Post by abyss on Nov 1, 2008 17:06:20 GMT -5
Characters involved:
Imala, female elder cougar
Chesmu, male cougar
Synopsis: Imala turns up at the edge of Amaranth territory, unnerving her son Chesmu.
Jagged Cliffs
================================================================================
A wall of broken rock waterfalls to the ground far below, its surface pitted gray stone, worn by wind, water, and the sheer passage of time. An array of plants cling to its uneven side, from tufts of hardy grass to shrubs and even midget trees gnarled and twisted by the wind's influence. Its flat top is scoured clean down to dust and stone; along the edge and the cliffsides below, is a jagged face of sharp rock. Water has carved several narrow tracks down the cliff's face; in cooler seasons, or after heavy storms, dozens of tiny waterfalls offer background noise. To the north, one has a clear view into the valley cut into the mountain below.
================================================================================
Imala lets out a sigh, stretching slowly at the top of the cliff. The cougaress may still be sleek and powerful for her age, but the cold weather causes her joints to stiffen. Where she's perched at the edge of the drop, the brisk wind batters at her, chilling her to the bone... but for the sake of the view, she endures. From here she can see the entire valley below, blanketed with snow, and it would be very difficult (if not impossible) for any creature to sneak up on her. "Not long now," she murmurs to herself in a low rasp.
Chesmu is doing his own border patrol again. His way of assuring the tribe is safe for his plucking, due to his madness slowly sinking in. So it seems these two Rogues are still around... and Ankita had seen the female with... With his own brother! The former Chieftain walks around one particularly large rock and continues on his way.
Instinct tempts the cougaress to seek shelter from the icy conditions, to warm herself and reserve her energy, but Imala knows that she must be close to her destination: Amaranth land. If the tales are true, a tribe of strange, red-dyed cougars reside there in great numbers, and most remarkable of all... Chesmu has become their leader. The cougaress found this story difficult to believe at first, but as she drew closer to their fabled territory, she continued to learn more and more about it. Little does she know, her information is outdated. Imala is pacing, keeping her blood flowing, when she stops and lifts her head. There stands Chesmu... but the cougaress does not look surprised. She rarely does. "Chesmu."
Chesmu hadn't seen Imala there... and most certainly never expected to see her again. When he finally hears her and lays eyes on her, he almost thinks he's having a nightmare again. "I..." Chesmu takes a few steps back, fearful. "Imala."
His recent nightmare may have sharpened Chesmu's memory of his mother, but time has left neither of them unchanged. To Imala, Chesmu looks larger than he did when she last saw him -- but of course, she had expected that. After all, he was only an adolescent when he stole away. To Chesmu, however, his mother appears to have aged. Her fur has taken a silver-gray tint, especially around her muzzle and cunning yellow eyes. When her son makes no attempt to bolt, she sits down on the stone, though it feels as cold as ice. "You've painted yourself up like a fool," she remarks huskily. There is no true venom in her voice; she states it the same way she might mention that the sky is blue. "And yet I hear they call you 'Chieftain.'"
Chesmu is unsure how he is supposed to speak to Imala. Maybe he should... no, he can't attack her... she is so much stronger than he is... she might throw him into the rocks like she always did. "I'm no fool." Chesmu says bitterly. "I'm not a fool! Get away! Your kind are not..." Eyetwitch. "...wanted here!"
A slight smile curls the edges of Imala's muzzle. "Did I say you were?" she says. When her son begins to shout at her, the smile grows, though there is no trace of humor in that expression. Her eyes are still cold. "My kind? And what does that make you?" She remains seated, obviously not prepared to leave. Imala has come too far, endured too much hardship in the course of her journey. "I did not come here to fight with you, Chesmu." Oh, no. Nothing so simple as that.
Chesmu is still upset, he's crouching now, glaring at his mother. No, not to fight, but there's no way someone who hates him as much as he hates her will be here for anything truly peaceful and good. "I'm not like you!" Chesmu says. "I am..." Eyetwitch. "...better than you are! And if you didn't come to fight then you may as well turn and leave!"
The cougaress notes her son's nervous tic, but she does not remark on it. Instead, she tilts her head at him, examining him the way a predator might study a featherless baby bird: with unhealthy interest. "Perhaps that is true," she answers calmly, when Chesmu claims that he is better than her. Of course Imala might not /agree/ with that assessment, but she continues, "After all... /I/ have never been a Chieftain." That much, at least, is true.
Chesmu is trying to keep himself together through this. He's *certainly* not about to tell her he's no longer Chieftain... nor the reasons behind his resignation. "You're barely even a..." Eyetwitch. "...cougar..." Eyetwitch. "...mother."
