Post by tanniyn on Nov 22, 2008 20:08:32 GMT -5
Characters:
Nayeli - adolescent female cougar (Amaranth Matron)
Paoro - elder female cougar (Amaranth Shamaness)
Setting:
Sprawling Mesa (Amaranth)
Scene:
It's been an enjoyable day so far, and Nayeli has been able to not only spend all of it with her mate, but has had the chance to talk with him a good deal as well. And of course, the whole unexpected meeting with Ajax. She and Kein talked about that for a while afterward as they continued the patrol. Later on in the day, as they passed through the mesa, Nayeli suddenly noticed Paoro lying down nearby, apparently still trying to catch a few of the sun's last afternoon rays. With a gentle brush against Kein, she murmurs to him that she'll catch up to him later on, and slowly moves toward the Shamaness, head lowered in respect.
For an aging grandmother, the sun is one of the best things in Paoro's life at the moment. It warms her, helps energize her, keeps her joints from getting too stiff during the day. And she's more than content to just spend her days lying in its light - because at this point in her life, no news is good news. She's dozing, now, so she doesn't notice Nayeli's approach, and likely won't, until her granddaughter says something to her.
But seeing that her grandmother is apparently napping as well, Nayeli would feel a little bit of regret waking her up. She really wants to ask her questions and to talk to the Shamaness, but is it worth waking up her grandmother for that? Hmm. The Matron moves north from the mesa, down toward the grasslands. She'll be back in a bit, once she takes care of some quick business.
Paoro sleeps.
And within the hour, as the sun is nearing its final light for the day, Nayeli returns to the mesa, carrying a rabbit in her jaws, which she drops near Paoro. Now the potentially awkward part. She lowers herself next to the elder cougaress and gives her a gentle nuzzle. "Grandmother?" she asks tentatively, reminding herself that this is important and they really do need to talk.
Paoro doesn't seem upset or grumpy when awoken, contrary to what might be expected of an elderly cougar. Instead, the shamaness' muzzle turns up into a slightly wrinkled smile, pleased to see such a pleasant sight before her as she awakens. "What is it, grandchild?" she rumbles in a low tone, stretching out her limbs, claws extended, as she remains lying on her side on the heat-warmed mesa.
"Sorry to wake you up," Nayeli apologizes, looking rather sheepish. "I have a few questions that I figured you might know the answers to." She nods to the rabbit, and adds with what looks suspiciously like a strangled grin, "But since I knew I might be invoking your wrath for waking you, I brought you something to eat." She'll have to try and remember to bring the shamaness food more often; no doubt that with Paoro's age, moving and hunting will be increasingly difficult.
Paoro shakes her head slowly. Her appetite isn't what it used to be, though she's still managing to keep a healthy weight. But she'll keep it for a snack later on, at least. "I like to think I come across as something less than 'wrathful', Nayeli," she answers with a soft chuckle. "What is it you wanted to ask me, matron?"
Nayeli chuckles as well, tail curling behind her. "The main question I have is about how I'll know when I'm carrying cubs. Aside from actually noticing myself get bigger, is there another way to know sooner?" There's a faint smile on her maw that suggests a hidden eagerness to know. If she /can/ tell, then she can't wait to let Kein know once she knows for sure if she is indeed pregnant.
That smile just widens when Paoro hears the question Nayeli is so eager to ask, the happy grandmother - great-grandmother? - chuckling to herself once again. "You just...know," she answers with a knowing grin that lets the young girl know that Paoro was once in a similar situation. "If you feel like you might be, then you very likely are. And that means I'll have 'proud great-grandmother' added to my long list of titles soon."
She just.. knows? What's that supposed to mean? /How/ will she know? With an amused sigh, Nayeli tries a different approach. "How long does it take to know?" She doesn't even try to disguise the impatience in her voice, and she's not sure she could, even if she wanted to. The thought that cubs could be coming in several weeks... it's exciting, thrilling, and above all else, intimidating. Is she ready to be a mother? Then again, is she ready to be the Matron? She'll do her best.
