Post by Therdde on Oct 24, 2008 17:32:38 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Nayeli - Female Adolescent Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
After the walk with Pelutho last night, Kein returned to the area around the cave. He sat down to spend some time talking with all of his family, intending to stay awake to wait for Nayeli. His body had other plans, though, after spending a day filled with much more activity than in the past several days, and he fell asleep without meaning to. The last thing he thought before falling asleep was that he'd probably just nap, and wake up when Nayeli arrived. Nayeli lying down beside him is not what causes him to start to awaken, though. Rather, it's the lightening of the sky as the sun rises, warming his fur. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to sleep outside, and he shifts just slightly at first, taking in a deep breath while his eyes are still closed.
Even being so excited about starting out with her best friend, Nayeli was absolutely exhausted by the time she made it back to the cave. She had shed plenty of tears over the past several hours, especially with her sisters, but also had plenty of enjoyable conversation with all of her siblings and her mother. Ayashe had also decided to make sure Nayeli left with plenty to think about, mostly consisting of advice and warnings that apparently every girl should keep in mind when setting out into the big and dangerous world with a boy who professed to love her. She's pretty sure that a lot of what Ayashe told her simply doesn't apply to Kein, but knowing that her mother spoke out of concern for her daughter, Nayeli appreciated it anyway. Those thoughts followed her to sleep, though thankfully not causing any dreams. The blackness of peaceful slumber is broken by the slight shift of Kein's body against hers, though she doesn't fully awaken just yet. It's more as if her conscious thoughts are slowly making their way toward the surface.
Nayeli's scent fills Kein's nose when he takes that deep breath, and he begins purring, rubbing his head against her. He is awake enough to know who is by him, but not so awake that other thoughts have yet begun to pick and gnaw at him. That he could spend the rest of his life just like this, in this half-waking state next to Nayeli. One of the first thoughts that really manages to form itself in his head is that he /will/ be able to wake up like this, very often, from now on. Warm sun, a comfortable sleeping spot, and the scent and feel of his familiar friend nearby. Does that not make everything else that has happened worth it?
It's a wonderful warmth, resting with your back up against the same of your best friend. Nayeli is also looking forward to many more mornings like this, though she supposes that circumstances might dictate other sleeping arrangements. The need to sleep up in a tree for whatever reason, for example. She is now quite awake with the additional movement against her, and a smile slowly makes its way onto her muzzle. But as her eyes open, she's surprised to see that the two of them are quite alone now. When she arrived back here last night, Kein's parents had been fairly close by, but... no longer. Even their scent is somewhat stale. It gives a much greater sense of it being just the two of them together now, though Nayeli is pretty sure that Kein will be feeling a little disappointed that they won't at least have anyone sending them off. Maybe it's for the best.
Once Kein is certain Nayeli is awake, he says, "Good morning." THe purr is still in his voice. If any nightmares troubled his sleep last night, he does not remember them, and he is not yet thinking to what the rest of this day holds. He just wants to enjoy this for as long as possible, because after this morning, absolutely everything is going to change. He hasn't looked around for his family, and he's a little afraid to, because he isn't sure what would be easiest for all of them, to struggle through another tearful goodbye together or to handle that hurt and sorrow on their own and get it over with.
Nayeli doesn't know how long Kein has been awake already so at the lack of concern in his voice, she figures that he's already noticed that they're alone and accepted it. Feeling a bit more confident, she responds with "Good morning" and a slight rubbing of her head back in Kein's direction. She can tell that he must have slept pretty well, judging from his purr and overall good mood so far. Given all the things that could go wrong with them leaving, she's glad to see that the day is starting out as good as could be hoped for. So far, anyway.
"Did you sleep well?" There are plenty of things Kein could have asked, but that seemed the best option. The more relaxed this morning is, the better the day will likely go. Even so, as he leaves sleep further behind him, the one thing that his mind demands he focus on is the big event of the day. Them leaving.
With a soft laugh, Nayeli replies in amusement, "Have I ever /not/ slept well when next to you?" Not that she's done it more than a handful of times, but small, technical details seem to frequently be forgotten when teasing is the intended purpose. With something between a giggle and a purr, she adds, "Of course I slept well! I hope you did too?" She might as well ask, though she's pretty sure she already knows the answer.
