Descent, Part II

[abyss]

Characters involved:

Yuma, male adol. cougar
Chesmu, male cougar
Ankita, female adol. cougar
Chandani, female adol. cougar
Nium, female cougar

Setting: Eroded Well

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This landscape is made of black basalt stone whose edges have been smoothed and rounded by wind and sand, its surface pitted by holes of varying sizes. There are tiny little niches filled with dirt, in which tufts of grass and flowering plants grow. Hollows large enough to hold anything from a rabbit to a sleeping coyote, from which the wind sweeps the dirt before any plants can anchor it. Amidst them all is one single, giant hole bored into the bedrock at a peculiar angle, large enough for many creatures to bury head and shoulders in. Deep enough to hold water in all but the driest of summers, tepid though that liquid might be; its depths are clear, a scattering of gravel dotting the base of the pit.

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As the last traces of sunlight fade from the sky, Yuma sits at the edge of the well, watching the moon rise. The snow has stopped and the clouds have cleared for the moment, revealing a blue-gray twilight sky. The color reminds him of the odd cat he met earlier, and sends him into idle reflections. By this time in the day, hunger is usually driving him to hunt, but for now he still feels satisfied from his mid-day snack. (Mmmm, squirrel!)

Chesmu is not in his best of ways. He stalks over to the well to get a drink. The nerve of that outsider to assume he has any authority over him! He dips his head into the well and starts to drink. He finds it a good thing that the Amaranth have a claim to the well.

Yuma notices his father as he approaches the well. The sight brings a smile to his face. "Hey dad," he calls, not yet noticing anything amiss. He's just glad to see that the older male is moving around freely, recovered from his injuries.

Chesmu has recovered quite a bit. At least physically. He looks up and over at Yuma. Finally he walks over to his son, who he remains proud of. "Greetings, Yuma."

The adolescent does not wait for Chesmu to walk all the way over to him. He gets to his paws and meets his father halfway, nuzzling him. Has Yuma gotten /bigger/ since Chesmu last saw him? It seems possible, even though it's only been a few days. "How's it going?" he asks, glancing briefly over the other cougar's fresh scars. "Looks like you're all healed up."

Chesmu looks himself over. He takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Yes... Yes I suppose I have healed." Chesmu says. He takes a deep breath. "You've grown a bit. Only three days, must have hit a growth spurt."

Yuma sinks down on his haunches, still looking speculatively at Chesmu. To him, his father looks... tired. Yuma puts this off as him worrying about Nayeli. "Really?" The young male blinks down at himself, peering at his big paws, before shrugging and answering, "Maybe." He looks back up at Chesmu again and continues, "I met someone named Adoun earlier, and I gave him my permission to stay with us until winter. He said his kind is called Russian Blue... he looks like a cougar, but he's very small, cub-sized, with grayish-colored fur." Yuma chuckles, as if he's having a hard time believing this story himself. "I'm pretty sure he's an adult, though."

Chesmu frowns. "That's not a cougar, that's a cat." Chesmu says. "It could be this... Adoun... was one of the traitors." Chesmu is referring to any animal who likes being domesticated to a more... human lifestyle."

Yuma tilts his head slightly. "A cat?" Chesmu's second remark causes him to blink and splay his ears, looking surprised. "Traitors? What do you mean?"

Chesmu didn;t realize Yuma hadn't realized. "Those who are comfortable to consort with humans."

Now that is something Yuma had never thought to consider. Blinking again, he mulls the idea over, and after a moment he slowly shakes his head. "I don't think so. He was very friendly. He acted just like one of us." Well... except for his complete indifference on the subject of territory lines. Hmm. The male frowns, deep creases appearing on his tawny brow.

Chesmu hmmms. "Very well. If you don't believe he is one of them, then I will believe the same." Chesmu says. "I think it is time we speak about... unacceptable cougars."

Yuma nods. Adoun may have consorted with humans in the past, but the cougar still does not believe the 'cat' (as Chesmu called him) poses any threat to the tribe, one way or the other. He'll investigate later. For now, however, he keeps his attention on his father, perking his ears as the conversation shifts elsewhere. Maybe this has some relation to the other subject he was going to bring up: an unfamiliar scent he noticed while patrolling. "Who are you talking about?"

