Post by temperance on Mar 1, 2008 19:58:58 GMT -5
There are a thousand different dangers that lurk in the shadows of Amaranth's forest, and while Ayashe has never been as aware of them as she is now, they are also the furthest thing from her mind. A fine layer of dew has settled upon the matron's fur, causing it to shine like spider's silk in the rosy light of the dawn. If today were any other day, she would be at the highest point of the clan's territory, watching the sun rise and illuminate every leaf, stone and blade of grass for miles in every direction. Today, however, is not like any other day; more beautiful than the rising sun, at least in Ayashe's eyes, are the four tiny shapes nestled against her side. Yuma, Nayeli, Chandani, Misae -- her children.
The brisk air of autumn is probably a welcome feeling on the exhausted new mother, and a soft breeze picks up for a brief moment. As though the wind carried the knowledge of her daughter's birthing to the shamaness, Paoro arrives not long afterwards, carrying a few flowers gently in her maw. Placing the soothing herbs at her daughter's paws for her use as needed, she remains silent as her pale green eyes sweep over her new grandchildren. Four of them - one of which is a startling color, the color of moonlight. But the shamaness does not sense a need for worry over this particular abnormality, instead visually checking over each of the dozing kittens, getting to know their scents, while remaining a short distance away. Paoro knows her daughter would not distrust her, but a mother's children are more important to her than anything she has ever or will ever know. Lifting her eyes from the cubs, she meets her daughter's gaze, and a light smile forms on her muzzle, full of pride and love and support. "My heart has suffered much, but this blessing from the spirits rejuvenates my soul once again."
Distinguishable only by gender, Ayashe and Chesmu's only son stirs beneath the gaze of the shamaness. The newborn cub uncurls slowly and lifts his head; his eyes have not yet opened, but his whiskers quiver, his muzzle wrinkling at strange and wonderous scents. The smell of his mother is, of course, the most comforting of them all, and he squirms in closer to her side, nestled snugly between two of his sisters. To him, the world is still fresh and amazing, far beyond the scope of his understanding -- and he is at perfect peace within it, the very picture of untarnished innocence.
Not aware of the miracle that occurred over the night, Chesmu, the Chieftain of Amaranth, is doing his normal duty. Marking territory, keeping his eye out for danger, and keeping in mind the advice of Paoro and his own mate, Ayashe. He nears the end of the marking tour and considers Ayashe's state. Perhaps she would appreciate the consideration of him checking up on her. As far as Chesmu knows, she is still very near. He pads along, closer to the grove, and catches a scent, a strange, yet potentially wonderful scent.
Squirming up closer to her mother, close by her brother Yuma is Chandani. Her eyes is still closed to the world around her. Chandani is picking up the scents of all those around her muzzle winkling as she tries to get used to the new sensation of being born.
Ayashe inhales deeply, allowing her eyes to lid briefly shut as the herb's scent flows in through her nostrils -- as potent as an opiate. She relaxes and lets out a low, throaty purr to voice her gratitude. "They are beautiful, mother," she murmurs in agreement with Paoro, leaning down to scoop her paw around the cubs and cradle them protectively against her teats. There is no need to clean them, but this does not stop her from dragging her tongue across the very top of Yuma and Chandani's heads, mussing up the fur that she spent so much time grooming flat during the night. "Look at this one," she adds, directing Paoro's attention to the pale-furred cub. "Misae. Have you ever seen anything like it?"
Paoro returns her gaze to the white cougar, staring at her with a curious, yet transfixed, gaze for several moments. "I have not, Ayashe. Perhaps it is a message from the spirits." She lowers her head to sniff closer at the one named Misae, then the others. "She is one of the females...perhaps she is to be chosen." It is too early for any heiress to be truly named, but this is a rather clear-cut sign from the heavens, or so it seems at the very least.
