"Some things just take time."

[Therdde]

Characters:
Kasim - Male Cougar
Nayeli - Female Adolescent Cougar
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Maulisho - Female Cougar

- Snowy Highlands -

Contrary to everything that has just recently unfolded, Kasim is only now waking up from his nap after his talk with Maul and feeling much better than before. The one great thing about sleep is that it can help clear your head of all the things buzzing around in it, at least for a moment or two. Giving a small yawn, the first thing he notices is that Maul is no where to be found, but doesn't think much of it. Maybe she just went hunting or something. Getting to his paws, Kasim streatches himself out and shakes out all the dirt in his fur before plopping back down on his stomach, possibly just to wait until Maul comes back.

Go find Kasim and bring him back here as quickly as you can. Nayeli's mission is fairly straightforward, and although she knows it's not an immediate life-or-death situation, she also recognizes that a lot /could/ happen in the hopefully short amount of time it will take for her to find Kasim. Why he didn't come with his mate in the first place is something she hasn't figured out, but regardless, she's finally arrived back at the well. Nayeli wouldn't be too surprised if she didn't find Kasim here; it had been a while since she last saw him here, after all. But no--he /is/ here, and while she doesn't /sprint/ toward him, her pace is rather quick. "Kasim!" she calls out to him after noting there doesn't seem to be anyone else within hearing range.

Well so much for waiting for something to happen. No sooner has he laid back down when he suddenly hears his name being called out, quickly identifying Nayeli as she approaches him. "Nayeli," he says back to her, getting back onto his paws. The first thing he notices about her is how frantic and hurried she seems to be. What's going on here? "You ok Nayeli? Is something wrong?"

"Maulisho asked me to come and get you. There's been a.. well.. everything's okay now, but she needs your help to protect Kein." Nayeli winces a little, knowing that Kasim's probably going to ask her a barrage of questions that she doesn't feel prepared to answer. /She's/ still in shock at what's happened, and how is she supposed to explain her father's actions? Or justify them, for that matter?

"Protect Kein?" he asks her, sounding a bit worried and now much more alert and awake than he was just a second ago. Even under normal circumstances this would have gotten Kasim's attention, but considering the recent events that have been going on... it just doesn't sound good at all now. "Why, what happened? Is he ok?" he asks her hurridly, silently hoping that he's just over thinking things.

Nayeli swallows hard and doesn't answer, instead turning to head back to the highlands. "You'll see when we get there." It's still hard for her to believe how her best friend was just lying there in the snow, bleeding from all over.

Uh oh, that can't be good at all. Suddenly feeling very paniced, Kasim only nods at the young cougress and says, "Right, you lead the way." If something bad happened while he was sleeping... please let him be wrong.

They made it back even quicker than Nayeli had been hoping. As the two of them travel across the snowy ground, she wonders if Chesmu has returned yet. It was certainly a surprise to wake up and find out that Yuma had been there, talking to Kein while the two females slept, though Nayeli wasn't /quite/ as upset as Maul had been upon hearing the news. Protective mother and all that.

Kein is still lying down when Nayeli returns. He hasn't moved much at all since Yuma left, mostly because moving too much seems to get him a Look from his mom. He is restless after having been lying down, save for the short period when he sat while Yuma was here, for far too long now. His left foreleg is still stretched out, and he is currently resting his head on his right foreleg, looking off in the direction where Nayeli left. The moment he spots her, though, he lifts his head. Good. She got there and back with no trouble.

Maulisho notices the two approaching felines as well and feels relieved that Nayeli was able to find Kasim quickly. Now that her mate is here, there's not a chance that Chesmu will be able to attack again, at least not without help. And hearing from Kein that Yuma seems to be at least somewhat sympathetic to their side of what's been happening, the possibility for attack has diminished significantly.

With every stride they take, Kasim gets more and more ancious about what happened. Nayeli's answer to him only increased his worry that something terrible happened. The cougar's pace picks up slightly as all these thoughts linger in his mind. However, all of his fears are confirmed when he and Nayeli finally reach the small group and the first thing that Kasim notices is the bloodied and weak looking form of his 'son'. "Kein!" He races towards the teen's side, making sure not to touch any part of him for fear of hurting him. "W-What happened?!" he asks out loud, more to the group of them more than to Kein directly. The kid looks like he's been through hell and back.

Nayeli smiles as she stops several yards away from Kein, though her smile does falter as she watches Kasim rush right up to him. It's not that she feels left out, it's just.. well.. she's a friend. And now Kein is surrounded by family. They can protect him and care for him far better than she'd ever hope to, and with the condition that he's in now, there's really no chance that he'd still want to leave, especially with her. Her smile disappears completely when she has to acknowledge that her father really did a successful job in keeping Nayeli right where he wants her.

