Post by Therdde on Aug 15, 2011 18:23:29 GMT -5
Characters:
Maul - Female Cougar
Minya - Female Cougar Cub
- Deep Crevice -
As the weather grows increasingly colder, Maul was encouraged to give up her own comfort for the comfort and safety of her cubs by moving them down the mountain, away from her preferred area where treacherous peaks and early snows provide deathtraps for youthful paws. Now, in the very same cave where she was born and where... she feels as though she has given birth once before, Maul has been doing her best to not let her surroundings sully her moods. Almost a month has passed since the cubs were born, and they're growing so quickly that Maul doesn't feel comfortable leaving them unattended for long. As such, she has been gone only an hour before she pokes her head back into the cave, scanning it quickly to make sure all her cubs are safe and sound.
Minya woke up a few minutes ago and has been waiting for her mother. When she spots her mother's head, she immediately starts running towards her mother as fast as she can. "Maa!" she calls out to her mother.
It would seem that Minya is the only one awake, and so Maul is quick to respond, "Shhh, Minya. Shhh. Come on. Follow me." After speaking, Maul backs up out of the cave, hoping to encourage her daughter to follow her out so she does not wake either her brother or her sister. She doesn't want to have to handle a sleep-deprived, grumpy cub this afternoon.
Why is Ma leaving? Minya stops where her mother's head was. Her curiosity has been growing quickly lately and now it is stronger than her fear now, so she starts following Maul slowly and quietly.
Maul stops not far outside the cave, continuing talking to offer her young daughter a sense of the familiar. "Come on out. It's all safe, and Ma is out here. Come on, Minya." As Maul speaks, she also purrs softly. It's easy to do when it's for the purpose of offering her children comfort, since she considers it her most important responsibility.
Minya quietly follows her mother outside. She accelerates when Maul starts talking again and soon she is close to Maul. "Ma." she says quietly and continues walking towards Maul. If Maul doesn't move, she hits her with her head.
Maul responds by grabbing at Minya with her forepaw and setting about grooming the girl lovingly. Only after a few long licks does Maul take enough of a break to speak again, using the same paw she used to grab at Minya in order to gesture around them. "Look, Minya. Look at everything."
It's unfamiliar here and Minya lets Maul groom her. When Maul starts gesturing around, she first looks at her paw and then around. "Wow. Where are we?" It's unfamiliar, but very interesting and Minya is a curious cub.
"This is... Amaranth, Minya. This is our home." Her home for the rest of her life. For so much of Maul's life, that was in doubt, so it feels strange to say, to believe, it with such certainty. To know that, this time around, there will be no chance of her and her cubs being run off. She won't let that happen. Not now.
"Amar... Home?" Minya says. "It's big here." She always thought that home is just their cave. She moves a bit so that she can see behind Maul. "What is Amaram... Amaran...?" she asks after a while.
"Amaranth," Maul repeats, not because she expects Minya to be able to pick it up today, necessarily, but because it is a name that the cubs, all of them, will have to become very familiar with over their lives. "Amaranth is safety, Minya. Amaranth is freedom. Amaranth is love. Amaranth is /home/." She'll see to it. Maul cannot be called the most stable cougaress in the world, and many decisions simply will not be hers to make. But her very unstable, and equally beloved, mother has long since abandoned the territory, her vicious father is on his way out, and Arroyo... Arroyo is young and needs someone there to guide her, to help her, and to subtly direct the path Amaranth takes, and Maul has every intention of being that cougar.
Minya listens to Maul. "A-ma-ran. A-ma-rans..." she tries to repeat. It's so big and Minya will have to explore it all! Minya takes a few steps away from Maul to get and looks around more. "I really like it here, Ma."
Maul allows Minya the few steps to explore, though, of course, she keeps a close eye on the cub. With a smile, Maul purrs, "I'm glad that you like it here, cub. You can live your whole life here, if you want."
After Minya had enough, she runs back to Maul. She touches Maul's paw with her own and says, "Ma, I want to live here forever if you stay here."
