Post by Therdde on Nov 2, 2008 21:28:59 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Nayeli - Female Adolescent Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
It is only nearing midday. The trip from the den in which they stayed to the outskirts of Amaranth was not a long one, but it is one that has kept Kein slightly on edge. He's cautious in case the request did not actually come from Paoro. Once they're within Amaranth, it becomes less likely that Azriel was the one to send the message, but there is still always Chesmu to worry about. Even more so since, the further into Amaranth they go, the stronger the former chieftain's scent gets... Along with the scent of blood. Kein had so convinced himself that nothing was wrong with his family, but the scents that the breeze is blowing his way have caused doubt to start gnawing at him again, and only the fact that the path ahead of them is silent has allowed him to keep his cautious pace. With his attention so focused on his surroundings, expecting to see Chesmu jump out at them any moment, he doesn't spend a lot of time looking at Nayeli.
Nayeli had been relatively relaxed during this last part of the trip. Not knowing exactly why they were being summoned back was a simple lack of knowledge that she was able to accept. They'd understand when they got back and could talk to Paoro. But now as they neared Amaranth borders, and especially once they crossed back into their old home territory, Kein's unease is making Nayeli feel rather anxious as well. Surely Paoro's reason for their return doesn't require Kein to act as though he's paranoid and will spook at the first sign of another creature? Nayeli feels more and more as though they're slinking now, as if hunting prey, rather than simply walking through Amaranth territory. Or more like, perhaps, they're trying to avoid being hunt/ed/. Would her father attack her? Even with Kein? An unpleasant line of thought she doesn't even want to consider. Her father would never attack her. His vicious assault on Kein was.. an anomaly. A loss of his temper. Her father wouldn't /attack/ anyone, though... right?
The scent only grows stronger as the two of them walk, convincing Kein that something isn't right. In fact, something is very, very wrong... And as the den comes into sight, still off in the distance, Kein can only hope that the reason he smells the former cheiftain /and/ blood is because Chesmu tried something and was summarily torn to shreds. That isn't the kind of thing he would confess to Nayeli, though, and afraid of finding out that this most optomistic possibility is wrong, Kein's step falters. The last he knew, his family was still staying in and around that cave, and he is /scared/ about what they might find.
By now, Nayeli has noticed the scent of blood as well, and it's making her anxiety turn more into dread. She doesn't know where the certainty comes from, but she /knows/ that it's feline blood. It's a lose-lose situation for her, as even a successful victory for those whom Kein loves means a terrible loss for her. And yet.. can she really hope that the blood belongs to someone other than her father? The fact that the scent seems to be coming from the birthing cave, along with another, not-as-familiar scent.. this is going to be bad. The feeling of dread sends a shiver down her spine. This is going to be /really/ bad. Even as they approach, she's almost afraid to look in, to see what kind of nightmare has occurred in their absence. This has to be what Paoro called them back for. It /has/ to be.
Kein stops several feet away from the den. He doesn't have to enter it to know what happened. He doesn't. The fact that Chesmu's scent is so weak, while his mother's scent and the scent of blood is so strong... He can already feel tears stinging at his eyes, and he slowly shakes his head. No. His mother was so sure they'd be fine, and... He and Nayeli were going to come back, and his mother was going to have cubs, and he could play with them and take them exploring. He can't breath for a moment, doesn't want that reminder of what they are facing, and when he is finally forced to, for lack of oxygen, it sounds more like a sob than a breath, even though none of the tears have fallen from his eyes.
Nayeli stops initially as well alongside of Kein, but then decides, gritting her teeth, that she needs to see and know for sure what happened. Those next few steps are the hardest thing she's ever done in her life. Harder than apologizing to Kein, or even harder than speaking to her father that last time. That shivery feeling of dread reaches its peak as she takes her first pawstep inside the den entrance, eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light inside. And there's the body, the scent obviously indicating it as dead. Slashed, mutilated.. it's hard to believe that this corpse was ever a living, breathing cougaress. Hard to believe that it was Kein's mother. And even in the sudden grief that seizes up within her, Nayeli is still even more overpowered by that total and all-encompassing sense of dread. Her father did this. Her father /killed/ her best friend's mother. And not just killed.. he did something terrible to her, judging from the other scent that seems to weigh heavy in the air. With a shudder, Nayeli backs away, stiff-legged, wishing this was a nightmare.. because no matter how bad a dream might get, you always wake up at the end.
