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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 28, 2006 15:49:03 GMT -5
The young leopard smiled to herself, her one blue eye open as she looked up at the volcano. Her silvery pelt didn't camolflage her well with the brownish of the volcano, but what of it?
Catt opened her greenish-blue eye, before scurrying up the volcano, small paws clumsily navigating her over the rough terrain. It's very hot here, she thought, That's nice! The kit was almost at the top....
"Whoa!" she mewed, "Cool!" She was looking down into the mouth of the volcano, her eyes wide with excitement, whiskers quivering.
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Akemi
The Watched
//Orion\\ |Male| |Loner| |Avid Joker| |No Mate| |No Kits|
Posts: 59
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Post by Akemi on May 28, 2006 15:55:43 GMT -5
A small figure, dark against the bright white of the tundra snowfall, moved forward carried on large paws. This fae was of the lynx species, and she had only recently found this land. It was beautiful here, and something in her heart seemed to demand an end to her nomadic lifestyle; seemed to demand she settle here and make this place her home. But before she just randomly plopped her behind down in an unknown land, she wanted to check out the area and see if it was really what she wanted. There were forest and streams and a large river around, those places were dull and she had easily made her way through them. What had attracted her attention was the looming presence of a large mountain. One that occasionally rumbled the ground as she approached.
Akemi made it to the base of the mountain and was peering up its mount, trying to decide the best route in order to traverse its slopes. Suddenly her keen eyes caught sight of a bright white spot on the very summit—which actually wasn’t all that far now that she was at the base of the volcano—and realized there was a young cub standing and peering over the edge. All her motherly instincts kicked in and she bounded forward, a sharp piece of slate occasionally cutting one of her paw pads, but she continued on oblivious. Only later would she feel the pain.
The she-lynx reached the spot where the young cub was, and saw it was a snow leopard, and that the young female was perched precariously over the edge of the volcano. “Young one, move away from there!” She padded over quickly
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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 28, 2006 16:04:49 GMT -5
Catt pricked her ears before slowly taking two steps away from the volcano. "Who are you?" she asked the strange creature that had talked to her. "You don't look like a cat...you don't have a tail!" The she-leopard giggled as she saw the female's "tail", which actually looked much like a bit of extra bone and fur.
The leopard giggled again and took a step toward the mouth of the volcano, straining to look again. "Why should I move away from there, anyway? Will it eat me?" She looked up at the strange creature again, her right blue eye and her left golden-green eyes wide. Her whiskers were still quivering as Catt sat down and twitched her tail.
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Akemi
The Watched
//Orion\\ |Male| |Loner| |Avid Joker| |No Mate| |No Kits|
Posts: 59
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Post by Akemi on May 28, 2006 16:10:36 GMT -5
Despite her fear for the young leopardess' safetly, Ketani couldn't help but smile at the cub's words. Ah, to be so naive and young again! No matter. Ketani padded forward a couple of steps to stand beside the cub, also peering down into the deep core of the volcano: partially to grab the fae if she slipped, partially because she was also curious as to what the inside looked like.
"I'm a lynx, and I happen to like my tail, thank you very much." They may have seemed like stern words, but her tone was light and teasing. "You shouldn't be up here alone. If you fall down there, you'll get killed. Either from the molten fire that lurks at the bottom, or from your impact on the earth." Ketani felt a straightforward explination would probably be best, otherwise she felt she'd get a lot of 'but why?' s.
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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 29, 2006 12:24:42 GMT -5
Catt pricked her ears. "My name's Catt..." she said, then suddenly turned into hyper-active mode. "What's molten fire? Oooo it sounds scary!" The she-cat peered into the volcano again, whiskers quivering with excitement. She closed her green-gold eye and peered into the volcano again.
After a few moments, she stepped back and opened her eye again. "What do you mean I shouldn't be here alone?" Catt asked the lynx.
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Akemi
The Watched
//Orion\\ |Male| |Loner| |Avid Joker| |No Mate| |No Kits|
Posts: 59
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Post by Akemi on May 29, 2006 12:33:00 GMT -5
Ketani stepped back from the edge of the crater and sat down, tucking her small tail in beside her. She watched as Catt jumped from one topic to another and waited for the young leopard to calm down long enough for her to answer.
The female lynx bobbed her head slightly in greeting. "I'm Ketani. And molten fire is fire so hot it becomes a liquid that can melt rock--and little snow leopards, which is the reasons you shouldn't be out here all alone." She watched for a moment the restless energy of Catt before continuing. "Where's you mother, sweety?" She knew that either her mother was out hunting and Catt had snuck off or her mother was dead, for never would a responsible queen live their cub to such dangers.
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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 29, 2006 12:36:05 GMT -5
Catt suddenly fell silent. "I don't really know," she said after a few moments, "I had a father, but he never came back from hunting." The leopard padded over to Ketani. "You can be my mother!" She smiled rather cheesily.
The she-leopard's tail flicked up and down, and her whiskers once again quivered with excitement as she sat down by the lynx.
