Post by braxton on May 9, 2009 20:29:33 GMT -5
After waiting for what seems like plenty of time and still not seeing the cubs behind them, Chayton double checks to make sure that there's nothing of note ahead of Jinx before turning around and speeding back towards Amaranth to see if he can find them and find out what's going on. He doesn't want to get too far out without knowing for sure one way or the other.
Kaya is still walking slowly alongside Scuddle. She is happy to have him by his side. She might need him to also help her from getting into yet another argument with her father over his motives or his actions. And a pang of guilt seizes Kaya a bit. What about Ashen? Now it seems the only person even trying to help him is his mother and the big bird, Chayton. Kaya looks down. "Do you think Ashen is okay?"
Scuddle's bouncy trot slows down when he notices Kaya, and subsequently him, walking past his cave. He just really meant, you know. They'd go to their respective caves. And be there when they needed each other. Yeah! Right? Oh boy. Is she gonna take him to Kein? He doesn't say anything but keeps walking. He starts looking a little scared, but he tries to hide it. "Uh, yeah, of course! Of course he is okay! Mom and the birdie will bring him back!" he pipes up momentarily. He's gotta keep his spirits high. Or Kaya might cry again.
Chayton finally spots the two cubs walking together and frowns when he sees which direction they're headed. Well, he can guess what the answer to his question will be, but he still wants to make sure. Picking a tree just ahead of them to land in, he says "You're not coming?" in a neutral tone, trying to not to make them sadder about it than they probably already are.
Kaya freezes when she hears the bird. If he's hear, then... Jinx is otu there alone looking for Ashen? Kaya's ears peel back as she looks at the bird. "Um... no, I can't." She is not happy about it, mind. but becoming an exile would be too hard on her. And her mother.
"No," he says, sitting down to face the bird. "And Kaya needs me!" he adds triumphantly. "But.. you and mom are gonna find Ashen, right?" Sure, Scuddle was an optimist, or tried to be around Kaya, but he needs to be reassured a little too.
@po
Chayton cocks his head at this. Now what could have happened to make Kaya make such a large change of mind in such a short period of time. "Oh, don't worry; we'll find him alright, I just wanted to know what was going on here before we got to far." He can catch back up with Jinx no problem; cougars are such slow walkers. He turns more towards Kaya, "But what happened?" He knows it has to be more than just Kein having said 'no'.
"Um..." Kaya says, then leans a little against Scuddle. Not too much considering his size, but enough to assure herself he's there to help her still. "Well... if I leave, I can't come back." Kaya explains. She hopes she doesn't have to explain what Kein had to say to give Kaya that idea.
Scuddle would be distraught if just 'cus he's smaller than the average cougar, Kaya can't have a shoulder to lean on. So he supports her weight without complaint. She must be tired... running from her dad then back to her dad and back here and back to her dad again. He looks up at the falcon, nodding a little bit, as if confirming her story, not that he was really there.
Chayton blinks at this information, surprised into silence for a moment. When he does talk, his response is far less restrained that it would have been had there been any adults around. "You can't come back? Ever?" he says in disbelief, "Just because you want to go help look for a friend, with an adult, without permission, at your age?" His tone is clearly questioning; he'd like that to be doubly confirmed.
"He said if I was to cross that border, I would not be able to come back." Kaya looks down at the ground. "He said if I left I'd be hurting my mommy."
Scuddle continues to look sadly at Chayton from against Kaya. He wanted to go. He still wanted to go. Especially now that it seems evident Kaya means to take him to Kein. She wants him to be with her when he goes to him. But if that's what Kaya wants, that's what he'll do! He simply continues to nod in Chayton's directly.
Chayton is silent for a moment, and his beak clacks together a few times as he thinks this over. His voice is very quiet and thoughtful as he says, "I doubt he meant it; it was a threat, nothing more. But if you were ready to face even that much, you'd be going the other way." He shakes his head before adding, "But even as a threat, he's wrong to do that to you Kaya. It isn't fair. He must be very scared for you; a lot more scared than he should be about this." He cocks his head, "Are you going to go talk to him now?"
