Post by Curiosity on Dec 29, 2009 18:23:10 GMT -5
[OOC Note: This scene is -way- backdated, to several months ago, shortly after this scene was set. RL interfered. x.x]
Characters Involved:
Aurora, adolescent female cougar
Peyote, adolescent male cougar
=== Old Chestnut Tree ===
Having opted to take the northern route in her reluctant departure from her homelands, Aurora's only just begun the spiritual journey that the Amaranth chieftain had set her out on, winding her way down the mountainside with a clearly concerned look on her maw. It's difficult to decipher completely, but it's clear there's traces of anger, sadness, and even a bit of fear all mixed inside her worried little head. "'Convene with the spirits', he says," the young girl mutters cynically...and if that weren't silly enough, she has to do it all alone! Humph. The light-coated adolescent reaches the edge of the mountain's sprawling reign, stone giving way to grass and dirt underfoot, and she hesitates for a brief moment before finally setting a first forepaw on unfamiliar ground. Well, that isn't so bad. Bright green eyes scan her surroundings, looking for some unseen clue as to where to head next on this strange quest she's been sent on. The scent and sound of water lay to the east, but that seems like too obvious of a choice. Several trees stand to the west, nothing out of the ordinary there... Except for that big one. A massively thick trunk is firmly entangled with the ground beneath it, and a wide expanse of leafy branches completely block out the blue sky above. The old chestnut is far larger than any tree Aurora's seen up in the harsher mountain climate (though perhaps not as tall as some of the evergreens), and it draws her attention enough to lure her nearer, the intrigued feline stepping carefully around to its base. Spotting a wide mouth at the base of the tree's trunk, the adolescent's curiosity gets the better of her, and she tentatively pokes her muzzle inside the den.
The gaping entrance at the foot of the tree seems to run deep, though tangles of roots block much of the view. In the inky blackness beyond something stirs and a sound like a heavy elongated honk erupts from the echoey depth. A moment later, the sound of scrambling paws is heard and a fuzzy little brown head suddenly pops out! Beady black eyes widen in surprise at coming face to face with the feline.. "Woaahh hey!" Not a moment later another ball of brawny fluff appears as his sibling bumps into him.. takes one look at the big cat in front of its startled brother and screams! "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! MOM!!!" The loud cries do no fall on deaf ears, much to Aurora's misfortune. Thundering through the forest not thirty seconds later appears the behemoth guardian of a mother grizzly, ready to greet Aurora not but three steps into her journey. Eyes ablaze with primal maternal rage, the bear towers back on her hindlegs and lets forth a powerful roar!
Aurora is surprised enough by simply the sudden appearance of a small bear cub right in front of her nose, which is quickly followed its brother and a frightened cry -- but nothing could prepare her for the jarring feeling of pure terror shooting through her veins like splinters of ice that is to come. The crushingly loud sound of the mother bear's roar is more felt than heard, shaking Aurora's slender frame right down to the core. Whirling around to face the stampeding mammoth of an ursine, the young adolescent freezes in absolute fear, green eyes as wide as saucers as she cowers before the very image of a nightmare hurtling straight for her. But this is a very real monster, one that can cause very real pain.
"I'm just gonna watch her, not gonna interfere.. just gonna make sure she's ok and doesn't get eaten by any...." Peyote's thoughts are suddenly interupted by the thundering roar. "..grizzlies.." He gulps nervously and then runs straight ahead in the direction Aurora's trail were leading and the sound had come from. All logic thrown to the wind and replaced by spontanious reckless action, the young puma races to his friend's aid. He bursts into the scene just in time to see the bear drop to all fours again and burst forward to save her cubs from the terrified Aurora. "No, NO Stop!!" Peyote does not even stop to think and he flies forward to intercept the juggernaut, leaping through the air and onto its back. The bear bellows in surprise and anger as the adolescent cat lands on her and stumbles to a halt just in front of Aurora. "Run!!" Peyote manages to yelp before the bear starts twisting and lashing her huge forepaws around to wrangle him off!
