Post by Therdde on Apr 20, 2008 23:53:42 GMT -5
Characters:
Maulisho - Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar Cub
Nayeli - Female Cougar Cub
Chandani - Female Cougar Cub
- Stone Formations -
She has a /lot/ on her mind... more than she would care to admit to anyone else. Conversations with Chesmu and conversations with Kasim have left her in a mental frenzy, trying to balance out far too many factors. It is with a very distracted gaze that she is found, resting alongside one of the stones--her particular favorite of the cluster, in fact. Maulisho lets out a toothy yawn and settles her head back down on her forepaws as she gazes blankly ahead.
Just yesterday, Kein watched Chesmu try to convince one of his daughters that doing bad things is okay. In the hours since then, he has come to the conclusion that Nayeli might be in danger if she stays there. He has to rescue her... And he's not sure how any of the adults will respond. After spending a long time trying to figure out what to do, he still has no ideas, but he does approach his mother. He's desperate to do /something/. Continuing to lie around isn't an option.
Amber eyes blink and focus on the approaching form. It's... a cougar cub. One of /her/ cougar cubs. "Hello, Kein." Maulisho greets her firstborn son with a warm voice. "How've you been? Found any good climbing trees lately?" Her smile turns somewhat mischievous. "Just be careful you don't fall out--I don't want to pick up little Kein pieces, okay?"
At least Mom doesn't say anything that would make him want to back down. By the way Chesmu was talking, he would have imagined that Mom would be the next one to search him out to speak for him. "Hi Mommy." His tone is a little subdued, as it has been recently, but he nuzzles up against her and even tries to laugh at her joke. Alas, the little cub has much bigger things on his mind right now.
Oh, Chesmu's mentioned Kein's "odd" behavior to Maulisho, but she's not one to just sit her son down and demand an explanation. No... she's resorting to observation. And yes, she /has/ noticed something a little amiss with Kein's behavior, but it's probably nothing that can't be attributed to him not feeling well. Nuzzling him back, maybe even a bit more forcefully than normal. "Kein, are you feeling sick at all?"
Kein shakes his head. That question is easy to answer. "No." He doesn't ask why, because he doesn't want to know, for certain, why she asked. Kein takes a deep breath, then continues talking. "Mommy... I wanna go visit Nayeli again... Please?" Next up, she'll tell him to ask Kasim to take him, or something. But he'll deal with that when it happens. Right now he wants to make sure he /can/ visit, and if he absolutely can't get out of having an escort after Mom says he can go, then he'll have to cope.
If he's not sick, then... what could be bothering him? It's his question that may offer some explanation. Maulisho hmms thoughtfully for a moment, gazing at her son. She looks down at her paws, toward the rock next to her, and up at the sky, as if making a really hard decision. Finally she looks back at her son, eyebrows raised slightly. "I want you to stay around here and spend some time with your family. But--" she adds quickly, knowing that he will protest "--I'll make a deal with you. /If/ you answer one question, I have a surprise for you to enjoy here at home that I know you'll like very much. Deal?"
Kein's body slumps with disappointment as soon as his mom starts talking. He dips his head and frowns. His ears perk when she goes on to offer the deal, but he's no more enthused when she finishes speaking than immediately after she said she wants him to stay here. If he's supposed to be enjoying whatever surprise she has /at home/, then it still means he won't be leaving. There's some hesitation before he answers, but when he does, he accepts her deal, and his tone doesn't sound too much like he's whining. "Okay." No point arguing, after all.
It's not a difficult question... at least in the sense of being complicated. Whether or not it's easy to answer in the sense of Kein being reluctant might be a different matter. "All I want to know is what's troubling you. If you don't want to explain in detail, I understand. I also have things troubling me that I don't want to talk about. /But/ I just want you to know that you can always talk to me when you need. I won't make fun of you or punish you just for telling me something." She nuzzles Kein again, purring softly.
That question /is/ much more difficult. Even when Mom says she wouldn't punish him for telling her. He is silent for a while. He remains pressed against her, but he doesn't purr at the nuzzling. He's still frowning when he answers, but he does finally find an answer he thinks might work. "I know you, and Pel, and the chief all think I'm bad. Sometimes. But I'm not. I'm gonna prove I'm not." In a way, that is exactly what is bothering him... But he definitely /doesn't/ go into detail. And as soon as Nayeli, at least, is safe from Chesmu... Maybe he'll be able to tell Mom more, even if it does mean he might get punished for chasing that mouse.
That wasn't /quite/ what Maulisho was expecting, but it at least seems to be a sufficient explanation. She won't ask /why/ Kein came to that conclusion, but she'll at least double-check with Chesmu to find out if he knows anything. "Kein, dear... I don't think you're bad at all. We all make mistakes, myself included. But I /love/ you and even when you /do/ make mistakes I don't think you're /bad/." She nuzzles him yet again. "Thank you for telling me anyway." Pulling her head away so she can look into his eyes, Maulisho smiles. "I said that you can't go visit Nayeli but have to spend time here at home... would you like to go /bring/ Nayeli back /here/? I would like to meet your friend one of these days, you know." Surprise!
Maybe Mom doesn't, but Pelutho and Chesmu definitely do, as far as Kein is concerned. They just react differently to the belief that he's bad. But like Mom said, he's not. He perks up, though, as Mom suggests that he bring Nayeli back home. "Really?!" That was basically what Kein intended all along, and now Mom is telling him to do just that? He hops up to nuzzle his mom, his mood apparently drastically improved by this. "Yeah! I wanna do that!"
Maulisho licks her son's headfur briefly before giving him another smile. "I thought you might. In fact, you can leave to get her whenever you would like!" She'll either have Kasim keep a discrete eye out on the cubs as they travel or she'll do it herself. They won't realize they're being watched, of course, but it'll give her more of a peace of mind, especially with you-know-who on the prowl. Actually, /several/ you-know-whos.
Moments ago, Kein had been dreading what he figured was going to be an unpleasant conversation when he asked if he could go alone. And, now, just like his mom seemed to read his mind about his plans to bring Nayeli back, she's offering to let him go all by himself? He spends a moment looking at his mom, wondering how much she /does/ know... And if she can read minds. It will give him something to think about on the way to the pine grove, but right this moment, he doesn't want to give her a chance to change her mind. With the first genuine smile he has had in a while, now, he nuzzles his mom and says, "I'm gonna go now, and we'll be back /real/ soon, okay Mommy?" He appreciates everything she has just told him he's allowed to do, more than he could possibly express.
"Okay then. I'll be waiting." Maulisho starts to lean back, but suddenly stops to add something: "Kein, I want you to think about something as you travel. As you grow older I will allow you to do more and more things without me having to watch over you. That's called 'responsibility' and it's something that goes right along with trust. The more I trust that you will do a good job, the more responsibility you will get." She smiles and nuzzles back. "We can talk more about it later if you want, but just think about it as you go." Pulling back, the cougaress nods in the direction of Kein's destination. "Go on now, and remember that I love you very much."
Kein is not really a stranger to trust. Mostly in the form of losing it. His mom now has more trust in him, though? That has to be good. And if she believes he can do this... Well, then, he almost definitely can. Purring softly, he says, "I love you too, Mommy. Thank you." A little more energetic, now, he turns to head southward, in the same direction he and Kasim went when Kasim took him to visit Nayeli before.
- Pine Grove -
"So what do you think Yuma really does with Chesmu all the time? They keep going on these exploring trips and stuff..." Nayeli sighs from her flopped position among the pine needles. "I wish they would do more stuff with us..." She misses Kein. At least /he/ didn't think she wasn't worth spending time with. Even despite her obvious mistakes and slow learning at what he tried to teach her.
Chandani lets out a sigh off her own, "I have no idea. I only went on a exploring trip with dad once that I can recall. It was only because he caught me trying to wander off without an adult." Then looks down, "I wish there were other cubs around we could play with."
Kein manages to find his way back to the pine grove easily enough. He began tracking Nayeli by scent, but it is actually the familiar young voices that bring him closer. He's too far away to make out what they're saying, but his pace is quickened, since he's eager to get Nayeli away from here, and it won't be long before he's really close to them. He also isn't making the slightest effort to remain quiet.
Other cubs... like Kein. Not that Nayeli has anything against playing with her siblings, but... /they/ didn't teach her how to climb a tree, or how to track a scent, or... Nayeli sighs, looking away from her sister toward a random tree. She's considered several times to try again, but never mustered up the courage to do so. If she couldn't do it with Kein right there encouraging her, what makes her think she can do it by herself? No... she's just had to admit that some things will always be possible only for those stronger and smarter than her.
Chandani keeps her attention on her sister Nayeli for the moment. She still has a lot of learning to do and needs someone to teach her after all she's still a cub and not strong enough to fight. Her thoughts are also on Kein and wants to talk with him.
