Post by Therdde on Nov 6, 2008 21:40:24 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Yuma - Male Adolescent Cougar
- Wooded Terrain -
It is still early in the morning. The sun has risen, but only recently. Kein slept better than he has in a while last night, but still was far from completely restful. A lot of that might have been because of the emotional turmoil that has visited all of them recently, but at least a small part is due to hunger, so after a short while of just watching Nayeli sleep, he got up, careful not to wake her as he did, to go find something to eat. His travel through the trees is slow, quiet, and he devotes most of his attention to his surroundings, doing his best to keep any thoughts from distracting him from his task.
Unsurprisingly, the last few days have been rough for Yuma. To him, it feels as though much more time has passed. When not lying somewhere reclusive, staring aimlessly into space, he has been patroling Amaranth's borders. Having done this so frequently, he can trace the borders almost without thought, as though his paws have memorized the route for themselves. He does not, however, leave any markings. This is not his territory... and he may not be here much longer.
Kein has not yet thought about how to handle... Well, much of anything, as Chieftain. It's not very official yet. He has not spoken to Paoro or received new markings. And none of it is on his mind right now. As he catches Yuma's scent nearby, though, he is forced to slow his pace. Though they have shown that they are capable of dealing with each other civilly in the past, Kein really isn't certain how Yuma's opinion of him might have changed in the past few days, and he really doesn't want a conflict with Nayeli's brother right now.
Despite his seeming good intentions, Yuma is in a poor state to fend off any rogues. Barely paying attention to his surroundings, the brawny yearling prowls at a steady pace, his head held low and his eyes fixed on the ground in front of his paws. Distracted by unhappy thoughts, he is unaware of Kein's presence nearby, even when he appears within the other male's line of sight. Yuma begins to make his way through the trees when something seems to catch his eye, and he stops. Oddly, the adolescent just stands there, looking up at one of the trees. It's one of the more formidable oaks, but even so -- it's just a tree, with little to distinguish it from the others in this area of the woods.
Kein catches sight of Yuma almost immediately, but he doesn't say anything right away. So long as Yuma is not itching for a fight, Kein sees no problem in just leaving the other adolescent male alone. When Yuma stops, and stares at a random tree, though... Kein forces himself to take a deep breath. Maybe they /should/ talk. He can't just avoid Yuma for the rest of his life, after all. It doesn't take much longer after he decides that before he clears his throat, to alert Yuma to his presence, then says, simply, "Good morning."
Yuma stands motionless, looking up into the boughs of the old oak. His eyes wander over the exposed bark, and the claw-like points of the naked branches; he continues to study the tree this way until Kein speaks up from behind him. Even then his reaction seems unusually slow. "Once, I chased a marten up this tree," he says, still looking upward. "Chesmu climbed up there with me... even though he was so scared." His father, after all, had a known terror of heights. A few seconds pass before he turns his head, finally looking back at the other male. "I'm so sorry, Kein. I didn't see what he was becoming."
Kein won't pretend that part of him didn't want to blame Yuma. In the hours that immediately followed Chesmu's death, there were many cougars he wanted to blame. And while he might not yet be completely over all of those feelings, enough time has passed for him to realize that he can't act on those feelings. He has to ignore them until they finally pass. None of them knew this was going to happen. He has to believe that. Still, the topic makes it difficult for Kein to speak. He spends longer than he should trying to find the right words, and to make sure he has control of his tone. "I accept your apology... And I'm sorry too, for your loses." It's not a friendly comforting, more formal than anything, but at least he tries.
If Kein /does/ blame Yuma in some small part, he is not the only one. Yuma also blames himself, to some still-uncertain degree, for the disastrous events that have occurred, and the guilt weighs heavily on his heart. Had Yuma been able to see what was happening, right before his very eyes, he could have done something to reach Chesmu... to bring him back from the brink of madness. Is he wrong? He will never know for certain. "Thank you," Yuma answers, a bit listlessly. The male turns around to face Kein and sits heavily. "Ayashe," he says, swallowing after he speaks his mother's name, "... dreamed that you would be Chieftain."
