Post by tanniyn on Oct 30, 2008 16:51:32 GMT -5
Characters:
Maulisho - adult female cougaress (Amaranth)
Paoro - elder female cougaress (Amaranth)
Setting:
Sloping Gradient (Amaranth)
Scene:
Even before she's fully left the birthing den, Maulisho is already letting out a jaw-splitting yawn, followed by a nice, long stretch. She didn't sleep /quite/ as long as she had hoped for, but it was plenty restful, nonetheless. Her amber eyes are bright and alert as she steps out onto the slope, looking around for anyone in the vicinity. One of her ears swivels as she catches what sounds suspiciously like a snore from back behind her; with an amused smile, she wonders how much longer Kasim is going to sleep like such a dead rock.
Paoro's not as young as she used to be. These extended spiritual journeys are taking longer and longer to accomplish, and while her joints aren't as agile as they once were, these frequent walks have at least kept her in shape underneath that shaggy fur. She's been gone for what must have been several moons now...perhaps almost a full year, by now. It's been far too long since she last checked in on her family, even if she's heard nothing on the wind or had any ominous dream-visits from spirits. But while no news is good news, she's still a family cougar at heart, and she misses them dearly. She's finally returned from the lowlands to the east, and she's barely stepped onto the slope leading up to her home when she sees a familiar face emerging from the cub den. Her eyes aren't as sharp now, either, but she can still smell, and she can make out enough of the other female to recognize her. "Maulisho?"
Maulisho blinks a few times, eyes still adjusting to the brilliant daylight. But as her name is called, and by a voice that's not immediately recognized, she turns her head to look curiously at.. an older cougaress, one that looks well-traveled, and yet somehow familiar. Very familiar, in fact. Those eyes full of wisdom and mystery.. the way she walks.. her voice.. "Paoro?" Maulisho asks hesitantly. Whoa. It /is/ Paoro! The younger cougaress is both delighted and surprised to see her old friend again, and immediately has a dozen questions she wants to ask all at once. Where has she been, why has she returned now, has she heard of what's happened, and so forth.
She may be old and many moons gone, but the shamaness never lost her pride. If Maulisho isn't sure about the elder's identity, her Amaranth markings are as vibrant as the day she left, having been reapplied faithfully even while Paoro was away. The older female smiles at Maulisho's happy response to her return, and has a few questions of her own. "How is my family?" Always first on her mind.
It depends entirely on who Paoro is referring to by 'family'--her blood relatives, or the tribe as a whole? "There have been a lot of.. things happening," Maulisho says slowly, her smile tempering somewhat. "Chesmu has been forced to disgracefully step down from his position as Chieftain, and your grandson Yuma has accepted the nomination to take his place." Hmm. That's probably the biggest shock right there. "Nayeli and Kein have gone off to seek their own territory." Her smile starts to grow again. "It's been really great to see them grow so close to each other, despite all the turmoil that's happened."
Paoro settles down on her haunches, tired from her long walk. Her ears lower slightly at the mention of Chesmu. "I see. I suppose my foresight with that one was not completely accurate. A pity. But I am asking about my blood family. Where are my granddaughters, that my grandson is forced to reign instead? And Ayashe? This is not like her."
Maulisho is silent a moment as she thinks of how best to explain the current situation. Finally, she sits down, assuming the comfortable position one might associate with a storyteller. "You recall how a long while back, my family had to leave these lands due to Chesmu's... activity." A nice way of putting it. "We lived far to the east, out in the desert where Kasim remembers finding a cure to that strange disease that swept through. But only in the last week or two, we returned here to make sure that Chesmu was dealt with and that Amaranth was left in good leadership." She grimaces. "I do not know what happened to Ayashe, only that I have not seen her since our return. Chesmu has taken on another mate, so I can only presume that either Ayashe met an early death, or has left for good." And now on to more encouraging news. "Your other two grandaughters are doing well, and I would assume Misae would have taken over leadership, had Yuma not been.. assigned.. to that position." Memories of that completely unexpected move by Kein still remain fresh in her mind.
Paoro frowns at the other female's words, considering them carefully. She wonders why the spirits chose not to make her aware of such turmoil...or perhaps they tried, but she wasn't ready to handle it. She will try, now, at least. "Do you know where Nayeli and Kein have gone to? I would like to speak with them, if possible." She'll be speaking with Chesmu, certainly, but her family definitely takes priority. As does the returning to things to the proper balance.
Maulisho slowly shakes her head. "The only thing I know is that they left to the north of here, and I would assume that they had no intention of changing their direction. I know that Kein most definitely would not want to head east toward the desert again, and so I believe that they're probably still heading north. They haven't been gone that long, and I couldn't detect any urgency in their departure; it's probably a good guess that they aren't that far off. A day or two's travel, most likely." Could Paoro catch up to them in the state she's in? Maulisho's first guess would probably be negative, but then again she /has/ been surprised before at the older cougaress' surprising level of vitality and energy. Not to mention her sheer determination to do what needs to be done.
