He held up the polish and the brush. "These are useless here... well..." He took another look at the brush. Lady Ledringham's house cats enjoyed a good brushing.
Rishi responded with a series of chirrups and coughing sounds, head bobbing.
"Yes, well maybe we'll use the brush later, when I really believe you won't bite my hand off." He chuckled dryly and put aside the polish and brush.
The next thing he pulled out was a small mending kit. Oh, this would be handy, especially if he had no other clothes in the box. He put that aside as well and pulled out a small blue bottle. A tincture for seasickness. Well, they weren't exactly near the sea, now were they? Of course he suspected that it would work for any stomach malady, so it was quite possibly useful. Two out of three. Now if the odds just remained in his favor.
Rishi had reached the base of his box, was sniffing and snuffling along the edge.
A splashing sound drew his attention to the pool, and Malik waded out, shaking the water out of his fur and looking like nothing so much as one of his Lordship's hunting hounds. Then the huge animal padded over and nipped the tip of Rishi's tail before settling down a few feet away and staring at him.
Rishi sniffed his box once more, then wandered over to lick and begin grooming Malik, tongue sliding over the damp fur. He watched them a moment before digging back into his box.
He pulled out a cape, one of Lord Ledringham's, obviously not expected to be worn and so packed with his things. It would make an excellent sleep roll.
"Yes!" Both tigers looked at him, blue and gold eyes blinking. He beamed at them. "I've had a touch of luck."
The big one, who was Malik when a man, rolled up and ambled over, sniffing at the folds of the cloak. Low growls came from deep within the animal's chest, those impossibly large teeth baring at him.
He shrank back. "You can't have it -- you and Rishi have fur and I don't. I need it." They would not take his things, it was all he had. They would not.
Rishi followed, scenting the air, backing away and snarling, beginning to pace.
Before his eyes the body of the tiger became the familiar body of the man, Malik, the transformation happening in less than a heartbeat. "Wash it. It stinks of the man."
"Oh. Oh!" He nodded. He could do that. "I can do that."
Malik peered into his box. "Do you have..." Malik stopped, obviously searching for a word. "Tools?"
"I don't know -- I just grabbed one of my boxes when we left -- my things and my Master's were mixed between the two. What kind of tools?"
"Something to break tree limbs with?" Those blue eyes met his briefly. "To help make a place for you to sleep."
He shook his head. "Things like that would not be kept in my personal effects. I had a machete back at the camp, but I didn't bring it with us."
"Oh." Clearly disappointed, Malik shrugged and went back to Rishi, squatting to pet the still growling cat's ears.
He put the cloak aside. "I will wash this once I've gone through the box -- there may be more which requires washing."
The next item had him crowing again. Bath salts and soaps. Several different varieties. All his Master's personal store.
The smaller cat almost turned to look at him.
Almost.
He grinned at the two of them, and went back to his box. Not much else left. He did find a second pair of breeches, for which he was quite happy. Malik obviously had no worries about wandering around naked when in man form, but he was brought up quite differently and would not have been comfortable if he could not count on being clothed. At the very bottom of the box was his razor and a small alternating blade knife set. What had Lord Ledringham called it? Oh yes, an army knife. It had been a gift from his Master before they'd begun this rather ill-fated adventure.
"I do have a tool," he told Malik, showing him the knife and how you could exchange one blade for another. "It's quite small though."
Malik looked it over, nodding. "It will do to cut small, green branches. That will be good. I will go and start." Just like that Malik was off into the trees, leaving him with Rishi.
He blinked after Malik and then looked back down at Rishi. The smaller tiger made him nervous. Mostly because Rishi seemed to accept his presence very grudgingly. And for all the tiger was the smaller of the two, he was still very large. And had really big teeth. Which he showed quite a bit.
Rishi blinked at him, then sat, tail swiping against his box, making a slapping sound.
"Would you like to have my box?" he asked.
Rishi's head tilted, the tiger blinked. He picked it up and held it out to the tiger. Rishi walked over and looked inside, sniffing and smelling. Then, as he watched, the tiger walked over to a tree and tore down some low-hanging leaves, bringing them over to place into the box before leaping up onto a flat rock.
He chuckled. "You are a very strange beast."
Of course, he supposed his own movements were considered strange by Rishi and Malik.
The sound of branches thumping to the ground made him start, and Malik handed his knife back to him. "You keep. I have no place to put." And Malik set to wrapping vines and branches together.
He put the knife with the rest of his things -- he would find somewhere to keep it. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so quick to give away his box.
Malik looked at him out of the corners of those odd blue eyes, something like laughter in them. "The leaves will make the cloth smell better. He was helping."
