Post by Therdde on May 10, 2009 12:50:31 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Cougar
Ama - Female Cougar
- Pine Grove -
Kein has not yet returned to his mate. There is, after all, no reason to now. Kaya has chosen to stay. Not, of course, until after she hauled off and attacked him, but she has chosen to stay all the same. The tiny wounds on his face have already started to mend, but bits of blood remain in his fur, and the red lines, the only signs of his daughter's attack, are still visible where they pass the scar lines given to him by Chesmu. His pace is increasingly relaxed as he walks through his land.
Ama has made every attempt not to think about what may be happening beyond the borders of Amaranth. Could her son really be plotting against the tribe? She hopes not. Cheveyo had made it clear to her that he wanted her to leave Amaranth and join him on his own territory. She had disregarded that question. He had never made it seem like he had anything in mind. She also had to wonder if Hahnee was in on this as well. He was always so meek, so quiet and comparatively gentle. Would her children betray her so? Surely not! The cougaress pads quietly toward the pine grove. Aside from the lake and the stone formation, she had always been fond of this place. It soothed her mind. The scent of the needles, the bark... and Kein, now. Ama sighs softly to herself. She says she has forgiven and is willing to forget the events that took place in Amaranth. Recently, however, she has been more worried about what others might believe of her. Especially after Kein approached her the other day. That's it. She should speak to him more. Prove she really means what she said when she returned once again. It is with this in mind that the female makes her way toward the chieftain's scent.
Kein spots Ama even before he realizes she's near, causing him to stop in a less-than-graceful manner. After stopping, he greets her in the most polite way he has greeted anyone in some time. "Good afternoon, Ama." Nothing more. For once, /he/ had not been searching /her/ out, and it does not occer to him, immediately, what else he could say to her.
Maybe she should've made her presence better-known. Maybe she should have spoken up when she was finally able to see him. But she didn't, for whatever reason. She approaches him in relative silence, and - when he finally looks her way - he stops. A bit abruptly. She did not intend to startle him. But then, it wasn't like him to be so unaware of who was around - at least in Ama's experience with the young chieftain. After he greets her, she dips her head respectfully before responding in kind, "Good afternoon, Chieftain." At least he seems to be in a better mood than he has been of late. And that makes her a little more hesitant to speak on things that may dampen it... but then, her presence seems to have that affect more often than not. The past isn't as easy to forget as she would like it to be and, she's certain, it must not be easy for him either. She draws nearer then, as if to walk with him. If he doesn't mind. It is as she comes closer - when she can see him in more detail - that she can see the smallest traces of reddish-black - dried blood - on his muzzle. What's this?
Whatever it is, it doesn't cause him pain. It would be lying to say he'd forgotten about it, in any way... But it is not currently foremost on his mind. "How are you?" Pleasantries. Now that he can remember them, again, they are the easiest thing to fall back on. With that question, he sits, a good deal more outwardly relaxed now than he was the last time he saw her, but no more interested in intimate proximity now than he has ever been.
When it becomes clear that he has no intentions of continue is walk, Ama stops at a more comfortable distance, her gray-green eyes watching, tail curling thoughtfully. So. He's going back to his... "old self." Whatever that is. Not that Ama is displeased with that idea at all. It means things may be able to return to a semi-normal existence around Amaranth again, though normalcy is something difficult to imagine for Ama in some instances. His interest - whether it is feigned or not - prompts a warm smile from the cougaress, who finally seats herself as well. "Well," she answers simply. "I've been meaning to speak with you again," she decides to get right down to it, now that he seems more relaxed. She does worry she could ruin that quite easily, but... she'll do it, nevertheless. "You seem to be-" she hesitates a moment, then: "doing better."
Is Kein back to his old self? Under some circumstances, maybe. Like these relatively stress-free ones. Even here, though, there are changes. His minimalized expressiveness. The severe self-control. And perhaps even the very fact that he /does/ sit, instead of standing to speak. He's tired. "I'm... Well, I am beginning to have some hope." Kaya was not angry when she left. Ama will be speaking to Cheveyo. Malak and Revan have not shown up anywhere near his borders. All in all... It's heartening, and, more importantly, it has allowed him time to plan what to do should this peace prove as temporary as in times past.