Chesmu clears his throat. "A large male I had been suspicious of when I was still Chieftain... he is not friend of the tribe, nor is the female he travels with apparently." Chesmu says, talking about Marupa and Sara. "They must not be allowed to continue on these lands."

Yuma looks a bit confused until Chesmu mentions the female. The scent he found was a day or two old, but he can say with certainty that it /definitely/ did not belong to a male. "So there's two of them? I found a scent while patrolling, but it was a female's..." And naturally, that had not bothered him in the least. "If they're not friends of the tribe, then what are they doing here?"

Madness would be apparent to Yuma if he only suspected his father had begun a downward spiral into it. As it happens, Chesmu doesn't even appear remotely unhinged. "Causing trouble. Meddling." Chesmu says. "Dangerous speak." He doesn't even mention the nightmare he had with his mother.

After the whole incident with Kein and Nayeli, Yuma should have learned not to confide in his father, but to keep his own counsel. Unfortunately, it's difficult for him to break old habits. He is used to consulting with Chesmu, who has been his teacher as well as his father, and he still values the former Chieftain's opinion. "What kind of trouble?" Yuma asks, still frowning. "Have you seen them?"

Chesmu nods. "The male tried to attack me and the female questioned my..." Chesmu says. "Questioned my integrity here in the tribe." Chesmu's eye twitches when he says "tribe."

Yuma /really/ looks surprised when his father mentions being attacked. "He attacked you? Why didn't you say that sooner?" he exclaims, now feeling more than slightly stupid for babbling about the miniature cougar he met. Rising back to his paws, the male casts a glance around, looking away from Chesmu long enough to miss the odd twitching of his eye. "Where? When?"

"Yesterday when I was doing border patrol." Chesmu says. "They attack one of the tribe, they would attack anyone in the tribe. Nothing would stop them from taking an opportunity to harm *you,* for example. You're still young. Inexperienced." Another eyetwitch. "Weak."

Yuma turns his head to look back at Chesmu. His mouth falls open, and for a moment all he can do is gape at his father in shock. How could Chesmu walk up to him so calmly, a day after being attacked, and casually mention it in conversation? "I... I'm not weak!" Yuma declares, obviously flustered. The older male's strange behavior is really throwing him off stride. "I'm not gonna let some big male just show up here and attack my family!" Chesmu said that the male was traveling with a female, but that does not reassure him of his sisters' safety; indeed, he has forgotten about the female entirely. Somewhere nearby, no more than a day's journey away, there is a threat. A rival. The cougar, normally so even-tempered, grits his teeth as anger floods through his body.

Chesmu looks at Yuma. "Of course you shouldn't let this danger stand." Chesmu says a little more gently. "But you are significantly smaller than the male. You're not yet an adult." Chesmu eyetwitches again, and then speaks clearly, enunciating each sound in each word of what he says next: "You... will... need... my... help."

Something is seriously wrong with this situation. There are so many red flags, but the anger follows surprise so suddenly that Yuma has no time to think. He is no longer looking at Chesmu, staring off into the distance as though expecting the other male to appear before him. "I don't care how much bigger he is," Yuma answers, in a low growl that sounds nothing like his normal voice, and he begins to move past Chesmu, intending to head in the direction his father arrived from. He has to find his sisters, make sure they're safe, and then begin the search. It may very well be true that he cannot defeat the rogue alone... but that does not concern him.

Chesmu watches his son start to leave and he walks over to him. "What do you think you are doing?" Chesmu says, then walks in front of Yuma. "I have told you... you're not..." Eyetwitch. "... worthy to take on a superior opponent. I wouldn't want my oldest son to get killed. Not to be fought alone."

Yuma stops only when Chesmu cuts him off, blocking his path. There is fire in his eyes as he focuses on his father, absorbing what he says. Such words from Chesmu, his mentor, are completely unexpected. "Not worthy?" Yuma repeats in disbelief, with anger still evident in his growling voice. "You waited to tell me about this. /Now/ you're going to stop me and tell me I can't fight him?"

