Post by Chibiabos on Oct 27, 2010 15:47:50 GMT -7
Seaside Mangrove
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Depending on the time of day and season, the mangroves are soaked by varying degrees in a mixture of ocean water and the fresh water borrowed from the river to the west, even occasionally drying up completely. The branches of these tall, sturdy, sprawling trees form an intricate network of dappled sun and shade over the water, a network mirrored from below by their arching roots. It's as if the trees are on stilts, and some species of the mangrove’s trees have large knobby protrusions on their roots designed to remain above the water no matter how deep it becomes. Here, the creatures of land, sea, and river can meet - particularly further back in the mangrove forest, where the water is more brackish. The ground rises out of the ocean’s waters to the west and north, creating an end to the mangrove and the beginning of a rainforest.
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Characters: Dushta, Saamaanya
Saamaanya trapses into the Mangrove. She's very unfamiliar with the area, and a jungle is easy to get lost in, but the tigress has caught a scent she can hardly believe. She sniffs every tree intently, her nose telling her that her brother's scent is fresh in the area. It has been a long time, and part of her wonders if she's imagining things, but it has her curiosity intensely piqued.
Unfortunately for Saamaanya, Dushta has taken to his favorite trick of hiding in the darkest bush he could find. Since this fun with the lions, he's been both trying to be obvious about how he's still well enough to fend off anyone who would assume otherwise, while spending the rest of his time resting so that he'll heal quickly. But those concerns fall to the wayside when the searching tigress happens to wander slightly upwind of his hiding place. Wait a moment, he /knows/ that scent from somewhere... "Saamaanya?" he suddenly asks quite loudly, not really fearing being discovered this close to the home of his clan.
Dushta's voice has changed, a bit deeper than Saamaanya remembers ... but it is still familiar. "Dushta?" she calls out, shaking her head in disbelief. "Could it really be you?" she asks, walking toward the voice. He didn't need nor use such stealth, of course, when he was home, and it takes Saamaanya awhile to spot him in the shadows. "Are ... could ... is it really you?"
Her voice confirms that it isn't just his nose playing tricks on him, so Dushta leaves his hiding place when she comes into view, pausing simply to look at his sister for a moment. After all, it's been more than half their lives since they last saw eachother and neither of them were grown at the time. But once he's able to mentally tie this tigress before him with the sister he remebers from over three years ago, it's as if no time has passed. "Saamaanya?" he asks again with a grin. "Of course it's really me! Is it really you?" he asks with a laugh.
Saamaanya laughs. "I ... totally can't believe it. Did I fall into some funky mushrooms or something?" she laughs as she plows her muzzle into her brother's huge forechest. "I had no idea you'd come this way!" she says, her tail twitching excitedly. Sniffing about, she picks up a lot of other tiger's scents. "Its been such a long time ..." she says. "I suppose you have all the tigresses here swooning at your paws," she chuckles.
Nuzzling his sister when she comes close, all sorts of happy-sounding purrs come from Dushta that some would think that he'd be incapable of making. "Well, I never thought I'd see you again - especially not this far from home! We've both come a long way," he says with another laugh, "And yes, actually, they are - some more than others." He glances off in the distance then shrugs, before looking again at his sister, this time with a frown as he's noticed her scars. "You look a little worse for the wear," he says, though he probably does too. Then again, his all-black hide is good at masking scars.
Saamaanya does notice his posture seems a little uneven. "Nothing what you taught me didn't help me get out of. You won all those matches ... but you also taught me a few things," she says warmly. "The tiger that did this to me isn't in the gene pool anymore," she laughs. "I suppose you've probably been through a few scrapes too," she says, taking more note of his seeming discomfort from his injuries.
At that comment, Dushta abruptly evens out his posture, unwilling to show weakness now that it's been brought to his attention. That it showed in the first place is ample sign that he considers the bond they forged in cubhood to still be very strong. "Well, the lion that kicked me in the ribs is no longer among the living," he says with a laugh of his own, "Don't go worrying about me - you know I can take care of myself. And I'm glad to know that all my efforts to teach you to defend yourself weren't wasted." That last part is clearly said in jest, as it's followed by firm but playful nudge of his head at her shoulder.