"Oh!" He blushed. "I had made a gift of the box to him." Rishi made a soft noise, and when he looked, he found the tiger snoring, paws in the air, sound asleep. "Not much of a gift I guess," he admitted, feeling very sheepish indeed.
He carefully put his things back into the box.
There. That was definitely laughter. "What would Rishi do with your box? But it is very kind of you. That was why I did not kill you, you know. You were kind to him."
The blush would be permanent, he was sure. "He seemed interested in it. I thought he would like it to play with..."
"No doubt he would. But it is all you have and he will not take it." Malik smiled at him still, eyes bright. "He is just nosy."
"I should have known. Curiosity killed the cat." His eyes flew up to Malik's as soon as the words were out of his mouth. "Of course the adage continues -- satisfaction brought it back."
If his words bothered Malik it did not show. The tiger-man simply kept working, and soon there was a sizable flat piece of wood and vine, perhaps five feet long and four wide. Malik then lashed it between two young trees, standing back to look at it. "There. A roof for your box."
"Oh! Thank you." He was touched. He picked up his box and put it beneath the makeshift roof. Now all he needed was a side or two and he would have decent shelter if it ever rained.
"You should rest now." He had learned that when Malik said that it meant Malik wanted a nap. These two slept quite a bit.
He nodded. "I want to wash the cloak first, so that I may use it to lie on."
A short nod was his only answer, and the startling change occurred once more, Malik's human form lengthening into the big cat. Malik turned around Rishi twice before curling up with the other tiger and twining tails.
The loneliness filled him again, for he was very much alone here. An interloper allowed to live because he had saved Malik's life. He grabbed his cloak and one of the soaps and headed for the river before he could wonder if it would have been kinder to let him die.
~Chapter Six~
The wind was cool, and the air smelled of coming rain. They had fed well earlier in the day, and napped with great enthusiasm, and twined tails and groomed.
Now, Malik needed.
So, of course, Rishi had disappeared.
He was not on their rocks. He was not in the pool. Not that he would be there without Malik at any rate. The trees yielded no Rishi, even though his young one was a far better climber than he was.
Malik tried to catch his scent, but soon became dizzy following the roundabout
bouncing trail Rishi had left for him.
A growl of frustration left him. He ached. He itched, and no matter how he rubbed on the rocks or the trees it did not go away.
The wind and the grasses and the first drops of rain conspired to drive him mad, brushing him like Rishi's tail or tongue and Malik finally sat back and roared his need to the sky. It took only a matter of heartbeats before Rishi's call answered him, the tip of his young one's tail bounding through the furiously shuddering grasses.
One more roar for good measure, and then Malik braced himself for the attack, muscles bunching, twitching beneath his skin.
He could hear Rishi panting and huffing, running hard, not disguising the upcoming pounce in the least, the cry of 'RAJRAJRAJRAJRAJRAJ' sharp in the wind. They went down together as Rishi barrelled right into him, his teeth closing on Rishi's neck, his growls making the thunder run and hide. Rishi made him feel like a god. Rishi's paws wrapped around his chest, purring and growls coming all at once, the scent of pure happiness heady and rich.
He nuzzled and licked and bit and let Rishi hear his own song of love and need and happiness. So long, he had waited. So long. His shaft was hard and hot against Rishi, and Malik rubbed and rubbed, growling low.
His Rishi stretched and rubbed, those golden eyes lit up, glowing for him, belly fur so soft, so warm. Purring, Malik pushed against Rishi, listening to the sweet chirrups and chuffs, letting the rain fall on his back. So good, easing his itch as nothing else did.
Rishi lapped at his chin, breath puffing against him, tongue moving over him quick and hungry. Crouching low Malik rubbed against Rishi even harder, teeth closing on that soft throat once more, giving Rishi the best kiss a tiger knew how to give. His sweet young one, his beautiful Rishi who denied him nothing. Rishi's head fell back, soft rumbles and roars singing to him, of him, for him. How his Rishi loved.
Before long the lightning and thunder and Rishi's softness beneath him drove him to release, roaring his pleasure for all to hear as he spent himself against his most loved.
Rishi purred and snuggled close, body shifting and sliding, tongue grooming his face as his mate panted and rocked. He stayed were he was, pressing against his Rishi, nipping at the young one's neck and chest. He could not but give the same pleasure he got. Each nip and touch and rub made his Rishi vibrate a little harder, shiver a little faster.
Growling encouragement, purring his love, Malik licked Rishi's chin, rubbed his cheeks. He wanted his Rishi's pleasure. Those paws wrapped around him, hips jerking and rubbing furiously now. Those eyes stared at him, loved him, needed him. So ready, his Rishi, and Malik bent and bit hard and deliberately, claiming Rishi as his mate. His.
