Post by Therdde on Feb 24, 2011 10:54:22 GMT -5
Characters:
Mythri - Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Wildflower Drop -
Mythri is in a foul mood. No other way to describe it, really. Those who know her would no doubt rarely say that she is ever in a /pleasant/ mood, but at the moment it's quite evident, from her constant tail lashing, extended claws, and bared fangs, that she has had her... calmer moods. Last she checked, her son and two daughters were all asleep, or if any of them had awakened, they were keeping a low profile. Mythri wasn't usually in such a mood, but one of the lessons that all three of them had learned quickly was to avoid disturbing her while in such a mood. It's all she can do not to pace back and forth while pondering over whatever cause has led to her current state of mind.
Kein is getting old. He is far from being weakened by age, but he is definitely beginning to slip past his prime. Of course, having experience where younger cougars have energy and enthusiasm, he remains confident, and his age has some other advantages besides. His age, and his position, and one of those advantages is that he could care less what sort of mood Mythri is in. He does watch for a moment, from a distance, but his time in this land is running short, and he has no intention to turn around, so after that moment, he continues to approach her, cautiously should she decide to do something incredibly stupid.
She had just begun to pace again, despite herself, when awareness and realization of another cougar's presence stops her short. Amber-rimmed dark eyes stare furiously at the interruption, and although recognition of the tribe's chieftain tempers her mood somewhat, she still looks far from pleased to have a visitor to this part of the mountain. "Chieftain," she greets, tone barely civil. "What brings you here this morning?" Her claws are still extended and her tail still lashes now and again, but she /is/ making an effort to calm down. Experience has taught her that trying to converse while highly agitated is an opportunity wasted at best, and dangerous at worst.
"Do I need a reason to visit any part of my territory, Mythri?" It's true. Kein and Mythri have not had a pleasant past, and by all appearances, Kein does not seem eager to change that, but his tone is not as harsh as it might be if he were upset with anything Mythri has done. It simply offers little room for argument. He does have reason to be here, yes, and this test he has devised is but one of them. Someday in the not too distant future, he will leave this mountain for good, and he will not be leaving his daughter with someone who cannot accept the authority of the leaders of this tribe.
"Do you require a reason? No. But do you /have/ a reason? Yes." Mythri's tone turns slightly sardonic. "You are not a foolish adolescent who roams simply for the pleasure of differing ground under your paws." A grim smile twitches at the corner of her muzzle as she turns to face him directly. "And I cannot imagine that you came here for the imagined pleasure of my company, or to engage in pointless debate over semantics." She quirks an eyebrow. "No, you go places by choice, but with reason. Hence, my question."
"Let my rephrase my own question then, Mythri. Do I have an obligation to tell you what my reasons are?" Of course, this question, as the previous one, is meant to be hypothetical, or at the very least to have a very simple answer, rather than Mythri's method of going about trying to tell him, with all his stubbornness that has only grown with time, to explain himself well before he is ready to do so.
If anything, Mythri simply looks satisfied. Her tone now matches her expression: "Indeed you do not, Chieftain. But you cannot fault me for inquiring, at least." She eyes him intently. If he is not going to divulge his reason or reasons for being here, then she will at least attempt to gather as much information as she can with the rest of her senses. Keeping ever-in-the-front of her mind that her cubs are still present and quite possibly watching this interaction right now, she's set on being extra careful. It's not that she doesn't trust the chieftain, per se. She just... doesn't trust him. Anyone.
Perhaps, if Kein were less fond of Mythri, he might continue being difficult simply for the sake of it, but while, in a sense, she is wrong, and he most certainly can fault her for anything he likes... in this case, he doesn't, especially as she does not continue to demand an explanation. Besides, there is yet one more battle before them. "You are right, of course. I am here for a reason. I will be taking my grandson for a few hours." It is not a question. One way or another, very soon, his grandson will not be in this particular area. It remains, however, a test of the one member of Amaranth that Kein does not trust leaving here when he departs from these lands, besides the fact that he genuinely wants to spend a little bit of time with his son's son.
