Post by Therdde on May 24, 2009 23:19:28 GMT -5
Characters:
Nium - Female Cougar
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
Sage - Female Lynx
Johari - Female Fox
Jelal - Male Otter
Zephyr - Male Kestrel
- Hilltop Vista -
[!] The full moon has risen high above the earth in the night-time sky, shining its bright light upon the denizens of the meadows and forests -- at least for now. Indeed, the very edge of her fullness appears to be hidden by an encroaching darkness, but this is barely perceptible to a casual observer.
Nightfall. Nium decides to leave the leave the celebratory group after an earth-shaking vision of her past. Rather tense, but for the most part happy, The large cougar travels not south to her home, but rather west for a reason she hasn't shared with anyone yet; she wishes to find Ashen. Her head still ached slightly, and she sighs as the cool air replaces the warm muggy air. She walks a slow pace, still audible range of the others on the hilltop.
The cougar that Nium seeks is not to the east of the gathering grounds for the Merrymakers. Who is there is Skelaghe. With her children eating some food now, she was not too reluctant about spending more time here, looking at the land that she imagines might become her home, the home of her pack, after the celebrations settle down. Above, the full moon shines brightly yet, guiding Skelaghe's all but silent paws as she casually looks around.
As Nium passes Skelaghe, she nods slowly. "Ma'am." The cougar doesn't even recognize the wolf, so there isn't a reason to give a second. She is courteous and respectful, this celebration has put her mind off of typical thoughts of home and hunger. For the first time in a very long while, she's tranced on her mother and her decision to leave her tribe. Though her nose remains active on the hunt for little Ashen.
Perhaps it is luck on Skelaghe's part that has broguht Nium this way, or perhaps it is the trace of Ashen's scent on Skelaghe's fur that did it. Either way, had Nium traveled south, Skelaghe would have lost her opportunity. As a slightly familiar voice reaches her ears, though... Looking in the direction of Nium, Skelaghe greets her with a smile and words that mention nothing of the earlier happenings. "Good evening, cougaress of Amaranth." She knows it, but she does not greet Nium by name, either, and won't until Nium introduces herself again.
[!] The shadowing of the moon is more apparent now, slowly but surely covering up the bright whiteness of Luna's full orb at a much faster rate than the natural phases of the moon. Soon, about half of the moon is veiled in darkness, greatly dimming the amount of light present among the heavens.
Slowing to a halt, Nium doesn't have a problem with conversation of a fellow party-goer. The wolf's voice is nice, and strangely familiar. "Good evening, ma'am." The huntress turns around and sits, even offering a rare smile for her. "Have we met?" Nium can't help but get the queer feeling they've met once before. Before she came to Amaranth, the wanderer Nium met many interesting creatures on her journey. It is very likely she met this wolf before and simply can't remember.
Skelaghe remains standing, facing the cougaress. She has spent more than enough time lying down or sitting since her pups were born. She appears relaxed, though. "We may have. I have been to the Amaranth lands many times, and I am friends with a great many cougars there." Skelaghe takes a step closer to Nium, to try to keep sight of her in the failing light of the moon, then adds, "In the event that we have not, my name is Skelaghe."
Nium almost feels embarrassed to not know Skelaghe. However, "social" is not a word that describes her. "A pleasure to meet you." Any friend of the Tribe is a friend of the cougress. "My name is Nnnn--" No, that isn't her name. Nium is a name she stole from another to prevent anybody from finding her... Closing her eyes momentarily, she thinks back to her hallucination, which she *KNOWS* wasn't just a mirage, just a meaningless vision. "My name is Sweet Rain."
There is a brief twitch of Skelaghe's muzzle, a widening of her natural smile that doesn't last long. "It is a pleasure to meet you, or to meet you again, Sweet Rain." Finally, Skelaghe does sit. She has a long journey back to her current home, after all, and by the looks of the moon... She won't be making that journey tonight. "If you don't mind... There are some things I would like to ask you to pass on to your Chieftain, if you get a chance."
[!] Slowly, the last of the moon's reflection is hidden from view in a total lunar eclipse, and the lands become distinctly darker in the absence of its light. Strangely, the shrouded moon is faintly illuminated by an eerie red glow, though it provides very little light by itself, and as the clouds pass over the veiled sphere they effectively darken the night sky once again.
"Oh?" Nium, or Sweet Rain now, would be more than happy to deliver any messages to Kein for an old friend of Amaranth. "I would certainly pass any messages for you, Skelaghe." She looks up at the sky, it hardly hinders her goals, which her mind was deadset on. "However, I won't be returning home soon. I'm... going to take my time." The huntress offers a warm smile, something she did not do often before coming here. "If they include pressing matters, you may have to travel there yourself, I'm afraid." Why is it so dark out? Luna! So the Merrymakers didn't even make a *bit* of it up... That astounds Sweet Rain.
The moon continues to disappear, and Skelaghe looks up when the last remaining sliver of light disappears. Though not a moonworshipper, tonight proves clearly enough how what it does affects her, and she is silent, just watching the dim reddish glow. "I think... Now is not the time to talk about this. Walk with me, Sweet Rain?"
Sweet Rain lifts a brow. Certainly she does have time, and this seems like a strange night to be looking for anyone. With a shrug, she agrees. "Certainly."
- Clover Lawn -
Sage does not mean to distract the gathered animals from their meals -- after all, what good is a feast if it's not enjoyed? -- as her true intended audience is Luna herself. But she is appreciative of those who will listen nonetheless, and so the lynx begins her prepared chant-song, looking up at the shrouded moon with deep hope clear in her sky-blue gaze: "Oh, moon, sad moon, tuck up your trailing robe...there is such magic from your presence here. Against the face of our nurturing globe, your darkness is saddening and so severe." She is no Siri-Flume, and so her words are not particularly sing-songy or vocalized with true melody, but they are genuine nonetheless. "I'll sing for you, oh Luna, if you want me to. If you want me to, I'll give to you. I'll hear your song, oh Luna, if you want me to. If you want me to, I'll sing along." Her pale blue eyes never leave the haunting sight of the reddened eclipse above, and her last verses are spoken more loudly, almost desperately, as she attempts to reach the very moon itself with her words: "Go spill your beauty on the laughing faces of happy flowers that bloom a thousand hues, waiting on tiptoe in the wilding spaces to drink your wine mixed with sweet drafts of dews." As she finishes, the lynx lowers her head, looking almost bashful at having drawn such attention to herself in her earnest efforts to serenade the moonlight back into being.
