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Shoulder to shoulder, Utunu and Mvua laid stretched out, bellies hot on the sun-warmed rock. Their kopje was only several spear-throws from the village, and there at the top it offered a commanding view of the surrounding savanna. One could see the huts of the Mapaku dotting the savanna's edge, bordering the forest, and east lay the sparkling ribbon of the nearby river that wound its way through their lands. The normal landmarks of their domain were not what held their attention, however. The two sets of large rounded Mapaku ears, one with two heavy gold earrings, the other unadorned, perked forward with interest. Hidden behind tufts of grass that had sprouted through a crack in the rock, both Mapaku were gifted an excellent view of the paw-worn path that led to their village; strangers would be hard-pressed to approach unseen. Both were quite confident of their invisibility, and the stranger they had spotted seemed completely unaware of their presence. He was tall and slender, Mapaku like themselves, and the splotches and patterns of his tricolored fur - a uniquely identifying characteristic between individual Mapaku - were unfamiliar to them both. Sunlight glinted from his spear as he picked his way through the long grasses. Yet there was a strangeness about him - his face was painted with streaks normally reserved for rituals, and his garb looked complex and intricate. Fabric of striking crimson adorned his shoulders, and he wore a similarly colored loincloth of an unfamiliar style. An ornate necklace caught reflections of the early afternoon sun. He walked with a warrior's stride, but both Utunu and Mvua could sense a tension there. "Reminds me of the Bweha," Utunu whispered, gesturing at his own bare shoulder, his paw brushing down like the flow of the stranger's clothing. His friend nodded, eyes still on the path and the newcomer's approach. As he came closer, his nervousness was more apparent. The signs were there, and although the village was not yet visible, the stranger would know that he was encroaching on someone else's territory. Utunu watched as he paused, uncertain and undecided, ears laid flat. "I'll go say hello," Utunu murmured, and Mvua looked over at him. "Going to compare spears?" Mvua chuckled softly, and Utunu couldn't help but smile, pushing at his friend as he got to his feet. Quietly he made his way down the back of the kopje, paws picking out the familiar footholds, and soon he stood at its base. Grasping his spear, he started round towards the path, brushing through the long grass with no attempt at stealth. His ear swiveled as he heard the scuff of paws on rock behind him; a curious Mvua had decided to follow. As Utunu had hoped, the stranger had heard them coming and was facing them as they came into view. He had his spear held defensively, his crouched stance ready to spring should something hostile appear; his ears perked forward when he saw two fellow Mapaku. His posture bespoke nervousness, even as Utunu shifted his grip on his spear so that he held it unthreateningly. Utunu cocked his head curiously, taking in the figure now just a few strides away. He was taller and thinner than either of them, and the red of his shoulder-cloth and loincloth contrasted sharply with his Mapaku coloration. Eyes of dark orange, typical of their species, watched them warily, ringed in white facepaint. Streaks of it lined his muzzle and outlined each of his ears, one of which had a significant piece missing. Utunu eyes flicked up to the damaged ear and back to the stranger's face, whose expression changed briefly, enigmatically, then it was gone, replaced by the inquisitive but nervous uncertainty from before. Utunu turned and handed Mvua his spear, and weaponless, he approached the stranger. "Utunu," he smiled, paw on his chest. The other male visibly relaxed. Resting his spear against his shoulder, he touched his lips to his paw, then stepped forward and held it out expectantly, a tentative smile on his face. Utunu glanced over at Mvua. He was leaning on both spears, watching amusedly with an eyebrow raised, and shrugged. Looking back at the newcomer, Utunu duplicated the gesture, kissing his paw then proffering it to the other Mapaku, who grasped it firmly. "Nomax," said the stranger, and patted his chest. Utunu's ears swiveled slightly, the name strange and intonation unfamiliar and peculiar. But that didn't matter - names were exchanged! He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Nomax in a hug. The other male stiffened briefly, clearly surprised, before returning the gesture. "Come! Be welcome to our village," Utunu grinned. Though his smile faded at the confusion written on Nomax's face. "Welcome?" The pronunciation was strange, there were inflections there that were foreign to Utunu's ears. But he had a knack for language; it was one of the reasons he had been chosen to visit the Bweha and learn their ways, after all. "Yes. Come to the village!" Utunu enunciated the words. Nomax's ears were perked forward, his expression one of concentration, then after a few moments his face lit up with understanding, repeating the phrase, then following up with some of his own. It was the same language, to be sure; yet there were archaic and unfamiliar words, and Utunu struggled to make sense of the dialect. Nomax chuckled, seeing his confusion mirrored on the other's face, and tried again. Mvua watched their back and forth with swiftly waning interest, and with a roll of his eyes at Utunu started back towards the village, both spears in hand. Nomax and Utunu followed, slowly, intent on deciphering each other's speech, trying out words and phrases with each other. Exaggerated pronunciations were interspersed with exclamations of understanding, confusion, and