Post by Kanti on Nov 18, 2010 22:23:36 GMT -7
Curved Path
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Large enough to accommodate an elephant, so long as they're not claustrophobic or want to turn around, this tunnel's curves are very effective at preventing light from going any further into the cave. However, the way is easy enough that even the most vision-dependant creature could find their way through as long as they don't mind the uneven floor and unpredictable turns. In addition to light, this tunnel is also the point where the air becomes cold and moist, no matter what the weather is on the outside. Most of the time there's a light breeze flowing one way or the other here as the air makes a vain attempt to equalize the air pressure between the constantly changing outside and the deep inner reaches of the cave.
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Back [F] Forward
[IIC] Gyarahabala (M. Elder Gray Wolf)
[IC] Kanti (F. Gray Wolf)
[IC] Raasabha (M. Tiger)
It had been a dark and very stormy night, but inside the cave, two wolves and a tigers had a dry refuge. The storm winds howled and thunder clapped, and while the deep recesses of the cave softened the actual force of wind, they also blurred and distorted the noise of the storm through echoes without much quieting the overall volume. Eventually, the storm subsided. The old three-legged wolf who had guided the dynamic duo to the cave stirs as birds and insects announce the start of a new day ...
With the night's storm ridden out in the depths of the cave, Kanti spent the majority of the time curled up into a shivering, wet ball of dejected loneliness. And while she intended to stay in this state as a way to make her feelings toward the whole situation obvious, the little wretch had woken up in the middle of the night to give in to her greatest weakness. Walking on tip toe, she snuck up to the place Raasabha lay sleeping and with careful positioning, nestled herself in against his massive frame. Warmth soon enveloped her and Kanti allowed herself to drift back to sleep. However, hoping to keep the tiger none the wiser, the scrawny female carefully extracted herself by morning to return to her original spot. Here, she settled down to harass ravenous fleas and pass the time until Raasabha stirred, each slumbering shift from him bringing her attention swiftly back and causing her stomach to flutter with anticipation. However, it is not the tiger's stirring she is rewarded with, but rather, the stiff waking movements of the old wolf. And here she had -almost- forgotten about him. Ceasing her chewing for a moment, Kanti lets one side of her lips draw back with a sneer as yellow eyes cut in the direction of Gyarahabala, though something akin to dread shortly follows. She doesn't have to talk to him, does she? A glance toward Raasabha's sleeping figure seems promising and Kanti huffs a low snort of dismiss and goes back to clicking her teeth rapidly together against the side of a out stretched forearm. Chew-chew-chew. Gnaw-gnaw-gnaw.
Morning?....Already? Grumble grumble grumble. Raasahba was rather enjoying his sleep! The larger tiger holds on to the last few minutes as he rolls on over on to his back and lets his massive head press his ears into the earth of the cave; helping muffle out the calls of the birds. But alas he can't stay like this forever. The burly tiger lets out a drawn out yawn as he pushes his powerful legs up into the air and extends his claws in a long stretch. Raasahba lets his paws come back down and rests his forepaws atop his thick chest while his flank flops on over to the side. Amber eyes open casting their lazy gaze out the front of the cave and gives a light smile as he enjoys the peaceful morning for a bit. The tiger's pink nose pad twitches as he draws in the scents of the morning. The scent of Kanti is pungent and the large cat's eyes narrow a slight before letting out a chuff in greeting to the occupents in the cave.
Gyarahabala 's single forepaw grapples the ground in front of him whilst his hindlegs, tucked under himself, push his tush off the ground. He then pushes back with his single foreleg to get his front half off the ground. The next phase of the old geezer's wakeup routine is a forward lean-stretch combined with a yawn, followed by a twist-shake of his still-damp coat. "Good day," he greets Raasabha and Kanti, casting a gaze outside the cave, noting the sunshine.
It does go without saying that the cave has a distinct scent of wet dog, with Kanti likely being the party to blame for the majority of the heavy scent. Though in her persistent flea-chasing, she has managed to dry out patches of her scruffy pelt, leaving her appearance in a state of disarray with tufts of dry hair poking out amidst wet fur still plastered down against her boady. In the process of washing her tongue along the length of her forepaw, the mangy wolf glances up abruptly as the massive figure of the tiger finally shifts, bringing her ears forward as the little wolf can't keep the slanted smirk from her muzzle at Raasabha's rather humorous stretching. Her tail gives a soft little thump-thump against the cave floor as the little wolf wiggles forward a bit, long lean legs gathering her up and propelling her a step or two toward the large feline. Though if there had been intention behind the motion, it becomes lost the instant that Gyarahabala's voice rings in her ears, causing Kanti to abruptly stiffen and halt in her approach toward the tiger, with the scruffy female playing it off smoothly by simply just shaking her coat out and standing in place looking semi-annoyed. Though turning her regards toward the old wolf, Kanti narrows her yellow eyes down, clearly no more thrilled to have him around than she was the day before. "I suppose." she replies, her tone droll and disinterested as she plops back upon her haunches with a grunt. "Guess you'll be heading on out now, huh?" She tries to sound genuinely disappointed for Rassabha's sake, though the runty she-wolf still can't quite take the glee out of her hopeful tone. Yes, be gone! And Good riddance!