The journey is long, especially since they have no light to guide them. Skelaghe is silent throughout, but eventually they reach the area directly to the west of where they were, and Skelaghe stops walking as soon as a voice becomes clear to her. She stands there, apart from the group, listening with devout attention to someone who she can only barely see.
As Sage begins to sing, Johari closes her eyes and lets the words and melody wash over her. It's such a sweet and gentle tune that it makes a smile show up on her muzzle. It's almost relaxing in a way, soothing her very soul. The only time she feels this relaxed is when she's with her beloved Akseli, and it surprises her that something like this could make her feel close to the same thing. As Sage finishes, Johari opens her eyes slowly and smiles at her, but not wanting to break the peaceful silence that seems to have drifted over her.
The large cougar, initially leaving the celebrations, has returned. Sweet Rain is completely oblivious to their previous encounter here hours before. She is more interested in it now than before, finding the absence of a moon difficult to believe. She asks not exactly why Skelaghe brought her back here, but it isn't hurting anything so she continues to watch in silence. Unfortunately, Sweet Rain's tattered ear, listening from a distance can be difficult. Making out exactly what Sage is saying from this distance is impossible.
Jelal rocks slowly back and forth to the chant, enjoying the tune. He's never really known that someone could sing like that, much less a big cat (the most he's heard from them is yowling, when he had the misfortune to cross their path). He watches and waits patiently for the moon to become happy and shine on them again, wondering if that's all they needed to do. It was beautiful, but merry he's not sure of, and merry he can provide quite a bit of. He pokes his head over the rock and waves down at Johari, despite having absolutely no idea who she is. "If the moon wasn't listening," he says to Sage with a smile, "you certainly got everyone else's attention!"
[!] After what seems to be an agonizingly long time of darkness, with nothing but the stars glimmering in the midnight sky, the western rim of the moon suddenly illuminates in a cusp of blinding white light. Slowly, but surely, more of Luna's soothing reflection becomes apparent, appearing very much like the moon is peeking out from behind her concealing shroud.
Zephyr's head is turned to Sage throughout her chant, but when Jelal speaks, the bird's head turns in his direction, no matter how little his daylight-accustomed eyes can pick out. His beak opens even though he does not speak, perhaps pleased that there were others here to witness Sage's performance, her absolute devotion in what she does. What he does do, since he doesn't speak, is let out a short series of klees, a combination praise of the speech they just heard and a call to the moon to return, as he hops to the air. Flying may be difficult in the near total darkness, but at least he knows there is nothing here he could inadvertantly crash into.
Perhaps Jelal should be a consideration for when Flume retires from her spot in the wandering band, as the otter has indeed brought a smile to the lynx's face despite her great concern that the moon will not return this time. Sage can't help but utter a little laugh at his words, and she bows her head politely to him. "Thank you for your kind words, river runner." Her eyes return nonetheless to the darkened moon above, searching its lost shine out among the pitch-black night sky. "But I hope she heard me, too." The suspense is harrowing, but finally the pregnant pause is ended by the rebirth of the moon's beautiful light, and Sage can't help but utter a wild, instinctive yowl in celebration of her return, the snowy-furred cat beginning to dance happily in place on top of the mossy boulder she's perched upon.
Did Skelaghe feel a call to this area, or was it only because she knew the leaders of this celebration were here, animals infinitely more schooled in the waning and waxing and disappearing of the moon than she? If she knew of Nium's inability to hear well, she would have moved closer. As it is, her ears are simply trained on the creatures she cannot see, while her gaze is devoted to the reddish glow where the moon once was. She draws in a breath as the slightest bit of white comes back into view... And as it grows, slowly, she opens her muzzle, howling harmoniously almost in time with the yowling of the feline. It lasts for several seconds before it quiets, and by the time she again lowers her head, she can actually make out the shapes of several animals off in the distance.
At the Clover Lawn, Skelaghe howls.
Johari smiles sweetly over to Jelal as the otter waves a bit at her, feeling far to happy to care if she knows him or not. "Yes, it was a very beautiful song," the foxgirl says over to Sage. "It seems to have gotten everyone in a very good mood." She bows her head a bit as thanks to Sage, then looks up at the moon as everyone else does the same. Well whatever she did, it seems that the moon is once againg back, bathing them all with it's light. The foxgirl smiles sweetly up at it, surprisingly finding a lot of warmth from seeing it's light again.
The cougress adjusts her ear as Skelaghe howls, but doesn't budge otherwise. Though if she were to hear a wolf howling anywhere else but here and now, it could mean trouble. Now however, it's nice. Calm, pleasant, but in an eerie way Sweet Rain hasn't heard before. The moon returning, it all feels magic! The sliver of the moon returns, Sweet Rain is bewildered. "It's actually returning..." She whispers, audible only perhaps to the wolf.
"Ohhh," Jelal says as the moon's light tears across the landscape once more. Is that it? Did it work? Seems so! "Looks like it- whoa!" He ducks his head as the cat begins celebrating right near him, grinning as everyone seems to jump into life along with the moon. "Can hardly believe it," he murmurs to himself. He's *definitely* glad he showed up tonight of all nights.
Everyone here is free to celebrate in their own way. With Zephyr, it is primarily his flight, and with the return of the moon, he flies happily around Sage, at times many feet above her, and at times diving so that he is right beside her. His aerial dance involves more movement that Sage's dancing in place, but it is something he has practiced many a time, flying a circle around someone so his colors are shown to all others in the area, which, combined with the periodic rises and falls, make it a very expressive show indeed.
Sage continues her dance to music that is apparently heard only by herself, leaping down from the rock to continue her celebration on a wider expanse of ground. Her ruffed cheeks are swung back and forth as her head bobs from side to side, her stocky frame moving in a manner that's rather tribal, her paws thumping rhythmically against the dirt with each merry bound. The ashen lynx prances nimbly around the spread of foods, caring not if she looks like a fool for moving about in such a way, dancing with anyone else who cares to join her in celebration.
Skelaghe sits where she is, remaining still now, and silent after her single howl. Still, the celebration she can see causes her to smile, and after a short while, Skelaghe glances to the cougaress who accompanied here here, to see if Nium is also enjoying herself.
Johari can't help but let out a cheerly laugh as she watches Sage prance around happily in a somewhat of a dance. The happiness seems to be contagious because soon the foxgirl is getting the urge to go join her, but doesn't want to make a fool of herself. Even if she's not really sure why simply seeing the moon shine it's light down upon them makes her feel happy, she can't deny that it's making her smile. Her tail flicks casually behind her, simply watching Sage dance around and laughing happily.
[!] Finally, the whole of the moon is returned to its luminescent glow, its glow seeming even more vibrant than before it was hidden away. The peace of the night is returned to the lands, Luna's calming light shining once again over all of the earth's inhabitants.