Kein did not know that, but it does not come as much of a surprise. He obviously knows what his future in this land entails. Kein gives a slight nod of his head, then says, "Paoro has already spoken to Nayeli, and Nayeli to me." And this is where it becomes difficult, or where Kein believes it might become difficult. He may be Nayeli's Chieftain, but Amaranth still does not feel like home. Not yet. It /is/ Yuma's home, though. It has been for a long time. Kein takes a breath, then continues speaking. "You should know that I would have never tried to replace you. I can't abandon Nayeli, though. I just don't want any hard feelings between you and me." They may be there for a while, whether he wants them or not. But they are far from being so strong that Kein even has the slightest desire to see Yuma out of Amaranth.
Yuma's mother also foretold her own death, and the death of his father, but that did nothing to soften his grief. He had not doubted her... but neither had he expected it to happen so soon, and so traumatically. The adolescent does his best to shut out these sorrowful thoughts, forcing his attention to focus on Kein, trying to judge his reaction. Yuma does not know whether Ayashe made her wishes known to anyone but himself, and he has spoken to no one since the incident. He remains silent while Kein speaks, shaking his head once the other male is finished. "No hard feelings." None on his part, at least. "I've decided to leave the territory for a while, anyway. No offense to you..." A ghost of a grin appears on Yuma's muzzle. "I think you'll make a good Chieftain."
The other male's opinion does mean something to Kein, even if it's only because it helps Kein believe that the other members of Amaranth may accept him as well. He doesn't address that part of what Yuma says, though. Rather, Kein replies, "You will always be welcome back here. I know it will mean a lot to Nayeli if you visit sometimes." Kein will be much less accepting of males in the territory than Chesmu was. There's no doubt about that. Yuma is an exception, though. He is Nayeli's family.
"I appreciate that." Yuma does not know how long he will be gone, or even where he plans on going -- probably over the mountain, as the desert holds no appeal for him, but he has no particular direction or destination in mind. His few trips outside the territory were brief and infrequent, and he knows little of the lands that lay beyond the borders of his home. But for him, the land has become haunted with memories, and he suspects that Kein's transition to Chieftain will be less awkward without him around. "I'll say goodbye to her before I leave," he promises.
Just a few days ago, it was Kein and Nayeli who were leaving and promising to visit. It's almost unbelievable, how much has changed since then. "She was sleeping at the stones just a little while ago, if you wanted to speak to her soon." Kein can tell this conversation is coming to a close, and he adds, fairly quickly, "If you do go there, will you let her know I'll be back soon?"
Yuma has to smile, in spite of his grief. Kein very clearly cares about his sister. His mother was right to place her faith in Maulisho's son; doubtless Kein will be a better Chieftain than his predecessors. How could he not? Chesmu's crimes cost him the position well before they cost him his life, and Yuma's reign was not only the shortest in Amaranth's history... it may also have been it's bloodiest. "Sure." The big yearling gets back to his feet, looking Kein over one final time, not knowing how long it might be until they meet again. "Good luck, Chieftain."
This is the first time Kein has actually been addressed as Chieftain, and it feels odd. Nevertheless, he nods and says, simply, "Thank you. Farewell, Yuma." He hadn't expected this conversation to make him feel better, but it has. He was right. Things are beginning to get better, starting with this not-unpleasant talk with Nayeli's brother. After speaks, Kein looks back in the direction he was going before he encountered Yuma. He remains standing where he is until Yuma walks away, though. He will continue with his hunt, but he doesn't want to give the impression that he is in a hurry to escape from Yuma's presence.
Yuma does not linger, waiting for Kein to answer before nodding his head and turning away from the other cougar. He makes his way toward west, toward the stones, where his sister may still be sleeping.