As Kein grows closer, he recognizes first Nayeli's voice... Then the other one. That other cub, Chandani. Even he is surprised to find himself hesitating before openly announcing his presence. Chandani is basically the whole reason that he's here. If he hadn't realized that Chesmu is trying to corrupt his children, he might have never come. But has the chief succeeded? He is less certain of himself and his mission when he passes a few trees and spots Nayeli and her sister. "Hey." He hangs back a few feet, and his voice is relatively quiet as he listens to make sure no one, specifically Chesmu, is approaching them.
It's the quiet voice that catches Nayeli's attention--even if she doesn't recognize the one who spoke, it's at least something to break up the monotony of just waiting around with nothing to do. But she /does/ recognize the voice... it's Kein! Her muzzle parts in a delighted smile as she jumps to her paws and charges toward the newcomer. "Kein! It's you!" So much for quiet or subtle. Then again, she's well-enough aware that Chesmu isn't anywhere around; if he was, she'd at least have something to do and wouldn't have been so bored! Obviously!
The cub Chandani also seems to cheer up when Kein speaks and Nayeli talks to him. She also goes to get up and quickly gets up on her paws and goes follows after her sister.
Kein lowers his ears suddenly at how loud Nayeli's voice is and looks around. Unlike Nayeli, he has no idea how close Chesmu may be, and he doesn't want to be followed. Of course, he also doesn't realize that either Mom or Kasim is keeping an eye on him. Something is not right with the boycub, but after looking around, he does greet Nayeli with a nuzzle. After that, he says, "We gotta go. My mom said you could come over." Ideally, he will tell them what he knows while they're on the way back to his home. He just wants to get back there, and away from Chesmu, as soon as possible.
Hey, this is even better than she thought! Nayeli was just happy that Kein was able to come over and play, but now that he wants to bring her back to visit /his/ home? Awesome! "I knew your mom would let me come over some day!" Nayeli is all smiles right now, for sure. "C'mon, Chandani! This is gonna be fun!" There isn't much attention or thought given to any strange behavior the boycub might be exhibiting; any paranoia on his part isn't even really noticed by Nayeli. She's far too excited about the prospect of finally seeing Kein's home.
"I am coming." She says thinking this could be fun and she can not wait to get away from home for a while. Making her way closer towards the boy cub not wanting to lose track off them. Then waits for Kein to lead the way back to his home.
Kein isn't entirely sure that he wants Chandani tagging along, but it is less important than getting back home quickly. And if Chesmu /has/ corrupted Chandani... They'll have to deal with it on the way. It depends on how willing she is to believe that the chief is bad. Very bad. Forcing a thin smile, Kein says, "Okay. Let's go." Mom never said more of Nayeli's siblings couldn't come, after all. Kein is much less concerned about Nayeli getting permission today. They have his mom's permission What else matters? Rather, he turns to begin heading back home, looking back to check to see if they're following as soon as he takes a step.
It finally registers that Kein doesn't seem to be quite his usual self... although it /is/ entirely possible that Nayeli just isn't remembering how Kein normally acts. Hmm. Well, there's nothing like questions to bring stuff out into the open, right? "What're we gonna do at your home, Kein?" Nayeli trots forward to where she can walk alongside of her friend. If Chandani wants to walk along the other side, great. If not, well... that's her choice.
Chandani gets on the other side off Kein and trots as well trying to keep up with him. "I cannot wait to get to your home." Totally unaware that Kein might not even want her along with them. "Was that where, I saw you that one time you helped me get out of trouble?" She asks the boy cub.
Kein nods and answer Chandani's easier question before he addresses Nayeli. "Yeah. That's my home." As for what Nayeli asked. Kein sighs, and says, "I don't know what we're gonna do yet, but... We gotta do somethin'." After all, his home is still in Amaranth territory, still controlled by an evil chieftain. "I gotta tell you two somethin'... About your dad." He may have told Chandani yesterday, except for that Chesmu was within hearing distance. And now he doesn't know how she'll react, or what they talked about when Chesmu took Chandani home. Only one thing is for certain. He /knows/ that his friend, Nayeli, hasn't been corrupted by her father.
Nayeli's response to Kein's first remark is a giggle. "Of /course/ we gotta do something!" /Obviously/! That's the whole reason for getting together! But when Kein continues on much more serious note, Nayeli's exuberance seems visibly dampened, and her response to Kein's second remark is a lot more somber. "Something about Daddy? What do you gotta tell us?" What could Kein possibly know that they don't know? After all, he /is/ their dad, and not Kein's! For that matter, Kein doesn't even /have/ a dad! Not yet, anyway! Not until Kasim spends more time around Kein's mom, first. Right.
Chandani is about to say something else that is until Kein seems serious and quickly gives him her full attention not saying anything since Nayeli already asked the questions she was about too.
Kein takes a deep breath and looks at Chandani before speaking. "What your dad told you was wrong. Mouses aren't food. It's bad to even chase a mouse. Really bad." And Chesmu killed and ate one. Which helps him to answer Nayeli's question. He looks to her and says, "Your dad is bad. Really bad." Bad enough to be a lynx, even. "And he's trying to get us all to do things that will make us all bad."
"Mouses?" Nayeli looks baffled. "What are mouses?" Apparently not something to eat or chase! But... if it's really bad then why wouldn't Daddy say that? Why would Kein say that Daddy is wrong? The girlcub flattens her ears at the ominous pronouncement that Daddy is bad. Not just bad, but /really/ bad. Not just /really/ bad, but trying to get THEM to be really bad! "...How do you know this?" she finally asks, with obvious trepidation and timidity.
Chandani flattens her ears too and her jaw drops. Chandani's attention is still on Kein, "I have not heard off mouses either except when I was with him and you." Then waits for a moment to see if he answers Nayeli's questions wondering the same thing. Wanting to get the whole story from the male cub. She has not even heard daddy mention mouses after that situation either. Can daddy really be bad? She can hardly believe it.
"Mouses are... Well... They're little, littler than us... And you can get in bad trouble for chasing them or hurting them... And he killed one and tried to make me eat it..." If Kein were older or less worried about getting in trouble, he would have realized this one tiny creature was just trying to get out of danger. It convinced him, though, and Chesmu's actions after that... "Your dad /is/ bad, Nayeli, and... I didn't wanna leave you somewhere dangerous... But I don't know what to do next."
Nayeli looks completely stricken, moving over to press up against Chandani. "What if Kein is right?" she whispers into her sister's ear. "What if Daddy really is bad?" Though she has experienced plenty of resentment toward her father, the possibility that he might be /bad/ is more than she can bear. She still loves her dad, despite his obvious favoritism toward Yuma.
Chandani turns to face Nayeli it is almost a little more than she can handle too. Then blinks upon hearing her sister's question and whispers back. "I-I have no idea." Chandani still loves her father too. But as for Chesmu the chieftain being bad? She does not what to think about it at the moment.
This isn't only rough on Nayeli and Chandani. Kein may not love Chesmu like he loves his mother, but... He admired Chesmu, and enjoyed the time he got to spend with the chief, even if only because it got him away from home for a little while, so he could explore. Witnessing the chief do something that Kein believes is incredibly bad has been rough on the young male as well. His silence over the past days hasn't been solely, or even primarily, because he's afraid of getting into trouble. This has affected him more than that. He sighs as he can hear Nayeli and Chandani whispering. He can't make out what they're saying, but he does realize that there can't be many reasons they'd try to keep him out of the conversation. They don't believe him. And he's not sure what to do about that, either. Unable to think of anything else he can say, he just continues walking.
- Stone Formations -
It's an awkwardly silent walk from then on, and Nayeli feels almost compelled to say something, but can't decide /what/. How does one go about defending a father when the father always goes off on mysterious trips? Who knows what he's really doing? Killing mice, perhaps? And--Nayeli's eyes grow wide with horror at the thought--perhaps he's teaching Yuma to kill mice too? If she didn't feel terrible before, now she really does! At the same time, there's an overwhelming feeling of gratitude toward Kein, once again. He came all the way over to warn Chandani and her! Walk, walk walk... surely they're almost there. Sure enough, Nayeli can finally see the rocky pillars up ahead, and her expression brightens.
The other cub Chandani cannot stop thinking about the idea that her father is evil and feels bad and guilty too. Then when she spots the familiar stones she starts to feel a little more comfortable and somewhat more at ease but the thoughts off her father possibly being evil is a little more harder to get rid of. But she does not say anything else for the moment.
Kein relaxes as the stone pillars come into sight. For the moment, they're all safe. He's still not sure what to do next, but they have some time, now. As they get a little closer, he calls out, "Mom! I'm back!" He promised her that he would hurry, and he wants to let her know now that they've returned. Though he shouts, so she can hear him, there is less excitement in his voice than when Mom said he could go get Nayeli earlier.
And from around one of the pillars steps the figure of Maulisho, looking pleased to see her son back safe and sound. Not that she was ever worried--she had ghosted along with the cubs during their journey, though they never detected her presence. "You made it! Well done, Kein." A warm smile is given to the two female cubs. "And welcome to both of you, daughters of Chesmu." A bit formal, perhaps, but she wants to leave a good impression. Her amber eyes flick back over to Kein as she awaits an introduction. Hopefully some of her teaching on etiquette will be remembered!