Raasabha traces his claws through the fur on his chest as he idly listens to the wolves. Though Kanti's question does bring the large cat's attention upon the three legged wolf. The tiger lets out a low grunting growl as he rolls himself over on to his chest and pushes himself up; arching his back with yet another stretch before settling down with a sit. Raasabha'a tail gives a few twitches before he turns his head to cast a glance back at the mangy wolf. For now he doesn't say anything to his wolf. A soft smirk spreading across his boxy muzzle as he picks up on her subtle tones. The robust tiger then turns his attention upon their host and swivels his sperical ears forward in curiosity. "Good day, Gyara." Raasabha gives the elder a smile "That was quite the storm."
Gyarahabala stifles another yawn as he bobs his head politely to Raasabha. "Indeed ... the worst of the season, thus far, but not likely the last. I hope Utkrosh made it away safely ... the storm set in faster than I expected, and it took longer to find you than I hoped." He yawns once more and answers the parasite-ridden shewolf. "Only when both of you are ready." He looks to Raasabha, by now getting used to the notion that the tiger looks out for the well-being of Kanti, far more than Kanti herself does. "There is a bunch of garlic, an herbal root that drives out parasites, that grows not far from the entrance of the cave. It is potent and doesn't make for the most pleasant of breath, when consumed ... but it is safe, and helps both kill existing parasites and wards them off for awhile."
Not likely the last? Well, there's some good news! Kanti grumbles to herself at this information, the little wolf adding it to her arsenal of other reasons she doesn't like this place. Come on, the mosquitos are as big as she is! And my, isn't this morning just full of happy news! Gyarahabala's reply sends Kanti's ears splaying back and her eyes narrowing down a bit more tightly on the battle-scarred wolf, an expression that grows all the more annoyed as the old wolf goes on to explain the purpose of this 'garlic'. Surely he doesn't think SHE'LL be eating this? A desperate look is spared toward Raasabha and Kanti shifts awkwardly in place, caught between giving Gyarahabala nasty glares and pleading looks to her Master. SAVE ME! In the end, the scrawny wretch snorts a sound of dismiss and cranes her neck to scratch at her scruffy neck ruff with a casual stroke of her hind leg, "Well, I'm ready to be moving along. And besides, wouldn't want to keep you from your..garlic, was it?" That would explain the smell. And here she was ready to blame it on the old geezers age.
Raasabha gives a soft nod to the older wolf "I see..." His sperical ears give a little flick in annoyance at the situation and casts his sharp gaze upon haggard she-wolf "I believe Gyarahabala has other things to do as well. How about you knock off your little attitude and appease him." The large tiger looks back to the older wolf and gives a sigh of annoyance. "I know you mean well, Gyara. Let's find the garlic for her to eat, but then for at least my sake, be on your way so I can deal with her."
Gyarahabala is not terribly comfortable recognizing a wolf as being incapable of looking out for her own self-interest, but more and more, that appears to be the case with Kanti. Gyarahabala had, from Utkrosh' description, some faint hope he could find a new member for the Saahasi; it did not take long for the shewolf to dim that hope to an improbability. Unless Raasabha were dedicated to getting rid of her, to the point of staying with the Saahasi -- which is a risk to the pack despite how friendly the tiger has proven himself to be, and he may not entirely trust a pack of wolves, either -- until she had acclamated, which could take years and may not be possible. So much of a wolf, as known to wolves, and to others who enjoy the company of a pleasant pack of wolves, is dependent on being raised as a wolf, something this shewolf, for whatever reason, never had. Gyarahabala has a number of tigers he is friendly with, especially Bhata and Bhaskar, and certainly the current war, as with the past, necessitates cooperation ... but tigers are still tigers, and wolves are still wolves. A wolf raised by a tiger is mutually alien to wolves raised by wolves. With the shewolf such as she is, he must respect the wishes of the tiger. "As you wish, Raasabha." The old wolf keeps his tail low and gives Raasabha the regard of an alpha wolf whose territory he is visiting. He takes a few steps out toward the cave entrance, using his ears to listen behind him when the pair are ready.
The elder lupine's concerns and considerations are not entirely unwarranted, especially in the face of appearance. It is difficult to say if being raised by the tiger had so much of an effect on the female as to render her impossible to be anything other than just that. And while kept relatively hidden, disdain for her own kind could be to blame, though in the end, beyond parenting figures and specific behaviors, there is something much deeper when it comes to the scruffy wolf's relationship with the tiger. Most would never see it, even less would even consider it or believe it if they did. But it is present in the way Kanti relates to the big cat and he to her; it is seen in the silent exchanges between them. Two bodies. One mind. This is not a matter of a wolf having been raised by a tiger, it is a wolf that has been raised in the role of a Kol-bhal. Raasabha's voiced response sends Kanti's haggard body into a slump, eyes adverting to just stare at the space between her front paws as a dejected and dreadful whine squeezes out her muzzle before she can stifle it. Unable to accept her fate, the instant that Gyarahabala moves away, the little haggard wolf is on her paws and cowering over to Rassabha with her tail tucked, ears slicked back into her head fur and tongue licking nervously over the end of her snout, "M-master, p-please.." she begs in a low voice, trying to keep in mind that the old fart is likely still listening, "It might be poison! Don't make us!" By this time, Kanti is groveling at the tiger's paws, her left shoulder pressed against the floor of the cave while her scruffy rump remains upright, the little wolf nosing and pawing pitifully at the big cat.