At least this is better than how Kein had assumed Kasim would react, but then... Kasim hasn't learned what happened yet. Kein remains lying where he is and takes a breath before saying, "Chesmu. He didn't want Nayeli to leave with me." No mention of how Chesmu coerced Nayeli into lying to him, or what brought Chesmu out from his hiding place. Of course, Kein still /wants/ Nayeli to leave with him... When he finally does leave. He's just not sure when that will happen, or whether he ought to bring her with, with the chance that he wouldn't be able to protect her.

Kasim can feel his heart sinking even lower when Kein says that this was Chesmu's doing. It takes a few moments for it all to actually sink in but when it does, a small growl can clearly be heard coming from him. Chesmu, the cougar who he had been feeling sorry for, did this to his family--his /son/. "How dare he," he finally mutters after a short silence, his voice full of malice. "Now he's officially crossed the line." It takes a lot to get Kasim angry, but now, he's clearly beyond angry.

That pretty much sums it up for Nayeli as well. Nothing will ever cause her to not love her father anymore--at least, she doesn't /think/ that's ever possible--but when he attacked her friend in such a savage and brutal way, and /after/ breaking his word to her... that was too much. But regardless, it would appear that he still won. He's not Chieftain anymore, or at least not for the moment, but her joyful expectation of going off with her best friend... gone. Yes, Chesmu has still won.

Kein hadn't expected Kasim to get angry with Chesmu over this. He would have been less surprised if Kasim had gotten upset with him, after everything that happened yesterday. That him getting wounded should upset Kasim, but Mom nearly getting raped wouldn't... While it's nice to know that Kasim won't just accept /anything/... It seems a little backwards, to Kein. His tone is surprisingly calm when he says, "Mom dealt with Chesmu last night, and Yuma... He isn't defending Chesmu on this." He also didn't promise to do anything more than speak to Chesmu, but he did imply that he would expect Chesmu to leave all of them alone. It's not like when Chesmu hurt Mom. He isn't getting away with it for any period of time.

Maulisho nods, giving her mate a welcoming nuzzle. "Chesmu won't be bothering anyone for a while... at least until his injuries heal." Should she even hope that he doesn't survive his injuries? She's pretty sure that he will, but... despite the loss of a former close friend, it /would/ make their lives considerably more peaceful.

The nuzzle coming from his mate is enough to help calm him down, even though he still feels pretty angry at the former Chieftan. As far as Kasim is concerned, Chesmu got his second chance and used it to attack someone who is much younger and obviously not as strong. To put it bluntly, he's pissed. He takes a few breathes in to try and calm himself down some before returning his mate's nuzzle, mentally chuckling to himself when Maul mentiones injuries on Chesmu. Don't mess with Maul unless you want to get burned. "I would think that he would have enough sense to not do anything stupid with all of us here," he replies to his mate, before looking back down at Kein. "How're you feeling son? What hurts?"

Kein looks to Nayeli as his mother and Kasim share an affectionate nuzzle. She doesn't look happy, but his attention is drawn back to Kasim when the older male speaks. "I'm fine." It's more or less true. He hasn't moved for a couple hours now, and he doesn't really feel any pain, at least not so much pain that he can't focus on anything else. Nothing will ever be as bad as what he felt yesterday... Or if it is, he really doesn't want to imagine it.

"The reason I asked for you to come, other than to just be with us and learn of what's happened, is because I need your help to protect Kein while he recovers. I don't know what Chesmu might try and do, even in his condition, or who he might get to help, and I've been.. well.. a little short on sleep recently." Maulisho doesn't like admitting weakness--a trait that Kein seems to have picked up--but she knows her mate can help fill in a much-needed role. Nayeli has been helpful, yes, and Maulisho glances at her, but she's still too young to be of much help if another all-out fight ensues.

Kasim can't help but marvel at how devoted Maul truly is to keeping her family safe. Sacrificing her sleep just to make sure that Kein doesn't get put in any more danger. She really is something. "Then get some sleep now. I just woke up so I'll take over for now." If she was up all night watching for trouble then she definently has earned, as well as needs, her sleep.

Kein nods at what Kasim says. Yes, Mom should get some sleep, and maybe then he'll finally be allowed to get up and move around a little. Nayeli probably could use some more rest too, but... How much longer is she going to be staying here? She hasn't returned to his side yet, and he figures she must have a reason. Maybe she means to go speak with her father or brother. He looks at his friend, allowing Mom and Kasim to speak, his expression questioning.

Maulisho did indeed get a little rest when she inadvertently fell asleep earlier, much to her angry chagrin. But it wasn't much, and she could definitely use a good bit more. "Thanks." She lies down close enough to Kein that her body can provide at least a little warmth, should he need it. "And of course, wake me if you suspect anything is about to happen." Her eyes close and it isn't long before her breathing becomes the slow and steady rate indicative of sleep.