Kein grins at her response, then says, "I did." Better than he has ever since he was injured. Possibly better than he has ever since his sister died. He can't say how much of that was the conversations he had with his family yesterday and how much was Nayeli sleeping beside him, though. After answering, he slowly stretches out and takes a few more deep breaths, throwing off the final vestiges of his deep sleep.
She is going to be very reluctant to try and engage Kein in any kind of wrestling or otherwise fun activity until he's convincingly demonstrated to her that he's completely healed from his injuries. The last thing she wants to do is further complicate any physical issues that he still has, and especially if they'll end up crippling him or causing him any additional pain. With a mock-groan at her friend's stretching, Nayeli yawns and protests, "I don't wanna get up! It's so comfy and warm here..." Where's his snooze button, anyway? Just five more minutes!
What she says doesn't make the thought of leaving any easier. Even so, Kein pulls himself to his feet and forces a smile. Time to show that his heart really is into the idea of leaving with her. He leans down to give a gentle tug at her ear with his teeth, and, even before releasing it, says, "C'mon, lazy. We'll never get to explore anything at this rate." The smile may have been forced, but there is genuine humour in his tone, at least.
"Ow, my ear!" Nayeli grins and quickly gets to her paws, as if to prove that she didn't really mean what she said just a moment ago. She's very much eager to get underway, and the thought of a little more sleep quickly disappears with the anticipation of actually leaving Amaranth territory for the first time in her life. "I'm ready when you are!" It's not the excited bouncing-off-the-trees enthusiasm she might have displayed as a cub, but there's plenty of excitement and energy evident in Nayeli, just kept more under control now that she's nearly a mature adult. There /is/ still somewhat of a cub's sense of fascination with the unknown--that will most likely always be a part of her personality--and it will probably manifest itself even more once they start into unknown lands for the first time.
Kein lets go of Nayeli's ear when she starts to get up. His smile remains as he watches her, becoming a little more natural, and when he responds, there is still humour in his tone. "I'm ready." Whenever he noticed that none of his family is nearby, he took it in stride. This will just be better. He did get a chance to say goodbye to all of them seperately, and while he might have wanted to see them one more time, he knows it would have been difficult to ever leave if they were here. THe same is probably true for Nayeli.
Nayeli looks expectantly as her friend, fully believing that he'll be the one leading them. Not only because he's stronger and more capable of making decisions on where to go, but he /has/ already been outside of Amaranth before, and for a considerable part of his life. He should know a lot more than she about what to expect out there, where to hunt, what to look for, and so on. Perhaps what he learned in the desert won't apply to whatever lies to the north of Amaranth, but surely it counts for /something/, right?
It may help more than she knows. After realizing where his mother left Chesmu, Kein decided on what path they'd be taking. Even if Chesmu isn't in the same area, it's safe than walking through the entirety of Amaranth territory. This way, they won't be traveling through it at all. It also just so happens to be part of the way they took to the desert, so for the very beginning, it will be very familiar to Kein. WIth no more hesitation, he turns to begin leading them north, his pace very relaxed, even to begin with.
It's a strange feeling, and somewhat frightening, to know that she's leaving the only land that she's ever known. Her home. No.. her /former/ home. Nayeli knows that she'll have to keep reminding herself that her former life is indeed gone, and that the sooner she gets used to her new life--new home included--the better. She doesn't have her parents to go to when a difficult situation or question arises. Only Kein. It's becoming more and more clear to her that she's really going to have to put an awful lot of trust in her friend. Not that she has any doubt in his abilities or intentions, but... still. Wow. Nayeli puts on a brave smile and falls into place beside her friend. Close enough to where they're within easy reach of each other, but far enough that she hopefully won't seem like she's crowding him or making it difficult for him to lead. It's definitely not a tour where she's following one of her parents around. Nope. This is much different, but in a good way.
- Rolling Foothills -
Kein's pace remains relaxed as they travel down the mountain, but it is far from hesitant. Though he keeps his senses open to any signs of any threats, he is not worried. Or, rather, he's not of any mind to turn back around. There might be some worry there, but it's minimal. Even if it's in silence, he's enjoying this walk with Nayeli, and even enjoying seeing this not entirely unfamiliar area with a completely different mindset. They are no longer either running for their lives or walking steadfastly toward a confrontation, so everything seems different.
