[werebeargoddess]

It was nighttime. Leonis was sleeping; Jena was keeping watch. She knew there was no reason to, but she hadn't been overly tired, and she had nothing else to do. Every once and a while she looked over at Leonis, who was very much like a rock at the moment. How he had survived without any help, she had no clue. Her mother had aided her when they first lived in the wild, and she in turn helped other young werebears on their own. Now she was rendering the same service for this young boy. Except for one thing. He was a were-liger. She had dealt with the occasional were-tigress and were-lion, but never one that was a mixture of the two. She smiled grimly. If her mother could see her now, she would have died from shock alone. Were-creatures helped those from their own species, not from another. Yet here Jena was, guiding a were-liger.

She looked up at the sky. It was getting on near morning. They would have to get moving soon. There were many predetors who moved by daylight; and she didn't want to get caught by them. Quietly, she walked over and awoke Leonis. "Come on," she told him. "It's getting on towards daylight. We've got to get moving."
"Do we have to?" complained Leonis, turning over. "Can't I sleep for at least one more hour?"
"Sure," Jena told him, "if you want a predator to get you."
"Fine, I'm getting up." Mumbling, he got up, shook out his fur, and pulled on a shirt and some breeches. Jena tossed him some food. They ate silently, then packed up their things, and headed out. As they walked, Jena pointed out various plants to Leonis; which ones were poisonous, which ones were edible. Leonis looked curiously about him, taking in everything that he saw. He's so observent, thought Jena, suprised.

About an hour before noon, Leonis stopped short. "Did you hear that?" he asked Jena, shocked.
"No, but I feel it." For whatever he had heard, it had a strong aura. Jena gasped, but Leonis didn't notice. This was the aura that she had felt. But how had it gotten this far without her noticing?

Before she could think anything else, a twig broke audibly behind her. Both she and Leonis twirled around. Jena could see Leonis's eyes widening in shock and suprise. For there, in the middle of the road, stood a tiefling. He was nearly 6 feet tall, and had bluish- gray hair. His ears were pointed, and he had a long, whiplike tail. Jena was stunned to see that he was as shocked to see them as they were to see him. She was the first to recover, though. " Who are you? Be you friend or be you foe?"
"I should ask you the same," replied the tiefling. Jena relaxed. This tiefling was different from the ones in the tales her mother always told her.
"I am a friend as long as my friends and I are not attacked. Then I become foe."
"But..." began the tiefling.
"But what? But why do we not attack you on sight, as so many people do?"
The tiefling nodded weakly.
"Jena, what are you doing?" whispered Leonis anxiously. "How can you tell if he is an enemy or not?"
"I can't," she whispered back. "He doesn't look dangerous. Look at him, Leonis. He has that forlorn look, the same look that you had. He needs a friend, Leonis. If anyone, that would be us. If anyone, we understand what it is like to be rejected by society. I don't think he has any hope left. I think we should help him, Leonis."
"But we don't know who he is! How can we trust him? He could kill us in the middle of the night!"
Jena's eyebrows rose at that. " You trust me, even though I'm a werebear, and I killed your parents."
Leonis flushed. "But that's different! I mean, we're helping each other!"
"And you're point is? I think we could help him, Leonis, as we are helping each other. Maybe he could help us in return."

Straightening, Jena walked over to the tiefling, who tensed. "It's all right," she told him. "My name is Jena, my friend's name is Leonis. Do you have a name?" The tiefling shook his head. "Why?" he asked bluntly.
"Well," said Jena, choosing her words carefully, "I think we could help each other. You look like you could use a friend. We need someone who knows the countryside. What do you say?
The Tiefling stared at her. "Why do you want to help me?" He asked finally.
"Because," said Jena, "Leonis and I know what it feels like, having to avoid civilization. Leonis is a were-liger; everyone is afraid of him. I'm a true were-bear, and many people think I'll bite them, though I won't. Nobody accepts us, except each other. You look like you've gone throgh the same thing, being rejected time and time again. But we'll accept you, if you'll accept us." The tiefling considered for a moment, then nodded. "So long as you don't put a dagger through me, sure." Jena laughed.
"Don't worry, I don't have a dagger, and Leonis is a bit young for that."
The tieflig smiled slightly, and said, "I don't have a name, or I don't anymore."
Jena nodded. "How about Morhau?" The tiefling nodded.
"Good! Now let's go find a spring. I think Leonis needs a bath."
"I heard that!!" shouted Leonis as he began to mock-chase her towards the nearest spring. Morhau smiled, and followed.