Post by Therdde on Nov 28, 2008 0:25:32 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Nayeli - Female Adolescent Cougar
- Snowy Highlands -
Since Kasim agreed to help out, Kein is not as concerned as he might have been. He has still kept a vigilant watch on the border, though. He stopped patrolling late last night, and his first stop after that was to find Nayeli. Since then, he has been sleeping. It's a light sleep. He has gotten up a couple times, though he has never moved more than to stretch his legs. He hasn't been troubled by dreams, though, and so as he can sense the sun beginning to rise, he nevertheless remains lying where he is, not /quite/ sleeping, but certainly not fully awake, either.
At first, Nayeli dismissed the feelings as simple unease, or maybe even not feeling well. But she's finally not able to do anything but admit to herself that Paoro was right. She /knows/. The awareness is both terrifying and thrilling, but beyond even those, it's a huge relief. No more wondering, anxiously. The only hard part left is trying to figure out how to break the news to Kein. For whatever reason, there's a hesitancy that means she can't do the obvious and just tell him outright. Does she just want it to be a surprise? Or is she timid about a potentially negative reaction? Kein seemed to be supportive of a family, but... what about when he finds out that it's definitely going to happen? Even as she watches her mate sleep, Nayeli can't help but smile, imagining him having to deal with little cubs gnawing all over his tail and paws.
Perhaps it is a good thing that Kein is sleeping in a little now. He may not get many more opportunities to do so for a while, if his cubs are anywhere near as active as he was, when he was a cub. As sleep slips further away from him, he stretches out again, as he did often throughout the night, and with the light just barely visible through his eyelids, he tells himself that he shouldn't lie around for too much longer, but since he can smell Nayeli easily, even though he hasn't brushed against her in a while, he can tell she isn't far away, so he's not concerned. Just five more minutes.
Five more minutes? Maybe so. Nayeli certainly wouldn't mind the extra time to think. Her paws gradually pace her from one side of the sleeping male to the other, but she's barely even aware of her movements. She's pretty sure that Paoro will be just fine with her news, but what about the rest of the tribe? Will they see her as a weak Matron with all of the difficulties that go along with pregnancy and childbirth? She needs to be strong now, and she's not sure how to accomplish that. Sighing, Nayeli finally looks away from Kein, toward the north, and thinking of what that wolf had told them of Maulisho. Will she be remembered in a similar manner? Too many questions and considerations. Her eyes flick back to Kein.
Kein perks his ears in the direction of the sigh. Slowly, he lifts his head and opens his eyes to look in the direction of the noise. He fights back a yawn to speak. "Naye-" Okay, maybe his fighting back the yawn wasn't so effective after all, but after the yawn ends, he finishes her name. "-li? What's wrong?" He hasn't thought much about cubs, since she hasn't brought it up, so he has no idea that's what's on her mind.
Five minutes are up already? That was fast. Nayeli lowers her head a little, then finally just walks over to her mate, lies down next to him, and gives him a hesitant nuzzle. And after that, she suddenly sighs and slumps down. "Hold me, please." It's a request, but more of a pleading. She needs his comfort now, more than anything.
Kein blinks a couple times, then returns her nuzzling passionately and reaches one of his forelegs around her to draw her in close. All of this, he does before saying another word. He feels like he needs to know what's going on, but what is more important than that is making sure that his friend, his mate, is okay, and if he can do something to comfort her... Well, nothing can be more important than that. Even after drawing her close to him, he continues nuzzling her lightly, purring softly into her ear.
Hopefully one day Kein will learn that it's always easiest and probably best to cuddle first, ask questions later. Nayeli can't think of a single way to make her more relaxed and wanting to talk than to be held by the cougar she loves. Kein's perfect balance of strong grip and gentle nuzzle is all the assurance she needs right now, and with the purr providing the background, she asks the single question that's bothering her the most right now: "Will I be a good mother, Kein?" She needs to know.
