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 Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 10:13 pm
 Tsubame had been wandering the grasslands alone for quite some time, since she was juvenile in fact, meeting others rarely. So the silence of the savanna comforted her, it was one of the few things that was always there for her.
This day was like any other, the sun was warm and shining, there were minimal clouds in the blue sky, and there was a nice breeze blowing. And like normal when she spotted a group of lions in the distance she kept her distance, but she was about to find out that this would not be a typical day much longer.
 Once again Tendaji had gotten away from his family without anyone knowing. He wasn't far so he knew his mom would not be to mad, but he still hoped to get back before his mom notice he was gone. Achal, a adult male who was staying briefly with his family, mentioned that Lila, his little sister, could possibly beat him in wrestling because she was more adapt at climbing then he was. So Ten was determined to work on his skills but he dared not do it in the presence of his sister, he would never live it down.
Within viewing and shouting distance of his family Ten had found a perfect tree in which to practice. He agreed with Achal, when he thought that lions are not really meant for climbing, but there were some neat things high in trees so brushing up on his skills wouldn't hurt.
He had no difficulty climbing up to the lower branches, it was when he got higher that he started to get scared.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 5:52 pm
When Tsubame spotted a tree casting a nice shade across the grass she decided to stop for a bit. It was still a distance away from the group that she had seen early, even if it was a bit closer now. It had been a long day and it seemed like it would be even longer then she wished, so she realized in the cool shade and for once in a long while just did nothing. Normally she was always moving, hunting, and avoiding others so the rare moments that she just chilled were a special thing for her. As she began to doze she heard the wind rustling the leaves and branches above her head, or at least that is what she thought.
Tendaji kept going although his fear became very real the higher he got. His focus on the next branch and his determination to overcome this difficulty was all that kept him moving slowly but surly up the tree. It was not until he realized that the next branch would in no way support his weight that he looked around to disastrous results. At first Ten tried to look out at the grass lands but the dense foliage prevented that so he looked down; bad move. When he saw how high he climbed he froze mentally as well as physically, unable to climb down and unable to call for help. He was stuck. Unbidden by him, a small whimper escaped from his mouth as he blindly stared in horror at the ground far below him.
Tsubame was roused from her doze by a sound that after a moment of searching could not find the source to. She was about to shrug it off as her imagination when a second whimper occurred from above her. She looked above her to examine the shadowy depths of the tree, at first she could see nothing but soon she spotted a few marks of white that almost seemed to glow in the dim green light of the tree. A few more moments and the white resolved itself to be a dark colored cub that was crouched on the last sizable branch near the top of the tree. "What are you doing up there?" She asked quite casually even though she could tell the cub was sacred, she instinctively knew that startling it would be a bad idea.
Tendaji was so absorbed in his own personal nightmare, he only vaguely heard someone say something. When the question was repeated a second time Ten focused on the blue lioness that was below him, "Can't get down." He tried to say and only after trying twice more was he able to croak it out. His smallish form was low to the branch and close to the trunk, he had already almost fallen from a tree once in his life and he was in no hurry to have a repeat of the event.
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:30 pm
Tsubame internally debated with herself, it was none of her business and it was just a cub and he was in trouble. At first the shadow of the tree prevented her from telling if the cub was a boy or a girl but as soon as he spoke she knew it was a boy, a frightened one at that. Even with her logical self yelling at her, saying that she should not get involved or attached, she decided that she would do what she could to help him down. Unable to go up there for him, at least not that high, so she will have to talk him down but to do that she must know his name. "What is your name?" She asked him.
Tendaji started to become absorbed in the fall once more as the lioness seemed to debate with herself but when she asked for his name he automatically responded, "Tendaji." His eyes locked, not on the hard ground, but on the lioness.
"My name is Tsubame. Now Tendaji are you ready to climb down that tree your self?" She asked him calmly. Normally Tsu would have looked away from his gaze but this was not normal and for once in a long time Tsu was stepping out of her comfort zone.
Get down by him self? Tendaji's mind babbled as he started to freak out. He latched onto the help that the lioness, Tsubame, was willing to give. So even though he did not think it was possible he tryed to put on a brave face and said in a trembling voice, "Yes, but how?"
Tsu knew that he was scared so she kept her voice calm, not letting any of her doubts leak into her voice as she started to speak calmly. "First what I want you to do is to face the top of the tree with your right side firmly against the tree trunk. When you feel steady I want you to reach down with your back left paw and feel that branch that is just a few inches below you." This has just got to work, she thought as her heart started to beat faster in worry. "Focus on my voice and my directions only, let the fear received and hear only me."
At first Tendaji could not seem to comprehend Tsubame's directions but after a moment of hesitation he did as she directed. With his right side to the tree trunk and his eyes facing the small branches and leaves above his head, he let his mind empty of everything and focused on her voice. It was difficult at first since his fear kept making him imagine his paws slipping and falling from the great height, it always seemed higher in his thoughts, to land broken on the ground.
Only once did he stop, unable to continue. As he stood there, his two back paws on a lower branch then his two front ones, and his face turned into the tree trunk. "I can't." Came the muffled response.
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:03 am
Tsubame had been calmly talking the poor cub down from the tree that he had gotten stuck in, step by step she directed Tendaji's descent. He was doing quite well and was more then half way down from the tree before he froze and was unable to go any farther. "Tendaji you can. You have been doing so great so far and its only a few more branches. I'm right here nothing will happen I promise." She said with feeling.
Normally she avoided others but she would not have missed this chance encounter for Ten tugged at something inside of her. Some sort of maternal instinct or something very similar.
After a few more moments frozen, unable to move, and listening to Tsubame calmly talking to him Tendaji took a deep breath and continued on down the tree. It was not until Tsu told him to stop that he realized that he was on the lowest and largest branch, from this height he could easily finish his climb down with out Tsubame's help. He quickly scrambled down and when his four paws were firmly on the ground he looked up at the tree and gave a slight shutter at the height that he had climbed.
Tsubame was quite glad when Tendaji finally reached the ground and reacted with out really knowing what she was doing. She walked up to the little green cub and nuzzled him before saying softly, "I knew you could do it." After a moment she realized what she had done and very nearly jumped back like he had burned her but subconsciously she knew that it would be a horrible thing to do so instead she stepped back slowly and said quietly "Well now your down and I should be going. Good bye Tendaji." Then she started to walk away, both physically and mentally, she was trying to leave these strange feelings behind.
Tendaji watched confused as Tsubame walked away after praising him. "Um Tsubame wait. Why don't you come back and meet my family, I'm sure that they would like you and the other way around." It didn't look like she would stop so he said, "Please, for me?"
Tsubame paused but did not turn around when Tendaji called out to him. She was not going to go with him, solitude was her friend and she didn't need any others. It wasn't until Tendaji said it was for him that she relented. She turned back and with a smile in her eyes and she said with caring in her voice, "Yes sure for you Tendaji."
~Fin
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