Post by Curiosity on Jan 13, 2008 20:13:07 GMT -5
Characters Involved:
Paoro, female cougar
Chesmu, male cougar
Ayashe, female cougar
=== Sprawling Mesa ===
With Roki having returned and given his offer of helping to guard the Amaranth tribe's borders until Ahiga - or Ayashe, even - returns (as she doesn't dare consider the alternative yet), Paoro finally takes a rest from her endless meanderings at the heart of the tribelands, the mesa. So much has happened lately, just in the past few seasons, that she feels much older than she truly is, old enough to make her desire to retire early - but that decision isn't entirely in her paws.
Chesmu knew he just couldn't leave things alone. At first he was going to stay down there in that desert, feeling as if it were to be a nice home for him. But he kept thinking about Paoro and the rest. So he wound up returning to the mountains. That's more of a home for a cougar anyway. So now he is in Paoro's area. Whether it was intentional isn't even clear to Chesmu. Paoro sure did seem to be a good friend, though.
The mesa provides a clear view of any who approach, particularly from the slope to the east. At the sounds of scrabbling pebbles, the matron's eyes open, turning to scan the horizon for the source - and sighting the familiar form of another cougar. She can't quite make out exactly who it might be until he draws a little closer, but when she does recognize him, she smiles despite herself, shifting herself up into a seated position. Ahiga might disapprove of her being so welcoming to another male in their lands, but since his absence, many things have changed.
Journeying alone is certainly easy on Chesmu. No need to help other creatures, no need to starve himself for the good of the group. He's looking very well, in other words. Nice and healthy. He looks up and... sees an old friend in Paoro. It almost feels like its been too long. He starts moving at a more brisk ace, approaching the female as quickly so he may greet her. When he finally does get close enough, he starts off with a nice, polite "Hello, Paoro."
"Good afternoon, Chesmu. What brings you to my home?" Paoro inquires, her voice ever friendly. Her dye markings have been refreshed since their long journey, bright red designs upon her shoulder and chest like blood fresh from a kill.
"Well, mostly... staying in the desert proved not very good for a cougar." Chesmu states simply. Then he looks around. "I'm... not tresspassing am I? I have it on good authority you're an important cougar, after all." He said something very similar to Paoro when they were seeking the cure.
Paoro averts her gaze briefly at the mention of trespassing. "...no, you're not." With no recent male scent claiming this territory as his own, the group of females is as good as easy pickings for any other male who might come along and try to push his weight around. He'd certainly face opposition from Paoro and her children, but the matron is still very much aware of their current lack of protection. "I am the matron of the tribe that lives within these lands, yes."
Chesmu realizes now there's no male scent. However, knowing Paoro to be a good friend, that would be a rather harsh case of backstabbing, now wouldn't it? Paoro certainly put her life in his paws during the quest for the cure. Thinking about this, whirring through the information like a cougar computer, he looks at Paoro. "I get the feeling things aren't as well for your tribe as they may have been?"
Paoro pauses a moment before answering: "Things are getting better than they were." She acknowledges a time of difficulty, but does not admit any current weaknesses. Chesmu may be a friend, but he is a male cougar nonetheless, and as the matron of the Amaranth, she must keep up a strong appearance.
Chesmu nods. "I hope for your sake they will get even better than now. You don't deserve an ill fate." He looks around the mesa. So this is Paoro's territory. Makes Chesmu feel a little less uncomfortable than the desert. More like a home for a cougar. Almost as if the gods crafted this place for that purpose. "The cure has definitely made its way through. That was good planning."
Paoro bows her head in response to Chesmu's well-wishes. "Thank you, Chesmu. I could not have done anything without all of you helping, though," she replies, deferring too much credit for the second time in two days. She doesn't yet approach the unspoken subject of Chesmu wishing to stay on the mountain amidst her tribe, not wanting to admit defeat already - even if it would be a much less violent take-over than what she feared would finally happen.
"If there's anything you need me to do to help, I will probably be in the area." Chesmu says. No word about staying in the territory or making it his. Again, he wouldn't feel right asserting himself on what could be the easiest leap in authority: Wanderer to leader in thirty seconds. However, he is more than willing to help Paoro, who would be willing to help him should he need her help. "These are nice lands of yours. You are quite fortunate."