Kaya nods. "Talk to him. Tell him I'm staying." Kaya says. "Crying. Whatever else daddy wants." Kaya tried to fight against her father and just feels like she lost. "And just... being with Scuddle is all I want now." Her will is crushed. She nuzzles her friend. "If I leave he won't let me come home and I may as well drop dead if I do."
Scuddle nods even more sadly, silently, propping Kaya up. He nuzzles back, and looks finally over at her. "I wouldn't let you drop dead..." he says softly. He closes his eyes. The wind picks up. He's been out here for a while and it's getting cold, except for Kaya pressed against him. His fur still has a thin layer of snow against it from waiting.
Chayton frowns thoughtfully, watching Kaya carefully. "I have some advice for you," he says after a moment. "Like I said, your father is wrong to say such things to you, whether or not he means it. And if you go to him saying, 'Yes, daddy, whatever you want,' then he'll do it again because it works. But I'm not saying you should fight, or argue. Don't apologise; he's the one that's wrong. Just tell him you decided to stay, and nothing else. Let your face tell him that you're /not/ happy about it. He won't like it, but it won't make things worse."
"What can I do?" Kaya says. "I am now... completely without fight in me." Kaya sniffs. "I tried to do right, and I got hurt for it. I'll do whatever daddy wants me to, be what he he wants. I'll only ask that Scuddle is with me." Scuddle. She needs Scuddle.
It hurts Scuddle so much to see Kaya like this. She's broken. He's never seen her broken before. "Kaya.." of the times that she's licked him, he's been too meek or excited to return it. But now he gives her a soft lick on her cheek. He forces a smile, and even sounds a little cheerful. "You're the most bravest, nicest, good-hearted person I know. I will always be with you! I just wish I can be as brave as /you/ are. I wish I could face someone like your dad..."
Chayton looks over Kaya and Scuddle appraisingly. If only they were a little bit older... Well, he can work with this anyway. "Kaya, you still want to be Matron, right? Adults have to make choices like the one you just made all the time; choices between two things that both seem terrible - not always quite /that/ hard, but the same kind. And if you had that position, you'd have even more than normal and they'd be harder than normal. You need to learn /now/ to be okay with this, because it isn't going away. Deciding to let your daddy make all the choices for you only means that you won't learn how to do it very well and for the rest of your life you'll need someone else to decide everything for you. You don't want that."
"There's no point." Kaya says glumly, and returns Scuddle's lick. "None at all. I'm not going to be Matron. Not ever. And nothing I do is right. I may as well just let my father dictate my life like he probably wants." Kaya says, but again she says. "I'll accept anything as long as I have Scuddle."
Scuddle obviously helping or cheering her up at all. He looks down at his paws. They're cold. There's a few moments of silence. Scuddle meekly looks back up at the bird. "Go find Jinx, Chayton. Tell her we'll be okay," he says. He slowly turns around, trying not to let Kaya topple over, and begins to walk, trying to help Kaya along.
Chayton shakes his head. Now where is Kaya's fighting spirit? He knows she has one, and it's a good one. "Do you really think that would make you happy? What if your father decides that he doesn't like Scuddle and thinks that you should be friends with someone else?" he tests, his voice going soft again.
Kaya looks up at the bird, still walking with her friend toward her father. Then she looks over at Scuddle. "I... I don't know. Scuddle is too important for me to give up!" Kaya says. "But... this is my family here!" Kaya nuzzles Scuddle then. "I hope he won't force me to choose."
Scuddle's ears flatten a little and he slinks down. "Why... why would Kein do that?" he asks. That is /exactly/ what he is worried about. "He won't do that, right?" he asks Kaya. Well, everything so far that's happened probably indicates that he /would/. "You know, I can... I can wait in the cave for Jinx to get back." He doesn't want to cause more confrontation.
Chayton shrugs at Scuddle's fears, honestly having no idea. He flies forward to the next tree so he can keep talking to them a moment more, but he can see that he's almost done doing anything that will be helpful, and he needs to get back to Jinx. "That's why you need to don't need to be afraid to think for yourself, Kaya. Never give your will to anyone. But you're still young; you should think carefully on your father's advice since he's older and has more experience. But you shouldn't follow him if he's trying to guide you somewhere you don't want to be."