Chesmu still stands in his son's way. "You're still too young... son." Chesmu says. "You're not fit to fight battles..." Eyetwitch. "...just yet. If you see him... tell him he is unwanted and that he must be off. He may listen." Chesmu finds it hard to control the twitch of his eye. "You want to be Chieftain, then you much to learn and I... " Eyetwitch. "...can teach you everything you need to know about being the Chieftain."

By blocking his way and telling Yuma to his face that he cannot fight the rogue, Chesmu risks drawing the young Chieftain's rage to himself. Gritting his teeth, Yuma struggles to suppress an overwhelming urge to lash out at his father. He is shocked, insulted, and utterly furious all at once. How dare his father suggest that he is unable to protect the tribe! "If he's not already gone," Yuma snarls, "He's gonna regret it. Get out of my way, dad. /Now./"

Chesmu takes a deep breath. There must be some way to control Yuma. Chesmu realizes this now that being a concerned parent is not going to do the trick. "Yuma... listen to me very carefully. This rogue is even bigger and stronger than I am. How can you expect to protect your sisters if... " Twitch. "...you do not let me help you and get killed? Our position is not to seek out... enemies. If he is gone, he is gone."

Yuma closes his eyes for a moment, literally seeing red as his eyelids press tightly shut. His claws unsheathe, sinking into the ground, tearing it as he'd surely enjoy tearing into the hide of the big rogue. Usually the best way to reach Yuma is by appealing to his sense of reason, but the cougar is having a hard time thinking clearly right now. If what Chesmu says is true -- the stranger has attacked a member of the tribe -- then the time for talking has passed. When his eyes open again, he looks no less angry than he was before. "I have to find out if he's still here," Yuma insists. All adolescent bravado, pumped up with anger and adrenaline, he is unable to believe that the rogue could kill him.

Chesmu finds this to be desirable. He may not be able to become Chieftain again, but if he could establish some sort of control over Yuma... "Let us go together. How does that sound. We could have a little... " Twitch. "Father and son time."

"I didn't say you couldn't come with me!" Yuma was not denying his father's assistance. He just doesn't understand why they're standing there talking instead of /acting/, especially when so much time has passed already. Even if Chesmu told him where they fought, the dangerous rogue could be practically /anywhere/ by now, in or outside of the territory. Ears flattened, tail lashing jerkily from side to side, Yuma tries to move around his father again. He'll comb the entire territory to make sure there are no strangers lurking.

Instead of getting in Yuma's way, Chesmu walks alongside him. "How proud I am of you." Chesmu says. "If this tribe were more patriarchical... I would have been proud to have you succeed me, my son."

[abyss]

(( Continuing the scene... ))

With his head low, he continues onward as soon as his father stands aside, moving purposely over the black basalt. He should be glad to have Chesmu's support, and in normal circumstances, he would be... but right now, neither one of the cougars is acting like their ususal selves. Instead of responding to Chesmu's praising, he splays his ears and asks the older male, "Where did you see the rogue?"

Chesmu walks alongside Yuma. "The formations." Chesmu says. "He was there with a female. I did not recognize her, I do not believe she is..." Eyetwitch. "...one of us."

If they were looking for a rogue, they'd surely find one not to far off in the distance; even though she doesn't really look like one. Ankita has been wondering through the lands aimlessly looking for something to do though all she's managed to find is nothing and countless scents marks that have made her wairy. Reaching the well, figureing she might as well find something to drink, she goes completely unaware of the presence of anyone else for the time being.

Yuma feels tense all over. He wants to break into a run, rush to find his sisters and search the territory and fight the strange male -- all at once. If only he could. The cougar forces himself to keep pace with his father, though his stride is far from slow. "You said something about her... questioning you?" he asks, trying to remember through the cloud of anger darkening his thoughts. Yuma and Chesmu are heading away from the well, but the younger male is glancing around constantly, clearly on high alert. Open as the area is, with very little plant life to provide cover, he soon spots Ankita making her way toward the well. He stops dead, staring in her direction. "/Her./ Is that her?" he asks Chesmu.