"You should know within a moon of the first encounter," Paoro answers with a bit more scientific approach than intuition, though she's quite positive the young girl is pregnant, just from the glow practically emanating from her. "But when you know, you know." Ever the mystical shamaness, the elder female rolls forward onto her belly, sniffing at the dead rabbit before continuing. "Don't worry, child. You have a strong mate by your side...and an extensive family ready to support you. Cubs are always a blessing to the Amaranth."
Nayeli nods, stretching out a little bit. One thing's for sure: she's going to be analyzing every last feeling in her body from here on until she knows for sure. If that's really possible, of course. Not that she doubts the shamaness' words, but.. how does one just /know/ something like that? "I'll need the support," she admits. "I.. really wish Mother was still here. I don't really know anything about being a good mother and all..." Other than what she's observed in Ayashe's raising of her and all of her siblings, but even then, Nayeli doesn't plan on doing as much wandering as she did. What else constitutes being a good parent? And while being the Matron, too!
Paoro pushes herself up a bit to offer Nayeli a consoling nuzzle. "It's not as hard as you might think, as long as you keep your priorities straight. Family always comes first. Show your children you love them, and they won't want to stray. Let them explore with you, but don't be afraid to instill a healthy amount of fear about the dangers of going off alone. I know you can do it. You're certainly not the only worried first-time mother in the history of life," she adds with a light laugh. "And Kein had better do his part as a proper father, or he'll have an angry grandmother-in-law coming after him."
Nayeli smiles and nuzzles back, purring a little. "I'll probably have questions for you along the way, but I will definitely do my best, and I know Kein will as well. I just.. don't feel as ready as I could be, I guess. But it's like what you told me when I became Matron. I'll just do what I can." But speaking of Kein, that reminds her of the other question she had. "Kein and I met a wolf today on the northern border who said he remembered Maulisho from when she was an adolescent."
"You'll both do just fine. You have strong blood in your veins...I can't imagine that either of you won't easily settle into the roles soon enough," the former matron purrs with an encouraging smile. "But I'll always do the best I can to help, when you need it." She pauses, considering this briefly. "Oh?" She doesn't know many of the wolves around - primarily just the last alphas of the valley pack that she had met a couple of times before.
"He said his name was Ajax, and that he didn't have a pack." Nayeli had thought that rather odd, based on what she had heard of wolves. "But he said he remembered Maulisho when she was around my age, and apparently after she had just joined Amaranth. Do you remember her mentioning him at all?" If so, she'll have to get Paoro to tell Kein about it, as he seems to have shown quite an interest in finding out about his mother's past.
Paoro considers the name, but it doesn't ring any bells. She may be old, but her mind is still strong. "I'm afraid I haven't heard of him before." She pauses briefly, then decides to continue. Nayeli's no longer a child, and beyond that, a matron. "Maulisho was always very secretive about her life. I never learned too much about her, and I'm not sure many others did." She turns to glance off towards the edge of the mountain, a faint grimace on her maw. "She might have told Kasim more, though. I'd suggest asking him if you want to know more about her."
That sounds like a good idea, though Nayeli isn't sure that Kein's adopted father would know anything more than what he's most likely already told Kein. It's worth a try though, right? "Why was she secretive about her life? She seemed friendly enough when I talked with her, if perhaps a little scary when I was younger." The Matron chuckles again, remembering when she used to be more or less terrified of Kein's mother.
"Maulisho...had a tough life." Understatement of the year, isn't it? Paoro knows this, and it seems to open that hurtful wound again. She was more than disappointed when she found out what Chesmu had -almost- done the first time, after what she had already experienced, and then to find out he had actually committed the deed? No, that was enough to send the normally-placid shamaness over the edge. "I think the tragedies that occurred early in her life affected the rest of it." Paoro swallows heavily, glancing away again with an obviously pained expression on her maw.