Too scared stiff to even think of trying to leap out of the way, Aurora simply squeezes her eyes tightly shut, tensing her entire body as she anticipates the crushing blow from the rampaging grizzly. But the impact never comes -- instead, she hears the she-bear bellow out in rage, and the adolescent cautiously opens one eye to peek at what's happening. Aurora might have thought she couldn't be any more shocked at the current situation, but that was before she spotted Peyote digging in his claws for dear life on the back of an angry grizzly! "Peyote!" she cries out in anxious desperation, not wanting her friend to get hurt while trying to save her -- and that bear looks like it could pack a punch. Quickly glancing around for an opening, Peyote's urgent command having snapped her out of her stasis, Aurora nimbly leaps over the large roots that threaten to trip her up and dashes away in a near-panic towards the east, towards the sounds of water she had noticed before.
Peyote is quickly thrown off to the side where he lands on his paws with catlike grace, then scrambles haphazardly like a confused bat caught in a beam of sunlight. The mother bear whirls on her attacker and snarling menacingly takes a swipe at him with her sharply hooked paw, blurring right over his ears which easily could have carried off his head. Its time to go!! Peyote makes a hasty retreat in the direction he arrived in, with the bear crashing through the foliage in hot pursuit, while the cubs bleat and honk in confusion back in the hole.. His heart is thumping in his throat and his paws pound at the ground quicker than they ever have had to before in his short life, but he manages to find himself treed and having to wait it out while the bear chuffs and snorts angrily on the ground. After some while she returns to check on her cubs, and Peyote drops down to go check up on his friend.
=== Dense Undergrowth ===
Having blindly fled away from the scene, Aurora only slows once she's positive she can't hear the hammering of paws chasing her down or savage snarls and growls from the perturbed mother bear anymore. Even so, when the girl finds the brush around her growing thicker and denser, she opts for the added safety of crouching down within a patch of overgrown vines and shrubs, peering out with wide, watchful emerald eyes. She's okay...but where's Peyote? Ears pricked alertly as she searches the path she just came crashing through for sight or sound of her friend. After what seems like an eternity to the adrenaline-rushed adolescent, Peyote finally appears in the clearing, looking incredibly calm and collected despite what just occurred -- but also unharmed, much to Aurora's relief. "Psst! Peyote!" she hisses out to him from her hiding spot, raising her head just enough for the other puma to see her. "Over here!"
Peyote pants as he glances around the clearing, he feels his whole body trembling now that the rush from adrenaline has left him. But he's still alive! And thanks to his heroic efforts or perhaps just his pure dumb luck, Aurora is still alive as well. But where is she? Just then, the tangle of vines to one side speaks to him with a familiar voice and Peyote peers to notice the wide frightened green eyes of his friend. "She's gone now. Are you ok?" He asks with obvious concern. Flashing a grin and laugh of relief when he finds her to be unharmed, with the realization of just how lucky they had just found themselves.
Aurora doesn't think Peyote's hiding nearly fast enough as he should be, given the gravity of the situation -- but according to him, the coast is clear. Still too wary from her recent fright to completely be at ease, Aurora is still visibly more relaxed just from Peyote's presence nearby. After all, the boy just managed to fend off a /bear/...that's definitely going to score him a few points. "Yeah, I'm okay...thank the sun you were there, though," she replies, lifting from her crouch somewhat, though she's still half-hidden by the thick tangle of brush around her. "You were really brave, fighting that bear off like that." The compliment is murmured in a slightly shy voice, the young adolescent's maw quirking in a sheepish smile as she meets her friend's gaze. "You saved my life, Peyote." And had he obeyed her father's direction to stay behind and let her go alone? Aurora shudders at the thought. Of course, this is precisely why the chieftain told Peyote in confidence to keep an eye on his daughter, unbeknownst to the naive adolescent.
Peyote laughs again and shakes his head. He still can not believe what had just happened either. "Oh come on now, I didnt fight her off.. I just kind of jumped on her and fell off really." But saving her life? The young mountain lion's smile fades a bit as he starts to see the true gravity of that situation. "Yea well, I guess so." He allows himself some credit. "But I'm sure you could have taken care of it, you seemed just about ready to let her nose feel your claws, huh. C'mon, you're not gonna get your spirit journey done hiding in there." Peyote would have been on her trail whether or not he got the OK from her father, but at least now he isn't disobeying the chief.