Whether she feels it inwardly or not, Ama is at least willing to express kindness, gentleness - anything to keep the atmosphere from growing more stressful than she has known it to be in times past. It has always been a part of her nature to exude a gentle protectiveness. A passiveness, a willingness to help. If her worries continue further, it will change her. Her heart has not hardened yet, at least. Her smile continues as he speaks, and then she nods, a soft sigh escaping her. "Yes, that is good. Hope is something we must hold onto," and by "we" she means in general. But it could be taken to mean herself and the chieftain sitting before her exclusively. "What has become of your nose?" she asks next. Rather than ask harder questions... pertaining to herself and her sons. When they last spoke to one another, she had been to bewildered by the news of Cheveyo's supposed actions for it to fully occur to her that Kein may have believed she was in on it. But now... she must wonder if he will continue to think so critically of her.
His nose? It takes him a very obvious moment to understand. What about his...? Ah. "My daughter. Kaya." The anger is gone, even in his recounting of it. Hopefully, in time, Kaya will realize how appalling her behaviour was, and will then apologize. In the meantime... "She wasn't pleased with one of my decisions, and she decided to tell me with her claws." Kein did not strike her back. It was tempting, but he didn't. And now? At least Kaya seems to have taken a break from all of the yelling.
The female's brows lift, her eyes widening along with the action. /Kaya/ did that? Well... she /did/ seem like a fairly passionate she-cub. Stubborn. But perhaps Ama is wrong, despite the fact that she has typically been a fairly good judge of character. Or at least she believed that much. Now she's not terribly certain. "I see. And that does remind me. After Nayeli was attacked, I did speak to Kaya," Ama lowers her eyes, "And I must apologize for not immediately seeking you out to tell you of her condition." At the time, Kaya had been all right - living with Aunt Jinx. Their conversation had been gentle, and Ama had tried to comfort the little girl, telling her to give her father a chance. But that still isn't why Ama wanted to speak to Kein...
She's sorry? For... "I didn't expect you to report back to me, Ama." Honestly. He was certain that, if Ama had found something /wrong/, she would have sought him out. Since she didn't... "Thank you for checking on her, though. I'm not sure it would have gone well, had I been the one to do it." As the scratches on his face can attest. Had he gone after her back then, when she was even angrier, he can only imagine it would have gotten violent quickly.
Still. /Still/ - she should have. Even if he didn't expect it. Surely it would've been one less thing to concern him. "I did it gladly," she tells him in no attempt to brag. It has been much too long since she last interacted with a cub Kaya's age. A difficult age, perhaps, but... how could she not miss it? Her sons are grown, to take care of themselves. Even if they were a little younger than usual, she supposes. And she can remember times where her patience with her own sons was in short supply. Thankfully, they nearly always obeyed her. She can only hope it will remain so, given time. Remaining reluctant to breech the subject she intends to - her place in Amaranth - she finds another subject, "Is Matron Nayeli recovering well?"
Kein has, at least, no trouble keeping up with the conversation. He doesn't realize, though, that this is just passing time while Ama works up the nerve to approach the topic that was the reason she was looking for him. With a nod of his head, she says, "She feels much better, now." Well, less so, since they had to deliver the news to Kaya that she was no longer Chosen. Did Ama even know of Kaya's previous position? "It was rough on her to help deliver the news to Kaya that she wouldn't be Matron, but... She understands that it had to be done, and I'm sure their relationship will recover." If Ama did know Kaya as Chosen, it would be important to correct that. If she didn't... Well, at least now, she'll have some idea of why Kaya is so angry with Kein.