Scuddle doesn't know what to think. He wants to see Kaya happy again, he wants her to have her spirit back, but by agreeing with this bird he risks making her feel even more conflicted than she already does. So he says nothing, watching Chayton idly as he walks Kaya forward, still presumably leaned gently against him. She is so wary right now. So wary of this. A few more moments pass when the falcon finishes. "Chayton..." Scuddle begs. "Find my brother.. make sure he's safe."
Kaya returns the lean once more and slowly walks by familiar features of her home. She looks over at Scuddle and finally makes her decision. "I need you with me. If we can be together we can be brave enough for anything. Don't leave me." Kaya is scared of talking to her father and explaining that she'll stay, but that she has to have Scuddle or she'll have nothing left to live for. Otherwise she might have to leave after all and find her own way. "I promise we'll be okay no matter what happens if you'll stay by my side."
Kein has not mooved from from where he and Kaya argued. Out of sight of the area, yes, but not yet all the way to Nayeli. He is lying down, staring to the south. The small wounds have long since stopped bleeding, and are now visible only where the red lines of them cross his earlier scars, only in the smallest traces of blood that remain in his fur. As has so often become the case, his face is expressionless, everything hidden by a mixture of exhaustion and control.
Chayton looks over the two for a moment before nodding slowly to Scuddle. "Don't worry; we'll find Ashen." He pauses a moment, but is unable to think of anything else to say. Hopefully at least some of what he's said already will take, but he can't be in two places at once and he's lingered here for too long. Spreading his wings, he suddenly takes off to the northeast.
Scuddle watches the bird as he flies off. Oh, wouldn't that be a nice gift? Just to fly away whenever you want? This precise thought is followed by Kaya telling Scuddle that she needs him with her to be brave and face her father. He gulps and looks ahead. "Okay.." he whispers. If /she/ can be brave, /he/ can be! All those scary stories, though. One of the few things Scuddle remembers about Kein was that one time he scared a little wolf off from Amaranth territory. Back then he thought that was way cool. Is this it? Are they getting close?
Kaya nods and licks her friend and looks straight ahead. There is the future. Will it be here in the Amaranth, or would she run? Is she strong? She'll find out soon, no doubt. But she remembers that she is going to *not* get into an argument with her father this time. Just tell her she is going to stay and hope he doesn't say anything about Scuddle being with her from now on. Is he near? Is he far? Kaya does not know.
Not far. As the small cubs continue walking, Kein spots them off in the distance. Well. She stayed. There is relief in Kein, as he had really begun to doubt he would see his daughter again anytime soon. Still, he does not smile, does not leap up to greet her happily. Her behaviour was absolutely unacceptable, and until she realizes that, until she accepts it... Forget about reassuring her that he still loves her. Nayeli can do all of that. He simply remains where he is, still lying down, still looking in their direction. As much as he does not show any relieve, as the young female and her friend approach, he does not show any anger, either.
As soon as Kein's keen eyes rest on them, it isn't hard for Scuddle to see the stare. He *almost* stops and slinks back a little, at the very least hesitates before he takes another step. "Whatcha gonna tell him?" Scuddle whispers, leaning close to her.
Kaya suddenly realizes that she almost walked right into her father and freezes and shivers. She wishes she could have had the time to think about what she would say to her father. But she figures if she took too long he would assume she left and run her off when he'd see her. She decides to start this off as she does any other conversation with her father: "Daddy."
Kein's tone matches his expression fairly well when he respond to Kaya. "Hello Kaya. I am glad to see you stayed." He doesn't address Scuddle, because he doesn't see a need to, immediately. Whatever Scuddle's purpose here... He doesn't really care, so long as no yelling starts. Despite his calm, controlled tone, his words are genuine. He is glad Kaya didn't leave, because he would have hated to have had to follow up on what he told her would happen. He would have done it, but he'd have hated it.
Scuddle doesn't say anything for now. But, well, that wasn't really so bad, was it? Even if he was utterly expressionless, he was /glad/ that she stayed, right? That's good! He looks at Kaya and smiles hopefully. See, her dad isn't that bad. Everything's gonna be aaall right.