Saamaanya chuckles. "Lions can be nasty. Hard to believe one would be stupid enough to take you on," she laughs. "I've seen a few rogue males stupidly trying to prove themselves, not sure what they were thinking ... I'm twice their size!"
"Hmm, well this was my fault, actually," Dushta says, with a twist of his head towards his side. "If I'd been a bit more careful then the lion wouldn't have gotten me. Eh, but maybe that just the old perfectionism talking. And all this bruise does is hurt - give it awhile and I'll be as good as new," he says with a grin. "So what happened at home after I left?" he asks, changing the subject. Talking to his sister about current events seems strange in a way - she was a part of his past life, several chapters ago.
Saamaanya flicks her ears. "Pretty much what you'd expect ... Vichitra took more and more after mom, carved out that small area in that side canyon to the east of mom's territory for her own. Remember, where you found that dhole? Mom and Gussaa are both around, at least when I left -- but that was two years ago. I started having dreams about becoming more and more like Vichitra and mom, and ... didn't like those dreams. About a year after you left, I bade them farewell and ... boldly blundered away. I used to think I didn't care where I went, so long as it was someplace new where I could be my own self ... but I guess, having wandered two years, maybe I'm just going to be a lifelong nomad. I sure didn't expect to ever find you ... this is a long way from home."
Nodding his head at what Saamaanya says, Dushta has to agree that he expected as much. Well, he didn't expect that his sister would ever catch up to him. After all, he did travel a long before now - but then again it was hardly in a straight line. "Well, I'm glad that you figured that out for yourself, finally," he comments, "There's definately more to life than spending all of your time thinking about how miserable everything is. Both of them miss out on all the simple joys in life! So I'm glad to know that you escaped that too." That she's become a complete nomad instead doesn't bother him at all - he lived that way for a few years, and it was a riot!
Saamaanya nods. "I miss them, though ... and I missed you too. Even when I left, though ... never thought I'd actually run into you!" she laughs. "I'm glad fate brought me here, with you," she says. "Is this whole jungle yours?" she asks, looking northwestward, toward the river, and the waterfall and the cliff above.
The black tiger's gaze follows his sister's and he says, "No, I wouldn't say that. I mean, I don't exactly keep to a proper territory. Though I usually wander this forest as I please, and nobody gets in my way. But then again, I was recently offered a clan of tigers - interesting, all of them - and as a direct result my presence is much more objectionable. But you know me; I hate not having anything to do, so I take that as a good thing." He shrugs and grins, obviously quite happy with this life that he's found for himself, kicks from lions aside. "I'd introduce to them to you, but it might be dangerous for you, if they knew we were related," he adds as an afterthought, "They'd eat you alive." Strangely, that last part is said in a completely serious tone.
Saamaanya looks to Dushta. "They offered you a clan because you are big and tough, but would kill your sister to get at you? Sounds like a bunch of psychotic cowards to me," she remarks, shaking her head. "Seems like everywhere I go, there's always bullies who can't just enjoy life without making others miserable."
That actually causes a laugh from Dushta, "Psychotic? Yes, I suppose one might describe the tiger that handed over the clan to be that way. He's certainly regretted it since. But don't worry about that - like I said, you know I can take care of myself. I /do/ worry about you, if you wish to stay in these lands. I have made many enemies, and I wouldn't put it past them to try and use you to get to me if they knew who you were. Perhaps it's best to keep it secret, or perhaps it would be best if you moved on." That last part, though sincere, is also said with regret. Though he's pleased to see her, the more he considers how she would fit into the situation the more concerned he is for her. She is, after all, a very weak tiger - at least in his mind. Her last statement only confirms it: the strong don't need to worry about bullies - they /are/ the bullies.