Kasim smiles as his mate quickly drifts to sleep, softly giving her a lick on the top of her head so as not to wake her. He then turns his attention over towards Nayeli and gives her a small smile as well. "You should get some rest too Nayeli. I bet you're pretty worn out over what's been going on." Heck even he's feeling drained due to all of this drama going around.

She definitely is worn out as well, but, especially with the questioning look she's getting from her friend, Nayeli doesn't plan on sleeping just yet. "I should be fine for a little bit longer, thanks." She doesn't move any closer to Kein, but instead looks away, toward the direction her father was dragged away. With a small sigh, she wonders if there was anything she could have said or done differently that would have prevented this. Maybe if she had been more convincing to Kein, he would have left right away. He could have been spared all that agony inflicted by her father's claws and teeth.

Kein lays his ears back when Nayeli looks away from him. That hurts more than any of his wounds do, right now. Though the idea that she may need to be forgiven has never even crossed his mind, part of him wonders how much of what she said, she meant. Was any part of it true? Was the only reason she stayed with him last night because she felt guilty because of what her father did? While she is still looking away, he asks, "Are you going to stay, or...?" Kein in not often clingy, but when he has been hurt, either physically or emotionally, has always been the exception to that. He wants /everyone/ he cares about with him now, but especially Mom and Nayeli.

Kasim can't help but notice the two teen exchanging looks, or lack of it therefore. When the talking begins it becomes clear to the adult that he's just a third wheel now and should give these two lovebirds some privacy. Clearing his throat loud enough for them to hear, he says, "Well, guess I'd better start protecting you guys. If you need me I'll be over there keeping watch." And with that and a last smile to the both of them, Kasim makes his way in a random direction to 'go watch for dangerous things.' He makes sure not to stray too far in case they might actually need him, but far enough where he won't be in their way.

At first, Nayeli thought that Kein was addressing the question to the older male, but when he doesn't answer directly, she realizes with some surprise that Kein is asking her. "Of course I'm staying!" she says, with more than a slight bit of hurt in her voice. Now she's glad she's facing away from Kein, as he hopefully won't notice her struggling to keep from tearing up. How can he ask that? She stayed up as long as she could keep her eyes open, watching over him, and he thinks that she's just going to leave? It must be because of the things she was forced to yell at him. Or does he think she was the one who set up that "ambush" earlier?

Mom is asleep and Kasim has walked away, but given that Mom is sleeping right next to him... He doesn't try to get up, since he doesn't want to wake her. He relaxes a little when Nayeli says she is staying. Still, her tone isn't very pleasant, and his ears remain laid back, his tone uncertain. "If you're tired... You could lie down by me?" It's more a question than a statement, and it's easy to hear the unspoken 'please' at the end of what he says. If she is staying, why won't she come near him, or even look at him?

Does that mean.. he's forgiven her? But if he has, why won't he say it? What is so difficult about saying those three little words? But no. Nayeli is just left to wonder and to worry. He has his mother there, anyway. With a muffled sigh, the girl slowly shakes her head. She can't. Not now. Not after what's happened. It's so tempting to believe that Kein's question does indeed mean he doesn't hold her responsible for any of this, but.. she doesn't dare assume that's the case. With another muffled sigh that has a lot more emotion in it, she lies down where she's at and drops her head onto her forepaws, blinking away the tears.

She never apologized, never said anything to make him think she felt she needed forgiveness any more than he thinks she does. That doesn't mean he can't think of a reason why she refuses to come near him, though. Either Chesmu tore him up so badly that she can't stand the sight of him... Or she's upset about what his mother did to her father. Neither thought is comforting, and he's not sure what he can say to fix it. Probably nothing, if she can't stand the sight of him, but if it's that she's upset... "I'm sorry, Nayeli... Please."

No, no, /no/! Nayeli turns around to face Kein and angrily wipes away any traces of tears in her eyes. "Don't apologize! That wasn't your fault and you know it!" Now she feels even worse. Perhaps the real problem here is that she is absolutely scared to death that she might have lost her best friend, but she simply doesn't know how to express that. Especially because it would have been her fault had it happened. How /does/ one apologize for something like that?

Kein shrinks back against his mother when Nayeli begins shouting. If it's not that she's upset with him, then... But he has to know for certain. "Then why won't you come near me?" Maybe... Maybe when he heals some more, she won't be appalled by the sight of him, and then she won't avoid him, but... How long will that take? And will it be enough, or will she always not want to look at him?