Yet more news to bring a smile to Ama's maw. Sometimes smiling doesn't come easily anymore, though she always tries. When Kein goes on to speak of news being delivered to Kaya, however, Ama's smile does fade the slightest bit. Ama was made aware of it when she spoke to Kaya directly, though it never quite sank in until now. Kaya had mentioned wanting to become the matron so she could make everything right again. And that suddenly makes things clear: Kaya, a passionate girl with this one desire - to be a good matron - has suddenly been informed that it can no longer be. Of course she was angry. "I see," Ama nods her head slowly, her eyes mirroring her understanding. It comes to a point where Ama finds that she no longer has other questions, and her smile slowly becomes a frown. It is evident that she's seeking words by the furrowing of her brows, the almost-casual flick of one ear. How does she begin? Ah. "The other day," she finally starts, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper, "When you approached me..." she looks at the chieftain, waiting to see his response - to make sure he realizes what she might be talking about - before she continues.
Given the volume of her voice... There could only be one 'other day' she is speaking about. When he confronted her about Cheveyo. Guardedly, he replies, "Yes?" She greeted him politely. Engaged in some polite conversation with him. And she wasn't violent when she /got/ the news. He would like to believe, really, that she isn't about to cause him the stress and anger that so many members of Amaranth cause him regularly... But there's some distrust there, all the same. How long will it take to build that back up? Well, perhaps it is only fair. While she is learning to trust that he will not blame her for what Chesmu did, what her sons may do, he can be learning to trust that she does not intend to make his life difficult.
His tone has changed, just as she suspected it would. Ama feels a tug of uncertainty at her heart. If she did not feel that it was necessary to simply "make sure" she would never have brought it up again. But she had been thinking more clearly after leaving Kein's presence. And it worries her now, this thought she had. Her face has grown a little darker - as if a weight has settled upon her shoulders. Her head lowers, but her eyes remain focused on Kein. "I cannot believe you simply came to me to deliver news of my son," for while she is not as bright as Hahnee, she has never been entirely blind. She is /good/ at reading others. At least, she used to be. "And it has occurred to me that things may have been drastically different when we spoke," she lifts her head a little, the tip of her tail twitching a little nervously. She's not sure whether to phrase it as a question, or a statement. There are so many /ways/ she could put it. Do you trust me? Did you believe I... You must have thought... but she does not directly voice any question. She only looks at Kein quietly. Maybe it is a question better left of unsaid. She doesn't want to sound condescending. "I am here for Amaranth." And you believed I would be here for the worse. "Whatever you might have believed - whatever you believe now." There's a certain defensiveness in her voice now. She may not have asked the question, but... it has not entirely escaped her expressive eyes.
So. She's upset that Kein assumed she was in league with Cheveyo. That's fair. Really, it is. He doesn't like it, but it's fair. Perhaps he should have apologized for his assumptions then. Perhaps he still should, now. He doesn't, though. "I won't lie. When I sought you out-" How honest, and how detailed, should he be? "-I had reason to doubt your reasons for being here, and I have to protect everyone from outside /and/ inside threats." It would be easy to relate this to her. If, when she arrived, she thought someone from Amaranth was going to seek out and harm her sons, would she have stayed? Would she have been able to look at that cougar without anger and fear? Almost definitely not. He doesn't use it, though. Not yet. Rather, he reaches out to repair what damage his immediate distrust may have done. "Had I not trusted you to not cause any harm to Amaranth at the end of our conversation, that day... Well, you would have known about it, then." In absolutely no uncertain terms. But what is unsaid, only implied, is that he has absolutely no intention of bringing it up now, or any time in the future, unless she gives him solid reason to, by betraying that trust.
She listens to him without interrupting. The only movement is the curling of her tail, the slow blink of her eyes. When he is finished, she allows a moment of silence where she simply nods in acceptance of what is said. For the first time, she looks at him as an older cougar, his elder. "Next time you assume, I would ask that you remember: I left my sons to return here. Even after I knew they could not return with me, I remained. Amaranth is my home. I would see it safe and stable until the end of my lifetime," then she bows her head slightly, thoughtfully. It /is/ a shame her sons could not accompany her now. She must learn to let them be - she will continue to make sure they remain safe. But a day will have to come when she no longer allows thoughts of their well-being to run her life. Cheveyo is capable of caring for himself. As is Hahnee. Perhaps she should be more concerned /because/ Cheveyo knows what he's doing... she lifts her eyes again, offering an unwavering stare she used once before, when Kein met her in the forested place Hahnee was using as a home.