Aware of movement beside him, Yuma turns his head, unintentionally grazing his sibling with his muzzle. The soft fur fills his nose with warm, pleasant scent -- it is a smell like his own, comforting in its similarity, yet also somehow unique. Before he knows his sister's name, or even what she looks like, he can identify Chandani by scent. A faint purr tremors through his body when he feels Ayashe's lick, squirming faintly as he is drawn closer to the warmth of her underside. With his belly already full and his head sinking down into his mother's fur, only the conversation above keeps Yuma from dozing off completely.
Chesmu decides it is high time he does return and at least speak with Paoro and Ayashe about events of the previous night and day. A sister who needs this or some sighting of that. Business. What he finds instead when he finally reaches his mate and his shamaness, is an extremely pleasant surprise, and an incredible blessing. Chesmu's posture and expression changes from one of weariness from a long night to one of absolute delight and energy.
Chandani recognises Yuma's scent as well then finds herself with a new feeling of hunger, the young female newborn squirms to one of her mother's teats, mewing softly, before she starts to nurse on her mother's milk finding comfort with her sisters and brother close by.
Ayashe's ears slick back at the sight of her mate, the clan's chieftain. Although Chesmu is the father of her cubs, she feels only a hazy fondness for him; theirs is a union of convenience and necessity rather than love, and unlike Paoro, she does not entirely trust him around their children. Resisting the motherly urge to curl her lip and warn the large male away, she bows her head and speaks the chieftain's name in a breathy whisper that could easily be mistaken for a hiss. "Chesmu." She raises her green-gold eyes to his. "Amaranth has been blessed." The message in the matron's sharp gaze is clear: these are yours, but do not come any closer.
Turning to see Chesmu at her daughter's mention of his name, Paoro offers a polite bow, but does not invite him closer. Herself settling down on her haunches, the shamaness watches the newborns squirm about, feeling the pride and joy of a new grandmother - though she wishes the grandfather was here to share it with her as well. She swivels her gaze back up to Ayashe after a few moments of quiet observation and reflection, inquiring: "Is there anything you need, Ayashe?" Food, herbs, sleep, anything - if the matron wants it, she'll get it.
Yuma, sensing the tension that stiffens the muscle beneath his mother's fur, stirs uneasily. Chesmu is too far away for the cub to catch the first scent of his father, so he issues a soft mewl and nestles closer to his sisters for comfort.
Chesmu stops at the comfortable distance for Ayashe. At first he feels just a little bit hurt. But he remembers there is more duty than love between him and his mate. So he sits on his haunches and gazes at his cubs proudly from where he is. He hopes to, sooner or later, get a closer look or even interact with them. They are too young now, but he's determined to give them what he never had when he was their age. A father. It seems only right to him that he be a real presence to them, after all. "A true blessing. New life has found its way." Chesmu stops and looks with marked interest in Misae, whose unusual coloring has interested him. "Have they been named?"
Chandani also picks up on the tension between her parents, a feeling that she is too young to know what is going on yet, remaining close to her brother and sisters she feels a lot more comfortable mewing softly while nursing a little longer then lets go of the teat some milk dripping down her face, before letting out what appears to be a small yawn.
What Ayashe needs more than anything now is rest. Giving birth to four cubs has exhausted her to the point of wanting to fall into a deep sleep, but the safety of her little ones comes before her own wellbeing. "I'm fine, mother," she gently reassures Paoro, though her eyes do not leave Chesmu, not even for an instant. "Yes. This one--" Ayashe fondly noses the only male cub. "--is Yuma, your son." She moves on to the two rosette-splotched females and bumps them each in turn with her muzzle. "Your daughters, Chandani, and Nayeli." Finally, the matron's gaze settles upon the final cub. "This one is Misae. I think she is a gift to us from the moon."
The male cub responds to Ayashe's nosing by lifting his head, blindly but affectionately bumping his own nose against his mother's chin. He does not understand that he has just heard his name and those of his sisters, but he finds reassurance in the sound of Ayashe's voice rumbling so close by.