If it's her proximity that will make him happy, then so be it. Nayeli slowly gets to her paws, trudges through the snow over to the unoccupied side of Kein, and lowers herself down again. She's careful not to touch him, or even to appear remotely affectionate. She doesn't /think/ her father would be watching, but... she doesn't want to take the chance.

Kein tries to be happy with her being closer, but she hasn't actually answered him, and she isn't as close to him as she was last night. He wants to apologize again, to make it /better/, but his apology just seconds ago proved that won't work. Slowly, he lowers his head, but after he does, he says, "Please don't leave me." Ever. Or, at least not until he leaves. No matter how long it takes him to heal... It won't take long enough, if healing means leaving her.

Her friend's request tears at Nayeli, and finally she can't help it anymore. Tears begin falling again, and she tries to keep from crying as she doesn't want to wake the older female. "I /have/ to, Kein! I would /never/ forgive myself if you died because I didn't leave you." Okay, so much for being quiet. Nayeli is rather surprised that Maulisho doesn't wake up with the noise so close to her, but the cougaress is sleeping like a rock. Must be really tired. "Don't you understand, Kein? All this happened because of me, and I have to make it stop!" Her father said only until she was an adult, but after what's happened here, she would imagine that the time period has been extended indefinitely. No more Kein for her. Ever.

No! Kein is dismayed by what she says, and with no concern for whether he wakes him mother or makes his injuries worse, Kein moves so that he is pressed against her. "This /isn't/ your fault either, Nayeli. I'll stay, if I have to. My family can protect us, but... You can't leave me. Please." He could tell her how Yuma said it's okay if she wants to leave, and that he would deal with Chesmu if Chesmu doesn't agree, but right now, it's more important that he makes her understand that he will do /anything/ it takes. The details can be worked out later, but this is important to him /now/.

The strange thing is, even though Nayeli knows that what Kein is telling her isn't the truth at all, that somehow this isn't her fault, it does accomplish the intended purpose of making her feel better. Not an enormous amount, but enough that she's able to settle down. Somewhat. Instead of letting her get into a drawn-out argument over whose fault it is, something she knows Kein will try his hardest not to let her win--even though she knows it /is/ her fault!--Nayeli instead lets herself rub up against her friend. He needs it, and she knows he needs it. She needs it, too. "I'm just so afraid for you," she whispers, knowing that if her father is watching then she's already sealed Kein's fate.

Kein closes his eyes and rubs his head against her. It is a gentle motion, because there is probably no part of his head he could use to nuzzle against her without causing himself pain, but just being able to nuzzle her again makes him feel so much better. After doing so, he says, "I'll be okay, Nayeli. As long as we're together, I'll be fine. I promise." He /will/ do whatever it takes, no matter what. For a while, he wasn't certain he would allow her to come with him if and when he left, but the pain of what he perceived as her rejecting him has changed all of that.

Those are indeed comforting words, and, accompanied with the comforting headrub, almost are enough to make Nayeli believe that everything really /will/ turn out okay. But until she can know for sure that her father will never attack Kein again, something she knows will never be a certainty, she'll always be afraid for him. Nayeli wonders what Kein's family must be thinking about the attack. It's not the first time she's wondered if any of them think that she's not worth the risk of Chesmu or worse attacking one of their own. Yes, Kein is guarded now, but where is Pelutho? What if Chesmu decides to strike at Kein through a more cruel way, by killing off his brother? Even with them just living in a state of constant near-paranoia... and causing tension between the two of them... isn't this what her father was trying for? All in the name of protecting his daughter. As far as she can tell, it's done /far/ more harm than good. Parental wisdom indeed! It's a bad situation that Kein's in, right now, and the girl voices her concern. "What.. are you going to do? If you stay here, you'll be where Chesmu can attack you at any time of the day or night.."-not that she has any doubt his family will continue to provide protection, but there's only so much that they can do-"..and if you leave, then you'll be completely defenseless!" Of course, if he left and she stayed, then there /is/ the chance that Chesmu will leave him alone, but after what happened yesterday, Nayeli is beginning more and more to believe that won't be the case.

What is he going to do? He doesn't know yet. He still has no desire to stay within Amaranth. He still wants to get out, find his own territory, and see beyond what he has seen before. After the events of the last day, though, he is more reluctant than ever to leave his family. He rests his head against her lightly, then says, "I don't know yet." He will have to make a lot of tough decisions, and have a lot of tough conversations, between now and the time when he has healed well enough to leave... And as much as he hates it, at least one of those is probably going to have to involve Chesmu. Oh, sure, he has no doubt he will never be left alone with Chesmu nearby again, but even so, he would prefer to never speak to the former chieftain again...