Paoro makes a mental note of this, staring off towards the north as if trying to determine their location just by looking. You never know with the shamaness. "Thank you, Maulisho. I imagine I'll stay here, but send a messenger. I have much to catch up on in the tribelands, it seems, and so I believe I should stay here until things are restored to the way they should be." She thinks for a moment, then adds: "Where is Chesmu, now that he has been overthrown?"
A messenger would indeed probably be the best option, though Maulisho wonders who Paoro has in mind. She can't imagine that Kein would be too happy with the thought of a messenger telling them to hold up until Paoro could get there to talk to both of them. And if it's just to catch up with her granddaughter, Kein would probably see that as an unnecessary delay; surely they could catch up when they come back to visit? But either way, Maulisho only nods. "A messenger is a good idea. And for Chesmu, I have not seen him since I left him wounded in the snow. I would assume that he has recovered from his injuries since then, but I do not know his present location with any degree of certainty. Nor does she really care. As long as Chesmu stays away from her and the rest of her family, he can go wherever he likes, as far as she's concerned.
Paoro's eyeridges lift when Maulisho mentions Chesmu wounded...and inflicted by her, no less. She idly wonders what he did to cause such an attack, but it is of little importance in the grand scheme of things. "Very well. If anyone hears of him...I should like to speak with him as well." And likely with not the same sort of tone as it will be with the rest of her family. "In the meantime, do let others know I am returned. I imagine many wish to speak with me after so long."
"I think that if anyone knows where he is, it would probably be Yuma." No doubt the new Chieftain would want to keep tabs on where his father is. Or if not him, perhaps Misae or Chandani would know. Surely /one/ of Chesmu's children would know. Maulisho grins. "I'm sure that he'll be glad to see you as well." Yes, she still has questions of her own, but she can sense that Paoro is impatient to move on and satisfy her own curiosity about what's happened. After a brief pause, she adds, "It's good to see you back, Paoro." She's halfway tempted to go wake Kasim up so he can give his greeting as well, but there will no doubt be another time for that, especially if the older cougaress really is anxious to continue deeper into the tribal territory.
Paoro bows her head at Maulisho's comments. "You too, Maulisho. I appreciate your help, and I hope we can all work together to make the Amaranth the great tribe it was before once again." She shifts onto all fours - a little slower than usual, this time - and begins to continue making her way up the slope, and back onto the mesa she still considers home.
Maulisho - adult female cougaress (Amaranth)
Paoro - elder female cougaress (Amaranth)
Setting:
Sloping Gradient (Amaranth)
Scene:
Even before she's fully left the birthing den, Maulisho is already letting out a jaw-splitting yawn, followed by a nice, long stretch. She didn't sleep /quite/ as long as she had hoped for, but it was plenty restful, nonetheless. Her amber eyes are bright and alert as she steps out onto the slope, looking around for anyone in the vicinity. One of her ears swivels as she catches what sounds suspiciously like a snore from back behind her; with an amused smile, she wonders how much longer Kasim is going to sleep like such a dead rock.
Paoro's not as young as she used to be. These extended spiritual journeys are taking longer and longer to accomplish, and while her joints aren't as agile as they once were, these frequent walks have at least kept her in shape underneath that shaggy fur. She's been gone for what must have been several moons now...perhaps almost a full year, by now. It's been far too long since she last checked in on her family, even if she's heard nothing on the wind or had any ominous dream-visits from spirits. But while no news is good news, she's still a family cougar at heart, and she misses them dearly. She's finally returned from the lowlands to the east, and she's barely stepped onto the slope leading up to her home when she sees a familiar face emerging from the cub den. Her eyes aren't as sharp now, either, but she can still smell, and she can make out enough of the other female to recognize her. "Maulisho?"
Maulisho blinks a few times, eyes still adjusting to the brilliant daylight. But as her name is called, and by a voice that's not immediately recognized, she turns her head to look curiously at.. an older cougaress, one that looks well-traveled, and yet somehow familiar. Very familiar, in fact. Those eyes full of wisdom and mystery.. the way she walks.. her voice.. "Paoro?" Maulisho asks hesitantly. Whoa. It /is/ Paoro! The younger cougaress is both delighted and surprised to see her old friend again, and immediately has a dozen questions she wants to ask all at once. Where has she been, why has she returned now, has she heard of what's happened, and so forth.
She may be old and many moons gone, but the shamaness never lost her pride. If Maulisho isn't sure about the elder's identity, her Amaranth markings are as vibrant as the day she left, having been reapplied faithfully even while Paoro was away. The older female smiles at Maulisho's happy response to her return, and has a few questions of her own. "How is my family?" Always first on her mind.