Chesmu looks the female over. No. It's not the female who had been with Marupa. "No. That isn't her." Chesmu says. "It is some other rogue."

Seems that she was in the clear so far, as she hasn't managed to be stoped yet. Ankita had always found luck in her travels, though her destination wasn't always as lucky. Passing through the area, she picks up on a few voices and comes to a stop, glancing around. It wasn't real long after that she notices the two males in the distance. Turning her face away, hiding her blue markings in case she's mistken as a spy of sorts from another land, she takes a single breath then moves forward. She's here for a drink that is all..

Yuma turns to face the female, looking her over closely. She's not one of his sisters, and clearly not one of the other cougaresses of the tribe. When Yuma learns that she is /not/ the cougaress who was seen with the dangerous male, he blinks. "She's... not?" Now the adolescent feels torn. There are urgent matters to attend to, hostile strangers (supposedly) attacking tribe members... but here's another unfamiliar face, and he has no idea if the cougaress is friendly or not. Yuma hesitates before beginning to make his way back toward the well, so far not noticing the blue markings on her face.

Chesmu speaks quietly to his son. "What I usually do is establish their intentions." Chesmu says. "Determine if they are..." Eyetwitch. "...dangerous."

Ankita bounds for the well, but only comes to a stop once more as she notices the younger of the two males doing the same. Watching him, she acts a little hesitant on approaching but does so anyway though keeps a low profile.

A slight nod is the only indication Yuma gives, to show that he heard Chesmu. Whether these words have flown through one ear and straight out the other remains to be seen. He keeps his eyes on Ankita as he returns to the well, moving slowly enough to let her arrive there first. If he can, he will keep the well between them... is that for her sake, or his own? "Hello," he calls out once he's within conversation distance, trying to keep his tone neutral. As worked up as he is, still riding adrenaline, that's not easy to do. "Who are you?"

Chesmu doesn't say anything. But he does eye the female up and down and does an assessment of how much of a threat to him she could be.

By the time Ankita reaches the well, its to late the discover that its to deep to recover any water from it when she hears Yuma speak out toward her. She doesn't say anything back to him at first, gazing over to the older male for a moment then back. After that brief moment she finally lets out with a, "Evening." failing to add 'good' to it as it doesn't look like their have much of a good day by their expressions. "I am Ankita." her tone formal, not really knowing any other way. "And you would be?"

Yuma stops on the other side of the well, looking across at Ankita. He does not say anything immediately; he seems to study her, trying to read her body language. The cougaress does not look like she could be much older than his sisters. She also does a much better job of keeping her tone neutral than he did, her formality putting his to shame. After a slight pause he answers, "Chieftain Yuma." He gestures to the older male with a nod of his head. "This is my father, Chesmu," the male adds. "Are you aware that you're in Amaranth territory?"

Chesmu walks over to the female to look her over. Notes her size... the blue markings. "Those..." Eyetwitch. "...markings."

"Chieftian.." she pauses. "Well, it is certainly an honor." Ankita bows slightly before looking back over to the older male, who bares markings as well. Shaking her head to Yuma, she had no idea she was in Amaranth territory. "If you wish me to leave, I have no problem abiding by such." she tells him, flicking an ear to the sudden intact on her markings from Chesmu.

The younger male focuses on Ankita's face, examining her markings when Chesmu draws his attention to them. (At no point does Yuma look at his father, not even noticing the odd twitch still plaguing his eye.) How had he missed those markings? He finds that he has a hard time caring about such trivial details when the face beneath them is so... alluring. The adolescent swallows hard. "You are... certainly welcome here, if you're willing to respect the laws of our tribe," he says, faltering only slightly. An /honor/? Did she really say that?

Chesmu begins calculating Ankita and Yuma's reactions to each other. He doesn't find any harm in Yuma proceeding to even woo the female should he so choose. "Where are you from?"