Saamaanya sniffs. "You're probably right that I should move on ... but it is nice to see you, rbother. You shouldn't wait for him to find a way to torture you, though, by going after someone you care about. I mean ... you're going to sire nieces and nephews for me someday, aren't you? I doubt you'll find a mate as strong as you are, so unless you are prepared to spend every waking moment looking out for those you care about or forego ever caring about someone, maybe you should deal with your psychotic allies." Not having a mountain of muscle behind her to always give her a brute strength advantage, Saamaanya has had to get by with tactics and strategy. "If its dangerous for me, or for you, I'll keep our relations a secret ... but never think I'll ever forget my 'little brother,'" she laughs a bit mockingly at how huge her younger brother is.
"Actually, mates of similar strength are remarkably easy to find in these parts," Dushta says vaguely, his eyes drifting oddly to the west, but then they return to Saamaanya, "But of course I'd deal with him before that. For now, however, he's much more entertaining to keep around. And he's taken it upon himself to keep the rest of the clan in line, so I don't have to." It seems that the present day Dushta takes his sister's advice just as much as he used to; not at all. "And it's wonderful to see you again, big sis," he says with a chuckle at the joke. He can hardly remember life before that growth spurt that put him ahead of her, so the fact that she's older seems nearly meaningless.
Saamaanya shakes her head. "You found tigresses as buff as you? That's something," she chuckles. "Sounds like you're running a gang of lunatics, though. Surely you could do better?"
Shaking his head, Dushta clarifies, "I don't mean that they're as strong as me in body, but in mind. If they wanted their cubs to live, I'd hate to be the one trying to kill them." The shudder he gives at that is only partially feigned - while he's sure that if Baimei or Najala (assuming that the latter continues to strength herself) were to attack him that he'd win, he's also certain that it would get rather messy. The last question actually catches him a bit by surprise, but it only takes him a moment to realize the answer: "Well, of course I could do better. But I don't think that a 'better' clan would be nearly this much fun. You know that I have a weakness for whatever keeps the boredom away the longest. And I'm very happy here; I can't imagine a situation that I would enjoy more." He grins almost apologetically and shrugs, almost asking her to forgive him for not trying to realize his full potential the way prestige might measure them.
Saamaanya starts to feel a bit of a chill in her spine. "I got myself into trouble and out of it. Sounds like your clan isn't the sort of company I would care to keep and so I probably wouldn't want to ahng around, but ... in general ... I can handle myself now, brother. I sure hope you don't let their lunacy corrupt you. I mean, kill those that are a real threat ... sure ... but killing, fearmongering ... I sure hope that's not you."
That his sister would suggest such a thing actually causes a shocked look to cross Dushta's face. "Of course, I would never kill anyone just to frighten anyone - why would you even suggest such a thing?" he asks, clearly a bit offended. Which is perfectly true, actually. Though he hesitates for a moment before he adds, "I must admit that my second-in-command feels that way, but as I told you his days are numbered. And he takes delicate handling. But if I wasn't up to the task of handling the clan then I'd never have accepted the job - and last I checked, that sort of crazy wasn't something one could catch." He pauses with a deep frown on his face for a moment before he adds, "You can trust me on this, Saamaanya, I have it under control. My only concern is for you."
Saamaanya smiles. "I just don't want you to pick up whatever psychosis it sounds like your second-in-command has. I dunno. Vichitra caught mom's melancholy. Sometimes that stuff seems to run like disease in a herd of deer that hasn't been thinned enough. The only things to kill are food and those that would kill you. You're in your prime, brother ... I guess I don't get why you'd let someone that poisonous stay close. And what of the others in this ... clan thing?"
"If I was of strong enough mind to resist mother and Vichitra despite being raised by and around them, I'd hope that you'd have confidence in my ability to ignore that sort of thing and do whatever /I/ want instead," Dushta responds, his tone gradually going from almost hurt to gently chiding. "And like I said, he's interesting to keep around, and helpful in the short term. The others are a mixed bag; some defected from a clan up north, and others were once a part of a clan that was destroyed by them. But all of them are also very interesting tigers to have around. The only thing about them that I don't like is that I'm not sure what they'd make of you - but I never expected to see you here so that wasn't a worry." Sighing lightly, he is quick to add, "So, like I said, perhaps it's best if you moved on. This may be where I am happy, but I do not think that you would be happy here." And though he's certain that this is the truth, it still saddens him a bit.