Kaya knows that this might just be the beginning. She'll sigh a sigh of relief when this is over and she goes somewhere with Scuddle. She prays it'll be somewhere in *Amaranth* of course. She sucks it in and looks unhappy. "Daddy, I've given up." Kaya says. "I'll stay and do whatever you want me to do, be what you want me to be. I'm not even going to try anymore. I've given up, daddy. I can't fight you anymore." Kaya never liked it to begin with. She was just hoping her father might recognize that maybe scaring Ashen wasn't necessary. "I only ask that I always have Scuddle by my side. I always have him with me, even when we grow up, daddy." This part is the real test. Will her father reject Scuddle and she'll leave with him, or accept and stay... with him.
"Kaya..." For just a moment, Kein's voice betrays how incredibly weary he is. "I wish you would /listen/ to me." By the time his sentence is finished, he has managed to fight the weariness back again. Managed to go on pretending that he will fight whatever the world throws at their doorstep and keep energy to spare. "Of course I expect you to follow my rules, your mother's rules." Finally, he glances at Scuddle, but it is ony a quick look before he returns his gaze to his daughter. "I expect /everyone/ to do that. But I am /not/ asking you to change /who/ /you/ /are/. All I've ever asked you to do is find a way to express yourself /without/ breaking those rules." As far as Scuddle goes... "One day, the time will come for Scuddle to leave. When that day comes, if you decide to accompany him, you will go with my blessing... Because by the time that day comes, you /will/ be able to care for yourselves. Both of you. And if you wait until then, until you can do so without your mother and I fearing for your life, to leave these lands, of course you will always be welcome back here."
Scuddle advert his eyes when Kein looks at him for the briefest moment. Jinx /might/ have said something vague a long time ago possibly related to Scuddle having to one day leave, or understand why. But after everything that's gone on he doesn't really want to inquire about it right now. He still doesn't say anything. He just looks down and ponders.
Kaya doesn't want to say much more to her father right now. "But you still don't want me to be Chosen?" Then immediately after saying it: "No... don't answer. I don't think I want to know." She nuzzles Scuddle, then looks over at her father. Perhaps soon they'll settle their problems. But Kaya wants to leave this on a happy note. She whispers in Scuddle's ear and then turns to her father once more and says more of a hopeful thing. "Just know that someday I'll prove it to you. I'll prove I can do the right thing."
You whisper, "Do you want to go somewhere else now, Scuddle?" to Scuddle.
With the twitch of his muzzle, something that might have been a smile in lighter times, he says, "That has always been one of your biggest problems, Kaya. Thinking you have to prove yourself to me." She has always stomped on anything and anyone in her path to that end, and it has never done what she wanted. It has never resulted in her 'proving' herself. "I love you no less as my daughter than I did when you were Chosen, Kaya."
Scuddle looks between the two, now with his mouth agape, but quickly corrects it, shutting his mouth. He is now suddenly very surprised! Kaya isn't Chosen any more? He looks back and forth at the horizon as if he is reading something off of it. Wow. Now a lot of things suddenly make a lot more sense. The way she was acting... why she was so upset... determined to leave Amaranth and go on an adventure so suddenly like that. He doesn't even register what she's whispered for a few moments, but he quickly enough snaps out of his daze. "O..okay," he says, in response, not quite low enough for Kein not to hear.
Kaya smiles to her father. She didn't mean she wanted to prove she was the *best.* She wanted to prove she could do *right.* But she doesn't press that issue. Oh certainly she'll still be competitive, but she'll definitely try to be more fair and graceful. And by rights Kaya still is the best. Just... humbled in a way. Definitely wiser, or so she believes. And for the firs time, Kaya accepts she's no longer Chosen. "I love you too daddy." Kaya says. And some day she'll forgive what happened to Ashen. She prays that he is alright. She nods to Scuddle with a small smile and begins to walk away, again trying to lean against him, but her mood seems improved somewhat.
Scuddle turns to watch Kaya walk away. He is still slightly dumbfounded, but then it slowly dawns on him how well this all turned out. Suddenly, Kaya is happy again. His expression turns into a grin. He quickly turns back around and looks at Kein with a little smile. He lets out a simple, triumphant, and even blissfully thankful "Bye!," all his fear confronting her father melted away, and turns, bounding joyfully up and down in the snow after Kaya.
