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 Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:44 pm
The coonfox was in rough shape, leaving home was the easy part, surviving was what was kicking her tail. Out of the safety of the caverns and their Alphas, there was nothing to save her from the pack of wolves that had seen her as weak. Who could blame them when she was walking so low, no cover from the sun on her thicker pelt and the sluggish steps?
It had seemed so easy, just head south into the desert, there she assumed there would be road signs or something, and right now she didn't know what she was thinking. Looking back, the snarling beasts had given up, but her tail and hindquarters showed signs of the jaws that barely missed her skin but took away patches of fur.
Walking very gingerly, she managed to stumble into the western edge of the Ahnleh Territory. Having no clue about it, the fox climbed up onto the top of a small out cropping of rocks, too high for the wolves and other non-climbers to reach her. Standing out, her red and black fur easy to see against the gray rock and desert-like surroundings, she didn’t even think about how that might be dangerous. The only things she knew of that flew, were the alphas and their cubs and she was far too far from home to run into them so she felt safe up on the rock. Sighing heavily, she soaked in the sun for what warmth it and the taken sunning rock could offer against the cool day. Curling up, her tender paws stiffly held to the side of her body with her tail on top.
There were things she wasn't prepared for, the loneliness and danger being two of them. As well, the hunger, she hadn't been able to catch anything in days and she wasn't eating the second part of her offering that she carried. At home, she had the fire to curl up to, or friends to curl around. When she failed at hunting, her mother or another banthi would have something for her. Here, her failings brought her to laying with a growling stomach. Even with the sun shining, her fur was duller and there were lots of brambles embedded. Too busy trying to hunt or run, the coonfox hadn't had the time to groom herself, or get a decent rest, since she had left home.
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:50 pm
The day droned on like any other, as Tethra made her way across the territory of her clan. The weather was alike the pattern of the rest of the week, chilly but clear, surprisingly. She made a note in the back of her mind to inform Raajmuat of the pleasurable skies as the last of winter's harsh storms had seemed to have retreated beyond the boundaries of the northern mountain range. The wind barely stirred the tall, dead grasses of the arid plains but she had to admit that the sun felt very unrelenting. The frost was even beginning to fade with such intensity, and her fur bristled with the unwanted warmth. Her northern heritage ran deep on days like this, the female already fretting the long, hot days of the savannah-like summer.
Even as she had patrolled just beyond the boundaries of her clan, the hyena-tiger had found nothing of importance. Lax attitude on a lazy day, she had failed to notice any banthi activity. Sure, she had seen the rowdy wolf pack as they chased down some small prey item, no doubt fighting off starvation from the cold winter season and becoming desperate for food. The nature of the wild was no surprise to her.
In this sense, she was undoubtedly caught off guard when she observed the bright red pelt gleaming against the glare of the sun as it droned on and on in some tired stupor towards her position. The beast even came to rest so nearby that she could smell her scent from an outcrop of rock not far separated from where she lay. So familiar. She couldn't put her paw on it. The musk tingled her senses but her memory refused to be jogged. The hyena-thi was therefor forced to assume the responsibilities she now lived by. This creature was an intruder and must be chased off.
It wasn't clear whether Tokala noticed Tethra's quick midair skip to the rock she had chosen to rest upon, nor the heavy shadow of a bat-winged beast as it loomed over her figure a few feet above...
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Rabid Jigglypuff Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:09 pm
Tokala was looking below, not above so she missed the first signs that there was anyone about. It wasn't until she felt the warm sun being interrupted. Looking up, her golden eyes met the figure of a flying banthi. She wasn't afraid as she looked at the hyena-tiger banthi; nothing with wings has ever posed a threat to her. The wings reminded her of Amon, so she smiled to Tethra, even if she couldn't place her name.
Confused, she wondered where she was, unaware she was in someone else's territory and that the banthi she was seeing wasn't part of her home clan anymore. Calling out, being friendly, she says, "Hello!" Struggling, she tried to remember the banthi's name, it was right on the tip of her brain but she just wasn't able to reach it at the moment.