Oh yeah, her spirit journey...temporarily forgotten while staring down the face of danger itself. Or perhaps, as is more likely, it was a part of it -- and if that was just the beginning, what else has her journey got in store for her? Even so, the girl feels, even more so than before, that as long as she has her friend beside her, she'll be all right in the end. "Yeah, I know...but my dad said I had to do it alone..." Aurora trails off, her expression crestfallen as she considers the thought of potentially facing even more dangerous scenarios without Peyote to save her. Looking up at the already-larger adolescent male, she locks her green gaze with his own blue, pleading with her eyes before murmuring in a hushed, yet desperate, tone: "...please don't leave me." Despite the belief that she's disobeying her father's word, the young princess of Amaranth feels it's far more important that her friend remains with her than the alternative.
Peyote fidgets on his paws a bit. Despite him seeming so calm and relaxed to the scared mountain lioness, Peyote is actually quite anxious to get a move on. That bear had the largest teeth he had ever seen and he wasn't in too much of a hurry to meet them again. "Yah he's always saying things like that. 'Dont stay out after dark, Aurora... Dont play with bears, Aurora..'" Peyote laughs good naturedly though nervously and looks around. "But do we listen? Nope! But this time he said 'Go on an adventure, Aurora.." He steps in closer and nudges his forehead with her nervous brow in reassurement. "And I'll be with you every step of the way."
Aurora may be naive, but she's not oblivious. As she notices Peyote's stance grow more anxious and fidgety, she too starts to become less and less at ease - though it's briefly staved off by the other's gentle nuzzle, which she quickly returns as an affectionate, appreciative gesture. "Thanks, Peyote...it means a whole lot to me," the girl replies, purring softly into the embrace before stepping back once more. Looking around at their surroundings, at a loss for direction once again, Aurora at least knows which direction -not- to head in this time. The smell of wolves is heavy to the east, and the thinning of trees (and thus, hiding places) to the north is somewhat intimidating, and so the young cougaress decides to head south, following alongside the river that runs by a short distance away. Glancing back at her cubhood companion, the pale-furred adolescent gestures towards the intended direction with a bob of her head. "Come on, let's try to find somewhere safe we can rest for a while...journey or not, I've had enough 'adventure' so far to last me the rest of the day." Once they've navigated over to the stream's bank, the pair sets off at a brisk pace towards whatever other circumstances fate will usher their way.
Characters Involved:
Aurora, adolescent female cougar
Peyote, adolescent male cougar
=== Old Chestnut Tree ===
Having opted to take the northern route in her reluctant departure from her homelands, Aurora's only just begun the spiritual journey that the Amaranth chieftain had set her out on, winding her way down the mountainside with a clearly concerned look on her maw. It's difficult to decipher completely, but it's clear there's traces of anger, sadness, and even a bit of fear all mixed inside her worried little head. "'Convene with the spirits', he says," the young girl mutters cynically...and if that weren't silly enough, she has to do it all alone! Humph. The light-coated adolescent reaches the edge of the mountain's sprawling reign, stone giving way to grass and dirt underfoot, and she hesitates for a brief moment before finally setting a first forepaw on unfamiliar ground. Well, that isn't so bad. Bright green eyes scan her surroundings, looking for some unseen clue as to where to head next on this strange quest she's been sent on. The scent and sound of water lay to the east, but that seems like too obvious of a choice. Several trees stand to the west, nothing out of the ordinary there... Except for that big one. A massively thick trunk is firmly entangled with the ground beneath it, and a wide expanse of leafy branches completely block out the blue sky above. The old chestnut is far larger than any tree Aurora's seen up in the harsher mountain climate (though perhaps not as tall as some of the evergreens), and it draws her attention enough to lure her nearer, the intrigued feline stepping carefully around to its base. Spotting a wide mouth at the base of the tree's trunk, the adolescent's curiosity gets the better of her, and she tentatively pokes her muzzle inside the den.
The gaping entrance at the foot of the tree seems to run deep, though tangles of roots block much of the view. In the inky blackness beyond something stirs and a sound like a heavy elongated honk erupts from the echoey depth. A moment later, the sound of scrambling paws is heard and a fuzzy little brown head suddenly pops out! Beady black eyes widen in surprise at coming face to face with the feline.. "Woaahh hey!" Not a moment later another ball of brawny fluff appears as his sibling bumps into him.. takes one look at the big cat in front of its startled brother and screams! "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! MOM!!!" The loud cries do no fall on deaf ears, much to Aurora's misfortune. Thundering through the forest not thirty seconds later appears the behemoth guardian of a mother grizzly, ready to greet Aurora not but three steps into her journey. Eyes ablaze with primal maternal rage, the bear towers back on her hindlegs and lets forth a powerful roar!
