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 Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:50 pm
 Finally. The small family of leopards got a chance to rest. Finally mother would shut her eyes and stop spewing those awful words about how he and his brothers were an accident. How he looked so feminine that it was sickening. How he was so weak that she should just leave him behind. Contempt only built with each word, but Poikilo was growing skilled at containing his rage... at such an early age, too. He wondered how his brother Baji could stand it... then again, he was pretty annoying himself. Mother and Baji kept each other occupied for the majority of their endless journey with their exchange of shouts and screams.
Poikilo welcomed the silence warmly, watching the sun submerge behind the horizon with a toothy grin. His mismatched eyes darted at the family's resting place. Not a cozy den like he'd prefer, but on the cold hard ground beneath a tree with barely enough leaves to shelter one of the children. They were asleep already... Except Caitan. Poikilo knew how vigilant he liked to be in the night, and this one wouldn't be an exception. He padded over to his brother, plopping his rump down beside him and just stared into the sky. No words were needed, and no words were expected. It was just an opportunity to enjoy the silence with the one feline who enjoyed it just as much as he did.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:57 am
 Caitan looked over at his sibling, the disinterested look in his pale eyes fading and filling with something one could almost call affection as Poi sat down beside him. Shifting a little, the slightly larger cub made room for his brother in the curve of his belly, looping his tail over Poi's back to keep him a little warmer.
Caitan had chosen his spot for his night time watch well, it was on the lee side of the scrubby tree, and therefore they had a half curtain of leaves to block some of the cold. It also gave him a clear view of the savanna around them. If Poi looked a little harder, he could work out it also put him and Caitan on the OTHER side of their mother and other siblings. Meaning if anything came at them, Poi and him had time to scramble up the tree while the others got eaten.
" Did you get enough dinner?" Caitan asked in his quiet, even voice, his gaze back out on the savanna, the tip of his tail flickering back and forth softly over Poi's fur, the closest thing to a caress that Caitan ever gave.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 1:30 pm
Poikilo gave his brother a crooked grin as their eyes met, and it remained as the two of them looked back out to the savanna. Brilliant colors of orange and pink spilled over the sky as the sun made it's final descent into the horizon. That's when the temperature began it's descent as well, making Poi thankful his brother was willing to share his warmth so he wouldn't need to go snuggle up under mother.
"Enough, I suppose." Poi's smooth voice was much more sing-songy than Caitan, with a touch of jolly.. whether the joy in his voice was fake or real was up for debate. An observant feline might even recognize a hidden tone of wicked intent. "Enough to tide me over for the night." Celile had such a lack of hunting skills that it was amazing he wasn't already dying of starvation. Poikilo found it handy to hunt bugs and rodents during the short periods of rest... It'd keep him going. He even offered a few of his findings to his brothers if they were less successful in their own endeavors.
The cub inhaled the crisp air and let out a satisfying sigh. It was clear he wasn't looking forward to the morning... and the thought was making it difficult to enjoy the night. "Do you ever sleep, Caitan?" Poi's crooked smile grew as he jested, gently prodding Caitan's white shoulder with an equally white paw.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:20 pm
Caitan's tail flicked again, his eyes glancing down at his brother, " Yes, when she," he practically hissed the words," stops us at midday so she can hide from the heat," the cub's pale gaze returned to the expanse of grass in front of them, " and a few hours between high dark and false dawn. When the leopards are done hunting, and just before the hyenas begin their scavenging." Caitan had learned the hard way when those hours were, and had had learned the even harder lesson that his mother did not care if her cubs lived or died.
The young leopard looked back over at Poi, " You know I am going to hurt her when I leave," Caitan's voice was void of emotion, his eyes empty, " Death would be to quick, she wouldn't suffer enough." He tilted his head slightly to the side, " I have to learn how long it takes an animal to starve to death first, then I can decide if I am going maim her front paws or her other back one."
Caitan returned his gaze back to the setting sun, " Then Poi, you won't have to fear morning coming, and you could watch the stars with joy instead of sorrow. I'd like to be able to give that gift to you." The last was said softly, the tone gentle, the shadow of the leopard he could have been echoing within it.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:14 pm
Poikilo listened to his brother's confession without much change in his facial features despite the barrage of thoughts and twist of emotions running through his head. It would be convenient if Caitan carried out his promise like he said, but there were still others to think of. His other brothers, first of all. They would be effected by the event, with more negative results than positive.
Though they do argue constantly, Baji has bonded more with Celile than any of the cubs, it seemed. And Ume... there's no telling how that sensitive boy would react to the death of his mom. And last but not least, the effect it would have on Caitan himself. To morph into a ruthless beast who hunts and kills his own kind? And his own mom, no less? Even Poikilo knew that was something bad... something evil. And Poi only wanted good for his brothers.