Oh. His purring dies down, but he doesn't move away from her. If anything, Kein holds her a little more closely. It does not take him /too/ long to answer, softly, "You'll make a great mother, Nayeli." The thing that tells him that most is just the very fact that she cares whether she'll be a good mother or not. He can't imagine her ever abandoning the needs of her cubs in the interest of anything else. So far, she has shown herself to be a caring, compassionate Matron when addressing the tribe's Sisters. How could she fail to be a good mother? Resting his head against her, he asks, in that same, quiet tone, "Are you... Are /we/...?"
"You did it, dear. You created life within me." Nayeli turns and gives him a small lick across his cheek. "Paoro was right. I can't explain it, but.. somehow I know." She feels herself shiver a little with the thought, but her main concern right now is how her mate will take the news. There's no turning back now, so all she can do is hope for the best.
Kein never doubted that this would come about someday, not really, but... Wow. Cubs. /Their/ cubs. The news is... Well, terrifying, but that isn't the foremost thing he feels. Some part of it is exciting. He is going to be a father... And just as Nayeli cares, he cares about what kind of father he'll be. If they inherit anything from their grandfather... From either of their grandfathers... Well, there's nothing they can do about that, but they can try to make sure the cubs learn well, grow up well. Smiling slightly, he asks, "Is there anything you need? Anything I should do?"
What kind of questions are those? Of course there are things she needs! Food, water, shelter, protection... does Kein think that something's different now? It's almost as if he thinks that she's changed or something. Imagine that! Nayeli gives him a smile and gentle nuzzle in response, and purrs, "As long as I have you to hold me, I have everything I need." Perhaps a little bit overly romantic, but she really means it. As far as she's concerned, Kein's support will be the sole determining factor in how her pregnancy turns out. And so far, it seems to be off to a good start. She blinks away sudden tears, still smiling. "I.. I love you so much." He knows that, and she knows that he knows that. And yet it still seemed like it needed to be said, not to reassure any doubts, but simply to affirm and support her answer to his questions.
"I love you too." Kein knows she hasn't changed. But if she were hungry, he would go get her food. If she were tired, he'd let her sleep. She, at least, has some idea of how she feels, or so he hopes. He, on the other hand, has no idea, and while he might have offered her those things whenever he could in the past, now he would make them his absolute priority. "I'll stay here with you as long as you want." Kasim can take over patrols today, can't he?
As long as she wants? That could very well be the rest of their lives! But she appreciates the words, and her nuzzle and purr confirm that to him. "I know you have duties you need to attend to, and I have the same. But.. maybe we can just lie here together for a little while first?" She suddenly feels shy, and can't figure out the reason for it. "If.. that's okay with you, I mean."
If it's okay with him? He just told her, a moment ago, that he would stay as long as /she/ wants him to. Confused as he may be, though, Kein answers with, "Of course it's okay with me. I can't think of anywhere I'd want to be more, Nayeli." Well, he could imagine that his border patrols will take on meaning, as he won't just be protecting the Sisters and his mate anymore, but rather the Sisters and his /pregnant/ mate. So, yes, he might want to attend to those patrols. Already, he has decided that the next stranger he sees within striking distance of Nayeli won't get the benefit of words, no matter what its species.
Sometimes it's just important to hear the words again. Nayeli already knew his answer, the same way that he already knew that she loves him. Will she plan on still doing border patrols with him? Definitely. Will Kein let her accompany him? Hopefully, though he might be a little reluctant to allow her within reach of possible danger. They'll have to discuss and settle on a balance between appearing strong and still staying safe. She's going to have to do some serious thinking on this as well; what kinds of activities or actions will be unsafe from now on, being a future mother and all. "I guess.. this means that we won't get to wrestle in the snow for a while now." Muffled laugh, or probably closer to a giggle.
And of course, Kein knows she's perfectly capable. Her appearance hasn't changed. She doesn't /look/ pregnant, yet. She could probably hunt, and wrestle, and join him on patrols, and all of it, for now. But shouldn't he be allowed to worry about her and dote on her? After all... There's nothing else he /can/ do, until the cubs are born, and if he isn't allowed to do anything while she's busy growing their children... Well, what good is he? Still, he smiles and responds, "At least when we can wrestle again, we'll have new cougars to wrestle with."
