Post by Curiosity on Nov 12, 2010 20:46:43 GMT -5
Characters Involved:
Ruya, female cougar
Nyssa, female cougar
Kein, male cougar
=== Wooded Terrain ===
It had been quite a journey from the lands of her family's tribe, long enough for the moon to have lost half its light over the course of Ruya's travels. The middle-aged cougaress was far from past her prime, but her paws were weary nonetheless. Trusting the rolling rainclouds she had been following for the past two days to steer her in the right direction, the sight of the tall, grand mountain now looming before her promised not to disappoint her. Following the winding trail up the northern face, Ruya turned her turquoise gaze up towards the gray clouds hovering overhead as a light spring shower began to fall around her, dripping along her mud-spattered frame in a manner that was more refreshing than bothersome. As she reached the top of the cliff, where a wide lake stood still, she managed to catch the drifting scent of someone very familiar before the rain washed it away. A faint smile appeared on her maw as she continued what she felt was the last leg of her trek.
Her paws are restless and her ears are empty of the comforting sounds of the wind. Not that she can't hear it at all but she can't /hear/ it. As the storm began to climb up the mountain, Nyssa rose and began to move, feeling her stomach tugging on her a little and needing to stretch her muscles. She stopped at one point and then paced back the way she came, lifted her eyes when she realized the rain began to fall, and peered up at the gray clouds and studied them intently. She smoothed her whiskers with a quick swipe of her tongue then turned back in the direction she had been going. At the gentle rumble, a sound that didn't seem threatening for some reason, and she looked up again with whiskers splayed wide. "I..." she starts to speak, as though her guide had said something to her, and then she shakes her head. "No..."
Following what lingering traces of her eldest's scent she can find as the rain begins to dampen the air around her, Ruya relies also on pure faith to get her where she needs to be, simply letting her paws fall where they will. It's worked enough to get her this far, after all. She stops, however, when she hears a sound on the otherwise quiet mountaintop, ears swiveling to catch the source of the voice when it speaks again. And when it does, her small smile widens. She knows that voice. She knows it well. Rather than veering down into the valley, she continues south towards the source of both scent and sound, winding through the winter-worn trees until she finally tracks the speaker down. Quickly spotting the swollen belly -- quite an obvious difference from the last time she saw her daughter -- Ruya can't help but chuckle. "So, have you found what you were looking for, then?" she inquires in way of introduction, announcing her presence before she starts forward once again.
It's as if she never lost it and the wind is playing with her ears again, and her first response looking down at her paws is to shrug, "I'm not sure--" and then for a moment she is still before recognition widens her eyes and she looks up with a mixture of surprise and then warmth. "Mother," Nyssa begins, turning her paws to meet the cougaress that she has not seen since she left, wanting to run over like a cub but feeling the weight keeping her from doing so but also the restraint of adulthood... "I-- I'm not sure," is what she finally manages to answer. There are hundreds of questions swirling in her mind; mainly wondering why she is here, but all she manages is, "-- why?" before she stops, shaking her head for lack of words.
Ruya certainly does not expect her heavily pregnant daughter to come running up to her, having been in such a state herself twice in her life. Even with her paws worn out from many days' worth of walking, the short distance between herself and her firstborn is nothing worthy of complaint. Even so, Ruya quickly plops down onto her hindquarters after she's drawn near enough to offer an affectionate nuzzle, taking the opportunity to rest as she replies to Nyssa's uncertainties. "The Great Mother came to me in a dream," she begins to explain, getting right to the point. There will be plenty of time for chit-chat once the more pressing matters have been discussed. "She wanted me to pass on a message of great importance to you, Nyssa. And I believe I have arrived just in time to deliver it," she continues, glancing pointedly down at the other's belly. "You will bear a daughter with the mark of a matron." She pauses after this, allowing for the news to settle in.