Saamaanya says, "Helpful? If someone like that is your ally, it makes me wonder who your enemy is. A pride of lions? Bah ... you wouldn't need much help with that," she answers herself. "Sounds like a lot of politics ... not really normal for tigerkind. Dad had mom, and others ... he never really had a serious problem with rivals, our home was so cut off from the world. I dunno ... not sure what I want, certainly something more lively than mom's and Vichitra's."
"Lions?" Dushta says with a laugh, "No, those who choose to stand against us are other tigers - but yes, you need something more lively than where we grew up. It's no wonder mother was so gloomy living there, right? But perhaps this area is a bit /too/ lively for you. We're looking at a near war here, and I don't think that you'd want to get involved. I just like the eye of the storm, I guess.
" He shrugs and gives a sheepish smile. But after that there's an awkward pause as he seems to be thinking of something, but what he eventually says is only, "I won't tell you what to do, but we've been talking for a long time and I should probably check on my clan..."
Saamaanya sniffs. "War? Bah. Sounds about as fun as mom and Vichitra's life. Has to be some corner of the world, somewhere, where happiness is joy. Live life, love life, raise young. Any safe place to hunt near here?" she asks. "I don't want to cause you strife or worry, brother ... but it is a pleasure to see you again."
Her sentiments actually cause Dushta to laugh again. "We are two very different tigers, Saamaanya. But I hope you find such a place, though it sounds rather dull to me. And if you want to hunt, I suggest heading straight north and hunting as you go - not many creatures go that way, so I don't know that you'll find anything quickly, but whatever you find will probably be surprised to see you," he replies, that last part with a grin. Being a master of surprise is his specialty, after all. "And regardless of anything else, it was very good to see you too, Saamaanya," he says, giving her shoulder a lick of farewell as he turns to the west.
Saamaanya purrs softly. As he passes by her, she gives a flick of her tail to smack slightly against his. "Keep your tail in one piece, brother," she says, glimpsing what she can of the cliff to the north to spot a way up. "And thanks."
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Depending on the time of day and season, the mangroves are soaked by varying degrees in a mixture of ocean water and the fresh water borrowed from the river to the west, even occasionally drying up completely. The branches of these tall, sturdy, sprawling trees form an intricate network of dappled sun and shade over the water, a network mirrored from below by their arching roots. It's as if the trees are on stilts, and some species of the mangrove’s trees have large knobby protrusions on their roots designed to remain above the water no matter how deep it becomes. Here, the creatures of land, sea, and river can meet - particularly further back in the mangrove forest, where the water is more brackish. The ground rises out of the ocean’s waters to the west and north, creating an end to the mangrove and the beginning of a rainforest.
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Characters: Dushta, Saamaanya
Saamaanya trapses into the Mangrove. She's very unfamiliar with the area, and a jungle is easy to get lost in, but the tigress has caught a scent she can hardly believe. She sniffs every tree intently, her nose telling her that her brother's scent is fresh in the area. It has been a long time, and part of her wonders if she's imagining things, but it has her curiosity intensely piqued.
Unfortunately for Saamaanya, Dushta has taken to his favorite trick of hiding in the darkest bush he could find. Since this fun with the lions, he's been both trying to be obvious about how he's still well enough to fend off anyone who would assume otherwise, while spending the rest of his time resting so that he'll heal quickly. But those concerns fall to the wayside when the searching tigress happens to wander slightly upwind of his hiding place. Wait a moment, he /knows/ that scent from somewhere... "Saamaanya?" he suddenly asks quite loudly, not really fearing being discovered this close to the home of his clan.
Dushta's voice has changed, a bit deeper than Saamaanya remembers ... but it is still familiar. "Dushta?" she calls out, shaking her head in disbelief. "Could it really be you?" she asks, walking toward the voice. He didn't need nor use such stealth, of course, when he was home, and it takes Saamaanya awhile to spot him in the shadows. "Are ... could ... is it really you?"
