Post by Therdde on Jun 30, 2009 19:14:49 GMT -5
Characters:
Kaya - Adolescent Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Snowy Highlands -
There's been some growing in Amaranth, especially in the department of young ones in the tribe. Kaya's gotten quite larger, and is now an adolescent, For her this is already a big thing, since it means she might just yet be able to leave in the end. But she is waiting for Scuddle in many ways, so for now she wants to talk to her father about the future.
With the approach of the new set of cubs, Kein has not been sleeping well. He is having nightmares when he does sleep, and he has been spending as many of his waking hours hunting as he has patrolling. Currently, he is on his way to the well. It has been dry since summer started, in adition to being hot on most part of the mountain. These highlands are a little cooler, but even so, Kein has not set a fast pace.
Kaya has never been very crazy about the highlands here. Simply because she is reminded of how bad she was at moving through snow as a cub. Now that she's larger it's less of a problem. It also helps that it is summer. At any rate, it isn't hard to track her father when he's on patrol, considering patrol is largely about leaving a scent trail, so she is happy to have caught up with her father as quickly as she has.
Before she is too close, Kein can tell he is being approached by a young cougar. And as soon as he identifies her, he takes a deep breath and sits down. Of all his children, Kaya is the one he knows the least and is the most worried about. He can't express that to her, may not even trust that they can have a peaceful conversation, but he /does/ worry for her. This worry doesn't quite spread to his expression, though.
Kaya finally walks before her father and gives him a smile. "Daddy, it is good to see you." Kaya says, then looks him over. "I've done some growing, I'm so much older now."
Yes, she has done some growing. All of his children have. And, as Kaya seems to be in a good mood, and not here to attack him, Kein stretches out his neck to nuzzle at her and says, "It is good to see you, Kaya." He doesn't like that she has spent all of her time living wih Jinx. He wishes he could have gotten Nayeli there sooner to talk to her. But just seeing her well and happy is enough for him, right now.
"I was thinking... about myself... and... well..." Kaya smiles a bit er... chuckles. "Scuddle. And I was wondering something, daddy," Kaya looks over at her father. Yeah, she regrets not knowing her father better. "How soon after Scuddle and his brothers come of age were you planning to give them the send off?"
Kein has already told Kaya's brothers that they will have to start thinking about leaving. He has been delaying that with his daughters, and he is inclined to wait even longer than he might with Scuddle and the others because he does not want to lose them. He wants to give Aurora time to do a little more growing up. But he can't put it off much longer, especially not with Nayeli's current state. Keeping his tone calm, not willing to anticipate that this might turn into a fight, he says, "It won't be much longer. Your mother is close to giving birth, and it will be well before the cubs are weaned, anyway." They've talked about it. He was planning on speaking to Kasim about it next, though. Not his daughter.
Kaya nods. "I had been thinking about it... but I want to go with him, daddy." Kaya says. "I've liked him for a while now and I don't want him to be alone. But..." Kaya looks at her father. "I'd like your blessing. I don't know if you think I am old enough, even if I think I am. And I've also thought about it and I've decided that I don't really care if I'm matron or not. If I'm called home to do it, then I'll do it, but I think I'd rather just be with Scuddle."
Hearing this from his daughter... For the longest time, Kein wasn't sure he would ever have a chance to connect with Kaya. He was willing to accept it, because, for a time, disciplining them was far more important than being his friend, but the way that Kaya speaks to him now gives him hope. "I think that's a very wise decision on your part, Kaya... But I would hope that you would come back to visit." Kein still doesn't know if any of his coming children will be good fits as the future Matron... And if they aren't, he would not feel comfortable calling Kaya back to fill that position when he knows nothing about her.
Kaya smiles to her father. Beaming rally. So he will let her go! And, seeming to read her father's mind, she says, "Daddy, I'm sorry if you never got to get to know me better, but I promise, I may leave these borders, I may go far away. I will always be of the Amaranth, and I will always be your daughter and love you."
There is something else that has been on Kein's mind a lot, recently. He reaches out to nuzzle at his daughter again, then says, "There is something very important that I will need you to do when you do go, Kaya. You don't have to do it before Scuddle and his brothers leave, and it does not have to be the first thing you do once you do leave... But it is very important to your mother and to me that you get it done before you return for your first visit. Do you understand?" His tone is soft as he speaks, but he gives this apparently-important subject every bit of respect it deserves.