amusement, and by the time the village was in view they barely noticed, so intent was their burgeoning conversation. Nomax suddenly stopped, and Utunu looked up to see what had caught his eye; the village was now within view, its scattered rondavels of thatch and clay interspersed with curious Mapaku, several of whom stood waiting and watching. Nomax's scent was one of excitement and nervousness, and as he neared the group, it was clear that Utunu's tribemates were having difficulty containing their eagerness. Nomax barely finished saying his name before half a dozen Mapaku were all speaking at once, a flurry of names and questions that took Nomax aback. The unfamiliar dialect was exacerbated with its intensity; his ears flattened back against his head, and Utunu was quickly aware of the newcomer's anxiety. "His language is a bit different - let's not overwhelm him! I'll show him around," said Utunu, placing a paw gently on Nomax's shoulder. At the touch he turned quickly to face him, uncertainty written in his face, and Utunu smiled. "Show around village," he clarified, and with the accompanying gesture, the nod of the head away from the chaos of excited villagers, Nomax relaxed, and followed as Utunu walked over to one of the nearby huts. His spear leaned up against its side; Mvua must have left it there. "My hut," he explained, slow and careful with his words as he did his best to approximate the other dialect. "You can leave your spear here, if you want." Nomax gripped his spear tightly, staring at the one leaning there, its colorful feathers wavering slightly in the breeze. A few moments passed, and Nomax looked back over at Utunu. He smiled uncertainly, and set his spear next to the other. The nervous scent increased. "Don't worry. You'll be safe." Nomax stared at the spear left there, then turned back to him. "Show me your village?" Utunu grinned and beckoned him to follow.

The late afternoon found them near the forest - it bordered the village on the south and west, a gentle curve of trees that nestled their village on the edge of the savanna. There was shelter beneath its canopy against the heat of late day sun, and the promise of shade tugged at Nomax. He was tired and worn from how far he had traveled, and the newness and excitement of meeting fellow Mapaku had drained him further. An energetic Utunu had shown him a litany of things around the village, and the names and faces and scents had become a blur. He followed as Utunu continued into the forest, then paused, looking down at his paws as he stood in the cool grass. Some moments passed, and two paws entered his field of view, the brown and white and black a striking contrast to the lush green. He looked up, and Utunu's expression was worried. "Nomax? Are you alright?" Utunu's head was tilted slightly with concern and curiosity. "Can we rest?" Utunu's ears lowered. "I am sorry. I did not think..." "No, it is fine. I traveled far today. I just need to rest for a moment." Nomax settled himself down, the grass soft and inviting, and Utunu sat across from him. Minutes passed in companionable silence, and Nomax was glad for the pause; the myriad scents and sounds of the forest were a balm, and he could feel the tension drain from his limbs. He looked over at the other male, who sat there with a slight smile, his expression open and curious. "What do you call this?" Utunu shifted closer, and lifted his paw to the red cloth on Nomax's shoulder, his touch soft as his fingerpads drifted down the fabric. "That? *Juu ya bega. Jubega* for short." The term was unfamiliar to Utunu. "It looks like something the Bweha would wear." "Bweha?" "The jackal tribe. Many days north of here, at least the ones I've visited. Have you met them?" "No, but there are jackal tribes near my village that are friendly." Nomax's expression grew wistful. "I have met no one since I left. It has been a lonely journey." Utunu's blue eyes continued to watch Nomax curiously, and lifted from the shoulder-cloth to the other Mapaku's face. They followed the markings of facepaint along his muzzle, to where they encircled his eyes and ears. He lifted his paw tentatively, and started to trace along the white outline of Nomax's large ears; Nomax felt the heat rise to his face, and he lowered his gaze nervously. Utunu seemed not to notice, and traced his finger along the damaged part of the ear. "What happened to your ear?" It was a simple question, innocently asked, and Nomax was quiet for a moment before responding. "Hyena. On one of my early hunts." Nomax's tone betrayed his nervousness. The only response was a nod and the barest tilt of Utunu's ear, as he removed his paw. It was only then that Nomax realized all his muscles had tensed up, and he forced himself to relax. Utunu seemed unphased by the marring of his ear, after all. Deeper in the forest, partially hidden by trees, was a large crude form sculpted from the rock of a nearby formation. Nomax had glimpsed it just before their rest, and from where they sat he found he could get a good look at it. It was Mapaku in form, a figure perhaps two or three times larger again than an average tribemember, hewn to look as if it were seated, partially embedded within the stone. He gestured towards it. "What's that?" Utunu turned to look. "Zaa!" he smiled. "Well, not really Zaa. It represents Zaa, and it is where we hold a number of rituals and celebrations - both to him, and to her." Nomax blank look puzzled Utunu. "You don't know who Zaa is?" Nomax shook his head. "Oh." Utunu seemed thoroughly confused. "He, and she, are one of the gods. You have different gods in your tribe?" At Nomax's affirmative nod, Utunu cocked his head curiously. "I have met a few different Mapaku tribes; they all had the same gods. You must be from far away." He considered a moment. "The