Returning the nuzzle quickly, Nyssa allows her mother to settle herself though her own paws do not allow her the luxury. Her eyes are soft though her features are a little confused and it is with a slightly parted muzzle she receives the news. The Great-- Green eyes slowly fill with awe, that Paoro would visit her clan while she was away and-- The young female seems to grow very still, contemplative, and even a little fearful. "But," is the only word that she can form at first, looking, astonished, at her mother's face as if trying to find a clue hidden there. Her own gaze travels across her fore leg to her swollen belly and her back paws fidget nervously. This means so many things all at once. The mother's words begin to sting her heart and Nyssa's breathing becomes tight, realizing that perhaps she has stolen more than just the Chieftain. "Amaranth is in so much pain. Is this what will heal it? I don't understand why," she chokes on the thought but forces herself to go on, "why I lost my guide." For the Matron?
Ruya's forepaw lifts to gently embrace her daughter's cheek, a reassuring gesture that unintentionally leaves a smudge of mud behind, though the light rain is quick to begin washing the stain away before it can set. She says nothing for a moment, merely content to see and feel her eldest child's face once more after a full turn of the seasons. "The Great Mother is wise, Nyssa, and her ways are not always clear. But I do not question what she has foretold to me." A brief beat, and then she adds: "And you should know better than any that our guides are never lost. Sometimes we simply need to find them again." If there is more to the situation, she is not aware of it - yet, at least, though she is certainly curious to find out who the other half of her grandchildren's heritage may be.
"I know." It is not her guide who is lost. It is her. Even more now with this news that has been brought, and then something else comes into her mind. "Mother... why did you travel here? To leave the Clan so..." suddenly? Nyssa doesn't know the circumstances of Ruya's departure other than that she was visited, but when she left that season ago it was not then Ruya's place to journey beyond their territory. She sits on her haunches and nervously grooms her shoulder, blinking at the rain in her eyes. "I-- I should tell the Chieftain." Oh, Kein. "They are his--" Nyssa shakes her head, "Our cubs."
Ruya considers the questions with a faint smile lingering still on her maw, aquamarine eyes turning skywards once again before she answers. "Beyond following the Great Mother's wishes?" she asks wryly, tail tip flicking absentmindedly behind her. "For the same reason you left, Nyssa. My guide has drawn me here. The Ahyoka will be fine, as they have been. Your brother and sister are old enough to begin their own life journeys now." The latter is no doubt news to Nyssa, as Ruya had only become pregnant again a short time before she had left on her own quest a year ago. Her ears perk at the mention of a chieftain -- one who is the father to her daughter's cubs. "Well, it is no wonder you carry one destined for great things. I look forward to meeting him." Clearly, Ruya intends to stay for at least a short while -- she certainly wasn't intending to just turn around and walk all the way back home again right away after reuniting with her firstborn child. Not on these sore paws.
Again the mention of a guide brings a clear ache to her eyes that pinches them closed, and in the midst of the gentle rain she longs so much to hear that sound and feel that tug on her fur. Surrounded by the gentle clouds and the soft patter of droplets, nothing. Her mother's presence is overwhelming in all of that but, at least, it is not uncomfortable for her daughter. Her muzzle softens into a smile at the mention of that younger litter and though she has never met them her heart warms for them. The young female nods and then looks up suddenly with a start, swaying a little at the discomfort in her belly. Mm. She grows visibly embarassed though and somewhat nervous at Ruya's final comment. Kein will not be happy to know that their children, those who were to grow up away from Amaranth, that their daughter will be the one to carry its burden. Thousands of 'whys' bombard her but she keeps them locked away for the time being. "Mother, I have so much to tell you." And that is, perhaps, the biggest understatement she has ever uttered.
Kein usually does his best to calm himself on these walks back to Nyssa's resting place, but as he draws nearer and an unfamiliar voice reaches his ears, the chieftain grows tense. With no thought toward concealing his presence or giving himself time to assess the situation, he races towards the voices to be sure that Nyssa is all right. Once he spots the two females, who are clearly not at odds, his pace slows considerably, but his tail flicks behind him to show his agitation. As though he is anything but agitated most of the time these days.