With her nose pointed straight up in the sky, Sweet Rain's contented tail swings at the tip. Clearly she is pleased, though something is clearly on her mind; missing Ashen is plaguing her thoughts. Meeting her mother again and nuzzling her is also fresh in her head. This celebration and feast definitely was a good thing for Sweet Rain. She looks down at Skelaghe with a smile. "I better get going."
Jelal watches everyone else getting into the mood, and decides that if he can't figure out exactly what's going on, he might as well join in! With a happy hop, he drops down onto the ground, rolling and tumbling athletically as he vaguely follows Sage's path, but merely joins in the festivities himself, hopping about and even managing a few backflips off the large boulder. He doesn't know quite what he's celebrating, but if this is a happy time, he's never been one to miss out on celebrations! He's never been one to make a fool of himself either, but he's never seen enjoying hopping around as a sign of foolishness.
It is a fair time before Zephyr's wings finally tire, to match his tired, diurnal brain. It does happen, though, and after only a few more stunts int he air, the avian finally lands on the ground, away from where he might accidentally get stomped. He will remains for a while and continue to watch, with that same open-beaked smile that he often has.
Skelaghe's attention is quickly drawn back to her feline companion. She's leaving? "May I accompany you, Sweet Rain?" She still has much to tell this cougaress, after all, and she would hate to lose Nium because she decided to stay here for a while longer.
Sage is caught up in her dance, so happy that the moon has decided to return her light to them that she is past the point of minding what others may think of her silly festivities -- or even noticing their presence, aside from those few woodland creatures who have decided to dance along beside her, which is a sight in and of itself. Several moments later, as the moon returns to its full brightness, the silvery-white lynx finally slows her feverish movements, panting through her broad smile as she catches her breath and recovers her usual reserved nature...though, tonight, she's content to let a little more of her inner Merrymaker shine through. As the prolonged night takes its toll, some growing tired while others grow restless, Sage takes the moment to address those gathered here: "Thank you for your help. Your mere presence alone on our festival grounds has no doubt cheered Luna immensely. We could not have done it without you." She pauses to swallow, her throat parched from her chant and ensuing dance. A trip to the river will be in order soon, no doubt. "We will be taking our leave of you in the next couple of days, but make no mistake, we have thoroughly enjoyed meeting each and every one of you. We hope our celebration will be remembered fondly for generations to come...and that you will not forget to offer your thanks to the moon for her guiding light when the nights are particularly dark."
Sweet Rain is delighted at the offer of her newly met friend to come with her. "Yes, please do!" The large cougress stands and stretches her back, rather glad to have met such a sincere wolf. The moon shone bright and Skelaghe once again quite visible. Without another word, but one glance at another wolf there who didn't seem to know Skelaghe, Sweet Rain leaves the celebration for a second time, headed... somewhere.
Johari blinks a bit at Sage's announcement. Wait, that's it? That's all they were celebrating? Well, maybe she shouldn't complain since she /is/ feeling rather happy at the moment. Exactly /why/ she is so happy is a total mystery to her but, hey, who cares right? Chuckling slightly, the foxgirl simply says, "Thank you for a great time. It was wonderful." For some reason.
- Curling Creek -
Sweet Rain walks down the hill, away from the merriment, side-by-side with the wolf. After several minutes of reflective silence, the puma feels like starting conversation which is, again, a rare occurance for her. "You know, Skelaghe, I don't tend to get along well with wolves." She looks over to Skel, concerned with what she said may have offended her for the wrong reason. "That is, I mean, you're the first wolf to, y'know, be courteous to a big, scary, cougar like me. You're very patient." Rain is rather straight forward in her conversation, which she does not intend to be confrontational.
The cougaress does not come off as confrontational. If anything, what she says is apparently amusing to Skelaghe, as the female wolf chuckles quietly. "I try to befriend all creatures, regardless of species. I would no more want a fox to run from me than I imagine you would want a wolf to run from you." It has gotten her into trouble, yes, but more often than it has gotten her into trouble, it has gained her some longlasting friends and some experiences that were well worth the risk, in her opinion.
"I respect that." Sweet Rain looks forward again, her walking speed slow. "I wasn't born in Amaranth." She wants to tell Skelaghe a bit about herself without driving the wolf to tears with a boring story, she is rather self-conscious like that. "When I was a cub, I ran away from my home tribe far east." Her tone is steady, like this is just an everyday fact being told. "I traveled all around, in circles, mostly, until I ended up at the southern mountains... I met many wolves on my trip, actually. None have been as respectful as you." She means that as a compliment, though her ramblings can often lose the one she's speaking to. "One of them took my ear, actually." Sweet Rain lowers her head and shoulders, tilting her head so the wolf may see the torn and scabbed ear, in case she hasn't noticed it yet.
Skelaghe knows more about Nium that the cougaress realizes. She listens closely, though, filling in the pieces of what she doesn't know. For as long as Nium appears to want to just talk for conversation's sake, Skelaghe does the same, rather than delving into the reason why she wanted to speak with Nium in the first place. "I have to give credit to how I was raised. Within my pack, respect is key." Her former-pack and current-pack. Is there really so much difference between the two that she should have to make that distinction? Hopefully not, but perhaps only time will tell, with her mate acting the way he has been.
Sweet Rain likes hearing that from a wolf. Nearly instantly, her prejudice for wolves is changing for the better. "I'm not bitter about it. I was disrespectful to a wolf on his own territory." She shamelessly admits a sin, though she does intentionally ignore the details. That's obvious from any point of view. The bright moon shines and lights everything in front of them. Off in the distance, it glows and reflects oddly from the slow moving creek.
Skelaghe gives a slight nod of her head as they continue to walk. "I'm afraid my own mate may have been guilty of the same thing." Did she pick the wrong wolf for her mate? It's possible. She was so eager to have pups again, and... "That's part of the reason I wanted to speak to you, Nium. I want you to pass on my sincerest apologies to your Chieftain for my mate's behaviour."
Looking at Skelaghe briefly, Sweet Rain nods her head low and then points it forward again, sniffing the ground slightly. "I understand. I will pass that along." If that's all Skelaghe wishes to say, she won't ask any further about the doings of her mate. "If you'd also like for me to pass on his name..." She's curious if the wolf intentionally did not mention a name. Sweet Rain has never felt so relaxed around someone she had just met before. This truly was an important experience in her life.