Chesmu looks upon his cubs again with pride. "Is there any way I could get a closer look at them?" Chesmu is overjoyed. A son! A *son!* Chesmu feels the urge to run all over Amaranth territory shouting out the news. A son! And some daughters! All his cubs. He will love them! A son!!!
Chandani feels her mother's muzzle bumping her which helped the girl feel reassured, even though she's still not sure what to make out of all the new feelings and sensations of the whole new world... at the moment the new born is content being with the family.
"Not today, Chesmu." The weariness has begun to creep into Ayashe's voice. "When their eyes are open and they may gaze upon you, then you may gaze upon them." She lowers her head, draping her neck across Yuma, Chandani, and the other two cubs before allowing her eyes to close again. This time, they do not reopen. She asks, almost as an afterthought, "Is there any news of Azriel?"
Paoro shakes her head solemnly. "I am afraid not, matron. But our guard is certainly not to be let down in these times of new life." The shamaness then swivels her head back to face Chesmu. "I believe it is time to let the new mother rest, chieftain." She makes no move to leave herself, however, apparently intending to stay and watch over Ayashe and her new litter until she is rested.
Chesmu nods. "Very well. I will make sure food is brought here so you may feed." Chesmu says, then looks again proudly on his cubs before turning and sauntering off, happy upon nearly delirious about this event. A son! And daughters. But a son!
Chandani stops squirming around and goes suddenly still, after the whole ordeal the young cub is so tired that she starts to rest for the time being.
"I fear for Maulisho and her children, but I do not think Azriel will do them any harm if they are also his." No, it isn't Azriel that Ayashe is worried about. "My brother, LaVeaux..." Her voice trails off, muzzle parting into a wide, toothy yawn with a curling tongue. No more needs to be said. "You'll patrol the border, won't you?" she calls after him, though she does not expect an answer in return. He may even be too far off to hear. With a sigh, she hunkers down, content to sleep now that she knows there will be an extra set of eyes watching over her cubs while she rests. Thank you, Paoro.
"Eyes will always be watching over Amaranth's new life," Paoro promises her daughter as she slips into sleep. Even if those eyes are spiritual, not physical, in nature. Leaning over to gently lick the matron's forehead, the shamaness will remain in this place for as long as her daughter dreams, a loving guardian over her descendants as always.
The brisk air of autumn is probably a welcome feeling on the exhausted new mother, and a soft breeze picks up for a brief moment. As though the wind carried the knowledge of her daughter's birthing to the shamaness, Paoro arrives not long afterwards, carrying a few flowers gently in her maw. Placing the soothing herbs at her daughter's paws for her use as needed, she remains silent as her pale green eyes sweep over her new grandchildren. Four of them - one of which is a startling color, the color of moonlight. But the shamaness does not sense a need for worry over this particular abnormality, instead visually checking over each of the dozing kittens, getting to know their scents, while remaining a short distance away. Paoro knows her daughter would not distrust her, but a mother's children are more important to her than anything she has ever or will ever know. Lifting her eyes from the cubs, she meets her daughter's gaze, and a light smile forms on her muzzle, full of pride and love and support. "My heart has suffered much, but this blessing from the spirits rejuvenates my soul once again."
Distinguishable only by gender, Ayashe and Chesmu's only son stirs beneath the gaze of the shamaness. The newborn cub uncurls slowly and lifts his head; his eyes have not yet opened, but his whiskers quiver, his muzzle wrinkling at strange and wonderous scents. The smell of his mother is, of course, the most comforting of them all, and he squirms in closer to her side, nestled snugly between two of his sisters. To him, the world is still fresh and amazing, far beyond the scope of his understanding -- and he is at perfect peace within it, the very picture of untarnished innocence.