Ruya simply returns Nyssa's smile, leaning forward to nuzzle at her daughter's cheek once again, a softly reassuring purr in her throat. "Then I have much to hear," she murmurs in her ear before pulling away once more. "I will be here with you, Nyssa, until your cubs arrive, and still after." For how long she will remain is uncertain, but the answer to that will come when it is time. At the vague feeling of another's presence, Ruya blinks once, her head swiveling to spot the silent male standing protectively nearby. Eyes flitting over the crimson markings on his face, it's not hard for the cougaress to put things together. "So. You are the one my daughter has found," she offers in way of greeting, a disarming smile on her maw.
Ruya's daughter presses her muzzle against her mother's a moment before drawing away and lifting her head, blinking the light mist from her eyes and draws a short breath as though to begin what is likely to be a lengthy story but she follows the same line of sight and a mixture of relief and apprehension suddenly flood her chest. "Kein," she begins, standing and turning to face him, taking only a few measured steps his way. Nyssa wants to go to him but is afraid of making him even more wary than he already seems to be. She grimaces at a sting of discomfort but swallows it down and with a meager smile says, "My mother, Chieftain..." And what else can she say? The young girl is so very confused and more than a little emotionally overwhelmed and so leaves the speaking to one with stronger faculties to do so.
Kein has already found that which is most important to him, that Nyssa and the cubs she carries are safe, to be true. It takes a moment longer, though, for the adrenaline that fueled his race here to fade away. During this time, he is silent, staring. Soon, though, after a brief time where he was standing still, he begins moving forward again, and when he is closer to Nyssa, it takes a lot of effort to not stand between her and her... mother? In a voice tight with trying to control his emotions, he says, "I was... worried." Clearly, he shouldn't have been, but at least that explains his behaviour?
Ruya is certainly aware of the tension in the male's form, but even so, she continues to simply smile -- after all, she's in no wrong here. "I came with news for Nyssa," comes the simple explanation for now - introductions first. "I am Ruya. And you must be the Chieftain." A moment of silence descends upon the trio, each of them no doubt ruminating over many things in their respective minds. For Ruya, it is the careful consideration of her next words. Perhaps she will wait to see what her daughter will tell her mate, or what the chieftain will ask of her.
"Please, don't." Worry, she means. Nyssa lifts her muzzle and touches the underside of his chin for the shortest of moments, herself feeling overwhelmed with so much and some of that is no worry for Kein's own feelings. What she can do is pause in that time to breath and compose herself a little bit better, her eyes on the male's only. "Do you remember when I came here?" But for that question she does not allow the silence for consideration to last long at all. "We've spoken on that many times, Kein. For a purpose." Nyssa had thought that purpose was solely for Kein but now... now... "My mother has also been guided here as I was. For a purpose." And her daughter will let her say why but at least that may, just may, have softened Kein's tension.
"I remember." This comes with the faintest trace of a short-lived smile on Kein's muzzle before he focuses his gaze on Nyssa's mother. "I'm Kein. As you've heard. And yes, I am the chieftain here." For now, so far as he believes. Only for now, and though he does not yet know who will replace him, it is the reason he does not follow that with an official welcome to Nyssa's mother. He does, however, manage to maintain some semblance of civility and say, "I am pleased to meet you, Ruya."
Ruya dips her head respectfully to Kein. Though she is not of his tribe specifically, his title is deserving of respect nonetheless, as is her daughter's love for him. That much is clear to her, despite what little she knows of the full situation. "The feeling is mutual, Chieftain Kein." Another brief hesitation, and then Ruya elaborates further. "The Great Mother spoke to me. Nyssa shall give birth to one bearing the mark of a matron."
