The night sky was beautiful, and she always loved staring up at it. So dark, but with specks of light freckled across it, and the moon shining whole and bright - it left her feeling breathless at the sight. She inwardly chuckled at the rhyme that she had made, but otherwise, her attention was wholly taken by it.
Purple tail swaying behind her, the lioness trotted elegantly through the grass, wistfully wondering if she was heading in the right direction. She... she knew that she had made her choice originally to stay with their father, but she missed her brothers and mother. She wanted to know what had become of them. Yes, she would have been well cared for in her old pride, but sometimes life led you down a different path. Eyes misting over, she lost herself to her thoughts.
After leaving the pride, Folami had wandered aimlessly... well, not really aimlessly, but she had struggled to find her family's scent after so much time had passed. Rain and wind had long since eradicated such markers, so while she had had a path in mind, she certainly had no idea where to start.
Beside her, the fluffy rabbit hopped silently and carefully, much more hidden within the grass than her counterpart. They made for a strange pair, she was sure, but they were comfortable in each other's presence. They were both quiet by nature, Oji more so but nonetheless, and Folami was a gentler soul, leaving Oji with a sense of security that she was sure she wouldn't have otherwise.
Though she did worry. Folami could be a little too trusting sometimes, something completely different than what her family was described as, but Oji couldn't really say that for certain, having never met them. The two had met after Folami had left, sharing their travels and enjoying the other's company. Oji, despite being a rabbit, was very good at tracking and remembered seeing the very lions that she was looking for. Originally, Oji was going to help her get to her destination and then leave, but now she wasn't so sure she could do that. It was nice having a companion like Folami.
.... But that didn't stop her from her worrying. Her head was often in the clouds, distracted and spacey as she thought back on old memories.
Oji's thoughts were broken then by the sound of grunting nearby, and she knew that the sound had caught Folami's attention as well when the lioness stopped walking.
Black and white paws kicked at the air and dirt around him, the cheetah lost in his nightmare. It was the same one he had been having the past few weeks: yowls and wetness and the rush of blackness everywhere around him. He hated this nightmare because he wasn't so sure it was a nightmare anymore. It felt too real, brought back too many familiar sensations.
... And it always left him feeling trapped in his dreams. He wanted out. He wanted to forget again. This didn't seem like a happy story.
Rokusasu whimpered in his sleep, ears flattened against his skull and his tail quivering where it was wrapped around him. One would almost think that he was simply cold, which, while not literally true, certainly felt that way as he was thrashed about in icy water within his dream.
Folami blinked in surprise at the thrashing cheetah in front of her. She had never met a cheetah before. He was so lanky-looking! Was that normal, or did he need to eat more? She wasn't sure.
But what she did know was that his dreams were certainly not friendly. She watched with concerned eyes for a minute, before moving forward, ignoring the warning touch of Oji's ear against her leg. He looked like he needed help, and it was within her power to provide it.
With a soft nudge of her nose, the lioness spoke as gently as she could manage, "You're having a nightmare. Wake up."
Oji gave a huff beside her, not terribly happy with waking a strange predator in the middle of the night. Hopefully this wouldn't end badly. The last thing they needed was to be assaulted by him, though she would concede that Folami was clearly the larger animal. She'd probably be fine.
Moving to stand beneath Folami, the hare watched as the cheetah came awake with a start, gasping as if he had run a few miles with ears plastered against his head. Alright, she had to admit, this was sort of sad to watch. The pink bunny pushed herself up against Lami's hind leg, watching silently as the male tried to regain his bearings.
Roku, meanwhile, was curling into himself as he tried to reacquaint himself with wakefulness. For as gentle as she had tried to be, he was still startled out of his nightmare. Claws flexed into the dirt floor in a calming, kneading way and his tail twisted beneath his stomach to wrap around his thigh.
Finally, as the fur on his spine began to lay flat, he looked up at the one who had spoken to him.
It was a lioness whose dark pelt matched the sky around them, and for a moment, Roku wondered if she wasn't perhaps a goddess of the night. But as his mind became less foggy, he realized that she was simply a regular lioness. Her less-than-intimidating demeanor and concerned eyes kept him from panicking at the sight. She didn't seem like someone who would attack him.
He briefly closed his eyes to take a few calming deep breathes, and then opened them to look back at her. "... Thanks for waking me." And then he looked away. He hoped she wouldn't ask about what it was about. He wasn't ready to talk about it.
Folami watched him readjust to the waking world, trying to keep herself as unthreatening as she could manage. She didn't want to scare him more than he already was. As he spoke, she cocked her head to the side and gave a soft smile.
"You're welcome. You looked like you needed to be awoken from it."
She blinked, considering asking him about it, but his stand-offish reaction held her tongue. It wasn't her place to ask. They didn't even know each other.
... But perhaps she could solve that right now. "I'm Folami," she lifted a paw to reveal the pink form beneath her, "and this is Oji. We were just passing through when we came across you." She turned her head to look up at the night sky, silent in her thoughts as she debated what else to say. He may not want to talk about it, but she could still offer aid. "Is there anything we can do to help?"
Oji shot a glance up at her when she lifted her paw, throwing a short nod in his direction, and then moved to stand beside her front paws. Well, he knew she was there now too. She may as well come closer so she didn't come off as rude.
Pink ears twitched as he seemed to consider Folami's words before he shook his head. A rather closed-off fellow, wasn't he? She supposed that she couldn't blame him. This was a rather strange situation.
"I'll be fine," he said with his eyes slipping closed. He likely wouldn't be getting anymore sleep tonight, but she didn't need to know that. He wished he could too. He felt exhausted despite it sleeping that whole time. He shook his head, "It was just a nightmare. Nothing more."
Moving his paws underneath his chest, Roku glanced back at them once more with a nod, "I'm Roku, and I hope you have safe travels. I didn't mean to interrupt them." It was a rather blunt dismissal, but he wasn't in the mood to be around others at the moment. He would feel guilty about it later.
Folami wasn't much of the judging sort though, and after watching him for a moment longer, the lioness gave a short nod. "Oh, it was no trouble, and thank you." Nudging at the rodent beneath her, she began continuing their walk.
She hoped that he found peace in whatever was troubling him. Nightmares were often the product of something happening in real life, and this didn't seem like one that would go away immediately. Still, it wasn't her place, and he was a stranger. If he did not want help, then there was nothing she could do.
The pink rabbit cast one last glance behind them as they walked away. Cheetahs were strange creatures, refusing aid like that, but Oji wasn't one to push for answers. They would likely never see him again anyway.
Besides, they had their own goals to achieve, and she didn't think they would have time to deal with his as well. He would simply have to handle them on his own.
Turning back around, the rabbit moved her attention back in front of them, hopping silently beside her lioness companion.