Post by Curiosity on Feb 25, 2010 17:15:51 GMT -5
Characters Involved:
Aurora, female cougar
Peyote, male cougar
Kein, male cougar, chieftain
=== Sloping Gradient ===
It's been quite some time since Aurora was first sent out on her coming-of-age journey - just shy of a full year - which is perhaps enough time for her parents to start worrying about the youngest of their first litter...if they haven't had their paws full with other things, that is. But, with winter right around the corner, and the mornings already tinged with the cold nip of frosts, the young cougaress has decided that it's time to return home to the lands of the Amaranth once more -- and now, unlike when she first left, she's not alone. The undersized female's spirits are high as she makes her way towards the mountain alongside Peyote, her closest friend since cubhood, the girl giggling at some joke the boy's just cracked about the difference between wolves and dogs.
Peyote is trotting along beside Aurora, showing her the way home. At least finding it along with her, it was his first time out too after all. "Haha ya get it? Yahhh... they both stink. I think we are just about there now. You excited about being home Aurora? theres still time to run back the other direction to more adventures y'know.." He shivers a bit at the cold nip in the air and hopes she decides that the trip is enough for now. This cougar is hoping to settle down and fatten up for a coming winter.
Kein has spent many days and nights worrying for Aurora in the seasons since she left. So far, two of his daughters have returned, while one has not yet left, but there has still been no sign of the youngest from his first litter. It is a wonder, then, that he recognizes her scent as well as he does when a wind works its way toward him. That recognition, minimal as it is, keeps him on his path toward the border. His pace remains, for the time being, cautious.
Aurora nods eagerly in response to Peyote's question. "Yeah! I mean, it was a lot of fun spending all that time out in the forest with you and stuff, but I kinda miss my family." The girl's been gone so long that she isn't even aware of the fact that her family has grown by two since she left. She swerves in towards the bigger cougar, butting her head against his jaw in an affectionate nuzzle. "I'm just glad you're coming home with me, too." Assuming, of course, that the Chieftain doesn't mind the other male staying...but seeing as she's his daughter, Aurora can't imagine he'd kick out her best friend just for being a guy. As the pair approaches the rocky slope that leads up to Amaranth territory, the smallish female hesitates slightly, her forepaw hovering in the air for just a moment before finally setting down on the cool stone, the rest of her steps following suit. Well, guess that's the end of that journey.
Peyote nods to her answer. "Sure I can understand that. I kinda miss mine too." He blinks in surprise as she catches him off guard with an affectionate nuzzle and then purrs. "Course Im coming back with you. Where you go.. I go. Havnt you figured that out by now?" He laughs at that as he looks up the slope to home. "Hey lets not tell your dad about the rattlesnake.. or the bear. Or that one time... actually can we not tell your dad anything at all?"
Kein stops walking for a moment once he finally catches sight of Aurora and Peyote. For a few seconds, he simply watches the two. Then, he begins walking to his daughter again, his pace much faster, now. He doesn't speak yep, nor do anything else to announce his presence, but as he approached them, there is nothing to suggest violence in his body language.
Aurora's cheeks flush slightly at Peyote's reply, her muzzle dipping shyly at his reassuring words. "Awww...well, thanks, Peyote. Means a lot to me." As they pad up the path leading towards home, the young female giggles again at the boy's suggestion, before the flash of motion catches her peripheral gaze, Aurora's head turning to sight the very cougar to which Peyote was just referring. Her cheerful expression doesn't falter upon the recognition, the faintly-spotted cougaress instead quickening her pace to close the gap between them. "Daddy! I'm back!"
Peyote shrugs his shoulderblades up lightly and rolls his eyes with an 'aww..shucks' kind of look. Then before he can say anything in reply something catches her gaze and he looks in the same direction just in time to recognize the chief of the lands showing up to greet his long lost daughter. Peyote slows up a bit as Aurora rushes forward to meet him and he just smiles after her, having returned her safely afterall.
Kein focuses his attention on his daughter. He is not surprised to see Peyote with her, though... Well, it doesn't matter. Aurora is finally home, safe and sound. "Aurora. It is wonderful to have you back." His speech is calm enough, filled with relief at Aurora's return, but once he is close enough, he rubs his head against his daughter with all of the enthusiasm that he does not let into his voice.