The cougaress, for a moment, is caught off guard. A flurry of possibilities race through her mind, but the only logical reason is one that she's already given some thought to. It takes her a second to gather herself, but the grim humor previously shown is replaced now by a cool neutrality. "If you're wanting to talk to him about his namesake, don't bother wasting your breath. You have my word that he will not become his grandfather, if that is indeed your fear." Why else would the chieftain make such a demand, and of Rev only?
"What I want to talk to him about is of little concern to you, Mythri. Kindly fetch my grandson for me." Truth be told, it is difficult for Kein to be so demanding when there is no outright cause for it, causing his speech to come a little slower than normal as he combats his natural inclination to set the potential concerns of a female member of his tribe at ease. He holds firm, though, and the explanations that were right on the tip of his tongue remain unsaid.
If her claws were not already still extended from her earlier pacing, there's a good possibility that they might have extended at the chieftain's words. Her eyes narrow, and there's an edge to her voice. "If you choose to speak with him, that is your decision and I will allow such an opportunity. But do not take me for a fool. He is your grandson only by means of blood, and nothing more. He is /my/ /son/ through the love and bond that I shared with Cael. If you think for a moment that /anything/ related to him is of just 'little concern' to me, you really do not know me at all." Her tail is lashing again, as if with a mind of its own.
"And how is it that you think Cael came to be my son, Mythri? I will assure you, only because you are his mother, that I would cause my son's children no harm. I would not cause any member of this tribe harm." Not, that is, without provocation. "But I will not ask again." As though he actually asked, the first time. While Kein's own tail lashes behind him, he keeps himself calm enough, otherwise. He knew, after all, that this was not going to be easy, and he had time to prepare for it.
"I trust his life to you the same as I would trust it to his other grandfather." Mythri's voice is even, and there's no indication one way or another whether she's being sarcastic or completely serious. Perhaps both. Giving one last hard stare, she finally turns and pads back over to where the three small forms are asleep or doing their absolute best to pretend to be so. No doubt listening for all they're worth. Without hesitation or delay, she leans down and picks up the juvenile male by his scruff and turns to walk back toward the chieftain. If Rev wasn't awake before, he certainly is now, but to his own credit, he's quiet and still, knowing that an explanation or instructions from his mother will be forthcoming.
"Maybe you should question your judgment then, Mythri. Of his two grandfathers, I am the one who has not nearly killed one of his children because they displeased him." Mythri does, after all, still bear those scars. Still, Kein's tone is not as harsh as it might be. While it was not a pleasant experience, it appears that Mythri is going to pass this test of his, and he can be relieved about that much. He truly had no desire to chase the female, and his three young grandchildren, away from Amaranth, after all.
Mythri should have known a response like that would come. She sets Rev down in front of the chieftain, then stands tall to look him with as much confidence as she can muster, while trying not to let the earlier frustration mar her words. "If my father had wanted to kill me, he would have done so. It is because he did not, and because he did not kill /your/ son, but rather test and eventually accept him as one who wished to bond with me... that is why I will trust him with my own son's life, whenever he wishes to speak with his own grandson." It's stated as a certain expectation. She's not entirely sure when such an encounter will happen, but she's quite confident that Revan would want to see his own grandchildren. No doubt not for the exact same reasons as Kein, here, yet his own blood relationship cannot be denied. Mythri leans down and noses at Rev, knowing that he'll certainly have questions for later, even if Kein decided not to say a single word to the boy. "Rev, I want you to go with Chieftain Kein. He wishes to speak with you, and I want you to listen well and answer truthfully any questions that he asks. Honor your mother in this way." Uncertainty is written all over the young face, but resolution sets in, and the juvenile nods, even if a bit anxious.