Kein could argue with her. Make her see his point with anger and exuberance. He doesn't. He says only one more thing. "Just ask yourself what you would think if it were some other cougaress, and I left the possibility unexamined." Yes, he assumed she was working with her sons against Amaranth. But he /did/ give her every chance to prove him wrong. He accepted it. And he even tried to comfort her, afterwards. Surely she is not going to cause him grief over his doubts, his attempts to make sure there were no threats /in/ Amaranth, simply because, in this particular circumstance, she would have been the only one in Amaranth not at risk.
With those words, his line of thinking becomes a little clearer to Ama, and it becomes clearer still why she is not - and never has been - a leader. The weight lifts from her shoulders and she smiles, an undeniable warmth in her eyes. "You are right," she nods her head slowly before getting to her paws. "One more reason I would not want the job of watching over all of Amaranth and its cougaresses." And cougars, she supposes. Perhaps hoping to lighten the mood. After a few moments she becomes serious again (not that she didn't mean what she had said before) and adds, "I wished to make things clearer." To see more clearly what Kein thought. And to tell him he needn't watch for trouble from /her/. Not directly, at least; Cheveyo may be a problem... and no matter what, the fact that he is her - and Chesmu's - son, will mean she will be involved, no matter how indirectly.
Kein stands when Ama does. "It has its rewards." What are they? Well, his relationship with Nayeli is the biggest one, of course. Would their relationship be half of what it is now if they had not had all of the experiences, both good and bad, that they have had? Would Nayeli be as happy as she usually is if she were not surrounded by the other Sisters, if their children were not safe within their territory? "Rest assured that you are not suspect now, Ama." He still believes she can be his best 'weapon' against Cheveyo... But his mind is no longer toward using her safety as a bargaining chip to keep Cheveyo away. And now... "If you don't mind... Before you go, I would ask one more thing of you."
She can only hope that she will no longer have to doubt what he believes her to be. A traitor? No, she is not that. She will never be that. She never /wants/ to be that. Amaranth is her home. If she makes that clear enough, then maybe everything will be all right. ...but then, she knows that's not true. She'd be naive to think everything would be all right. It hadn't really been all right since Chesmu went... wrong. Horribly wrong. She dips her head, glad to hear the chieftain speak those words himself - she would not be suspect. Not now, and hopefully never again. She lifts her eyes again. "Yes, of course. What would you have me do?" she responds, almost eagerly. It's a genuine eagerness at least, though her eyes are serious. That he might ask something of her after all is in some way a confirmation that he does mean what he has said.
Kein still believes the young cub, Ashen, is probably in Amaranth. On the chance that he isn't, though... "When you go visit your sons, if you should happen across a young cougar named Ashen... Tell him that Jinx is worried about him." Kein will not be leaving. He will not even ask another cougar to leave. Since Ama has every intention of leaving soon anyway, though... Within a week or two, probably... "And travel safely." What does safely mean? In Kein's opinion, it is generally traveling in pairs. Since he doubts the solitary Ama will do that, though... Well, she should certainly do whatever else she can to travel safely.
Ashen... where has she heard that name before? Then she remembers. Kaya, explaining how Kein had frightened her friend. Ashen. A friend named Ashen... Ama's expression is rather solemn as she dips her head once again, her tail unfurling behind her. "I will." While she cannot promise that she will go out of her way to look for this young cougar, if she does come across the scent of any young males that potentially came from Amaranth, she /will/ see what can be done. Her smile returns, faintly. "Thank you, Chieftain," she says evenly, voice soft and unwavering. "Farewell," she turns to pad away. At least her mind can rest at ease on one more thing for a while.
Kein watches Ama as she pads away... Then finally turns to head back to the highlands, to his mate. Should he tell her anything about Cheveyo, yet? Or leave it until after Ama comes back, hopefully with good news? Well... He'll have time to think about it, anyway.