Kein closes his eyes when Nayeli walks further than him, into the den. He's having a hard time coming to grips with what he knows must be true. He never would have left if he believed his family was in danger. Would he have? He let Nayeli talk him into not asking them to come along, but... That was because she made him realize that everything would be okay... Wasn't it? His eyes remained closed, but he can hear Nayeli back out of the cave, and when he does, he says, "It's her, isn't it?" It is barely a question, and his tone... There is sorrow in it, and pain, but it's minimal, because try though he might, he /can't/ believe this.
At first, Nayeli looks completely frozen, staring at the den entrance. But finally she seems to gather control of herself, and, amazed that she hasn't started crying yet, she takes the few steps over to Kein, each one proving increasingly difficult, until finally she's close enough to nuzzle against her friend. But.. she doesn't. She can't. Instead, she lowers her head, swallows hard, and whispers, "I'm so sorry, Kein... it was my father who did this." Daddy. Murderer. ... Why? How could he?
Of course it was. Chesmu. The anger he feels at thinking that name doesn't seem /quite/ as dull or distant as his sorrow does. Chesmu failed to kill Kein, so he waited until his mother was asleep, alone, and killed her instead. He knows this. He can think the words, in that order, so he tells himself he knows this. Surprisingly, though, and despite his anger... Retribution is not what first enters his mind. Instead, Kein says, "I can't be here, Nayeli." It doesn't matter where he goes. Further into Amaranth. Back to the den. Back to the waterfall. Back to the desert. He just can't be /here/.
She wants to ask where he's planning on going. What he's planning on doing. But Nayeli is afraid that Kein will push her away, or blame her for what happened, or.. or /something/. Didn't they just talk about how they'd never leave each other? But that was when they couldn't imagine a tragedy of this magnitude would occur. Would Kein change his mind, now? Decide that Nayeli is to blame? She's certainly blaming herself for this. It was /her/ father. And it was /her/ who decided to go with Kein, against her father's wishes. She brought this upon Kein's mother. And so, she remains silent, looking at the ground between their forepaws.
The question isn't whether Kein would push her away. It's whether he can ask her to come with him. She is infinitely more real to him than anything he knows has happened here, and he /needs/ her. This knowledge comes from as detached a standpoint as everything else right now, but he knows it still, because if she is not with him... What else is there, now? The problem is, he doesn't know what he should do, how he is supposed to act. He can tell himself to treat this like he would treat an other problem, work through it until it is over, but more than that he doesn't know what to do, he just can't find the next step that leads from where he is now to where things are okay. To where things will, eventually, be okay. As such, it takes him an abnormally long time before he speaks again. "We... I..." He breaths, then says, "Paoro is waiting for us." If the message was true. If not... Then Kein just doesn't know where to go, because this is the only thing he can find that will allow him to start to move away from this place.
Is Paoro waiting for them? Or is Paoro dead? For that matter, who else is /alive/? If she can ask herself why Chesmu would ever kill Kein's mother in the first place, she can ask herself why Chesmu would stop there. For all they know, he's killed more. For all they know, he might dead already, killed by other members of Amaranth. Or perhaps he's fled the territory, never to be seen again. Nayeli doesn't want to offer the possibility that Kein's brother and father--well.. his /almost/ father--might be dead as well. If Chesmu was intent on killing Maulisho to punish the two of them for leaving, there's no telling whether or not he would stop with just one murder. Kein is already stunned enough as it is; no need to offer an even worse scenario than what they've already found. And why are they the only ones here? Wouldn't Kasim be here, defending his mate's body until they can decide what to do with it? Perhaps he's also dead, somewhere else. Nayeli can smell other cougaresses that have passed through here somewhat recently, including the shamaness, but... why did they leave? Hunting down her father, perhaps? Ensuring the safety of everyone else? Kein's right. They need to get an explanation of what's going on, and that begins with finding Paoro. The girl nods simply, not wanting to voice anything that sounds like she's intending to go with Kein. She /wants/ to, but...
