Post by Bhaskar on Oct 3, 2010 12:58:48 GMT -7
Sri (Dhole)
Bhaskar and Lakshmi (Tiger, Golden Jackal)
Bhata (Tiger)
------
Stone Arch
The stream birthed at the melting edge of the massive glacier looming to the north comes trickling down, murmuring quietly in its own subtle language an ancient mantra of old. When it meets a tall ridge of stone, the indomitable stream does not stop, nor turn aside. It delves straight through, and over uncounted years of gentle gnawing has widened the tunnel to a broad archway of stone which stands over it like a bridge. Fed by the melt, a large grove of Himalayan birches, pale and oddly bent from the immense weight of snow during winter months, has grown up south of the arch, and rhododendrons abide in their shade. Looking west, the dark edge of a larger conifer forest is visible, and in the northwestern distance the sharp edge of the peak can be seen high above, when it is not cloaked in cloud. To the east, a long stretch of sloping, broken rock rises from the mountain's foothills, and a sharp eye may see some way in the distance a narrow trail climbing it.
------
The frosty nights have finally ceased; now it's just chilly. His pups sleeping -- as far as he knows -- Sri has taken this time to have some grown-up time and also see what's up in the area. He looks almost like he's patrolling, sniff-sniffing along. He's been travelling for an hour or so now -- since just before moonrise -- and now he pauses by the glacial stream to have a drink, briefly drawing back from the cold of it.
Four days is quite a long time for Bhaskar to spend in the company of someone aside from Lakshmi; even the lunar gatherings of the Do-Rakhanaa don't last more than a few days. To top it off, this far north the air is much chillier and, while his fur isn't exactly thin, he hasn't got a winter coat anymore. Neither does Lakshmi. The jackal ranges out ahead of him while he opts for a much more sedate pace, his pelt bristled against the wind as it picks up and draws their scent towards Sri.
The tiger also endured some changes in the journey northward. He hadn't been this far north before and it would definitely take some time to adjust to the change in temperature, weather, and landscape. At least he wasn't doing this trip alone. It was good to have some company along the way, and the jackal and his friend were good company indeed. So here they finally make it to a stone arch, signifying the end of the journey. or is it just the beginning of a new one? Bhata grins upon seeing the stone arch. "Just like they said it'd be. The Stone arch, entrance to my new territory." He says with a grin. "YOu should see the glacier!"
As Sri lifts his head and licks his nose, he gets a sudden hit of tiger-musk. It's faint, but it's more than he's smelled before, and he stops, goes still, nostrils twitching. When the wind tosses the scent his way again, it's stronger. Hmmm. It's more the newness of the smell that makes him nervous -- that and the fact that he's away from his pups. He makes a soft cooing sound, glancing around, aware of how alone he is and how he's not sure where Chiti is -- if she's near Daya and Sajala or not. It's as he's considering this that he hears a snatch of a voice, and then two tigers come into his sight line.
Though Lakshmi is quite some distance ahead of the two felines, the wind that's currently working against them also brings their voices to her. She pauses, looking back over her shoulder, and calls, "It is cold enough down here. I'm quite certain that I do not /want/ to see the glacier!" As Bhaskar rumbles chilly agreement, she turns and keeps moving. And then stops again, finding Sri more or less ahead of her, although not too close.
Bhata nods. "Well then onward to the ledge...it will be a little more protected in the pine forest." He says. He shivers a bit, still not used to the cold way up north. It will take awhile indeed to get used to this, but he supposes he'll have to adjust with time. "I guess I'll be one of the few snow tigers in these parts, eh?" He says chuckling trying to keep the situation as humorous as he can. He calls ahead to Lakshmi the jackal. "Heh, hopefully the view up on the ledge will be enough to make one forget about the chill in the air."
Not the pine forest! "I think that's a terrible idea," Sri declares, marching forward bravely towards not one but TWO tigers.
Already Bhaskar is starting to veer off from the small group--Bhata will have to look after his own territory, of course, but he's thinking vaguely of checking the perimeter before he and Lakshmi depart again. However, when Sri passes his kol-bahl to address them, the tiger stops and looks back with faint confusion. Lakshmi, as well, seems perplexed. The dhole's voice is familiar. "Why is it a terrible idea?" she asks, turning round to keep Sri in her sights.