One day entirely too soon for Maul's liking, Maul will have to have that particular talk with her children, the one about how she will not be around forever. Just like, one day, she will have to explain to them that while Amaranth and the members of Amaranth are safe, there are too many places in the world that are not. That is not this day, though. Today is for letting Minya know she is safe, loved, and protected, and so Maul responds quickly, "Of course I will stay here, cubbie. It is my home too. For my whole life."
Minya looks at Maul's foreleg and then tries to climb it. She wants to see more of her new home, and climbing Maul's back is the best and safest way to do it.
Maul chuckles as her daughter begins to climb her, and she holds still to allow the girl to do so, moving only enough to breathe. "How about this, Minya. The next time you, your brother, and your sister are all awake together, we'll go on a nice, long walk through our home, okay?"
Minya almost falls once, but doesn't give up and succeeds after a while. She tries to keep her balance when she's on Maul's back, but it's harder than she thought. "It's a very good idea, Ma!" she says.
Maul isn't much help after she gives Minya a good chance to look around, either. Rather, she rolls over onto her side and grabs out to try to catch her cub in her paws, in order to continue the grooming. "We will do it, then. Maybe even today, if Rahjah and Kulara wake up soon. How does that sound?"
Minya tries to keep balance as Maul rolls over and slides off Maul's back. She is caught by Maul's paw and grabs the huge paw with her own little ones. "It sounds good! When will they wake up?"
"I'm not sure, but you could always go and watch them, so you can let me know the moment they wake up. Mind, though, you need to let them wake up on their own, do you understand?" It would give Maul the opportunity to relax outside of the cave that has never felt... right... to her, and hopefully keep Minya's youthful mind occupied for a while.
Minya listens to Maul and tries to remember what she is saying. "Yes, Ma." She doesn't want to leave Ma now and has a question. "Why do they sleep so much?" They probably don't, but... "They always sleep when I want to play."
Maul chuckles again before answering, "I've heard similar complaints from them about you, and I always make them let you sleep. Now go and be a good watcher for your poor, tired Ma, all right, Minya?" Of course, she doesn't actually remove her paws from around the cub, yet, as she waits for an affirmative answer, first.
Minya says, "Yes, Ma." When Maul lets her go, she comes closer to Maul's head and buries her head in Maul's fur for a few seconds, before walking back to the cave.
Maul - Female Cougar
Minya - Female Cougar Cub
- Deep Crevice -
As the weather grows increasingly colder, Maul was encouraged to give up her own comfort for the comfort and safety of her cubs by moving them down the mountain, away from her preferred area where treacherous peaks and early snows provide deathtraps for youthful paws. Now, in the very same cave where she was born and where... she feels as though she has given birth once before, Maul has been doing her best to not let her surroundings sully her moods. Almost a month has passed since the cubs were born, and they're growing so quickly that Maul doesn't feel comfortable leaving them unattended for long. As such, she has been gone only an hour before she pokes her head back into the cave, scanning it quickly to make sure all her cubs are safe and sound.
Minya woke up a few minutes ago and has been waiting for her mother. When she spots her mother's head, she immediately starts running towards her mother as fast as she can. "Maa!" she calls out to her mother.
It would seem that Minya is the only one awake, and so Maul is quick to respond, "Shhh, Minya. Shhh. Come on. Follow me." After speaking, Maul backs up out of the cave, hoping to encourage her daughter to follow her out so she does not wake either her brother or her sister. She doesn't want to have to handle a sleep-deprived, grumpy cub this afternoon.
Why is Ma leaving? Minya stops where her mother's head was. Her curiosity has been growing quickly lately and now it is stronger than her fear now, so she starts following Maul slowly and quietly.
Maul stops not far outside the cave, continuing talking to offer her young daughter a sense of the familiar. "Come on out. It's all safe, and Ma is out here. Come on, Minya." As Maul speaks, she also purrs softly. It's easy to do when it's for the purpose of offering her children comfort, since she considers it her most important responsibility.
Minya quietly follows her mother outside. She accelerates when Maul starts talking again and soon she is close to Maul. "Ma." she says quietly and continues walking towards Maul. If Maul doesn't move, she hits her with her head.
Maul responds by grabbing at Minya with her forepaw and setting about grooming the girl lovingly. Only after a few long licks does Maul take enough of a break to speak again, using the same paw she used to grab at Minya in order to gesture around them. "Look, Minya. Look at everything."