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Yuma - Male Adolescent Cougar
- Wooded Terrain -
It is still early in the morning. The sun has risen, but only recently. Kein slept better than he has in a while last night, but still was far from completely restful. A lot of that might have been because of the emotional turmoil that has visited all of them recently, but at least a small part is due to hunger, so after a short while of just watching Nayeli sleep, he got up, careful not to wake her as he did, to go find something to eat. His travel through the trees is slow, quiet, and he devotes most of his attention to his surroundings, doing his best to keep any thoughts from distracting him from his task.
Unsurprisingly, the last few days have been rough for Yuma. To him, it feels as though much more time has passed. When not lying somewhere reclusive, staring aimlessly into space, he has been patroling Amaranth's borders. Having done this so frequently, he can trace the borders almost without thought, as though his paws have memorized the route for themselves. He does not, however, leave any markings. This is not his territory... and he may not be here much longer.
Kein has not yet thought about how to handle... Well, much of anything, as Chieftain. It's not very official yet. He has not spoken to Paoro or received new markings. And none of it is on his mind right now. As he catches Yuma's scent nearby, though, he is forced to slow his pace. Though they have shown that they are capable of dealing with each other civilly in the past, Kein really isn't certain how Yuma's opinion of him might have changed in the past few days, and he really doesn't want a conflict with Nayeli's brother right now.
Despite his seeming good intentions, Yuma is in a poor state to fend off any rogues. Barely paying attention to his surroundings, the brawny yearling prowls at a steady pace, his head held low and his eyes fixed on the ground in front of his paws. Distracted by unhappy thoughts, he is unaware of Kein's presence nearby, even when he appears within the other male's line of sight. Yuma begins to make his way through the trees when something seems to catch his eye, and he stops. Oddly, the adolescent just stands there, looking up at one of the trees. It's one of the more formidable oaks, but even so -- it's just a tree, with little to distinguish it from the others in this area of the woods.
Kein catches sight of Yuma almost immediately, but he doesn't say anything right away. So long as Yuma is not itching for a fight, Kein sees no problem in just leaving the other adolescent male alone. When Yuma stops, and stares at a random tree, though... Kein forces himself to take a deep breath. Maybe they /should/ talk. He can't just avoid Yuma for the rest of his life, after all. It doesn't take much longer after he decides that before he clears his throat, to alert Yuma to his presence, then says, simply, "Good morning."
Yuma stands motionless, looking up into the boughs of the old oak. His eyes wander over the exposed bark, and the claw-like points of the naked branches; he continues to study the tree this way until Kein speaks up from behind him. Even then his reaction seems unusually slow. "Once, I chased a marten up this tree," he says, still looking upward. "Chesmu climbed up there with me... even though he was so scared." His father, after all, had a known terror of heights. A few seconds pass before he turns his head, finally looking back at the other male. "I'm so sorry, Kein. I didn't see what he was becoming."
Kein won't pretend that part of him didn't want to blame Yuma. In the hours that immediately followed Chesmu's death, there were many cougars he wanted to blame. And while he might not yet be completely over all of those feelings, enough time has passed for him to realize that he can't act on those feelings. He has to ignore them until they finally pass. None of them knew this was going to happen. He has to believe that. Still, the topic makes it difficult for Kein to speak. He spends longer than he should trying to find the right words, and to make sure he has control of his tone. "I accept your apology... And I'm sorry too, for your loses." It's not a friendly comforting, more formal than anything, but at least he tries.
If Kein /does/ blame Yuma in some small part, he is not the only one. Yuma also blames himself, to some still-uncertain degree, for the disastrous events that have occurred, and the guilt weighs heavily on his heart. Had Yuma been able to see what was happening, right before his very eyes, he could have done something to reach Chesmu... to bring him back from the brink of madness. Is he wrong? He will never know for certain. "Thank you," Yuma answers, a bit listlessly. The male turns around to face Kein and sits heavily. "Ayashe," he says, swallowing after he speaks his mother's name, "... dreamed that you would be Chieftain."