Her voice confirms that it isn't just his nose playing tricks on him, so Dushta leaves his hiding place when she comes into view, pausing simply to look at his sister for a moment. After all, it's been more than half their lives since they last saw eachother and neither of them were grown at the time. But once he's able to mentally tie this tigress before him with the sister he remebers from over three years ago, it's as if no time has passed. "Saamaanya?" he asks again with a grin. "Of course it's really me! Is it really you?" he asks with a laugh.
Saamaanya laughs. "I ... totally can't believe it. Did I fall into some funky mushrooms or something?" she laughs as she plows her muzzle into her brother's huge forechest. "I had no idea you'd come this way!" she says, her tail twitching excitedly. Sniffing about, she picks up a lot of other tiger's scents. "Its been such a long time ..." she says. "I suppose you have all the tigresses here swooning at your paws," she chuckles.
Nuzzling his sister when she comes close, all sorts of happy-sounding purrs come from Dushta that some would think that he'd be incapable of making. "Well, I never thought I'd see you again - especially not this far from home! We've both come a long way," he says with another laugh, "And yes, actually, they are - some more than others." He glances off in the distance then shrugs, before looking again at his sister, this time with a frown as he's noticed her scars. "You look a little worse for the wear," he says, though he probably does too. Then again, his all-black hide is good at masking scars.
Saamaanya does notice his posture seems a little uneven. "Nothing what you taught me didn't help me get out of. You won all those matches ... but you also taught me a few things," she says warmly. "The tiger that did this to me isn't in the gene pool anymore," she laughs. "I suppose you've probably been through a few scrapes too," she says, taking more note of his seeming discomfort from his injuries.
At that comment, Dushta abruptly evens out his posture, unwilling to show weakness now that it's been brought to his attention. That it showed in the first place is ample sign that he considers the bond they forged in cubhood to still be very strong. "Well, the lion that kicked me in the ribs is no longer among the living," he says with a laugh of his own, "Don't go worrying about me - you know I can take care of myself. And I'm glad to know that all my efforts to teach you to defend yourself weren't wasted." That last part is clearly said in jest, as it's followed by firm but playful nudge of his head at her shoulder.
Saamaanya chuckles. "Lions can be nasty. Hard to believe one would be stupid enough to take you on," she laughs. "I've seen a few rogue males stupidly trying to prove themselves, not sure what they were thinking ... I'm twice their size!"
"Hmm, well this was my fault, actually," Dushta says, with a twist of his head towards his side. "If I'd been a bit more careful then the lion wouldn't have gotten me. Eh, but maybe that just the old perfectionism talking. And all this bruise does is hurt - give it awhile and I'll be as good as new," he says with a grin. "So what happened at home after I left?" he asks, changing the subject. Talking to his sister about current events seems strange in a way - she was a part of his past life, several chapters ago.
Saamaanya flicks her ears. "Pretty much what you'd expect ... Vichitra took more and more after mom, carved out that small area in that side canyon to the east of mom's territory for her own. Remember, where you found that dhole? Mom and Gussaa are both around, at least when I left -- but that was two years ago. I started having dreams about becoming more and more like Vichitra and mom, and ... didn't like those dreams. About a year after you left, I bade them farewell and ... boldly blundered away. I used to think I didn't care where I went, so long as it was someplace new where I could be my own self ... but I guess, having wandered two years, maybe I'm just going to be a lifelong nomad. I sure didn't expect to ever find you ... this is a long way from home."
Nodding his head at what Saamaanya says, Dushta has to agree that he expected as much. Well, he didn't expect that his sister would ever catch up to him. After all, he did travel a long before now - but then again it was hardly in a straight line. "Well, I'm glad that you figured that out for yourself, finally," he comments, "There's definately more to life than spending all of your time thinking about how miserable everything is. Both of them miss out on all the simple joys in life! So I'm glad to know that you escaped that too." That she's become a complete nomad instead doesn't bother him at all - he lived that way for a few years, and it was a riot!
Saamaanya nods. "I miss them, though ... and I missed you too. Even when I left, though ... never thought I'd actually run into you!" she laughs. "I'm glad fate brought me here, with you," she says. "Is this whole jungle yours?" she asks, looking northwestward, toward the river, and the waterfall and the cliff above.