Kaya frowns. Her father needs her to do something? Then she will do it! "Name it, daddy!" Kaya says. "And I'll try to get it done? Grandcubs?"
Oh no! No, no, definitely not. "No, Kaya... Not cubs. You..." Kein takes a deep breath to calm himself before he finishes speaking. "I love you and your siblings very much, but if there is one thing I wish, it is that your mother and I would have waited before having you. We were not ready, and so many things could have gone wrong that we weren't prepared for... So many things /did/ go wrong that we barely recovered from... You should wait, until you are certain you can provide for them." That is really not what Kein had been thinking of, but since Kaya brought it up, he feels it is important to address.
Kaya nods and smiles to her father before lying on the ground to listen to him. When he finishes explaining, she says. "Well, okay, what is it, then, daddy?"
How much longer will it be before Kein becomes a grandfather? Oh, Lord, he is far too young for that. Hopefully it will be some time before that, yet. Forcing himself to take another deep breath, he says, "There is a tradition in Amaranth. The Matron's children are meant to embark on a quest to find the totem spirit that will guide them through the rest of their years. It is very important to us that you and your sister should do this, Kaya."
Kaya nods. "Am I to understand that I am going to do this alone, daddy?" Kaya says. She's rather perceptive, but this sounds like something wherein distractions like a mate might actually be counterproductive. "I understand."
"Yes, you should do it alone. But it will provide you with more help in the future than anything else could. /That/ is why it is important to your mother and me." Kein does not have as hard a time with this as he will with Aurora, because Kaya is not as small... And because he rather suspects that Kaya will need that help more, in the future.
Kaya nods. "I'll do it, daddy. I'll talk with Scuddle about when a good time for me to go would be. I don't want him to be left in a bad way because of it." Kaya stands, smiles and nuzzles her father. "I love you daddy." Then she turns to head off. She needs to talk to Scuddle.
"Wait, Kaya. There is one more thing." Kein waits until he is certain his daughter heard him, then says, "It is important that I speak to Kasim soon. Can you tell him for me?" Kein prefers to avoid the area immediately surrounding the cave, or else he might visit... And now that things between himself and his daughter seem to have calmed, perhaps he could stop by there again.
Kaya nods. "I'll tell him you're looking for him." Kaya says, then turns and runs off to go tell Scuddle the good news and what her father asked her!
Kaya - Adolescent Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Snowy Highlands -
There's been some growing in Amaranth, especially in the department of young ones in the tribe. Kaya's gotten quite larger, and is now an adolescent, For her this is already a big thing, since it means she might just yet be able to leave in the end. But she is waiting for Scuddle in many ways, so for now she wants to talk to her father about the future.
With the approach of the new set of cubs, Kein has not been sleeping well. He is having nightmares when he does sleep, and he has been spending as many of his waking hours hunting as he has patrolling. Currently, he is on his way to the well. It has been dry since summer started, in adition to being hot on most part of the mountain. These highlands are a little cooler, but even so, Kein has not set a fast pace.
Kaya has never been very crazy about the highlands here. Simply because she is reminded of how bad she was at moving through snow as a cub. Now that she's larger it's less of a problem. It also helps that it is summer. At any rate, it isn't hard to track her father when he's on patrol, considering patrol is largely about leaving a scent trail, so she is happy to have caught up with her father as quickly as she has.
Before she is too close, Kein can tell he is being approached by a young cougar. And as soon as he identifies her, he takes a deep breath and sits down. Of all his children, Kaya is the one he knows the least and is the most worried about. He can't express that to her, may not even trust that they can have a peaceful conversation, but he /does/ worry for her. This worry doesn't quite spread to his expression, though.
Kaya finally walks before her father and gives him a smile. "Daddy, it is good to see you." Kaya says, then looks him over. "I've done some growing, I'm so much older now."
Yes, she has done some growing. All of his children have. And, as Kaya seems to be in a good mood, and not here to attack him, Kein stretches out his neck to nuzzle at her and says, "It is good to see you, Kaya." He doesn't like that she has spent all of her time living wih Jinx. He wishes he could have gotten Nayeli there sooner to talk to her. But just seeing her well and happy is enough for him, right now.
"I was thinking... about myself... and... well..." Kaya smiles a bit er... chuckles. "Scuddle. And I was wondering something, daddy," Kaya looks over at her father. Yeah, she regrets not knowing her father better. "How soon after Scuddle and his brothers come of age were you planning to give them the send off?"