So much for tact. All that the tiger has worked for is lost in the single moment that Kanti begs and pleads in such a theatrical manner. For this the massive tiger lowers his head to the wolf with his fangs bared in a growl. Raasabha's fore paw raises and is placed on the bitch's neck and shoulder. His heavy weight being put on the frail she wolf "Kanti..." He growls "I doubt the old wolf has malice towards you." His razor like claws slide out and press into Kanti's flesh just a slight "That's more than I can say for myself. Go, get it done Kanti. It will only be temporary." The burly tiger then lifts his paw from the little wretch and gives her a sneer. With that Raasabha rises to his paws and begins to walk towards the mouth of the cave.
Cave Opening
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For a gaping hole in the ground, this cave entrance is actually pretty easy to miss thanks to all the bushes and ferns that grow right up to the edge of it, not to mention all the trees. Nevertheless, the gentle ramp that leads into a cave mouth large enough to accommodate an elephant means that literally any creature would be able to go in. The surrounding trees grow thickly around it, though they aren't nearly as tall as those to the south, as this is the edge the forest. Grass trades with trees as the dominant form of plant life in the plains to the north. To the east the sound of a flowing river can be heard.
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[E] East to a river bend [IN] Inside the cave
[N] North to stony ground [NE] Northeast to a lake
[NW] Northwest to some hills South to a pool
[SE] Southeast to a bridge [SW] Southwest to a crossroad
[IIC] Gyarahabala (M. Elder Gray Wolf)
[IC] Kanti (F. Gray Wolf)
[IC] Raasabha (M. Tiger)
Gyarahabala leads the way out of the cave. The sky has only a few clouds, and the sun shines bright and hot. With the storm having just passed, it is also quite muggy. Quite a few trees in the jungle to the east and south did not survive the storm, and the ground is littered with limbs, leaves and other debris. Gyarahabala gradually makes his way from the mouth of the cave toward a brushy area not far from the cave. He carefully sniffs the air, tracking toward a number of green, somewhat grass-like reedy plants. He sniffs one intently, to ensure he has the right plant, then turns himself around so that he can dig along either side of it with his hindlegs (its rather pathetic to attempt to dig with only one foreleg!). Soon, he has it partially excavated, exposing a bit of a papery-textured bulb. He turns around again to face the plant, and carefully leveraging his weight, he pulls it out by bite-grasping the plant near its base, where it has a somewhat woodier stem, and manages to pull the bulb out of the rain-saturated ground. He huffs a bit as he lopes to a fresh puddle formed by the previous night's rainfall, and lowers his muzzle to dip the bulb in the puddle, shaking it a bit to rinse off some of the mud. He lifts his muzzle again to shake it in the air, to fling off the excess water, then takes it back to plop it near Kanti, backing off several paces to give her a comfort zone -- not that anywhere within sight, smell or listen distance would likely be enough to appeach the infested shewolf. "Ignore the stem and blades, just eat the root." It smells quite pungent, being garlic.
Kanti would have liked to argue with Raasabha in regards to the old wolf's intentions, but the subtle prick of the tiger's sharp claws was enough to convince her otherwise. Thankfully, Gyarahabala wasn't party to Kanti's pathetic attempt to squirm her way out of his plans and after gathering herself up off the floor, along with what dignity she had left, the runty she-wolf skulked off after Raasabha to eventually step from the darkness, blinking into the sun. Squinting would be more like it though, which in turn, gives the scruffy mutt an excuse to resume glaring at the old wolf as he goes about gathering this garlic of his. Flopping back rather unceremoniously, Kanti gives a small incredulous shake of her head, "This is ridiculous..." she mutters, mostly to herself. After all, Raasabha has made it quite clear he is going to be insensitive to her plight. So here she is, having to take one for the team. And for what? To appease some crusty, three-legged filthy wolf. The only pleasure Kanti actually gets out of this whole ordeal is watching Gyarahabala dig the thing up. Of course, her humor is all gone by the time the elder lupine lays the bulb and stem at her paws, the old wolf rewarded with a sneer of her lip for all his trouble. Hesitation occurs now, with Kanti sparing one last pitiful glance toward Raasabha, hopeful that he might have changed his mind, before inevitably lowering her head down to give the plant a sniff. Ick! She wrinkles her nose, saliva starting to over produce in her mouth just at the sheer idea of eating the foul, pungent thing. Whine. For a few seconds, Kanti just stares at the garlic bulb with it staring back at her. Snort. It happens quite abruptly, with the she-wolf lunging forward to snap the bulb up, a crisp crunch breaks the silence as she bites the stem completely free of the garlic bulb. She chomps on it wildly a few times before her face scrunches up and eyes start watering, at which point she just swallows the thing in one, throat bulging gulp. Nausea. It hits her hard the instant that the herb's overpowering and pungent odor burns up from the depths for which it had been sent, leaving Kanti to stumble blindly away from the two, the poor she-wolf hacking, spitting, and foaming quite terribly at the mouth. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. No, this is much worse! Lowering herself to a crouch at the edge of some underbrush, Kanti spends the next several minutes gagging and choking up foamy bile. Between heaving and retching though, she does manage to spout off some colorful words in regards to the old wolf. Apparently, his mother was not mated to his father.
