Post by Therdde on May 25, 2010 20:30:18 GMT -5
Characters:
Nyssa - Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Stone Formations -
She had moved off just a little bit, back down toward the lake, but soon found herself heading back up the mountain slope and into the thick woods. She walked there with delicate pawsteps, her neck craned up and ahead, holding her line of sight high as she searched through the trees. Nyssa, her maw parted at the smell of pine trees and a very powerful markings from the Chieftain, emerged from the deep woods and found herself among a strange circle of stone. The ridge along her back and shoulders popped in surprise, awe, and even a little fear... Something told her that she had been here once before, but, perhaps distraction hid the formation from her eyes the last time. She studied them for a long time, a wide-eyed look of shock on her face, and then darted between them to continue her search. Search, search, search for what? Nyssa slows, shakes her head, and sits firmly on her haunches; no, this is not the way to go about things.
Kein avoids these formations most of the time, coming only to check on his young daughter and Thrash. As they were absent when he arrived, he is currently lying near where their scents are strongest. Not sleeping, as evidenced by the fact that even this quietest sounds get his attention. This prevents Nyssa from sneaking up on him, as the sounds of an approaching animal cause him to sit upright, though he does not move much, otherwise. Maybe he would, but the wind favors his position, allowing him to catch some hint of a familiar scent and keeping him from growing tense.
Of course the wind would favor him; always playing games with her like that... although, it is more of a lesson than a game. A quick breath brings the male's scent to her, this one different and stronger than the recent territory markers, and she tenses in surprise and silently berates herself. She was not being careful and that could have been very dangerous were Kein not so amicable. "Chieftain," she breaths, voice whispy and almost inaudible. What to say? Was she seeking him? Nyssa wants to believe that's true but her unease isn't allowing her to think clearly. Chieftain, Chieftain... what was it again? Oh, dear.
The voice just barely catches Kein's ears, and even as it is, for all he knows, it may have been more a mumble than a word. Still, it encourages him to finally stand, to walk in Nyssa's general direction. It does not take him long to spot her fur through the stones, and he continues moving only long enough to bring her fully within his sight before stopping once more. It has been a long time since they last met, and Kein, at the very least, does not seem quite so tired, quite so torn about how he has been handling his children. He finds himself at a loss for words, though, and so he does not attempt to speak, immediately.
Nyssa sits there, among rocks and trees and earth and sky, and squeezes her eyes shut in an attempt to rid herself of this strange feeling. It is not the same as when she first came here, but the overwhelming need to speak with Kein is, though somehow she knows that it is for an entirely different reason. Then, her Guide noses her in the cheek and turns her head, and Nyssa opens her eyes to suddenly see her quarry there. The young cougar feels her voice catch in her throat as she stares at him, though the wide-eyed fear slowly melts into relief. "Chieftain," she sighs again, tail dancing behind her as she leans to one side and stands to face him. Her eyes follow the lines on his face, moving out around his body, and smiles. The air around him has settled, and swirls as it does when it plays with a new blade of grass, and the trees and stones don't bend away in fear. Nyssa smiles at him, momentarily forgetting her previous mission of utmost importance.
Kein keeps his eyes on Nyssa, but he does not scan her over as she does him. Nor does his expression give much insight as to how he might feel about being looked over as he is. Still, for all the time that has separated them, he remains at least as comfortable around her as he does around anyone. "Nyssa. I'd wondered if you'd moved on." Not much. She gave him a lot to think about, and he did, but when his thoughts wandered to the source of what he was thinking on, rather than the ideas themselves... He shakes his head slightly before finishing his own internal thoughts, then settles his gaze on her once more.
"I had," she replies as a slow and deliberate blink rouses her from her impromptu staring session, "but I had to come back." Why, what was it again? Her eyes return to study his face once again, though this time it is only for a moment before she smiles warmly. "I didn't get a change to speak with anyone else of your tribe, though I feel now that I don't have to." Another smile. "I know that Guides, or Totems, or the world around you doesn't grace your thoughts often, but I think that you have come to a solution to whatever it was that was troubling you before. However," Nyssa sighs, "My Guide whispered something about a visitor to Amaranth, though I know not why or what about... or even who. It doesn't feel malicious, but... it is coming. We don't want to cause you more problems, though..."