To her, Tethra represented the Feral clan, and Amon, she didn't expect a threat but protection and safety.
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:26 pm
Tawny eyes watched the female intently from above, comfortable with the dominant view for the time being. The banthi's friendliness confused her to say the least, as her attitude spelled nothing of hostility. It also could be an indicator of smug disregard for the respect one must hold towards another clan's territory. This of course, would make the banthi female much more than a simple traveler who lost her way. As Tokala spoke, Tethra narrowed her eyes, the shadow of her brow giving her a sinister look that wasn't entirely intended. That scent... it was recognizable now, to some degree. It definitely held the stench of Feral Clan...
"What is your purpose here." Tethra flatly posed the question, bristling at the female's cordial greeting. Although the breeze lingered between them, the hyena-thi seemed to not move a hair.
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Rabid Jigglypuff Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:38 pm
Finally it hit her, "Tethra!" She remembered the banthi's name, but that didn't help her confusion as to why she seemed so mad. Sitting up and turning, she looked up at the bat winged female, her head tilted to the side.
The hostility wasn't translating because she didn't see the banthi as a threat. Although confused, she answered, "I read in a book about a voodoo banthi to the south of the caverns so I am trying to find her. You don't know how glad I am to see you, I am so lost. Did something bad happen?" Maybe thats why she is mad, had a fight with her father or something and came out here to be alone. It made sense to the coonfox, to think that Tethra wasn't angry at her, but just that she intruded on her solitude and venting time.
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:54 pm
Tethra's expression wrinkled in a more severe state of confusion as she heard the distinct syllables of her name pass by the other banthi's lips. Her appearance reminded her so much of another she once knew, it was driving her mad to try and figure it out. Her first instincts were to chase off this intruder or at least make it painfully known that she was not welcome in this territory, but as the banthi spoke her resolve began to waver. The winged one took her duties to heart but she was no cold-blooded killer. It just wasn't in her nature to mechanically attack and defend without thought.
She tried to keep up with what Tokala was saying, her frown still present as her chin slowly shook back and forth unconsciously. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was markedly less harsh. The coonfox's pathetically naive enthrallment of finding a familiar face made her seem much less a threat, but Tethra seemed bent on correcting her error - or at least bringing it to her attention. "You know you're TRESPASSING, right?"
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Rabid Jigglypuff Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:16 pm
It appeared to her that Tethra seemed to be confused as well. Head tilted to the side she wasn't sure how to explain it either. The words trespassing also caught her off guard. Looking more confused, she looked to the flying banthi for answers, "How am I trespassing? Its me, Tokala, Tal." Had she forgotten her? That didn't seem too likely; surely they weren't in clan territory, so where was she trespassing.
She remembers the stories then, of other aggressive clans and it seemed to make sense then. "I am just searching for someone I read of in a book, she is supposed to be in the south, am I in another clan's territory? Are they aggressive? I have been chased by everything and caught nothing of my own, you know I am not a battler, I'd rather avoid trouble." She wasn't here to cause trouble, wouldn't be able to stand a chance in battle with anything here if she tried.
Remembering the bear attack, she all the pain she had received from the wild things she couldn't quite outrun, she innocently thought of Tethra as protection, warning her before she ticked someone off and got into bigger trouble. They were far too far from home, even if she tried to call for the Alphas or her mother; none would be able to reach her before she met her end. However, there was Tethra now, she felt, and at least if there was big trouble, she had the hyena-thi to come to the rescue and help her avoid trouble. After all, not only did she still believe the female to be clan, she also remembered her mother telling her that Tethra had come with her father and the few others when she was hurt from the attack years ago.
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:28 pm
Tokala. The name struck a cord and she recalled the banthi now, more specifically her mother Cristata. It had been so long since she'd seen any of them it was hard to distinguish or even remember the names of all the ones she'd sought hard to forget. The floodgate was opened now however, and her memory touched upon the common events they'd experienced together as youngsters.