Kein - Male Cougar
Ama - Female Cougar
- Pine Grove -
Kein has not yet returned to his mate. There is, after all, no reason to now. Kaya has chosen to stay. Not, of course, until after she hauled off and attacked him, but she has chosen to stay all the same. The tiny wounds on his face have already started to mend, but bits of blood remain in his fur, and the red lines, the only signs of his daughter's attack, are still visible where they pass the scar lines given to him by Chesmu. His pace is increasingly relaxed as he walks through his land.
Ama has made every attempt not to think about what may be happening beyond the borders of Amaranth. Could her son really be plotting against the tribe? She hopes not. Cheveyo had made it clear to her that he wanted her to leave Amaranth and join him on his own territory. She had disregarded that question. He had never made it seem like he had anything in mind. She also had to wonder if Hahnee was in on this as well. He was always so meek, so quiet and comparatively gentle. Would her children betray her so? Surely not! The cougaress pads quietly toward the pine grove. Aside from the lake and the stone formation, she had always been fond of this place. It soothed her mind. The scent of the needles, the bark... and Kein, now. Ama sighs softly to herself. She says she has forgiven and is willing to forget the events that took place in Amaranth. Recently, however, she has been more worried about what others might believe of her. Especially after Kein approached her the other day. That's it. She should speak to him more. Prove she really means what she said when she returned once again. It is with this in mind that the female makes her way toward the chieftain's scent.
Kein spots Ama even before he realizes she's near, causing him to stop in a less-than-graceful manner. After stopping, he greets her in the most polite way he has greeted anyone in some time. "Good afternoon, Ama." Nothing more. For once, /he/ had not been searching /her/ out, and it does not occer to him, immediately, what else he could say to her.
Maybe she should've made her presence better-known. Maybe she should have spoken up when she was finally able to see him. But she didn't, for whatever reason. She approaches him in relative silence, and - when he finally looks her way - he stops. A bit abruptly. She did not intend to startle him. But then, it wasn't like him to be so unaware of who was around - at least in Ama's experience with the young chieftain. After he greets her, she dips her head respectfully before responding in kind, "Good afternoon, Chieftain." At least he seems to be in a better mood than he has been of late. And that makes her a little more hesitant to speak on things that may dampen it... but then, her presence seems to have that affect more often than not. The past isn't as easy to forget as she would like it to be and, she's certain, it must not be easy for him either. She draws nearer then, as if to walk with him. If he doesn't mind. It is as she comes closer - when she can see him in more detail - that she can see the smallest traces of reddish-black - dried blood - on his muzzle. What's this?
Whatever it is, it doesn't cause him pain. It would be lying to say he'd forgotten about it, in any way... But it is not currently foremost on his mind. "How are you?" Pleasantries. Now that he can remember them, again, they are the easiest thing to fall back on. With that question, he sits, a good deal more outwardly relaxed now than he was the last time he saw her, but no more interested in intimate proximity now than he has ever been.
When it becomes clear that he has no intentions of continue is walk, Ama stops at a more comfortable distance, her gray-green eyes watching, tail curling thoughtfully. So. He's going back to his... "old self." Whatever that is. Not that Ama is displeased with that idea at all. It means things may be able to return to a semi-normal existence around Amaranth again, though normalcy is something difficult to imagine for Ama in some instances. His interest - whether it is feigned or not - prompts a warm smile from the cougaress, who finally seats herself as well. "Well," she answers simply. "I've been meaning to speak with you again," she decides to get right down to it, now that he seems more relaxed. She does worry she could ruin that quite easily, but... she'll do it, nevertheless. "You seem to be-" she hesitates a moment, then: "doing better."
Is Kein back to his old self? Under some circumstances, maybe. Like these relatively stress-free ones. Even here, though, there are changes. His minimalized expressiveness. The severe self-control. And perhaps even the very fact that he /does/ sit, instead of standing to speak. He's tired. "I'm... Well, I am beginning to have some hope." Kaya was not angry when she left. Ama will be speaking to Cheveyo. Malak and Revan have not shown up anywhere near his borders. All in all... It's heartening, and, more importantly, it has allowed him time to plan what to do should this peace prove as temporary as in times past.