Nayeli is plenty busy trying to imagine what sort of land lies to the north, and whether it'll be something she's never seen before, or just more of the same. Kein's description of a 'desert' seems to imply that there /are/ types of lands that she can only imagine right now, so what if the north is that very type of place as well? She hopes it isn't a desert though, as Kein seemed to imply that it wasn't a very nice place to live in. But regardless, she's just plenty happy with the fact that they're /going/. Leaving. Exploring. And with her best friend to pioneer the way, what could be better? Her gaze frequently rests on him, just admiring everything that he's become. Yes, so he's grown up the same as all male cougars. Just like Yuma, and just like their father and Kein's father. But still... she just can't seem to stop looking at him, and occasionally even having to fight a smile just at the thought.
As they stray further from Amaranth, the scents of cougars begins to fade. He expected this, but he didn't expect that it would make him feel so... Alone. Even that feeling would not surprise him, though, if not for the fact that it doesn't seem to be such a negative thing, right now. With each step, he becomes a little further separated from his family, but a little closer to Nayeli and the rest of his life, as an adolescent and an adult. And, after a short while, he catches Nayeli looking at him, again. Though his self-consciousness remains, he forces a grin and says, "You've seen /me/ before, Nayeli. I thought we were supposed to be exploring /new/ things." He's just joking, not at all upset.
Nayeli blushes, moving her gaze to look deliberately in front of them. She certainly hadn't meant to embarrass Kein, and she's pretty sure that he thought she was thinking about his scars. But no--she'd be looking at him either way, like she enjoyed doing even before that terrible day in the snow. "We.. haven't left Amaranth quite yet, so.. there aren't really any new things to see yet, except you." He's the only new thing that's happened to her in recent days, after all. Okay, so his family came too, but.. that's beside the point. And suddenly she realizes that she's probably just confirmed what he was thinking, and with a deeper blush, she tries to clarify. "I mean, you've changed a lot, and.." Yes, his scars would definitely count as a change. More awkward. "..I wasn't meaning to look at.. I mean, I /was/, but I wasn't thinking about.." She trails off, flustered and feeling her face burn.
Kein stops walking as Nayeli begins stuttering, turning to face her. There is nothing in his expression that is angry or upset. Though he is self-conscious about the scars Chesmu gave him, it is his problem to deal with. She has made it perfectly clear that she thinks no less of him for them, and at least logically he has accepted that. "Nayeli... It's okay. I was just joking." Or trying to, at any rate. It seems to have backfired.
Nayeli still feels bad, even if Kein really was joking. Now they're both thinking about what she inadvertently brought into focus, and it isn't a happy thought. She could try to change the subject, but it would surely seem forced and awkward. Or, they could continue in silence, though that would be surely no less awkward. Angry at herself for ruining the good mood already, Nayeli decides to settle something once and for all. "I don't care if you have scars, Kein!" There's a good bit of frustration in her voice, but it's at herself, not her friend. "Do you know what I think of when I see your face? I think of how brave my best friend was, standing up for me. I don't know everything that was said between you and my father, but I do know that your scars are mostly on your face, rather than your tail or back. That says a lot to me, that you weren't running away and abandoning me."
Kein was not expecting that from Nayeli, but hearing it means a lot to him. When he smiles this time, it is small, but genuine, and he takes a step towards her to nuzzle against her. How could he do anything /but/ love her? It might not do everything to dispel his worries, especially with strangers, but having a reason he can understand has always helped him grasp why others feel the way they do, and hearing that Nayeli not only isn't upset by his scars, but is reminded of his courage when she sees them... They will probably never remind him of courage when he catches his reflection in standing water, but knowing that's what /she/ feels causes him to purr quietly.
Nayeli has quickly learned that a lot of Kein's emotions are subtle and easily missed. The positive ones, anyway. He's so serious a lot of the time that it can be difficult to pick up on his amusement or appreciation or happiness; a contrast to the very vocal and forceful determination that he showed when confronting her father. And so when Nayeli notices the smile prior to his nuzzling her, she hopes that she was at least able to calm his self-conscious concerns that she was always afraid of upsetting. She's probably have the same trouble if she were in his position. Though as tempting as the thought of just stopping to enjoy this moment of closeness is, Nayeli keeps walking, determined to get /out/ of Amaranth. She doesn't want to do anything that would risk them deciding to turn back, or even delaying longer than absolutely necessary.