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Akemi
The Watched
//Orion\\ |Male| |Loner| |Avid Joker| |No Mate| |No Kits|
Posts: 59
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Post by Akemi on May 29, 2006 12:42:13 GMT -5
Trying to get a feel on how long ago this cub had been abandoned, for it was clear to the older female that was what had happened--whether intentional or not, was interterminable, however--Ketani reached out and sniffed Catt. There was no trace of any other creature about her, so she had been alone for more then a week, most likely. Surviving on whatever she could find, no doubt. Poor thing. Her thoughts were saddened by the cruelty of the world that such atrocities could happen every day an no one ever took notice.
Ketani let out a short, light laugh and stood. "I have a better idea, how about we get you a real meal. What are you in the mood for, and no caribou!" She smiled kindly--she was about half the size of one of those things legs, and the mere thought of trying to bring such a beast down sent her fur prickling.
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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 29, 2006 13:35:24 GMT -5
Catt thought for a moment. Cariboo...she had heard of those things, and seen them once or twice. Those huge, stick-legged creatures, with branches on their heads. How those branches had got there, the leopardess didn't know. Mouse, was too small, considering that the Ketani was about two or three times bigger than her. Rabbit, rabbit was bigger than her, yet smaller than the lynx, so rabbit seemed the best choice.
"Err...how about rabbit?" asked Catt eagerly as she thought it over. Her eyes twinkled mischeviously as she pricked her ears and looked around the volcano-canyon. "I don't think we'll find any here, though." she said after a few moments.
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Akemi
The Watched
//Orion\\ |Male| |Loner| |Avid Joker| |No Mate| |No Kits|
Posts: 59
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Post by Akemi on May 29, 2006 13:42:25 GMT -5
Ketani scanned the volcano while the cub was thinking, but finding it derserted of any lurking threats, she turned her attention once again to Catt. "Rabbit it is then. We can test out your hunting skills as well." There was an impish spark in her honey-colored eyes and she spoke again.
"Let's get moving, you're right: nothing else alive up here except us." She took a few small bounds down the side of the mount, paws sliding a few more feet after due to the ground covering bdeing nothing but loose shale and rock. She paused to make sure Catt was following her, and also to quickly appraise the countryside in order to pick out the best and easiest hunting spot. Some small hillocks with a couple old bent trees and bushes formed off to the left of their current position and at the base of the slope; they could head diagonally down to the place. From where they were.
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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 29, 2006 13:47:16 GMT -5
Catt hopped down the volcano, over-sized paws slipping and sliding. With a small, startled mew, she skidded to a stop beside Ketani, looking around the area, before looking at Ketani again. "Where are we going to go?" she asked excitedly. She loved exploring. The small leopard gazed at the small bushes and trees. "Why's everything...dead here?" she asked a second question, looking around once more.
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Akemi
The Watched
//Orion\\ |Male| |Loner| |Avid Joker| |No Mate| |No Kits|
Posts: 59
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Post by Akemi on May 29, 2006 13:53:58 GMT -5
Ketani kept her voice low, just above a whisper: few realized that a whispered voice carried quite a far distance. "The plants are alive, the elements have just made then look dead." She indicated for the leopard to follow her example. "We're going to catch a rabbit, now follow my lead."
The lynx crouched low, muscles taunt and tail twitching. There was no breeze, so finding the source of the prey would be harder, but the hares would also not smell their approach. She located a small burrow within a thick tangle of roots, and began a cautious approach, body held close to the ground.
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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 29, 2006 13:57:32 GMT -5
Catt nodded, before imitating a hunting crouch, her belly practically touching the ground, tail dragging slightly.
Her eyes were wide with excitement as she slowly followed Ketani, though, instinctively, she kept here ears flat, and her head low as well. She noticed the rabbit-den at almost the same moment as the lynx did, though she kept behind the female.
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Akemi
The Watched
//Orion\\ |Male| |Loner| |Avid Joker| |No Mate| |No Kits|
Posts: 59
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Post by Akemi on May 29, 2006 14:07:30 GMT -5
They were now so close that if words were spoken their prey would be alerted to their prescence and would flee immediately. Thus Ketani glanced over her shoulder and twitched her tail to indicate Catt should come up beside her. The lynx turned back towards the source of a next full belly--then the leaves in the uppermost branches of the couple of trees began to rustle. A wind was coming, and would quickly work it's way down to their level. An attack had to be made before then.
Tensing, her haunches rose slightly to provide more leverage, then there was a single strained moment before pent up energy was released in a pounce. She could only hope that Catt had understood her silent message: There was more then one rabbit in the den, and Ketani's attack would most likely catch one, but the others would bolt. This would give the young leopardess a chance to snag a fleeing meal.
Ketani leaped forward, claws extended, and pounced on the den. Her searching paws found furry purchase, and a back was broken immediately.
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Post by :: Tanette :: on May 30, 2006 20:14:56 GMT -5
((Catt's only 1 month.))
Catt stared at Ketani, before pricking her ears and looking down at the rabbits scurrying around her. They were about as big as her. The kit suddenly pounced on a small rabbit, probably very young, but it wriggled out of her paws. The she-leopard looked at Ketani again, before pouncing on yet another rabbit, thought it was even larger than her.
The female got a short "ride", before she plopped on the ground. Catt cocked her head and padded to Ketani. "What'd I do wrong?" she asked, confusement in her eyes.
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