Bweha have different gods, but then they are a different people. The Shundwa too." He paused, uncertainly. "Who are your gods?" "My tribe has a few. We have the Sun God, his eye is the sun in the sky. He has four children, Elephant, Crocodile, Lion, and Vulture. They hold sway over earth, water, fire, and air." "We have a sun god too. And several others. But they are all Mapaku. Are none of your gods Mapaku?" Nomax shook his head. "No. I... remember stories, passed down, of some Mapaku gods. But they were just stories - they were not the gods I was told of." Nomax paused, and continued. "I have seen none of these gods, though. I think they are newer? Many generations ago we had a leader, who said he was the Sun God, just on the earth with us, in our village. We fought many battles for him, but made many enemies. It has taken a long time for us to befriend others again. Not many of us travel. I am one who did; I wanted to meet other tribes, so I could tell my village of them. We have been alone too long, I feel." Nomax fell quiet then, seeming almost embarrassed of his explanation. Utunu was silent, listening, but Nomax seemed lost in his thoughts. After several moments, hoping to engage his new friend in conversation once more, Utunu quietly spoke. "Jua is our sun god." Nomax looked up, and his ears perked forward. Utunu glanced over at him, and continued. "He is Mapaku, like the rest. Each day he carries the sun across the heavens. He chases Mwezi, his mate - the white tip of her tail is the moon. Every once in a long while, they meet; but they are only together a few short moments, and then she is off, darting across the sky. I always thought it was a sad story, myself - I always thought Jua must be lonely. I like to play my flute for him, sometimes, when he lifts the sun and morning begins." "That sounds familiar!" said Nomax, excitedly. "I remember an old story like that." "They are... far away gods. The others feel closer, like they live near us, and watch over us more." Utunu looked over at Nomax, whose focus was clearly on his every word. He smiled and continued, "Well, you mentioned an earth god - for us, that would be Nchi. The land is his domain, but he also watches over travelers as they walk upon it. You arrived here unharmed; I'd like to think he had some say in that!" "Nchi," Nomax repeated. Utunu nodded. "Then there's Maji - he is the rain god. Upepo, the goddess of the winds - she watches over the seasons. Mwinda, god of the hunt." Utunu ticked them off on his fingers as he listed them. "Zaa, god and goddess of pleasure, life, and fertility, and finally Ufu, god of death and transformation." "How is Zaa two gods at once?" "Well, he has a male form, where he represents passion and sexual pleasure, and in her female form, fertility, life, and the joy of companionship. Zaa is a well-loved god, as you can imagine!" Utunu chuckled. Nomax looked back over at the statue. "What sort of rituals?" "Revels of sexual intimacy are most frequent. Both males and females take part. Rarely, when the village decides it wants to have more pups, we have mating rituals too." Utunu glanced over at the other male; there was tension in him, and the scent of curiosity and arousal both. "I know there are some other tribes that see intimacy in different ways. Many seem to reserve it for those closest to them." A nod from the other male. "My tribe is much like that." "We consider it an expression of friendship," continued Utunu. "It is something we share with all those who are friends, and with those we seek to befriend. It is even traditionally offered to strangers and other tribes, as a gesture of trust and to show our hope of good relations." "Really? Other tribes too?" "Yes. When I visited the Bweha... well, our village has been rather isolated for a while. We keep to ourselves for the most part, and unfortunately because of that we lose contact over time with some of our friends and allies. The Bweha were once our friends, but it had been almost a generation since we had seen them last. Mnenaji - our shaman - suggested I go and rekindle the tie we once had. I was to stay with them, and learn their culture and language, then return." "That's why I left my village - to do the same, to meet other tribes, especially Mapaku," commented Nomax. "So I traveled there," continued Utunu, "and they readily accepted my *kutoa*." At Nomax's puzzlement, Utunu added, "*Kutoa* is the traditional offering of sexual intimacy in a show of friendship. Normally, one will respond, representing the tribe, and with their seed show their acceptance of the offer. Sometimes, many will take part, and many will show their approval. Such was the case with the Bweha, in fact!" Utunu blushed, and his expression was such that Nomax couldn't help but be amused. "It happens when bumping into other hunting parties too," grinned Utunu. "There was a hyena one, not too long ago, when I happened to be traveling. My *kutoa* was accepted, and when their hunt leader finished mounting, the others asked a turn. I did not mind, and later welcomed the return offer." Nomax shifted uncomfortably, knowing that Utunu must certainly be able to scent the effect his explanations had upon him. "Do you plan on staying a while?" At his nod, Utunu smiled. "I'm happy to hear that! You may stay with us as long as you wish." Nomax dropped his gaze shyly, pleased at the ready acceptance of the other Mapaku. Utunu reached up a gentle paw, cupping his muzzle as he lifted the other male's gaze back to his own. Nomax stiffened, surprised, blushing with the touch and at the openness and invitation written on his face. Utunu's other paw softly pushed aside Nomax's loincloth to rest on what lay beneath, his fingers warm on the other's thickening sheath, and Nomax's breath shuddered in anticipation.