Kein has yet to open his eyes, and though he can tell Nayeli moved... He doesn't know what she did. So, finally, he does open his eyes to look at her, and he doesn't see a monster, someone who ignored the risk her father posed just so that she could get what she wanted. He sees someone who is upset by what she saw in that cave, and that makes all the difference. That allows him to ask one more question before walking away. "Will you help me find her?" His tone hasn't changed, but he is asking her to help him, rather than simply asking if she plans on helping him. It may be a small gesture, but it's all he can offer her, right now. If her answer is no, though... He /can't/ stay here. He can't make his legs move without a plan in mind, so he will still seek out Paoro, but he can't stay.
He does want her help, then? Nayeli looks up at her friend, eyes full of hesitation and uncertainty. What if his entire family /was/ killed? All by her father, because of her? Would he still want her help then? Why isn't he pushing her away, claiming that she's brought enough grief into his life as it is? That's what she thought he was going to do last time, but instead he surprised her by trying to mend their relationship, rather than leave it broken and ruined. "Are.. you sure?" she asks, voice trembling slightly, both from the emotional trauma of what she's just seen as well as the thought of Kein blaming her for this. Which he would be completely right in doing, of course, but that doesn't lessen the hurt caused from him doing that.
Kein gives a nod of his head before turning to the south to head away from the cave, away from the scents that are assaulting him still, forcing this to be far more real that he is willing to accept it to be. He doesn't speak again, but until he knows whether she is coming with him or not, his pace is slow, far from the running he wish he could be doing.
It isn't the reassuring explanation that Nayeli was hoping for, but at least he hasn't told her to go away or leave him alone. Looking rather subdued, she falls into step as they begin walking, but not immediately next to him as she would normally do; instead her position is dropped back a few feet, more at an angle behind him than immediately next to him. Why there? It just.. feels right. Appropriate, even. She may have not been dismissed, but surely Kein doesn't want the immediateness of her presence there, constantly reminding him that he's traveling with the cause of his mother's death. Not the one who actually /did/ the act, but ultimately the reason /for/ the act. Her head hangs a little, though she tries to think of where Paoro would be. It's one thing to guess the whereabouts of a shamaness on a normal day. But with everything going on? About the best they can hope for is that the scent trail will lead to her. Thankfully Kein has shown himself to be quite a skill tracker, so she'll just follow and let her friend lead the way with his nose.
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Nayeli - Female Adolescent Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
It is only nearing midday. The trip from the den in which they stayed to the outskirts of Amaranth was not a long one, but it is one that has kept Kein slightly on edge. He's cautious in case the request did not actually come from Paoro. Once they're within Amaranth, it becomes less likely that Azriel was the one to send the message, but there is still always Chesmu to worry about. Even more so since, the further into Amaranth they go, the stronger the former chieftain's scent gets... Along with the scent of blood. Kein had so convinced himself that nothing was wrong with his family, but the scents that the breeze is blowing his way have caused doubt to start gnawing at him again, and only the fact that the path ahead of them is silent has allowed him to keep his cautious pace. With his attention so focused on his surroundings, expecting to see Chesmu jump out at them any moment, he doesn't spend a lot of time looking at Nayeli.
Nayeli had been relatively relaxed during this last part of the trip. Not knowing exactly why they were being summoned back was a simple lack of knowledge that she was able to accept. They'd understand when they got back and could talk to Paoro. But now as they neared Amaranth borders, and especially once they crossed back into their old home territory, Kein's unease is making Nayeli feel rather anxious as well. Surely Paoro's reason for their return doesn't require Kein to act as though he's paranoid and will spook at the first sign of another creature? Nayeli feels more and more as though they're slinking now, as if hunting prey, rather than simply walking through Amaranth territory. Or more like, perhaps, they're trying to avoid being hunt/ed/. Would her father attack her? Even with Kein? An unpleasant line of thought she doesn't even want to consider. Her father would never attack her. His vicious assault on Kein was.. an anomaly. A loss of his temper. Her father wouldn't /attack/ anyone, though... right?
The scent only grows stronger as the two of them walk, convincing Kein that something isn't right. In fact, something is very, very wrong... And as the den comes into sight, still off in the distance, Kein can only hope that the reason he smells the former cheiftain /and/ blood is because Chesmu tried something and was summarily torn to shreds. That isn't the kind of thing he would confess to Nayeli, though, and afraid of finding out that this most optomistic possibility is wrong, Kein's step falters. The last he knew, his family was still staying in and around that cave, and he is /scared/ about what they might find.
