Lemur - A dangerous stranger

Quintus is an educated boy who lives in the great city.
He's really interested in different cultures, so he is going to visit the nature area today.
He wants to get to know the nature loving people he read so much about in person and research them.

After getting dressed properly like a real explorer, he takes his backpack, leaves his home and walks to the next train station.
After a fun ride through the city, through a dry wasteland and above the ocean he reaches a huge forest area.
The border of that forest is the final stop. The nature area should stay natural after all.

Quintus leaves the train and traverses the increasingly dense forest. Most of the time he can't even see the sky.
He walks through the dense forest for hours, until he finally reaches a clearing. A lake is also there.
Other young people mostly around his age are bathing on the other side.
As he approaches them, two naked boys leave the water right in front of him.
Quintus is not prepared for a conversation right now and slows down.

The taller, somewhat muscular boy walks over to a piece of cloth and takes it to put it around his waist, covering his private parts

The smaller, slightly chubby one just looks at him without getting dressed.

Hi. First time here in the forest?

Quintus looks at him some more when he suddenly responds frantically.

Yeah, first time.

The tall boy gets next to his friend.
The little one looks at Quintus. He's astonished by his clothes.

Okay. Call me Lemur. What are you doing here?

I'm Quintus.
I'd really like to get to know your culture a little better.
Could you take me to your settlement to see your leader?

The taller boy takes Lemur by the hand.

We don't have anything like that.
I think it's better if we leave.

Quintus looks at his weapon he took with him for safety.
It's visible.
Maybe the other boy noticed it and is getting nervous.
He should have hidden it better.

The muscular boy starts to walk away, but Lemur doesn't follow him.

But if you want to get to know the life here, you are welcome to follow me to my shack.

The other boy lets go of him, and seems pretty annoyed now.

Quintus is getting nervous now.
He might soon be alone with a young boy in the wilderness.

Lemur just grabs Quintus by the hand, though, and starts to walk away.
Quintus just follows him, while the other boy keeps standing there, looking skeptical at them.

They traverse the forest some more and quickly reach a small shack on top of a tree.
Basically a treehouse, but it doesn't look very stable.

Lemur just climbs up the tree with ease.

Hey, come up, too!

Quintus still stands around helplessly for a while before he finally tries to climb up, too.
But he only gets up a little by himself.

Come on, I'll help you!

Lemur reaches his hand down to Quintus, who is still too far.
Quintus is able to get up a little further and is able to grab it.
Then Lemur pulls him up.

Thanks. Sorry, I'm not that good at climbing yet.
Where I come from we don't have trees everywhere.

No problem, I'm a good climber.
It's really nice to be the one to help somebody myself once in a while.

Sounds like you don't often get to help anyone.

Yeah, I'm usually too small...

You're still young. This should change soon.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Quintus looks out of the window, basically just a hole between planks.

So did you build this yourself?

Yeah, with some help of Mandarine.

The guy who has been with you earlier?

Yeah, him!

Pretty good for young guys like you.
I wouldn't be able to do this without proper tools.

Thanks...

Lemur seems flattered.

Quintus looks around and enjoys the view.
It's not the largest tree around, but he can still see further than he can from the ground.
He can also see the sky pretty well.

Looks like it's already getting dark.

Lemur nods. He immediately takes a fur and puts it at the ground, next to another fur already lying there, so Quintus might be able to sleep there.
Then Lemur lies down on the other fur himself.

I guess, I'm supposed to sleep there?
Looks like I'm going to spend the night with you.

Sure. Didn't you want this in the first place?

It's nice, I won't complain.

Quintus gets sleeping clothes and a blanket from his backpack. He then changes out of his explorer clothes into sleeping clothes only leaving his underwear on.
Then he lies down next to Lemur and gets under his own blanket.

Lemur is still naked and doesn't seem to need a blanket.
That's not exactly pleasent to Quintus.
But after such a long and exhausting journey, he's happy about such a good sleeping place.