After nuzzling her, Kein does, in fact, turn to continue on. This is just one more small sample that has gone towards convincing him that, no matter what happens, they'll find a way to handle it so that, at the very least, the two of them are not, in any way, hurt, emotionally or physically. If only his mother had waited until now to ask him if it was right for him to leave, he could tell her yes, with no hesitation.
Though still feeling a little flustered at embarrassing the both of them, Nayeli nonetheless does her best to put it behind her as the two of them continue on. It's such a beautiful day, though there do seem to be some dark stormclouds forming that will most likely require them to find shelter later on. It /has/ been a while since it last rained, so Nayeli knows that the grass and trees could use the water. Everything seems to thrive after a rainstorm. Just not.. during. She really hates getting soaked.
Kein hasn't entirely failed to notice the dark clouds in the distance. Were it warmer, he might enjoy the idea of walking through the rain, after the amount of time he spent in the desert. It is cold, though. Not cold enough to snow, but easily cold enough that the rain could make them both miserable. So, as they continue on, he begins looking for a place to shelter down before the rain starts. It would be a pain to travel back to the last potential cave, and he's afraid their best bet will probably be to find a few trees growing together.
Nayeli dismisses the upcoming storm from her mind, instead wondering how far Kein plans on taking them. Do they plan on just continuing north, or does he want to see what lands lie on the other sides of Amaranth as well? Another subject comes to mind, one that she feels is important enough to vocalize as a question: "What are you going to look for?" Oh, wait. It might help if she mentioned what she was referring to. "I mean, in a territory and all that. Are you looking for anything specific?"
What /is/ he looking for? It's one thing to say he'll know it when he sees it, but aren't there certain things that would help Kein pick one area over another? Well, of course there are, but it isn't any one thing, and the things he has, he's not particularly picky about. He's not going to hope to find anything so interesting as the stone formations, so... "Just someplace healthy, I guess. Water. Food. And we'll definitely need trees to play in." The final thing is said with a grin, but then he goes on, with a slightly more serious tone. "I'm sure lots of places will have those things, though. We don't have to stop as soon as we find them." He doesn't /want/ to stop as soon as he finds them, since that will make the exploration part of their journey much shorter than it has to be.
As far as Nayeli is concerned, they can play in whatever type of terrain they want. Trees.. snow.. tall grass.. rocks--they can use whatever is available. It's the fact that Kein's mentioning playing that makes Nayeli feel a lot better. Yes, they've enjoyed moments of closeness and just being with each other since the attack, but Kein hasn't really so much as hinted at wanting to play again. And while Nayeli wasn't sure that his injuries would prevent him from doing such a thing, she never received any confirmation from Kein on that. At least, until now. Matching his grin, she nods in agreement. "We might have to play in a lot of trees before we find the best ones."
Kein laughs at what Nayeli says and replies, "Exactly!" He's almost certain his leg could hold up to the strain of climbing by now. He'll just have to try it before he can be sure, but he /is/ willing to try it, and at that point... Well, as soon as he can climb a tree, he can do absolutely everything he could do before he was injured. He almost can't wait to try, but especially since trees sturdy enough to climb appear to be in short supply in this area, he figures he can give his leg just one more day to mend before attempting it.
Nayeli is glad that she catches herself before saying what she had intended to next, that she would love to settle down somewhere that had snow. Yes, she had enjoyed a great time playing around with Kein in the white fluff, and would love to do so again in the future, but she's almost certain that just mentioning the word 'snow' would bring plenty of bad memories back for her friend. That was a close one. And so, she's silent, continuing the comfortable pace as they travel further on. They're almost to the border, and she can't help but smile at the thought of her brother grudgingly walking along the territory's perimeter, marking his scent over and over and over. That's one thing she intends to let Kein handle all by himself, wherever they settle down.
And, after all, it will be his job. As Nayeli drifts into silence, though, Kein does the same, turning his attention back to their surroundings. Now, though, he moves to walk close enough Nayeli to brush lightly against her, still smiling. Despite the little rough patch, he is enjoying this a lot. Just keeping an eye out for danger has prevented him from thinking much about how long it will be until either one of them sees family again, which has kept his mood light.