By now, Nayeli has noticed the scent of blood as well, and it's making her anxiety turn more into dread. She doesn't know where the certainty comes from, but she /knows/ that it's feline blood. It's a lose-lose situation for her, as even a successful victory for those whom Kein loves means a terrible loss for her. And yet.. can she really hope that the blood belongs to someone other than her father? The fact that the scent seems to be coming from the birthing cave, along with another, not-as-familiar scent.. this is going to be bad. The feeling of dread sends a shiver down her spine. This is going to be /really/ bad. Even as they approach, she's almost afraid to look in, to see what kind of nightmare has occurred in their absence. This has to be what Paoro called them back for. It /has/ to be.
Kein stops several feet away from the den. He doesn't have to enter it to know what happened. He doesn't. The fact that Chesmu's scent is so weak, while his mother's scent and the scent of blood is so strong... He can already feel tears stinging at his eyes, and he slowly shakes his head. No. His mother was so sure they'd be fine, and... He and Nayeli were going to come back, and his mother was going to have cubs, and he could play with them and take them exploring. He can't breath for a moment, doesn't want that reminder of what they are facing, and when he is finally forced to, for lack of oxygen, it sounds more like a sob than a breath, even though none of the tears have fallen from his eyes.
Nayeli stops initially as well alongside of Kein, but then decides, gritting her teeth, that she needs to see and know for sure what happened. Those next few steps are the hardest thing she's ever done in her life. Harder than apologizing to Kein, or even harder than speaking to her father that last time. That shivery feeling of dread reaches its peak as she takes her first pawstep inside the den entrance, eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light inside. And there's the body, the scent obviously indicating it as dead. Slashed, mutilated.. it's hard to believe that this corpse was ever a living, breathing cougaress. Hard to believe that it was Kein's mother. And even in the sudden grief that seizes up within her, Nayeli is still even more overpowered by that total and all-encompassing sense of dread. Her father did this. Her father /killed/ her best friend's mother. And not just killed.. he did something terrible to her, judging from the other scent that seems to weigh heavy in the air. With a shudder, Nayeli backs away, stiff-legged, wishing this was a nightmare.. because no matter how bad a dream might get, you always wake up at the end.
Kein closes his eyes when Nayeli walks further than him, into the den. He's having a hard time coming to grips with what he knows must be true. He never would have left if he believed his family was in danger. Would he have? He let Nayeli talk him into not asking them to come along, but... That was because she made him realize that everything would be okay... Wasn't it? His eyes remained closed, but he can hear Nayeli back out of the cave, and when he does, he says, "It's her, isn't it?" It is barely a question, and his tone... There is sorrow in it, and pain, but it's minimal, because try though he might, he /can't/ believe this.
At first, Nayeli looks completely frozen, staring at the den entrance. But finally she seems to gather control of herself, and, amazed that she hasn't started crying yet, she takes the few steps over to Kein, each one proving increasingly difficult, until finally she's close enough to nuzzle against her friend. But.. she doesn't. She can't. Instead, she lowers her head, swallows hard, and whispers, "I'm so sorry, Kein... it was my father who did this." Daddy. Murderer. ... Why? How could he?
Of course it was. Chesmu. The anger he feels at thinking that name doesn't seem /quite/ as dull or distant as his sorrow does. Chesmu failed to kill Kein, so he waited until his mother was asleep, alone, and killed her instead. He knows this. He can think the words, in that order, so he tells himself he knows this. Surprisingly, though, and despite his anger... Retribution is not what first enters his mind. Instead, Kein says, "I can't be here, Nayeli." It doesn't matter where he goes. Further into Amaranth. Back to the den. Back to the waterfall. Back to the desert. He just can't be /here/.
She wants to ask where he's planning on going. What he's planning on doing. But Nayeli is afraid that Kein will push her away, or blame her for what happened, or.. or /something/. Didn't they just talk about how they'd never leave each other? But that was when they couldn't imagine a tragedy of this magnitude would occur. Would Kein change his mind, now? Decide that Nayeli is to blame? She's certainly blaming herself for this. It was /her/ father. And it was /her/ who decided to go with Kein, against her father's wishes. She brought this upon Kein's mother. And so, she remains silent, looking at the ground between their forepaws.
