Post by Azoto on May 27, 2010 16:19:15 GMT -5
Players:
Kein - Male Cougar
Ahote - Female Cougar
Location:
The pine grove is shadowy and cool, and smells sharply, pungently, of sap. The trees are tall, their reddish trunks shadowed by their bristling branches, which start about four feet off of the ground. There is little underbrush, only a thick carpet of dead pine needles that, when the weather has been dry, crackle underfoot like a thousand tiny breaking bones, but provide near-silent cover when the air is damp. What undergrowth there is is mainly ferns, which spring up near the trunks of the trees. Too, there are pale mushrooms, and shelf fungi which seem to poke out of the trunks, bright, malevolent oranges and reds and yellows.
----------------
Most areas of Amaranth are finally starting to warm up, and Kein is grateful for that. It makes traveling much easier, and since every day seems to bring more mouths to feed, he'll take all the help he can get. He, for one, has been very slow to put weight back on, since he feels so compelled to help others in Amaranth who are not as capable as he is. It is hunting that has brought him here, stalking through the pine grove after a scent trail that was laid down not terribly long ago.
It seems someone else had a similar thought; for coming from the opposite direction of the forest, slowly winding through trees, comes Ahote, pausing at one tree to smell at the roots, while trying to make out what it is she tracks. At the sound of someone moving in front of her, though she is soon able to make out the shape of another cat. She hopes it is not the male she'd met once before; he seemed a bit.. overeager to collect all the females he could, and was already very friendly with the daughter of the cheiftan of these lands, from what she had heard from the two. She stops where she stands, watching, waiting to see what happens.
Kein's dyed face ought to make it easy to distinguish him from any other male in the area, and once he spots Ahote, his behavior ought to remove any doubt that he is the overly-friendly young male who greeted her previously. Before he can stop himself, his tail twitches behind him, evidence of the temper that often drives him, with strangers. At least he does not allow that temper to influence his actions much further. He holds back from approaching the female, and his tone, though cautionary, is not downright threatening. "You've managed to get yourself pretty close to a couple of young mothers, stranger. Do you know where you are?"
Ears cup forward, and Ahote takes the time to sit, to look Kein over from a distance, before she speaks up: "I did not know you had cubs already, but I know I am on Amaranth land. A fellow by the name of 'Thrash', and a lady he called 'Maul' told me as much," she says, watching Kein calmly; though normally one should be on defensive in a situation such as this. "I have lingered here a while, hoping to catch sight of the Cheiftan of the tribe; I have grown tired of hunting alone and wish to join a tribe so that I may both find easier hunting, and possibly find a chance to prove to myself that Tribes are not as stupid as others I have met would have me believe."
"Cubs and grandcubs. And, since I am that chieftain you seek, I am protective of all of them." Overly-protective, if most other members of the tribe were to have their say, but to Kein, it is just barely protective enough. "So. You've met one of my daughters, and my... son." In-law. Adopted. What have you. It's an easier way to describe Thrash than anything else. "I am Kein. And you are?"
"My name is Ahote; my mother named me that because I was restless while inside her." She smiles slightly, and then bobs her head, setting paws before her. "Yes, I have met your... Son... And your daughter. "It is good to meet you, Kein. I was beginning to think I would never find the leader of the tribe. I apologise for giving you cause to worry.. I have no desire to harm cubs nor your clan; I wish to join and bring my hunting skills to your band. I also offer to take any other ... job, you may need me to, sir."
Were it not for the messae Kein got from Nyssa just a few short days ago, he might find himself more tense at this request. He promised to trust her, though, and so he does his best to keep his natural skepticism at bay. "All I'll ask of you, for now, is that you be cautious about how close you get to any of the cubs. It is easy enough for you to say that you mean them no harm. It's harder for those who have seen harm done to ones they care about to believe it." He's not calling her a liar, really, but this has been the fight he has had with others most often. That he is not as trusting as they, apparently, think he should be. "Do that, and keep yourself fed, and you may stay here long enough to meet my mate. She has the final say." Granted, she has never had to turn anyone away, since he usually handles that far before any untrustworthy animal could get too close to her.
A blink, and then a kind smile and nod, as Ahote remarks, amusedly, "Yes, I understand. You can never be too careful around those you have just met. I will avoid your young as much as I can; however if they come looking for me or find their way to me, please do not hold that against me. Children will be children." She chuckles softly, then admits: "I can keep myself fed rather well, however, I feel it might be better to bring the majority of my kills to you and yours for the sake of those who are young and must care for the young, first. I can live on lean eating for a while."
Kein shakes his head at her offer. As much as a small, overworked part of him loves the idea of being able to hunt less by someone else taking up that duty, he cannot accept it. "I will make sure my children and grandchildren are fed because they /are/ my children, but I would not have anyone here starving to do the same. Hunt enough to keep yourself fed, and trust that not overhunting will allow the rest of us to do the same." Besides, Kein has none of his own cubs to support, this season, and one of the young mothers has a mate to help her. He trusts they will manage without trying to coerce other members of the tribe to do any hunting for them.
Considering these words, Ahote nods. Well. She'll.. see about that. She won't say it, but, she feels that one spare rabbit here and there as a gift to someone in the tribe who has to watch cubs won't be too bad. She then murmurs, "Then so be it. Thank you, Kein, for allowing me to hunt here for the time being; until I have earned my chance to meet your mate." She smiles, then slowly stands, and considers-- he had been hunting, likely the same animal she had been tracking. She decides... he can have it, for now. She'll find something else.
"You're welcome, Ahote." Kein is not a very social sort, nor is he one for long goodbyes, so after his statement, he begins walking away, continuing to follow the trail of what, hopefully, will become his supper.
