"Walkies time, pet!"

Talutah the tauren strode into the living area of her home, Akeashar's walking lead in one hand, some clothes in the other, before freezing in the doorway at the tableau of the white tiger wrapped around in rainbow wool, and making little progress in extricating himself. Her eyebrow raised to the point of it almost vanishing into her fringe as she watched as his tail tip flickered back and forth, looking up at her with kittenish eyes.

"Getting started without me?" She asked with a chuckle, to which he replied by poking out tongue. She half wondered if he was really anywhere near as clumsy and clutzy as he made out to be at times, or if her pet was playing it up for her entertainment, but there was definitely a cuteness to his play. As she looked at how badly he had managed to get tied up she was inclined to believe it was the former. She bit her lip as she saw how tight the wool had gotten and briefly contemplated whether it would be easier to cut the thread, before deciding that it would be good practice and play to untie him herself.

It took another ten minutes, give or take, with her having to give her pet the occasional direction to move this way, to tuck a limb that way, to suck in his belly and to stop pulling faces at her that threatened to send her into giggles so that she'd bap his nose lightly so he'd behave some more, but eventually she had the long spool of wool untied, and a rather ruffled furred tiger trying to straighten and flatten out his fur while looking as if he was in no way responsible for the wooly fluff that was all over the rug and Talutah as well.

She looked up at the clock, still plenty of time, she thought. "Mmm, get dressed. We're going for a hike." She indicated the clothes that she had brought, a matching set to those that she was wearing. She half wanted to watch while he got ready, but she took advantage of his momentary distraction to steal over to a box of fun things that sat innocently against a wall that visitors tended to not notice.

As Akeashar got dressed in the shorts and tank top suitable for the still hot autumn weather he hummed to himself. It was rather embarassing getting wrapped up like that, especially since he'd been just trying to form a cat's cradle from memory and do some tricks with it. How he'd managed to get so thoroughly entangled in the twine he wasn't quite sure, especially after starting with his hands and getting his feet and tail wrapped in it. Perhaps some of his Mistress' skill working with ropes was rubbing off on him, just... not in the way that he wanted it to in particular.

He was done when he heard Talutah walking up behind him, but before he could turn she said in that firm voice, "Arms behind your back, pet." He responded instinctively to the command in her tone, and he found himself to be being tied up once more, although this time with rope instead of wool, and with his Mistress' deft touch meaning that while the ropes were tied tightly they did so securely and in a way that would prevent him from hurting himself further.

Once she was done, she walked around to the front, attaching the lead to the front of the collar, making sure it hooked in tightly, her green eyes glancing up at him as she gave it a tug to test. He was still as she readied him for the walk. When she was all but done, she lifted a hand to affectionately touch his cheek, smiling as he rubbed his cheek against her hand, purring softly.

"One last thing, pet." She said softly, and he saw what she held in her other hand and he nodded, leaning down so that she could slip the ball gag over his head, putting it into position and tightening it. As he raised his head back up their eyes met and each smiled, Talutah easily and the tiger as well as one could with his mouth with a rubber ball in it.

Sometimes they forewent the gag, the two engaging in conversation during the walk, othertimes, she'd leave it in. With the mess he'd made of the living room, he'd not expect much more, especially since they both knew it would have led to a stream of perfectly punctual puns, which could be a punishment for both of them depending on how (or good) they got.

"Wait here." Talutah said, lightly rapping his chest with her nails before she disappeared back through the doorway. Akeashar remained in place as instructed, his ears straining as he heard her singing to herself briefly from the direction of the kitchen before returning with a picnic basket slung over one elbow. She took up his lead with her other hand, wrapping it around twice before they left on their walk.

They walked through the town a short way, as was their habit, with Talutah greeting their neighbours and fellow residents of the small country town cheerfully, while receiving friendly responses to both herself and her pet. Talutah walked her pets regularly, and she was both amused and heartened when she began to see other locals walking theirs too. It was to the point where they had regular meets to get together and walk their kitties and dogs, their ponies and pandas as groups and enjoy the company and conversations.