The question isn't whether Kein would push her away. It's whether he can ask her to come with him. She is infinitely more real to him than anything he knows has happened here, and he /needs/ her. This knowledge comes from as detached a standpoint as everything else right now, but he knows it still, because if she is not with him... What else is there, now? The problem is, he doesn't know what he should do, how he is supposed to act. He can tell himself to treat this like he would treat an other problem, work through it until it is over, but more than that he doesn't know what to do, he just can't find the next step that leads from where he is now to where things are okay. To where things will, eventually, be okay. As such, it takes him an abnormally long time before he speaks again. "We... I..." He breaths, then says, "Paoro is waiting for us." If the message was true. If not... Then Kein just doesn't know where to go, because this is the only thing he can find that will allow him to start to move away from this place.
Is Paoro waiting for them? Or is Paoro dead? For that matter, who else is /alive/? If she can ask herself why Chesmu would ever kill Kein's mother in the first place, she can ask herself why Chesmu would stop there. For all they know, he's killed more. For all they know, he might dead already, killed by other members of Amaranth. Or perhaps he's fled the territory, never to be seen again. Nayeli doesn't want to offer the possibility that Kein's brother and father--well.. his /almost/ father--might be dead as well. If Chesmu was intent on killing Maulisho to punish the two of them for leaving, there's no telling whether or not he would stop with just one murder. Kein is already stunned enough as it is; no need to offer an even worse scenario than what they've already found. And why are they the only ones here? Wouldn't Kasim be here, defending his mate's body until they can decide what to do with it? Perhaps he's also dead, somewhere else. Nayeli can smell other cougaresses that have passed through here somewhat recently, including the shamaness, but... why did they leave? Hunting down her father, perhaps? Ensuring the safety of everyone else? Kein's right. They need to get an explanation of what's going on, and that begins with finding Paoro. The girl nods simply, not wanting to voice anything that sounds like she's intending to go with Kein. She /wants/ to, but...
Kein has yet to open his eyes, and though he can tell Nayeli moved... He doesn't know what she did. So, finally, he does open his eyes to look at her, and he doesn't see a monster, someone who ignored the risk her father posed just so that she could get what she wanted. He sees someone who is upset by what she saw in that cave, and that makes all the difference. That allows him to ask one more question before walking away. "Will you help me find her?" His tone hasn't changed, but he is asking her to help him, rather than simply asking if she plans on helping him. It may be a small gesture, but it's all he can offer her, right now. If her answer is no, though... He /can't/ stay here. He can't make his legs move without a plan in mind, so he will still seek out Paoro, but he can't stay.
He does want her help, then? Nayeli looks up at her friend, eyes full of hesitation and uncertainty. What if his entire family /was/ killed? All by her father, because of her? Would he still want her help then? Why isn't he pushing her away, claiming that she's brought enough grief into his life as it is? That's what she thought he was going to do last time, but instead he surprised her by trying to mend their relationship, rather than leave it broken and ruined. "Are.. you sure?" she asks, voice trembling slightly, both from the emotional trauma of what she's just seen as well as the thought of Kein blaming her for this. Which he would be completely right in doing, of course, but that doesn't lessen the hurt caused from him doing that.
Kein gives a nod of his head before turning to the south to head away from the cave, away from the scents that are assaulting him still, forcing this to be far more real that he is willing to accept it to be. He doesn't speak again, but until he knows whether she is coming with him or not, his pace is slow, far from the running he wish he could be doing.
It isn't the reassuring explanation that Nayeli was hoping for, but at least he hasn't told her to go away or leave him alone. Looking rather subdued, she falls into step as they begin walking, but not immediately next to him as she would normally do; instead her position is dropped back a few feet, more at an angle behind him than immediately next to him. Why there? It just.. feels right. Appropriate, even. She may have not been dismissed, but surely Kein doesn't want the immediateness of her presence there, constantly reminding him that he's traveling with the cause of his mother's death. Not the one who actually /did/ the act, but ultimately the reason /for/ the act. Her head hangs a little, though she tries to think of where Paoro would be. It's one thing to guess the whereabouts of a shamaness on a normal day. But with everything going on? About the best they can hope for is that the scent trail will lead to her. Thankfully Kein has shown himself to be quite a skill tracker, so she'll just follow and let her friend lead the way with his nose.