New cougars. Young cubs, and everything that goes along with them. The enormity of everything she'll have to teach them really starts to hit home, and it's rather overwhelming. "I think you'll find that cubs like to wrestle even more than I do, and that's saying something." Nayeli has to laugh, nuzzling against him some more. "I'm sure we'll be able to find fun things to do even if I can't wrestle anymore." She'll take it as a personal challenge, if nothing else.
Oh yes, cubs like to wrestle. Even so... With a grin, Kein says, "I don't remember ever wrestling with you when we were cubs. Who taught you that, anyway?" Obviously, she can't blame Kein. He taught her to climb trees and track, but certainly not how to wrestle. He can remember wrestling with his brother, sister, Mom, and Kasim, though.
Nayeli hmms thoughtfully. "That would probably be Chandani. She and I used to wrestle a lot, and.. well.. I guess we still do, occasionally. I also wrestled with Yuma a little too, when he wasn't off with Daddy." Those were the days... "And who taught you? Probably your brother?" She can definitely see Pelutho going more for the quiet and subtle wrestling style, sneaking in a quiet pounce here or a quiet maneuver there.
Who needs to be taught to wrestle? Really, Kein was just joking, and he replies with a shrug. "Everyone, I guess. I mean, you learn a little something every time. Like you taught me not to trust you around the snow." Kein is grinning, just playing around. Still, she was the first one to ever throw snow at him like that.
Nayeli smirks, leaning hard into him as if to roll him onto his side. "Did I now? Though when it comes to wrestling, you shouldn't trust me anywhere! But yes.. especially not in the snow." She laughs, thinking about the fun they've had together. And.. perhaps.. the not-so-fun. She's still afraid of the nightmare with Kein lying bloodied and torn in the snow, except that this time he doesn't survive it, and dies while she watches, helpless to do anything.
Kein hasn't thought about his scars, or the encounter than caused them, for weeks, now. Of course, he doesn't have to look at himself, so... As she attempts to push him over, he nips at her fur and says, "Hey, I thought we agreed." If she persists, though, he'll allow himself to be moved and let go of her.
Agreed to what? To not wrestle? To not do anything that requires more than a minimal moving around? Nayeli doesn't want her pregnancy to be /that/ boring! Besides, she's not wrestling with him; she's just.. leaning. Hard. And grinning. "The only thing that I'll agree to is that you don't let me get too bored. You know that I'll be careful." She stops leaning and just nuzzles him instead. "Life will be different, but I don't want it to be /that/ different."
To not wrestle. He doesn't know what she would call trying to push him over, but it really doesn't matter. He was just kidding, as he has been for most of the past several minutes. "Well, I will have to think about the best way to keep you entertained, then." He's certain he won't have to worry about that too much, really, but it seems the right thing to say.
Nayeli grunts softly. "I didn't mean to make it sound like that's your job, keeping me entertained and all that." What is she trying to say? One of her biggest frustrations with herself is how sometimes it seems nearly impossible to find words to express what she's thinking. "It's just.. I don't want things to be different. I know they /will/ be, but.. don't treat me like I'm different. Like anything's different. I mean, I know they are and all, and things /will/ change, but..." She trails off, just resting her head on his shoulder. Yep, that explanation went real well.
"Nayeli..." Suddenly, Kein's voice is no longer joking. She is concerned, and it is his job to address that concern. "They will be different, for a while, but... I'm not going to try to keep you from doing anything you want to do." Not actively, anyway. He might hint, might make suggestions, but she knows what she's capable of. She knows how to take care of herself. When she's not slamming her head against trees, that is. Then, with a hint of a smile, he adds, "You just have to let me spoil you a little, that's all. You're carrying our cubs."
It's several seconds before Nayeli speaks again, and although she knows that her mate is trying hard to comfort her and assure her that everything will be okay, her voice still doesn't sound completely convinced. She's not speaking as his friend, his lover, his mate. Nayeli is speaking as the Matron: "I'm just afraid that.. I don't want to look weak. Not now, when the tribe needs me. I can't." That's why, although she knows she would love Kein's 'spoiling' of her, she can't let him. How would that look to the rest of the Sisters? She's supposed to lead them, not sit back and be coddled!