Does Kein even know Helaku's name? Skelaghe isn't sure, and says as much. "I don't know if he would know my mate's name, but he'll know mine. He offered me sanctuary once when I really needed it, and I appreciate it more than he could know. My mate is Helaku, though." After that, Skelaghe stops walking to just stand and look at Nium. The next part might not go down so well... But Skelaghe is willing to do whatever it might take to respect Ashen's wishes, even if he is only a cub himself.
Hm? The cougress stops and turns around as Skelaghe ceases walking. Sweet Rain doesn't sit down, she's just curious, and concerned she didn't say anything wrong. "Are you alright, Skelaghe?"
"The thing is... There was a cub from your lands who needed that same sanctuary that was once given to me, and I offered it to him." Could Ashen be one of Kein's children? He's the right age, and Skelaghe truly doesn't know. She imagines, though, that if one of the Chieftain's cubs went missing, there could be quite a search going on to get him back... Or there could be absolutely no search, depending on how Ashen got his injuries. All she knows for certain is that Ashen really didn't want to return, and she isn't going to be the one to make him. As such, she watches Nium closely for any signs of recognition.
"..." The large puma tilts her head, her eyes grow wide. "...Ashen?" She leans close to the wolf and attempts to smell him on her, but can't. "Is his name Ashen? There isn't another 'missing' cub from Amaranth." Sweet Rain almost sounds panicked, at the very least surprised. She hadn't been looking for him for more than one night and already this wolf has described him, or rather his scenario, exactly. She wishes she could physically describe the cub for her, but she can't pull up the memory. "That's who we-- I've been looking for!" The Amaranth Sister has difficulty chosing if is to be mad, happy, shocked, or anything!
Skelaghe gives the slightest nod of her head when Nium/Sweet Rain mentions Ashen's name. She still does not smile, though, as she knows she is not going to simply lead this cougaress to Ashen. "He is being cared for, and he is happy." Is that not what matters, really? "I have to ask you you and others from your tribe give him some space, though."
"What do you mean? Do you know where he is? Take me there..." Sweet Rain understands rather well what Skelaghe means, but she is confused why she did say it. "I'm so glad he's happy... You have to take me to him." She speaks and thinks only for the Tribe, and what Kein instructed her to do; keep an eye out. Did he also mean for her to bring Ashen back if she did find him? Or was he just informing Nium, not expecting her to actually accomplish it.
Skelaghe shakes her head and takes a cautious step back from Nium. "He does not wish to return. I can only assume that means he is not ready, yet, to see any of you." Skelaghe does not want a fight with Nium. She could never win any such fight, and she would leave four wonderful pups motherless, should she die. She is not going to betray Ashen's wishes, though. "I only did not want you to have to worry about him. It's the only reason I brought it up at all."
"He does not..." Something simply isn't adding up in Sweet Rain's head. "Why isn't he 'ready'? What happened? He didn't just wander away from his mother." It isn't until after she says that statement that she accurately recalls his past. Regardless, she doesn't recall what she said. The cougaress' tone is confused and worried, and perhaps even aggressive.
"I don't know what happened. I haven't pried. All I know is that he needs time to recover, and he will not get that time if he is constantly hounded." Skelaghe's tone remains ever-calm. She has yelled only a pawful of times in her life, and she is not eager to add to those times. "Please, understand."
Sweet Rain bites her lip and squints her eyes. Her breathing is a bit rapid, frustrated with Skelaghe's answers. She takes a step forward to Skelaghe, then sits down with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." She shakes her head and takes another deep breath. "That cub... our cub... Ashen. He's being raised by a friend of mine. His mother isn't alive. My friend has been taking care of these kits like they were her own." Her voice again takes another rushed turn. "She must be worried sick..." The cougar reopens her eyes, finally beginning to understand where Skelaghe is coming from. "Is he hurt?"
Skelaghe begins to wonder if she ought to be running when Nium takes a step forward. As though she would outrun a cougar... But then, the Merrymakers, and potential help, are not too far off to the west. Thankfully, before she starts running, Nium sits down, and Skelaghe takes in a relieved breath. She still listens closely to Nium, but it does not weaken her resolve. "He /was/ hurt. He is recovering physically, just as he is recovering mentally. You should return to your friend, tell her that Ashen is cared for." And if they still come looking for him? Skelaghe cannot speak for anyone else in her pack, but she, at least, would stand between them and Ashen until her very last breath, if that is what it took.
"He was hurt..." Honestly, Sweet Rain isn't entirely sure what to do at this point. "You aren't going to take me to him." At least she gets that much clear. She isn't going to start anything physical with Skelaghe, not now anyway. A long silence passes as she decides what else she can do, what else she can say. "... Can you at least tell me where I could find you... If I came back?"
"It pains me to say this, Sweet Rain... Truly, it does... But if I am going to tell you where you could find us, I must ask that you stop near the edge of our territory and wait for one of us to find you, should you ever return." Skelaghe hates being inhospitable... But she truly has Ashen's physical and mental well-being in mind, second only to the well-being of her own pups.
Sweet Rain does begin to take offense, though she knows very well how territorial wolves are. "You don't trust me." All she wants is Ashen, but both Kein and Jinx would hate her if she brought home Ashen under forced circumstances. This is getting out of her paws, she wants to speak to Kein.
Skelaghe shakes her head rapidly. "No. It's not that." Skelaghe's supposed pain was not well-represented in her tone before. Now, it is. "I fear for Ashen, Sweet Rain. I fear what it might do to him if he is forced to face whatever happened to him before he is ready... And I fear what he might do if he doesn't think my territory is a safe haven for him." If Ashen chose to run beyond Skelaghe's influence, what other creatures might he encounter? "He does not look it, but he is only a child, yet. Children are not prone to rational behaviour. If he feels a need to flee in order to be left alone, he will flee, and nothing you or I could do could stop him."
Sweet Rain doesn't like a single bit of this. It just feels... two-faced, wrong. She understands Skelaghe's concerns and logic, though. She stands up, and bows her head. "I'm going to talk to the Chieftain, ma'am... Please, please, *PLEASE*, take care of him." With that, rather tempered, she turns about and continues walking. Straight home, she did what she came to do, and then more, and then some. While she has somewhat bitter feelings towards the wolf, she still maintains respect for her. Though she leaves rather abruptly, more than enough reason to not gain respect in return.
Skelaghe watches the cougaress leave, frowning as she does. Before Nium can get too far away, Skelaghe calls out, not too-loudly, "I will care for him as though he were my own. As I would hope my pups might be cared for, should they find themselves in Amaranth." Would Skelaghe prefer one of her pups to be safe and happy in Amaranth than upset and endangered with her? Yes. Absolutely. With this in mind, she watches until Nium is out of sight before she pulls herself to her feet. Maybe she /can/ get back to her pups, and back to Ashen, yet tonight.