Not aware of the miracle that occurred over the night, Chesmu, the Chieftain of Amaranth, is doing his normal duty. Marking territory, keeping his eye out for danger, and keeping in mind the advice of Paoro and his own mate, Ayashe. He nears the end of the marking tour and considers Ayashe's state. Perhaps she would appreciate the consideration of him checking up on her. As far as Chesmu knows, she is still very near. He pads along, closer to the grove, and catches a scent, a strange, yet potentially wonderful scent.
Squirming up closer to her mother, close by her brother Yuma is Chandani. Her eyes is still closed to the world around her. Chandani is picking up the scents of all those around her muzzle winkling as she tries to get used to the new sensation of being born.
Ayashe inhales deeply, allowing her eyes to lid briefly shut as the herb's scent flows in through her nostrils -- as potent as an opiate. She relaxes and lets out a low, throaty purr to voice her gratitude. "They are beautiful, mother," she murmurs in agreement with Paoro, leaning down to scoop her paw around the cubs and cradle them protectively against her teats. There is no need to clean them, but this does not stop her from dragging her tongue across the very top of Yuma and Chandani's heads, mussing up the fur that she spent so much time grooming flat during the night. "Look at this one," she adds, directing Paoro's attention to the pale-furred cub. "Misae. Have you ever seen anything like it?"
Paoro returns her gaze to the white cougar, staring at her with a curious, yet transfixed, gaze for several moments. "I have not, Ayashe. Perhaps it is a message from the spirits." She lowers her head to sniff closer at the one named Misae, then the others. "She is one of the females...perhaps she is to be chosen." It is too early for any heiress to be truly named, but this is a rather clear-cut sign from the heavens, or so it seems at the very least.
Aware of movement beside him, Yuma turns his head, unintentionally grazing his sibling with his muzzle. The soft fur fills his nose with warm, pleasant scent -- it is a smell like his own, comforting in its similarity, yet also somehow unique. Before he knows his sister's name, or even what she looks like, he can identify Chandani by scent. A faint purr tremors through his body when he feels Ayashe's lick, squirming faintly as he is drawn closer to the warmth of her underside. With his belly already full and his head sinking down into his mother's fur, only the conversation above keeps Yuma from dozing off completely.
Chesmu decides it is high time he does return and at least speak with Paoro and Ayashe about events of the previous night and day. A sister who needs this or some sighting of that. Business. What he finds instead when he finally reaches his mate and his shamaness, is an extremely pleasant surprise, and an incredible blessing. Chesmu's posture and expression changes from one of weariness from a long night to one of absolute delight and energy.
Chandani recognises Yuma's scent as well then finds herself with a new feeling of hunger, the young female newborn squirms to one of her mother's teats, mewing softly, before she starts to nurse on her mother's milk finding comfort with her sisters and brother close by.
Ayashe's ears slick back at the sight of her mate, the clan's chieftain. Although Chesmu is the father of her cubs, she feels only a hazy fondness for him; theirs is a union of convenience and necessity rather than love, and unlike Paoro, she does not entirely trust him around their children. Resisting the motherly urge to curl her lip and warn the large male away, she bows her head and speaks the chieftain's name in a breathy whisper that could easily be mistaken for a hiss. "Chesmu." She raises her green-gold eyes to his. "Amaranth has been blessed." The message in the matron's sharp gaze is clear: these are yours, but do not come any closer.
Turning to see Chesmu at her daughter's mention of his name, Paoro offers a polite bow, but does not invite him closer. Herself settling down on her haunches, the shamaness watches the newborns squirm about, feeling the pride and joy of a new grandmother - though she wishes the grandfather was here to share it with her as well. She swivels her gaze back up to Ayashe after a few moments of quiet observation and reflection, inquiring: "Is there anything you need, Ayashe?" Food, herbs, sleep, anything - if the matron wants it, she'll get it.
Yuma, sensing the tension that stiffens the muscle beneath his mother's fur, stirs uneasily. Chesmu is too far away for the cub to catch the first scent of his father, so he issues a soft mewl and nestles closer to his sisters for comfort.