So she's worried about many of the same things that Kein is worried about. He can't blame her for that, but that doesn't mean he has to just accept that she isn't going to let him do all the things he might have done anyway, even if she weren't pregnant, just because she's afraid it will make her look weak. "We're strong together, Nayeli. You don't have to do it by yourself. Take care of our Sisters. Show them that you're doing your job. That doesn't mean that /I/ can't take care of /you/, though." Even if it's only in private, if she's that concerned about it.
Big surprise. Kein has once again allowed his confidence to reassure her. "Thanks," she murmurs, nuzzling at him and feeling herself relax of the tension she had previously been carrying. "That's.. what I needed to hear." It's not even so much that she was expecting that, or waiting to hear that specifically, and yet somehow she instinctively knows that's the answer she was looking for. It sure is helpful, being best friends with such a good problem-solver! "I'll have to work on the whole 'being spoiled' thing, but I'm sure you'll help me along." And yes, there's an injection of humor into her words now, accompanied with a faint grin.
Kein would deny that he's a particularly good problem solver. He's just... Stubborn. That thought actually prevents him from grinning. He can practically hear his mother telling him that being stubborn can be a good trait as long as he uses it properly. But would she have considered this proper? He can only hope so, and after a moment, he just nuzzles against his mate, not speaking now as he focuses instead on his thoughts.
And, for now, Nayeli is content to do the same, with a faint purr being the only sound she makes. Alone with Kein, and alone with her thoughts. There sure are a lot of them. Everything from what they've just discussed to dealing with the threat of Azriel to wondering about those two cougars that Moonseeker mentioned. Has Kein decided what to do about Tohopka? She hasn't seen him around lately, but she's sure that he'll still be wondering about staying here in Amaranth. And while she knows that he isn't his brother, he's still somewhat of a stranger to her, and she's not entirely sure she likes the idea of him staying. Especially now that his only ties to Amaranth have been.. well.. severed.
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Nayeli - Female Adolescent Cougar
- Snowy Highlands -
Since Kasim agreed to help out, Kein is not as concerned as he might have been. He has still kept a vigilant watch on the border, though. He stopped patrolling late last night, and his first stop after that was to find Nayeli. Since then, he has been sleeping. It's a light sleep. He has gotten up a couple times, though he has never moved more than to stretch his legs. He hasn't been troubled by dreams, though, and so as he can sense the sun beginning to rise, he nevertheless remains lying where he is, not /quite/ sleeping, but certainly not fully awake, either.
At first, Nayeli dismissed the feelings as simple unease, or maybe even not feeling well. But she's finally not able to do anything but admit to herself that Paoro was right. She /knows/. The awareness is both terrifying and thrilling, but beyond even those, it's a huge relief. No more wondering, anxiously. The only hard part left is trying to figure out how to break the news to Kein. For whatever reason, there's a hesitancy that means she can't do the obvious and just tell him outright. Does she just want it to be a surprise? Or is she timid about a potentially negative reaction? Kein seemed to be supportive of a family, but... what about when he finds out that it's definitely going to happen? Even as she watches her mate sleep, Nayeli can't help but smile, imagining him having to deal with little cubs gnawing all over his tail and paws.
Perhaps it is a good thing that Kein is sleeping in a little now. He may not get many more opportunities to do so for a while, if his cubs are anywhere near as active as he was, when he was a cub. As sleep slips further away from him, he stretches out again, as he did often throughout the night, and with the light just barely visible through his eyelids, he tells himself that he shouldn't lie around for too much longer, but since he can smell Nayeli easily, even though he hasn't brushed against her in a while, he can tell she isn't far away, so he's not concerned. Just five more minutes.