Aurora is surprised enough by simply the sudden appearance of a small bear cub right in front of her nose, which is quickly followed its brother and a frightened cry -- but nothing could prepare her for the jarring feeling of pure terror shooting through her veins like splinters of ice that is to come. The crushingly loud sound of the mother bear's roar is more felt than heard, shaking Aurora's slender frame right down to the core. Whirling around to face the stampeding mammoth of an ursine, the young adolescent freezes in absolute fear, green eyes as wide as saucers as she cowers before the very image of a nightmare hurtling straight for her. But this is a very real monster, one that can cause very real pain.
"I'm just gonna watch her, not gonna interfere.. just gonna make sure she's ok and doesn't get eaten by any...." Peyote's thoughts are suddenly interupted by the thundering roar. "..grizzlies.." He gulps nervously and then runs straight ahead in the direction Aurora's trail were leading and the sound had come from. All logic thrown to the wind and replaced by spontanious reckless action, the young puma races to his friend's aid. He bursts into the scene just in time to see the bear drop to all fours again and burst forward to save her cubs from the terrified Aurora. "No, NO Stop!!" Peyote does not even stop to think and he flies forward to intercept the juggernaut, leaping through the air and onto its back. The bear bellows in surprise and anger as the adolescent cat lands on her and stumbles to a halt just in front of Aurora. "Run!!" Peyote manages to yelp before the bear starts twisting and lashing her huge forepaws around to wrangle him off!
Too scared stiff to even think of trying to leap out of the way, Aurora simply squeezes her eyes tightly shut, tensing her entire body as she anticipates the crushing blow from the rampaging grizzly. But the impact never comes -- instead, she hears the she-bear bellow out in rage, and the adolescent cautiously opens one eye to peek at what's happening. Aurora might have thought she couldn't be any more shocked at the current situation, but that was before she spotted Peyote digging in his claws for dear life on the back of an angry grizzly! "Peyote!" she cries out in anxious desperation, not wanting her friend to get hurt while trying to save her -- and that bear looks like it could pack a punch. Quickly glancing around for an opening, Peyote's urgent command having snapped her out of her stasis, Aurora nimbly leaps over the large roots that threaten to trip her up and dashes away in a near-panic towards the east, towards the sounds of water she had noticed before.
Peyote is quickly thrown off to the side where he lands on his paws with catlike grace, then scrambles haphazardly like a confused bat caught in a beam of sunlight. The mother bear whirls on her attacker and snarling menacingly takes a swipe at him with her sharply hooked paw, blurring right over his ears which easily could have carried off his head. Its time to go!! Peyote makes a hasty retreat in the direction he arrived in, with the bear crashing through the foliage in hot pursuit, while the cubs bleat and honk in confusion back in the hole.. His heart is thumping in his throat and his paws pound at the ground quicker than they ever have had to before in his short life, but he manages to find himself treed and having to wait it out while the bear chuffs and snorts angrily on the ground. After some while she returns to check on her cubs, and Peyote drops down to go check up on his friend.
=== Dense Undergrowth ===
Having blindly fled away from the scene, Aurora only slows once she's positive she can't hear the hammering of paws chasing her down or savage snarls and growls from the perturbed mother bear anymore. Even so, when the girl finds the brush around her growing thicker and denser, she opts for the added safety of crouching down within a patch of overgrown vines and shrubs, peering out with wide, watchful emerald eyes. She's okay...but where's Peyote? Ears pricked alertly as she searches the path she just came crashing through for sight or sound of her friend. After what seems like an eternity to the adrenaline-rushed adolescent, Peyote finally appears in the clearing, looking incredibly calm and collected despite what just occurred -- but also unharmed, much to Aurora's relief. "Psst! Peyote!" she hisses out to him from her hiding spot, raising her head just enough for the other puma to see her. "Over here!"