Kein's tail flicks behind him, completely outside of his control, when Nyssa begins speaking about what it is that has brought her back. Despite what she says, he has seldom found that warnings such as these tell of benevolent happenings. As such, it takes him a moment to calm himself, to keep himself from devoting his time to considering all of the animals that might be coming to cause him harm. Or, at the very least, to cause him endless nights lying awake with stress. Keeping his voice level, he responds, "Forgive me if I don't understand the way of these guides of yours. As you said, my thoughts don't go towards them often. It seems to me, though, that there'd be no need to tell me about this if there weren't the potential for... problems, I believe you called them." Ever the stubborn, suspicious male.
"Chieftain," she purrs, though the sound is mixed with a sigh of resignation, though Nyssa does her best to keep her head high. Bright eyes grow soft and she steps toward him, closing the distance without hesitation, caution, or fear coming from her; what Kein makes of it, though, she watches for in his face. Her attention falls once to the red markings before, only a whiskers length from his face, she smiles. "Open your heart; you see too strongly with your eyes."
Kein cannot help but tense, just slightly, as she approaches him, but he does not seem prone to either running off or attacking, despite the obvious fact that he is somehow uncomfortable with their proximity. What she says, at least, does not produce the confusion in him that it might have in months past. He doesn't know if he's capable of doing what she's asking of him, but he does, at least, know what she's asking of him, so after taking a deep breath, one that comes heavy with her scent, he says, "Very well. This visitor of yours... when it arrives, I will do my best to keep an open mind."
"It's not mine, Kein, if it was, I would know." Circles, she talks in them. "I'm sorry that I came so suddenly, left even more so, and now... here again," the female laughs gently, though despite the tense atmosphere around the Chieftain she does not move away from him. "I don't think any creature ever really knows their purpose, do we? We come into this world cold and blind, for what? We must journey to find it. I have never meant you harm, Kein," Nyssa smiles, "and I never will."
Kein takes a subtle step backwards after a moment, as much to get a more comfortable distance between them and allow him to focus on her more clearly as, perhaps, to comfort her that what he says next is not meant as a threat. "If I had believed you meant me harm, you wouldn't be standing there now." Is his response crude? Absolutely. Kein has never been very good at tempering his speech, no matter who it is directed to. The sentiment is sincere, though. He trusts Nyssa, at least as much as he is capable of trust.
"I know." The words are almost silent, but they do fall from her muzzle and then there are no more words from her as she takes a moment to settle back on her haunches. Nyssa tears her attention from his face, eyes almost unwilling to leave, up to the great mountain that rises above them. "What I don't know is..." and then she stops and laughs to herself... "a lot of things." Where to go from here, and did she come to Amaranth to do what was necessary for her to do? She waits, but her Guide is silent, and so she shakes her head.
The reply from Nyssa surprises Kein, and he blinks as he watches her. He doesn't know what reaction he might have been expecting, but he is pretty certain that isn't it, if only because he's certain that no other cougaress would have responded that way. No matter what doubts Kein has about the things Nyssa has told him, it has become increasingly obvious that she understand him in a way that no one else seems to. That idea brings some of his comfort back, and once he works up his nerve, he says, "Perhaps... you might stay here why you're figuring them out?" He's not asking her to stay. He probably never could, even if he wanted to. He is definitely offering to let her stay, though, and much more openly, much more politely, ythan he might have in the past.
Nyssa's ears curl to the front of her head and she watches Kein, maw parted slightly, and though it's can't quite be called surprised she didn't expect that to be his next few words. Then her laugh returns, gentle and warm, "Oh, Chieftain, that could take a thousand lifetimes for you and I, both," and she laughs, and laughs, and laughs, but it is not mocking Kein or his words. It is the rich warmth of a being at ease, with the world, with her surroundings, with her company; dare she think on it, with her friendship? She touches her chin to her pale chest and thrums in contentment. "I would be honoured."
"I guess you'll be here for a while, then." The statement comes with a smile, something that tends to be rather rare when Kein is dealing with cougars outside of his family. It doesn't last terribly long, but it was definitely there. Once it fades again, he says, "I should leave you now, to find a place to settle in, but I don't think it will be too long before our paths cross again."
Words? They've traded many more today than in past encounters, but she wonders what else needs to be said? Nyssa only returns his unspoken goodbye with one of her own, a nod, and she lingers for just a moment longer. Then she rises and, her previous necessity to find Kein satiated and her mind at ease, lets her paws guide her where they will through the trees. No doubt she will speak with him again one day.
