spear down, arching an eyebrow, she pressed a hand against her own chest. "Friend." She answered. "Tan'un friend."
Meeta stayed where she was though the puzzlement betrayed her expression. The woman who called herself Tan'un seem not able to say much in Common other than that call herself a friend. No doubt she was trying say that she didn't mean any harm. This stranger did lowered her weapon and seem that placed her here to rest, Meeta considered to herself. After another minute and half, Meeta sighed and dropped her stance.
"Meeta friend too...I guess." She repiled back still wary.
Tan'un arched an eyebrow, noting Meeta's wariness, she stretched her arms and with a puff of smoke, she changed back into the black panther, dropping to the floor and rolling on her back again.
With widen eyes, Meeta watched Tan'un transform into a panther! It was the same one from before.
"That was you?"
A low, acknowledging whine resounded from Tan'un as she looked up at Meeta.
It took a few moments to take it all in but Meeta began to chuckle upon realization.
"Funny how fate plays out." Meeta said outloud to herself.
Tan'un got on her feet again, looking up at Meeta, prodding the former slave's leg with her snout. She had no idea what Meeta just said. But it sounded nice.
Meeta pet Tan'un's head while she was in her cat form. It felt little strange doing this while knowing this was a shape-shifter right now Meeta didn't care.
Tan'un crooned against the hand, looking up at Meeta, purring softly.
Amusing how things turn out indeed. Still she felt somewhat tired and then thunder outside. It was going to rain and sure enough tears from the heavens began to pour down on the jungle.
"Need to sleep some more." Meeta commented before laying down on the ground next to Tan'un.
Tan'un crawled back into the shelter, sitting down with a slow yawn. Rain was bad. She nestled herself against Meeta and softly closed her eyes, purring slowly.
On instinct, Meeta put one arm over Tan'un in comfort. It was evening by then and they slept through the night with the continuing rain. Finally dawn came, the sun shinning through the trees.
Tan'un purred softly in the arm, snoring lightly as she slept in her panther form.
Meeta laid where she was until opening her eyes. She turned and looked at the panther with a smile before hugging her. It would likely wake up Tan'un.
Tan'un woke with a lazy yawn as Meeta hugged her. She greeted the former slave with a lick on her cheek before ztanding up and crawling from the shelter, shifting to her human form again and putting the spear on her back, stretching slowly.
Meeta watched the shape-shifter moved out of the shelter. She nodded in understanding, Tan'un needed to hunt. In the meantime she will stay here.
With a glance at Meeta, Tan'un slowly walked off, dissappearing into the woods.
So Meeta by herself for a long time. She admire the beauty of the jungle around here, despite being vaguely aware of some of its dangers. Then she thought a little bit about her life and the choices she made so far as a free woman. Some had been mistakes but she glad to able have the options that slaves usually don't have.
After an hour of slient thinking, Meeta got up and went out of the shelter into a open spot surrounded by bushes and trees. She got into a stance and began practicing fist and kick attacks in repeated fashion.
Tan'un dawned upon the open spot Meeta was practicing in, a deer's neck clenched between her teeth, she sat down in her panther form and just watched.
After some time, Meeta finally noticed Tan'un in her panther form and stopped what she was doing.
"It looks like yourself food." She commented.
Her tail flicked slightly as Meeta talked to her, before dropping the deer from her mouth. It was already quite torn open as she had already eaten from it, but she shifted to her human form and pointed at the corpse. "You eat."
There was some hesitation on Meeta's part. Yet growing hungry overruled her sense of manners and she picked up the deer neck with both hands and began to bit into the meat.
Tan'un nodded slowly as she sat down, resting the spear on her shoulder. "Creature.. Good, yes?" She asked, her eyes glinting. She was also still a bit hungry, but decided Meeta was more famished than she was.
Meera stopped and gave a nod in reply to Tan'un. She ate a good bit and gave it back to her jungle host. The former slave didn't know what do now until exaiming Tan'un with a fighter's eye.
"Do you fight Tan'un?"
She shook her head slowly. "Tan'un hunt. Kill," she answered as she watched Meeta eat with curiousity. "Meeta fight?"