Ankita smiles slightly to his response. "I thank you then for your welcome." She had no problem following their laws, afterall these are his lands, not hers. Looking at Yuma for only a moment longer, she turns to Chesmu when he questions her residence. "From a place called the Sivlo." A place she will never return to, but misses it all the same.

Today, Yuma has experienced a complete spectrum of emotions. His meeting with Adoun left him feeling more happy than he'd been since his last talk with Nayeli. A few hours later, when his father brought him news of a pair of hostile rogues, he felt threatened and angry. Now the fury seems to flow out of his body, and he is no longer really sure /how/ he feels. "Are those the markings of your tribe?" he asks, referring to the berry-stains lining the cougaress' forehead.

Chesmu hopes that the tribe she came from is not near here. "Where is this other tribe? What are their..." Eyetwitch. "...ambitions?"

Failing to see her own markings, Ankita looks up childishly like it were actually possible to see herself and then just laughs. Looking down at Yuma, a smile still on her face, she nods. "Not everyone holds them, only those of the high house, but yes. They are the only thing I still hold from my home." Turning her ears back to Chusmu, his curosity of her former home quite noticeable. "They once stood on the otherside of the mountain; though I do not think you need to worry of them." she tells him. "They care little for interaction outside the tribe." If they were to find anyone of them here, it would be to find her, and she hopes that doesn't happen.

Yuma glances sideways when the older male beside him speaks up. Did Chesmu's eye just twitch? He's not quite sure, and a moment later his attention is drawn back across the well, the adolescent's gold-green eyes returning to the cougaress. He looks entranced, ears perking attentively as he absorbs her answer. Chesmu may have questioned her out of suspicion, but he is merely curious. Very curious. Unfortunately, his responsible nature will not let him forget the pressing matter of the hostile rogues, however intriguing the cougaress may be. "Have you seen any other cougars near here? Ones who may have been... hostile?"

Chesmu keeps an eye on the female, still sizing her up. What could she bring about, what could she cause? In reality, though, a newcomer ignorant of this tribe's ways may yet be an asset to Chesmu: A resource he can mold and use.

Ankita thinks for a moment over Yuma's question, taking a seat and wondernig why he'd ask something like that. Hostile cougars.. she doesn't think so. "I have only seen two. Tohopka, who I believe is a brother or something, and a cougaress named Sara." She never thought of any of them as hostile. "Why do you ask. Having some trouble?" She'd be willing to keep an eye out if necessary.

Yuma shifts his weight from one paw to the other as he waits for Ankita's reply. He is large for an adolescent, rather bulky, but he does not yet seem entirely comfortable with his size. As much as he wants to sit, he remains standing. "Tohopka is my uncle, and Chesmu's brother," Yuma says. As far as he is aware, Tohopka has not been accepted as a true Brother of the tribe, but his presence has not been an issue. If anything, Tohopka has been an asset, by helping to watch over Chesmu when he was recently injured. "But Sara... I don't know who she is." He looks questioningly at Chesmu. "Do you?"

Chesmu's eyes narrow. Must be the female he wants away. "One of the aggresors. The one I saw with Marupa. She is a..." Eyetwitch. "...threat."

Chandani was traveling with Nium and they show up in the area and Chandani sees her father, Yuma and a female she does not know yet. The adolescent female does not say anything just yet as she's waiting to see what is going on.

Ankita wasn't to surprised to hear that Tohopka was anyones uncle and it wasn't really news that he was CHewsmu's brother, he did mention that last they met. Sara on the otherhand, well, can't say she's surprised there either.. Curling her tail around a side, she looks over to Chesmu who acusses Sara of being a threat. She raises a brow to him in question, "What makes you think that?" Sure she came off childish, but who isn't at time point.

Quite large compared to her traveling friend, Nium holds her head high, trying to figure out who she was looking at through the light fog of the snow. Nium has been searching for Chesmu for a solid time, be he seems to always be a step a head of her. She shakes her body, attempting to get what little snow was on her, off. She exhales, her breath visible. "Finally..." She mutters.