It's the scary waiting to happen! Nayeli flattens her ears slightly in trepidation as the adult female comes into view, though as the greeting is much friendlier than expected, she does start to relax a little. 'Daughter of Chesmu'? Well... that's true, but it sounds so weird! Her name is Nayeli, anyway, so why not call her that? Surely Kein told his mother about her? Why wouldn't he? They're friends, after all!
Chandani turns to face the adult female and looks a little frightened at first. Then tries to calm down not wanting to give the wrong impression after all Maulisho's greeting was nice and the cub turns to face Kein too nervous to speak since she's not too familiar with Maulisho yet.
It takes Mom looking at him for Kein to realized that he ought to be doing something. There's that little bit of hesitation before he says, "Uh... Mom, these are Nayeli and Chandani... And this is my mom, uh... Maulisho." It's the first time he has ever said his mom's name, even though he knows it. Nayeli and Chandani can't call her mom, though. They have their own Mom. "Uh... Can they maybe stay here all of tonight, Mom?" That will give them all time to decide what they should do, right?
Big surprise. Even before she gave Kein permission to go bring Nayeli back (and another big surprise that he brought Chandani as well!) Maulisho knew full well that Kein would be trying to get additional permission for the visit to last as long as possible. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, Nayeli and Chandani," the adult says cordially, completing her part of the formal greeting. "And of course they can stay here for the night. There's far too much for you to show them in just the short rest of the afternoon, right?" The cougaress wouldn't mind talking to them some herself, as well--she's heard a little of Chesmu's cubs but hasn't had the opportunity for much interaction up to this point.
Maulisho. So /that's/ what Kein's mom's name is! Why didn't he ever tell her that before? Maybe for the same reason she's always referred to her own mother as "Mom"--there's been no need for other names! Nayeli isn't sure what to say in response, other than a weak smile. Maulisho seems to be directing most of her conversation toward Kein anyway, so the girlcub is more than willing to stay out of the conversation. Shy? Very much so. At least when dealing with Kein's mom! Thankfully she seems to be in a not-so-scary mood today, or Nayeli might not want to stay over for the whole night. Glancing over at her sister, she wonders if Chandani is willing to stay as well.
Chandani turns to face Maulisho again still a little scared and nervous she says. "It is nice meeting you." The cub returns to Kein's mother then turns to face her sister with a smile showing that she is happy that they can stay for the night hoping Nayeli picks up on it. not only are they at Kein's home they're staying the whole night and gets close enough so she's able to whisper, "This will be fun." To Nayeli not wanting to speak over Maul and Kein.
Kein smiles as his mom says hat Nayeli and Chandani can stay the night. He smiles and says, quickly, "Thank you, Mommy!" Even if they don't have as much fun as Chandani imagines, they will at least be away from Chesmu. After that, he looks back to Nayeli and Chandani. Now that there is permission, he asks Nayeli, primarily, "You're gonna stay, right? You can meet my brother and my sister, and..." And he'll figure out something. Whether she believes him or not, he really wants her to stay, at least for today.
Oh no! She forgot to say what Chandani said! Flushing, Nayeli dips her head toward Maulisho and says in a shaky voice, "It's n-nice to meet you t-too." Now she feels terrible. Looking toward her friend, the girlcub can't help but think how Kein must have been so thrilled to introduce her to his mother, and look what she's done! Does she really want to stay now, after this? Well... if Kein is still willing for her to, then... "I guess so," she answers slowly, doing her best not to look back in the cougaress' direction. "Are you sure it's okay?"
Chandani turns to face Kein again feeling a little more at ease, "You have a nice home." she says in a excited voice remembering some off the areas from before trying to bring up a conversation and that is the only thing she could come up with on short notice.
Like Nayeli, Kein often forgets the simply niceties. He only remembers them if he's really, really thinking about it or if someone reminds him, and he scarcely notices that Nayeli forgot to say them until after she stammers them out. Nodding quickly, he says, "It's okay." He perks an ear to Chandani. She has seen this area before. Maybe she wanted to say that the last time she was here. All the same, since this moment seems to be all about saying all those things that cougars are expected to say to prove that they don't dislike the one they're speaking to, he says, "Thanks," before turning his attention back to Nayeli. "C'mon. Let's go. There's lots to see." Tour time? Either that or he just wants to talk more to the other cubs.
"Kein, why don't you give Chandani a tour of your home? I'd like to speak to Nayeli for a moment before she joins you." It's stated firmly as if there's no room for arguing or protesting. What could the cougaress possibly want to discuss? Maulisho's amber eyes and warm expression betray nothing.
Yay, they can stay and see Kein's home and meet his siblings and play games and explore and... wait. Nayeli stares at the cougaress upon hearing her words, unsure if she heard correctly. Kein's mom wants to talk to /her/ while Kein shows /Chandani/ around? Oh no... this can't be good! Looking more than a bit anxious, Nayeli cowers down slightly, looking toward Kein as if for guidance on what to do. This is baaaaaad!
Chandani turns her head towards her sister seeming to have a surprised look on her face. Why does Maul want to talk to Nayeli? She hopes that nothing is wrong and lets out a soft sigh it will not be the same without sibling. Then turns back towards Kein to see his reaction.
"But..." Kein knows very well when arguing won't get him anywhere, but it's sometimes tempting to try, all the same. He doesn't get more than that single word out before he spots Nayeli's cowering, and he takes a deep breath. No matter how much he argues, it won't help, and it might just make Nayeli more worried, more afraid of his mom, if Nayeli thinks Kein doesn't want to leave her here because his mom might be mean. "Okay. Well be back in a little bit, Nayeli." His tone is soft enough. He's trying to tell her there's nothing to worry about from his mom without actually saying the words, since she has told him often enough that his mom is scary. He smiles at Nayeli, then turns to head away from Nayeli and his mom.
Chandani looks over towards Nayeli, "I wi-will see you later." She says trying to help calm her down. Before facing the direction the male cub is heading down and she quickly follows after him trying to think off something to say. She ends up asking the first thing that comes to mind, "Kein is it really alright, that I came here?" She asks nervously. After all it seemed like it was Nayeli that invited her here not Kein.
Kein nods slightly at Chandani's question as they venture further away from Mom and Nayeli. "It's okay." There's a brief pause as he tries to decide what else he wants to say to Chandani. Nayeli may have initiated the whispering either, but if anyone has reason to not believe him, it should be Chandani... And this time alone with her does give him opportunity to see if Chesmu has already made her bad. "Now you know why I didn't wanna talk to your dad..."
Chandani looks over towards Kein and nods a little, "Yes I do." She says, "I am sorry about what happened, when I came here." She says, "I have not spoken to him about the mouses after that. It was the first and only time I heard off them." Keeping her attention on Kein thinking for a moment trying to come up with something else to say or ask, "Where did you hear it anyway?" Chandani appears to be somewhat interested in it. Not sure what to make off it and if it is true. Then how can she look at the chieftain the same way again.
If Chandani hasn't spoken to Chesmu since that day... Then he might not have gotten a chance to turn her bad. Maybe he's focusing all of his attention on his son, since he has realized that he won't be able to make Kein bad. There is more hesitation as she asks her question. It's a little hard to follow, but he can gather what she's probably asking about. "If I tell you... You can't tell, okay?" He might tell Mom eventually, if he can't find any other way, but...
Chandani freezes in her tracks her eyes suddenly go wide when he mentions the question, "I will not tell anyone." She admits and intends to keep her word too. Hoping that he does answer her question.
Kein doesn't stop walking, even when she freezes. He doesn't look at her at all, and so can't tell that she has frozen. As he continues walking he says, "On day... I almost got in really bad trouble... I was trying to get a mouse, and he turned around, and let me know it was a really bad thing... He almost came and told my mom." Kein had to practically beg Mateka not to go to his mom, and surely no mouse would be that eager to go to a larger cougar if it was lying, if it really is bad to hunt mice.
Chandani sees Kein is still walking and she quickly follows suite catching every word he was saying. "Really? I am glad the mouse did not go to your mother." She admits not knowing what else to say or do under the circumstances. "No wonder you acted like that around my father." The cub adds unsure rather to believe him or not. It is hard to figure out because it was at the male cub's home when she heard off them for the first time. Then she adds, "I have been meaning to thank you for helping me get out of trouble when I was here too. I did not expect you to tell my father that, Kasim brought me here."
Kein hasn't cleared that lie with Kasim, either, but if either Kasim or Chesmu were angry over it, he'd have probably hear about it before now, so they're probably save. Chesmu /did/ seem to believe it, after all. Probably best to forget that he ever did it. "You're welcome. I don't like hearin' him yell at people. Especially since... Well... You know."
Chandani keeps on following after Kein, "That is understandable. I did not want you to get you involved. I wanted to get out for a while. I came here without an adult, because I could not find one." Then lets out a soft sigh, "I thought, I could get out on my own and be fine. I did not expect to be caught. I felt bad about you getting involved." She says honestly.