Imala retains her smile. Chesmu's insult does not appear to upset her even slightly. "How can you say that to the mother of a Chieftain?" She shakes her head slowly, making a show of tired patience. "You surprised me, Chesmu," the cougaress says in her low, grating voice. "You've done more than I ever imagined you were capable of."
Chesmu feels the bile rise up in his throat. With venom. Chesmu says. "I've become much more than you would ever..." Eyetwitch. "...imagine. You only thought I'd end up dead. Well, I'll tell you one thing..." Eyetwitch. "...mother. I'm not only better than what you expected, I'm..." Eyetwitch. "...different."
"Are you, now?" she says, with something like faint surprise. Arching a brow, Imala looks her son over again. After a moment she nods. She may not be agreeing with him, but she has at least acknowledged the possibility. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Chesmu." There was a time, not so long ago, when she would have cheerfully murdered her son... if only given the chance. However, things have changed considerably since she learned of her son's position.
Chesmu eyes her mother. "Of course you were wrong about me..." Eyetwitch. "...mother. I'm no longer..." Eyetwitch. "...afraid of you!" That's not actually true. Chesmu is still horribly afraid of his mother, even now.
It has been several days since Tohopka has seen his brother, and was suprised when he picked up his scent all the way bye the wildflower drop, heading to the cliffs, however on the way he also picks up another scent, that chills him to the bone... he quickly follows the scents hoping he is wrong..
"You have no reason to fear me," Imala says. How could that possibly be true? Yet so far the cougaress has made no motion to attack her son -- in fact, she has not made the slightest threatening gesture. She remains still as stone, seated with her tail curled snugly over her paws, not even shivering as flakes of snow settle on her silvered pelt. "As I said, I did not come here to fight you. I came to tell you... that I am proud of you, Chesmu."
Chesmu frowns, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She wants something. He can tell. She never wanted him. He had to flee for his life from his mother, and... she is *not* proud of him. He bares his teeth. "What do you..." Eyetwitch. "...want?"
Tohopka rounds the corner and comes up on chesmu, and as he feared... his mother... he stops in his tracks several feet away from them visibly tensing as he stares at Imala
Imala chuckles. It is not a pleasant sound; like her voice it has a harsh, grating quality. The cougaress lifts her head haughtily and answers, "I lack for nothing." Is that any more or less true than anything else she has said? It's impossible to tell. Hunger glimmers in her yellow eyes as she regards her son, but that may just be part of her naturally predatory expression.
Chesmu growls, and with a mad twitch of his eye, he says. "Then you'll have no problems moving on..." Eyetwitch. "...mother. Since you need nothing then there's nothing this tribe will do for you."
Of course the old cougaress is too clever to reveal her intentions so easily. Perhaps she /is/ planning to move on... but somehow, that seems unlikely. Would she search so long and come so far to tell her son, whom she's never shown any affection, that she's become proud of him? Imala rises slowly, smoothly, to all fours, causing the snow piled on her shoulders to fall to the ground. Despite the cold she stubbornly refuses to shiver, though tomorrow her joints will ache fiercely. "I will stay if I wish to, Chesmu." Her yellow eyes look into his, calm and inquiring. Does he intend to stand up to her?
Chesmu is horribly torn. He hates his mother a great deal... but he has a great deal of fear of her. With the familiar twitch in his eye, Chesmu stands up and faces his mother. "Y-you're not..." Eyetwitch. "...welcome."
Imala's cold smirk displays the points of her yellowed fangs. Whether he believed her excuse for coming or not, she had not expected her son to welcome her presence here. Naturally, she does not let that discourage her. After all, if the Chieftain of these red-painted cougars would not stand up to her, who else in their absurd tribe possibly could? She takes a few slow steps away from the edge of the cliff, paws crunching in the snow.
Chesmu watches as his mother just... walks away! Chesmu doesn't dare stop her because, even sane, Chesmu fears her the same way he did as a cub. She'd kill him. She most certainly would. Eyetwitch. He'll have to keep an eye on her, however. Eyetwitch.
Imala glances over her son again as she slinks by him. When she is on the other side of the stone, she pauses and turns around to face him, her ears pricked forward. He could have struck at her, or made some attempt to stop her... but he did not move an inch. Now she knows for a certainty: Chesmu is powerless against her, paralyzed by fear, just as he was when he was a cub. "I hope the rest of your tribe is more welcoming than you, Chieftain," the cougaress says, and with a hoarse chuckle, she turns and moves off, disappearing between two snow-covered stones.