Nayeli wilts a little as well. She vaguely remembers hearing about when Maulisho first came here, but the details are rather sketchy. Nonetheless, she can only imagine what a shock it was to those who really knew Maulisho well to find out that she had died. There's a sudden lump in her throat as it brings up the question that she's never wanted to really contemplate. But now that they're on this subject, Nayeli feels as though she needs the answer. For closure, if nothing else. "Grandmother.. why.. did my father do.. all of that?" Her voice is now fairly shaky, and she swallows hard. "How could he?"
"Chesmu was not well," the shamaness answers simply. "I regret that I was not here sooner to try and prevent such a tragedy." Paoro's eyes close for a few seconds before opening again, turning to look back at Nayeli. "Not everything has an easy answer, grandchild. Sometimes fate does not make sense to us. When we lose a loved one, it often doesn't. But we must still cope, and endure."
Nayeli swallows hard once again as she listens, and finally gives a faint nod in response. "I.. just wish that he.. I don't know.." She sighs, looking down at Paoro's forepaws. "It's just.. I miss them both. Father and Mother. It just happened so fast, and I never got a chance to say goodbye to them." Her mother was apparently dead before Nayeli even got to that awful scene, and her father was executed right in front of her. She still cringes a little at the memory of Kasim's jaws crushing her father's throat. Even after all that he did, isn't she still allowed to mourn his death?
"I know, child. It hurts." Paoro hopes that Chesmu's actions won't be a permanent source of strife between Kein and Nayeli, but she feels that they are more mature than that, to realize that the sins of their parents are not their own. "You can both show your cubs the happiness of a family, though, and that's the best we can hope for now." She doesn't like lingering on the painful topic, and her words are meant to try and stray away from it.
Nayeli nods, and this time there's a firm note of resolve to her voice. "You're right, of course. I think of my family, with my father only paying attention to Yuma and my mother often being gone for a long time, and then I think of Kein's family, with his dad not really being his dad, and all the trouble they went through..." She shakes her head. "I want /our/ family to be different. It'll be like you said: family always comes first." That's going to be the new Amaranth, if she and Kein have anything to say about it. Family first.
Paoro smiles at the girl's words. "Good. I know you'll both do just fine. You really have nothing to worry about." She reaches out a paw to pull the fresh kill closer, tasting it a little, her mouth immediately watering. "I appreciate the offer of dinner, matron," she adds with a brief nod of gratitude.
Nayeli blushes, but still manages a small chuff of laughter. "It's the least I could do for you since I woke you from your sleep." She gives her grandmother an affectionate nuzzle, then slowly gets to her feet. "Thanks for all your help. It means a lot that you want to stay here in Amaranth from now on, and I hope that Kein and I live up to your expectations."
Paoro smiles and nods at Nayeli, not bothering to mention that spending the rest of her life in Amaranth lands doesn't necessarily mean there's going to be a lot of that time left for the aging shamaness. There's already enough on the girl's mind. Instead, she's content to enjoy a fresh meal from her descendants, and enjoy a cool night out resting on the mesa.
"I promised Kein I would meet up with him again, but.. assuming it's okay with you, I would love to talk with you some more... perhaps tomorrow or at some other time?" Nayeli chuffs again, grinning. "Maybe not asking so many questions this time, but.. just talking." She loves the advice that Paoro is so often willing to give, as well as just simply spending time with her only remaining family member, other than her siblings.
Paoro smiles and nods. "Sure, grandchild. In the meantime, you have a chief to dote on, more so than some fragile old grandmother," she adds with a soft chuckle. "And perhaps father of your cubs, soon. Go on," she accentuates with a chuff and a gesture of her head.
Nayeli smiles. "Oh, don't you worry. Kein can't escape from me!" With a parting laugh, she turns and trots off toward the west, where she's fairly certainly Kein will still be patrolling. No doubt about finished, but she might be able to catch him before he's completely done. "Thanks, grandmother," she offers over her shoulder, and soon is gone into the slowly darkening evening.