Kaya is still walking slowly alongside Scuddle. She is happy to have him by his side. She might need him to also help her from getting into yet another argument with her father over his motives or his actions. And a pang of guilt seizes Kaya a bit. What about Ashen? Now it seems the only person even trying to help him is his mother and the big bird, Chayton. Kaya looks down. "Do you think Ashen is okay?"
Scuddle's bouncy trot slows down when he notices Kaya, and subsequently him, walking past his cave. He just really meant, you know. They'd go to their respective caves. And be there when they needed each other. Yeah! Right? Oh boy. Is she gonna take him to Kein? He doesn't say anything but keeps walking. He starts looking a little scared, but he tries to hide it. "Uh, yeah, of course! Of course he is okay! Mom and the birdie will bring him back!" he pipes up momentarily. He's gotta keep his spirits high. Or Kaya might cry again.
Chayton finally spots the two cubs walking together and frowns when he sees which direction they're headed. Well, he can guess what the answer to his question will be, but he still wants to make sure. Picking a tree just ahead of them to land in, he says "You're not coming?" in a neutral tone, trying to not to make them sadder about it than they probably already are.
Kaya freezes when she hears the bird. If he's hear, then... Jinx is otu there alone looking for Ashen? Kaya's ears peel back as she looks at the bird. "Um... no, I can't." She is not happy about it, mind. but becoming an exile would be too hard on her. And her mother.
"No," he says, sitting down to face the bird. "And Kaya needs me!" he adds triumphantly. "But.. you and mom are gonna find Ashen, right?" Sure, Scuddle was an optimist, or tried to be around Kaya, but he needs to be reassured a little too.
@po
Chayton cocks his head at this. Now what could have happened to make Kaya make such a large change of mind in such a short period of time. "Oh, don't worry; we'll find him alright, I just wanted to know what was going on here before we got to far." He can catch back up with Jinx no problem; cougars are such slow walkers. He turns more towards Kaya, "But what happened?" He knows it has to be more than just Kein having said 'no'.
"Um..." Kaya says, then leans a little against Scuddle. Not too much considering his size, but enough to assure herself he's there to help her still. "Well... if I leave, I can't come back." Kaya explains. She hopes she doesn't have to explain what Kein had to say to give Kaya that idea.
Scuddle would be distraught if just 'cus he's smaller than the average cougar, Kaya can't have a shoulder to lean on. So he supports her weight without complaint. She must be tired... running from her dad then back to her dad and back here and back to her dad again. He looks up at the falcon, nodding a little bit, as if confirming her story, not that he was really there.
Chayton blinks at this information, surprised into silence for a moment. When he does talk, his response is far less restrained that it would have been had there been any adults around. "You can't come back? Ever?" he says in disbelief, "Just because you want to go help look for a friend, with an adult, without permission, at your age?" His tone is clearly questioning; he'd like that to be doubly confirmed.
"He said if I was to cross that border, I would not be able to come back." Kaya looks down at the ground. "He said if I left I'd be hurting my mommy."
Scuddle continues to look sadly at Chayton from against Kaya. He wanted to go. He still wanted to go. Especially now that it seems evident Kaya means to take him to Kein. She wants him to be with her when he goes to him. But if that's what Kaya wants, that's what he'll do! He simply continues to nod in Chayton's directly.
Chayton is silent for a moment, and his beak clacks together a few times as he thinks this over. His voice is very quiet and thoughtful as he says, "I doubt he meant it; it was a threat, nothing more. But if you were ready to face even that much, you'd be going the other way." He shakes his head before adding, "But even as a threat, he's wrong to do that to you Kaya. It isn't fair. He must be very scared for you; a lot more scared than he should be about this." He cocks his head, "Are you going to go talk to him now?"
Kaya nods. "Talk to him. Tell him I'm staying." Kaya says. "Crying. Whatever else daddy wants." Kaya tried to fight against her father and just feels like she lost. "And just... being with Scuddle is all I want now." Her will is crushed. She nuzzles her friend. "If I leave he won't let me come home and I may as well drop dead if I do."