Kein did not know that, but it does not come as much of a surprise. He obviously knows what his future in this land entails. Kein gives a slight nod of his head, then says, "Paoro has already spoken to Nayeli, and Nayeli to me." And this is where it becomes difficult, or where Kein believes it might become difficult. He may be Nayeli's Chieftain, but Amaranth still does not feel like home. Not yet. It /is/ Yuma's home, though. It has been for a long time. Kein takes a breath, then continues speaking. "You should know that I would have never tried to replace you. I can't abandon Nayeli, though. I just don't want any hard feelings between you and me." They may be there for a while, whether he wants them or not. But they are far from being so strong that Kein even has the slightest desire to see Yuma out of Amaranth.
Yuma's mother also foretold her own death, and the death of his father, but that did nothing to soften his grief. He had not doubted her... but neither had he expected it to happen so soon, and so traumatically. The adolescent does his best to shut out these sorrowful thoughts, forcing his attention to focus on Kein, trying to judge his reaction. Yuma does not know whether Ayashe made her wishes known to anyone but himself, and he has spoken to no one since the incident. He remains silent while Kein speaks, shaking his head once the other male is finished. "No hard feelings." None on his part, at least. "I've decided to leave the territory for a while, anyway. No offense to you..." A ghost of a grin appears on Yuma's muzzle. "I think you'll make a good Chieftain."
The other male's opinion does mean something to Kein, even if it's only because it helps Kein believe that the other members of Amaranth may accept him as well. He doesn't address that part of what Yuma says, though. Rather, Kein replies, "You will always be welcome back here. I know it will mean a lot to Nayeli if you visit sometimes." Kein will be much less accepting of males in the territory than Chesmu was. There's no doubt about that. Yuma is an exception, though. He is Nayeli's family.
"I appreciate that." Yuma does not know how long he will be gone, or even where he plans on going -- probably over the mountain, as the desert holds no appeal for him, but he has no particular direction or destination in mind. His few trips outside the territory were brief and infrequent, and he knows little of the lands that lay beyond the borders of his home. But for him, the land has become haunted with memories, and he suspects that Kein's transition to Chieftain will be less awkward without him around. "I'll say goodbye to her before I leave," he promises.
Just a few days ago, it was Kein and Nayeli who were leaving and promising to visit. It's almost unbelievable, how much has changed since then. "She was sleeping at the stones just a little while ago, if you wanted to speak to her soon." Kein can tell this conversation is coming to a close, and he adds, fairly quickly, "If you do go there, will you let her know I'll be back soon?"
Yuma has to smile, in spite of his grief. Kein very clearly cares about his sister. His mother was right to place her faith in Maulisho's son; doubtless Kein will be a better Chieftain than his predecessors. How could he not? Chesmu's crimes cost him the position well before they cost him his life, and Yuma's reign was not only the shortest in Amaranth's history... it may also have been it's bloodiest. "Sure." The big yearling gets back to his feet, looking Kein over one final time, not knowing how long it might be until they meet again. "Good luck, Chieftain."
This is the first time Kein has actually been addressed as Chieftain, and it feels odd. Nevertheless, he nods and says, simply, "Thank you. Farewell, Yuma." He hadn't expected this conversation to make him feel better, but it has. He was right. Things are beginning to get better, starting with this not-unpleasant talk with Nayeli's brother. After speaks, Kein looks back in the direction he was going before he encountered Yuma. He remains standing where he is until Yuma walks away, though. He will continue with his hunt, but he doesn't want to give the impression that he is in a hurry to escape from Yuma's presence.
Yuma does not linger, waiting for Kein to answer before nodding his head and turning away from the other cougar. He makes his way toward west, toward the stones, where his sister may still be sleeping.