As the sounds of the retching she-wolf lay in the back ground the large tiger turns his attention back onto Gyarahabala. The bulky tiger gives the elder wolf a curled lip as he grimaces a slight. Hoping the old wolf won't dig up another, Raasabha takes a step towards tripod "Remember what I said about her. She doesn't take to strangers and she doesn't trust anyone." It would have been easier for Raasabha if he'd had just eaten the old wolf. Between himself and Kanti there would have no trace of the act. Sigh...What one will go through to try and make a good impression with the neighbors. The large feline gives Gyara a friendly smile before dipping his head with a slight embaressed chuckle. "I'd be on my way before she's done if I were you." Raasabha then turn his head to look behind him as the she-wolf can be heard cursing in the bushes, a rather large smirk spreading across his stout muzzle "I'm afraid she won't like you very much from now on. She tends to hold grudges and for long periods of time." THe black striped cat casts his eyes to the elder lupine and gives him a grin "I'm sure we'll meet again though. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check she's not retching up her stomach."
Gyarahabala nods. "I wish I could have left a better impression on her ... but I am glad you, at least, look out for her," he says. He bows to the tiger before turning to the east and departing.
If Kanti had known that there was the option to just eating the old wolf, chances are that act would have had her vote. This, this is just cruel. Gag. Retch. The deep voice of Raasabha and the aged drawl of Gyarahabala is but a distant drone of sound in Kanti's buzzing ears, her vision still blurred and her sense of smell nonexistent, save for the overwhelming scent of garlic. Again and again it triggers her gag reflex, though worse, nothing is coming up, which just leaves her to suffer through lengthy, oxygen deprived dry heaves. Oh what a wonderful morning this is! She'll have to thank the old fart proper next time he hobbles his ass back around! Uuuuuuuggggh. Luckily, Kanti has managed to keep her stomach down, if nothing else, save for that damn garlic. Groaning miserably, moments pass by with the little wretch laying lifeless in the bushes, resting her spittle soaked chin on bile covered paws as she pants quietly through her nose in little warm huffs, catching her breath and ultimately relieved that her stomach is finally starting to settle. With her eyes squeezed tightly shut against the occasional waft of garlic breath up through her sinuses, the she-wolf takes to whimpering her misery in soft little notes for comfort, almost a musical sound that she hasn't done since she was a young pup. And while it might be easy to be fooled by her seeming helplessness, it can be assured that Kanti is already devising a way to end the old wolf's life just a bit sooner.
The powerful smell of the garlic can be felt stinging the nose of the tiger as he grows closer to the exhausted she-wolf. No words are spoken when the sound of his paw steps can be heard as he approaches his wolf. Raasabha just lowers his head and snugly seizes the wolf's scruff and lifts her haggard body from the ground and carries her on over to the cave once again. The large tiger then lays down slowly, draping the limp body of Kanti across his forelegs and begins to rake his wide raspy tongue over her tattered and unkempt coat. An act the large feline rarely does but in this instance seems necessary. His movements are slow as he takes his time. The occasional taste of garlic and bile can be tasted causing him to grimace yet again. Though on a lighter side...her breath is better!
Only an ear twitch. It is the only response gained from the female lupine when the sound of Raasabha's paws are heard disturbing the foliage near her resting place, the pitiful creature too worn out to even attempt to lift her head. Though a flicker of uncertain tension does send the hair upon her shoulders bristling when the heat of Raasabha's breath is felt upon her neck, just before the tiger takes a ample amount of loose skin and fur into his powerful jaws, at which point Kanti becomes as lifeless as a fresh kill and just by appearance alone, a convincing one at that. Her small, scrawny size does make her easy enough to carry, though not that the brute of a tiger would have any difficulties regardless. Dangling by her scruff, Kanti hasn't a care in the world any longer, allowing herself to be toted back to the comfort of the cave. Though once settled, she does shift herself to nestle in more closely against the front of Raasabha's wide chest, the tension in her shut eyes easing up as her ears splay apart and the tiger's little wolf lets herself drift away on the warmth of his breath and under the caring caress of his washing tongue. Ok. Maybe it WAS worth it.