It's unfamiliar here and Minya lets Maul groom her. When Maul starts gesturing around, she first looks at her paw and then around. "Wow. Where are we?" It's unfamiliar, but very interesting and Minya is a curious cub.
"This is... Amaranth, Minya. This is our home." Her home for the rest of her life. For so much of Maul's life, that was in doubt, so it feels strange to say, to believe, it with such certainty. To know that, this time around, there will be no chance of her and her cubs being run off. She won't let that happen. Not now.
"Amar... Home?" Minya says. "It's big here." She always thought that home is just their cave. She moves a bit so that she can see behind Maul. "What is Amaram... Amaran...?" she asks after a while.
"Amaranth," Maul repeats, not because she expects Minya to be able to pick it up today, necessarily, but because it is a name that the cubs, all of them, will have to become very familiar with over their lives. "Amaranth is safety, Minya. Amaranth is freedom. Amaranth is love. Amaranth is /home/." She'll see to it. Maul cannot be called the most stable cougaress in the world, and many decisions simply will not be hers to make. But her very unstable, and equally beloved, mother has long since abandoned the territory, her vicious father is on his way out, and Arroyo... Arroyo is young and needs someone there to guide her, to help her, and to subtly direct the path Amaranth takes, and Maul has every intention of being that cougar.
Minya listens to Maul. "A-ma-ran. A-ma-rans..." she tries to repeat. It's so big and Minya will have to explore it all! Minya takes a few steps away from Maul to get and looks around more. "I really like it here, Ma."
Maul allows Minya the few steps to explore, though, of course, she keeps a close eye on the cub. With a smile, Maul purrs, "I'm glad that you like it here, cub. You can live your whole life here, if you want."
After Minya had enough, she runs back to Maul. She touches Maul's paw with her own and says, "Ma, I want to live here forever if you stay here."
One day entirely too soon for Maul's liking, Maul will have to have that particular talk with her children, the one about how she will not be around forever. Just like, one day, she will have to explain to them that while Amaranth and the members of Amaranth are safe, there are too many places in the world that are not. That is not this day, though. Today is for letting Minya know she is safe, loved, and protected, and so Maul responds quickly, "Of course I will stay here, cubbie. It is my home too. For my whole life."
Minya looks at Maul's foreleg and then tries to climb it. She wants to see more of her new home, and climbing Maul's back is the best and safest way to do it.
Maul chuckles as her daughter begins to climb her, and she holds still to allow the girl to do so, moving only enough to breathe. "How about this, Minya. The next time you, your brother, and your sister are all awake together, we'll go on a nice, long walk through our home, okay?"
Minya almost falls once, but doesn't give up and succeeds after a while. She tries to keep her balance when she's on Maul's back, but it's harder than she thought. "It's a very good idea, Ma!" she says.
Maul isn't much help after she gives Minya a good chance to look around, either. Rather, she rolls over onto her side and grabs out to try to catch her cub in her paws, in order to continue the grooming. "We will do it, then. Maybe even today, if Rahjah and Kulara wake up soon. How does that sound?"
Minya tries to keep balance as Maul rolls over and slides off Maul's back. She is caught by Maul's paw and grabs the huge paw with her own little ones. "It sounds good! When will they wake up?"
"I'm not sure, but you could always go and watch them, so you can let me know the moment they wake up. Mind, though, you need to let them wake up on their own, do you understand?" It would give Maul the opportunity to relax outside of the cave that has never felt... right... to her, and hopefully keep Minya's youthful mind occupied for a while.
Minya listens to Maul and tries to remember what she is saying. "Yes, Ma." She doesn't want to leave Ma now and has a question. "Why do they sleep so much?" They probably don't, but... "They always sleep when I want to play."
Maul chuckles again before answering, "I've heard similar complaints from them about you, and I always make them let you sleep. Now go and be a good watcher for your poor, tired Ma, all right, Minya?" Of course, she doesn't actually remove her paws from around the cub, yet, as she waits for an affirmative answer, first.
Minya says, "Yes, Ma." When Maul lets her go, she comes closer to Maul's head and buries her head in Maul's fur for a few seconds, before walking back to the cave.