Nyssa - Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Stone Formations -
She had moved off just a little bit, back down toward the lake, but soon found herself heading back up the mountain slope and into the thick woods. She walked there with delicate pawsteps, her neck craned up and ahead, holding her line of sight high as she searched through the trees. Nyssa, her maw parted at the smell of pine trees and a very powerful markings from the Chieftain, emerged from the deep woods and found herself among a strange circle of stone. The ridge along her back and shoulders popped in surprise, awe, and even a little fear... Something told her that she had been here once before, but, perhaps distraction hid the formation from her eyes the last time. She studied them for a long time, a wide-eyed look of shock on her face, and then darted between them to continue her search. Search, search, search for what? Nyssa slows, shakes her head, and sits firmly on her haunches; no, this is not the way to go about things.
Kein avoids these formations most of the time, coming only to check on his young daughter and Thrash. As they were absent when he arrived, he is currently lying near where their scents are strongest. Not sleeping, as evidenced by the fact that even this quietest sounds get his attention. This prevents Nyssa from sneaking up on him, as the sounds of an approaching animal cause him to sit upright, though he does not move much, otherwise. Maybe he would, but the wind favors his position, allowing him to catch some hint of a familiar scent and keeping him from growing tense.
Of course the wind would favor him; always playing games with her like that... although, it is more of a lesson than a game. A quick breath brings the male's scent to her, this one different and stronger than the recent territory markers, and she tenses in surprise and silently berates herself. She was not being careful and that could have been very dangerous were Kein not so amicable. "Chieftain," she breaths, voice whispy and almost inaudible. What to say? Was she seeking him? Nyssa wants to believe that's true but her unease isn't allowing her to think clearly. Chieftain, Chieftain... what was it again? Oh, dear.
The voice just barely catches Kein's ears, and even as it is, for all he knows, it may have been more a mumble than a word. Still, it encourages him to finally stand, to walk in Nyssa's general direction. It does not take him long to spot her fur through the stones, and he continues moving only long enough to bring her fully within his sight before stopping once more. It has been a long time since they last met, and Kein, at the very least, does not seem quite so tired, quite so torn about how he has been handling his children. He finds himself at a loss for words, though, and so he does not attempt to speak, immediately.
Nyssa sits there, among rocks and trees and earth and sky, and squeezes her eyes shut in an attempt to rid herself of this strange feeling. It is not the same as when she first came here, but the overwhelming need to speak with Kein is, though somehow she knows that it is for an entirely different reason. Then, her Guide noses her in the cheek and turns her head, and Nyssa opens her eyes to suddenly see her quarry there. The young cougar feels her voice catch in her throat as she stares at him, though the wide-eyed fear slowly melts into relief. "Chieftain," she sighs again, tail dancing behind her as she leans to one side and stands to face him. Her eyes follow the lines on his face, moving out around his body, and smiles. The air around him has settled, and swirls as it does when it plays with a new blade of grass, and the trees and stones don't bend away in fear. Nyssa smiles at him, momentarily forgetting her previous mission of utmost importance.
Kein keeps his eyes on Nyssa, but he does not scan her over as she does him. Nor does his expression give much insight as to how he might feel about being looked over as he is. Still, for all the time that has separated them, he remains at least as comfortable around her as he does around anyone. "Nyssa. I'd wondered if you'd moved on." Not much. She gave him a lot to think about, and he did, but when his thoughts wandered to the source of what he was thinking on, rather than the ideas themselves... He shakes his head slightly before finishing his own internal thoughts, then settles his gaze on her once more.
"I had," she replies as a slow and deliberate blink rouses her from her impromptu staring session, "but I had to come back." Why, what was it again? Her eyes return to study his face once again, though this time it is only for a moment before she smiles warmly. "I didn't get a change to speak with anyone else of your tribe, though I feel now that I don't have to." Another smile. "I know that Guides, or Totems, or the world around you doesn't grace your thoughts often, but I think that you have come to a solution to whatever it was that was troubling you before. However," Nyssa sighs, "My Guide whispered something about a visitor to Amaranth, though I know not why or what about... or even who. It doesn't feel malicious, but... it is coming. We don't want to cause you more problems, though..."