As the Amaranth Chieftain offers his daughter a glimpse of rare emotion that not many others outside his family are so lucky to see, Aurora returns the cheek-rubbing with a happy, thrumming purr. "It's good to be back home again. I missed everyone. Did Kaya come back from her journey yet?" Knowing so little of the conflict between her older sister and their father, Aurora merely assumes that the rest of her siblings, Kaya included, were sent out on their own spirit quests as well. Once she notices that Peyote hasn't come up beside them yet, she turns to look back at her traveling companion. "Whatcha waitin' for, Peyote? Come on up!" Sweet little naive Aurora.
Peyote just smiles down the path at the reuniting family. He wonders if his is around to meet him this way too. As Aurora calls him over though he perks up and trots up to her side. "Hello Chief. The place didn't burn down while we were gone I see.." Silly Peyote. Just as naiive as Aurora, but put together they are a couple of survivors! He looks up at the much larger male and smiles, which is something the boy is quite often prone to do.
"Kaya has visited, from time to time." Kein answers his daughter's question, then looks to Peyote. not of the affection for his offspring is given to the young male, but Kein manages a slight smile. "Thank you, Peyote, for looking after my daughter while she was away. I am glad to see both of you well."
Aurora's brow furrows slightly at her father's answer. "You mean...she's not staying here? What about my brothers?" Even if her other siblings are more or less missing in action, if nothing else, Aurora will no doubt be delighted to learn of the fact that she now has two other sisters to call her own...even if it does mean she's no longer the youngest princess of the Amaranth.
Peyote laughs at Keins responce and nods. "Of course we are. Never better!" His chipper attitude shifts a bit when he notices Aurora's concern for her siblings. Enthusiasm quelled slightly he looks back to Kein after she asks of her brothers with a concerned expression visible on his face. He wonders about his own brothers as well.
Kein shakes his head slowly. "I last saw Cael when I asked him to keep an eye on your younger sister. Maul. When she went out on her own. She has since returned, but he has not, and your other brothers have been off on their own, as well. Shade, your other younger sister, is still here as well, though. And Kaya knows where your brother is, Peyote. However, in light of your services to me while you were away from the tribe, you are welcome to stay, Peyote." Unlike his brothers. Of course, Aurora was not supposed to know about Peyote watching over her, but that part does not matter as much to Kein.
Aurora is listening closely, all ears until she hears... "Younger sister..?!" she can't help but outburst, even while her father is still speaking, but then she remembers her manners and quiets down until he's done...even if she's fidgeting anxiously all the while. /Two/ younger sisters?! Well, that's even better news...even if her other siblings are still out on their own. Smiling broadly at the last bit of news that's offered to Peyote, Aurora finally allows her bottled-up glee to bubble over. "I have two little sisters now? Can I see them soon, please please please?" Of course, they're no longer really 'little' now, having been born shortly after she first left -- but then again, neither is Aurora, and she's still as childish as ever. Maturity is relative, it seems.
Peyote was going with Aurora whether he wanted him to or not.. but the fact that he had been told to by the chief made the whole deal legitimate. "Huh what? Oh.. thats great!" He replies to the being able to stay thing, but why wouldnt he.. afterall hes always been able to before. But his reply gets muffled out by the gleefully bubbling Aurora about her sisters, news to which Peyote perks up and grins happily. "Hey cool! Ill bet they're just like you too Aurora." He chimes in, not doing much at all to calm her down about it.
Kein smiles at his daughter's enthusiastic response. "Of course you can see them, Aurora. And your mother. She'll be so happy to see you've returned, and Shade is often around her, and often knows where Maul is." Yes, once again, Kein has managed to grow slightly apart from his children. Of course, none of them seem to hate him as much as Kaya did, of defy him as openly as Cael.
Aurora can barely suppress her happiness - of being home again, of hearing of her two newest siblings, of...everything, really. As naive as she may be, all is right in Aurora's world, and that suits her just fine. "Well...I'd like to go see them now, then! C'mon, Peyote!" With a parting nuzzle to her father (though this time the time between goodbyes won't be nearly as long), Aurora dashes up the rest of the way to the top of the slope, giving a little cheerful chirp as she goes off in search of the rest of her family.