Rumours of a terrible sickness have brought Ayashe back to her birthplace, but as she moves stealthily through the sprawling mesa--a place from her childhood--she finds it difficult to believe that the stories are true. Surely her father, the great Ahiga, rules these lands still. Surely he and her mother are as happy as they were when she was a cub. Ayashe picks up her pace when she detects Paoro's scent on the breeze, following it through the haze of familiar smells until she spies her shape on the horizon. Green eyes squint against the sun. Is that her father, too? "Matron!" she calls out, hoping that the vision before her isn't a mirage. Stranger things have happened.
"Thank you, Chesmu," Paoro replies deferentially to the male, believing the comment on how nice her lands are to be a subtle attempt at expressing his wishes to claim them. Chesmu would not be an altogether horrible choice...but it just feels so unnatural this way. Certainly not the ways of tradition. But a familiar voice catches her ears, and Paoro hopes against hope that it's not just a trick of the wind. "...Ayashe?" she murmurs, half under her breath, taking a heavy scent of the air before a look of pure relief washes over her face. "Ayashe!"
Chesmu is about to say more, when he is interrupted by Paoro seeing someone she recognizes? This certainly happens a lot with her. He remembers her... non-son. He turns to look and sees... a female cougar. Well, that much is to be expected. "Another offspring?"
"Yes, my eldest," Paoro replies to Chesmu, seeming slightly distracted as she peers into the distance at her approaching daughter, who's been away for far too long to the matron. She pads forward, offering a loving nuzzle to her, before answering her question. "Chesmu. He was one of the several who assisted in the search for the cure for the illness that swept through our lands recently." She pauses, hesitating slightly. "Your father became ill, and has not returned since," she murmurs in a lower voice, meant only for Ayashe, though Chesmu has a good chance of overhearing.
Oh, Chesmu overhears, but he doesn't let his expression show any signs of wanting to take over. He's not the most ambitious cougar in the mountains. Though he's be lying if he wasn't even just slightly tempted at invading anyway. He also has to admit to himself that this eldest offspring of Paoro is attractive. "I am called Chesmu. Its a name I... came to accept." He's always had the name. Given by his mother of course, but wandering all his life like he has, he almost left the name behind.
Ayashe's breath hitches when she receives news of her father, but she does not allow her composure to falter--not in front of the strange male. She returns her mother's nuzzle, rubbing the bridge of her nose against the underside of the elder cougar's chin with a throaty purr. "I am so sorry, Mother," she whispers. "I never should have left." To Chesmu, she gives a grateful bob of her head. "Thank you," she says, "for watching over my family in my father's absence."
"The spirits called you away from me, and I would be wrong to request that you resist their call," Paoro murmurs back. "I can only hope you learned something from them." At Ayashe's statement, the matron blushes - something she's never done in the presence of others. Perhaps she's afraid that Ayashe thinks she's taken up a new mate already in such a short time, and so she's quick to correct her. "No, no. He's only recently arrived here. The tribe has sustained itself otherwise, fortunately." She glances back to Ayashe with a new deepness in her eyes, speaking with a heaviness in her tone. "But it is time, Ayashe. I have been through much in these past few seasons...my heart is not strong enough to continue leading, especially without Ahiga at my side. I can only hope you have returned with the intentions of claiming your birthright."
Birthright? Oh, that makes sense. Eldest daughter of Paoro. Eldest offspring altogether, actually. So this one is to take Paoro's place in the tribe as matron. Very interesting. He wisely stays silent. He's not part of this tribe. To interfere in this would be folly. He wants Paoro to continue trusting him, after all. But he does smile to the female. Probably good timing for the good of them all.
"I have seen many terrible and wonderous things during my travels," Ayashe explains. "As you say, the spirits called me away from Amaranth--but so too did they call me back. I am ready, mother." Ahiga isn't coming back--she can feel the grief weighing heavily on her heart just as it weighs on Paoro's. But, unlike Paoro, she is still young.