You stole him from me, girl. Those words suddenly come back to haunt her in full force and staggering as though struck she sinks back to her haunches and dips her head as her mother states again the words that she cannot decide if she should smile or cry. Nyssa doesn't really know what to make of the 'mark of a matron' or what that means for her cubs-- one who is, must be, a girl. It is enough for her to know that it has come from her mother, who has brought it from Paoro. She is almost afraid to look at Kein, to think about what that could mean for him; she has no concern for her own self right now. Wordlessly she sits there, dipping her head to her chest and closing her eyes against what could be tears. It shouldn't have to feel quite like this but one question echos in her mind: what have I done?
And just that quickly, Ruya's welcome with the chieftain grows rather more thin. "No." His tail lashes behind him more actively as he looks at Ruya. "A matron in your land, maybe. But not here." It has been hard enough for Kein to fathom thrusting that position on one of his adult daughters. He cannot imagine doing it to one of those who have yet to be born. After answering Ruya, Kein looks to Nyssa, and when he does, he tries to calm himself for her sake, though with limited success.
"You would deny the Great Mother's wishes?" Ruya inquires with a lifted brow, though that is the extent of her confrontation. "She is the blood-tie between our tribes, and she wishes for nothing but the best for us all." Even with the war-painted male standing before her in clear agitation, she cannot help but answer the chieftain's postulation with a pointed question: "The Ahyoka have a matron. Do the Amaranth?" It is not meant to incite, merely draw attention to the fracture implied by her grandmother's dream-message, though that may be the effect nonetheless.
There is so much going on around her, the rain attempting to soothe the sting in her eyes, the soft patter of the water dances in her ears like a lullaby and eventually, though her head remains bowed and her eyes closed, she responds, "Mother..." At first that's all that Nyssa utters, drawing a trembling breath against her own fears and a sudden and queasy roil in her stomach. "There is so much you don't know." It is not meant to be hateful, or spiteful, and when she looks up her eyes are pinched and soft, a silent plea to leave the topic for another day, another discussion that mother and daughter will share. She, too, fights against a burning heat in her heart, a hatred for those words, but she still feels that pull, from somewhere, to continue moving forward.
Kein cannot still his tail. It is all he can do to keep from growling. From saying something that he would deeply regret, once he has calmed. It's bad enough for him to be thinking that if he had known this would happen, he may have never mated with Ruya's daughter. He manages to stop himself from saying it, but he cannot keep the bitter smile from his face. "So be it." But he will pray that Ruya is wrong. That when his cubs are born, none of them bear any such marking. "Nyssa. I need to go. I'll be back soon." Just as soon as he is certain he can speak to her, and possibly her mother, without tearing his relationship with Nyssa apart.
Ruya silently observes the male as he responds to her words, her maw a grim line that shows she certainly derives no joy in whatever emotional and spiritual difficulties may be occurring within Amaranth's lands -- even if she believes the prophesied birth to be a cause for celebration rather than dread. After the chieftain has stormed off as quickly as he has arrived, Ruya returns her cerulean gaze to her daughter's face, its natural beauty marred by the clear lines of pain there, both physical and emotional. "Come, Nyssa. We have much to talk about, and there's little need to stay out in the rain while we do so." Can't have the girl falling ill so close to her due date, after all. Rising to her paws once more, Ruya turns to seek out the shelter of the evergreen trees to the southwest, leading her daughter around the sloping, snow-crested peak at a pace that is comfortable for them both.
Kein has never, even in their short time together, been one for lengthy goodbyes. Deep in her heart Nyssa knows that he is leaving only to clear his mind, to work through the same anger that she, too, feels swirling around her. Before Kein turns back to where he'd come from, she nods, and that is her parting with him for now. It feels like she is about to break and then her mother's voice rings like crystal in her ears and she stands, her paws leading her to Ruya's side where she brushes against, pressing her cheek against her shoulder for that moment of support before the young female lifts her head and follows. It is clear from the look on her face that she is not alright but the squaring of her shoulders might show that she is ready to confront it all. Her mother must know everything as must Kein.