Aurora, female cougar
Peyote, male cougar
Kein, male cougar, chieftain
=== Sloping Gradient ===
It's been quite some time since Aurora was first sent out on her coming-of-age journey - just shy of a full year - which is perhaps enough time for her parents to start worrying about the youngest of their first litter...if they haven't had their paws full with other things, that is. But, with winter right around the corner, and the mornings already tinged with the cold nip of frosts, the young cougaress has decided that it's time to return home to the lands of the Amaranth once more -- and now, unlike when she first left, she's not alone. The undersized female's spirits are high as she makes her way towards the mountain alongside Peyote, her closest friend since cubhood, the girl giggling at some joke the boy's just cracked about the difference between wolves and dogs.
Peyote is trotting along beside Aurora, showing her the way home. At least finding it along with her, it was his first time out too after all. "Haha ya get it? Yahhh... they both stink. I think we are just about there now. You excited about being home Aurora? theres still time to run back the other direction to more adventures y'know.." He shivers a bit at the cold nip in the air and hopes she decides that the trip is enough for now. This cougar is hoping to settle down and fatten up for a coming winter.
Kein has spent many days and nights worrying for Aurora in the seasons since she left. So far, two of his daughters have returned, while one has not yet left, but there has still been no sign of the youngest from his first litter. It is a wonder, then, that he recognizes her scent as well as he does when a wind works its way toward him. That recognition, minimal as it is, keeps him on his path toward the border. His pace remains, for the time being, cautious.
Aurora nods eagerly in response to Peyote's question. "Yeah! I mean, it was a lot of fun spending all that time out in the forest with you and stuff, but I kinda miss my family." The girl's been gone so long that she isn't even aware of the fact that her family has grown by two since she left. She swerves in towards the bigger cougar, butting her head against his jaw in an affectionate nuzzle. "I'm just glad you're coming home with me, too." Assuming, of course, that the Chieftain doesn't mind the other male staying...but seeing as she's his daughter, Aurora can't imagine he'd kick out her best friend just for being a guy. As the pair approaches the rocky slope that leads up to Amaranth territory, the smallish female hesitates slightly, her forepaw hovering in the air for just a moment before finally setting down on the cool stone, the rest of her steps following suit. Well, guess that's the end of that journey.
Peyote nods to her answer. "Sure I can understand that. I kinda miss mine too." He blinks in surprise as she catches him off guard with an affectionate nuzzle and then purrs. "Course Im coming back with you. Where you go.. I go. Havnt you figured that out by now?" He laughs at that as he looks up the slope to home. "Hey lets not tell your dad about the rattlesnake.. or the bear. Or that one time... actually can we not tell your dad anything at all?"
Kein stops walking for a moment once he finally catches sight of Aurora and Peyote. For a few seconds, he simply watches the two. Then, he begins walking to his daughter again, his pace much faster, now. He doesn't speak yep, nor do anything else to announce his presence, but as he approached them, there is nothing to suggest violence in his body language.
Aurora's cheeks flush slightly at Peyote's reply, her muzzle dipping shyly at his reassuring words. "Awww...well, thanks, Peyote. Means a lot to me." As they pad up the path leading towards home, the young female giggles again at the boy's suggestion, before the flash of motion catches her peripheral gaze, Aurora's head turning to sight the very cougar to which Peyote was just referring. Her cheerful expression doesn't falter upon the recognition, the faintly-spotted cougaress instead quickening her pace to close the gap between them. "Daddy! I'm back!"
Peyote shrugs his shoulderblades up lightly and rolls his eyes with an 'aww..shucks' kind of look. Then before he can say anything in reply something catches her gaze and he looks in the same direction just in time to recognize the chief of the lands showing up to greet his long lost daughter. Peyote slows up a bit as Aurora rushes forward to meet him and he just smiles after her, having returned her safely afterall.
Kein focuses his attention on his daughter. He is not surprised to see Peyote with her, though... Well, it doesn't matter. Aurora is finally home, safe and sound. "Aurora. It is wonderful to have you back." His speech is calm enough, filled with relief at Aurora's return, but once he is close enough, he rubs his head against his daughter with all of the enthusiasm that he does not let into his voice.