What Mythri says, apparently implying that Revan is, in fact, still alive, causes further irritation in Kein. Still, where as Kein is just starting to slip past his prime, Revan must be nearing his death, and so Kein should have no reason to worry. Should. With only a single eye on his grandson, he says, "I respect that you accepted the will of the still-leader of this land, Mythri. It gives me confidence in leaving you here on the day when I leave for good, and I appreciate that. And I will appreciate a few hours to get to know my grandson. To see what of his father is in him." The test passed, Kein finally explains his purpose here. That is not all he has to say, though. "But make no mistake, Mythri. Although I appreciate all of this, if Revan ever again steps foot on this land, I will not rest until he is dead. If your children are to meet their other grandfather, let it happen outside of Amaranth. I have no forgiveness for your father. I never will. But unlike him, I do not take my fights outside of my territory. I never have."
Mythri nods, looking at the other adult once more. "I cannot say when or where my father would arrange such a meeting, if such is to take place. All I can do is wait to hear from him." As far as she's concerned, enough has been said about her father. She takes a step back, a hint that she's finished with their conversation. Any respect or appreciation that Kein has vocalized has been noted, but she has no desire to call attention to such accolades. Her being here has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the wishes of her dying mate. Honoring Amaranth's chieftain is honoring Cael's memory, and she's more than willing to submit to his demands to accomplish such a goal. Not the first, and probably not the last: "Rev is yours to converse with," she says simply, taking another step back.
Kein has, likewise, said all he desires to say to Mythri. More than he desires to say, actually, since his irritation has him rather wishing he never had to speak with her at all, and he cannot help but secretly hope Revan does show up here to meet his grandchildren, so that Kein can fulfill his promise and take all of his unresolved anger about the hand that fate has dealt him and his family out on the male who caused Amaranth so much pain. He does not, however, intend to take that same anger out on his young grandson, and so he takes a deep breath to calm himself before saying, "Follow me, Rev." Nothing more, and there won't be anything more until they are away from the irritating female, but at least his tone when he speaks to his grandchild is not unpleasant.
Mythri - Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Wildflower Drop -
Mythri is in a foul mood. No other way to describe it, really. Those who know her would no doubt rarely say that she is ever in a /pleasant/ mood, but at the moment it's quite evident, from her constant tail lashing, extended claws, and bared fangs, that she has had her... calmer moods. Last she checked, her son and two daughters were all asleep, or if any of them had awakened, they were keeping a low profile. Mythri wasn't usually in such a mood, but one of the lessons that all three of them had learned quickly was to avoid disturbing her while in such a mood. It's all she can do not to pace back and forth while pondering over whatever cause has led to her current state of mind.
Kein is getting old. He is far from being weakened by age, but he is definitely beginning to slip past his prime. Of course, having experience where younger cougars have energy and enthusiasm, he remains confident, and his age has some other advantages besides. His age, and his position, and one of those advantages is that he could care less what sort of mood Mythri is in. He does watch for a moment, from a distance, but his time in this land is running short, and he has no intention to turn around, so after that moment, he continues to approach her, cautiously should she decide to do something incredibly stupid.
She had just begun to pace again, despite herself, when awareness and realization of another cougar's presence stops her short. Amber-rimmed dark eyes stare furiously at the interruption, and although recognition of the tribe's chieftain tempers her mood somewhat, she still looks far from pleased to have a visitor to this part of the mountain. "Chieftain," she greets, tone barely civil. "What brings you here this morning?" Her claws are still extended and her tail still lashes now and again, but she /is/ making an effort to calm down. Experience has taught her that trying to converse while highly agitated is an opportunity wasted at best, and dangerous at worst.
"Do I need a reason to visit any part of my territory, Mythri?" It's true. Kein and Mythri have not had a pleasant past, and by all appearances, Kein does not seem eager to change that, but his tone is not as harsh as it might be if he were upset with anything Mythri has done. It simply offers little room for argument. He does have reason to be here, yes, and this test he has devised is but one of them. Someday in the not too distant future, he will leave this mountain for good, and he will not be leaving his daughter with someone who cannot accept the authority of the leaders of this tribe.