Now that Yuma is looking directly at Chesmu, he cannot help but notice the eye-twitching. Though it concerns him, causing his frown to deepen, he thinks that it must be a side-effect of the stress. He's not exactly feeling relaxed himself. "Marupa, that's the male's name? The one that attacked you?" Not for the first time, Yuma wonders why his father is withholding information from him. If Chesmu knew their names, he could have mentioned that earlier. Ankita's question causes his ears to perk with interest, and he only glances at the cougaress -- a lingering glance -- before looking back toward the older male. For the moment, he is too occupied to notice the two other cougaresses drawing close to them, near the edge of the well.

Chesmu nods. "Marupa... yes." Chesmu says. "He attacked me and she was consorting with him. They both mean much..." Eyetwitch. "...harm to the tribe."

Ankita hmms as she hears this, not really sure if thats convinceing enough to believe. Attacking someone, or even being attack gives reason to think their against you, but a one time incident just doesn't sound fair to accuse of tribal harm. She shrugs. Its not really of her concern though, she doesn't live here, and doesn't hold anything with anyone to give interest in what happens. "As a none member of this tribe, I have no reason to think you are falusly accuseing, though I find it easier to see for myself."

Chandani makeas her way closer towards the others and says, "Hello." In a soft voice. "I hope. I am not intrrupting anything." She says honestly.

Nium doesn't say anything, Chandani says it for her. She nods at Chesmu, hoping to get the chance to talk to him alone before too long. Then she nods at Yuma. He might not immediately recognise her, but Nium does have the tribal markings on her arm. The huntress hopes that's enough for a little bit of trust.

It does not occur to Yuma that his father may be bending the truth -- despite Chesmu's somewhat odd behavior lately, the adolescent has no reason to think he may be exaggerating, or even outright lying, about what happened with Marupa. "There are many Sisters in our tribe," he explains to Ankita. "It's our duty to protect them." Many of those Sisters are related to him literally, by blood. The younger male looks up when Chandani announces herself, a look of relief crossing his features. "Hello," he greets the cougaresses, nodding to them. "This is Ankita. She's visiting us." Looking back at the blue-marked female, he says, "That's my sister Chandani, and Nium, another cougaress of our tribe." He knows the large, quiet female just well enough to recognize her, though little more than that.

Chesmu looks over at Nium and Chandani. He doesn't smile or nod to them. He loves Chandani, but for some reason he finds himself weighing their values to him.

Chandani turns to face Yuma and Chesmu, "HOw are you doing?" She asks after not seeing them in a while.

Nium walks to Chesmu, and sits a confortable distance away from him and Yuma. "Hi." She directs her greeting at the visitor, but is still meant for everyone. She looks at Chesmu and tilts her head. He looked to be in better shape than she had imagined on the way here.

Yuma looks slightly regretful as Ankita excuses herself. He knows that there are important issues that need to be discussed, but he still finds himself unbearably curious about the blue-marked female. With effort he pulls his gaze away from her departing form, looking back toward his tribemates. "Dad ran into a couple of hostile rogues near the stones. Their names are Marupa and Sara... one's a big male, the other one's a cougaress." Yuma glances briefly at his father. He feels that Chesmu should be the one explaining the situation, since he was the one who saw them. Yuma doesn't even know what they look like, apart from the male being 'big.' (As if that narrows it down!) Maybe his father is trying to test his ability to act as Chieftain? The thought irritates him a bit, causing his banded tail to lash. "Just keep an eye out for any strangers. Be careful until we're sure that they're gone."

Chesmu doesn't say anything, just stares straight ahead. Almost randomly and at a sudden moment, Chesmu finally speaks. "I have other..." Eyetwitch. "...matters to attend to unless I am still..." Eyetwitch. "...required."

Looking troubled, Yuma returns his gaze to his father. "You look really tired." That's not quite truthful -- to Yuma, Chesmu looks a lot worse than tired. "Maybe you should get some rest. I'm gonna keep looking around... I'll spread the word if I run into anyone else," he says, giving his father a fleeting nuzzle before slipping off.

Chesmu nods and lies down and closes his eyes. Soon he is fast asleep.