Peyote pants as he glances around the clearing, he feels his whole body trembling now that the rush from adrenaline has left him. But he's still alive! And thanks to his heroic efforts or perhaps just his pure dumb luck, Aurora is still alive as well. But where is she? Just then, the tangle of vines to one side speaks to him with a familiar voice and Peyote peers to notice the wide frightened green eyes of his friend. "She's gone now. Are you ok?" He asks with obvious concern. Flashing a grin and laugh of relief when he finds her to be unharmed, with the realization of just how lucky they had just found themselves.
Aurora doesn't think Peyote's hiding nearly fast enough as he should be, given the gravity of the situation -- but according to him, the coast is clear. Still too wary from her recent fright to completely be at ease, Aurora is still visibly more relaxed just from Peyote's presence nearby. After all, the boy just managed to fend off a /bear/...that's definitely going to score him a few points. "Yeah, I'm okay...thank the sun you were there, though," she replies, lifting from her crouch somewhat, though she's still half-hidden by the thick tangle of brush around her. "You were really brave, fighting that bear off like that." The compliment is murmured in a slightly shy voice, the young adolescent's maw quirking in a sheepish smile as she meets her friend's gaze. "You saved my life, Peyote." And had he obeyed her father's direction to stay behind and let her go alone? Aurora shudders at the thought. Of course, this is precisely why the chieftain told Peyote in confidence to keep an eye on his daughter, unbeknownst to the naive adolescent.
Peyote laughs again and shakes his head. He still can not believe what had just happened either. "Oh come on now, I didnt fight her off.. I just kind of jumped on her and fell off really." But saving her life? The young mountain lion's smile fades a bit as he starts to see the true gravity of that situation. "Yea well, I guess so." He allows himself some credit. "But I'm sure you could have taken care of it, you seemed just about ready to let her nose feel your claws, huh. C'mon, you're not gonna get your spirit journey done hiding in there." Peyote would have been on her trail whether or not he got the OK from her father, but at least now he isn't disobeying the chief.
Oh yeah, her spirit journey...temporarily forgotten while staring down the face of danger itself. Or perhaps, as is more likely, it was a part of it -- and if that was just the beginning, what else has her journey got in store for her? Even so, the girl feels, even more so than before, that as long as she has her friend beside her, she'll be all right in the end. "Yeah, I know...but my dad said I had to do it alone..." Aurora trails off, her expression crestfallen as she considers the thought of potentially facing even more dangerous scenarios without Peyote to save her. Looking up at the already-larger adolescent male, she locks her green gaze with his own blue, pleading with her eyes before murmuring in a hushed, yet desperate, tone: "...please don't leave me." Despite the belief that she's disobeying her father's word, the young princess of Amaranth feels it's far more important that her friend remains with her than the alternative.
Peyote fidgets on his paws a bit. Despite him seeming so calm and relaxed to the scared mountain lioness, Peyote is actually quite anxious to get a move on. That bear had the largest teeth he had ever seen and he wasn't in too much of a hurry to meet them again. "Yah he's always saying things like that. 'Dont stay out after dark, Aurora... Dont play with bears, Aurora..'" Peyote laughs good naturedly though nervously and looks around. "But do we listen? Nope! But this time he said 'Go on an adventure, Aurora.." He steps in closer and nudges his forehead with her nervous brow in reassurement. "And I'll be with you every step of the way."
Aurora may be naive, but she's not oblivious. As she notices Peyote's stance grow more anxious and fidgety, she too starts to become less and less at ease - though it's briefly staved off by the other's gentle nuzzle, which she quickly returns as an affectionate, appreciative gesture. "Thanks, Peyote...it means a whole lot to me," the girl replies, purring softly into the embrace before stepping back once more. Looking around at their surroundings, at a loss for direction once again, Aurora at least knows which direction -not- to head in this time. The smell of wolves is heavy to the east, and the thinning of trees (and thus, hiding places) to the north is somewhat intimidating, and so the young cougaress decides to head south, following alongside the river that runs by a short distance away. Glancing back at her cubhood companion, the pale-furred adolescent gestures towards the intended direction with a bob of her head. "Come on, let's try to find somewhere safe we can rest for a while...journey or not, I've had enough 'adventure' so far to last me the rest of the day." Once they've navigated over to the stream's bank, the pair sets off at a brisk pace towards whatever other circumstances fate will usher their way.