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Nayeli - Female Adolescent Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
After the walk with Pelutho last night, Kein returned to the area around the cave. He sat down to spend some time talking with all of his family, intending to stay awake to wait for Nayeli. His body had other plans, though, after spending a day filled with much more activity than in the past several days, and he fell asleep without meaning to. The last thing he thought before falling asleep was that he'd probably just nap, and wake up when Nayeli arrived. Nayeli lying down beside him is not what causes him to start to awaken, though. Rather, it's the lightening of the sky as the sun rises, warming his fur. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to sleep outside, and he shifts just slightly at first, taking in a deep breath while his eyes are still closed.
Even being so excited about starting out with her best friend, Nayeli was absolutely exhausted by the time she made it back to the cave. She had shed plenty of tears over the past several hours, especially with her sisters, but also had plenty of enjoyable conversation with all of her siblings and her mother. Ayashe had also decided to make sure Nayeli left with plenty to think about, mostly consisting of advice and warnings that apparently every girl should keep in mind when setting out into the big and dangerous world with a boy who professed to love her. She's pretty sure that a lot of what Ayashe told her simply doesn't apply to Kein, but knowing that her mother spoke out of concern for her daughter, Nayeli appreciated it anyway. Those thoughts followed her to sleep, though thankfully not causing any dreams. The blackness of peaceful slumber is broken by the slight shift of Kein's body against hers, though she doesn't fully awaken just yet. It's more as if her conscious thoughts are slowly making their way toward the surface.
Nayeli's scent fills Kein's nose when he takes that deep breath, and he begins purring, rubbing his head against her. He is awake enough to know who is by him, but not so awake that other thoughts have yet begun to pick and gnaw at him. That he could spend the rest of his life just like this, in this half-waking state next to Nayeli. One of the first thoughts that really manages to form itself in his head is that he /will/ be able to wake up like this, very often, from now on. Warm sun, a comfortable sleeping spot, and the scent and feel of his familiar friend nearby. Does that not make everything else that has happened worth it?
It's a wonderful warmth, resting with your back up against the same of your best friend. Nayeli is also looking forward to many more mornings like this, though she supposes that circumstances might dictate other sleeping arrangements. The need to sleep up in a tree for whatever reason, for example. She is now quite awake with the additional movement against her, and a smile slowly makes its way onto her muzzle. But as her eyes open, she's surprised to see that the two of them are quite alone now. When she arrived back here last night, Kein's parents had been fairly close by, but... no longer. Even their scent is somewhat stale. It gives a much greater sense of it being just the two of them together now, though Nayeli is pretty sure that Kein will be feeling a little disappointed that they won't at least have anyone sending them off. Maybe it's for the best.
Once Kein is certain Nayeli is awake, he says, "Good morning." THe purr is still in his voice. If any nightmares troubled his sleep last night, he does not remember them, and he is not yet thinking to what the rest of this day holds. He just wants to enjoy this for as long as possible, because after this morning, absolutely everything is going to change. He hasn't looked around for his family, and he's a little afraid to, because he isn't sure what would be easiest for all of them, to struggle through another tearful goodbye together or to handle that hurt and sorrow on their own and get it over with.
Nayeli doesn't know how long Kein has been awake already so at the lack of concern in his voice, she figures that he's already noticed that they're alone and accepted it. Feeling a bit more confident, she responds with "Good morning" and a slight rubbing of her head back in Kein's direction. She can tell that he must have slept pretty well, judging from his purr and overall good mood so far. Given all the things that could go wrong with them leaving, she's glad to see that the day is starting out as good as could be hoped for. So far, anyway.
"Did you sleep well?" There are plenty of things Kein could have asked, but that seemed the best option. The more relaxed this morning is, the better the day will likely go. Even so, as he leaves sleep further behind him, the one thing that his mind demands he focus on is the big event of the day. Them leaving.
With a soft laugh, Nayeli replies in amusement, "Have I ever /not/ slept well when next to you?" Not that she's done it more than a handful of times, but small, technical details seem to frequently be forgotten when teasing is the intended purpose. With something between a giggle and a purr, she adds, "Of course I slept well! I hope you did too?" She might as well ask, though she's pretty sure she already knows the answer.