Kein knows how it feels to want to go somewhere and have no adults around either. Unlike Chandani, though, he has learned better than to do that. It doesn't mean he doesn't sympathize, though. "Don't feel bad. It's okay." Neither of them got in trouble. Chesmu stopped yelling. As far as Kein is concerned, it may well be close to one of the best things he has ever done. He saved the girl cub from being yelled at by her corrupt father.
Chandani continues to walk beside Kein, "I went there after my father told me something about you and a wolf." Then she blinks her eyes, "What is a wolf any way? I think he told me the wolf was trying to take you away."
Kein finally looks around as the conversation changes to something more commonly known. Less secret. He isn't giving a very good tour, not telling her anything about his home, but he does at least show her around a good section of it. "Wolves are weird. Their fur is strange, and their mouths are /way/ too long, and filled with a bunch of teeth, and they talk /all the time/." In other words, ugly.
Chandani makes a face at the thought of that. "Really? You would not want to see another one then?"
Would Kein want to see another wolf? They're weird, sure, and that one that took him isn't on his list of animals he'd like to befriend, but Mom is friends with a wolf. They can't /all/ be bad. "I dunno. I don't wanna see that one again, definitely."
Chandani looks around the area, "I do not think, I would want to see that one again either. If that happened to me." She admits. "So where do you want to go now?" She asks.
They've walked a rough circle around the stones, and seen most of the immediate area. He finally stops when she asks. Actively giving tours is kind of boring. He takes a deep breath, then says, "I wonder if my mom is done speaking with Nayeli yet." It's not exactly an answer, but it should give some idea about where he's thinking about heading next.
Chandani nods, "Hmm I wonder too. Do you want to go find out? I can wait here if you wish."
Kein gives a slight shrug. "You can come with me, if you want, but you don't have to, if you want to stay here." He does turn to weave his way back through the stones, though, to return to where he left Nayeli and Mom. Or perhaps to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Chandani turns around and quickly follows after Kein for the same reason as Kein hoping that the conversation is over with, and a part of her is wondering what they were talking about.
Interesting. There's no sign of either the cougaress or the younger cub. Nowhere to be seen in any direction, and no sound from anywhere! There's a scent trail, however... and if one would so happen to follow it, it leads... across the ground... to... a tree! A rather large tree at the edge of the clearing, with suspicious scratch marks on the trunk near the base. Very interesting indeed.
Kein continues creeping forward, listening for voices. He gets to where he left them before hearing any, though, which he finds surprising. He looks back to Chandani, then begins to follow the scent. It isn't too long before he can see the tree, and the scratch marks on it. Did Mom teach Nayeli how to climb? No fair! He was supposed to watch Mom teach so that he could learn how she does it! With a slight frown, he looks up.
Chandani follows after Kein spotting the scratches on the tree herself then turns to face Kein puzzled, "What do you think happened here?" She asks puzzled.
Suddenly there's a soft giggle from above. It sounds suspiciously like Nayeli, though there's no additional sounds that might confirm such a suspicion. Is that a cougaress behind that cluster of branches? Nothing is moving, so it's difficult to tell.
Kein's ears perk to the giggling. Mom /did/ teach Nayeli to climb! Kein is still frowning when he looks to Chandani. When he answers Chandani's question, his tone is less than enthusiastic. "They're up in the tree." Or something is, anyway. Kein chooses to assume the worst. He wanted Mom to teach Nayeli to climb, sure, but... The fact that Maul /could/ teach Nayeli to climb just confirms that Kein is a horrible teacher, and how is he ever going to learn if Mom sends him away before teaching other people things?
Chandani perks her ears as well to the giggling then looks up in the tree before fixing her gaze on the male cub again and frowns, "How can you get up there?" She asks puzzled after all she's never learned how to climb trees before.
If it wasn't nearly a laugh, the words coming from the branches above might resemble a ghostly and disembodied voice. "Kein, we're still having our talk, so why don't you take Chandani over to the other side of the rocks and teach her how to climb a tree over there?" Once again, the words are spoken as a question but with an underlying authority. It's really a gentle command that's not to be questioned.
Kein can't teach. Mom just proved that. He'd like to tell Mom that, too, but... She wouldn't listen. For whatever reason. Maybe she'd just tell him to show Chandani something else. It doesn't matter. Suddenly rethinking his decision to bring Nayeli back here, he hangs his head to walk away again, without answering his mom. She wasn't really asking him anyway. She was telling him to go away under the guise of asking him to do something.
Chandani turns around and follows after Kein wishing she knew what Nayeli and Maul was talking about. Not sure exactly where they are heading off to this time to be honest she's just going where the male cub leads her too.
Kein keeps his head hung as he leads Chandani away from the tree. He has no intention of going all the way to the other side of the clearing, though. Rather, as soon as he gets to the inner group of stones, he lies down. He's really not the type to give up. In fact, this may be the first time he has ever done it, and it's not really a pleasant feeling.
Chandani follows Kein to the inner circle of stones. Then when he lays down the cub watches him appearing to be puzzled. "I thought you were going to teach me how to climb?"
"I can't." He's not fond of admitting that, either. Kein lays his head down onto his forepaws. "I'm sorry." And why not? He has apologized enough times when he has done something wrong, or when someone is upset with him. And, if anything else is bad, not knowing something he /should/ know is definitely bad.
Chandani blinks her eyes at his reaction. "You do not have to be sorry." She says. "What makes you say you can't if you do not mind my asking."
Kein doesn't answer immediately. He spends a moment thinking about it before he says, "I tried to teach your sister. First I taught her how to track, and she almost didn't learn that. Then I tried teaching her to climb trees. I couldn't." He glances back at the treeline. Nayeli was wrong. It's not because she can't learn, because she isn't smart.
Chandani lets out a soft sigh, "I have not learned how to track either. No one ever tried to teach me at all." She looks down at the ground, "Do you think you can try to teach me?" She asks almost begging the male cub to give her a chance.
Kein just told Chandani that he doesn't know how to teach. Was she not listening to him, or is she just setting him up to fail? That is probably the worst part about the fact that he doesn't teach well. At least when he's trying to learn how to do other things, he can practice in private until he gets good at it. There's no way to practice teaching in private, though, and failure is humiliating to the young male. At least Nayeli never rubbed it in his face. "I dunno. But... When my mom is done with Nayeli... I can ask her to teach you... Or you can. She's real nice. She'll do it."
Chandani looks down feeling bad she was listening Kein she was not even trying to set him up to fail either. Picking up her right fore-paw and rubs it gently against the ground and sighs, "Alright, I am sorry for asking." She says in a sincere voice.
"It's okay." She let it drop. That's all Kein cares about, right this minute. Trying to find something else to talk about, to change the subject to something a little more light-hearted, he asks, "How'd you find here my home yesterday?" It was either pure luck, or she knew where she was going.
Chandani blinks her eyes, "I had no idea where, I was to be honest. I wanted to go exploring and ended up here. I did not even know this was your home to be honest."
Kein nods his head a little bit. As well as he can without lifting it completely off of his forepaws, at any rate. "That's how I found your home, the first time." Well, except for that he was actually /looking/ for them. It was just luck that he found them, or that he found Nayeli, since he had no idea where they were.
Chandani makes her way closer towards Kein and lays down, "I have been wanting to meet you for a while. I was feeling so lonely and wanted to try and find another cub to talk too. I know, I had my sister Nayeli. I wanted to make more friends though. So I was actually trying to find you or another cub. I was glad, I saw you until my father showed up."
Kein knows that Yuma doesn't spend much time with his siblings, but what about the other one? The sister whose name he doesn't know yet? Part of it makes him curious, but he doesn't ask. Instead, he says, "I have a sister and a brother. I don't know where they are right now, but... Maybe you can meet them before-" Before they go home? Are they going to go home? Kein isn't sure. What if they can't find some other way to make them all safe from Chesmu?
Chandani keeps her attention on Kein, "I have two sisters and a brother." She says trying to think off something else to say then stops for a moment. "I hope. I will be able to meet them. Before what?" She asks seeming puzzled as to why he stopped.
"I dunno. I... I wanted to bring Nayeli, and you, here, 'cause of your dad, but... If we can't do anything about him... I don't know what we're going to do. If you're going to go home, or..." Kein trails off again with a sigh. He /has/ to tell Mom. Or maybe Kasim. He's too small to do anything by himself. Even with Chandani and Nayeli, they're too small.
Chandani flattens her ears a little keeping her attention on Kein. "I was hoping Nayeli and Maulisho would be done talking by now. I would like to speak with her about this too."
It is now your pose.
Kein would probably go ask if they're done talking yet, but he doesn't want to be told to go away again... And he kind of wants to forget all about this, just for a little bit. It's why he turned the conversation to their families, but that didn't work for very long. It's a lot for a little cub to deal with. He doesn't say anything else, but he keeps his eyes in the direction of the tree line.
Chandani looks around the area again one last time before laying her head to try and get some rest unable to think of anything else to say or do after enjoying the conversation with Kein, and her thoughts keep wandering to the chieftain and her Nayeli who she really feels the need to talk too. While struggling to remain awake.