Scuddle nods even more sadly, silently, propping Kaya up. He nuzzles back, and looks finally over at her. "I wouldn't let you drop dead..." he says softly. He closes his eyes. The wind picks up. He's been out here for a while and it's getting cold, except for Kaya pressed against him. His fur still has a thin layer of snow against it from waiting.
Chayton frowns thoughtfully, watching Kaya carefully. "I have some advice for you," he says after a moment. "Like I said, your father is wrong to say such things to you, whether or not he means it. And if you go to him saying, 'Yes, daddy, whatever you want,' then he'll do it again because it works. But I'm not saying you should fight, or argue. Don't apologise; he's the one that's wrong. Just tell him you decided to stay, and nothing else. Let your face tell him that you're /not/ happy about it. He won't like it, but it won't make things worse."
"What can I do?" Kaya says. "I am now... completely without fight in me." Kaya sniffs. "I tried to do right, and I got hurt for it. I'll do whatever daddy wants me to, be what he he wants. I'll only ask that Scuddle is with me." Scuddle. She needs Scuddle.
It hurts Scuddle so much to see Kaya like this. She's broken. He's never seen her broken before. "Kaya.." of the times that she's licked him, he's been too meek or excited to return it. But now he gives her a soft lick on her cheek. He forces a smile, and even sounds a little cheerful. "You're the most bravest, nicest, good-hearted person I know. I will always be with you! I just wish I can be as brave as /you/ are. I wish I could face someone like your dad..."
Chayton looks over Kaya and Scuddle appraisingly. If only they were a little bit older... Well, he can work with this anyway. "Kaya, you still want to be Matron, right? Adults have to make choices like the one you just made all the time; choices between two things that both seem terrible - not always quite /that/ hard, but the same kind. And if you had that position, you'd have even more than normal and they'd be harder than normal. You need to learn /now/ to be okay with this, because it isn't going away. Deciding to let your daddy make all the choices for you only means that you won't learn how to do it very well and for the rest of your life you'll need someone else to decide everything for you. You don't want that."
"There's no point." Kaya says glumly, and returns Scuddle's lick. "None at all. I'm not going to be Matron. Not ever. And nothing I do is right. I may as well just let my father dictate my life like he probably wants." Kaya says, but again she says. "I'll accept anything as long as I have Scuddle."
Scuddle obviously helping or cheering her up at all. He looks down at his paws. They're cold. There's a few moments of silence. Scuddle meekly looks back up at the bird. "Go find Jinx, Chayton. Tell her we'll be okay," he says. He slowly turns around, trying not to let Kaya topple over, and begins to walk, trying to help Kaya along.
Chayton shakes his head. Now where is Kaya's fighting spirit? He knows she has one, and it's a good one. "Do you really think that would make you happy? What if your father decides that he doesn't like Scuddle and thinks that you should be friends with someone else?" he tests, his voice going soft again.
Kaya looks up at the bird, still walking with her friend toward her father. Then she looks over at Scuddle. "I... I don't know. Scuddle is too important for me to give up!" Kaya says. "But... this is my family here!" Kaya nuzzles Scuddle then. "I hope he won't force me to choose."
Scuddle's ears flatten a little and he slinks down. "Why... why would Kein do that?" he asks. That is /exactly/ what he is worried about. "He won't do that, right?" he asks Kaya. Well, everything so far that's happened probably indicates that he /would/. "You know, I can... I can wait in the cave for Jinx to get back." He doesn't want to cause more confrontation.
Chayton shrugs at Scuddle's fears, honestly having no idea. He flies forward to the next tree so he can keep talking to them a moment more, but he can see that he's almost done doing anything that will be helpful, and he needs to get back to Jinx. "That's why you need to don't need to be afraid to think for yourself, Kaya. Never give your will to anyone. But you're still young; you should think carefully on your father's advice since he's older and has more experience. But you shouldn't follow him if he's trying to guide you somewhere you don't want to be."