Kein's tail flicks behind him, completely outside of his control, when Nyssa begins speaking about what it is that has brought her back. Despite what she says, he has seldom found that warnings such as these tell of benevolent happenings. As such, it takes him a moment to calm himself, to keep himself from devoting his time to considering all of the animals that might be coming to cause him harm. Or, at the very least, to cause him endless nights lying awake with stress. Keeping his voice level, he responds, "Forgive me if I don't understand the way of these guides of yours. As you said, my thoughts don't go towards them often. It seems to me, though, that there'd be no need to tell me about this if there weren't the potential for... problems, I believe you called them." Ever the stubborn, suspicious male.
"Chieftain," she purrs, though the sound is mixed with a sigh of resignation, though Nyssa does her best to keep her head high. Bright eyes grow soft and she steps toward him, closing the distance without hesitation, caution, or fear coming from her; what Kein makes of it, though, she watches for in his face. Her attention falls once to the red markings before, only a whiskers length from his face, she smiles. "Open your heart; you see too strongly with your eyes."
Kein cannot help but tense, just slightly, as she approaches him, but he does not seem prone to either running off or attacking, despite the obvious fact that he is somehow uncomfortable with their proximity. What she says, at least, does not produce the confusion in him that it might have in months past. He doesn't know if he's capable of doing what she's asking of him, but he does, at least, know what she's asking of him, so after taking a deep breath, one that comes heavy with her scent, he says, "Very well. This visitor of yours... when it arrives, I will do my best to keep an open mind."
"It's not mine, Kein, if it was, I would know." Circles, she talks in them. "I'm sorry that I came so suddenly, left even more so, and now... here again," the female laughs gently, though despite the tense atmosphere around the Chieftain she does not move away from him. "I don't think any creature ever really knows their purpose, do we? We come into this world cold and blind, for what? We must journey to find it. I have never meant you harm, Kein," Nyssa smiles, "and I never will."
Kein takes a subtle step backwards after a moment, as much to get a more comfortable distance between them and allow him to focus on her more clearly as, perhaps, to comfort her that what he says next is not meant as a threat. "If I had believed you meant me harm, you wouldn't be standing there now." Is his response crude? Absolutely. Kein has never been very good at tempering his speech, no matter who it is directed to. The sentiment is sincere, though. He trusts Nyssa, at least as much as he is capable of trust.
"I know." The words are almost silent, but they do fall from her muzzle and then there are no more words from her as she takes a moment to settle back on her haunches. Nyssa tears her attention from his face, eyes almost unwilling to leave, up to the great mountain that rises above them. "What I don't know is..." and then she stops and laughs to herself... "a lot of things." Where to go from here, and did she come to Amaranth to do what was necessary for her to do? She waits, but her Guide is silent, and so she shakes her head.
The reply from Nyssa surprises Kein, and he blinks as he watches her. He doesn't know what reaction he might have been expecting, but he is pretty certain that isn't it, if only because he's certain that no other cougaress would have responded that way. No matter what doubts Kein has about the things Nyssa has told him, it has become increasingly obvious that she understand him in a way that no one else seems to. That idea brings some of his comfort back, and once he works up his nerve, he says, "Perhaps... you might stay here why you're figuring them out?" He's not asking her to stay. He probably never could, even if he wanted to. He is definitely offering to let her stay, though, and much more openly, much more politely, ythan he might have in the past.
Nyssa's ears curl to the front of her head and she watches Kein, maw parted slightly, and though it's can't quite be called surprised she didn't expect that to be his next few words. Then her laugh returns, gentle and warm, "Oh, Chieftain, that could take a thousand lifetimes for you and I, both," and she laughs, and laughs, and laughs, but it is not mocking Kein or his words. It is the rich warmth of a being at ease, with the world, with her surroundings, with her company; dare she think on it, with her friendship? She touches her chin to her pale chest and thrums in contentment. "I would be honoured."
"I guess you'll be here for a while, then." The statement comes with a smile, something that tends to be rather rare when Kein is dealing with cougars outside of his family. It doesn't last terribly long, but it was definitely there. Once it fades again, he says, "I should leave you now, to find a place to settle in, but I don't think it will be too long before our paths cross again."
Words? They've traded many more today than in past encounters, but she wonders what else needs to be said? Nyssa only returns his unspoken goodbye with one of her own, a nod, and she lingers for just a moment longer. Then she rises and, her previous necessity to find Kein satiated and her mind at ease, lets her paws guide her where they will through the trees. No doubt she will speak with him again one day.