Lone Adventurer

Gaia was thrilled on their adventure, having not a chance to get to travel much with her prior owners as they did not have the funds for such things. She spent their traveling time bounding through the grass, water and over the terrain, occasionally zipping in front of Kronus teasingly as he was working and could not join in on the shenanigans.

The first 2 nights were uneventful, she spent the nights with the large tiger curled up around her. The third night as they settled down and she drug her tongue over his face, her rounded ears picked up the sound of drums and chanting. She turned her head, pulling herself to her paws as her steely blue eyes scanned the area for sight of where the sound came from.

The sound was coming from further up the mountain, a rather flat area some ways up by the looks of it. This chanting was low, growling and powerful. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iYihlzbrkOY)

Kira seemed suspicious, and so did Kronus, keeping himself beside Gaia at all times. Just in case, he'd grown to like her.

Gaia was on edge, as her mistress and Kronus were also on edge. She lifted her head to the sky, in the direction of the noise, taking in deep breathes through her damp nose, curiously.

She didn't know what to think to be honest, all she had to go on was their reaction and it made her nervous because they seemed as such. She nuzzled Kronus lightly as the listened to the drums.

<nice music>

(I thought so too. I like groups and people like Paleowolf, Wardruna, Faun and Adrian Von Ziegler)

Her mistress, annoyed, decided to go forward and investigate. And Kronus followed her close behind, keeping his ears and nose sharp. If Gaia were to follow, they'd reach a clearing, in which were two henges of standing stones, one inside the other, with a circular pond in its center, in the center of that was one, colossal standing stone. It was however, inhabited, by men and women alike, naked and dancing in rings around the center stone, furthest out was a ring of drummers.

Each and every last one of the men and women there were completely covered in tattoos that mimicked the stripes of a tiger, or the spots of a leopard. Any sort of animal with a pattern on its fur.

Kira looked almost panicked. "Druids." She whispered.

Gaia followed alongside Kronus, tail lashing from side to side. When the people became visable Gaia noticed her mistresses seeming distress and she tilted her head.

She knew nothing about druids so the word meant nothing to her. She licked at Kira's hand nervously before turning her eyes back to the people

Kira gave her a reassuring pat. "Don't do anything to draw their attention. We're going to be going through here eventually, but for now we need to let them be. Try not to attract their attention."

Kronus looked on, as if thinking, while Kira lead Gaia back to their campsite. He'd join them after a moment, but seemed to hesitate.

Gaia pressed her head against Kira's hand as she patted her. Her overly long tail lashing slowly as she huffed faintly while Kira spoke. When they turned to leave Kronus stayed put for a moment, watching them a little longer before following. She chirped lightly as he came up behind them, and Gaia pounced lightly on him nipping playfully at his ear before lovingly licking the top of his head.

When Kronus was tackled he gave her a growl, not a warning or threatening one though. And he quickly got on top of her, giving her nose a lick in revenge.

"Mess with the tiger you get the claws." Kira shrugged.

Kronus didn't let her up, and instead continued to sniff at her and lick her, occasionally giving a few revenge nibbles to her ear. But not letting her up, yet.

Gaia let out a faint squak like growl as she was pounced by the much larger tiger. She didn't struggle as she pressed her head back against his nibbles and licks as she purred, turning her head when she could to lick his cheek in return. Her front paws kneaded the ground lightly beneath her.

She didn't mind his attention, she adored the other feline and had more fun so far with him and Mistress than she'd ever had before.

(https://youtu.be/h2ObbqpjPPg)

(that is just adorable.)

After a few more minutes of teasing her with nibbles and licks he let her up. And pranced over to the fireside to lay down, and he invited Gaia to join him with a nod of his head.