Chesmu stops at the comfortable distance for Ayashe. At first he feels just a little bit hurt. But he remembers there is more duty than love between him and his mate. So he sits on his haunches and gazes at his cubs proudly from where he is. He hopes to, sooner or later, get a closer look or even interact with them. They are too young now, but he's determined to give them what he never had when he was their age. A father. It seems only right to him that he be a real presence to them, after all. "A true blessing. New life has found its way." Chesmu stops and looks with marked interest in Misae, whose unusual coloring has interested him. "Have they been named?"
Chandani also picks up on the tension between her parents, a feeling that she is too young to know what is going on yet, remaining close to her brother and sisters she feels a lot more comfortable mewing softly while nursing a little longer then lets go of the teat some milk dripping down her face, before letting out what appears to be a small yawn.
What Ayashe needs more than anything now is rest. Giving birth to four cubs has exhausted her to the point of wanting to fall into a deep sleep, but the safety of her little ones comes before her own wellbeing. "I'm fine, mother," she gently reassures Paoro, though her eyes do not leave Chesmu, not even for an instant. "Yes. This one--" Ayashe fondly noses the only male cub. "--is Yuma, your son." She moves on to the two rosette-splotched females and bumps them each in turn with her muzzle. "Your daughters, Chandani, and Nayeli." Finally, the matron's gaze settles upon the final cub. "This one is Misae. I think she is a gift to us from the moon."
The male cub responds to Ayashe's nosing by lifting his head, blindly but affectionately bumping his own nose against his mother's chin. He does not understand that he has just heard his name and those of his sisters, but he finds reassurance in the sound of Ayashe's voice rumbling so close by.
Chesmu looks upon his cubs again with pride. "Is there any way I could get a closer look at them?" Chesmu is overjoyed. A son! A *son!* Chesmu feels the urge to run all over Amaranth territory shouting out the news. A son! And some daughters! All his cubs. He will love them! A son!!!
Chandani feels her mother's muzzle bumping her which helped the girl feel reassured, even though she's still not sure what to make out of all the new feelings and sensations of the whole new world... at the moment the new born is content being with the family.
"Not today, Chesmu." The weariness has begun to creep into Ayashe's voice. "When their eyes are open and they may gaze upon you, then you may gaze upon them." She lowers her head, draping her neck across Yuma, Chandani, and the other two cubs before allowing her eyes to close again. This time, they do not reopen. She asks, almost as an afterthought, "Is there any news of Azriel?"
Paoro shakes her head solemnly. "I am afraid not, matron. But our guard is certainly not to be let down in these times of new life." The shamaness then swivels her head back to face Chesmu. "I believe it is time to let the new mother rest, chieftain." She makes no move to leave herself, however, apparently intending to stay and watch over Ayashe and her new litter until she is rested.
Chesmu nods. "Very well. I will make sure food is brought here so you may feed." Chesmu says, then looks again proudly on his cubs before turning and sauntering off, happy upon nearly delirious about this event. A son! And daughters. But a son!
Chandani stops squirming around and goes suddenly still, after the whole ordeal the young cub is so tired that she starts to rest for the time being.
"I fear for Maulisho and her children, but I do not think Azriel will do them any harm if they are also his." No, it isn't Azriel that Ayashe is worried about. "My brother, LaVeaux..." Her voice trails off, muzzle parting into a wide, toothy yawn with a curling tongue. No more needs to be said. "You'll patrol the border, won't you?" she calls after him, though she does not expect an answer in return. He may even be too far off to hear. With a sigh, she hunkers down, content to sleep now that she knows there will be an extra set of eyes watching over her cubs while she rests. Thank you, Paoro.
"Eyes will always be watching over Amaranth's new life," Paoro promises her daughter as she slips into sleep. Even if those eyes are spiritual, not physical, in nature. Leaning over to gently lick the matron's forehead, the shamaness will remain in this place for as long as her daughter dreams, a loving guardian over her descendants as always.