Moose: With the passing months a mental shift occured within Scheherazade. She was finding herself gaining enough strength to move from her tree into others, though always without getting too close to any colony members. The leopardess wasn't ready for their prodding eyes, nor was she ready to see her family. Only now was she beginning to see that time had passed at all...Her poor son was a grown adult and she hadn't seen it until now. Whatever horrid things had been said about her were only confirmed with the previous Council leopards actions after the attack. She had grown distant, cold, and remained in her tree at all times. If any of the medics who visited her found her missing there would be worry, but she had to move.
nessiaing: Akay loved being a fully grown adult. The male had done well as an apprentice but now he was a star gazer a career that he was sure his father thought wasn't worth while but a career Akay loved. He moved swiftly through the tree tops laughing a little to himself when the memory of the first time her tried to climb up into the trees as just a cub and failed misserably at it.
Akay had been present and alive when the lion attacks had happened and of course he was present at the dread colony meeting where so much drama had taken place. Akay had been too young to understand most of it then, and his parents never really spoke about it after. All he knew was that there was five council members and now there was just one. Some where happy about it and others were very mad.
Moose: Finding purchase on a thicker branch, the pale leopardess paused in her explorations to catch her breath. Being as physically active as she was this evening was hard since she'd barely eaten anything for months. Her muscles had disappeared leaving bare ribs in their place, and a haunted look about it. Panting, Scheherazade looked about her, trying to find a good opening in the leaves above to see the stars when she found another shape moving about. For a moment panic seized her. Were they coming to bring her back? But in the moonlight she noticed that she actually couldn't place this leopard at all. But those markings....Who was he? She moved closer, though she chose not to speak just yet.
nessiaing: Akay spotted the ovement quickly, it wasn't exactly hard to spot a lioness so pale in colour among the brown and green of the trees. Akay had never met the leopardess personally but he recognized her as a member of the council... or at least the old council.
"I am sorry I did not mean to intrude." Akay called to her happily. He had been looking for a great place to watch the stars and had stumbled upon her. He studied the leopardess and was shocked to find her looking almost emaciated. "Are you alright?" he asked suddenly filled with worry.
Moose: "Hmm? Oh, yes." Scheherazade was slow to react, though she did her best to nod pleasantly. Truthfully the leopardess was exhausted and she had barely gotten a start on the evening. "You...whose son are you?" The way she asked it was almost whimsical. It was as if the information was in her head already even if she couldn't recall it.
Looking skyward she found the hole she had been in search of. Smiling, Scheherazade looked at the strange male, "It doesn't really matter. Come; the stars are calling us." She used what strength she had to pull herself up into the higher branches and disappeared into the leaves.
nessiaing: Akay studied her, but decided not to ask about her body and how thin she was. Instead she focused on what they were talking about instead. Before he could answer she found a hole in the leaf canopy and made her way up. Excited he quickly followed her leaping up in the trees till he got to the highest branch that would support the weight of his muscular adult body.
"My parents are Arcus and Amaranta." he answered her question as he turned his gaze towards the sky. As always he was amazed by the vastness of what he saw before him. There were stars in ever directions and depending on how his eyes focused it almost looked like there was layers upon layers of stars.
"They are amazing!" he said his voice filled with awe.
Moose: Thanks to her willowy frame, Scheherazade was able to perch herself up a little higher than Akay. Her opaque gaze took in the swarm of stars above her. If she looked at them just right then they were truly living, breathing beings that almost sang to her. If only she could fly to them...
She was broken from her reverie by the male. Sche turned her attention to him sharply, her eyes wide. Hadn't he been a cub the last time she had seen him...? How was he so old, so soon? Thankfully his attention was on the stars and not her. How much have I missed?
Looking back to the stars, Scheherazade pointed out a cluster. "Do you see the groupings? This one only comes this time of year. Older scholars used to predict weather patterns by looking at the stars, and some shamans even used them for prophecies."
nessiaing: Akay was inthralled by the stars, as any good star gazer should be. "I have heard some of the old stories." Akay admitted. He actually loved the old stories and wished he lived in a time of prophecies. He loved the stories that were attached to the different constellations.
"Which is your favourite?" he asked the older leopardess. "Perhaps you could tell me its story?" he asked her. Despite being an adult Akay could never turn down a good story specially if it had to do with the wonderful stars.
Moose: Scheherazade blinked slowly, and forced herself to ponder on it. "My favorite..? That's hard to say." Smiling a little as she looked to the twinkling orbs above her, the leopardess settled on a story, "One of my favorites to watch are 'the digging stars'. When you see them in the night sky then you know it's growing season. The sky is renewed, and so is the ground, so the cycle of life will begin anew. Some prides even count the years of their King's from the time when the first star is visible."
She pointed out different stars as she talked, "The story goes that the Pleiades were the daughters of the sky god. When their mate set a trap for three zebras, it fell short. He dared not return because he had killed no game, and he dared not retrieve his trap because of the fierce lion which sat watching the zebras." it was amazing really, how even after all of this time and her spotty memory that Scheherazade could point out each star in the ancient myth. "There he sits still, shivering in the cold night and suffering thirst and hunger."
Looking to him she gave a little smile, "It's been noted that when the digging stars are in the sky that more triplets are born than any other time. It's a blessing, from the Pleiades."
nessiaing: Akay smiled, "I hadn't heard that one before." he admitted. He loved the story and now her knew he would always look for those stars in the sky, particularly if he was expecting cubs to be arriving soon. That being said he needed to find a viable female in the colony or one that was willing to join as he was related to too many of the females in the colony. A worry for another day though.
He had watched the female as she spoke and he knew the feeling she experienced while she looked up at the stars. It was the same feeling her got from it. But he couldn't help but notice her slim body, slim was too curtious of a word.
"I shoudl get going." he announced suddenly knowing that he wasn't actually leaving to get anywhere but instead to go and find some food to bring back to the leopardess, he just hoped that he would find her in the same spot when he returned.
"Thank you for the story." he added softly before he turned to make his exit.
Moose: "Have a pleasant night." Scheherazade spoke softly. It was warming to know that the colony still had younglings interested in the stars, and hopefully she could pass her knowledge onto them, since her own offspring hadn't seemed to have interested in it. The thought stole her breath as a new ache built up in her chest.
She would have to see them soon, but for now she had her stars. Laying down, Scheherazade stretched out onto her back on the branch with her back paws pressed against the trunk. It wasn't the safest of positions, though she didn't seem to mind. All she needed was the stars.