Kein - Male Cougar
Ahote - Female Cougar
Location:
The pine grove is shadowy and cool, and smells sharply, pungently, of sap. The trees are tall, their reddish trunks shadowed by their bristling branches, which start about four feet off of the ground. There is little underbrush, only a thick carpet of dead pine needles that, when the weather has been dry, crackle underfoot like a thousand tiny breaking bones, but provide near-silent cover when the air is damp. What undergrowth there is is mainly ferns, which spring up near the trunks of the trees. Too, there are pale mushrooms, and shelf fungi which seem to poke out of the trunks, bright, malevolent oranges and reds and yellows.
----------------
Most areas of Amaranth are finally starting to warm up, and Kein is grateful for that. It makes traveling much easier, and since every day seems to bring more mouths to feed, he'll take all the help he can get. He, for one, has been very slow to put weight back on, since he feels so compelled to help others in Amaranth who are not as capable as he is. It is hunting that has brought him here, stalking through the pine grove after a scent trail that was laid down not terribly long ago.
It seems someone else had a similar thought; for coming from the opposite direction of the forest, slowly winding through trees, comes Ahote, pausing at one tree to smell at the roots, while trying to make out what it is she tracks. At the sound of someone moving in front of her, though she is soon able to make out the shape of another cat. She hopes it is not the male she'd met once before; he seemed a bit.. overeager to collect all the females he could, and was already very friendly with the daughter of the cheiftan of these lands, from what she had heard from the two. She stops where she stands, watching, waiting to see what happens.
Kein's dyed face ought to make it easy to distinguish him from any other male in the area, and once he spots Ahote, his behavior ought to remove any doubt that he is the overly-friendly young male who greeted her previously. Before he can stop himself, his tail twitches behind him, evidence of the temper that often drives him, with strangers. At least he does not allow that temper to influence his actions much further. He holds back from approaching the female, and his tone, though cautionary, is not downright threatening. "You've managed to get yourself pretty close to a couple of young mothers, stranger. Do you know where you are?"
Ears cup forward, and Ahote takes the time to sit, to look Kein over from a distance, before she speaks up: "I did not know you had cubs already, but I know I am on Amaranth land. A fellow by the name of 'Thrash', and a lady he called 'Maul' told me as much," she says, watching Kein calmly; though normally one should be on defensive in a situation such as this. "I have lingered here a while, hoping to catch sight of the Cheiftan of the tribe; I have grown tired of hunting alone and wish to join a tribe so that I may both find easier hunting, and possibly find a chance to prove to myself that Tribes are not as stupid as others I have met would have me believe."
"Cubs and grandcubs. And, since I am that chieftain you seek, I am protective of all of them." Overly-protective, if most other members of the tribe were to have their say, but to Kein, it is just barely protective enough. "So. You've met one of my daughters, and my... son." In-law. Adopted. What have you. It's an easier way to describe Thrash than anything else. "I am Kein. And you are?"
"My name is Ahote; my mother named me that because I was restless while inside her." She smiles slightly, and then bobs her head, setting paws before her. "Yes, I have met your... Son... And your daughter. "It is good to meet you, Kein. I was beginning to think I would never find the leader of the tribe. I apologise for giving you cause to worry.. I have no desire to harm cubs nor your clan; I wish to join and bring my hunting skills to your band. I also offer to take any other ... job, you may need me to, sir."
Were it not for the messae Kein got from Nyssa just a few short days ago, he might find himself more tense at this request. He promised to trust her, though, and so he does his best to keep his natural skepticism at bay. "All I'll ask of you, for now, is that you be cautious about how close you get to any of the cubs. It is easy enough for you to say that you mean them no harm. It's harder for those who have seen harm done to ones they care about to believe it." He's not calling her a liar, really, but this has been the fight he has had with others most often. That he is not as trusting as they, apparently, think he should be. "Do that, and keep yourself fed, and you may stay here long enough to meet my mate. She has the final say." Granted, she has never had to turn anyone away, since he usually handles that far before any untrustworthy animal could get too close to her.
A blink, and then a kind smile and nod, as Ahote remarks, amusedly, "Yes, I understand. You can never be too careful around those you have just met. I will avoid your young as much as I can; however if they come looking for me or find their way to me, please do not hold that against me. Children will be children." She chuckles softly, then admits: "I can keep myself fed rather well, however, I feel it might be better to bring the majority of my kills to you and yours for the sake of those who are young and must care for the young, first. I can live on lean eating for a while."
Kein shakes his head at her offer. As much as a small, overworked part of him loves the idea of being able to hunt less by someone else taking up that duty, he cannot accept it. "I will make sure my children and grandchildren are fed because they /are/ my children, but I would not have anyone here starving to do the same. Hunt enough to keep yourself fed, and trust that not overhunting will allow the rest of us to do the same." Besides, Kein has none of his own cubs to support, this season, and one of the young mothers has a mate to help her. He trusts they will manage without trying to coerce other members of the tribe to do any hunting for them.
Considering these words, Ahote nods. Well. She'll.. see about that. She won't say it, but, she feels that one spare rabbit here and there as a gift to someone in the tribe who has to watch cubs won't be too bad. She then murmurs, "Then so be it. Thank you, Kein, for allowing me to hunt here for the time being; until I have earned my chance to meet your mate." She smiles, then slowly stands, and considers-- he had been hunting, likely the same animal she had been tracking. She decides... he can have it, for now. She'll find something else.
"You're welcome, Ahote." Kein is not a very social sort, nor is he one for long goodbyes, so after his statement, he begins walking away, continuing to follow the trail of what, hopefully, will become his supper.