Bhata blinks as another carnivore, a d-hole comes up to them. The tiger didn't expect to see many others up here in these colder regions, let alone prey species. He'd had expected he'd have to hunt the best he could. The appearance of the d-hole gives him more optomism that he might have better luck up here. However he does not want to appear threatening to the d-hole who appears suddenly. After all the more allies in his fight the better so for now the tiger dips his head offering a greeting. "Good evening to you, why would it not be a good idea to head into the forest?" He wonders. "Its more open up here and the wind is more bitter." "Name is Bhata, by the way."
Wait. Waitwait. Jackal? Jackal plus tiger seems /familiar/, but -- Sri swings his head around, feeling his tail start to go bristly. "Oh just, generally speaking." He's no longer feeling so cocky, but no! Must soldier on! "You know. It's -- cold. The pine needles are pointy. Not a lot of food! Plus critters have been disappearing! Very dangerous. Even for tigers." Sage, trying to be solemn, even /ominous/.
Unfortunately, far from driving Bhaskar away, Sri's words have caught the tiger's interest! His tail ticks at his ankles, and then he paces back over to speak more easily. "Animals have been vanishing in the pine forest?" he says, sounding /very/ intrigued by this. "I'd thought the disappearances were limited to the southern jungles." Lakshmi is watching them as well, her gaze thoughtful; even though Sri does seem oddly familiar she hasn't managed to place him yet.
Bhata frowns at this...."This is not good news. I thought this area would be safe to relocate, if this new clan has made it up here....what am I to do? I can't keep running forever." He looks at the d-hole for a moment. "Do you know if they were tigers who were doing this?" "Or someone else?" he asks the other carnivore..
"Uh. Well, I mean." See now he's wondering if he hasn't made the wrong decision! Tiger-with-jackal looks /awful/ interested. Tiger two looks worried though, yes, he can work with this! "I mean I thought-ish they were -- uh-- disappearing. It's what I was /told/ but you know, best to be on the safe side, I always say. Gen'rally speaking. Also I heard there was a disease!" helpful. "I mean. Recently. This is a terrible place for tigers, the pine forest."
If Bhata appears worried, Bhaskar now seems...almost amused. Maybe he's caught on to the fact that Sri doesn't want them here and is just trying to get them to leave. Still, after a moment he schools his face into the most somber expression you can imagine. "What sort of disease?" he replies, pokerfaced and /oh/ so serious. "It does sound terrible, really, but shouldn't you also be getting out of here if the area is infected?" He glances at Bhata, briefly, then back to sri--and Lakshmi, behind the dhole, tips an ear back. "Don't be mean, bachchaa," she calls to Bhaskar, prompting a sharp snort from the tiger, but she may be smiling a little. Just a little.
Bhata hmmmms and looks at the d-hole. "Yeah, Why wouldn't you be running from a said disease as well?" He wonders getting a little suspicious at the d-hole, as if Sri was trying to pull something over their fur. He glances at Bhaskar. "If this D-hole here is worried about our presence here, perhaps we should reassure that we are allies and not enemies?" He glances at Bhaskar. "I Highly doubt southern dwellers would linger long enough up here to attack creatures from the pines..."
Sri is looking increasingly miserable. This is terrible! He has to go find Chiti. Yes. "I have to go," stern, "please stay away from the pine forest for now." He huffs out a pained breath. Yes. And hasn't he smelle dsome wolves around? Maybe he'll see how-they- feel about tigers...
Bhaskar opens his mouth. Maybe he was about to run with Bhata's interjection, maybe he was about to say something else altogether. It doesn't matter. "Be silent, Bhaskar," Lakshmi says flat-out, and the sight of a canine who weighs less than thirty pounds telling a tiger to stop talking, not to mention the surprised speed with which his jaw clicks shut, is probably amusing in and of itself. "Perhaps I would be better suited to this conversation than either of you." When Sri turns to go, the jackal follows at a respectable distance. In her wake she leaves Bhaskar looking a bit unsure of himself.