Whether she feels it inwardly or not, Ama is at least willing to express kindness, gentleness - anything to keep the atmosphere from growing more stressful than she has known it to be in times past. It has always been a part of her nature to exude a gentle protectiveness. A passiveness, a willingness to help. If her worries continue further, it will change her. Her heart has not hardened yet, at least. Her smile continues as he speaks, and then she nods, a soft sigh escaping her. "Yes, that is good. Hope is something we must hold onto," and by "we" she means in general. But it could be taken to mean herself and the chieftain sitting before her exclusively. "What has become of your nose?" she asks next. Rather than ask harder questions... pertaining to herself and her sons. When they last spoke to one another, she had been to bewildered by the news of Cheveyo's supposed actions for it to fully occur to her that Kein may have believed she was in on it. But now... she must wonder if he will continue to think so critically of her.
His nose? It takes him a very obvious moment to understand. What about his...? Ah. "My daughter. Kaya." The anger is gone, even in his recounting of it. Hopefully, in time, Kaya will realize how appalling her behaviour was, and will then apologize. In the meantime... "She wasn't pleased with one of my decisions, and she decided to tell me with her claws." Kein did not strike her back. It was tempting, but he didn't. And now? At least Kaya seems to have taken a break from all of the yelling.
The female's brows lift, her eyes widening along with the action. /Kaya/ did that? Well... she /did/ seem like a fairly passionate she-cub. Stubborn. But perhaps Ama is wrong, despite the fact that she has typically been a fairly good judge of character. Or at least she believed that much. Now she's not terribly certain. "I see. And that does remind me. After Nayeli was attacked, I did speak to Kaya," Ama lowers her eyes, "And I must apologize for not immediately seeking you out to tell you of her condition." At the time, Kaya had been all right - living with Aunt Jinx. Their conversation had been gentle, and Ama had tried to comfort the little girl, telling her to give her father a chance. But that still isn't why Ama wanted to speak to Kein...
She's sorry? For... "I didn't expect you to report back to me, Ama." Honestly. He was certain that, if Ama had found something /wrong/, she would have sought him out. Since she didn't... "Thank you for checking on her, though. I'm not sure it would have gone well, had I been the one to do it." As the scratches on his face can attest. Had he gone after her back then, when she was even angrier, he can only imagine it would have gotten violent quickly.
Still. /Still/ - she should have. Even if he didn't expect it. Surely it would've been one less thing to concern him. "I did it gladly," she tells him in no attempt to brag. It has been much too long since she last interacted with a cub Kaya's age. A difficult age, perhaps, but... how could she not miss it? Her sons are grown, to take care of themselves. Even if they were a little younger than usual, she supposes. And she can remember times where her patience with her own sons was in short supply. Thankfully, they nearly always obeyed her. She can only hope it will remain so, given time. Remaining reluctant to breech the subject she intends to - her place in Amaranth - she finds another subject, "Is Matron Nayeli recovering well?"
Kein has, at least, no trouble keeping up with the conversation. He doesn't realize, though, that this is just passing time while Ama works up the nerve to approach the topic that was the reason she was looking for him. With a nod of his head, she says, "She feels much better, now." Well, less so, since they had to deliver the news to Kaya that she was no longer Chosen. Did Ama even know of Kaya's previous position? "It was rough on her to help deliver the news to Kaya that she wouldn't be Matron, but... She understands that it had to be done, and I'm sure their relationship will recover." If Ama did know Kaya as Chosen, it would be important to correct that. If she didn't... Well, at least now, she'll have some idea of why Kaya is so angry with Kein.