The black tiger's gaze follows his sister's and he says, "No, I wouldn't say that. I mean, I don't exactly keep to a proper territory. Though I usually wander this forest as I please, and nobody gets in my way. But then again, I was recently offered a clan of tigers - interesting, all of them - and as a direct result my presence is much more objectionable. But you know me; I hate not having anything to do, so I take that as a good thing." He shrugs and grins, obviously quite happy with this life that he's found for himself, kicks from lions aside. "I'd introduce to them to you, but it might be dangerous for you, if they knew we were related," he adds as an afterthought, "They'd eat you alive." Strangely, that last part is said in a completely serious tone.
Saamaanya looks to Dushta. "They offered you a clan because you are big and tough, but would kill your sister to get at you? Sounds like a bunch of psychotic cowards to me," she remarks, shaking her head. "Seems like everywhere I go, there's always bullies who can't just enjoy life without making others miserable."
That actually causes a laugh from Dushta, "Psychotic? Yes, I suppose one might describe the tiger that handed over the clan to be that way. He's certainly regretted it since. But don't worry about that - like I said, you know I can take care of myself. I /do/ worry about you, if you wish to stay in these lands. I have made many enemies, and I wouldn't put it past them to try and use you to get to me if they knew who you were. Perhaps it's best to keep it secret, or perhaps it would be best if you moved on." That last part, though sincere, is also said with regret. Though he's pleased to see her, the more he considers how she would fit into the situation the more concerned he is for her. She is, after all, a very weak tiger - at least in his mind. Her last statement only confirms it: the strong don't need to worry about bullies - they /are/ the bullies.
Saamaanya sniffs. "You're probably right that I should move on ... but it is nice to see you, rbother. You shouldn't wait for him to find a way to torture you, though, by going after someone you care about. I mean ... you're going to sire nieces and nephews for me someday, aren't you? I doubt you'll find a mate as strong as you are, so unless you are prepared to spend every waking moment looking out for those you care about or forego ever caring about someone, maybe you should deal with your psychotic allies." Not having a mountain of muscle behind her to always give her a brute strength advantage, Saamaanya has had to get by with tactics and strategy. "If its dangerous for me, or for you, I'll keep our relations a secret ... but never think I'll ever forget my 'little brother,'" she laughs a bit mockingly at how huge her younger brother is.
"Actually, mates of similar strength are remarkably easy to find in these parts," Dushta says vaguely, his eyes drifting oddly to the west, but then they return to Saamaanya, "But of course I'd deal with him before that. For now, however, he's much more entertaining to keep around. And he's taken it upon himself to keep the rest of the clan in line, so I don't have to." It seems that the present day Dushta takes his sister's advice just as much as he used to; not at all. "And it's wonderful to see you again, big sis," he says with a chuckle at the joke. He can hardly remember life before that growth spurt that put him ahead of her, so the fact that she's older seems nearly meaningless.
Saamaanya shakes her head. "You found tigresses as buff as you? That's something," she chuckles. "Sounds like you're running a gang of lunatics, though. Surely you could do better?"
Shaking his head, Dushta clarifies, "I don't mean that they're as strong as me in body, but in mind. If they wanted their cubs to live, I'd hate to be the one trying to kill them." The shudder he gives at that is only partially feigned - while he's sure that if Baimei or Najala (assuming that the latter continues to strength herself) were to attack him that he'd win, he's also certain that it would get rather messy. The last question actually catches him a bit by surprise, but it only takes him a moment to realize the answer: "Well, of course I could do better. But I don't think that a 'better' clan would be nearly this much fun. You know that I have a weakness for whatever keeps the boredom away the longest. And I'm very happy here; I can't imagine a situation that I would enjoy more." He grins almost apologetically and shrugs, almost asking her to forgive him for not trying to realize his full potential the way prestige might measure them.