Bhaskar and Lakshmi (Tiger, Golden Jackal)
Bhata (Tiger)
------
Stone Arch
The stream birthed at the melting edge of the massive glacier looming to the north comes trickling down, murmuring quietly in its own subtle language an ancient mantra of old. When it meets a tall ridge of stone, the indomitable stream does not stop, nor turn aside. It delves straight through, and over uncounted years of gentle gnawing has widened the tunnel to a broad archway of stone which stands over it like a bridge. Fed by the melt, a large grove of Himalayan birches, pale and oddly bent from the immense weight of snow during winter months, has grown up south of the arch, and rhododendrons abide in their shade. Looking west, the dark edge of a larger conifer forest is visible, and in the northwestern distance the sharp edge of the peak can be seen high above, when it is not cloaked in cloud. To the east, a long stretch of sloping, broken rock rises from the mountain's foothills, and a sharp eye may see some way in the distance a narrow trail climbing it.
------
The frosty nights have finally ceased; now it's just chilly. His pups sleeping -- as far as he knows -- Sri has taken this time to have some grown-up time and also see what's up in the area. He looks almost like he's patrolling, sniff-sniffing along. He's been travelling for an hour or so now -- since just before moonrise -- and now he pauses by the glacial stream to have a drink, briefly drawing back from the cold of it.
Four days is quite a long time for Bhaskar to spend in the company of someone aside from Lakshmi; even the lunar gatherings of the Do-Rakhanaa don't last more than a few days. To top it off, this far north the air is much chillier and, while his fur isn't exactly thin, he hasn't got a winter coat anymore. Neither does Lakshmi. The jackal ranges out ahead of him while he opts for a much more sedate pace, his pelt bristled against the wind as it picks up and draws their scent towards Sri.
The tiger also endured some changes in the journey northward. He hadn't been this far north before and it would definitely take some time to adjust to the change in temperature, weather, and landscape. At least he wasn't doing this trip alone. It was good to have some company along the way, and the jackal and his friend were good company indeed. So here they finally make it to a stone arch, signifying the end of the journey. or is it just the beginning of a new one? Bhata grins upon seeing the stone arch. "Just like they said it'd be. The Stone arch, entrance to my new territory." He says with a grin. "YOu should see the glacier!"
As Sri lifts his head and licks his nose, he gets a sudden hit of tiger-musk. It's faint, but it's more than he's smelled before, and he stops, goes still, nostrils twitching. When the wind tosses the scent his way again, it's stronger. Hmmm. It's more the newness of the smell that makes him nervous -- that and the fact that he's away from his pups. He makes a soft cooing sound, glancing around, aware of how alone he is and how he's not sure where Chiti is -- if she's near Daya and Sajala or not. It's as he's considering this that he hears a snatch of a voice, and then two tigers come into his sight line.
Though Lakshmi is quite some distance ahead of the two felines, the wind that's currently working against them also brings their voices to her. She pauses, looking back over her shoulder, and calls, "It is cold enough down here. I'm quite certain that I do not /want/ to see the glacier!" As Bhaskar rumbles chilly agreement, she turns and keeps moving. And then stops again, finding Sri more or less ahead of her, although not too close.
Bhata nods. "Well then onward to the ledge...it will be a little more protected in the pine forest." He says. He shivers a bit, still not used to the cold way up north. It will take awhile indeed to get used to this, but he supposes he'll have to adjust with time. "I guess I'll be one of the few snow tigers in these parts, eh?" He says chuckling trying to keep the situation as humorous as he can. He calls ahead to Lakshmi the jackal. "Heh, hopefully the view up on the ledge will be enough to make one forget about the chill in the air."
Not the pine forest! "I think that's a terrible idea," Sri declares, marching forward bravely towards not one but TWO tigers.
Already Bhaskar is starting to veer off from the small group--Bhata will have to look after his own territory, of course, but he's thinking vaguely of checking the perimeter before he and Lakshmi depart again. However, when Sri passes his kol-bahl to address them, the tiger stops and looks back with faint confusion. Lakshmi, as well, seems perplexed. The dhole's voice is familiar. "Why is it a terrible idea?" she asks, turning round to keep Sri in her sights.