Yet more news to bring a smile to Ama's maw. Sometimes smiling doesn't come easily anymore, though she always tries. When Kein goes on to speak of news being delivered to Kaya, however, Ama's smile does fade the slightest bit. Ama was made aware of it when she spoke to Kaya directly, though it never quite sank in until now. Kaya had mentioned wanting to become the matron so she could make everything right again. And that suddenly makes things clear: Kaya, a passionate girl with this one desire - to be a good matron - has suddenly been informed that it can no longer be. Of course she was angry. "I see," Ama nods her head slowly, her eyes mirroring her understanding. It comes to a point where Ama finds that she no longer has other questions, and her smile slowly becomes a frown. It is evident that she's seeking words by the furrowing of her brows, the almost-casual flick of one ear. How does she begin? Ah. "The other day," she finally starts, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper, "When you approached me..." she looks at the chieftain, waiting to see his response - to make sure he realizes what she might be talking about - before she continues.
Given the volume of her voice... There could only be one 'other day' she is speaking about. When he confronted her about Cheveyo. Guardedly, he replies, "Yes?" She greeted him politely. Engaged in some polite conversation with him. And she wasn't violent when she /got/ the news. He would like to believe, really, that she isn't about to cause him the stress and anger that so many members of Amaranth cause him regularly... But there's some distrust there, all the same. How long will it take to build that back up? Well, perhaps it is only fair. While she is learning to trust that he will not blame her for what Chesmu did, what her sons may do, he can be learning to trust that she does not intend to make his life difficult.
His tone has changed, just as she suspected it would. Ama feels a tug of uncertainty at her heart. If she did not feel that it was necessary to simply "make sure" she would never have brought it up again. But she had been thinking more clearly after leaving Kein's presence. And it worries her now, this thought she had. Her face has grown a little darker - as if a weight has settled upon her shoulders. Her head lowers, but her eyes remain focused on Kein. "I cannot believe you simply came to me to deliver news of my son," for while she is not as bright as Hahnee, she has never been entirely blind. She is /good/ at reading others. At least, she used to be. "And it has occurred to me that things may have been drastically different when we spoke," she lifts her head a little, the tip of her tail twitching a little nervously. She's not sure whether to phrase it as a question, or a statement. There are so many /ways/ she could put it. Do you trust me? Did you believe I... You must have thought... but she does not directly voice any question. She only looks at Kein quietly. Maybe it is a question better left of unsaid. She doesn't want to sound condescending. "I am here for Amaranth." And you believed I would be here for the worse. "Whatever you might have believed - whatever you believe now." There's a certain defensiveness in her voice now. She may not have asked the question, but... it has not entirely escaped her expressive eyes.
So. She's upset that Kein assumed she was in league with Cheveyo. That's fair. Really, it is. He doesn't like it, but it's fair. Perhaps he should have apologized for his assumptions then. Perhaps he still should, now. He doesn't, though. "I won't lie. When I sought you out-" How honest, and how detailed, should he be? "-I had reason to doubt your reasons for being here, and I have to protect everyone from outside /and/ inside threats." It would be easy to relate this to her. If, when she arrived, she thought someone from Amaranth was going to seek out and harm her sons, would she have stayed? Would she have been able to look at that cougar without anger and fear? Almost definitely not. He doesn't use it, though. Not yet. Rather, he reaches out to repair what damage his immediate distrust may have done. "Had I not trusted you to not cause any harm to Amaranth at the end of our conversation, that day... Well, you would have known about it, then." In absolutely no uncertain terms. But what is unsaid, only implied, is that he has absolutely no intention of bringing it up now, or any time in the future, unless she gives him solid reason to, by betraying that trust.
She listens to him without interrupting. The only movement is the curling of her tail, the slow blink of her eyes. When he is finished, she allows a moment of silence where she simply nods in acceptance of what is said. For the first time, she looks at him as an older cougar, his elder. "Next time you assume, I would ask that you remember: I left my sons to return here. Even after I knew they could not return with me, I remained. Amaranth is my home. I would see it safe and stable until the end of my lifetime," then she bows her head slightly, thoughtfully. It /is/ a shame her sons could not accompany her now. She must learn to let them be - she will continue to make sure they remain safe. But a day will have to come when she no longer allows thoughts of their well-being to run her life. Cheveyo is capable of caring for himself. As is Hahnee. Perhaps she should be more concerned /because/ Cheveyo knows what he's doing... she lifts her eyes again, offering an unwavering stare she used once before, when Kein met her in the forested place Hahnee was using as a home.