"Do you require a reason? No. But do you /have/ a reason? Yes." Mythri's tone turns slightly sardonic. "You are not a foolish adolescent who roams simply for the pleasure of differing ground under your paws." A grim smile twitches at the corner of her muzzle as she turns to face him directly. "And I cannot imagine that you came here for the imagined pleasure of my company, or to engage in pointless debate over semantics." She quirks an eyebrow. "No, you go places by choice, but with reason. Hence, my question."
"Let my rephrase my own question then, Mythri. Do I have an obligation to tell you what my reasons are?" Of course, this question, as the previous one, is meant to be hypothetical, or at the very least to have a very simple answer, rather than Mythri's method of going about trying to tell him, with all his stubbornness that has only grown with time, to explain himself well before he is ready to do so.
If anything, Mythri simply looks satisfied. Her tone now matches her expression: "Indeed you do not, Chieftain. But you cannot fault me for inquiring, at least." She eyes him intently. If he is not going to divulge his reason or reasons for being here, then she will at least attempt to gather as much information as she can with the rest of her senses. Keeping ever-in-the-front of her mind that her cubs are still present and quite possibly watching this interaction right now, she's set on being extra careful. It's not that she doesn't trust the chieftain, per se. She just... doesn't trust him. Anyone.
Perhaps, if Kein were less fond of Mythri, he might continue being difficult simply for the sake of it, but while, in a sense, she is wrong, and he most certainly can fault her for anything he likes... in this case, he doesn't, especially as she does not continue to demand an explanation. Besides, there is yet one more battle before them. "You are right, of course. I am here for a reason. I will be taking my grandson for a few hours." It is not a question. One way or another, very soon, his grandson will not be in this particular area. It remains, however, a test of the one member of Amaranth that Kein does not trust leaving here when he departs from these lands, besides the fact that he genuinely wants to spend a little bit of time with his son's son.
The cougaress, for a moment, is caught off guard. A flurry of possibilities race through her mind, but the only logical reason is one that she's already given some thought to. It takes her a second to gather herself, but the grim humor previously shown is replaced now by a cool neutrality. "If you're wanting to talk to him about his namesake, don't bother wasting your breath. You have my word that he will not become his grandfather, if that is indeed your fear." Why else would the chieftain make such a demand, and of Rev only?
"What I want to talk to him about is of little concern to you, Mythri. Kindly fetch my grandson for me." Truth be told, it is difficult for Kein to be so demanding when there is no outright cause for it, causing his speech to come a little slower than normal as he combats his natural inclination to set the potential concerns of a female member of his tribe at ease. He holds firm, though, and the explanations that were right on the tip of his tongue remain unsaid.
If her claws were not already still extended from her earlier pacing, there's a good possibility that they might have extended at the chieftain's words. Her eyes narrow, and there's an edge to her voice. "If you choose to speak with him, that is your decision and I will allow such an opportunity. But do not take me for a fool. He is your grandson only by means of blood, and nothing more. He is /my/ /son/ through the love and bond that I shared with Cael. If you think for a moment that /anything/ related to him is of just 'little concern' to me, you really do not know me at all." Her tail is lashing again, as if with a mind of its own.
"And how is it that you think Cael came to be my son, Mythri? I will assure you, only because you are his mother, that I would cause my son's children no harm. I would not cause any member of this tribe harm." Not, that is, without provocation. "But I will not ask again." As though he actually asked, the first time. While Kein's own tail lashes behind him, he keeps himself calm enough, otherwise. He knew, after all, that this was not going to be easy, and he had time to prepare for it.