Maulisho - Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar Cub
Nayeli - Female Cougar Cub
Chandani - Female Cougar Cub
- Stone Formations -
She has a /lot/ on her mind... more than she would care to admit to anyone else. Conversations with Chesmu and conversations with Kasim have left her in a mental frenzy, trying to balance out far too many factors. It is with a very distracted gaze that she is found, resting alongside one of the stones--her particular favorite of the cluster, in fact. Maulisho lets out a toothy yawn and settles her head back down on her forepaws as she gazes blankly ahead.
Just yesterday, Kein watched Chesmu try to convince one of his daughters that doing bad things is okay. In the hours since then, he has come to the conclusion that Nayeli might be in danger if she stays there. He has to rescue her... And he's not sure how any of the adults will respond. After spending a long time trying to figure out what to do, he still has no ideas, but he does approach his mother. He's desperate to do /something/. Continuing to lie around isn't an option.
Amber eyes blink and focus on the approaching form. It's... a cougar cub. One of /her/ cougar cubs. "Hello, Kein." Maulisho greets her firstborn son with a warm voice. "How've you been? Found any good climbing trees lately?" Her smile turns somewhat mischievous. "Just be careful you don't fall out--I don't want to pick up little Kein pieces, okay?"
At least Mom doesn't say anything that would make him want to back down. By the way Chesmu was talking, he would have imagined that Mom would be the next one to search him out to speak for him. "Hi Mommy." His tone is a little subdued, as it has been recently, but he nuzzles up against her and even tries to laugh at her joke. Alas, the little cub has much bigger things on his mind right now.
Oh, Chesmu's mentioned Kein's "odd" behavior to Maulisho, but she's not one to just sit her son down and demand an explanation. No... she's resorting to observation. And yes, she /has/ noticed something a little amiss with Kein's behavior, but it's probably nothing that can't be attributed to him not feeling well. Nuzzling him back, maybe even a bit more forcefully than normal. "Kein, are you feeling sick at all?"
Kein shakes his head. That question is easy to answer. "No." He doesn't ask why, because he doesn't want to know, for certain, why she asked. Kein takes a deep breath, then continues talking. "Mommy... I wanna go visit Nayeli again... Please?" Next up, she'll tell him to ask Kasim to take him, or something. But he'll deal with that when it happens. Right now he wants to make sure he /can/ visit, and if he absolutely can't get out of having an escort after Mom says he can go, then he'll have to cope.
If he's not sick, then... what could be bothering him? It's his question that may offer some explanation. Maulisho hmms thoughtfully for a moment, gazing at her son. She looks down at her paws, toward the rock next to her, and up at the sky, as if making a really hard decision. Finally she looks back at her son, eyebrows raised slightly. "I want you to stay around here and spend some time with your family. But--" she adds quickly, knowing that he will protest "--I'll make a deal with you. /If/ you answer one question, I have a surprise for you to enjoy here at home that I know you'll like very much. Deal?"
Kein's body slumps with disappointment as soon as his mom starts talking. He dips his head and frowns. His ears perk when she goes on to offer the deal, but he's no more enthused when she finishes speaking than immediately after she said she wants him to stay here. If he's supposed to be enjoying whatever surprise she has /at home/, then it still means he won't be leaving. There's some hesitation before he answers, but when he does, he accepts her deal, and his tone doesn't sound too much like he's whining. "Okay." No point arguing, after all.
It's not a difficult question... at least in the sense of being complicated. Whether or not it's easy to answer in the sense of Kein being reluctant might be a different matter. "All I want to know is what's troubling you. If you don't want to explain in detail, I understand. I also have things troubling me that I don't want to talk about. /But/ I just want you to know that you can always talk to me when you need. I won't make fun of you or punish you just for telling me something." She nuzzles Kein again, purring softly.
That question /is/ much more difficult. Even when Mom says she wouldn't punish him for telling her. He is silent for a while. He remains pressed against her, but he doesn't purr at the nuzzling. He's still frowning when he answers, but he does finally find an answer he thinks might work. "I know you, and Pel, and the chief all think I'm bad. Sometimes. But I'm not. I'm gonna prove I'm not." In a way, that is exactly what is bothering him... But he definitely /doesn't/ go into detail. And as soon as Nayeli, at least, is safe from Chesmu... Maybe he'll be able to tell Mom more, even if it does mean he might get punished for chasing that mouse.
That wasn't /quite/ what Maulisho was expecting, but it at least seems to be a sufficient explanation. She won't ask /why/ Kein came to that conclusion, but she'll at least double-check with Chesmu to find out if he knows anything. "Kein, dear... I don't think you're bad at all. We all make mistakes, myself included. But I /love/ you and even when you /do/ make mistakes I don't think you're /bad/." She nuzzles him yet again. "Thank you for telling me anyway." Pulling her head away so she can look into his eyes, Maulisho smiles. "I said that you can't go visit Nayeli but have to spend time here at home... would you like to go /bring/ Nayeli back /here/? I would like to meet your friend one of these days, you know." Surprise!
Maybe Mom doesn't, but Pelutho and Chesmu definitely do, as far as Kein is concerned. They just react differently to the belief that he's bad. But like Mom said, he's not. He perks up, though, as Mom suggests that he bring Nayeli back home. "Really?!" That was basically what Kein intended all along, and now Mom is telling him to do just that? He hops up to nuzzle his mom, his mood apparently drastically improved by this. "Yeah! I wanna do that!"
Maulisho licks her son's headfur briefly before giving him another smile. "I thought you might. In fact, you can leave to get her whenever you would like!" She'll either have Kasim keep a discrete eye out on the cubs as they travel or she'll do it herself. They won't realize they're being watched, of course, but it'll give her more of a peace of mind, especially with you-know-who on the prowl. Actually, /several/ you-know-whos.
Moments ago, Kein had been dreading what he figured was going to be an unpleasant conversation when he asked if he could go alone. And, now, just like his mom seemed to read his mind about his plans to bring Nayeli back, she's offering to let him go all by himself? He spends a moment looking at his mom, wondering how much she /does/ know... And if she can read minds. It will give him something to think about on the way to the pine grove, but right this moment, he doesn't want to give her a chance to change her mind. With the first genuine smile he has had in a while, now, he nuzzles his mom and says, "I'm gonna go now, and we'll be back /real/ soon, okay Mommy?" He appreciates everything she has just told him he's allowed to do, more than he could possibly express.
"Okay then. I'll be waiting." Maulisho starts to lean back, but suddenly stops to add something: "Kein, I want you to think about something as you travel. As you grow older I will allow you to do more and more things without me having to watch over you. That's called 'responsibility' and it's something that goes right along with trust. The more I trust that you will do a good job, the more responsibility you will get." She smiles and nuzzles back. "We can talk more about it later if you want, but just think about it as you go." Pulling back, the cougaress nods in the direction of Kein's destination. "Go on now, and remember that I love you very much."
Kein is not really a stranger to trust. Mostly in the form of losing it. His mom now has more trust in him, though? That has to be good. And if she believes he can do this... Well, then, he almost definitely can. Purring softly, he says, "I love you too, Mommy. Thank you." A little more energetic, now, he turns to head southward, in the same direction he and Kasim went when Kasim took him to visit Nayeli before.
- Pine Grove -
"So what do you think Yuma really does with Chesmu all the time? They keep going on these exploring trips and stuff..." Nayeli sighs from her flopped position among the pine needles. "I wish they would do more stuff with us..." She misses Kein. At least /he/ didn't think she wasn't worth spending time with. Even despite her obvious mistakes and slow learning at what he tried to teach her.
Chandani lets out a sigh off her own, "I have no idea. I only went on a exploring trip with dad once that I can recall. It was only because he caught me trying to wander off without an adult." Then looks down, "I wish there were other cubs around we could play with."
Kein manages to find his way back to the pine grove easily enough. He began tracking Nayeli by scent, but it is actually the familiar young voices that bring him closer. He's too far away to make out what they're saying, but his pace is quickened, since he's eager to get Nayeli away from here, and it won't be long before he's really close to them. He also isn't making the slightest effort to remain quiet.
Other cubs... like Kein. Not that Nayeli has anything against playing with her siblings, but... /they/ didn't teach her how to climb a tree, or how to track a scent, or... Nayeli sighs, looking away from her sister toward a random tree. She's considered several times to try again, but never mustered up the courage to do so. If she couldn't do it with Kein right there encouraging her, what makes her think she can do it by herself? No... she's just had to admit that some things will always be possible only for those stronger and smarter than her.
Chandani keeps her attention on her sister Nayeli for the moment. She still has a lot of learning to do and needs someone to teach her after all she's still a cub and not strong enough to fight. Her thoughts are also on Kein and wants to talk with him.
As Kein grows closer, he recognizes first Nayeli's voice... Then the other one. That other cub, Chandani. Even he is surprised to find himself hesitating before openly announcing his presence. Chandani is basically the whole reason that he's here. If he hadn't realized that Chesmu is trying to corrupt his children, he might have never come. But has the chief succeeded? He is less certain of himself and his mission when he passes a few trees and spots Nayeli and her sister. "Hey." He hangs back a few feet, and his voice is relatively quiet as he listens to make sure no one, specifically Chesmu, is approaching them.