Imala, female elder cougar
Chesmu, male cougar
Synopsis: Imala turns up at the edge of Amaranth territory, unnerving her son Chesmu.
Jagged Cliffs
================================================================================
A wall of broken rock waterfalls to the ground far below, its surface pitted gray stone, worn by wind, water, and the sheer passage of time. An array of plants cling to its uneven side, from tufts of hardy grass to shrubs and even midget trees gnarled and twisted by the wind's influence. Its flat top is scoured clean down to dust and stone; along the edge and the cliffsides below, is a jagged face of sharp rock. Water has carved several narrow tracks down the cliff's face; in cooler seasons, or after heavy storms, dozens of tiny waterfalls offer background noise. To the north, one has a clear view into the valley cut into the mountain below.
================================================================================
Imala lets out a sigh, stretching slowly at the top of the cliff. The cougaress may still be sleek and powerful for her age, but the cold weather causes her joints to stiffen. Where she's perched at the edge of the drop, the brisk wind batters at her, chilling her to the bone... but for the sake of the view, she endures. From here she can see the entire valley below, blanketed with snow, and it would be very difficult (if not impossible) for any creature to sneak up on her. "Not long now," she murmurs to herself in a low rasp.
Chesmu is doing his own border patrol again. His way of assuring the tribe is safe for his plucking, due to his madness slowly sinking in. So it seems these two Rogues are still around... and Ankita had seen the female with... With his own brother! The former Chieftain walks around one particularly large rock and continues on his way.
Instinct tempts the cougaress to seek shelter from the icy conditions, to warm herself and reserve her energy, but Imala knows that she must be close to her destination: Amaranth land. If the tales are true, a tribe of strange, red-dyed cougars reside there in great numbers, and most remarkable of all... Chesmu has become their leader. The cougaress found this story difficult to believe at first, but as she drew closer to their fabled territory, she continued to learn more and more about it. Little does she know, her information is outdated. Imala is pacing, keeping her blood flowing, when she stops and lifts her head. There stands Chesmu... but the cougaress does not look surprised. She rarely does. "Chesmu."
Chesmu hadn't seen Imala there... and most certainly never expected to see her again. When he finally hears her and lays eyes on her, he almost thinks he's having a nightmare again. "I..." Chesmu takes a few steps back, fearful. "Imala."
His recent nightmare may have sharpened Chesmu's memory of his mother, but time has left neither of them unchanged. To Imala, Chesmu looks larger than he did when she last saw him -- but of course, she had expected that. After all, he was only an adolescent when he stole away. To Chesmu, however, his mother appears to have aged. Her fur has taken a silver-gray tint, especially around her muzzle and cunning yellow eyes. When her son makes no attempt to bolt, she sits down on the stone, though it feels as cold as ice. "You've painted yourself up like a fool," she remarks huskily. There is no true venom in her voice; she states it the same way she might mention that the sky is blue. "And yet I hear they call you 'Chieftain.'"
Chesmu is unsure how he is supposed to speak to Imala. Maybe he should... no, he can't attack her... she is so much stronger than he is... she might throw him into the rocks like she always did. "I'm no fool." Chesmu says bitterly. "I'm not a fool! Get away! Your kind are not..." Eyetwitch. "...wanted here!"
A slight smile curls the edges of Imala's muzzle. "Did I say you were?" she says. When her son begins to shout at her, the smile grows, though there is no trace of humor in that expression. Her eyes are still cold. "My kind? And what does that make you?" She remains seated, obviously not prepared to leave. Imala has come too far, endured too much hardship in the course of her journey. "I did not come here to fight with you, Chesmu." Oh, no. Nothing so simple as that.
Chesmu is still upset, he's crouching now, glaring at his mother. No, not to fight, but there's no way someone who hates him as much as he hates her will be here for anything truly peaceful and good. "I'm not like you!" Chesmu says. "I am..." Eyetwitch. "...better than you are! And if you didn't come to fight then you may as well turn and leave!"
The cougaress notes her son's nervous tic, but she does not remark on it. Instead, she tilts her head at him, examining him the way a predator might study a featherless baby bird: with unhealthy interest. "Perhaps that is true," she answers calmly, when Chesmu claims that he is better than her. Of course Imala might not /agree/ with that assessment, but she continues, "After all... /I/ have never been a Chieftain." That much, at least, is true.
Chesmu is trying to keep himself together through this. He's *certainly* not about to tell her he's no longer Chieftain... nor the reasons behind his resignation. "You're barely even a..." Eyetwitch. "...cougar..." Eyetwitch. "...mother."