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Large enough to accommodate an elephant, so long as they're not claustrophobic or want to turn around, this tunnel's curves are very effective at preventing light from going any further into the cave. However, the way is easy enough that even the most vision-dependant creature could find their way through as long as they don't mind the uneven floor and unpredictable turns. In addition to light, this tunnel is also the point where the air becomes cold and moist, no matter what the weather is on the outside. Most of the time there's a light breeze flowing one way or the other here as the air makes a vain attempt to equalize the air pressure between the constantly changing outside and the deep inner reaches of the cave.
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Back [F] Forward
[IIC] Gyarahabala (M. Elder Gray Wolf)
[IC] Kanti (F. Gray Wolf)
[IC] Raasabha (M. Tiger)
It had been a dark and very stormy night, but inside the cave, two wolves and a tigers had a dry refuge. The storm winds howled and thunder clapped, and while the deep recesses of the cave softened the actual force of wind, they also blurred and distorted the noise of the storm through echoes without much quieting the overall volume. Eventually, the storm subsided. The old three-legged wolf who had guided the dynamic duo to the cave stirs as birds and insects announce the start of a new day ...
With the night's storm ridden out in the depths of the cave, Kanti spent the majority of the time curled up into a shivering, wet ball of dejected loneliness. And while she intended to stay in this state as a way to make her feelings toward the whole situation obvious, the little wretch had woken up in the middle of the night to give in to her greatest weakness. Walking on tip toe, she snuck up to the place Raasabha lay sleeping and with careful positioning, nestled herself in against his massive frame. Warmth soon enveloped her and Kanti allowed herself to drift back to sleep. However, hoping to keep the tiger none the wiser, the scrawny female carefully extracted herself by morning to return to her original spot. Here, she settled down to harass ravenous fleas and pass the time until Raasabha stirred, each slumbering shift from him bringing her attention swiftly back and causing her stomach to flutter with anticipation. However, it is not the tiger's stirring she is rewarded with, but rather, the stiff waking movements of the old wolf. And here she had -almost- forgotten about him. Ceasing her chewing for a moment, Kanti lets one side of her lips draw back with a sneer as yellow eyes cut in the direction of Gyarahabala, though something akin to dread shortly follows. She doesn't have to talk to him, does she? A glance toward Raasabha's sleeping figure seems promising and Kanti huffs a low snort of dismiss and goes back to clicking her teeth rapidly together against the side of a out stretched forearm. Chew-chew-chew. Gnaw-gnaw-gnaw.
Morning?....Already? Grumble grumble grumble. Raasahba was rather enjoying his sleep! The larger tiger holds on to the last few minutes as he rolls on over on to his back and lets his massive head press his ears into the earth of the cave; helping muffle out the calls of the birds. But alas he can't stay like this forever. The burly tiger lets out a drawn out yawn as he pushes his powerful legs up into the air and extends his claws in a long stretch. Raasahba lets his paws come back down and rests his forepaws atop his thick chest while his flank flops on over to the side. Amber eyes open casting their lazy gaze out the front of the cave and gives a light smile as he enjoys the peaceful morning for a bit. The tiger's pink nose pad twitches as he draws in the scents of the morning. The scent of Kanti is pungent and the large cat's eyes narrow a slight before letting out a chuff in greeting to the occupents in the cave.
Gyarahabala 's single forepaw grapples the ground in front of him whilst his hindlegs, tucked under himself, push his tush off the ground. He then pushes back with his single foreleg to get his front half off the ground. The next phase of the old geezer's wakeup routine is a forward lean-stretch combined with a yawn, followed by a twist-shake of his still-damp coat. "Good day," he greets Raasabha and Kanti, casting a gaze outside the cave, noting the sunshine.
It does go without saying that the cave has a distinct scent of wet dog, with Kanti likely being the party to blame for the majority of the heavy scent. Though in her persistent flea-chasing, she has managed to dry out patches of her scruffy pelt, leaving her appearance in a state of disarray with tufts of dry hair poking out amidst wet fur still plastered down against her boady. In the process of washing her tongue along the length of her forepaw, the mangy wolf glances up abruptly as the massive figure of the tiger finally shifts, bringing her ears forward as the little wolf can't keep the slanted smirk from her muzzle at Raasabha's rather humorous stretching. Her tail gives a soft little thump-thump against the cave floor as the little wolf wiggles forward a bit, long lean legs gathering her up and propelling her a step or two toward the large feline. Though if there had been intention behind the motion, it becomes lost the instant that Gyarahabala's voice rings in her ears, causing Kanti to abruptly stiffen and halt in her approach toward the tiger, with the scruffy female playing it off smoothly by simply just shaking her coat out and standing in place looking semi-annoyed. Though turning her regards toward the old wolf, Kanti narrows her yellow eyes down, clearly no more thrilled to have him around than she was the day before. "I suppose." she replies, her tone droll and disinterested as she plops back upon her haunches with a grunt. "Guess you'll be heading on out now, huh?" She tries to sound genuinely disappointed for Rassabha's sake, though the runty she-wolf still can't quite take the glee out of her hopeful tone. Yes, be gone! And Good riddance!