Kein grins at her response, then says, "I did." Better than he has ever since he was injured. Possibly better than he has ever since his sister died. He can't say how much of that was the conversations he had with his family yesterday and how much was Nayeli sleeping beside him, though. After answering, he slowly stretches out and takes a few more deep breaths, throwing off the final vestiges of his deep sleep.
She is going to be very reluctant to try and engage Kein in any kind of wrestling or otherwise fun activity until he's convincingly demonstrated to her that he's completely healed from his injuries. The last thing she wants to do is further complicate any physical issues that he still has, and especially if they'll end up crippling him or causing him any additional pain. With a mock-groan at her friend's stretching, Nayeli yawns and protests, "I don't wanna get up! It's so comfy and warm here..." Where's his snooze button, anyway? Just five more minutes!
What she says doesn't make the thought of leaving any easier. Even so, Kein pulls himself to his feet and forces a smile. Time to show that his heart really is into the idea of leaving with her. He leans down to give a gentle tug at her ear with his teeth, and, even before releasing it, says, "C'mon, lazy. We'll never get to explore anything at this rate." The smile may have been forced, but there is genuine humour in his tone, at least.
"Ow, my ear!" Nayeli grins and quickly gets to her paws, as if to prove that she didn't really mean what she said just a moment ago. She's very much eager to get underway, and the thought of a little more sleep quickly disappears with the anticipation of actually leaving Amaranth territory for the first time in her life. "I'm ready when you are!" It's not the excited bouncing-off-the-trees enthusiasm she might have displayed as a cub, but there's plenty of excitement and energy evident in Nayeli, just kept more under control now that she's nearly a mature adult. There /is/ still somewhat of a cub's sense of fascination with the unknown--that will most likely always be a part of her personality--and it will probably manifest itself even more once they start into unknown lands for the first time.
Kein lets go of Nayeli's ear when she starts to get up. His smile remains as he watches her, becoming a little more natural, and when he responds, there is still humour in his tone. "I'm ready." Whenever he noticed that none of his family is nearby, he took it in stride. This will just be better. He did get a chance to say goodbye to all of them seperately, and while he might have wanted to see them one more time, he knows it would have been difficult to ever leave if they were here. THe same is probably true for Nayeli.
Nayeli looks expectantly as her friend, fully believing that he'll be the one leading them. Not only because he's stronger and more capable of making decisions on where to go, but he /has/ already been outside of Amaranth before, and for a considerable part of his life. He should know a lot more than she about what to expect out there, where to hunt, what to look for, and so on. Perhaps what he learned in the desert won't apply to whatever lies to the north of Amaranth, but surely it counts for /something/, right?
It may help more than she knows. After realizing where his mother left Chesmu, Kein decided on what path they'd be taking. Even if Chesmu isn't in the same area, it's safe than walking through the entirety of Amaranth territory. This way, they won't be traveling through it at all. It also just so happens to be part of the way they took to the desert, so for the very beginning, it will be very familiar to Kein. WIth no more hesitation, he turns to begin leading them north, his pace very relaxed, even to begin with.
It's a strange feeling, and somewhat frightening, to know that she's leaving the only land that she's ever known. Her home. No.. her /former/ home. Nayeli knows that she'll have to keep reminding herself that her former life is indeed gone, and that the sooner she gets used to her new life--new home included--the better. She doesn't have her parents to go to when a difficult situation or question arises. Only Kein. It's becoming more and more clear to her that she's really going to have to put an awful lot of trust in her friend. Not that she has any doubt in his abilities or intentions, but... still. Wow. Nayeli puts on a brave smile and falls into place beside her friend. Close enough to where they're within easy reach of each other, but far enough that she hopefully won't seem like she's crowding him or making it difficult for him to lead. It's definitely not a tour where she's following one of her parents around. Nope. This is much different, but in a good way.
- Rolling Foothills -
Kein's pace remains relaxed as they travel down the mountain, but it is far from hesitant. Though he keeps his senses open to any signs of any threats, he is not worried. Or, rather, he's not of any mind to turn back around. There might be some worry there, but it's minimal. Even if it's in silence, he's enjoying this walk with Nayeli, and even enjoying seeing this not entirely unfamiliar area with a completely different mindset. They are no longer either running for their lives or walking steadfastly toward a confrontation, so everything seems different.