Nium - Female Cougar
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
Sage - Female Lynx
Johari - Female Fox
Jelal - Male Otter
Zephyr - Male Kestrel
- Hilltop Vista -
[!] The full moon has risen high above the earth in the night-time sky, shining its bright light upon the denizens of the meadows and forests -- at least for now. Indeed, the very edge of her fullness appears to be hidden by an encroaching darkness, but this is barely perceptible to a casual observer.
Nightfall. Nium decides to leave the leave the celebratory group after an earth-shaking vision of her past. Rather tense, but for the most part happy, The large cougar travels not south to her home, but rather west for a reason she hasn't shared with anyone yet; she wishes to find Ashen. Her head still ached slightly, and she sighs as the cool air replaces the warm muggy air. She walks a slow pace, still audible range of the others on the hilltop.
The cougar that Nium seeks is not to the east of the gathering grounds for the Merrymakers. Who is there is Skelaghe. With her children eating some food now, she was not too reluctant about spending more time here, looking at the land that she imagines might become her home, the home of her pack, after the celebrations settle down. Above, the full moon shines brightly yet, guiding Skelaghe's all but silent paws as she casually looks around.
As Nium passes Skelaghe, she nods slowly. "Ma'am." The cougar doesn't even recognize the wolf, so there isn't a reason to give a second. She is courteous and respectful, this celebration has put her mind off of typical thoughts of home and hunger. For the first time in a very long while, she's tranced on her mother and her decision to leave her tribe. Though her nose remains active on the hunt for little Ashen.
Perhaps it is luck on Skelaghe's part that has broguht Nium this way, or perhaps it is the trace of Ashen's scent on Skelaghe's fur that did it. Either way, had Nium traveled south, Skelaghe would have lost her opportunity. As a slightly familiar voice reaches her ears, though... Looking in the direction of Nium, Skelaghe greets her with a smile and words that mention nothing of the earlier happenings. "Good evening, cougaress of Amaranth." She knows it, but she does not greet Nium by name, either, and won't until Nium introduces herself again.
[!] The shadowing of the moon is more apparent now, slowly but surely covering up the bright whiteness of Luna's full orb at a much faster rate than the natural phases of the moon. Soon, about half of the moon is veiled in darkness, greatly dimming the amount of light present among the heavens.
Slowing to a halt, Nium doesn't have a problem with conversation of a fellow party-goer. The wolf's voice is nice, and strangely familiar. "Good evening, ma'am." The huntress turns around and sits, even offering a rare smile for her. "Have we met?" Nium can't help but get the queer feeling they've met once before. Before she came to Amaranth, the wanderer Nium met many interesting creatures on her journey. It is very likely she met this wolf before and simply can't remember.
Skelaghe remains standing, facing the cougaress. She has spent more than enough time lying down or sitting since her pups were born. She appears relaxed, though. "We may have. I have been to the Amaranth lands many times, and I am friends with a great many cougars there." Skelaghe takes a step closer to Nium, to try to keep sight of her in the failing light of the moon, then adds, "In the event that we have not, my name is Skelaghe."
Nium almost feels embarrassed to not know Skelaghe. However, "social" is not a word that describes her. "A pleasure to meet you." Any friend of the Tribe is a friend of the cougress. "My name is Nnnn--" No, that isn't her name. Nium is a name she stole from another to prevent anybody from finding her... Closing her eyes momentarily, she thinks back to her hallucination, which she *KNOWS* wasn't just a mirage, just a meaningless vision. "My name is Sweet Rain."
There is a brief twitch of Skelaghe's muzzle, a widening of her natural smile that doesn't last long. "It is a pleasure to meet you, or to meet you again, Sweet Rain." Finally, Skelaghe does sit. She has a long journey back to her current home, after all, and by the looks of the moon... She won't be making that journey tonight. "If you don't mind... There are some things I would like to ask you to pass on to your Chieftain, if you get a chance."
[!] Slowly, the last of the moon's reflection is hidden from view in a total lunar eclipse, and the lands become distinctly darker in the absence of its light. Strangely, the shrouded moon is faintly illuminated by an eerie red glow, though it provides very little light by itself, and as the clouds pass over the veiled sphere they effectively darken the night sky once again.
"Oh?" Nium, or Sweet Rain now, would be more than happy to deliver any messages to Kein for an old friend of Amaranth. "I would certainly pass any messages for you, Skelaghe." She looks up at the sky, it hardly hinders her goals, which her mind was deadset on. "However, I won't be returning home soon. I'm... going to take my time." The huntress offers a warm smile, something she did not do often before coming here. "If they include pressing matters, you may have to travel there yourself, I'm afraid." Why is it so dark out? Luna! So the Merrymakers didn't even make a *bit* of it up... That astounds Sweet Rain.
The moon continues to disappear, and Skelaghe looks up when the last remaining sliver of light disappears. Though not a moonworshipper, tonight proves clearly enough how what it does affects her, and she is silent, just watching the dim reddish glow. "I think... Now is not the time to talk about this. Walk with me, Sweet Rain?"
Sweet Rain lifts a brow. Certainly she does have time, and this seems like a strange night to be looking for anyone. With a shrug, she agrees. "Certainly."
- Clover Lawn -
Sage does not mean to distract the gathered animals from their meals -- after all, what good is a feast if it's not enjoyed? -- as her true intended audience is Luna herself. But she is appreciative of those who will listen nonetheless, and so the lynx begins her prepared chant-song, looking up at the shrouded moon with deep hope clear in her sky-blue gaze: "Oh, moon, sad moon, tuck up your trailing robe...there is such magic from your presence here. Against the face of our nurturing globe, your darkness is saddening and so severe." She is no Siri-Flume, and so her words are not particularly sing-songy or vocalized with true melody, but they are genuine nonetheless. "I'll sing for you, oh Luna, if you want me to. If you want me to, I'll give to you. I'll hear your song, oh Luna, if you want me to. If you want me to, I'll sing along." Her pale blue eyes never leave the haunting sight of the reddened eclipse above, and her last verses are spoken more loudly, almost desperately, as she attempts to reach the very moon itself with her words: "Go spill your beauty on the laughing faces of happy flowers that bloom a thousand hues, waiting on tiptoe in the wilding spaces to drink your wine mixed with sweet drafts of dews." As she finishes, the lynx lowers her head, looking almost bashful at having drawn such attention to herself in her earnest efforts to serenade the moonlight back into being.
The journey is long, especially since they have no light to guide them. Skelaghe is silent throughout, but eventually they reach the area directly to the west of where they were, and Skelaghe stops walking as soon as a voice becomes clear to her. She stands there, apart from the group, listening with devout attention to someone who she can only barely see.