Raasabha traces his claws through the fur on his chest as he idly listens to the wolves. Though Kanti's question does bring the large cat's attention upon the three legged wolf. The tiger lets out a low grunting growl as he rolls himself over on to his chest and pushes himself up; arching his back with yet another stretch before settling down with a sit. Raasabha'a tail gives a few twitches before he turns his head to cast a glance back at the mangy wolf. For now he doesn't say anything to his wolf. A soft smirk spreading across his boxy muzzle as he picks up on her subtle tones. The robust tiger then turns his attention upon their host and swivels his sperical ears forward in curiosity. "Good day, Gyara." Raasabha gives the elder a smile "That was quite the storm."
Gyarahabala stifles another yawn as he bobs his head politely to Raasabha. "Indeed ... the worst of the season, thus far, but not likely the last. I hope Utkrosh made it away safely ... the storm set in faster than I expected, and it took longer to find you than I hoped." He yawns once more and answers the parasite-ridden shewolf. "Only when both of you are ready." He looks to Raasabha, by now getting used to the notion that the tiger looks out for the well-being of Kanti, far more than Kanti herself does. "There is a bunch of garlic, an herbal root that drives out parasites, that grows not far from the entrance of the cave. It is potent and doesn't make for the most pleasant of breath, when consumed ... but it is safe, and helps both kill existing parasites and wards them off for awhile."
Not likely the last? Well, there's some good news! Kanti grumbles to herself at this information, the little wolf adding it to her arsenal of other reasons she doesn't like this place. Come on, the mosquitos are as big as she is! And my, isn't this morning just full of happy news! Gyarahabala's reply sends Kanti's ears splaying back and her eyes narrowing down a bit more tightly on the battle-scarred wolf, an expression that grows all the more annoyed as the old wolf goes on to explain the purpose of this 'garlic'. Surely he doesn't think SHE'LL be eating this? A desperate look is spared toward Raasabha and Kanti shifts awkwardly in place, caught between giving Gyarahabala nasty glares and pleading looks to her Master. SAVE ME! In the end, the scrawny wretch snorts a sound of dismiss and cranes her neck to scratch at her scruffy neck ruff with a casual stroke of her hind leg, "Well, I'm ready to be moving along. And besides, wouldn't want to keep you from your..garlic, was it?" That would explain the smell. And here she was ready to blame it on the old geezers age.
Raasabha gives a soft nod to the older wolf "I see..." His sperical ears give a little flick in annoyance at the situation and casts his sharp gaze upon haggard she-wolf "I believe Gyarahabala has other things to do as well. How about you knock off your little attitude and appease him." The large tiger looks back to the older wolf and gives a sigh of annoyance. "I know you mean well, Gyara. Let's find the garlic for her to eat, but then for at least my sake, be on your way so I can deal with her."
Gyarahabala is not terribly comfortable recognizing a wolf as being incapable of looking out for her own self-interest, but more and more, that appears to be the case with Kanti. Gyarahabala had, from Utkrosh' description, some faint hope he could find a new member for the Saahasi; it did not take long for the shewolf to dim that hope to an improbability. Unless Raasabha were dedicated to getting rid of her, to the point of staying with the Saahasi -- which is a risk to the pack despite how friendly the tiger has proven himself to be, and he may not entirely trust a pack of wolves, either -- until she had acclamated, which could take years and may not be possible. So much of a wolf, as known to wolves, and to others who enjoy the company of a pleasant pack of wolves, is dependent on being raised as a wolf, something this shewolf, for whatever reason, never had. Gyarahabala has a number of tigers he is friendly with, especially Bhata and Bhaskar, and certainly the current war, as with the past, necessitates cooperation ... but tigers are still tigers, and wolves are still wolves. A wolf raised by a tiger is mutually alien to wolves raised by wolves. With the shewolf such as she is, he must respect the wishes of the tiger. "As you wish, Raasabha." The old wolf keeps his tail low and gives Raasabha the regard of an alpha wolf whose territory he is visiting. He takes a few steps out toward the cave entrance, using his ears to listen behind him when the pair are ready.
The elder lupine's concerns and considerations are not entirely unwarranted, especially in the face of appearance. It is difficult to say if being raised by the tiger had so much of an effect on the female as to render her impossible to be anything other than just that. And while kept relatively hidden, disdain for her own kind could be to blame, though in the end, beyond parenting figures and specific behaviors, there is something much deeper when it comes to the scruffy wolf's relationship with the tiger. Most would never see it, even less would even consider it or believe it if they did. But it is present in the way Kanti relates to the big cat and he to her; it is seen in the silent exchanges between them. Two bodies. One mind. This is not a matter of a wolf having been raised by a tiger, it is a wolf that has been raised in the role of a Kol-bhal. Raasabha's voiced response sends Kanti's haggard body into a slump, eyes adverting to just stare at the space between her front paws as a dejected and dreadful whine squeezes out her muzzle before she can stifle it. Unable to accept her fate, the instant that Gyarahabala moves away, the little haggard wolf is on her paws and cowering over to Rassabha with her tail tucked, ears slicked back into her head fur and tongue licking nervously over the end of her snout, "M-master, p-please.." she begs in a low voice, trying to keep in mind that the old fart is likely still listening, "It might be poison! Don't make us!" By this time, Kanti is groveling at the tiger's paws, her left shoulder pressed against the floor of the cave while her scruffy rump remains upright, the little wolf nosing and pawing pitifully at the big cat.