Bhata blinks as another carnivore, a d-hole comes up to them. The tiger didn't expect to see many others up here in these colder regions, let alone prey species. He'd had expected he'd have to hunt the best he could. The appearance of the d-hole gives him more optomism that he might have better luck up here. However he does not want to appear threatening to the d-hole who appears suddenly. After all the more allies in his fight the better so for now the tiger dips his head offering a greeting. "Good evening to you, why would it not be a good idea to head into the forest?" He wonders. "Its more open up here and the wind is more bitter." "Name is Bhata, by the way."
Wait. Waitwait. Jackal? Jackal plus tiger seems /familiar/, but -- Sri swings his head around, feeling his tail start to go bristly. "Oh just, generally speaking." He's no longer feeling so cocky, but no! Must soldier on! "You know. It's -- cold. The pine needles are pointy. Not a lot of food! Plus critters have been disappearing! Very dangerous. Even for tigers." Sage, trying to be solemn, even /ominous/.
Unfortunately, far from driving Bhaskar away, Sri's words have caught the tiger's interest! His tail ticks at his ankles, and then he paces back over to speak more easily. "Animals have been vanishing in the pine forest?" he says, sounding /very/ intrigued by this. "I'd thought the disappearances were limited to the southern jungles." Lakshmi is watching them as well, her gaze thoughtful; even though Sri does seem oddly familiar she hasn't managed to place him yet.
Bhata frowns at this...."This is not good news. I thought this area would be safe to relocate, if this new clan has made it up here....what am I to do? I can't keep running forever." He looks at the d-hole for a moment. "Do you know if they were tigers who were doing this?" "Or someone else?" he asks the other carnivore..
"Uh. Well, I mean." See now he's wondering if he hasn't made the wrong decision! Tiger-with-jackal looks /awful/ interested. Tiger two looks worried though, yes, he can work with this! "I mean I thought-ish they were -- uh-- disappearing. It's what I was /told/ but you know, best to be on the safe side, I always say. Gen'rally speaking. Also I heard there was a disease!" helpful. "I mean. Recently. This is a terrible place for tigers, the pine forest."
If Bhata appears worried, Bhaskar now seems...almost amused. Maybe he's caught on to the fact that Sri doesn't want them here and is just trying to get them to leave. Still, after a moment he schools his face into the most somber expression you can imagine. "What sort of disease?" he replies, pokerfaced and /oh/ so serious. "It does sound terrible, really, but shouldn't you also be getting out of here if the area is infected?" He glances at Bhata, briefly, then back to sri--and Lakshmi, behind the dhole, tips an ear back. "Don't be mean, bachchaa," she calls to Bhaskar, prompting a sharp snort from the tiger, but she may be smiling a little. Just a little.
Bhata hmmmms and looks at the d-hole. "Yeah, Why wouldn't you be running from a said disease as well?" He wonders getting a little suspicious at the d-hole, as if Sri was trying to pull something over their fur. He glances at Bhaskar. "If this D-hole here is worried about our presence here, perhaps we should reassure that we are allies and not enemies?" He glances at Bhaskar. "I Highly doubt southern dwellers would linger long enough up here to attack creatures from the pines..."
Sri is looking increasingly miserable. This is terrible! He has to go find Chiti. Yes. "I have to go," stern, "please stay away from the pine forest for now." He huffs out a pained breath. Yes. And hasn't he smelle dsome wolves around? Maybe he'll see how-they- feel about tigers...
Bhaskar opens his mouth. Maybe he was about to run with Bhata's interjection, maybe he was about to say something else altogether. It doesn't matter. "Be silent, Bhaskar," Lakshmi says flat-out, and the sight of a canine who weighs less than thirty pounds telling a tiger to stop talking, not to mention the surprised speed with which his jaw clicks shut, is probably amusing in and of itself. "Perhaps I would be better suited to this conversation than either of you." When Sri turns to go, the jackal follows at a respectable distance. In her wake she leaves Bhaskar looking a bit unsure of himself.