As Sage begins to sing, Johari closes her eyes and lets the words and melody wash over her. It's such a sweet and gentle tune that it makes a smile show up on her muzzle. It's almost relaxing in a way, soothing her very soul. The only time she feels this relaxed is when she's with her beloved Akseli, and it surprises her that something like this could make her feel close to the same thing. As Sage finishes, Johari opens her eyes slowly and smiles at her, but not wanting to break the peaceful silence that seems to have drifted over her.
The large cougar, initially leaving the celebrations, has returned. Sweet Rain is completely oblivious to their previous encounter here hours before. She is more interested in it now than before, finding the absence of a moon difficult to believe. She asks not exactly why Skelaghe brought her back here, but it isn't hurting anything so she continues to watch in silence. Unfortunately, Sweet Rain's tattered ear, listening from a distance can be difficult. Making out exactly what Sage is saying from this distance is impossible.
Jelal rocks slowly back and forth to the chant, enjoying the tune. He's never really known that someone could sing like that, much less a big cat (the most he's heard from them is yowling, when he had the misfortune to cross their path). He watches and waits patiently for the moon to become happy and shine on them again, wondering if that's all they needed to do. It was beautiful, but merry he's not sure of, and merry he can provide quite a bit of. He pokes his head over the rock and waves down at Johari, despite having absolutely no idea who she is. "If the moon wasn't listening," he says to Sage with a smile, "you certainly got everyone else's attention!"
[!] After what seems to be an agonizingly long time of darkness, with nothing but the stars glimmering in the midnight sky, the western rim of the moon suddenly illuminates in a cusp of blinding white light. Slowly, but surely, more of Luna's soothing reflection becomes apparent, appearing very much like the moon is peeking out from behind her concealing shroud.
Zephyr's head is turned to Sage throughout her chant, but when Jelal speaks, the bird's head turns in his direction, no matter how little his daylight-accustomed eyes can pick out. His beak opens even though he does not speak, perhaps pleased that there were others here to witness Sage's performance, her absolute devotion in what she does. What he does do, since he doesn't speak, is let out a short series of klees, a combination praise of the speech they just heard and a call to the moon to return, as he hops to the air. Flying may be difficult in the near total darkness, but at least he knows there is nothing here he could inadvertantly crash into.
Perhaps Jelal should be a consideration for when Flume retires from her spot in the wandering band, as the otter has indeed brought a smile to the lynx's face despite her great concern that the moon will not return this time. Sage can't help but utter a little laugh at his words, and she bows her head politely to him. "Thank you for your kind words, river runner." Her eyes return nonetheless to the darkened moon above, searching its lost shine out among the pitch-black night sky. "But I hope she heard me, too." The suspense is harrowing, but finally the pregnant pause is ended by the rebirth of the moon's beautiful light, and Sage can't help but utter a wild, instinctive yowl in celebration of her return, the snowy-furred cat beginning to dance happily in place on top of the mossy boulder she's perched upon.
Did Skelaghe feel a call to this area, or was it only because she knew the leaders of this celebration were here, animals infinitely more schooled in the waning and waxing and disappearing of the moon than she? If she knew of Nium's inability to hear well, she would have moved closer. As it is, her ears are simply trained on the creatures she cannot see, while her gaze is devoted to the reddish glow where the moon once was. She draws in a breath as the slightest bit of white comes back into view... And as it grows, slowly, she opens her muzzle, howling harmoniously almost in time with the yowling of the feline. It lasts for several seconds before it quiets, and by the time she again lowers her head, she can actually make out the shapes of several animals off in the distance.
At the Clover Lawn, Skelaghe howls.
Johari smiles sweetly over to Jelal as the otter waves a bit at her, feeling far to happy to care if she knows him or not. "Yes, it was a very beautiful song," the foxgirl says over to Sage. "It seems to have gotten everyone in a very good mood." She bows her head a bit as thanks to Sage, then looks up at the moon as everyone else does the same. Well whatever she did, it seems that the moon is once againg back, bathing them all with it's light. The foxgirl smiles sweetly up at it, surprisingly finding a lot of warmth from seeing it's light again.
The cougress adjusts her ear as Skelaghe howls, but doesn't budge otherwise. Though if she were to hear a wolf howling anywhere else but here and now, it could mean trouble. Now however, it's nice. Calm, pleasant, but in an eerie way Sweet Rain hasn't heard before. The moon returning, it all feels magic! The sliver of the moon returns, Sweet Rain is bewildered. "It's actually returning..." She whispers, audible only perhaps to the wolf.
"Ohhh," Jelal says as the moon's light tears across the landscape once more. Is that it? Did it work? Seems so! "Looks like it- whoa!" He ducks his head as the cat begins celebrating right near him, grinning as everyone seems to jump into life along with the moon. "Can hardly believe it," he murmurs to himself. He's *definitely* glad he showed up tonight of all nights.
Everyone here is free to celebrate in their own way. With Zephyr, it is primarily his flight, and with the return of the moon, he flies happily around Sage, at times many feet above her, and at times diving so that he is right beside her. His aerial dance involves more movement that Sage's dancing in place, but it is something he has practiced many a time, flying a circle around someone so his colors are shown to all others in the area, which, combined with the periodic rises and falls, make it a very expressive show indeed.
Sage continues her dance to music that is apparently heard only by herself, leaping down from the rock to continue her celebration on a wider expanse of ground. Her ruffed cheeks are swung back and forth as her head bobs from side to side, her stocky frame moving in a manner that's rather tribal, her paws thumping rhythmically against the dirt with each merry bound. The ashen lynx prances nimbly around the spread of foods, caring not if she looks like a fool for moving about in such a way, dancing with anyone else who cares to join her in celebration.
Skelaghe sits where she is, remaining still now, and silent after her single howl. Still, the celebration she can see causes her to smile, and after a short while, Skelaghe glances to the cougaress who accompanied here here, to see if Nium is also enjoying herself.
Johari can't help but let out a cheerly laugh as she watches Sage prance around happily in a somewhat of a dance. The happiness seems to be contagious because soon the foxgirl is getting the urge to go join her, but doesn't want to make a fool of herself. Even if she's not really sure why simply seeing the moon shine it's light down upon them makes her feel happy, she can't deny that it's making her smile. Her tail flicks casually behind her, simply watching Sage dance around and laughing happily.
[!] Finally, the whole of the moon is returned to its luminescent glow, its glow seeming even more vibrant than before it was hidden away. The peace of the night is returned to the lands, Luna's calming light shining once again over all of the earth's inhabitants.