Nayeli is plenty busy trying to imagine what sort of land lies to the north, and whether it'll be something she's never seen before, or just more of the same. Kein's description of a 'desert' seems to imply that there /are/ types of lands that she can only imagine right now, so what if the north is that very type of place as well? She hopes it isn't a desert though, as Kein seemed to imply that it wasn't a very nice place to live in. But regardless, she's just plenty happy with the fact that they're /going/. Leaving. Exploring. And with her best friend to pioneer the way, what could be better? Her gaze frequently rests on him, just admiring everything that he's become. Yes, so he's grown up the same as all male cougars. Just like Yuma, and just like their father and Kein's father. But still... she just can't seem to stop looking at him, and occasionally even having to fight a smile just at the thought.
As they stray further from Amaranth, the scents of cougars begins to fade. He expected this, but he didn't expect that it would make him feel so... Alone. Even that feeling would not surprise him, though, if not for the fact that it doesn't seem to be such a negative thing, right now. With each step, he becomes a little further separated from his family, but a little closer to Nayeli and the rest of his life, as an adolescent and an adult. And, after a short while, he catches Nayeli looking at him, again. Though his self-consciousness remains, he forces a grin and says, "You've seen /me/ before, Nayeli. I thought we were supposed to be exploring /new/ things." He's just joking, not at all upset.
Nayeli blushes, moving her gaze to look deliberately in front of them. She certainly hadn't meant to embarrass Kein, and she's pretty sure that he thought she was thinking about his scars. But no--she'd be looking at him either way, like she enjoyed doing even before that terrible day in the snow. "We.. haven't left Amaranth quite yet, so.. there aren't really any new things to see yet, except you." He's the only new thing that's happened to her in recent days, after all. Okay, so his family came too, but.. that's beside the point. And suddenly she realizes that she's probably just confirmed what he was thinking, and with a deeper blush, she tries to clarify. "I mean, you've changed a lot, and.." Yes, his scars would definitely count as a change. More awkward. "..I wasn't meaning to look at.. I mean, I /was/, but I wasn't thinking about.." She trails off, flustered and feeling her face burn.
Kein stops walking as Nayeli begins stuttering, turning to face her. There is nothing in his expression that is angry or upset. Though he is self-conscious about the scars Chesmu gave him, it is his problem to deal with. She has made it perfectly clear that she thinks no less of him for them, and at least logically he has accepted that. "Nayeli... It's okay. I was just joking." Or trying to, at any rate. It seems to have backfired.
Nayeli still feels bad, even if Kein really was joking. Now they're both thinking about what she inadvertently brought into focus, and it isn't a happy thought. She could try to change the subject, but it would surely seem forced and awkward. Or, they could continue in silence, though that would be surely no less awkward. Angry at herself for ruining the good mood already, Nayeli decides to settle something once and for all. "I don't care if you have scars, Kein!" There's a good bit of frustration in her voice, but it's at herself, not her friend. "Do you know what I think of when I see your face? I think of how brave my best friend was, standing up for me. I don't know everything that was said between you and my father, but I do know that your scars are mostly on your face, rather than your tail or back. That says a lot to me, that you weren't running away and abandoning me."
Kein was not expecting that from Nayeli, but hearing it means a lot to him. When he smiles this time, it is small, but genuine, and he takes a step towards her to nuzzle against her. How could he do anything /but/ love her? It might not do everything to dispel his worries, especially with strangers, but having a reason he can understand has always helped him grasp why others feel the way they do, and hearing that Nayeli not only isn't upset by his scars, but is reminded of his courage when she sees them... They will probably never remind him of courage when he catches his reflection in standing water, but knowing that's what /she/ feels causes him to purr quietly.
Nayeli has quickly learned that a lot of Kein's emotions are subtle and easily missed. The positive ones, anyway. He's so serious a lot of the time that it can be difficult to pick up on his amusement or appreciation or happiness; a contrast to the very vocal and forceful determination that he showed when confronting her father. And so when Nayeli notices the smile prior to his nuzzling her, she hopes that she was at least able to calm his self-conscious concerns that she was always afraid of upsetting. She's probably have the same trouble if she were in his position. Though as tempting as the thought of just stopping to enjoy this moment of closeness is, Nayeli keeps walking, determined to get /out/ of Amaranth. She doesn't want to do anything that would risk them deciding to turn back, or even delaying longer than absolutely necessary.