It hurts to hear Kein admit that he doesn't know what to do. Nayeli wanted to hear that despite his injuries, Kein had already thought of a plan, had decided on a course of action to take, had figured out a solution to this mess... anything. But rather than be too disappointed, she turns it into a question back at her friend: "How can I help?" She can help watch out for Chesmu, she can run messages, she can hunt.. well.. sort of.. She can do /something/ for him, can't she? "Please. Let me do something."

Kein knows how strong the desire to help can be, but he doesn't answer immediately. What can either of them do, right now? Kasim is looking out, Yuma has already agreed to speak with Chesmu, his mother is sleeping, and until they can speak with either Mom or Yuma... There isn't much /to/ do. Sure, he's hungry, but the thought to ask her to find something for him to eat never crosses his mind, most likely because he doesn't want her to leave his sie right now. Finally, he answers, "I will, I promise, but... Some things just take time. Just... Stay with me, and help when I need it?" Surely she can see how much more useful that will be than sending her on errands just meant to fill up her time and keep her from worrying?

In other words, there really isn't anything she can do. No.. she shouldn't make that assumption so quickly. Maybe Kein just needs time to think of something. "Okay," she whispers, dropping the subject. She asked, so there really isn't anything more she can do. Nayeli doesn't look terribly satisfied with his answer, but she's willing to accept it. Her eyes glance over to where Kasim is making another perimeter check, but her gaze doesn't stay on him long. Instead, it moves over to where the blood trail from earlier had disappeared behind a tree. Her father... is he even still alive?

Kein licks her cheek lightly. She doesn't sound terribly pleased with his answer, so after the lick, he says, "If nothing else happens, and Yuma doesn't return by tonight... I'll need to know how his talk with Chesmu went." And, obviously, he won't be searching out Yuma on his own. Though he might be willing to, his mother would probably pounce on him and drag him back to force him to rest before he could get ten feet away. He doesn't want her to go, and he will worry about her every moment until she returns, but at least that gives her a task she'll be able to do within a few hours. Maybe now she'll be more capable of getting the rest she needs.

Nayeli smiles, turning to lick her friend on the cheek as well... and then realizes that to do so might cause him pain, with all the slashes on his face. It's an awkward hesitation, and she /really/ doesn't want him to think that it's because of how he looks, rather than her anxiety that she might hurt him. Inspiration comes, and she moves her head up a few inches and licks at his ear, instead. "Just let me know when you want me to go find out," she says.

Kein gives a nod of his head. Then, with a small smile, he lowers his head onto his foreleg. Between his earlier talk with Yuma and the talk they've just finished... This might not be all bad. They'll find a way to work through it.

[Therdde]

- A Short While Later -

It has been a while since he and Nayeli fell asleep for a nap, one that didn't last very long for him. He got much more sleep than Nayeli and Mom did last night, and when he woke up, the last thing he wanted to do was try to go back to sleep. He remained lying there for a while, but with Kasim still a short distance off patrolling for signs of Chesmu and both Mom and Nayeli sleeping, lying down quickly became tedious. With great care to not wake either Mom or Nayeli, he stood, and has since been slowly walking around. All of his limbs are stiff, and his injured foreleg... The burning pain has gradually intensified, but it isn't bleeding again, and the pain is not yet severe. When his mother suggested they should move somewhere safer earlier, while Nayeli was gone, he wasn't so certain about his ability to make it, but after trying out just walking around, he's certain he can, so long as they can take it a little bit slow.

When Kein moves away from her, Maulisho wakes up, but remains motionless for the time being. Her eyes stay closed, but her ears swivel to try and follow Kein's movement. When she's convinced that he's moving more than just a few feet away, she lifts her head up and looks over at her son. "Kein? How are you feeling?" He still appears to have room for recovery, judging from how he's gingerly walking around. Hmm. Nayeli still seems to be asleep as well.

Kein continues to move slowly as he turns to look at his mother, and after doing so, he sits. He can't keep all of the pain from his tone, but he doesn't complain. Far from it. "I'm better." Not a hundred percent, not by a long shot, but he is better than he was last night, and even a little better than he was this morning, when even just sitting up caused him to tremble slightly.

Maulisho nods, getting to her paws. "Are you feeling strong enough to move to the cave?" It's important that they move as soon as possible, but she'll understand if Kein is still feeling too weak to travel. "We can wait a little longer if you want some more time to rest and gather your strength." She glances over at Kasim, still patrolling around the area.

Kein shakes his head slightly. The cave is not a short walk away, but... It beats remaining here, with Chesmu so nearby, and even though the cave itself is not large enough to hold him, Mom, Kasim, Pel, and Nayeli, there are plenty of safe places nearby it for the others to sleep. "I can make it." Besides, maybe after that walk, he'll be able to lie down again without feeling like the inactivity is driving him insane.