Saamaanya starts to feel a bit of a chill in her spine. "I got myself into trouble and out of it. Sounds like your clan isn't the sort of company I would care to keep and so I probably wouldn't want to ahng around, but ... in general ... I can handle myself now, brother. I sure hope you don't let their lunacy corrupt you. I mean, kill those that are a real threat ... sure ... but killing, fearmongering ... I sure hope that's not you."
That his sister would suggest such a thing actually causes a shocked look to cross Dushta's face. "Of course, I would never kill anyone just to frighten anyone - why would you even suggest such a thing?" he asks, clearly a bit offended. Which is perfectly true, actually. Though he hesitates for a moment before he adds, "I must admit that my second-in-command feels that way, but as I told you his days are numbered. And he takes delicate handling. But if I wasn't up to the task of handling the clan then I'd never have accepted the job - and last I checked, that sort of crazy wasn't something one could catch." He pauses with a deep frown on his face for a moment before he adds, "You can trust me on this, Saamaanya, I have it under control. My only concern is for you."
Saamaanya smiles. "I just don't want you to pick up whatever psychosis it sounds like your second-in-command has. I dunno. Vichitra caught mom's melancholy. Sometimes that stuff seems to run like disease in a herd of deer that hasn't been thinned enough. The only things to kill are food and those that would kill you. You're in your prime, brother ... I guess I don't get why you'd let someone that poisonous stay close. And what of the others in this ... clan thing?"
"If I was of strong enough mind to resist mother and Vichitra despite being raised by and around them, I'd hope that you'd have confidence in my ability to ignore that sort of thing and do whatever /I/ want instead," Dushta responds, his tone gradually going from almost hurt to gently chiding. "And like I said, he's interesting to keep around, and helpful in the short term. The others are a mixed bag; some defected from a clan up north, and others were once a part of a clan that was destroyed by them. But all of them are also very interesting tigers to have around. The only thing about them that I don't like is that I'm not sure what they'd make of you - but I never expected to see you here so that wasn't a worry." Sighing lightly, he is quick to add, "So, like I said, perhaps it's best if you moved on. This may be where I am happy, but I do not think that you would be happy here." And though he's certain that this is the truth, it still saddens him a bit.
Saamaanya says, "Helpful? If someone like that is your ally, it makes me wonder who your enemy is. A pride of lions? Bah ... you wouldn't need much help with that," she answers herself. "Sounds like a lot of politics ... not really normal for tigerkind. Dad had mom, and others ... he never really had a serious problem with rivals, our home was so cut off from the world. I dunno ... not sure what I want, certainly something more lively than mom's and Vichitra's."
"Lions?" Dushta says with a laugh, "No, those who choose to stand against us are other tigers - but yes, you need something more lively than where we grew up. It's no wonder mother was so gloomy living there, right? But perhaps this area is a bit /too/ lively for you. We're looking at a near war here, and I don't think that you'd want to get involved. I just like the eye of the storm, I guess.
" He shrugs and gives a sheepish smile. But after that there's an awkward pause as he seems to be thinking of something, but what he eventually says is only, "I won't tell you what to do, but we've been talking for a long time and I should probably check on my clan..."
Saamaanya sniffs. "War? Bah. Sounds about as fun as mom and Vichitra's life. Has to be some corner of the world, somewhere, where happiness is joy. Live life, love life, raise young. Any safe place to hunt near here?" she asks. "I don't want to cause you strife or worry, brother ... but it is a pleasure to see you again."
Her sentiments actually cause Dushta to laugh again. "We are two very different tigers, Saamaanya. But I hope you find such a place, though it sounds rather dull to me. And if you want to hunt, I suggest heading straight north and hunting as you go - not many creatures go that way, so I don't know that you'll find anything quickly, but whatever you find will probably be surprised to see you," he replies, that last part with a grin. Being a master of surprise is his specialty, after all. "And regardless of anything else, it was very good to see you too, Saamaanya," he says, giving her shoulder a lick of farewell as he turns to the west.
Saamaanya purrs softly. As he passes by her, she gives a flick of her tail to smack slightly against his. "Keep your tail in one piece, brother," she says, glimpsing what she can of the cliff to the north to spot a way up. "And thanks."