Scuddle doesn't know what to think. He wants to see Kaya happy again, he wants her to have her spirit back, but by agreeing with this bird he risks making her feel even more conflicted than she already does. So he says nothing, watching Chayton idly as he walks Kaya forward, still presumably leaned gently against him. She is so wary right now. So wary of this. A few more moments pass when the falcon finishes. "Chayton..." Scuddle begs. "Find my brother.. make sure he's safe."
Kaya returns the lean once more and slowly walks by familiar features of her home. She looks over at Scuddle and finally makes her decision. "I need you with me. If we can be together we can be brave enough for anything. Don't leave me." Kaya is scared of talking to her father and explaining that she'll stay, but that she has to have Scuddle or she'll have nothing left to live for. Otherwise she might have to leave after all and find her own way. "I promise we'll be okay no matter what happens if you'll stay by my side."
Kein has not mooved from from where he and Kaya argued. Out of sight of the area, yes, but not yet all the way to Nayeli. He is lying down, staring to the south. The small wounds have long since stopped bleeding, and are now visible only where the red lines of them cross his earlier scars, only in the smallest traces of blood that remain in his fur. As has so often become the case, his face is expressionless, everything hidden by a mixture of exhaustion and control.
Chayton looks over the two for a moment before nodding slowly to Scuddle. "Don't worry; we'll find Ashen." He pauses a moment, but is unable to think of anything else to say. Hopefully at least some of what he's said already will take, but he can't be in two places at once and he's lingered here for too long. Spreading his wings, he suddenly takes off to the northeast.
Scuddle watches the bird as he flies off. Oh, wouldn't that be a nice gift? Just to fly away whenever you want? This precise thought is followed by Kaya telling Scuddle that she needs him with her to be brave and face her father. He gulps and looks ahead. "Okay.." he whispers. If /she/ can be brave, /he/ can be! All those scary stories, though. One of the few things Scuddle remembers about Kein was that one time he scared a little wolf off from Amaranth territory. Back then he thought that was way cool. Is this it? Are they getting close?
Kaya nods and licks her friend and looks straight ahead. There is the future. Will it be here in the Amaranth, or would she run? Is she strong? She'll find out soon, no doubt. But she remembers that she is going to *not* get into an argument with her father this time. Just tell her she is going to stay and hope he doesn't say anything about Scuddle being with her from now on. Is he near? Is he far? Kaya does not know.
Not far. As the small cubs continue walking, Kein spots them off in the distance. Well. She stayed. There is relief in Kein, as he had really begun to doubt he would see his daughter again anytime soon. Still, he does not smile, does not leap up to greet her happily. Her behaviour was absolutely unacceptable, and until she realizes that, until she accepts it... Forget about reassuring her that he still loves her. Nayeli can do all of that. He simply remains where he is, still lying down, still looking in their direction. As much as he does not show any relieve, as the young female and her friend approach, he does not show any anger, either.
As soon as Kein's keen eyes rest on them, it isn't hard for Scuddle to see the stare. He *almost* stops and slinks back a little, at the very least hesitates before he takes another step. "Whatcha gonna tell him?" Scuddle whispers, leaning close to her.
Kaya suddenly realizes that she almost walked right into her father and freezes and shivers. She wishes she could have had the time to think about what she would say to her father. But she figures if she took too long he would assume she left and run her off when he'd see her. She decides to start this off as she does any other conversation with her father: "Daddy."
Kein's tone matches his expression fairly well when he respond to Kaya. "Hello Kaya. I am glad to see you stayed." He doesn't address Scuddle, because he doesn't see a need to, immediately. Whatever Scuddle's purpose here... He doesn't really care, so long as no yelling starts. Despite his calm, controlled tone, his words are genuine. He is glad Kaya didn't leave, because he would have hated to have had to follow up on what he told her would happen. He would have done it, but he'd have hated it.
Scuddle doesn't say anything for now. But, well, that wasn't really so bad, was it? Even if he was utterly expressionless, he was /glad/ that she stayed, right? That's good! He looks at Kaya and smiles hopefully. See, her dad isn't that bad. Everything's gonna be aaall right.