After nuzzling her, Kein does, in fact, turn to continue on. This is just one more small sample that has gone towards convincing him that, no matter what happens, they'll find a way to handle it so that, at the very least, the two of them are not, in any way, hurt, emotionally or physically. If only his mother had waited until now to ask him if it was right for him to leave, he could tell her yes, with no hesitation.
Though still feeling a little flustered at embarrassing the both of them, Nayeli nonetheless does her best to put it behind her as the two of them continue on. It's such a beautiful day, though there do seem to be some dark stormclouds forming that will most likely require them to find shelter later on. It /has/ been a while since it last rained, so Nayeli knows that the grass and trees could use the water. Everything seems to thrive after a rainstorm. Just not.. during. She really hates getting soaked.
Kein hasn't entirely failed to notice the dark clouds in the distance. Were it warmer, he might enjoy the idea of walking through the rain, after the amount of time he spent in the desert. It is cold, though. Not cold enough to snow, but easily cold enough that the rain could make them both miserable. So, as they continue on, he begins looking for a place to shelter down before the rain starts. It would be a pain to travel back to the last potential cave, and he's afraid their best bet will probably be to find a few trees growing together.
Nayeli dismisses the upcoming storm from her mind, instead wondering how far Kein plans on taking them. Do they plan on just continuing north, or does he want to see what lands lie on the other sides of Amaranth as well? Another subject comes to mind, one that she feels is important enough to vocalize as a question: "What are you going to look for?" Oh, wait. It might help if she mentioned what she was referring to. "I mean, in a territory and all that. Are you looking for anything specific?"
What /is/ he looking for? It's one thing to say he'll know it when he sees it, but aren't there certain things that would help Kein pick one area over another? Well, of course there are, but it isn't any one thing, and the things he has, he's not particularly picky about. He's not going to hope to find anything so interesting as the stone formations, so... "Just someplace healthy, I guess. Water. Food. And we'll definitely need trees to play in." The final thing is said with a grin, but then he goes on, with a slightly more serious tone. "I'm sure lots of places will have those things, though. We don't have to stop as soon as we find them." He doesn't /want/ to stop as soon as he finds them, since that will make the exploration part of their journey much shorter than it has to be.
As far as Nayeli is concerned, they can play in whatever type of terrain they want. Trees.. snow.. tall grass.. rocks--they can use whatever is available. It's the fact that Kein's mentioning playing that makes Nayeli feel a lot better. Yes, they've enjoyed moments of closeness and just being with each other since the attack, but Kein hasn't really so much as hinted at wanting to play again. And while Nayeli wasn't sure that his injuries would prevent him from doing such a thing, she never received any confirmation from Kein on that. At least, until now. Matching his grin, she nods in agreement. "We might have to play in a lot of trees before we find the best ones."
Kein laughs at what Nayeli says and replies, "Exactly!" He's almost certain his leg could hold up to the strain of climbing by now. He'll just have to try it before he can be sure, but he /is/ willing to try it, and at that point... Well, as soon as he can climb a tree, he can do absolutely everything he could do before he was injured. He almost can't wait to try, but especially since trees sturdy enough to climb appear to be in short supply in this area, he figures he can give his leg just one more day to mend before attempting it.
Nayeli is glad that she catches herself before saying what she had intended to next, that she would love to settle down somewhere that had snow. Yes, she had enjoyed a great time playing around with Kein in the white fluff, and would love to do so again in the future, but she's almost certain that just mentioning the word 'snow' would bring plenty of bad memories back for her friend. That was a close one. And so, she's silent, continuing the comfortable pace as they travel further on. They're almost to the border, and she can't help but smile at the thought of her brother grudgingly walking along the territory's perimeter, marking his scent over and over and over. That's one thing she intends to let Kein handle all by himself, wherever they settle down.
And, after all, it will be his job. As Nayeli drifts into silence, though, Kein does the same, turning his attention back to their surroundings. Now, though, he moves to walk close enough Nayeli to brush lightly against her, still smiling. Despite the little rough patch, he is enjoying this a lot. Just keeping an eye out for danger has prevented him from thinking much about how long it will be until either one of them sees family again, which has kept his mood light.