Paoro nods solemnly, pacing away a short distance to a short, scraggly bush of red berries. She carefully picks off a few with her teeth, dropping them to the ground. Calling Ayashe over, she crushes the berries beneath her toes, staining them a bright red, before placing a toe-sized dot on Ayashe's chest. "Your strong heart will provide healthy blood, sustaining the tribe as it sustains your own life." She dabs up more of the red paint, drawing a similar marking on her forehead, just above and between her green eyes. "And my strong mind will provide spiritual guidance, leading us on the paths of life." She lowers her stained paw to the ground once again, bowing her head deeply to her daughter. "The spirits will always be with you, Matron Ayashe. And so will I."
Chesmu looks on this scene and wonders if it is appropriate for him to bow too. He's never been in a tribe, can one blame him? Wanting to stay on the good graces of Paoro and the new Matron, he also bows deeply, but elects to stay silent. Please let this be the right thing.
It's unsettling to say the least--Ayashe knew the day would come when her mother would bow to her, but it feels so strange, so alien now that it's finally here. She mirrors the gesture and then flicks her eyes to Chesmu, a frown creasing her mouth. "Chesmu," she says, "It is because of you that my mother and brothers and sisters live. I would be honoured if you would remain in these lands as the chief of this tribe."
Chesmu can't help but look straight at Ayashe when she says that. That was the *last* thing Chesmu was expecting. Chief? Again, his thoghts run away. Wasn't he just telling himself he wouldn't take over? Then rationality kicks in. The difference between then and now was no one was asking him to be, in which he would be forcing himself into the position. He rises up and looks at Paoro and then Ayashe. In fact, he finds it best not to question it. They need a chief, and he is apparently the one the new Matron wishes for. "I shall be your chief, Matron." And as he says it... he is proud.
Paoro blinks in mild surprise as Ayashe names Chesmu as her choice for the new chieftain - she didn't even have to play maternal matchmaker! - but she is nonetheless pleased with her daughter's pick. She nods approvingly, a slight smile gracing her maw, bowing her head to Chesmu as well. It's certainly an odd gesture, but he /is/ the new stronghead of the tribe. "I shall give you your own markings soon, Chief Chesmu." As though on cue, a group of clouds suddenly break apart, casting bright sunlight down on the mesa. To the new shaman, this is a sure sign from the spirits. She breathes a sigh of contentment - things are becoming right with the world. She can be happy again. If not for her missing mate, then for her daughter, and the new generation she will bring about.
Paoro, female cougar
Chesmu, male cougar
Ayashe, female cougar
=== Sprawling Mesa ===
With Roki having returned and given his offer of helping to guard the Amaranth tribe's borders until Ahiga - or Ayashe, even - returns (as she doesn't dare consider the alternative yet), Paoro finally takes a rest from her endless meanderings at the heart of the tribelands, the mesa. So much has happened lately, just in the past few seasons, that she feels much older than she truly is, old enough to make her desire to retire early - but that decision isn't entirely in her paws.
Chesmu knew he just couldn't leave things alone. At first he was going to stay down there in that desert, feeling as if it were to be a nice home for him. But he kept thinking about Paoro and the rest. So he wound up returning to the mountains. That's more of a home for a cougar anyway. So now he is in Paoro's area. Whether it was intentional isn't even clear to Chesmu. Paoro sure did seem to be a good friend, though.
The mesa provides a clear view of any who approach, particularly from the slope to the east. At the sounds of scrabbling pebbles, the matron's eyes open, turning to scan the horizon for the source - and sighting the familiar form of another cougar. She can't quite make out exactly who it might be until he draws a little closer, but when she does recognize him, she smiles despite herself, shifting herself up into a seated position. Ahiga might disapprove of her being so welcoming to another male in their lands, but since his absence, many things have changed.
Journeying alone is certainly easy on Chesmu. No need to help other creatures, no need to starve himself for the good of the group. He's looking very well, in other words. Nice and healthy. He looks up and... sees an old friend in Paoro. It almost feels like its been too long. He starts moving at a more brisk ace, approaching the female as quickly so he may greet her. When he finally does get close enough, he starts off with a nice, polite "Hello, Paoro."
"Good afternoon, Chesmu. What brings you to my home?" Paoro inquires, her voice ever friendly. Her dye markings have been refreshed since their long journey, bright red designs upon her shoulder and chest like blood fresh from a kill.
"Well, mostly... staying in the desert proved not very good for a cougar." Chesmu states simply. Then he looks around. "I'm... not tresspassing am I? I have it on good authority you're an important cougar, after all." He said something very similar to Paoro when they were seeking the cure.