Kaya knows that this might just be the beginning. She'll sigh a sigh of relief when this is over and she goes somewhere with Scuddle. She prays it'll be somewhere in *Amaranth* of course. She sucks it in and looks unhappy. "Daddy, I've given up." Kaya says. "I'll stay and do whatever you want me to do, be what you want me to be. I'm not even going to try anymore. I've given up, daddy. I can't fight you anymore." Kaya never liked it to begin with. She was just hoping her father might recognize that maybe scaring Ashen wasn't necessary. "I only ask that I always have Scuddle by my side. I always have him with me, even when we grow up, daddy." This part is the real test. Will her father reject Scuddle and she'll leave with him, or accept and stay... with him.
"Kaya..." For just a moment, Kein's voice betrays how incredibly weary he is. "I wish you would /listen/ to me." By the time his sentence is finished, he has managed to fight the weariness back again. Managed to go on pretending that he will fight whatever the world throws at their doorstep and keep energy to spare. "Of course I expect you to follow my rules, your mother's rules." Finally, he glances at Scuddle, but it is ony a quick look before he returns his gaze to his daughter. "I expect /everyone/ to do that. But I am /not/ asking you to change /who/ /you/ /are/. All I've ever asked you to do is find a way to express yourself /without/ breaking those rules." As far as Scuddle goes... "One day, the time will come for Scuddle to leave. When that day comes, if you decide to accompany him, you will go with my blessing... Because by the time that day comes, you /will/ be able to care for yourselves. Both of you. And if you wait until then, until you can do so without your mother and I fearing for your life, to leave these lands, of course you will always be welcome back here."
Scuddle advert his eyes when Kein looks at him for the briefest moment. Jinx /might/ have said something vague a long time ago possibly related to Scuddle having to one day leave, or understand why. But after everything that's gone on he doesn't really want to inquire about it right now. He still doesn't say anything. He just looks down and ponders.
Kaya doesn't want to say much more to her father right now. "But you still don't want me to be Chosen?" Then immediately after saying it: "No... don't answer. I don't think I want to know." She nuzzles Scuddle, then looks over at her father. Perhaps soon they'll settle their problems. But Kaya wants to leave this on a happy note. She whispers in Scuddle's ear and then turns to her father once more and says more of a hopeful thing. "Just know that someday I'll prove it to you. I'll prove I can do the right thing."
You whisper, "Do you want to go somewhere else now, Scuddle?" to Scuddle.
With the twitch of his muzzle, something that might have been a smile in lighter times, he says, "That has always been one of your biggest problems, Kaya. Thinking you have to prove yourself to me." She has always stomped on anything and anyone in her path to that end, and it has never done what she wanted. It has never resulted in her 'proving' herself. "I love you no less as my daughter than I did when you were Chosen, Kaya."
Scuddle looks between the two, now with his mouth agape, but quickly corrects it, shutting his mouth. He is now suddenly very surprised! Kaya isn't Chosen any more? He looks back and forth at the horizon as if he is reading something off of it. Wow. Now a lot of things suddenly make a lot more sense. The way she was acting... why she was so upset... determined to leave Amaranth and go on an adventure so suddenly like that. He doesn't even register what she's whispered for a few moments, but he quickly enough snaps out of his daze. "O..okay," he says, in response, not quite low enough for Kein not to hear.
Kaya smiles to her father. She didn't mean she wanted to prove she was the *best.* She wanted to prove she could do *right.* But she doesn't press that issue. Oh certainly she'll still be competitive, but she'll definitely try to be more fair and graceful. And by rights Kaya still is the best. Just... humbled in a way. Definitely wiser, or so she believes. And for the firs time, Kaya accepts she's no longer Chosen. "I love you too daddy." Kaya says. And some day she'll forgive what happened to Ashen. She prays that he is alright. She nods to Scuddle with a small smile and begins to walk away, again trying to lean against him, but her mood seems improved somewhat.
Scuddle turns to watch Kaya walk away. He is still slightly dumbfounded, but then it slowly dawns on him how well this all turned out. Suddenly, Kaya is happy again. His expression turns into a grin. He quickly turns back around and looks at Kein with a little smile. He lets out a simple, triumphant, and even blissfully thankful "Bye!," all his fear confronting her father melted away, and turns, bounding joyfully up and down in the snow after Kaya.