Five more minutes? Maybe so. Nayeli certainly wouldn't mind the extra time to think. Her paws gradually pace her from one side of the sleeping male to the other, but she's barely even aware of her movements. She's pretty sure that Paoro will be just fine with her news, but what about the rest of the tribe? Will they see her as a weak Matron with all of the difficulties that go along with pregnancy and childbirth? She needs to be strong now, and she's not sure how to accomplish that. Sighing, Nayeli finally looks away from Kein, toward the north, and thinking of what that wolf had told them of Maulisho. Will she be remembered in a similar manner? Too many questions and considerations. Her eyes flick back to Kein.
Kein perks his ears in the direction of the sigh. Slowly, he lifts his head and opens his eyes to look in the direction of the noise. He fights back a yawn to speak. "Naye-" Okay, maybe his fighting back the yawn wasn't so effective after all, but after the yawn ends, he finishes her name. "-li? What's wrong?" He hasn't thought much about cubs, since she hasn't brought it up, so he has no idea that's what's on her mind.
Five minutes are up already? That was fast. Nayeli lowers her head a little, then finally just walks over to her mate, lies down next to him, and gives him a hesitant nuzzle. And after that, she suddenly sighs and slumps down. "Hold me, please." It's a request, but more of a pleading. She needs his comfort now, more than anything.
Kein blinks a couple times, then returns her nuzzling passionately and reaches one of his forelegs around her to draw her in close. All of this, he does before saying another word. He feels like he needs to know what's going on, but what is more important than that is making sure that his friend, his mate, is okay, and if he can do something to comfort her... Well, nothing can be more important than that. Even after drawing her close to him, he continues nuzzling her lightly, purring softly into her ear.
Hopefully one day Kein will learn that it's always easiest and probably best to cuddle first, ask questions later. Nayeli can't think of a single way to make her more relaxed and wanting to talk than to be held by the cougar she loves. Kein's perfect balance of strong grip and gentle nuzzle is all the assurance she needs right now, and with the purr providing the background, she asks the single question that's bothering her the most right now: "Will I be a good mother, Kein?" She needs to know.
Oh. His purring dies down, but he doesn't move away from her. If anything, Kein holds her a little more closely. It does not take him /too/ long to answer, softly, "You'll make a great mother, Nayeli." The thing that tells him that most is just the very fact that she cares whether she'll be a good mother or not. He can't imagine her ever abandoning the needs of her cubs in the interest of anything else. So far, she has shown herself to be a caring, compassionate Matron when addressing the tribe's Sisters. How could she fail to be a good mother? Resting his head against her, he asks, in that same, quiet tone, "Are you... Are /we/...?"
"You did it, dear. You created life within me." Nayeli turns and gives him a small lick across his cheek. "Paoro was right. I can't explain it, but.. somehow I know." She feels herself shiver a little with the thought, but her main concern right now is how her mate will take the news. There's no turning back now, so all she can do is hope for the best.
Kein never doubted that this would come about someday, not really, but... Wow. Cubs. /Their/ cubs. The news is... Well, terrifying, but that isn't the foremost thing he feels. Some part of it is exciting. He is going to be a father... And just as Nayeli cares, he cares about what kind of father he'll be. If they inherit anything from their grandfather... From either of their grandfathers... Well, there's nothing they can do about that, but they can try to make sure the cubs learn well, grow up well. Smiling slightly, he asks, "Is there anything you need? Anything I should do?"
What kind of questions are those? Of course there are things she needs! Food, water, shelter, protection... does Kein think that something's different now? It's almost as if he thinks that she's changed or something. Imagine that! Nayeli gives him a smile and gentle nuzzle in response, and purrs, "As long as I have you to hold me, I have everything I need." Perhaps a little bit overly romantic, but she really means it. As far as she's concerned, Kein's support will be the sole determining factor in how her pregnancy turns out. And so far, it seems to be off to a good start. She blinks away sudden tears, still smiling. "I.. I love you so much." He knows that, and she knows that he knows that. And yet it still seemed like it needed to be said, not to reassure any doubts, but simply to affirm and support her answer to his questions.
"I love you too." Kein knows she hasn't changed. But if she were hungry, he would go get her food. If she were tired, he'd let her sleep. She, at least, has some idea of how she feels, or so he hopes. He, on the other hand, has no idea, and while he might have offered her those things whenever he could in the past, now he would make them his absolute priority. "I'll stay here with you as long as you want." Kasim can take over patrols today, can't he?