It depends entirely on who Paoro is referring to by 'family'--her blood relatives, or the tribe as a whole? "There have been a lot of.. things happening," Maulisho says slowly, her smile tempering somewhat. "Chesmu has been forced to disgracefully step down from his position as Chieftain, and your grandson Yuma has accepted the nomination to take his place." Hmm. That's probably the biggest shock right there. "Nayeli and Kein have gone off to seek their own territory." Her smile starts to grow again. "It's been really great to see them grow so close to each other, despite all the turmoil that's happened."
Paoro settles down on her haunches, tired from her long walk. Her ears lower slightly at the mention of Chesmu. "I see. I suppose my foresight with that one was not completely accurate. A pity. But I am asking about my blood family. Where are my granddaughters, that my grandson is forced to reign instead? And Ayashe? This is not like her."
Maulisho is silent a moment as she thinks of how best to explain the current situation. Finally, she sits down, assuming the comfortable position one might associate with a storyteller. "You recall how a long while back, my family had to leave these lands due to Chesmu's... activity." A nice way of putting it. "We lived far to the east, out in the desert where Kasim remembers finding a cure to that strange disease that swept through. But only in the last week or two, we returned here to make sure that Chesmu was dealt with and that Amaranth was left in good leadership." She grimaces. "I do not know what happened to Ayashe, only that I have not seen her since our return. Chesmu has taken on another mate, so I can only presume that either Ayashe met an early death, or has left for good." And now on to more encouraging news. "Your other two grandaughters are doing well, and I would assume Misae would have taken over leadership, had Yuma not been.. assigned.. to that position." Memories of that completely unexpected move by Kein still remain fresh in her mind.
Paoro frowns at the other female's words, considering them carefully. She wonders why the spirits chose not to make her aware of such turmoil...or perhaps they tried, but she wasn't ready to handle it. She will try, now, at least. "Do you know where Nayeli and Kein have gone to? I would like to speak with them, if possible." She'll be speaking with Chesmu, certainly, but her family definitely takes priority. As does the returning to things to the proper balance.
Maulisho slowly shakes her head. "The only thing I know is that they left to the north of here, and I would assume that they had no intention of changing their direction. I know that Kein most definitely would not want to head east toward the desert again, and so I believe that they're probably still heading north. They haven't been gone that long, and I couldn't detect any urgency in their departure; it's probably a good guess that they aren't that far off. A day or two's travel, most likely." Could Paoro catch up to them in the state she's in? Maulisho's first guess would probably be negative, but then again she /has/ been surprised before at the older cougaress' surprising level of vitality and energy. Not to mention her sheer determination to do what needs to be done.
Paoro makes a mental note of this, staring off towards the north as if trying to determine their location just by looking. You never know with the shamaness. "Thank you, Maulisho. I imagine I'll stay here, but send a messenger. I have much to catch up on in the tribelands, it seems, and so I believe I should stay here until things are restored to the way they should be." She thinks for a moment, then adds: "Where is Chesmu, now that he has been overthrown?"
A messenger would indeed probably be the best option, though Maulisho wonders who Paoro has in mind. She can't imagine that Kein would be too happy with the thought of a messenger telling them to hold up until Paoro could get there to talk to both of them. And if it's just to catch up with her granddaughter, Kein would probably see that as an unnecessary delay; surely they could catch up when they come back to visit? But either way, Maulisho only nods. "A messenger is a good idea. And for Chesmu, I have not seen him since I left him wounded in the snow. I would assume that he has recovered from his injuries since then, but I do not know his present location with any degree of certainty. Nor does she really care. As long as Chesmu stays away from her and the rest of her family, he can go wherever he likes, as far as she's concerned.
Paoro's eyeridges lift when Maulisho mentions Chesmu wounded...and inflicted by her, no less. She idly wonders what he did to cause such an attack, but it is of little importance in the grand scheme of things. "Very well. If anyone hears of him...I should like to speak with him as well." And likely with not the same sort of tone as it will be with the rest of her family. "In the meantime, do let others know I am returned. I imagine many wish to speak with me after so long."
"I think that if anyone knows where he is, it would probably be Yuma." No doubt the new Chieftain would want to keep tabs on where his father is. Or if not him, perhaps Misae or Chandani would know. Surely /one/ of Chesmu's children would know. Maulisho grins. "I'm sure that he'll be glad to see you as well." Yes, she still has questions of her own, but she can sense that Paoro is impatient to move on and satisfy her own curiosity about what's happened. After a brief pause, she adds, "It's good to see you back, Paoro." She's halfway tempted to go wake Kasim up so he can give his greeting as well, but there will no doubt be another time for that, especially if the older cougaress really is anxious to continue deeper into the tribal territory.
Paoro bows her head at Maulisho's comments. "You too, Maulisho. I appreciate your help, and I hope we can all work together to make the Amaranth the great tribe it was before once again." She shifts onto all fours - a little slower than usual, this time - and begins to continue making her way up the slope, and back onto the mesa she still considers home.