It's the quiet voice that catches Nayeli's attention--even if she doesn't recognize the one who spoke, it's at least something to break up the monotony of just waiting around with nothing to do. But she /does/ recognize the voice... it's Kein! Her muzzle parts in a delighted smile as she jumps to her paws and charges toward the newcomer. "Kein! It's you!" So much for quiet or subtle. Then again, she's well-enough aware that Chesmu isn't anywhere around; if he was, she'd at least have something to do and wouldn't have been so bored! Obviously!
The cub Chandani also seems to cheer up when Kein speaks and Nayeli talks to him. She also goes to get up and quickly gets up on her paws and goes follows after her sister.
Kein lowers his ears suddenly at how loud Nayeli's voice is and looks around. Unlike Nayeli, he has no idea how close Chesmu may be, and he doesn't want to be followed. Of course, he also doesn't realize that either Mom or Kasim is keeping an eye on him. Something is not right with the boycub, but after looking around, he does greet Nayeli with a nuzzle. After that, he says, "We gotta go. My mom said you could come over." Ideally, he will tell them what he knows while they're on the way back to his home. He just wants to get back there, and away from Chesmu, as soon as possible.
Hey, this is even better than she thought! Nayeli was just happy that Kein was able to come over and play, but now that he wants to bring her back to visit /his/ home? Awesome! "I knew your mom would let me come over some day!" Nayeli is all smiles right now, for sure. "C'mon, Chandani! This is gonna be fun!" There isn't much attention or thought given to any strange behavior the boycub might be exhibiting; any paranoia on his part isn't even really noticed by Nayeli. She's far too excited about the prospect of finally seeing Kein's home.
"I am coming." She says thinking this could be fun and she can not wait to get away from home for a while. Making her way closer towards the boy cub not wanting to lose track off them. Then waits for Kein to lead the way back to his home.
Kein isn't entirely sure that he wants Chandani tagging along, but it is less important than getting back home quickly. And if Chesmu /has/ corrupted Chandani... They'll have to deal with it on the way. It depends on how willing she is to believe that the chief is bad. Very bad. Forcing a thin smile, Kein says, "Okay. Let's go." Mom never said more of Nayeli's siblings couldn't come, after all. Kein is much less concerned about Nayeli getting permission today. They have his mom's permission What else matters? Rather, he turns to begin heading back home, looking back to check to see if they're following as soon as he takes a step.
It finally registers that Kein doesn't seem to be quite his usual self... although it /is/ entirely possible that Nayeli just isn't remembering how Kein normally acts. Hmm. Well, there's nothing like questions to bring stuff out into the open, right? "What're we gonna do at your home, Kein?" Nayeli trots forward to where she can walk alongside of her friend. If Chandani wants to walk along the other side, great. If not, well... that's her choice.
Chandani gets on the other side off Kein and trots as well trying to keep up with him. "I cannot wait to get to your home." Totally unaware that Kein might not even want her along with them. "Was that where, I saw you that one time you helped me get out of trouble?" She asks the boy cub.
Kein nods and answer Chandani's easier question before he addresses Nayeli. "Yeah. That's my home." As for what Nayeli asked. Kein sighs, and says, "I don't know what we're gonna do yet, but... We gotta do somethin'." After all, his home is still in Amaranth territory, still controlled by an evil chieftain. "I gotta tell you two somethin'... About your dad." He may have told Chandani yesterday, except for that Chesmu was within hearing distance. And now he doesn't know how she'll react, or what they talked about when Chesmu took Chandani home. Only one thing is for certain. He /knows/ that his friend, Nayeli, hasn't been corrupted by her father.
Nayeli's response to Kein's first remark is a giggle. "Of /course/ we gotta do something!" /Obviously/! That's the whole reason for getting together! But when Kein continues on much more serious note, Nayeli's exuberance seems visibly dampened, and her response to Kein's second remark is a lot more somber. "Something about Daddy? What do you gotta tell us?" What could Kein possibly know that they don't know? After all, he /is/ their dad, and not Kein's! For that matter, Kein doesn't even /have/ a dad! Not yet, anyway! Not until Kasim spends more time around Kein's mom, first. Right.
Chandani is about to say something else that is until Kein seems serious and quickly gives him her full attention not saying anything since Nayeli already asked the questions she was about too.
Kein takes a deep breath and looks at Chandani before speaking. "What your dad told you was wrong. Mouses aren't food. It's bad to even chase a mouse. Really bad." And Chesmu killed and ate one. Which helps him to answer Nayeli's question. He looks to her and says, "Your dad is bad. Really bad." Bad enough to be a lynx, even. "And he's trying to get us all to do things that will make us all bad."
"Mouses?" Nayeli looks baffled. "What are mouses?" Apparently not something to eat or chase! But... if it's really bad then why wouldn't Daddy say that? Why would Kein say that Daddy is wrong? The girlcub flattens her ears at the ominous pronouncement that Daddy is bad. Not just bad, but /really/ bad. Not just /really/ bad, but trying to get THEM to be really bad! "...How do you know this?" she finally asks, with obvious trepidation and timidity.
Chandani flattens her ears too and her jaw drops. Chandani's attention is still on Kein, "I have not heard off mouses either except when I was with him and you." Then waits for a moment to see if he answers Nayeli's questions wondering the same thing. Wanting to get the whole story from the male cub. She has not even heard daddy mention mouses after that situation either. Can daddy really be bad? She can hardly believe it.
"Mouses are... Well... They're little, littler than us... And you can get in bad trouble for chasing them or hurting them... And he killed one and tried to make me eat it..." If Kein were older or less worried about getting in trouble, he would have realized this one tiny creature was just trying to get out of danger. It convinced him, though, and Chesmu's actions after that... "Your dad /is/ bad, Nayeli, and... I didn't wanna leave you somewhere dangerous... But I don't know what to do next."
Nayeli looks completely stricken, moving over to press up against Chandani. "What if Kein is right?" she whispers into her sister's ear. "What if Daddy really is bad?" Though she has experienced plenty of resentment toward her father, the possibility that he might be /bad/ is more than she can bear. She still loves her dad, despite his obvious favoritism toward Yuma.
Chandani turns to face Nayeli it is almost a little more than she can handle too. Then blinks upon hearing her sister's question and whispers back. "I-I have no idea." Chandani still loves her father too. But as for Chesmu the chieftain being bad? She does not what to think about it at the moment.
This isn't only rough on Nayeli and Chandani. Kein may not love Chesmu like he loves his mother, but... He admired Chesmu, and enjoyed the time he got to spend with the chief, even if only because it got him away from home for a little while, so he could explore. Witnessing the chief do something that Kein believes is incredibly bad has been rough on the young male as well. His silence over the past days hasn't been solely, or even primarily, because he's afraid of getting into trouble. This has affected him more than that. He sighs as he can hear Nayeli and Chandani whispering. He can't make out what they're saying, but he does realize that there can't be many reasons they'd try to keep him out of the conversation. They don't believe him. And he's not sure what to do about that, either. Unable to think of anything else he can say, he just continues walking.
- Stone Formations -
It's an awkwardly silent walk from then on, and Nayeli feels almost compelled to say something, but can't decide /what/. How does one go about defending a father when the father always goes off on mysterious trips? Who knows what he's really doing? Killing mice, perhaps? And--Nayeli's eyes grow wide with horror at the thought--perhaps he's teaching Yuma to kill mice too? If she didn't feel terrible before, now she really does! At the same time, there's an overwhelming feeling of gratitude toward Kein, once again. He came all the way over to warn Chandani and her! Walk, walk walk... surely they're almost there. Sure enough, Nayeli can finally see the rocky pillars up ahead, and her expression brightens.
The other cub Chandani cannot stop thinking about the idea that her father is evil and feels bad and guilty too. Then when she spots the familiar stones she starts to feel a little more comfortable and somewhat more at ease but the thoughts off her father possibly being evil is a little more harder to get rid of. But she does not say anything else for the moment.
Kein relaxes as the stone pillars come into sight. For the moment, they're all safe. He's still not sure what to do next, but they have some time, now. As they get a little closer, he calls out, "Mom! I'm back!" He promised her that he would hurry, and he wants to let her know now that they've returned. Though he shouts, so she can hear him, there is less excitement in his voice than when Mom said he could go get Nayeli earlier.
And from around one of the pillars steps the figure of Maulisho, looking pleased to see her son back safe and sound. Not that she was ever worried--she had ghosted along with the cubs during their journey, though they never detected her presence. "You made it! Well done, Kein." A warm smile is given to the two female cubs. "And welcome to both of you, daughters of Chesmu." A bit formal, perhaps, but she wants to leave a good impression. Her amber eyes flick back over to Kein as she awaits an introduction. Hopefully some of her teaching on etiquette will be remembered!