Nayeli - adolescent female cougar (Amaranth Matron)
Paoro - elder female cougar (Amaranth Shamaness)
Setting:
Sprawling Mesa (Amaranth)
Scene:
It's been an enjoyable day so far, and Nayeli has been able to not only spend all of it with her mate, but has had the chance to talk with him a good deal as well. And of course, the whole unexpected meeting with Ajax. She and Kein talked about that for a while afterward as they continued the patrol. Later on in the day, as they passed through the mesa, Nayeli suddenly noticed Paoro lying down nearby, apparently still trying to catch a few of the sun's last afternoon rays. With a gentle brush against Kein, she murmurs to him that she'll catch up to him later on, and slowly moves toward the Shamaness, head lowered in respect.
For an aging grandmother, the sun is one of the best things in Paoro's life at the moment. It warms her, helps energize her, keeps her joints from getting too stiff during the day. And she's more than content to just spend her days lying in its light - because at this point in her life, no news is good news. She's dozing, now, so she doesn't notice Nayeli's approach, and likely won't, until her granddaughter says something to her.
But seeing that her grandmother is apparently napping as well, Nayeli would feel a little bit of regret waking her up. She really wants to ask her questions and to talk to the Shamaness, but is it worth waking up her grandmother for that? Hmm. The Matron moves north from the mesa, down toward the grasslands. She'll be back in a bit, once she takes care of some quick business.
Paoro sleeps.
And within the hour, as the sun is nearing its final light for the day, Nayeli returns to the mesa, carrying a rabbit in her jaws, which she drops near Paoro. Now the potentially awkward part. She lowers herself next to the elder cougaress and gives her a gentle nuzzle. "Grandmother?" she asks tentatively, reminding herself that this is important and they really do need to talk.
Paoro doesn't seem upset or grumpy when awoken, contrary to what might be expected of an elderly cougar. Instead, the shamaness' muzzle turns up into a slightly wrinkled smile, pleased to see such a pleasant sight before her as she awakens. "What is it, grandchild?" she rumbles in a low tone, stretching out her limbs, claws extended, as she remains lying on her side on the heat-warmed mesa.
"Sorry to wake you up," Nayeli apologizes, looking rather sheepish. "I have a few questions that I figured you might know the answers to." She nods to the rabbit, and adds with what looks suspiciously like a strangled grin, "But since I knew I might be invoking your wrath for waking you, I brought you something to eat." She'll have to try and remember to bring the shamaness food more often; no doubt that with Paoro's age, moving and hunting will be increasingly difficult.
Paoro shakes her head slowly. Her appetite isn't what it used to be, though she's still managing to keep a healthy weight. But she'll keep it for a snack later on, at least. "I like to think I come across as something less than 'wrathful', Nayeli," she answers with a soft chuckle. "What is it you wanted to ask me, matron?"
Nayeli chuckles as well, tail curling behind her. "The main question I have is about how I'll know when I'm carrying cubs. Aside from actually noticing myself get bigger, is there another way to know sooner?" There's a faint smile on her maw that suggests a hidden eagerness to know. If she /can/ tell, then she can't wait to let Kein know once she knows for sure if she is indeed pregnant.
That smile just widens when Paoro hears the question Nayeli is so eager to ask, the happy grandmother - great-grandmother? - chuckling to herself once again. "You just...know," she answers with a knowing grin that lets the young girl know that Paoro was once in a similar situation. "If you feel like you might be, then you very likely are. And that means I'll have 'proud great-grandmother' added to my long list of titles soon."
She just.. knows? What's that supposed to mean? /How/ will she know? With an amused sigh, Nayeli tries a different approach. "How long does it take to know?" She doesn't even try to disguise the impatience in her voice, and she's not sure she could, even if she wanted to. The thought that cubs could be coming in several weeks... it's exciting, thrilling, and above all else, intimidating. Is she ready to be a mother? Then again, is she ready to be the Matron? She'll do her best.