Maulisho gives him an encouraging smile. "I know you can." Hmm. Best course of action to take from here? "Why don't you wake up Nayeli, and I'll get Kasim, and then we'll start traveling." She and Kasim will provide escort while Nayeli can help Kein with moving--someone to lean on, if needed.

Kein nods his head, then slowly makes his way over to Nayeli. "Okay." He's a little more reluctant about this, since he knows she can't gotten much sleep, but once he gets to her, he lowers his head to nuzzle lightly against hers. He's not sure if he's nuzzling her strongly enough to wake her, but if he is, surely it's a pleasant way to be woken up, and it doesn't hurt him badly. The claw marks on his face will heal much more quickly that the bite Chesmu took out of him.

Nayeli jerks nearly as soon as she's touched, eyes opening quickly to stare up at Kein. But as soon as she recognizes him, she visibly relaxes. "Hi," she says, though realization follows and she immediately asks, "Why are you up? Are you feeling better?" That would certainly be a much faster recovery than she was anticipating.

Kein takes a ginger step back when Nayeli awakens and offers her a thin smile. To her final question, he nods, then he answers her first. "We're moving to the cave, Nayeli. All of us." Which is why Mom is walking off in the direction of Kasim and why he woke her. He didn't wake her just because he didn't want her to worry, and he doesn't want her here waiting for Yuma to stop by. It is not yet late in the day. Maybe if Yuma fails to find them by the time it gets closer to sunset, or perhaps even tomorrow...

Nayeli looks shocked. "We're /moving/?" Of course, the idea makes sense, given where Kein said their destination is, but... surely he's not up for moving already? But instead of protesting that he still needs to rest, Nayeli gives a resolute nods and slowly gets up. "Let's do this, then." One thing that she's learning fast: sometimes it's better to just quietly help than to always ask questions or protest that the timing isn't right or whatever.

- Deep Crevice -

After a long and arduous walk...

"We made it!" Nayeli sounds as excited as she hopes Kein feels. That is, if he feels anything other than pain and weariness. The amount of times that she's had to help support him during this trip had certainly increased significantly during the latter half, but she never doubted he'd be able to make the whole journey.

Towards the end there, Kein was beginning to doubt it himself, and the moment that he and Nayeli are in the cave, he lies down on order to get his weight off of his injured foreleg. There is still no sign of bleeding, but the pain is much more severe now than it was, and he /is/ glad to be lying down again. After a couple attempts to relax by taking deep breaths, he says, "Thank you, Nayeli." He'll have to thank Mom and Kasim, too, the moment he feels up to walking around again. That trip would have been torture if he has been by himelf, and if anyone hostile had happened upon him, he'd have had no chance of defending himself.

As her friend lies down, Nayeli takes a look around at the cave, noting how /cramped/ it seems to be. It's probably just because they're older and bigger now. Plus, Nayeli doesn't think she's ever been in here with anyone else before. Only by herself a long time ago while she was exploring Amaranth for the first time. "Bring back memories, being in here and all?" she asks with a touch of humor in her voice. Like Kein would ever remember being a newborn cub.

No, he doesn't have any memories of being a newborn... But he /does/ remember the first challenge he ever issued to Chesmu. Sort of. He's not sure how much of it is actual memory and how much he simply remembers being told about it or listening while someone else was told about it. Prior to Chesmu attempting to force himself on his mother, the story brought a mixture of feelings to him. How brave he was! Since that night, though, the memory is not so pleasant. It's the first thing that comes to him, though, and he shakes his head to dispel the thought, then forces a smile. "I remember bringing you back here once." He was so proud of having found a friend. And then he remembers the night they spent here when they were fleeing Amaranth, one of the last few times his family was whole. He sighs softly as this memory takes hold, wishing, for just a little while, he could get his mind to focus on more pleasant memories.

Oh, right! She remembers that now! Nayeli grins at the thought, remembering how naive and inexperienced she was at a lot of things back then--such as climbing trees. She still remembers not understanding what a 'bet' was, though that was one of the first things she had her mother explain to her later on. Ahh, yes. "You know, Kein, I was..." She blinks. "Kein? What's wrong?"

The former and the current chieftains both thought he and Nayeli were mating, or that he intended to mate with her. Yuma did not come right out and say that, but he implied it, and for the first time, Kein honestly thinks about it. If they did mate, and they had cubs of their own... Would Chesmu get to see them? He knows his mother would want to, and he has no problem with that, but Nayeli's father? After lowering his head, he says, "I just... If you and me... If we ever have cubs... I just don't want them to ever go through this." He's hurting. He has too many unpleasant memories assaulting him. And he's not entirely coherent, because the burning in his leg keeps him not so much from focusing on any one thing, but definitely from focusing on what he would like to focus on. That's not something he would ever want for any future offspring of his own, and if Chesmu is going to be a part of their lives...