"Meeta fights." The Essnryi half-breed confirmed with hard earned pride in her voice. She should've guessed her host was a huntress but she thought one have to learn to handle oneself in an place like this. Well Tan'un did have her channeling abilites when trouble came, still Meeta didn't know the whole story.
Perhaps they should have some fun...
"Would you like to play fight?"
Tan'un nodded slowly as she put her spear down, stepping forward slowly, almost as if prowling around Meeta, hands raised.
Pleased, Meeta raised her own arms. Unlike Tan'un she rushed forward and made an attempt to tackle the huntress by the shoulders. Since it was likely her new friend wasn't used to many combat forms, like she was, Meeta decided that wrestling would be more even for them both.
Tan'un felt the hands on her shoulders and was pushed to the floor, hooking her legs behind Meeta's, she rolled them over as she sat ontop of the former slave, raising her hands and punching for Meeta's face.
Well it seems that she underestimated this one. Meeta found herself on the ground and getting hit in the face. She reacted by blocking some of them were her arms while raising both legs to grab Tan'un's neck from behind. She used her new hold to force the huntress off of her. Once she did, Meeta rolled up and grabbed unto her friend's neck into a headlock, using her right arm.
She was twisted and desperatly coughed for air as she was forced into the submission grip. But, she felt a bit of sway and opened her mouth, driving her sharp fangs in Meeta's arm.
With a grunt of pain, Meeta let go of Tan'un and step grasping her arm. By the Gods this girl played for keeps she thought. Thankfully wound was already healing up but Meeta had turned her back away from the huntress, who now had a chance to counte-attack.
She shifted to her panther form and pounced on Meeta's back with a threatening snarl. Making sure her claws were not extended to not harm her.
Her aim was to push Meeta to the ground, if she had done so, she'd proceed to lick Meeta's neck and mewl playfully, before starting to wash herself like a big, black cat, licking her paw, while still sat on Meeta's back.
Meeta couldn't help but laugh out loud upon being licked even though she was held down from behind. She tried to forced herself up, the big cat's strength however kept the fighter in her position.
"No fair." She said, yet chuckling in amusement.
Meeta could feel Tan'un's thrumming purr as she stroked her own head with her paw, before nonchalantly stepping off of her, nudging her snout against Meeta's cheek.
Shaking her head, Meeta rushed up and tackle the panther to the side. She proceeded to tickle the big cat by her belly with both hands.
With a surprised whine, Tan'un was thrown off balance, landing on her back. She let out another purr as she spread herself wide for Meeta to tickle her belly. Eyes closing in delight.
She was like a cat Meeta considered to herself as she continue the tickling for another minute. Then Meeta stopped and step back a few feet and got into an defensive stance. It was her way of declaring round two of their play match.
Tan'un opened one eye as she didn't feel the pleasure of a bellyrub. She looked up to witness Meeta falling into a combat stance again.
She shifted to her human form and scrambled to her feet from the rather unceremonial pose, raising her hands in a combat stance hesitantly.
Seeing her new friend's hesitation Meeta with symathically eyes spoke.
"Don't worry I'll tickle your belly some more after this."
Then the former slave charged at Tan'un again. This time she pounced when within reach, trying to lock unto the huntress' front. However due to the panther woman's height and instincts, she no doubt would be able to grab Meeta by the waist before she could succeed.
Tan'un's eyes glinted and she smirked, nodding slowly.
As Meeta jumped for her, Tan'un sidestepped and grabbed around her waist as she charged forward, pushing her down to the floor.
With a grunt of pain Meeta slammed to the floor. She however reacted swifty, rolling Tan'un and herself around the ground while wrestling her arms against her friend's.
And when they came to a halt in rolling iver the floor, Tan'un's hands were forced above her and she was placed under Meeta, struggling quite vigorously.
Smirking Meeta kept Tan'un pinned under her while locking her arms in an firm grip with her friend's, struggling back and forth. Due to her experience, Meeta figure she can keep this up for a while longer. Yet suddenly a bird flying by distracted her, giving Tan'un a chance to turn the tide.
But Tan'un was equally, if not more distracted by the bird. Her struggling halting.momentarily as it flew by. She looked at Meeta again as her chance had passed by and started to struggle again. In vain.