As long as she wants? That could very well be the rest of their lives! But she appreciates the words, and her nuzzle and purr confirm that to him. "I know you have duties you need to attend to, and I have the same. But.. maybe we can just lie here together for a little while first?" She suddenly feels shy, and can't figure out the reason for it. "If.. that's okay with you, I mean."
If it's okay with him? He just told her, a moment ago, that he would stay as long as /she/ wants him to. Confused as he may be, though, Kein answers with, "Of course it's okay with me. I can't think of anywhere I'd want to be more, Nayeli." Well, he could imagine that his border patrols will take on meaning, as he won't just be protecting the Sisters and his mate anymore, but rather the Sisters and his /pregnant/ mate. So, yes, he might want to attend to those patrols. Already, he has decided that the next stranger he sees within striking distance of Nayeli won't get the benefit of words, no matter what its species.
Sometimes it's just important to hear the words again. Nayeli already knew his answer, the same way that he already knew that she loves him. Will she plan on still doing border patrols with him? Definitely. Will Kein let her accompany him? Hopefully, though he might be a little reluctant to allow her within reach of possible danger. They'll have to discuss and settle on a balance between appearing strong and still staying safe. She's going to have to do some serious thinking on this as well; what kinds of activities or actions will be unsafe from now on, being a future mother and all. "I guess.. this means that we won't get to wrestle in the snow for a while now." Muffled laugh, or probably closer to a giggle.
And of course, Kein knows she's perfectly capable. Her appearance hasn't changed. She doesn't /look/ pregnant, yet. She could probably hunt, and wrestle, and join him on patrols, and all of it, for now. But shouldn't he be allowed to worry about her and dote on her? After all... There's nothing else he /can/ do, until the cubs are born, and if he isn't allowed to do anything while she's busy growing their children... Well, what good is he? Still, he smiles and responds, "At least when we can wrestle again, we'll have new cougars to wrestle with."
New cougars. Young cubs, and everything that goes along with them. The enormity of everything she'll have to teach them really starts to hit home, and it's rather overwhelming. "I think you'll find that cubs like to wrestle even more than I do, and that's saying something." Nayeli has to laugh, nuzzling against him some more. "I'm sure we'll be able to find fun things to do even if I can't wrestle anymore." She'll take it as a personal challenge, if nothing else.
Oh yes, cubs like to wrestle. Even so... With a grin, Kein says, "I don't remember ever wrestling with you when we were cubs. Who taught you that, anyway?" Obviously, she can't blame Kein. He taught her to climb trees and track, but certainly not how to wrestle. He can remember wrestling with his brother, sister, Mom, and Kasim, though.
Nayeli hmms thoughtfully. "That would probably be Chandani. She and I used to wrestle a lot, and.. well.. I guess we still do, occasionally. I also wrestled with Yuma a little too, when he wasn't off with Daddy." Those were the days... "And who taught you? Probably your brother?" She can definitely see Pelutho going more for the quiet and subtle wrestling style, sneaking in a quiet pounce here or a quiet maneuver there.
Who needs to be taught to wrestle? Really, Kein was just joking, and he replies with a shrug. "Everyone, I guess. I mean, you learn a little something every time. Like you taught me not to trust you around the snow." Kein is grinning, just playing around. Still, she was the first one to ever throw snow at him like that.
Nayeli smirks, leaning hard into him as if to roll him onto his side. "Did I now? Though when it comes to wrestling, you shouldn't trust me anywhere! But yes.. especially not in the snow." She laughs, thinking about the fun they've had together. And.. perhaps.. the not-so-fun. She's still afraid of the nightmare with Kein lying bloodied and torn in the snow, except that this time he doesn't survive it, and dies while she watches, helpless to do anything.
Kein hasn't thought about his scars, or the encounter than caused them, for weeks, now. Of course, he doesn't have to look at himself, so... As she attempts to push him over, he nips at her fur and says, "Hey, I thought we agreed." If she persists, though, he'll allow himself to be moved and let go of her.