Nayeli looks rather surprised. Cubs? That seems like somewhat of a random subject change, but.. considering where they're resting at, it does sort of make sense. There's plenty of talking that needs to be done first. Feeling herself blush at the thought, she just nods and turns away to look over at the wall, feigning interest. "Of course not. Nobody deserves to be hurt like that." Kein wants her to be his best friend and to travel with him and settle down, but... he's never mentioned cubs before, and she's not sure at all how to respond to that.

Kein really isn't sure that he /wants/ cubs, but... It seems inevitable. Someday. And whether he wants them or not, if he ever does wind up fathering cubs, he swears to himself, right now, that he will destroy anyone who ever even thinks of making one of them feel even half so bad as he does now, or else die trying. Just like Mom has done for him and his siblings. "Maybe some animals do." He really isn't speaking or thinking about Chesmu any more. Just about anyone who would ever hurt his potential future cubs that he isn't even sure he wants.

For Nayeli, the thought of being a mother certainly wouldn't be described as 'inevitable'. For most of her life, she had thought that she'd grow up and never have cubs--after all, several of the other adult females that she knows aren't mothers. Just the thought that Kein might want to have cubs with her.. she's going to need a lot of time to get used to that thought. But for now, she appreciates the subject change. Walking over toward the entrance and looking out, Nayeli echoes, "Some animals do?"

Kein, on the other hand, spent much of his childhood thinking that he would become chieftain here someday, or else somewhere else, and fulfill all of the responsibilities associated with that. It wasn't until he learned about his father that he really began to rethink those ideas, and for good reason. What would he do if he was the one who, inadvertantly, hurt one of his own cubs? "Deserve to hurt like this," he finishes Nayeli's echoing of his statement. It's only a maybe, and with the sleepy tone that has slowly crept into his voice as the pain has dulled into a throbbing instead of the burning that accompanied him most of the way here, he probably shouldn't be taken /too/ seriously.

That certainly doesn't sound like the Kein she's used to, though Nayeli supposes he's probably right. Punishment is needed in certain circumstances, and it hurts, right? Maybe that's what he's talking about. "I.. suppose so," she admits slowly, turning around and heading back toward Kein. At least, she starts to, but then she stops and just gazes at him, looking him over again and again. Despite his injuries, and despite the pained and tired expression that he's had for a lot of the time since waking up, Nayeli has to admire how much he's grown.

His brain finally seems willing to let this topic drop, and as Nayeli gazes at him, he looks back. It doesn't take long for an involuntary smile to quirk at the corner of his mouth, though, and Kein asks, "What?" Any sadness or depression that might have been there, fueled by unpleasant thoughts, is gone. Neither is there anything accusatory, as she has proven that she is not repulsed by his injuries. Rather, his tone is simply slightly curious.

"You know, you aren't as chubby as you used to be as a cub." Whether he really was or not, Nayeli can't help but feel that a little humor is needed to lighten the situation. Kein's never going to get better if he's depressed about what's happened, is he? Flopping down in front of him, she giggles. "I guess you finally decided to grow some muscles?" Hardly accurate, as she remembers Kein being strong even in her earliest memories of him.

The smiles remains, and Kein even chuckles lightly. "Oh yes. I just had to wait until no one was swayed by the cute chubbiness anymore." It may have taken a while, but she certainly has a way of cheering him up. Even just listening to her giggle or seeing her smile can do wonders. "You're just as cute as ever, though. How did you manage that?"

Implying that she's always been cute? Nayeli wonders if she'll ever be able to listen to him say something like that /without/ her flushing, even a little. Suddenly feeling.. awkward? shy? ..she looks down at her forepaws and gives a small shrug. "I dunno." Is there even an expected answer to a question like that? It's weird, actually. While she's just here alone with Kein, the awkwardness or embarrassment of a question like that--and she's not even convinced that's the best description of it, but she can't think of a better word--doesn't seem to bother her as much as it would if someone else was with them. Like her father, for example.

Kein lifts his head and scoots forward, just enough that he can nudge her with his nose. His smile has turns a bit mischievous. "That's too bad. I'm sure a lot of animals would be interested in learning the secret to staying cute forever." It's a playful compliment, nothing more, but he means every word he says. He enjoys just looking at her.

Nayeli giggles again, nudging back. "I wish I knew the secret as well, so that way I don't become all ugly when I get old." No offense to Mom and Grandmom, of course. Not that she thinks they're ugly or anything, but.. she would hardly expect Kein to describe them as 'cute'. "You could probably get a lot of girls to be your friend if you figured out the secret!"

Kein probably wouldn't describe his own mother as cute, but that's entirely different, and since he really doesn't know any other adult female cougars... "I don't think you'll ever get ugly, and even if you do... I don't want a lot of other girls to be my friend." Not that he'll mind, of course, but... He can't imagine wanting them around as strongly as he wants Nayeli around, or fighting someone larger and stronger than he is for them.