It's the scary waiting to happen! Nayeli flattens her ears slightly in trepidation as the adult female comes into view, though as the greeting is much friendlier than expected, she does start to relax a little. 'Daughter of Chesmu'? Well... that's true, but it sounds so weird! Her name is Nayeli, anyway, so why not call her that? Surely Kein told his mother about her? Why wouldn't he? They're friends, after all!
Chandani turns to face the adult female and looks a little frightened at first. Then tries to calm down not wanting to give the wrong impression after all Maulisho's greeting was nice and the cub turns to face Kein too nervous to speak since she's not too familiar with Maulisho yet.
It takes Mom looking at him for Kein to realized that he ought to be doing something. There's that little bit of hesitation before he says, "Uh... Mom, these are Nayeli and Chandani... And this is my mom, uh... Maulisho." It's the first time he has ever said his mom's name, even though he knows it. Nayeli and Chandani can't call her mom, though. They have their own Mom. "Uh... Can they maybe stay here all of tonight, Mom?" That will give them all time to decide what they should do, right?
Big surprise. Even before she gave Kein permission to go bring Nayeli back (and another big surprise that he brought Chandani as well!) Maulisho knew full well that Kein would be trying to get additional permission for the visit to last as long as possible. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, Nayeli and Chandani," the adult says cordially, completing her part of the formal greeting. "And of course they can stay here for the night. There's far too much for you to show them in just the short rest of the afternoon, right?" The cougaress wouldn't mind talking to them some herself, as well--she's heard a little of Chesmu's cubs but hasn't had the opportunity for much interaction up to this point.
Maulisho. So /that's/ what Kein's mom's name is! Why didn't he ever tell her that before? Maybe for the same reason she's always referred to her own mother as "Mom"--there's been no need for other names! Nayeli isn't sure what to say in response, other than a weak smile. Maulisho seems to be directing most of her conversation toward Kein anyway, so the girlcub is more than willing to stay out of the conversation. Shy? Very much so. At least when dealing with Kein's mom! Thankfully she seems to be in a not-so-scary mood today, or Nayeli might not want to stay over for the whole night. Glancing over at her sister, she wonders if Chandani is willing to stay as well.
Chandani turns to face Maulisho again still a little scared and nervous she says. "It is nice meeting you." The cub returns to Kein's mother then turns to face her sister with a smile showing that she is happy that they can stay for the night hoping Nayeli picks up on it. not only are they at Kein's home they're staying the whole night and gets close enough so she's able to whisper, "This will be fun." To Nayeli not wanting to speak over Maul and Kein.
Kein smiles as his mom says hat Nayeli and Chandani can stay the night. He smiles and says, quickly, "Thank you, Mommy!" Even if they don't have as much fun as Chandani imagines, they will at least be away from Chesmu. After that, he looks back to Nayeli and Chandani. Now that there is permission, he asks Nayeli, primarily, "You're gonna stay, right? You can meet my brother and my sister, and..." And he'll figure out something. Whether she believes him or not, he really wants her to stay, at least for today.
Oh no! She forgot to say what Chandani said! Flushing, Nayeli dips her head toward Maulisho and says in a shaky voice, "It's n-nice to meet you t-too." Now she feels terrible. Looking toward her friend, the girlcub can't help but think how Kein must have been so thrilled to introduce her to his mother, and look what she's done! Does she really want to stay now, after this? Well... if Kein is still willing for her to, then... "I guess so," she answers slowly, doing her best not to look back in the cougaress' direction. "Are you sure it's okay?"
Chandani turns to face Kein again feeling a little more at ease, "You have a nice home." she says in a excited voice remembering some off the areas from before trying to bring up a conversation and that is the only thing she could come up with on short notice.
Like Nayeli, Kein often forgets the simply niceties. He only remembers them if he's really, really thinking about it or if someone reminds him, and he scarcely notices that Nayeli forgot to say them until after she stammers them out. Nodding quickly, he says, "It's okay." He perks an ear to Chandani. She has seen this area before. Maybe she wanted to say that the last time she was here. All the same, since this moment seems to be all about saying all those things that cougars are expected to say to prove that they don't dislike the one they're speaking to, he says, "Thanks," before turning his attention back to Nayeli. "C'mon. Let's go. There's lots to see." Tour time? Either that or he just wants to talk more to the other cubs.
"Kein, why don't you give Chandani a tour of your home? I'd like to speak to Nayeli for a moment before she joins you." It's stated firmly as if there's no room for arguing or protesting. What could the cougaress possibly want to discuss? Maulisho's amber eyes and warm expression betray nothing.
Yay, they can stay and see Kein's home and meet his siblings and play games and explore and... wait. Nayeli stares at the cougaress upon hearing her words, unsure if she heard correctly. Kein's mom wants to talk to /her/ while Kein shows /Chandani/ around? Oh no... this can't be good! Looking more than a bit anxious, Nayeli cowers down slightly, looking toward Kein as if for guidance on what to do. This is baaaaaad!
Chandani turns her head towards her sister seeming to have a surprised look on her face. Why does Maul want to talk to Nayeli? She hopes that nothing is wrong and lets out a soft sigh it will not be the same without sibling. Then turns back towards Kein to see his reaction.
"But..." Kein knows very well when arguing won't get him anywhere, but it's sometimes tempting to try, all the same. He doesn't get more than that single word out before he spots Nayeli's cowering, and he takes a deep breath. No matter how much he argues, it won't help, and it might just make Nayeli more worried, more afraid of his mom, if Nayeli thinks Kein doesn't want to leave her here because his mom might be mean. "Okay. Well be back in a little bit, Nayeli." His tone is soft enough. He's trying to tell her there's nothing to worry about from his mom without actually saying the words, since she has told him often enough that his mom is scary. He smiles at Nayeli, then turns to head away from Nayeli and his mom.
Chandani looks over towards Nayeli, "I wi-will see you later." She says trying to help calm her down. Before facing the direction the male cub is heading down and she quickly follows after him trying to think off something to say. She ends up asking the first thing that comes to mind, "Kein is it really alright, that I came here?" She asks nervously. After all it seemed like it was Nayeli that invited her here not Kein.
Kein nods slightly at Chandani's question as they venture further away from Mom and Nayeli. "It's okay." There's a brief pause as he tries to decide what else he wants to say to Chandani. Nayeli may have initiated the whispering either, but if anyone has reason to not believe him, it should be Chandani... And this time alone with her does give him opportunity to see if Chesmu has already made her bad. "Now you know why I didn't wanna talk to your dad..."
Chandani looks over towards Kein and nods a little, "Yes I do." She says, "I am sorry about what happened, when I came here." She says, "I have not spoken to him about the mouses after that. It was the first and only time I heard off them." Keeping her attention on Kein thinking for a moment trying to come up with something else to say or ask, "Where did you hear it anyway?" Chandani appears to be somewhat interested in it. Not sure what to make off it and if it is true. Then how can she look at the chieftain the same way again.
If Chandani hasn't spoken to Chesmu since that day... Then he might not have gotten a chance to turn her bad. Maybe he's focusing all of his attention on his son, since he has realized that he won't be able to make Kein bad. There is more hesitation as she asks her question. It's a little hard to follow, but he can gather what she's probably asking about. "If I tell you... You can't tell, okay?" He might tell Mom eventually, if he can't find any other way, but...
Chandani freezes in her tracks her eyes suddenly go wide when he mentions the question, "I will not tell anyone." She admits and intends to keep her word too. Hoping that he does answer her question.
Kein doesn't stop walking, even when she freezes. He doesn't look at her at all, and so can't tell that she has frozen. As he continues walking he says, "On day... I almost got in really bad trouble... I was trying to get a mouse, and he turned around, and let me know it was a really bad thing... He almost came and told my mom." Kein had to practically beg Mateka not to go to his mom, and surely no mouse would be that eager to go to a larger cougar if it was lying, if it really is bad to hunt mice.
Chandani sees Kein is still walking and she quickly follows suite catching every word he was saying. "Really? I am glad the mouse did not go to your mother." She admits not knowing what else to say or do under the circumstances. "No wonder you acted like that around my father." The cub adds unsure rather to believe him or not. It is hard to figure out because it was at the male cub's home when she heard off them for the first time. Then she adds, "I have been meaning to thank you for helping me get out of trouble when I was here too. I did not expect you to tell my father that, Kasim brought me here."
Kein hasn't cleared that lie with Kasim, either, but if either Kasim or Chesmu were angry over it, he'd have probably hear about it before now, so they're probably save. Chesmu /did/ seem to believe it, after all. Probably best to forget that he ever did it. "You're welcome. I don't like hearin' him yell at people. Especially since... Well... You know."
Chandani keeps on following after Kein, "That is understandable. I did not want you to get you involved. I wanted to get out for a while. I came here without an adult, because I could not find one." Then lets out a soft sigh, "I thought, I could get out on my own and be fine. I did not expect to be caught. I felt bad about you getting involved." She says honestly.