"I trust his life to you the same as I would trust it to his other grandfather." Mythri's voice is even, and there's no indication one way or another whether she's being sarcastic or completely serious. Perhaps both. Giving one last hard stare, she finally turns and pads back over to where the three small forms are asleep or doing their absolute best to pretend to be so. No doubt listening for all they're worth. Without hesitation or delay, she leans down and picks up the juvenile male by his scruff and turns to walk back toward the chieftain. If Rev wasn't awake before, he certainly is now, but to his own credit, he's quiet and still, knowing that an explanation or instructions from his mother will be forthcoming.
"Maybe you should question your judgment then, Mythri. Of his two grandfathers, I am the one who has not nearly killed one of his children because they displeased him." Mythri does, after all, still bear those scars. Still, Kein's tone is not as harsh as it might be. While it was not a pleasant experience, it appears that Mythri is going to pass this test of his, and he can be relieved about that much. He truly had no desire to chase the female, and his three young grandchildren, away from Amaranth, after all.
Mythri should have known a response like that would come. She sets Rev down in front of the chieftain, then stands tall to look him with as much confidence as she can muster, while trying not to let the earlier frustration mar her words. "If my father had wanted to kill me, he would have done so. It is because he did not, and because he did not kill /your/ son, but rather test and eventually accept him as one who wished to bond with me... that is why I will trust him with my own son's life, whenever he wishes to speak with his own grandson." It's stated as a certain expectation. She's not entirely sure when such an encounter will happen, but she's quite confident that Revan would want to see his own grandchildren. No doubt not for the exact same reasons as Kein, here, yet his own blood relationship cannot be denied. Mythri leans down and noses at Rev, knowing that he'll certainly have questions for later, even if Kein decided not to say a single word to the boy. "Rev, I want you to go with Chieftain Kein. He wishes to speak with you, and I want you to listen well and answer truthfully any questions that he asks. Honor your mother in this way." Uncertainty is written all over the young face, but resolution sets in, and the juvenile nods, even if a bit anxious.
What Mythri says, apparently implying that Revan is, in fact, still alive, causes further irritation in Kein. Still, where as Kein is just starting to slip past his prime, Revan must be nearing his death, and so Kein should have no reason to worry. Should. With only a single eye on his grandson, he says, "I respect that you accepted the will of the still-leader of this land, Mythri. It gives me confidence in leaving you here on the day when I leave for good, and I appreciate that. And I will appreciate a few hours to get to know my grandson. To see what of his father is in him." The test passed, Kein finally explains his purpose here. That is not all he has to say, though. "But make no mistake, Mythri. Although I appreciate all of this, if Revan ever again steps foot on this land, I will not rest until he is dead. If your children are to meet their other grandfather, let it happen outside of Amaranth. I have no forgiveness for your father. I never will. But unlike him, I do not take my fights outside of my territory. I never have."
Mythri nods, looking at the other adult once more. "I cannot say when or where my father would arrange such a meeting, if such is to take place. All I can do is wait to hear from him." As far as she's concerned, enough has been said about her father. She takes a step back, a hint that she's finished with their conversation. Any respect or appreciation that Kein has vocalized has been noted, but she has no desire to call attention to such accolades. Her being here has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the wishes of her dying mate. Honoring Amaranth's chieftain is honoring Cael's memory, and she's more than willing to submit to his demands to accomplish such a goal. Not the first, and probably not the last: "Rev is yours to converse with," she says simply, taking another step back.
Kein has, likewise, said all he desires to say to Mythri. More than he desires to say, actually, since his irritation has him rather wishing he never had to speak with her at all, and he cannot help but secretly hope Revan does show up here to meet his grandchildren, so that Kein can fulfill his promise and take all of his unresolved anger about the hand that fate has dealt him and his family out on the male who caused Amaranth so much pain. He does not, however, intend to take that same anger out on his young grandson, and so he takes a deep breath to calm himself before saying, "Follow me, Rev." Nothing more, and there won't be anything more until they are away from the irritating female, but at least his tone when he speaks to his grandchild is not unpleasant.