Agreed to what? To not wrestle? To not do anything that requires more than a minimal moving around? Nayeli doesn't want her pregnancy to be /that/ boring! Besides, she's not wrestling with him; she's just.. leaning. Hard. And grinning. "The only thing that I'll agree to is that you don't let me get too bored. You know that I'll be careful." She stops leaning and just nuzzles him instead. "Life will be different, but I don't want it to be /that/ different."
To not wrestle. He doesn't know what she would call trying to push him over, but it really doesn't matter. He was just kidding, as he has been for most of the past several minutes. "Well, I will have to think about the best way to keep you entertained, then." He's certain he won't have to worry about that too much, really, but it seems the right thing to say.
Nayeli grunts softly. "I didn't mean to make it sound like that's your job, keeping me entertained and all that." What is she trying to say? One of her biggest frustrations with herself is how sometimes it seems nearly impossible to find words to express what she's thinking. "It's just.. I don't want things to be different. I know they /will/ be, but.. don't treat me like I'm different. Like anything's different. I mean, I know they are and all, and things /will/ change, but..." She trails off, just resting her head on his shoulder. Yep, that explanation went real well.
"Nayeli..." Suddenly, Kein's voice is no longer joking. She is concerned, and it is his job to address that concern. "They will be different, for a while, but... I'm not going to try to keep you from doing anything you want to do." Not actively, anyway. He might hint, might make suggestions, but she knows what she's capable of. She knows how to take care of herself. When she's not slamming her head against trees, that is. Then, with a hint of a smile, he adds, "You just have to let me spoil you a little, that's all. You're carrying our cubs."
It's several seconds before Nayeli speaks again, and although she knows that her mate is trying hard to comfort her and assure her that everything will be okay, her voice still doesn't sound completely convinced. She's not speaking as his friend, his lover, his mate. Nayeli is speaking as the Matron: "I'm just afraid that.. I don't want to look weak. Not now, when the tribe needs me. I can't." That's why, although she knows she would love Kein's 'spoiling' of her, she can't let him. How would that look to the rest of the Sisters? She's supposed to lead them, not sit back and be coddled!
So she's worried about many of the same things that Kein is worried about. He can't blame her for that, but that doesn't mean he has to just accept that she isn't going to let him do all the things he might have done anyway, even if she weren't pregnant, just because she's afraid it will make her look weak. "We're strong together, Nayeli. You don't have to do it by yourself. Take care of our Sisters. Show them that you're doing your job. That doesn't mean that /I/ can't take care of /you/, though." Even if it's only in private, if she's that concerned about it.
Big surprise. Kein has once again allowed his confidence to reassure her. "Thanks," she murmurs, nuzzling at him and feeling herself relax of the tension she had previously been carrying. "That's.. what I needed to hear." It's not even so much that she was expecting that, or waiting to hear that specifically, and yet somehow she instinctively knows that's the answer she was looking for. It sure is helpful, being best friends with such a good problem-solver! "I'll have to work on the whole 'being spoiled' thing, but I'm sure you'll help me along." And yes, there's an injection of humor into her words now, accompanied with a faint grin.
Kein would deny that he's a particularly good problem solver. He's just... Stubborn. That thought actually prevents him from grinning. He can practically hear his mother telling him that being stubborn can be a good trait as long as he uses it properly. But would she have considered this proper? He can only hope so, and after a moment, he just nuzzles against his mate, not speaking now as he focuses instead on his thoughts.
And, for now, Nayeli is content to do the same, with a faint purr being the only sound she makes. Alone with Kein, and alone with her thoughts. There sure are a lot of them. Everything from what they've just discussed to dealing with the threat of Azriel to wondering about those two cougars that Moonseeker mentioned. Has Kein decided what to do about Tohopka? She hasn't seen him around lately, but she's sure that he'll still be wondering about staying here in Amaranth. And while she knows that he isn't his brother, he's still somewhat of a stranger to her, and she's not entirely sure she likes the idea of him staying. Especially now that his only ties to Amaranth have been.. well.. severed.