"You should know within a moon of the first encounter," Paoro answers with a bit more scientific approach than intuition, though she's quite positive the young girl is pregnant, just from the glow practically emanating from her. "But when you know, you know." Ever the mystical shamaness, the elder female rolls forward onto her belly, sniffing at the dead rabbit before continuing. "Don't worry, child. You have a strong mate by your side...and an extensive family ready to support you. Cubs are always a blessing to the Amaranth."
Nayeli nods, stretching out a little bit. One thing's for sure: she's going to be analyzing every last feeling in her body from here on until she knows for sure. If that's really possible, of course. Not that she doubts the shamaness' words, but.. how does one just /know/ something like that? "I'll need the support," she admits. "I.. really wish Mother was still here. I don't really know anything about being a good mother and all..." Other than what she's observed in Ayashe's raising of her and all of her siblings, but even then, Nayeli doesn't plan on doing as much wandering as she did. What else constitutes being a good parent? And while being the Matron, too!
Paoro pushes herself up a bit to offer Nayeli a consoling nuzzle. "It's not as hard as you might think, as long as you keep your priorities straight. Family always comes first. Show your children you love them, and they won't want to stray. Let them explore with you, but don't be afraid to instill a healthy amount of fear about the dangers of going off alone. I know you can do it. You're certainly not the only worried first-time mother in the history of life," she adds with a light laugh. "And Kein had better do his part as a proper father, or he'll have an angry grandmother-in-law coming after him."
Nayeli smiles and nuzzles back, purring a little. "I'll probably have questions for you along the way, but I will definitely do my best, and I know Kein will as well. I just.. don't feel as ready as I could be, I guess. But it's like what you told me when I became Matron. I'll just do what I can." But speaking of Kein, that reminds her of the other question she had. "Kein and I met a wolf today on the northern border who said he remembered Maulisho from when she was an adolescent."
"You'll both do just fine. You have strong blood in your veins...I can't imagine that either of you won't easily settle into the roles soon enough," the former matron purrs with an encouraging smile. "But I'll always do the best I can to help, when you need it." She pauses, considering this briefly. "Oh?" She doesn't know many of the wolves around - primarily just the last alphas of the valley pack that she had met a couple of times before.
"He said his name was Ajax, and that he didn't have a pack." Nayeli had thought that rather odd, based on what she had heard of wolves. "But he said he remembered Maulisho when she was around my age, and apparently after she had just joined Amaranth. Do you remember her mentioning him at all?" If so, she'll have to get Paoro to tell Kein about it, as he seems to have shown quite an interest in finding out about his mother's past.
Paoro considers the name, but it doesn't ring any bells. She may be old, but her mind is still strong. "I'm afraid I haven't heard of him before." She pauses briefly, then decides to continue. Nayeli's no longer a child, and beyond that, a matron. "Maulisho was always very secretive about her life. I never learned too much about her, and I'm not sure many others did." She turns to glance off towards the edge of the mountain, a faint grimace on her maw. "She might have told Kasim more, though. I'd suggest asking him if you want to know more about her."
That sounds like a good idea, though Nayeli isn't sure that Kein's adopted father would know anything more than what he's most likely already told Kein. It's worth a try though, right? "Why was she secretive about her life? She seemed friendly enough when I talked with her, if perhaps a little scary when I was younger." The Matron chuckles again, remembering when she used to be more or less terrified of Kein's mother.
"Maulisho...had a tough life." Understatement of the year, isn't it? Paoro knows this, and it seems to open that hurtful wound again. She was more than disappointed when she found out what Chesmu had -almost- done the first time, after what she had already experienced, and then to find out he had actually committed the deed? No, that was enough to send the normally-placid shamaness over the edge. "I think the tragedies that occurred early in her life affected the rest of it." Paoro swallows heavily, glancing away again with an obviously pained expression on her maw.