Kein knows how it feels to want to go somewhere and have no adults around either. Unlike Chandani, though, he has learned better than to do that. It doesn't mean he doesn't sympathize, though. "Don't feel bad. It's okay." Neither of them got in trouble. Chesmu stopped yelling. As far as Kein is concerned, it may well be close to one of the best things he has ever done. He saved the girl cub from being yelled at by her corrupt father.
Chandani continues to walk beside Kein, "I went there after my father told me something about you and a wolf." Then she blinks her eyes, "What is a wolf any way? I think he told me the wolf was trying to take you away."
Kein finally looks around as the conversation changes to something more commonly known. Less secret. He isn't giving a very good tour, not telling her anything about his home, but he does at least show her around a good section of it. "Wolves are weird. Their fur is strange, and their mouths are /way/ too long, and filled with a bunch of teeth, and they talk /all the time/." In other words, ugly.
Chandani makes a face at the thought of that. "Really? You would not want to see another one then?"
Would Kein want to see another wolf? They're weird, sure, and that one that took him isn't on his list of animals he'd like to befriend, but Mom is friends with a wolf. They can't /all/ be bad. "I dunno. I don't wanna see that one again, definitely."
Chandani looks around the area, "I do not think, I would want to see that one again either. If that happened to me." She admits. "So where do you want to go now?" She asks.
They've walked a rough circle around the stones, and seen most of the immediate area. He finally stops when she asks. Actively giving tours is kind of boring. He takes a deep breath, then says, "I wonder if my mom is done speaking with Nayeli yet." It's not exactly an answer, but it should give some idea about where he's thinking about heading next.
Chandani nods, "Hmm I wonder too. Do you want to go find out? I can wait here if you wish."
Kein gives a slight shrug. "You can come with me, if you want, but you don't have to, if you want to stay here." He does turn to weave his way back through the stones, though, to return to where he left Nayeli and Mom. Or perhaps to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Chandani turns around and quickly follows after Kein for the same reason as Kein hoping that the conversation is over with, and a part of her is wondering what they were talking about.
Interesting. There's no sign of either the cougaress or the younger cub. Nowhere to be seen in any direction, and no sound from anywhere! There's a scent trail, however... and if one would so happen to follow it, it leads... across the ground... to... a tree! A rather large tree at the edge of the clearing, with suspicious scratch marks on the trunk near the base. Very interesting indeed.
Kein continues creeping forward, listening for voices. He gets to where he left them before hearing any, though, which he finds surprising. He looks back to Chandani, then begins to follow the scent. It isn't too long before he can see the tree, and the scratch marks on it. Did Mom teach Nayeli how to climb? No fair! He was supposed to watch Mom teach so that he could learn how she does it! With a slight frown, he looks up.
Chandani follows after Kein spotting the scratches on the tree herself then turns to face Kein puzzled, "What do you think happened here?" She asks puzzled.
Suddenly there's a soft giggle from above. It sounds suspiciously like Nayeli, though there's no additional sounds that might confirm such a suspicion. Is that a cougaress behind that cluster of branches? Nothing is moving, so it's difficult to tell.
Kein's ears perk to the giggling. Mom /did/ teach Nayeli to climb! Kein is still frowning when he looks to Chandani. When he answers Chandani's question, his tone is less than enthusiastic. "They're up in the tree." Or something is, anyway. Kein chooses to assume the worst. He wanted Mom to teach Nayeli to climb, sure, but... The fact that Maul /could/ teach Nayeli to climb just confirms that Kein is a horrible teacher, and how is he ever going to learn if Mom sends him away before teaching other people things?
Chandani perks her ears as well to the giggling then looks up in the tree before fixing her gaze on the male cub again and frowns, "How can you get up there?" She asks puzzled after all she's never learned how to climb trees before.
If it wasn't nearly a laugh, the words coming from the branches above might resemble a ghostly and disembodied voice. "Kein, we're still having our talk, so why don't you take Chandani over to the other side of the rocks and teach her how to climb a tree over there?" Once again, the words are spoken as a question but with an underlying authority. It's really a gentle command that's not to be questioned.
Kein can't teach. Mom just proved that. He'd like to tell Mom that, too, but... She wouldn't listen. For whatever reason. Maybe she'd just tell him to show Chandani something else. It doesn't matter. Suddenly rethinking his decision to bring Nayeli back here, he hangs his head to walk away again, without answering his mom. She wasn't really asking him anyway. She was telling him to go away under the guise of asking him to do something.
Chandani turns around and follows after Kein wishing she knew what Nayeli and Maul was talking about. Not sure exactly where they are heading off to this time to be honest she's just going where the male cub leads her too.
Kein keeps his head hung as he leads Chandani away from the tree. He has no intention of going all the way to the other side of the clearing, though. Rather, as soon as he gets to the inner group of stones, he lies down. He's really not the type to give up. In fact, this may be the first time he has ever done it, and it's not really a pleasant feeling.
Chandani follows Kein to the inner circle of stones. Then when he lays down the cub watches him appearing to be puzzled. "I thought you were going to teach me how to climb?"
"I can't." He's not fond of admitting that, either. Kein lays his head down onto his forepaws. "I'm sorry." And why not? He has apologized enough times when he has done something wrong, or when someone is upset with him. And, if anything else is bad, not knowing something he /should/ know is definitely bad.
Chandani blinks her eyes at his reaction. "You do not have to be sorry." She says. "What makes you say you can't if you do not mind my asking."
Kein doesn't answer immediately. He spends a moment thinking about it before he says, "I tried to teach your sister. First I taught her how to track, and she almost didn't learn that. Then I tried teaching her to climb trees. I couldn't." He glances back at the treeline. Nayeli was wrong. It's not because she can't learn, because she isn't smart.
Chandani lets out a soft sigh, "I have not learned how to track either. No one ever tried to teach me at all." She looks down at the ground, "Do you think you can try to teach me?" She asks almost begging the male cub to give her a chance.
Kein just told Chandani that he doesn't know how to teach. Was she not listening to him, or is she just setting him up to fail? That is probably the worst part about the fact that he doesn't teach well. At least when he's trying to learn how to do other things, he can practice in private until he gets good at it. There's no way to practice teaching in private, though, and failure is humiliating to the young male. At least Nayeli never rubbed it in his face. "I dunno. But... When my mom is done with Nayeli... I can ask her to teach you... Or you can. She's real nice. She'll do it."
Chandani looks down feeling bad she was listening Kein she was not even trying to set him up to fail either. Picking up her right fore-paw and rubs it gently against the ground and sighs, "Alright, I am sorry for asking." She says in a sincere voice.
"It's okay." She let it drop. That's all Kein cares about, right this minute. Trying to find something else to talk about, to change the subject to something a little more light-hearted, he asks, "How'd you find here my home yesterday?" It was either pure luck, or she knew where she was going.
Chandani blinks her eyes, "I had no idea where, I was to be honest. I wanted to go exploring and ended up here. I did not even know this was your home to be honest."
Kein nods his head a little bit. As well as he can without lifting it completely off of his forepaws, at any rate. "That's how I found your home, the first time." Well, except for that he was actually /looking/ for them. It was just luck that he found them, or that he found Nayeli, since he had no idea where they were.
Chandani makes her way closer towards Kein and lays down, "I have been wanting to meet you for a while. I was feeling so lonely and wanted to try and find another cub to talk too. I know, I had my sister Nayeli. I wanted to make more friends though. So I was actually trying to find you or another cub. I was glad, I saw you until my father showed up."
Kein knows that Yuma doesn't spend much time with his siblings, but what about the other one? The sister whose name he doesn't know yet? Part of it makes him curious, but he doesn't ask. Instead, he says, "I have a sister and a brother. I don't know where they are right now, but... Maybe you can meet them before-" Before they go home? Are they going to go home? Kein isn't sure. What if they can't find some other way to make them all safe from Chesmu?
Chandani keeps her attention on Kein, "I have two sisters and a brother." She says trying to think off something else to say then stops for a moment. "I hope. I will be able to meet them. Before what?" She asks seeming puzzled as to why he stopped.
"I dunno. I... I wanted to bring Nayeli, and you, here, 'cause of your dad, but... If we can't do anything about him... I don't know what we're going to do. If you're going to go home, or..." Kein trails off again with a sigh. He /has/ to tell Mom. Or maybe Kasim. He's too small to do anything by himself. Even with Chandani and Nayeli, they're too small.
Chandani flattens her ears a little keeping her attention on Kein. "I was hoping Nayeli and Maulisho would be done talking by now. I would like to speak with her about this too."
It is now your pose.
Kein would probably go ask if they're done talking yet, but he doesn't want to be told to go away again... And he kind of wants to forget all about this, just for a little bit. It's why he turned the conversation to their families, but that didn't work for very long. It's a lot for a little cub to deal with. He doesn't say anything else, but he keeps his eyes in the direction of the tree line.
Chandani looks around the area again one last time before laying her head to try and get some rest unable to think of anything else to say or do after enjoying the conversation with Kein, and her thoughts keep wandering to the chieftain and her Nayeli who she really feels the need to talk too. While struggling to remain awake.