As the Amaranth Chieftain offers his daughter a glimpse of rare emotion that not many others outside his family are so lucky to see, Aurora returns the cheek-rubbing with a happy, thrumming purr. "It's good to be back home again. I missed everyone. Did Kaya come back from her journey yet?" Knowing so little of the conflict between her older sister and their father, Aurora merely assumes that the rest of her siblings, Kaya included, were sent out on their own spirit quests as well. Once she notices that Peyote hasn't come up beside them yet, she turns to look back at her traveling companion. "Whatcha waitin' for, Peyote? Come on up!" Sweet little naive Aurora.
Peyote just smiles down the path at the reuniting family. He wonders if his is around to meet him this way too. As Aurora calls him over though he perks up and trots up to her side. "Hello Chief. The place didn't burn down while we were gone I see.." Silly Peyote. Just as naiive as Aurora, but put together they are a couple of survivors! He looks up at the much larger male and smiles, which is something the boy is quite often prone to do.
"Kaya has visited, from time to time." Kein answers his daughter's question, then looks to Peyote. not of the affection for his offspring is given to the young male, but Kein manages a slight smile. "Thank you, Peyote, for looking after my daughter while she was away. I am glad to see both of you well."
Aurora's brow furrows slightly at her father's answer. "You mean...she's not staying here? What about my brothers?" Even if her other siblings are more or less missing in action, if nothing else, Aurora will no doubt be delighted to learn of the fact that she now has two other sisters to call her own...even if it does mean she's no longer the youngest princess of the Amaranth.
Peyote laughs at Keins responce and nods. "Of course we are. Never better!" His chipper attitude shifts a bit when he notices Aurora's concern for her siblings. Enthusiasm quelled slightly he looks back to Kein after she asks of her brothers with a concerned expression visible on his face. He wonders about his own brothers as well.
Kein shakes his head slowly. "I last saw Cael when I asked him to keep an eye on your younger sister. Maul. When she went out on her own. She has since returned, but he has not, and your other brothers have been off on their own, as well. Shade, your other younger sister, is still here as well, though. And Kaya knows where your brother is, Peyote. However, in light of your services to me while you were away from the tribe, you are welcome to stay, Peyote." Unlike his brothers. Of course, Aurora was not supposed to know about Peyote watching over her, but that part does not matter as much to Kein.
Aurora is listening closely, all ears until she hears... "Younger sister..?!" she can't help but outburst, even while her father is still speaking, but then she remembers her manners and quiets down until he's done...even if she's fidgeting anxiously all the while. /Two/ younger sisters?! Well, that's even better news...even if her other siblings are still out on their own. Smiling broadly at the last bit of news that's offered to Peyote, Aurora finally allows her bottled-up glee to bubble over. "I have two little sisters now? Can I see them soon, please please please?" Of course, they're no longer really 'little' now, having been born shortly after she first left -- but then again, neither is Aurora, and she's still as childish as ever. Maturity is relative, it seems.
Peyote was going with Aurora whether he wanted him to or not.. but the fact that he had been told to by the chief made the whole deal legitimate. "Huh what? Oh.. thats great!" He replies to the being able to stay thing, but why wouldnt he.. afterall hes always been able to before. But his reply gets muffled out by the gleefully bubbling Aurora about her sisters, news to which Peyote perks up and grins happily. "Hey cool! Ill bet they're just like you too Aurora." He chimes in, not doing much at all to calm her down about it.
Kein smiles at his daughter's enthusiastic response. "Of course you can see them, Aurora. And your mother. She'll be so happy to see you've returned, and Shade is often around her, and often knows where Maul is." Yes, once again, Kein has managed to grow slightly apart from his children. Of course, none of them seem to hate him as much as Kaya did, of defy him as openly as Cael.
Aurora can barely suppress her happiness - of being home again, of hearing of her two newest siblings, of...everything, really. As naive as she may be, all is right in Aurora's world, and that suits her just fine. "Well...I'd like to go see them now, then! C'mon, Peyote!" With a parting nuzzle to her father (though this time the time between goodbyes won't be nearly as long), Aurora dashes up the rest of the way to the top of the slope, giving a little cheerful chirp as she goes off in search of the rest of her family.