Today it was just Talutah walking her white tiger tho, heading down a country track, walking through the bush. It was an exercise in trust as much as anything else when they got off the beaten path, the moo making sure that the white tiger wouldn't fall and was able to get up and down the inclines and rocks even bound as he was. It was a beautiful day, warm enough for the shorts and t-shirts, but not too hot. Talutah always made sure that her pets were hydrated and took breaks when necessary.

The route they took wasn't one that Akeashar was familiar with, and the confusion must have shown in his eyes as he looked around as they walked steadily upwards through low scrub bushes and past eucalyptus trees that towered over them. "Its a surprise, pet." Talutah told him. "Kitten and I found the most lovely spot when we went walking the other day." Talutah's smile softened, the special beautiful heart tugging one that she got when she thought of and spoke of her other pet, and the tiger found himself smiling more around the rubber ball, his kitten curiosity going into overdrive enough that Talutah ended up tugging his lead to get him to stop and allow her to take the point again, waving her finger under his nose admonishingly.

They had reached a particularly narrow part of the rocky area, when Talutah stopped and turn to him. There was an expression on her face that was suddenly serious. "Do you trust me, pet?" She asked him, her own tail flicking as she waited for his response. He nodded, and she pulled from her back pocket one of her blinds. He glanced around the rocky pass, and swallowed before meeting her eyes then ducked his head so that she could put it over his head, covering his vision. Yes, the tiger trusted the moo, as a pet to a Mistress, and two close friends to each other.

She led him forwards, at times with the lead, and at others with her hand on his shoulder, giving instructions on when to climb, when to turn. The air became more chill as the afternoon bordered into evening and he heard the calls of the bush birds announcing the shift. Whenever he was stumbled, she was there to catch him, to lead her pet and to keep him safe, trust and affection between the two.

At last, his feet found a relatively flat area and she led him a short ways ahead before telling him to wait there. He heard her busying about behind him, singing that soft song to herself again. He couldn't identify all the sounds besides the basket opening and the occasional clinking, but then she was behind him once more, her hands against the sides of his head.

"Close your eyes." She said, waiting a moment before he nodded in confirmation, squeezing his eyes shut. She lifted the blind from him, tossing it aside before walking to his side. "Now open your eyes."

He opened his eyes, slowly blinking to get used to the oranges, reds and golds of the dusk sky. His eyes widened as he took in the vista. There was no sign of civilization in the way that he faced. It was a short way from the edge of the cliff, enough so that he was standing safely with no chance of falling, but as far as he could see it was a valley filled with fresh green leaves and plants, a deep valley of life and natural life. Birds called and were answered, and he could see in the distance the fall of a waterfall. It appeared to have been untouched, unspoiled, and he felt tension that he didn't realize that he had built up within his chest ease and flow away. He felt that he could stay there and just breathe it in, the freshness in the air different from the city that he had lived in, even purer than the country town that he stayed in.

"Do you like it?" Talutah asked, a touch of hestitation in her voice. She knew the tiger was at home in cities and the fast pace, the hustle and bustle, and the way that he had just frozen now as the sky darkened made her wonderful. Then the white tiger nodded his head enthusiastically, almost losing his balance with it bound as he was. "Good." She said, stepping around in front of him again, a mischevious smile on her face.

As he looked down at her, she put her hand in the centre of his chest and shoved. The tiger's eyes widens as he fell backwards, floomping onto a soft blanket and pillow that she had set up behind him alongside the picnic that had been set out. As the stars began to come out in the sky, shining brightly away from the pollution of the towns and cities, the tiger found his eyes drawn instead to the beauty of the moo as she settled astride him, a very satisfied expression on her face. It was a good day, she thought, and would promise to be a good night.

---

Artwork ©  kami-chan

Talutah ©  Labrynth

Akeashar & Writing ©  Akeashar

Artist's Post - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23072049/