So much for tact. All that the tiger has worked for is lost in the single moment that Kanti begs and pleads in such a theatrical manner. For this the massive tiger lowers his head to the wolf with his fangs bared in a growl. Raasabha's fore paw raises and is placed on the bitch's neck and shoulder. His heavy weight being put on the frail she wolf "Kanti..." He growls "I doubt the old wolf has malice towards you." His razor like claws slide out and press into Kanti's flesh just a slight "That's more than I can say for myself. Go, get it done Kanti. It will only be temporary." The burly tiger then lifts his paw from the little wretch and gives her a sneer. With that Raasabha rises to his paws and begins to walk towards the mouth of the cave.
Cave Opening
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For a gaping hole in the ground, this cave entrance is actually pretty easy to miss thanks to all the bushes and ferns that grow right up to the edge of it, not to mention all the trees. Nevertheless, the gentle ramp that leads into a cave mouth large enough to accommodate an elephant means that literally any creature would be able to go in. The surrounding trees grow thickly around it, though they aren't nearly as tall as those to the south, as this is the edge the forest. Grass trades with trees as the dominant form of plant life in the plains to the north. To the east the sound of a flowing river can be heard.
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[E] East to a river bend [IN] Inside the cave
[N] North to stony ground [NE] Northeast to a lake
[NW] Northwest to some hills
[SE] Southeast to a bridge [SW] Southwest to a crossroad
[IIC] Gyarahabala (M. Elder Gray Wolf)
[IC] Kanti (F. Gray Wolf)
[IC] Raasabha (M. Tiger)
Gyarahabala leads the way out of the cave. The sky has only a few clouds, and the sun shines bright and hot. With the storm having just passed, it is also quite muggy. Quite a few trees in the jungle to the east and south did not survive the storm, and the ground is littered with limbs, leaves and other debris. Gyarahabala gradually makes his way from the mouth of the cave toward a brushy area not far from the cave. He carefully sniffs the air, tracking toward a number of green, somewhat grass-like reedy plants. He sniffs one intently, to ensure he has the right plant, then turns himself around so that he can dig along either side of it with his hindlegs (its rather pathetic to attempt to dig with only one foreleg!). Soon, he has it partially excavated, exposing a bit of a papery-textured bulb. He turns around again to face the plant, and carefully leveraging his weight, he pulls it out by bite-grasping the plant near its base, where it has a somewhat woodier stem, and manages to pull the bulb out of the rain-saturated ground. He huffs a bit as he lopes to a fresh puddle formed by the previous night's rainfall, and lowers his muzzle to dip the bulb in the puddle, shaking it a bit to rinse off some of the mud. He lifts his muzzle again to shake it in the air, to fling off the excess water, then takes it back to plop it near Kanti, backing off several paces to give her a comfort zone -- not that anywhere within sight, smell or listen distance would likely be enough to appeach the infested shewolf. "Ignore the stem and blades, just eat the root." It smells quite pungent, being garlic.
Kanti would have liked to argue with Raasabha in regards to the old wolf's intentions, but the subtle prick of the tiger's sharp claws was enough to convince her otherwise. Thankfully, Gyarahabala wasn't party to Kanti's pathetic attempt to squirm her way out of his plans and after gathering herself up off the floor, along with what dignity she had left, the runty she-wolf skulked off after Raasabha to eventually step from the darkness, blinking into the sun. Squinting would be more like it though, which in turn, gives the scruffy mutt an excuse to resume glaring at the old wolf as he goes about gathering this garlic of his. Flopping back rather unceremoniously, Kanti gives a small incredulous shake of her head, "This is ridiculous..." she mutters, mostly to herself. After all, Raasabha has made it quite clear he is going to be insensitive to her plight. So here she is, having to take one for the team. And for what? To appease some crusty, three-legged filthy wolf. The only pleasure Kanti actually gets out of this whole ordeal is watching Gyarahabala dig the thing up. Of course, her humor is all gone by the time the elder lupine lays the bulb and stem at her paws, the old wolf rewarded with a sneer of her lip for all his trouble. Hesitation occurs now, with Kanti sparing one last pitiful glance toward Raasabha, hopeful that he might have changed his mind, before inevitably lowering her head down to give the plant a sniff. Ick! She wrinkles her nose, saliva starting to over produce in her mouth just at the sheer idea of eating the foul, pungent thing. Whine. For a few seconds, Kanti just stares at the garlic bulb with it staring back at her. Snort. It happens quite abruptly, with the she-wolf lunging forward to snap the bulb up, a crisp crunch breaks the silence as she bites the stem completely free of the garlic bulb. She chomps on it wildly a few times before her face scrunches up and eyes start watering, at which point she just swallows the thing in one, throat bulging gulp. Nausea. It hits her hard the instant that the herb's overpowering and pungent odor burns up from the depths for which it had been sent, leaving Kanti to stumble blindly away from the two, the poor she-wolf hacking, spitting, and foaming quite terribly at the mouth. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. No, this is much worse! Lowering herself to a crouch at the edge of some underbrush, Kanti spends the next several minutes gagging and choking up foamy bile. Between heaving and retching though, she does manage to spout off some colorful words in regards to the old wolf. Apparently, his mother was not mated to his father.