"Even.. if I do? What was that?" Nayeli bursts out laughing. "If I do end up ugly, then I guess I'll scare all the prey away or something." Still in the mood to tease, she adds, "Besides, why would any other girl /want/ to be your friend? I mean, it's not like you can do anything cool, like wrestle in the snow, or climb trees, or run races, or track scary monsters." She smiles. "I guess that means you're stuck with me."

Kein grins widely and just watches her for a moment, almost as if in thought. Then, with an entirely exaggerated sigh, he says, "I /suppose/ I can live with that." He wasn't sure, up until this point, how much teasing she'd be capable of taking, no matter how he phrased it, but her final couple statements having him a little more at least about that, less worried that he might upset her with something he says in jest.

Nayeli laughs softly, then seems to turn serious. After a thoughtful hmm, she says, "You know, I wonder if either of my sisters will ever end up with a friend like you." She knows Chandani has had her eye on Pelutho for a while now, but she doesn't know how much reciprocation there's been from Kein's brother. And Misae? Nayeli has no idea at all.

Kein doesn't even know if Pelutho has any interest in associating with /any/ cougars outside of his family. Even before they fled Amaranth, Pel stayed at home much more often then he did, and afterwards... "I don't know, Nayeli." Kein knows better than to ask if Yuma has any special friendships with anyone inside or outside of the tribe. Since his conversation with the current chieftain, Kein's view towards Yuma has lightened some, but he can still remember how little Nayeli liked speaking about Chesmu's favorite child when they were younger.

They're missing out by not having such a good friend! Oh well. There's still time for both of them. "I wonder what kind of things there are to the north. What kind of lands, and creatures, and all of that." It's a subtle hint that she's still curious as to Kein's plans for leaving and exploring and all of that. Okay, so it /is/ a rather abrupt topic change, and so her 'hint' might not be as subtle as she hoped. Oh well.

Tha last lingering traces of Kein's smile fade at what she says. Still, it doesn't take him long to say, "We'll find out." Someday. Even if they both stay in Amaranth until adulthood, once they reach that, they can continue with their plans. Hopefully it won't take that, but if it does... It's still something they can look forward to.

The way that Kein includes her in his response causes her smile to reappear. "I sure can't wait," Nayeli says, stretching a little. Yes, Kein isn't being very specific whatsoever about what he plans on doing or how he plans on doing it, but at least he's still willing to be inclusive. Nayeli was afraid that he would be going off by himself, not wanting her to join him. And yes, she could always go off with any of her siblings, but.. it would be a lot more fun going with her best friend!

Kein scoots a lottle bit closer to one side of the cave, then says, "It's kind of getting late. Do you think you could wait to try to find your brother until tomorrow?" More importantly, the whole reason he moved, will she sleep by him tonight? She has slept more recently than him, yes, but his sleep wasn't interupted as many times as hers was. It was the walk here that eally has him tired, though, especially now that his leg is no longer bothering him badly.

Nayeli blinks in surprise as Kein starts to move away from her, but nods in answer to his question. "Of course. I don't know how long it will take me to find him, but I'll go first thing in the morning." Hopefully he'll have had enough time to talk to their father, though Nayeli still isn't sure what information Kein is seeking. Maybe the extent of Chesmu's injuries?

Kein told his mom about most of his conversation with Yuma. It just hasn't occurred to him that he hasn't told Nayeli, and with a tired smile, he says, "I'm getting used to sleeping with you by me." If nothing else about being here while he heals is nice, at least that is.

Nayeli feigns indignation, "Then why are you moving away from me like that? I don't kick in my sleep, do I?" She narrows her eyes, barely able to keep from grinning. "Or maybe I just smell bad? Is that it?" She gives a big 'hmph!' and gets up, walks over to the cave entrance, and flops down as best she can in the narrow entrance. Turning her head, she gives him as cute a smile as she can manage. "Good night, Kein!"

"Well, you could stand to spend a couple hours grooming, but I suppose that can wait until morning as well." Kein is smiling as he says this, and after shifting so that he is lying mostly on his right side, he says, "Goodnight, Nayeli." With Mom and Kasim just outside, they'll all be safe, and he knows from experience that sleeping in this cave will be plenty comfortable, so after saying goodnight, he closes his eyes.

She'll wait for a bit until she's sure he's fast asleep, and then she'll probably head outside briefly to talk with Maulisho. She wants to know exactly what kind of injuries Maul inflicted on her father. Following that, she'll go ahead and get some sleep as well. Of course, she'll most likely sleep much closer to Kein than where she is now. Nayeli doesn't think he'll mind.