Paoro averts her gaze briefly at the mention of trespassing. "...no, you're not." With no recent male scent claiming this territory as his own, the group of females is as good as easy pickings for any other male who might come along and try to push his weight around. He'd certainly face opposition from Paoro and her children, but the matron is still very much aware of their current lack of protection. "I am the matron of the tribe that lives within these lands, yes."
Chesmu realizes now there's no male scent. However, knowing Paoro to be a good friend, that would be a rather harsh case of backstabbing, now wouldn't it? Paoro certainly put her life in his paws during the quest for the cure. Thinking about this, whirring through the information like a cougar computer, he looks at Paoro. "I get the feeling things aren't as well for your tribe as they may have been?"
Paoro pauses a moment before answering: "Things are getting better than they were." She acknowledges a time of difficulty, but does not admit any current weaknesses. Chesmu may be a friend, but he is a male cougar nonetheless, and as the matron of the Amaranth, she must keep up a strong appearance.
Chesmu nods. "I hope for your sake they will get even better than now. You don't deserve an ill fate." He looks around the mesa. So this is Paoro's territory. Makes Chesmu feel a little less uncomfortable than the desert. More like a home for a cougar. Almost as if the gods crafted this place for that purpose. "The cure has definitely made its way through. That was good planning."
Paoro bows her head in response to Chesmu's well-wishes. "Thank you, Chesmu. I could not have done anything without all of you helping, though," she replies, deferring too much credit for the second time in two days. She doesn't yet approach the unspoken subject of Chesmu wishing to stay on the mountain amidst her tribe, not wanting to admit defeat already - even if it would be a much less violent take-over than what she feared would finally happen.
"If there's anything you need me to do to help, I will probably be in the area." Chesmu says. No word about staying in the territory or making it his. Again, he wouldn't feel right asserting himself on what could be the easiest leap in authority: Wanderer to leader in thirty seconds. However, he is more than willing to help Paoro, who would be willing to help him should he need her help. "These are nice lands of yours. You are quite fortunate."
Rumours of a terrible sickness have brought Ayashe back to her birthplace, but as she moves stealthily through the sprawling mesa--a place from her childhood--she finds it difficult to believe that the stories are true. Surely her father, the great Ahiga, rules these lands still. Surely he and her mother are as happy as they were when she was a cub. Ayashe picks up her pace when she detects Paoro's scent on the breeze, following it through the haze of familiar smells until she spies her shape on the horizon. Green eyes squint against the sun. Is that her father, too? "Matron!" she calls out, hoping that the vision before her isn't a mirage. Stranger things have happened.
"Thank you, Chesmu," Paoro replies deferentially to the male, believing the comment on how nice her lands are to be a subtle attempt at expressing his wishes to claim them. Chesmu would not be an altogether horrible choice...but it just feels so unnatural this way. Certainly not the ways of tradition. But a familiar voice catches her ears, and Paoro hopes against hope that it's not just a trick of the wind. "...Ayashe?" she murmurs, half under her breath, taking a heavy scent of the air before a look of pure relief washes over her face. "Ayashe!"
Chesmu is about to say more, when he is interrupted by Paoro seeing someone she recognizes? This certainly happens a lot with her. He remembers her... non-son. He turns to look and sees... a female cougar. Well, that much is to be expected. "Another offspring?"
"Yes, my eldest," Paoro replies to Chesmu, seeming slightly distracted as she peers into the distance at her approaching daughter, who's been away for far too long to the matron. She pads forward, offering a loving nuzzle to her, before answering her question. "Chesmu. He was one of the several who assisted in the search for the cure for the illness that swept through our lands recently." She pauses, hesitating slightly. "Your father became ill, and has not returned since," she murmurs in a lower voice, meant only for Ayashe, though Chesmu has a good chance of overhearing.
Oh, Chesmu overhears, but he doesn't let his expression show any signs of wanting to take over. He's not the most ambitious cougar in the mountains. Though he's be lying if he wasn't even just slightly tempted at invading anyway. He also has to admit to himself that this eldest offspring of Paoro is attractive. "I am called Chesmu. Its a name I... came to accept." He's always had the name. Given by his mother of course, but wandering all his life like he has, he almost left the name behind.