With her nose pointed straight up in the sky, Sweet Rain's contented tail swings at the tip. Clearly she is pleased, though something is clearly on her mind; missing Ashen is plaguing her thoughts. Meeting her mother again and nuzzling her is also fresh in her head. This celebration and feast definitely was a good thing for Sweet Rain. She looks down at Skelaghe with a smile. "I better get going."
Jelal watches everyone else getting into the mood, and decides that if he can't figure out exactly what's going on, he might as well join in! With a happy hop, he drops down onto the ground, rolling and tumbling athletically as he vaguely follows Sage's path, but merely joins in the festivities himself, hopping about and even managing a few backflips off the large boulder. He doesn't know quite what he's celebrating, but if this is a happy time, he's never been one to miss out on celebrations! He's never been one to make a fool of himself either, but he's never seen enjoying hopping around as a sign of foolishness.
It is a fair time before Zephyr's wings finally tire, to match his tired, diurnal brain. It does happen, though, and after only a few more stunts int he air, the avian finally lands on the ground, away from where he might accidentally get stomped. He will remains for a while and continue to watch, with that same open-beaked smile that he often has.
Skelaghe's attention is quickly drawn back to her feline companion. She's leaving? "May I accompany you, Sweet Rain?" She still has much to tell this cougaress, after all, and she would hate to lose Nium because she decided to stay here for a while longer.
Sage is caught up in her dance, so happy that the moon has decided to return her light to them that she is past the point of minding what others may think of her silly festivities -- or even noticing their presence, aside from those few woodland creatures who have decided to dance along beside her, which is a sight in and of itself. Several moments later, as the moon returns to its full brightness, the silvery-white lynx finally slows her feverish movements, panting through her broad smile as she catches her breath and recovers her usual reserved nature...though, tonight, she's content to let a little more of her inner Merrymaker shine through. As the prolonged night takes its toll, some growing tired while others grow restless, Sage takes the moment to address those gathered here: "Thank you for your help. Your mere presence alone on our festival grounds has no doubt cheered Luna immensely. We could not have done it without you." She pauses to swallow, her throat parched from her chant and ensuing dance. A trip to the river will be in order soon, no doubt. "We will be taking our leave of you in the next couple of days, but make no mistake, we have thoroughly enjoyed meeting each and every one of you. We hope our celebration will be remembered fondly for generations to come...and that you will not forget to offer your thanks to the moon for her guiding light when the nights are particularly dark."
Sweet Rain is delighted at the offer of her newly met friend to come with her. "Yes, please do!" The large cougress stands and stretches her back, rather glad to have met such a sincere wolf. The moon shone bright and Skelaghe once again quite visible. Without another word, but one glance at another wolf there who didn't seem to know Skelaghe, Sweet Rain leaves the celebration for a second time, headed... somewhere.
Johari blinks a bit at Sage's announcement. Wait, that's it? That's all they were celebrating? Well, maybe she shouldn't complain since she /is/ feeling rather happy at the moment. Exactly /why/ she is so happy is a total mystery to her but, hey, who cares right? Chuckling slightly, the foxgirl simply says, "Thank you for a great time. It was wonderful." For some reason.
- Curling Creek -
Sweet Rain walks down the hill, away from the merriment, side-by-side with the wolf. After several minutes of reflective silence, the puma feels like starting conversation which is, again, a rare occurance for her. "You know, Skelaghe, I don't tend to get along well with wolves." She looks over to Skel, concerned with what she said may have offended her for the wrong reason. "That is, I mean, you're the first wolf to, y'know, be courteous to a big, scary, cougar like me. You're very patient." Rain is rather straight forward in her conversation, which she does not intend to be confrontational.
The cougaress does not come off as confrontational. If anything, what she says is apparently amusing to Skelaghe, as the female wolf chuckles quietly. "I try to befriend all creatures, regardless of species. I would no more want a fox to run from me than I imagine you would want a wolf to run from you." It has gotten her into trouble, yes, but more often than it has gotten her into trouble, it has gained her some longlasting friends and some experiences that were well worth the risk, in her opinion.
"I respect that." Sweet Rain looks forward again, her walking speed slow. "I wasn't born in Amaranth." She wants to tell Skelaghe a bit about herself without driving the wolf to tears with a boring story, she is rather self-conscious like that. "When I was a cub, I ran away from my home tribe far east." Her tone is steady, like this is just an everyday fact being told. "I traveled all around, in circles, mostly, until I ended up at the southern mountains... I met many wolves on my trip, actually. None have been as respectful as you." She means that as a compliment, though her ramblings can often lose the one she's speaking to. "One of them took my ear, actually." Sweet Rain lowers her head and shoulders, tilting her head so the wolf may see the torn and scabbed ear, in case she hasn't noticed it yet.
Skelaghe knows more about Nium that the cougaress realizes. She listens closely, though, filling in the pieces of what she doesn't know. For as long as Nium appears to want to just talk for conversation's sake, Skelaghe does the same, rather than delving into the reason why she wanted to speak with Nium in the first place. "I have to give credit to how I was raised. Within my pack, respect is key." Her former-pack and current-pack. Is there really so much difference between the two that she should have to make that distinction? Hopefully not, but perhaps only time will tell, with her mate acting the way he has been.
Sweet Rain likes hearing that from a wolf. Nearly instantly, her prejudice for wolves is changing for the better. "I'm not bitter about it. I was disrespectful to a wolf on his own territory." She shamelessly admits a sin, though she does intentionally ignore the details. That's obvious from any point of view. The bright moon shines and lights everything in front of them. Off in the distance, it glows and reflects oddly from the slow moving creek.
Skelaghe gives a slight nod of her head as they continue to walk. "I'm afraid my own mate may have been guilty of the same thing." Did she pick the wrong wolf for her mate? It's possible. She was so eager to have pups again, and... "That's part of the reason I wanted to speak to you, Nium. I want you to pass on my sincerest apologies to your Chieftain for my mate's behaviour."
Looking at Skelaghe briefly, Sweet Rain nods her head low and then points it forward again, sniffing the ground slightly. "I understand. I will pass that along." If that's all Skelaghe wishes to say, she won't ask any further about the doings of her mate. "If you'd also like for me to pass on his name..." She's curious if the wolf intentionally did not mention a name. Sweet Rain has never felt so relaxed around someone she had just met before. This truly was an important experience in her life.
Does Kein even know Helaku's name? Skelaghe isn't sure, and says as much. "I don't know if he would know my mate's name, but he'll know mine. He offered me sanctuary once when I really needed it, and I appreciate it more than he could know. My mate is Helaku, though." After that, Skelaghe stops walking to just stand and look at Nium. The next part might not go down so well... But Skelaghe is willing to do whatever it might take to respect Ashen's wishes, even if he is only a cub himself.