Ruya, female cougar
Nyssa, female cougar
Kein, male cougar
=== Wooded Terrain ===
It had been quite a journey from the lands of her family's tribe, long enough for the moon to have lost half its light over the course of Ruya's travels. The middle-aged cougaress was far from past her prime, but her paws were weary nonetheless. Trusting the rolling rainclouds she had been following for the past two days to steer her in the right direction, the sight of the tall, grand mountain now looming before her promised not to disappoint her. Following the winding trail up the northern face, Ruya turned her turquoise gaze up towards the gray clouds hovering overhead as a light spring shower began to fall around her, dripping along her mud-spattered frame in a manner that was more refreshing than bothersome. As she reached the top of the cliff, where a wide lake stood still, she managed to catch the drifting scent of someone very familiar before the rain washed it away. A faint smile appeared on her maw as she continued what she felt was the last leg of her trek.
Her paws are restless and her ears are empty of the comforting sounds of the wind. Not that she can't hear it at all but she can't /hear/ it. As the storm began to climb up the mountain, Nyssa rose and began to move, feeling her stomach tugging on her a little and needing to stretch her muscles. She stopped at one point and then paced back the way she came, lifted her eyes when she realized the rain began to fall, and peered up at the gray clouds and studied them intently. She smoothed her whiskers with a quick swipe of her tongue then turned back in the direction she had been going. At the gentle rumble, a sound that didn't seem threatening for some reason, and she looked up again with whiskers splayed wide. "I..." she starts to speak, as though her guide had said something to her, and then she shakes her head. "No..."
Following what lingering traces of her eldest's scent she can find as the rain begins to dampen the air around her, Ruya relies also on pure faith to get her where she needs to be, simply letting her paws fall where they will. It's worked enough to get her this far, after all. She stops, however, when she hears a sound on the otherwise quiet mountaintop, ears swiveling to catch the source of the voice when it speaks again. And when it does, her small smile widens. She knows that voice. She knows it well. Rather than veering down into the valley, she continues south towards the source of both scent and sound, winding through the winter-worn trees until she finally tracks the speaker down. Quickly spotting the swollen belly -- quite an obvious difference from the last time she saw her daughter -- Ruya can't help but chuckle. "So, have you found what you were looking for, then?" she inquires in way of introduction, announcing her presence before she starts forward once again.
It's as if she never lost it and the wind is playing with her ears again, and her first response looking down at her paws is to shrug, "I'm not sure--" and then for a moment she is still before recognition widens her eyes and she looks up with a mixture of surprise and then warmth. "Mother," Nyssa begins, turning her paws to meet the cougaress that she has not seen since she left, wanting to run over like a cub but feeling the weight keeping her from doing so but also the restraint of adulthood... "I-- I'm not sure," is what she finally manages to answer. There are hundreds of questions swirling in her mind; mainly wondering why she is here, but all she manages is, "-- why?" before she stops, shaking her head for lack of words.
Ruya certainly does not expect her heavily pregnant daughter to come running up to her, having been in such a state herself twice in her life. Even with her paws worn out from many days' worth of walking, the short distance between herself and her firstborn is nothing worthy of complaint. Even so, Ruya quickly plops down onto her hindquarters after she's drawn near enough to offer an affectionate nuzzle, taking the opportunity to rest as she replies to Nyssa's uncertainties. "The Great Mother came to me in a dream," she begins to explain, getting right to the point. There will be plenty of time for chit-chat once the more pressing matters have been discussed. "She wanted me to pass on a message of great importance to you, Nyssa. And I believe I have arrived just in time to deliver it," she continues, glancing pointedly down at the other's belly. "You will bear a daughter with the mark of a matron." She pauses after this, allowing for the news to settle in.