Ayashe's breath hitches when she receives news of her father, but she does not allow her composure to falter--not in front of the strange male. She returns her mother's nuzzle, rubbing the bridge of her nose against the underside of the elder cougar's chin with a throaty purr. "I am so sorry, Mother," she whispers. "I never should have left." To Chesmu, she gives a grateful bob of her head. "Thank you," she says, "for watching over my family in my father's absence."
"The spirits called you away from me, and I would be wrong to request that you resist their call," Paoro murmurs back. "I can only hope you learned something from them." At Ayashe's statement, the matron blushes - something she's never done in the presence of others. Perhaps she's afraid that Ayashe thinks she's taken up a new mate already in such a short time, and so she's quick to correct her. "No, no. He's only recently arrived here. The tribe has sustained itself otherwise, fortunately." She glances back to Ayashe with a new deepness in her eyes, speaking with a heaviness in her tone. "But it is time, Ayashe. I have been through much in these past few seasons...my heart is not strong enough to continue leading, especially without Ahiga at my side. I can only hope you have returned with the intentions of claiming your birthright."
Birthright? Oh, that makes sense. Eldest daughter of Paoro. Eldest offspring altogether, actually. So this one is to take Paoro's place in the tribe as matron. Very interesting. He wisely stays silent. He's not part of this tribe. To interfere in this would be folly. He wants Paoro to continue trusting him, after all. But he does smile to the female. Probably good timing for the good of them all.
"I have seen many terrible and wonderous things during my travels," Ayashe explains. "As you say, the spirits called me away from Amaranth--but so too did they call me back. I am ready, mother." Ahiga isn't coming back--she can feel the grief weighing heavily on her heart just as it weighs on Paoro's. But, unlike Paoro, she is still young.
Paoro nods solemnly, pacing away a short distance to a short, scraggly bush of red berries. She carefully picks off a few with her teeth, dropping them to the ground. Calling Ayashe over, she crushes the berries beneath her toes, staining them a bright red, before placing a toe-sized dot on Ayashe's chest. "Your strong heart will provide healthy blood, sustaining the tribe as it sustains your own life." She dabs up more of the red paint, drawing a similar marking on her forehead, just above and between her green eyes. "And my strong mind will provide spiritual guidance, leading us on the paths of life." She lowers her stained paw to the ground once again, bowing her head deeply to her daughter. "The spirits will always be with you, Matron Ayashe. And so will I."
Chesmu looks on this scene and wonders if it is appropriate for him to bow too. He's never been in a tribe, can one blame him? Wanting to stay on the good graces of Paoro and the new Matron, he also bows deeply, but elects to stay silent. Please let this be the right thing.
It's unsettling to say the least--Ayashe knew the day would come when her mother would bow to her, but it feels so strange, so alien now that it's finally here. She mirrors the gesture and then flicks her eyes to Chesmu, a frown creasing her mouth. "Chesmu," she says, "It is because of you that my mother and brothers and sisters live. I would be honoured if you would remain in these lands as the chief of this tribe."
Chesmu can't help but look straight at Ayashe when she says that. That was the *last* thing Chesmu was expecting. Chief? Again, his thoghts run away. Wasn't he just telling himself he wouldn't take over? Then rationality kicks in. The difference between then and now was no one was asking him to be, in which he would be forcing himself into the position. He rises up and looks at Paoro and then Ayashe. In fact, he finds it best not to question it. They need a chief, and he is apparently the one the new Matron wishes for. "I shall be your chief, Matron." And as he says it... he is proud.
Paoro blinks in mild surprise as Ayashe names Chesmu as her choice for the new chieftain - she didn't even have to play maternal matchmaker! - but she is nonetheless pleased with her daughter's pick. She nods approvingly, a slight smile gracing her maw, bowing her head to Chesmu as well. It's certainly an odd gesture, but he /is/ the new stronghead of the tribe. "I shall give you your own markings soon, Chief Chesmu." As though on cue, a group of clouds suddenly break apart, casting bright sunlight down on the mesa. To the new shaman, this is a sure sign from the spirits. She breathes a sigh of contentment - things are becoming right with the world. She can be happy again. If not for her missing mate, then for her daughter, and the new generation she will bring about.