Kein has already told Kaya's brothers that they will have to start thinking about leaving. He has been delaying that with his daughters, and he is inclined to wait even longer than he might with Scuddle and the others because he does not want to lose them. He wants to give Aurora time to do a little more growing up. But he can't put it off much longer, especially not with Nayeli's current state. Keeping his tone calm, not willing to anticipate that this might turn into a fight, he says, "It won't be much longer. Your mother is close to giving birth, and it will be well before the cubs are weaned, anyway." They've talked about it. He was planning on speaking to Kasim about it next, though. Not his daughter.
Kaya nods. "I had been thinking about it... but I want to go with him, daddy." Kaya says. "I've liked him for a while now and I don't want him to be alone. But..." Kaya looks at her father. "I'd like your blessing. I don't know if you think I am old enough, even if I think I am. And I've also thought about it and I've decided that I don't really care if I'm matron or not. If I'm called home to do it, then I'll do it, but I think I'd rather just be with Scuddle."
Hearing this from his daughter... For the longest time, Kein wasn't sure he would ever have a chance to connect with Kaya. He was willing to accept it, because, for a time, disciplining them was far more important than being his friend, but the way that Kaya speaks to him now gives him hope. "I think that's a very wise decision on your part, Kaya... But I would hope that you would come back to visit." Kein still doesn't know if any of his coming children will be good fits as the future Matron... And if they aren't, he would not feel comfortable calling Kaya back to fill that position when he knows nothing about her.
Kaya smiles to her father. Beaming rally. So he will let her go! And, seeming to read her father's mind, she says, "Daddy, I'm sorry if you never got to get to know me better, but I promise, I may leave these borders, I may go far away. I will always be of the Amaranth, and I will always be your daughter and love you."
There is something else that has been on Kein's mind a lot, recently. He reaches out to nuzzle at his daughter again, then says, "There is something very important that I will need you to do when you do go, Kaya. You don't have to do it before Scuddle and his brothers leave, and it does not have to be the first thing you do once you do leave... But it is very important to your mother and to me that you get it done before you return for your first visit. Do you understand?" His tone is soft as he speaks, but he gives this apparently-important subject every bit of respect it deserves.
Kaya frowns. Her father needs her to do something? Then she will do it! "Name it, daddy!" Kaya says. "And I'll try to get it done? Grandcubs?"
Oh no! No, no, definitely not. "No, Kaya... Not cubs. You..." Kein takes a deep breath to calm himself before he finishes speaking. "I love you and your siblings very much, but if there is one thing I wish, it is that your mother and I would have waited before having you. We were not ready, and so many things could have gone wrong that we weren't prepared for... So many things /did/ go wrong that we barely recovered from... You should wait, until you are certain you can provide for them." That is really not what Kein had been thinking of, but since Kaya brought it up, he feels it is important to address.
Kaya nods and smiles to her father before lying on the ground to listen to him. When he finishes explaining, she says. "Well, okay, what is it, then, daddy?"
How much longer will it be before Kein becomes a grandfather? Oh, Lord, he is far too young for that. Hopefully it will be some time before that, yet. Forcing himself to take another deep breath, he says, "There is a tradition in Amaranth. The Matron's children are meant to embark on a quest to find the totem spirit that will guide them through the rest of their years. It is very important to us that you and your sister should do this, Kaya."
Kaya nods. "Am I to understand that I am going to do this alone, daddy?" Kaya says. She's rather perceptive, but this sounds like something wherein distractions like a mate might actually be counterproductive. "I understand."
"Yes, you should do it alone. But it will provide you with more help in the future than anything else could. /That/ is why it is important to your mother and me." Kein does not have as hard a time with this as he will with Aurora, because Kaya is not as small... And because he rather suspects that Kaya will need that help more, in the future.
Kaya nods. "I'll do it, daddy. I'll talk with Scuddle about when a good time for me to go would be. I don't want him to be left in a bad way because of it." Kaya stands, smiles and nuzzles her father. "I love you daddy." Then she turns to head off. She needs to talk to Scuddle.
"Wait, Kaya. There is one more thing." Kein waits until he is certain his daughter heard him, then says, "It is important that I speak to Kasim soon. Can you tell him for me?" Kein prefers to avoid the area immediately surrounding the cave, or else he might visit... And now that things between himself and his daughter seem to have calmed, perhaps he could stop by there again.
Kaya nods. "I'll tell him you're looking for him." Kaya says, then turns and runs off to go tell Scuddle the good news and what her father asked her!