She bounded happily after him for a second, before stopping to move to Kira, she was still her mistress and Gaia needed to make sure she was tended to before she could continue playing with Kronus. She nudged her Mistresses hand lightly, looking at her with steely blue eyes quietly. She licked at her hand, her rough, barbed tongue dragging over her flesh for only a second so as not to hurt her. (Their tongues can strip meat from bones, so Gaia is overly careful lol )

(that's a cool fact.)

Kira shook her head. "Go ahead and stay with Kronus, I don't need anything from you. Just try to keep the volume down. I'll be trying to sleep."

And they didn't want to attract the attention of the veritable army of druids further up the mountain.

Gaia nodded softly and bounded back to Kronus, pouncing him fully, though she stayed silent. She bit at the loose skin of his neck as her tail lashed while she tried tobstay standing on him as he moved. She slid off him and watched Kira quietly as she settled in for the night.

Gaia remained alert, listening to the Druids through the night, protective of her mistress, though she also still played with Kronus when he would

Kronus took it upon himself to subdue this playful kitty, in a playful way. He too would take the opportunity to grab the loose skin on the back of her neck when she was careless enough to expose that particular part of her to him.

Kira rolled her eyes, amused, and laid in her fur bedroll to sleep.

She chirped slightly as the nap of her exposed neck was caught and held. She purred, freezing in her actions, her tail lashing as he held her for a moment. When he let go she rolled over his foot and swatted at his muzzle before proceeding to groom him quietly while Kira tried to get some sleep

Her batting his face was retaliated against with a few bats of his own, nothing to hurt her of course. But when she started grooming him, he let out the telltale chuffing noise tigers made when they were pleased.

She purred softly as she groomed him, she herself pleased with her new friend. When his face was well groomed, the rough barbs of her tongue having graciously cleaned his fur quite well, she rested her head on his front paws, yawning slightly as she relaxed.

He put a paw around her as she laid down and snuggled her close to him as they laid down to sleep. He gave her a tender lick before setting his head down next to hers to sleep.

But a little while later, when the night was darkest, she'd likely wake to him standing up and leaving. He was careful with her, but it's still hard to sneak away from a cuddle partner.

A soft mew escaped her maw as he pulled away. She stood as well and padded after him, stopping at the door, looking between him leaving, and Mistress. She mewed again, not sure what to do but then decided to follow her fellow feline quietly, nudging him gently as she trotted alongside him.

(they're outside remember, there's no doorway )

Kronos didn't seem to notice she was there, moving quickly and just a tad more purposefully than he usually did. Kira stirred on her sleep but didn't wake up.

Kronus went to the now vacant circle of stones, and went straight for the pond in the middle, which had a faint glow to it, and drank.

<oh ya. Lol duh>

Gaia followed quickly though his size alone gave him a much larger gait and as such he moved much faster. When he stopped at the pond she tilted her head, coming up alongside him as he leaned down to drink. She watched him curiously but did not share in the drink, just watching curiously

It was then he took notice of her. After he took his drink he clawed at his armour, and gave her a look that said 'a little help?' as he tried to remove the armour he was clad in. Whatever for?

She tilted her head and shifted to her Earthbound form, in which she would have more nimble fingers to help him with. She grew to her taller, more humanoid form without problem and she helped unlatch the armor, not even thinking if she should, just doing so as he obviously wanted it off.

She helped him pull it all off, setting the heavy armor in the ground between them.

"Better" she asked softly

As she worked he'd seem to change, shifting as the armour was removed, and a few minutes after the armour had been completely removed he wasn't a basic tiger any longer. He pushed himself up with thick arms, and stood up tall on two legs, now an earthborn himself, standing almost seven and a half feet tall. He smiled down at her, not caring in the slightest that he was naked.

"Much. Thank you."

She blinked as he shifted before her eyes, her steely blue orbs blinking curiously.

"Welcome...." she said breathlessly as she stretched her hand out and touched his fur lightly.

"Does Mistress know about this?" She asked softly as the pads of her hands felt the smooth warmth of his fur. She wanted to move and hug him, having not seen another earthbound before, not this close at least.