Returning the nuzzle quickly, Nyssa allows her mother to settle herself though her own paws do not allow her the luxury. Her eyes are soft though her features are a little confused and it is with a slightly parted muzzle she receives the news. The Great-- Green eyes slowly fill with awe, that Paoro would visit her clan while she was away and-- The young female seems to grow very still, contemplative, and even a little fearful. "But," is the only word that she can form at first, looking, astonished, at her mother's face as if trying to find a clue hidden there. Her own gaze travels across her fore leg to her swollen belly and her back paws fidget nervously. This means so many things all at once. The mother's words begin to sting her heart and Nyssa's breathing becomes tight, realizing that perhaps she has stolen more than just the Chieftain. "Amaranth is in so much pain. Is this what will heal it? I don't understand why," she chokes on the thought but forces herself to go on, "why I lost my guide." For the Matron?
Ruya's forepaw lifts to gently embrace her daughter's cheek, a reassuring gesture that unintentionally leaves a smudge of mud behind, though the light rain is quick to begin washing the stain away before it can set. She says nothing for a moment, merely content to see and feel her eldest child's face once more after a full turn of the seasons. "The Great Mother is wise, Nyssa, and her ways are not always clear. But I do not question what she has foretold to me." A brief beat, and then she adds: "And you should know better than any that our guides are never lost. Sometimes we simply need to find them again." If there is more to the situation, she is not aware of it - yet, at least, though she is certainly curious to find out who the other half of her grandchildren's heritage may be.
"I know." It is not her guide who is lost. It is her. Even more now with this news that has been brought, and then something else comes into her mind. "Mother... why did you travel here? To leave the Clan so..." suddenly? Nyssa doesn't know the circumstances of Ruya's departure other than that she was visited, but when she left that season ago it was not then Ruya's place to journey beyond their territory. She sits on her haunches and nervously grooms her shoulder, blinking at the rain in her eyes. "I-- I should tell the Chieftain." Oh, Kein. "They are his--" Nyssa shakes her head, "Our cubs."
Ruya considers the questions with a faint smile lingering still on her maw, aquamarine eyes turning skywards once again before she answers. "Beyond following the Great Mother's wishes?" she asks wryly, tail tip flicking absentmindedly behind her. "For the same reason you left, Nyssa. My guide has drawn me here. The Ahyoka will be fine, as they have been. Your brother and sister are old enough to begin their own life journeys now." The latter is no doubt news to Nyssa, as Ruya had only become pregnant again a short time before she had left on her own quest a year ago. Her ears perk at the mention of a chieftain -- one who is the father to her daughter's cubs. "Well, it is no wonder you carry one destined for great things. I look forward to meeting him." Clearly, Ruya intends to stay for at least a short while -- she certainly wasn't intending to just turn around and walk all the way back home again right away after reuniting with her firstborn child. Not on these sore paws.
Again the mention of a guide brings a clear ache to her eyes that pinches them closed, and in the midst of the gentle rain she longs so much to hear that sound and feel that tug on her fur. Surrounded by the gentle clouds and the soft patter of droplets, nothing. Her mother's presence is overwhelming in all of that but, at least, it is not uncomfortable for her daughter. Her muzzle softens into a smile at the mention of that younger litter and though she has never met them her heart warms for them. The young female nods and then looks up suddenly with a start, swaying a little at the discomfort in her belly. Mm. She grows visibly embarassed though and somewhat nervous at Ruya's final comment. Kein will not be happy to know that their children, those who were to grow up away from Amaranth, that their daughter will be the one to carry its burden. Thousands of 'whys' bombard her but she keeps them locked away for the time being. "Mother, I have so much to tell you." And that is, perhaps, the biggest understatement she has ever uttered.
Kein usually does his best to calm himself on these walks back to Nyssa's resting place, but as he draws nearer and an unfamiliar voice reaches his ears, the chieftain grows tense. With no thought toward concealing his presence or giving himself time to assess the situation, he races towards the voices to be sure that Nyssa is all right. Once he spots the two females, who are clearly not at odds, his pace slows considerably, but his tail flicks behind him to show his agitation. As though he is anything but agitated most of the time these days.