As the sounds of the retching she-wolf lay in the back ground the large tiger turns his attention back onto Gyarahabala. The bulky tiger gives the elder wolf a curled lip as he grimaces a slight. Hoping the old wolf won't dig up another, Raasabha takes a step towards tripod "Remember what I said about her. She doesn't take to strangers and she doesn't trust anyone." It would have been easier for Raasabha if he'd had just eaten the old wolf. Between himself and Kanti there would have no trace of the act. Sigh...What one will go through to try and make a good impression with the neighbors. The large feline gives Gyara a friendly smile before dipping his head with a slight embaressed chuckle. "I'd be on my way before she's done if I were you." Raasabha then turn his head to look behind him as the she-wolf can be heard cursing in the bushes, a rather large smirk spreading across his stout muzzle "I'm afraid she won't like you very much from now on. She tends to hold grudges and for long periods of time." THe black striped cat casts his eyes to the elder lupine and gives him a grin "I'm sure we'll meet again though. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check she's not retching up her stomach."
Gyarahabala nods. "I wish I could have left a better impression on her ... but I am glad you, at least, look out for her," he says. He bows to the tiger before turning to the east and departing.
If Kanti had known that there was the option to just eating the old wolf, chances are that act would have had her vote. This, this is just cruel. Gag. Retch. The deep voice of Raasabha and the aged drawl of Gyarahabala is but a distant drone of sound in Kanti's buzzing ears, her vision still blurred and her sense of smell nonexistent, save for the overwhelming scent of garlic. Again and again it triggers her gag reflex, though worse, nothing is coming up, which just leaves her to suffer through lengthy, oxygen deprived dry heaves. Oh what a wonderful morning this is! She'll have to thank the old fart proper next time he hobbles his ass back around! Uuuuuuuggggh. Luckily, Kanti has managed to keep her stomach down, if nothing else, save for that damn garlic. Groaning miserably, moments pass by with the little wretch laying lifeless in the bushes, resting her spittle soaked chin on bile covered paws as she pants quietly through her nose in little warm huffs, catching her breath and ultimately relieved that her stomach is finally starting to settle. With her eyes squeezed tightly shut against the occasional waft of garlic breath up through her sinuses, the she-wolf takes to whimpering her misery in soft little notes for comfort, almost a musical sound that she hasn't done since she was a young pup. And while it might be easy to be fooled by her seeming helplessness, it can be assured that Kanti is already devising a way to end the old wolf's life just a bit sooner.
The powerful smell of the garlic can be felt stinging the nose of the tiger as he grows closer to the exhausted she-wolf. No words are spoken when the sound of his paw steps can be heard as he approaches his wolf. Raasabha just lowers his head and snugly seizes the wolf's scruff and lifts her haggard body from the ground and carries her on over to the cave once again. The large tiger then lays down slowly, draping the limp body of Kanti across his forelegs and begins to rake his wide raspy tongue over her tattered and unkempt coat. An act the large feline rarely does but in this instance seems necessary. His movements are slow as he takes his time. The occasional taste of garlic and bile can be tasted causing him to grimace yet again. Though on a lighter side...her breath is better!
Only an ear twitch. It is the only response gained from the female lupine when the sound of Raasabha's paws are heard disturbing the foliage near her resting place, the pitiful creature too worn out to even attempt to lift her head. Though a flicker of uncertain tension does send the hair upon her shoulders bristling when the heat of Raasabha's breath is felt upon her neck, just before the tiger takes a ample amount of loose skin and fur into his powerful jaws, at which point Kanti becomes as lifeless as a fresh kill and just by appearance alone, a convincing one at that. Her small, scrawny size does make her easy enough to carry, though not that the brute of a tiger would have any difficulties regardless. Dangling by her scruff, Kanti hasn't a care in the world any longer, allowing herself to be toted back to the comfort of the cave. Though once settled, she does shift herself to nestle in more closely against the front of Raasabha's wide chest, the tension in her shut eyes easing up as her ears splay apart and the tiger's little wolf lets herself drift away on the warmth of his breath and under the caring caress of his washing tongue. Ok. Maybe it WAS worth it.