Nayeli wilts a little as well. She vaguely remembers hearing about when Maulisho first came here, but the details are rather sketchy. Nonetheless, she can only imagine what a shock it was to those who really knew Maulisho well to find out that she had died. There's a sudden lump in her throat as it brings up the question that she's never wanted to really contemplate. But now that they're on this subject, Nayeli feels as though she needs the answer. For closure, if nothing else. "Grandmother.. why.. did my father do.. all of that?" Her voice is now fairly shaky, and she swallows hard. "How could he?"
"Chesmu was not well," the shamaness answers simply. "I regret that I was not here sooner to try and prevent such a tragedy." Paoro's eyes close for a few seconds before opening again, turning to look back at Nayeli. "Not everything has an easy answer, grandchild. Sometimes fate does not make sense to us. When we lose a loved one, it often doesn't. But we must still cope, and endure."
Nayeli swallows hard once again as she listens, and finally gives a faint nod in response. "I.. just wish that he.. I don't know.." She sighs, looking down at Paoro's forepaws. "It's just.. I miss them both. Father and Mother. It just happened so fast, and I never got a chance to say goodbye to them." Her mother was apparently dead before Nayeli even got to that awful scene, and her father was executed right in front of her. She still cringes a little at the memory of Kasim's jaws crushing her father's throat. Even after all that he did, isn't she still allowed to mourn his death?
"I know, child. It hurts." Paoro hopes that Chesmu's actions won't be a permanent source of strife between Kein and Nayeli, but she feels that they are more mature than that, to realize that the sins of their parents are not their own. "You can both show your cubs the happiness of a family, though, and that's the best we can hope for now." She doesn't like lingering on the painful topic, and her words are meant to try and stray away from it.
Nayeli nods, and this time there's a firm note of resolve to her voice. "You're right, of course. I think of my family, with my father only paying attention to Yuma and my mother often being gone for a long time, and then I think of Kein's family, with his dad not really being his dad, and all the trouble they went through..." She shakes her head. "I want /our/ family to be different. It'll be like you said: family always comes first." That's going to be the new Amaranth, if she and Kein have anything to say about it. Family first.
Paoro smiles at the girl's words. "Good. I know you'll both do just fine. You really have nothing to worry about." She reaches out a paw to pull the fresh kill closer, tasting it a little, her mouth immediately watering. "I appreciate the offer of dinner, matron," she adds with a brief nod of gratitude.
Nayeli blushes, but still manages a small chuff of laughter. "It's the least I could do for you since I woke you from your sleep." She gives her grandmother an affectionate nuzzle, then slowly gets to her feet. "Thanks for all your help. It means a lot that you want to stay here in Amaranth from now on, and I hope that Kein and I live up to your expectations."
Paoro smiles and nods at Nayeli, not bothering to mention that spending the rest of her life in Amaranth lands doesn't necessarily mean there's going to be a lot of that time left for the aging shamaness. There's already enough on the girl's mind. Instead, she's content to enjoy a fresh meal from her descendants, and enjoy a cool night out resting on the mesa.
"I promised Kein I would meet up with him again, but.. assuming it's okay with you, I would love to talk with you some more... perhaps tomorrow or at some other time?" Nayeli chuffs again, grinning. "Maybe not asking so many questions this time, but.. just talking." She loves the advice that Paoro is so often willing to give, as well as just simply spending time with her only remaining family member, other than her siblings.
Paoro smiles and nods. "Sure, grandchild. In the meantime, you have a chief to dote on, more so than some fragile old grandmother," she adds with a soft chuckle. "And perhaps father of your cubs, soon. Go on," she accentuates with a chuff and a gesture of her head.
Nayeli smiles. "Oh, don't you worry. Kein can't escape from me!" With a parting laugh, she turns and trots off toward the west, where she's fairly certainly Kein will still be patrolling. No doubt about finished, but she might be able to catch him before he's completely done. "Thanks, grandmother," she offers over her shoulder, and soon is gone into the slowly darkening evening.