Hm? The cougress stops and turns around as Skelaghe ceases walking. Sweet Rain doesn't sit down, she's just curious, and concerned she didn't say anything wrong. "Are you alright, Skelaghe?"
"The thing is... There was a cub from your lands who needed that same sanctuary that was once given to me, and I offered it to him." Could Ashen be one of Kein's children? He's the right age, and Skelaghe truly doesn't know. She imagines, though, that if one of the Chieftain's cubs went missing, there could be quite a search going on to get him back... Or there could be absolutely no search, depending on how Ashen got his injuries. All she knows for certain is that Ashen really didn't want to return, and she isn't going to be the one to make him. As such, she watches Nium closely for any signs of recognition.
"..." The large puma tilts her head, her eyes grow wide. "...Ashen?" She leans close to the wolf and attempts to smell him on her, but can't. "Is his name Ashen? There isn't another 'missing' cub from Amaranth." Sweet Rain almost sounds panicked, at the very least surprised. She hadn't been looking for him for more than one night and already this wolf has described him, or rather his scenario, exactly. She wishes she could physically describe the cub for her, but she can't pull up the memory. "That's who we-- I've been looking for!" The Amaranth Sister has difficulty chosing if is to be mad, happy, shocked, or anything!
Skelaghe gives the slightest nod of her head when Nium/Sweet Rain mentions Ashen's name. She still does not smile, though, as she knows she is not going to simply lead this cougaress to Ashen. "He is being cared for, and he is happy." Is that not what matters, really? "I have to ask you you and others from your tribe give him some space, though."
"What do you mean? Do you know where he is? Take me there..." Sweet Rain understands rather well what Skelaghe means, but she is confused why she did say it. "I'm so glad he's happy... You have to take me to him." She speaks and thinks only for the Tribe, and what Kein instructed her to do; keep an eye out. Did he also mean for her to bring Ashen back if she did find him? Or was he just informing Nium, not expecting her to actually accomplish it.
Skelaghe shakes her head and takes a cautious step back from Nium. "He does not wish to return. I can only assume that means he is not ready, yet, to see any of you." Skelaghe does not want a fight with Nium. She could never win any such fight, and she would leave four wonderful pups motherless, should she die. She is not going to betray Ashen's wishes, though. "I only did not want you to have to worry about him. It's the only reason I brought it up at all."
"He does not..." Something simply isn't adding up in Sweet Rain's head. "Why isn't he 'ready'? What happened? He didn't just wander away from his mother." It isn't until after she says that statement that she accurately recalls his past. Regardless, she doesn't recall what she said. The cougaress' tone is confused and worried, and perhaps even aggressive.
"I don't know what happened. I haven't pried. All I know is that he needs time to recover, and he will not get that time if he is constantly hounded." Skelaghe's tone remains ever-calm. She has yelled only a pawful of times in her life, and she is not eager to add to those times. "Please, understand."
Sweet Rain bites her lip and squints her eyes. Her breathing is a bit rapid, frustrated with Skelaghe's answers. She takes a step forward to Skelaghe, then sits down with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." She shakes her head and takes another deep breath. "That cub... our cub... Ashen. He's being raised by a friend of mine. His mother isn't alive. My friend has been taking care of these kits like they were her own." Her voice again takes another rushed turn. "She must be worried sick..." The cougar reopens her eyes, finally beginning to understand where Skelaghe is coming from. "Is he hurt?"
Skelaghe begins to wonder if she ought to be running when Nium takes a step forward. As though she would outrun a cougar... But then, the Merrymakers, and potential help, are not too far off to the west. Thankfully, before she starts running, Nium sits down, and Skelaghe takes in a relieved breath. She still listens closely to Nium, but it does not weaken her resolve. "He /was/ hurt. He is recovering physically, just as he is recovering mentally. You should return to your friend, tell her that Ashen is cared for." And if they still come looking for him? Skelaghe cannot speak for anyone else in her pack, but she, at least, would stand between them and Ashen until her very last breath, if that is what it took.
"He was hurt..." Honestly, Sweet Rain isn't entirely sure what to do at this point. "You aren't going to take me to him." At least she gets that much clear. She isn't going to start anything physical with Skelaghe, not now anyway. A long silence passes as she decides what else she can do, what else she can say. "... Can you at least tell me where I could find you... If I came back?"
"It pains me to say this, Sweet Rain... Truly, it does... But if I am going to tell you where you could find us, I must ask that you stop near the edge of our territory and wait for one of us to find you, should you ever return." Skelaghe hates being inhospitable... But she truly has Ashen's physical and mental well-being in mind, second only to the well-being of her own pups.
Sweet Rain does begin to take offense, though she knows very well how territorial wolves are. "You don't trust me." All she wants is Ashen, but both Kein and Jinx would hate her if she brought home Ashen under forced circumstances. This is getting out of her paws, she wants to speak to Kein.
Skelaghe shakes her head rapidly. "No. It's not that." Skelaghe's supposed pain was not well-represented in her tone before. Now, it is. "I fear for Ashen, Sweet Rain. I fear what it might do to him if he is forced to face whatever happened to him before he is ready... And I fear what he might do if he doesn't think my territory is a safe haven for him." If Ashen chose to run beyond Skelaghe's influence, what other creatures might he encounter? "He does not look it, but he is only a child, yet. Children are not prone to rational behaviour. If he feels a need to flee in order to be left alone, he will flee, and nothing you or I could do could stop him."
Sweet Rain doesn't like a single bit of this. It just feels... two-faced, wrong. She understands Skelaghe's concerns and logic, though. She stands up, and bows her head. "I'm going to talk to the Chieftain, ma'am... Please, please, *PLEASE*, take care of him." With that, rather tempered, she turns about and continues walking. Straight home, she did what she came to do, and then more, and then some. While she has somewhat bitter feelings towards the wolf, she still maintains respect for her. Though she leaves rather abruptly, more than enough reason to not gain respect in return.
Skelaghe watches the cougaress leave, frowning as she does. Before Nium can get too far away, Skelaghe calls out, not too-loudly, "I will care for him as though he were my own. As I would hope my pups might be cared for, should they find themselves in Amaranth." Would Skelaghe prefer one of her pups to be safe and happy in Amaranth than upset and endangered with her? Yes. Absolutely. With this in mind, she watches until Nium is out of sight before she pulls herself to her feet. Maybe she /can/ get back to her pups, and back to Ashen, yet tonight.