Painted Flowers

Chapter 24 - Outcasts

He stayed. Despite everything, he stayed. He was not afraid of her. ...At least, she hoped not.

The trio had become an odd sort of pack, following an odd sort of routine. Wake up at dawn, hunt together (with mostly Zain doing the hunting), rest during the hottest part of the day, travel again until sundown. It felt good to be nomadic again, now that they had a chance to revive their sore muscles and had an actual idea of where they were going.

The two bites on Layali's floppy ear given to her by both Feoria and Zola moon cycles prior had left a nasty scar, and Layali wasn't sure it would ever heal. Not that having a deaf ear that couldn't stand up was attractive in the first place. The scratches on her flank and stomach had healed a bit better, though not quite invisible yet. Her shoulder, on the other paw, would forever bear the reminder of that fateful day she had met Zain and the rest of the Pack of Falling Ash.

As for him and Kioni, they had their strength back as well. Their pads had grown much tougher from the journey, no longer rubbing raw from the burns and constant walking. Being given priority at mealtime, Kioni's ribs were nowhere near as prominent as before, and she was bouncing and playing more with her new energy. Though he was still reluctant, Zain was finally starting to eat, so he was looking healthier too. His pelt was no longer dull, and his eyes were clearer, like he had a newfound purpose. Things were looking up for the wandering misfits.

Zain still trusted her after what she had revealed, but Layali truly could not place why. She was constantly worried that he secretly resented her, especially now that she had told him her deepest secret. Unlike Zola or Duna, or the rest of the Pack of Bright Meadows, he didn't treat her as some sort of dangerous monster. Perhaps Layali didn't explain her situation well enough; how powerful Dreamwalkers and the spirit world truly were. Or perhaps he simply didn't care, and knew that deep down, she really wasn't some horrible creature to be feared. Perhaps he felt bad for her, and felt that her banishment and mistreatment from her family was unjust.

But given the knowledge of her Dreamwalker's existence, how was it that he didn't place the blame of Zahra's death on her? Or did he? She may never know, if he never shared what was going on inside his head.

Given that he was still there, he at least did seem to believe what she said about visiting the Light and Dark dogs in the spirit world when she dreamt. Layali was relieved about this, but could not shake the feeling that this quest should have been for her alone.

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The savanna seemed never ending. The uplands where the Painted Mountain stood proud was northward of the beach, so the trio had to backtrack a bit before they were heading in the right direction.

Kioni's playful spark improved the dogs' moods. She had been tracking a pretty black-and-white butterfly along the trail for a while now, pouncing and startling it but never quite touching it. The dogs watched on, walking along the path in a comfortable silence.

With one more leap, Kioni's broad paws finally trapped the struggling insect. The cheetah looked back at Layali with an excited grin, gesturing to the wings that were still flapping under her grip.

"Look!" Kioni chirped.

Layali walked up to her, nodding proudly. "That's good! But you'll never be a hunter if you don't use your claws." She wasn't sure if Kioni could recognize everything she was saying, so she lifted a paw up and spread her own nails to explain the word "claws".

"Oh!" Kioni's white claws, much sharper and longer than a dog's, tore into the butterfly's wings, ripping them off entirely.

Layali chuckled. "Poor butterfly. You did well, Kioni. Your first prey!" She nudged Zain with an elbow. "Soon she'll be out-hunting you, huh?"