The roar that heralded his Rishi's pleasure echoed through their home, dared the thunder with its glory. The scent drowned out the rain, hot and musky and so perfectly Rishi.
Malik licked at Rishi's fur, grooming from head to tail. His actions were met with a loud purr, paws batting at raindrops, soft chirrups sounding that were meant only for his ears.
They played together in the soft pour of the rain, until they were tired, and went to seek a dry spot to sleep together, warm and safe and happy. For now his need was met, but Malik would need again, he knew. How could he not, when Rishi was his mate?
~Chapter Seven~
The Man smelled... not grumpy.
Grumpy smelled like his Raj when the river dried or the bugs swarmed.
No... this was... sour.
Bitter.
Yucky.
If the Man didn't stop, Rishi was going to...
To...
To tell his Raj.
So there.
Except that his Raj still slept, paws over tail under the big tree.
Bah.
He thought.
Twitched.
Growled a little.
Finally, he made a decision.
A good brave strong decision.
Rishi pounced the Man and started licking. A good grooming would have to help.
The man made much noise and did not stay still for his grooming.
Rishi rumbled, one paw on the man's belly. Stupid mans with fake fur and not-grumpy stinks.
"Malik! Malik! He's eating me!"
His Raj sprang up, roaring very loud like he did to protect their rock from predators, looking around wildly.
"Help!" screamed the stupid mans.
He huffed and rolled his eyes. If the stupid man made his Raj grumpy and his grumpy Raj bit his hindquarters?
Somebody would be lunch.
His Raj came over and looked at both he and the mans, and the blue eyes blinked at them, Malik's tail lashing back and forth. Then his Raj made a chuffing sound and pounced veryvery fast, knocking him off the man and rolling them over and over, growling and nibbling him.
Oh! Oh, playing!
Rishi growled and bounced up, jumping on Malik's belly, avoiding the pointy bits. They rolled back the other way, knocking the man down as he tried to stand up.
There was more noise and flailing by the man -- did he not want to play?
Or maybe he did not know how.
Oh.
Oh, poor mans!
Rishi would help!
He pounced and nuzzled, rolling the man over and over before bounding away so the man could chase him.
The man did not chase though, instead the man curled up into a ball.
Silly mans!
Malik distracted him, teeth pulling at his tail before his Raj bounded away, daring him to chase.
Rishi -- who was not a stupid mans and knew all the rules -- gave chase, roaring happily, chasing his most large and fine and strong Raj.
The best Raj everywhere!
Pounce!
They played some more, Malik slipping from beneath him and knocking him down, teeth closing on his throat for an instant, body heavy against him.
He relaxed, submitting, giving Malik the respect his Raj deserved.
Their game was over, and his Raj stood, walking over to the man to sniff.
The man made a whimper noise. "Please. No more!"
He sighed, rolling his eyes.
No "Good Rishi".
No "Thank you, Rishi."
No.
The man had to be more stinky.
Maybe Malik would drag the Man to the water. And feed him to the Long-Nosed Toothy Not-Fish.
Did his Raj do that? No.
Instead, Malik nuzzled the man, licking softly and making low rumbles.
"Are you going to eat me now?"
Rishi planted his feet and ROARED.
The man drew up tighter into a ball, covering his ears.
He looked at Malik, vocalizing, telling his Raj. This man was not good and smelled wrong and he was NOT going to eat the stinky man or take the things or hurt or break or be a Bad Rishi.
Rishi was TIRED.
Rishi was MAD.
Rishi was going to BITE something.
Hard.
He showed Malik his teeth, stamping against the ground.
His Raj came back to him, nudging him toward their rocks, the rumbles and nuzzles and licks for him now, soothing him. His Raj's noises told him much. How fine he was, how wonderful, how patient and good.
He let his Raj ease him, let the soft touches of tongue draw quiet purrs from him.
Oh.
Oh, good his Raj.
So good.
With Malik between him and the man he could not smell, and he was still tired, so maybe he would take a nap. And maybe before he woke up the man would not be stinky.
***
Malik sighed, letting go of his real self with a pang and sliding into the uncomfortable man skin. Rishi slept restlessly, feet running in his dreams, but at least he slept. The man...
Well, the man was very scared and unhappy. And still curled up on the ground, arms over his head.
Malik went to him, putting a hand to the man's shoulder.
The man started hard, looking up at him with frightened ey
es. "Why? Why would you suddenly decide to eat me?"
"Lynnnn. Rishi was only playing. That is how we play. And I..." he could feel hot blood in his face. "I was trying to comfort you."
"Playing? Comfort?" The man gave him a hard look. "Are you sure?"
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