Imala retains her smile. Chesmu's insult does not appear to upset her even slightly. "How can you say that to the mother of a Chieftain?" She shakes her head slowly, making a show of tired patience. "You surprised me, Chesmu," the cougaress says in her low, grating voice. "You've done more than I ever imagined you were capable of."
Chesmu feels the bile rise up in his throat. With venom. Chesmu says. "I've become much more than you would ever..." Eyetwitch. "...imagine. You only thought I'd end up dead. Well, I'll tell you one thing..." Eyetwitch. "...mother. I'm not only better than what you expected, I'm..." Eyetwitch. "...different."
"Are you, now?" she says, with something like faint surprise. Arching a brow, Imala looks her son over again. After a moment she nods. She may not be agreeing with him, but she has at least acknowledged the possibility. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Chesmu." There was a time, not so long ago, when she would have cheerfully murdered her son... if only given the chance. However, things have changed considerably since she learned of her son's position.
Chesmu eyes her mother. "Of course you were wrong about me..." Eyetwitch. "...mother. I'm no longer..." Eyetwitch. "...afraid of you!" That's not actually true. Chesmu is still horribly afraid of his mother, even now.
It has been several days since Tohopka has seen his brother, and was suprised when he picked up his scent all the way bye the wildflower drop, heading to the cliffs, however on the way he also picks up another scent, that chills him to the bone... he quickly follows the scents hoping he is wrong..
"You have no reason to fear me," Imala says. How could that possibly be true? Yet so far the cougaress has made no motion to attack her son -- in fact, she has not made the slightest threatening gesture. She remains still as stone, seated with her tail curled snugly over her paws, not even shivering as flakes of snow settle on her silvered pelt. "As I said, I did not come here to fight you. I came to tell you... that I am proud of you, Chesmu."
Chesmu frowns, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She wants something. He can tell. She never wanted him. He had to flee for his life from his mother, and... she is *not* proud of him. He bares his teeth. "What do you..." Eyetwitch. "...want?"
Tohopka rounds the corner and comes up on chesmu, and as he feared... his mother... he stops in his tracks several feet away from them visibly tensing as he stares at Imala
Imala chuckles. It is not a pleasant sound; like her voice it has a harsh, grating quality. The cougaress lifts her head haughtily and answers, "I lack for nothing." Is that any more or less true than anything else she has said? It's impossible to tell. Hunger glimmers in her yellow eyes as she regards her son, but that may just be part of her naturally predatory expression.
Chesmu growls, and with a mad twitch of his eye, he says. "Then you'll have no problems moving on..." Eyetwitch. "...mother. Since you need nothing then there's nothing this tribe will do for you."
Of course the old cougaress is too clever to reveal her intentions so easily. Perhaps she /is/ planning to move on... but somehow, that seems unlikely. Would she search so long and come so far to tell her son, whom she's never shown any affection, that she's become proud of him? Imala rises slowly, smoothly, to all fours, causing the snow piled on her shoulders to fall to the ground. Despite the cold she stubbornly refuses to shiver, though tomorrow her joints will ache fiercely. "I will stay if I wish to, Chesmu." Her yellow eyes look into his, calm and inquiring. Does he intend to stand up to her?
Chesmu is horribly torn. He hates his mother a great deal... but he has a great deal of fear of her. With the familiar twitch in his eye, Chesmu stands up and faces his mother. "Y-you're not..." Eyetwitch. "...welcome."
Imala's cold smirk displays the points of her yellowed fangs. Whether he believed her excuse for coming or not, she had not expected her son to welcome her presence here. Naturally, she does not let that discourage her. After all, if the Chieftain of these red-painted cougars would not stand up to her, who else in their absurd tribe possibly could? She takes a few slow steps away from the edge of the cliff, paws crunching in the snow.
Chesmu watches as his mother just... walks away! Chesmu doesn't dare stop her because, even sane, Chesmu fears her the same way he did as a cub. She'd kill him. She most certainly would. Eyetwitch. He'll have to keep an eye on her, however. Eyetwitch.
Imala glances over her son again as she slinks by him. When she is on the other side of the stone, she pauses and turns around to face him, her ears pricked forward. He could have struck at her, or made some attempt to stop her... but he did not move an inch. Now she knows for a certainty: Chesmu is powerless against her, paralyzed by fear, just as he was when he was a cub. "I hope the rest of your tribe is more welcoming than you, Chieftain," the cougaress says, and with a hoarse chuckle, she turns and moves off, disappearing between two snow-covered stones.