Her mouth opened to protest this 'character' Tal had apparently read about in a 'book', but she couldn't bring herself to muster the words. "'South' is a big place, Tal." She began kindly, trying not to cause a confrontation or upset the coon in any way. "Yes, you've wandered into Ahnleh clan's territory. Mind you, its the western outskirts..." She hinted that the distance didn't really matter. That danger was danger no matter how far you danced across the fine line. The winged banthi's face softened and she gave a tired sigh. What was she really doing out this far? So naive. Was she that naive once too?
"Did your book say WHERE in South? We don't have real names for most of the landmarks here but I can... help." She managed to squeeze out the word, despite all the alarm signals going off in her head. Helping a rival clan member? A trespasser? A threat? If Raaj found out... she was already trying to think up the excuses.
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Rabid Jigglypuff Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:06 pm
The kindness now soothed the coonfox, and she laid herself down to ease her tired, sore paws. Thinking, she tried to recall the map she had looked at to see if she couldn't better articulate the location. Hearing that she was in another, unknown clan, she tensed and looked up to Tethra, "The Ahnleh clan isn't the one that attacked our clan all those years before we were born, are they?" She knew nothing about the clan that attacked besides stories her mother told her and what she had heard from the older banthi. She also didn't think twice about calling the feral clan both of their clans, although she didn't see her, the coonfox had not a clue that she had left. It never occured to her that anyone would want to leave, although she had as a cub and Pira had wanted to at one point.
Hearing the tired sigh, she looked with concern to the flying banthi, her head tilted to the side slightly in quite wondering of what might be wrong. Returning to the question at hand, she answered, "The book showed it being a cave like structure to the west of a cluster of bigger rocky structures. None of them are as big as the caverns, and the one I am looking for is apart, the last structures to the west before a tar pit." Looking around still concerned about being in another's territory she asked further, "Where does the Ahnleh's territory end? I'd like to rest, the journey has been far harder then I would have ever expected, but I don't want to risk getting attacked either." Not being a battler, she had not a clue how she could defend herself and she didn't want to pull Tethra down with her.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 4:39 pm
Tethra pursed her lips in thought as she struggled to visualize the images Tal was describing of the southern landscape. She had a hunch of what some of the mountainous regions were that she was referring to, but she wasn't completely sure. At mention of a 'tar pit' however, the winged female shuddered. "Stay as far away from there as possible. That part is very... very inhospitable." The hyena-tiger failed to mention why, but she didn't feel pressured to elaborate. With a worried grimace at how drained Tokala seemed, she carefully watched the other banthi for any signs of failing health. "Don't worry about all that..." She murmured, shifting the weight in her forepaws. "You can rest here for now." Completely ignoring accusations of Ahnleh's involvement in Feral clan's sad past, she dodged Tal's curious questions. As far as she knew she was the sole scout for the clan that dared to travel the vast reaches of the territory on a daily basis. The odds of running into a fellow clan member were slim but not entirely void. With this in mind, the young adult found herself unable to recline or relax with her old acquaintance.
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Rabid Jigglypuff Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:10 pm
Tal didn't ask, when Tethra told her to stay away from the tar pits, she accepted the warning without question. She trusted the other banthi completely so there was no need for any explanation. With the grimace and comment, she told her, "I don't want to cause any trouble, I am just a bit tired, I didn't travel much, this journey has been very hard. I think when I get back to the caverns, I'll never leave again." She wasn't cut out for this, living on her own moving long distances without rest.
Lets not forget the predators that had attached her. Turning her head away from Tethra, she licked at a few places in her patched fur where the teeth grazed the skin her otherwise irritated it. When her questions weren't answered, they were put away and asked in other manners, she was half fox after all and half raccoon, cleverness and inquisitiveness ran in the blood line. "How have you been doing, Tethra? I have missed you." Although she wasn't close with the banthi, she still could miss her.
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Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:43 am
Tethra smirked and suppressed a smile as Tokala vowed never to travel again. One opinion she held strong was that Feral Clan spawned naivity in their ranks, with sheltered cubs and adults barely knowing the expanses outside of their little protected zone. Perhaps she was thinking too harshly about them; comparing them to herself was a hard task. She was stricken with wanderlust and a drive to keep moving, with no true home to return to. Perhaps some banthi just weren't meant for long travels.