Ruya simply returns Nyssa's smile, leaning forward to nuzzle at her daughter's cheek once again, a softly reassuring purr in her throat. "Then I have much to hear," she murmurs in her ear before pulling away once more. "I will be here with you, Nyssa, until your cubs arrive, and still after." For how long she will remain is uncertain, but the answer to that will come when it is time. At the vague feeling of another's presence, Ruya blinks once, her head swiveling to spot the silent male standing protectively nearby. Eyes flitting over the crimson markings on his face, it's not hard for the cougaress to put things together. "So. You are the one my daughter has found," she offers in way of greeting, a disarming smile on her maw.
Ruya's daughter presses her muzzle against her mother's a moment before drawing away and lifting her head, blinking the light mist from her eyes and draws a short breath as though to begin what is likely to be a lengthy story but she follows the same line of sight and a mixture of relief and apprehension suddenly flood her chest. "Kein," she begins, standing and turning to face him, taking only a few measured steps his way. Nyssa wants to go to him but is afraid of making him even more wary than he already seems to be. She grimaces at a sting of discomfort but swallows it down and with a meager smile says, "My mother, Chieftain..." And what else can she say? The young girl is so very confused and more than a little emotionally overwhelmed and so leaves the speaking to one with stronger faculties to do so.
Kein has already found that which is most important to him, that Nyssa and the cubs she carries are safe, to be true. It takes a moment longer, though, for the adrenaline that fueled his race here to fade away. During this time, he is silent, staring. Soon, though, after a brief time where he was standing still, he begins moving forward again, and when he is closer to Nyssa, it takes a lot of effort to not stand between her and her... mother? In a voice tight with trying to control his emotions, he says, "I was... worried." Clearly, he shouldn't have been, but at least that explains his behaviour?
Ruya is certainly aware of the tension in the male's form, but even so, she continues to simply smile -- after all, she's in no wrong here. "I came with news for Nyssa," comes the simple explanation for now - introductions first. "I am Ruya. And you must be the Chieftain." A moment of silence descends upon the trio, each of them no doubt ruminating over many things in their respective minds. For Ruya, it is the careful consideration of her next words. Perhaps she will wait to see what her daughter will tell her mate, or what the chieftain will ask of her.
"Please, don't." Worry, she means. Nyssa lifts her muzzle and touches the underside of his chin for the shortest of moments, herself feeling overwhelmed with so much and some of that is no worry for Kein's own feelings. What she can do is pause in that time to breath and compose herself a little bit better, her eyes on the male's only. "Do you remember when I came here?" But for that question she does not allow the silence for consideration to last long at all. "We've spoken on that many times, Kein. For a purpose." Nyssa had thought that purpose was solely for Kein but now... now... "My mother has also been guided here as I was. For a purpose." And her daughter will let her say why but at least that may, just may, have softened Kein's tension.
"I remember." This comes with the faintest trace of a short-lived smile on Kein's muzzle before he focuses his gaze on Nyssa's mother. "I'm Kein. As you've heard. And yes, I am the chieftain here." For now, so far as he believes. Only for now, and though he does not yet know who will replace him, it is the reason he does not follow that with an official welcome to Nyssa's mother. He does, however, manage to maintain some semblance of civility and say, "I am pleased to meet you, Ruya."
Ruya dips her head respectfully to Kein. Though she is not of his tribe specifically, his title is deserving of respect nonetheless, as is her daughter's love for him. That much is clear to her, despite what little she knows of the full situation. "The feeling is mutual, Chieftain Kein." Another brief hesitation, and then Ruya elaborates further. "The Great Mother spoke to me. Nyssa shall give birth to one bearing the mark of a matron."