Kein could argue with her. Make her see his point with anger and exuberance. He doesn't. He says only one more thing. "Just ask yourself what you would think if it were some other cougaress, and I left the possibility unexamined." Yes, he assumed she was working with her sons against Amaranth. But he /did/ give her every chance to prove him wrong. He accepted it. And he even tried to comfort her, afterwards. Surely she is not going to cause him grief over his doubts, his attempts to make sure there were no threats /in/ Amaranth, simply because, in this particular circumstance, she would have been the only one in Amaranth not at risk.
With those words, his line of thinking becomes a little clearer to Ama, and it becomes clearer still why she is not - and never has been - a leader. The weight lifts from her shoulders and she smiles, an undeniable warmth in her eyes. "You are right," she nods her head slowly before getting to her paws. "One more reason I would not want the job of watching over all of Amaranth and its cougaresses." And cougars, she supposes. Perhaps hoping to lighten the mood. After a few moments she becomes serious again (not that she didn't mean what she had said before) and adds, "I wished to make things clearer." To see more clearly what Kein thought. And to tell him he needn't watch for trouble from /her/. Not directly, at least; Cheveyo may be a problem... and no matter what, the fact that he is her - and Chesmu's - son, will mean she will be involved, no matter how indirectly.
Kein stands when Ama does. "It has its rewards." What are they? Well, his relationship with Nayeli is the biggest one, of course. Would their relationship be half of what it is now if they had not had all of the experiences, both good and bad, that they have had? Would Nayeli be as happy as she usually is if she were not surrounded by the other Sisters, if their children were not safe within their territory? "Rest assured that you are not suspect now, Ama." He still believes she can be his best 'weapon' against Cheveyo... But his mind is no longer toward using her safety as a bargaining chip to keep Cheveyo away. And now... "If you don't mind... Before you go, I would ask one more thing of you."
She can only hope that she will no longer have to doubt what he believes her to be. A traitor? No, she is not that. She will never be that. She never /wants/ to be that. Amaranth is her home. If she makes that clear enough, then maybe everything will be all right. ...but then, she knows that's not true. She'd be naive to think everything would be all right. It hadn't really been all right since Chesmu went... wrong. Horribly wrong. She dips her head, glad to hear the chieftain speak those words himself - she would not be suspect. Not now, and hopefully never again. She lifts her eyes again. "Yes, of course. What would you have me do?" she responds, almost eagerly. It's a genuine eagerness at least, though her eyes are serious. That he might ask something of her after all is in some way a confirmation that he does mean what he has said.
Kein still believes the young cub, Ashen, is probably in Amaranth. On the chance that he isn't, though... "When you go visit your sons, if you should happen across a young cougar named Ashen... Tell him that Jinx is worried about him." Kein will not be leaving. He will not even ask another cougar to leave. Since Ama has every intention of leaving soon anyway, though... Within a week or two, probably... "And travel safely." What does safely mean? In Kein's opinion, it is generally traveling in pairs. Since he doubts the solitary Ama will do that, though... Well, she should certainly do whatever else she can to travel safely.
Ashen... where has she heard that name before? Then she remembers. Kaya, explaining how Kein had frightened her friend. Ashen. A friend named Ashen... Ama's expression is rather solemn as she dips her head once again, her tail unfurling behind her. "I will." While she cannot promise that she will go out of her way to look for this young cougar, if she does come across the scent of any young males that potentially came from Amaranth, she /will/ see what can be done. Her smile returns, faintly. "Thank you, Chieftain," she says evenly, voice soft and unwavering. "Farewell," she turns to pad away. At least her mind can rest at ease on one more thing for a while.
Kein watches Ama as she pads away... Then finally turns to head back to the highlands, to his mate. Should he tell her anything about Cheveyo, yet? Or leave it until after Ama comes back, hopefully with good news? Well... He'll have time to think about it, anyway.