Her eyes wandered to the scrapes Tokala was nursing, realizing her venture had probably been much more taxing than she had initially judged. With her questions however, it was clear there was painful hesitation in her response. I've missed you ... she couldn't recall ever hearing that from anyone before. A sad truth that made her lies sting with guilt. "Travelling, mostly. Around the western river, the forest... now I've settled in the South for who-knows how long. Nothing eventful to mention, really. I travel where the wind takes me. And you? How is your mother and siblings?" Again she recalled the strong older fox-female, suddenly reminded of her aunt Faizah.
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Rabid Jigglypuff Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:31 pm
Traveling wasn't for her, she knew others did but she preferred the safety and comfort she gained from being in her clan. There was also the fact that you rarely got attacked in clan lands, the bear was unexpected and normally didn't travel that way. Other than that, there was the attack on the clan but the fighters went out and dealt with it. Turning away from her own scrapes, she looked to Tethra and listened to what she had to say.
Thinking of her mother, she was sad and happy at the same time, "My mother is well, she just had two more cubs, my brothers Rikard and Tobias, Rikard inherited my mom's wings and my other brother has my father's twin tails. They are both too cute, I kept trying to steal my brother form my mother, and he was so much fun to play with. My other brothers are doing well, though poor Beowulf had to deal with my father being cranky." She loved cubs, and often wished for one of her own, which was the reason she was quick to try to adopt new banthi. Snorting lightly at her coat, she adds, "Despite how it looks, I am doing well myself. No one knows I am out here, so I hope no one is worrying too badly over my disappearance." There would need to be some wait time before she came home, didn't want to worry anyone. Though she doubted her disappearance was noted by many.
Curious, always loving tales form beyond the clan, she asked, "Have you seen many neat things on your travels?" Rest did nothing for her hunger, and her feet throbbed, but she as over all a bit better.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:33 am
Tethra's brow noticeably raised when she heard of Cristata and Torvis' new clutch, though she couldn't say she was entirely surprised. The winged female knew it was arriving around that time of year when many creatures were beginning to finally expose themselves from the winter sleep to show the world their new littler additions. Nodding approvingly, she lightly commented. "Very good on both accounts. I'm pleased that your family prospers." Such a formal statement from someone so far from being stoic. Still, a glimmer of worry showed on her expression for a brief moment. "No one knows you left?" Thinking on this, she finished her thought. "I'm not sure if that's an entirely good thing..."
At the question, the hyena-tiger paused, a warm smile suddenly appearing across her features that dramatically changed her hardened look to one that might just be a little content with life at the moment. "Many wonderful things." She paused before elaborating, looking as if she was reflecting on something particularly pleasant. "The world is so dangerous, but so beautiful. I've learned to breathe in all the small occurrences normally unnoticed in nature. I've learned so much but there's still so much left to learn..." Her voice drifted and she seemed to refocus, her smile fading to be subdued. "I can thank my cousin for the appreciation I've developed. I sometimes wish she was here-" She stopped herself short, feeling a strong ache in her heart and not wanting to let it show too much.
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Rabid Jigglypuff Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:32 pm
Smiling, she was as well. Her parents were so happy, even happier now that they had more cubs. It was sad though, because Tal was more aware of how much she wanted a cub of her own to share with Al. "So am I, my mother and father are so happy, and my brothers are adorable." Ears dropping a bit, she pushed aside her sadness on not having her own cubs. Tal nodded telling her, "I doubt very many will notice I am gone, I am not exactly a productive member of the clan, but I know I'll hear it from my mother when I return." Besides her family, she doubted very much that anyone would notice one little nonbattler went off on her own.
As Tethra talked, Tal listened enraptured, there was so much more the other banthi knew then she could. "When you learn more, do you think you'll come home and share it? I'd love to hear your stories, not sure if I could find my way back here though if I tired." She would, to hear Tethra's stories. She valued the banthi for her knowledge, experience and company. Tilting her head, she asked, "Why isn't she?" She didn't understand why or why not the mentioned banthi wasn't around.
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