You stole him from me, girl. Those words suddenly come back to haunt her in full force and staggering as though struck she sinks back to her haunches and dips her head as her mother states again the words that she cannot decide if she should smile or cry. Nyssa doesn't really know what to make of the 'mark of a matron' or what that means for her cubs-- one who is, must be, a girl. It is enough for her to know that it has come from her mother, who has brought it from Paoro. She is almost afraid to look at Kein, to think about what that could mean for him; she has no concern for her own self right now. Wordlessly she sits there, dipping her head to her chest and closing her eyes against what could be tears. It shouldn't have to feel quite like this but one question echos in her mind: what have I done?
And just that quickly, Ruya's welcome with the chieftain grows rather more thin. "No." His tail lashes behind him more actively as he looks at Ruya. "A matron in your land, maybe. But not here." It has been hard enough for Kein to fathom thrusting that position on one of his adult daughters. He cannot imagine doing it to one of those who have yet to be born. After answering Ruya, Kein looks to Nyssa, and when he does, he tries to calm himself for her sake, though with limited success.
"You would deny the Great Mother's wishes?" Ruya inquires with a lifted brow, though that is the extent of her confrontation. "She is the blood-tie between our tribes, and she wishes for nothing but the best for us all." Even with the war-painted male standing before her in clear agitation, she cannot help but answer the chieftain's postulation with a pointed question: "The Ahyoka have a matron. Do the Amaranth?" It is not meant to incite, merely draw attention to the fracture implied by her grandmother's dream-message, though that may be the effect nonetheless.
There is so much going on around her, the rain attempting to soothe the sting in her eyes, the soft patter of the water dances in her ears like a lullaby and eventually, though her head remains bowed and her eyes closed, she responds, "Mother..." At first that's all that Nyssa utters, drawing a trembling breath against her own fears and a sudden and queasy roil in her stomach. "There is so much you don't know." It is not meant to be hateful, or spiteful, and when she looks up her eyes are pinched and soft, a silent plea to leave the topic for another day, another discussion that mother and daughter will share. She, too, fights against a burning heat in her heart, a hatred for those words, but she still feels that pull, from somewhere, to continue moving forward.
Kein cannot still his tail. It is all he can do to keep from growling. From saying something that he would deeply regret, once he has calmed. It's bad enough for him to be thinking that if he had known this would happen, he may have never mated with Ruya's daughter. He manages to stop himself from saying it, but he cannot keep the bitter smile from his face. "So be it." But he will pray that Ruya is wrong. That when his cubs are born, none of them bear any such marking. "Nyssa. I need to go. I'll be back soon." Just as soon as he is certain he can speak to her, and possibly her mother, without tearing his relationship with Nyssa apart.
Ruya silently observes the male as he responds to her words, her maw a grim line that shows she certainly derives no joy in whatever emotional and spiritual difficulties may be occurring within Amaranth's lands -- even if she believes the prophesied birth to be a cause for celebration rather than dread. After the chieftain has stormed off as quickly as he has arrived, Ruya returns her cerulean gaze to her daughter's face, its natural beauty marred by the clear lines of pain there, both physical and emotional. "Come, Nyssa. We have much to talk about, and there's little need to stay out in the rain while we do so." Can't have the girl falling ill so close to her due date, after all. Rising to her paws once more, Ruya turns to seek out the shelter of the evergreen trees to the southwest, leading her daughter around the sloping, snow-crested peak at a pace that is comfortable for them both.
Kein has never, even in their short time together, been one for lengthy goodbyes. Deep in her heart Nyssa knows that he is leaving only to clear his mind, to work through the same anger that she, too, feels swirling around her. Before Kein turns back to where he'd come from, she nods, and that is her parting with him for now. It feels like she is about to break and then her mother's voice rings like crystal in her ears and she stands, her paws leading her to Ruya's side where she brushes against, pressing her cheek against her shoulder for that moment of support before the young female lifts her head and follows. It is clear from the look on her face that she is not alright but the squaring of her shoulders might show that she is ready to confront it all. Her mother must know everything as must Kein.