Now that the pink cub had come to a conclusion, he had to translate his thoughts to his brother. "That's very thoughtful of you, Caitan." Poi's voice lost all of it's bounce, and adapted a new tone of sternness. "But I'd be much happier with a brother without blood on his paws. And two other brothers who don't have to cry because of it. I hate her as much as you do, but I love you, and I love Baji and Ume. It's not worth it... Don't do it."
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:45 pm
Caitan took a long moment to consider Poi's words, his dead eyes clouding as he thought, "Only for you will I do as you ask, I do not care about Baji nor Ume, but you I do, so I will not harm her Poikilo until we are full grown, it is all I can promise."
He looked down at his white paws, the tops of his front toes were still slightly pink from his afternoon kill of pouch rat, it hadn't been a full grown one, still under three feet, but it had fed him and given him left overs for breakfast in the morning. It was what he would have offered to Poi had his brother been hungry.
Caitan frowned, slightly confused, " I already have blood on my paws, I get it on them every time I hunt. Why would her's be any different?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 1:33 am
It wasn't the response he was hoping for, but it would do for now. There was plenty of time between now and then to convince Caitan that it was not the brightest idea to kill the leopardess that gave them life. "Fine..." Poi gave a stern nod, and the grin swiftly returned to his face, exposing his glimmering white teeth he was so proud of.
The pink cub followed his brother's gaze down to his blood stained paws and listened to his question with attentive ears. It was a good question, one that Poikilo would find very difficult to answer. He gave Caitan a blank stare before turning to look into the night sky to ponder an effective response.
"It's not the same. You kill prey to eat... to survive... to make yourself healthy. If you kill mom..." Poi paused, sighing as he failed to find the words to explain the knowledge his conscience provided him since birth. Yet he still hoped something in Caitan's head would click as he struggled to explain. His head dipped and eyed the earth beneath his toes as he decided to take a different approach. "Mom is a leopard... just like us.... And her blood is ours, so if you spill hers... it's just like spilling yours. Or mine."
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:24 pm
Caitan blinked again, tilting his head to the other side, the expression on his face truly perplexed, " I would never spill your blood Poi, I couldn't." He frowned, trying to work through his brother's reasoning, " I..I can see how spilling your blood would be like spilling mine...but not hers. She hates us Poi, you understand that, don't you Poi?"
He raised a white paw and put it around his brother's shoulder, bringing the slightly smaller cub closer to him, " How can you be so forgiving of her? When she treats you as if you are no better then the scavengers of the savanna, it makes me want to rip her throat out. She has no right Poi, no right at all, and she doesn't deserve your forgiveness, or your love." The young cub's voice was heated, and in its tones laced the unvoiced love he had for the sibling beside him.
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:31 am
Teaching Caitan the definition of quality morals and their purpose would prove impossible, especially for a cub so young as Poikilo. Perhaps the best way to go about this was by example. It might work... One could only hope. "I know that she hates us, Caitan, but that doesn't explain why she shares her meals with us and keeps us warm on those cold nights."
Poikilo sighed sadly as his brother pulled him close. He wouldn't object, he was thankful for the warmth and the rare affection Caitan would display only for him. He wished the conversation would change to something a little more cheerful. With all these new questions brought to his attention, Poikilo wasn't going to get a wink of sleep. He'd be attempting to develop a reason for Caitan to act half way civil.
"I dunno, bro. I dunno how to answer all these questions for you. I wish I did..." His voice was significantly more fatigued and quiet now, dying down with power as he knew the cause was lost. He slumped to the ground, delicately resting his head on his paws. But the gift of sleep wouldn't be merciful tonight.
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Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:39 pm
Caitan knew somehow he had answered wrong, or said the wrong things again and upset Poi. It hurt him when he did. The savanna night was cold, and the two cubs were not in the best place to remain warm, and he could see his brother's discomfort.
Caitan was a little bigger then his brother, because he hunted larger prey then just beetles already, birds and things scavenged added to his diet. He figured if mother wasn't going to feed them, he'd feed himself. Perhaps it was time to start sharing with Poi.
Laying next to his sibling, he curled around him, tucking him into the lee of his body, adding extra warmth to his brother, taking most of the night chill on his own back. It wasn't much, not really, but it might be enough to at least keep Poi a little warmer, and maybe let him sleep. Caitan would keep watch, only half dozing, because things out there ate cubs, and he'd be damned if he and Poi were on anyone's menu.
(figured I should finally finish this one, damn took me long enough)
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