[PRP] Golden Webs (Naal'ashi and Morningstar)

[Geyser Eelborn]

She awoke in a storm, and waited quietly for it to go away. Her fur was thick, and its soft inner layers insulated her against the pouring rain, the howling wind, the dancing lightning. She listened to the sounds far above her, and she thought for a long time. She thought about what she was. She thought about how she felt. She thought about how water felt, and how the lightning made her thick fur stand on end. She thought about her colors, and she thought about herself. She thought about what she was--like she was half of something, something far distant that she did not understand. If she was half, then there were others. And that meant that she would need a way to distinguish herself. So she decided, as the rain receded and the thunder died away, that she was Naałʼashí, and that was how she would identify herself. And now that the lightning--such a beautiful thing, so graceful and light and wonderful!--had disappeared over the horizon, she stood up and took stock of her surroundings.

She was on a piece of land--sand, grass, shrub, and stones--and off in the distance, over a stretch of dune, came crashing waves of water, breaking in the darkness after the storm. The sand seemed to glow white. Naałʼashí stared at the waves for a long time before she concluded that they were not as fine as lightning. With another important decision made, she turned her back on the sea and headed inland. She kept on walking--one step in front of another, her feathering around her ankles dragging in the dirt. She paid it no mind. She was listening. She did not know what she was listening for, but she knew it when she heard it. The tip of her tail twitched and, silently, she slid into the undergrowth, waiting for the source of the sound to walk by. She did not know what it was. It smelled different, when she took the time to scent the air. But she knew, instinctively, that it was an important sound, and an important smell, and that it was in some way connected to what she was.

She said not a word. She did not know what words were or that they existed; she merely wriggled down into the undergrowth, peering out with dark eyes at the path in front of her that she had been following. Now she just had to wait. For what she did not know, but she knew what she needed to do.

[ Radical Dreamer ]

 

[[ Radical Dreamer ]]

"Now that she is comfortable, we must find at least one other." Morning Star's soft, yet commanding voice spoke to his Needle. His loyal second in command.

"With all that I plan to sow, We will need more then just one Garment." The golden armored and white fur Tahtll looked like ghost in the trees of the forest. They had came by the sea, and where on their way back to their home after the storm had settled. For now, they both took refuge in the canopy of the forest, it was not wise to travel across the ocean in a storm. Luckily the Light B'alam had a trusting set of eyes that could see perfectly in the dark beside him.

The purple pelt that adorn the regal like fur of it's proud owner, made for a wonderful blanket that help fought off any chill of the night.

Teal eyes remained closed in the sightless Night, as he followed the lead of Cain, to a place of shelter till the Storm lifted. Ears as always where sharp and poised and tuned to make up for his sight long ago. His senses, ever since he was trapped in the cave, had to make up for....

Halting in his step, Morning Star's tail shifted and his maw parted as he took in the taste and smell of the brush around him. His spirit whisper and told him of another that was nearby.

A Nahtll....

Turning his head to where he knew Cain was, Morning Star paused. His tail shifted once more.

"Cain, Let us find rest right here. I am sure our clan will understand why we are delayed." The Regal Tahtll, shifted in his steps and moved his thoughts to brush anything that would be under him and his paws from under him, before his hunches slowly lowered to the ground.

GunSniper

Geyser Eelborn

 

[GunSniper]

Morning Star's ever loyal shadow walked a nose's length beside his master. Without so much as a hum Cain listened to every word and waited for any need for a response of input to the plan. All the while he remained alert to the surroundings. His bright eyes scanned back and forth, from tree to rock, while they moved forward. He could hear the crashing waves amongst the roaring of the sky and rustling of the leaves. They were not far away from the coast.

"Would you require me to hunt?" Cain inquired in his gruff voice once they stopped and Morning Star had declared this was where they were to rest.

He could sense the Nahtll as well and continued to watch the area diligently both in sight and sound. It was because of that presence that Cain did not truly desire to part from his master's side, however, he knew it was also his duty to do as he was instructed. If food was required than he would go fetch it. Along their journey he had noted some strange tracks in the dirt. Not strange in a sense to cause alarm, but strange in that they were clearly not from a b'alam. This meant that it was likely pray and hunting should not take too much time.

[ Radical Dreamer ]

Geyser Eelborn

 

[Geyser Eelborn]

The strangeness turned out to be two others--one pale and gold, with dark magenta fur piled atop lightning scales, and another one, as dark as the storm clouds above. Both were...shaped differently to her burgeoning senses. They were speaking together. They knew each other. And now Naal'ashi knew about words and conversation and meaning behind the confines of her own head. The Lightning spoke to the Thunder. She did not know how, she could not ken, but she knew what those sounds meant. The Thunder was asking the Lightning if...he...wanted the Thunder to hunt for him. Soft as a summer rain, Naal'ashi lowered herself until her belly sank into the sodden undergrowth, soaked almost to her skin--almost, but not quite. Neither of the strange ones knew she was there. She would strike...if there was but one of them.

She pushed herself from the ground, whisper-like, and slunk off to the other side of the clearing. The hunting Thunder would be alone, but he looked nowhere near as vulnerable as the Lightning. Tail twitching once again furiously, Naal'ashi prepared to pounce as soon as the Thunder made his leave to hunt.

She had time to wait and time to contemplate. They spoke of "clan," and instinct told her that it meant a close-knitedness. They then were...kin. And they would not leave each other. Not even for the hunt...

So what now? Was she to pounce, when her prey were so united as to be invulnerable? How could she hope to beat them? And was there any point in her hunt at all? For if two of her kind were standing together in a journey to be reunited with others, did that not imply that the purpose of their kind was to be united as if into one?

Naal'ashi stood up, but said not word. She waited only for the others of her kind, B'alam, to make their move--by accepting to confirm, by attacking to condemn her hypothesis. Their move. Her fate.

She waited.

[ Radical Dreamer ]

GunSniper

 

[[ Radical Dreamer ]]

Morning Star's tail shifted in the brush.

"Not just yet, that would be rude to our guest." The hypersensitive Tahtll smiled as the Nahtlil rose with out a word. He didn't know how long she had watched or stalked them, just only that she was near. Nor, did he know where untill she had rose and even then he couldn't see her in the darkness. For his eyes where blind, and only worked by guiding light.

"Greetings." Morning Star tilted his head in a nod, not knowing how well the other could see for he couldn't even distinguish her features in the lack of light.

"I am Morning Star, and this other here is Cain." The light b'alam raised a paw to gestured to his loyal friend.

" Forgive us, have we intrude on your patch of land?" The Leader spoke respectfully to the other. His tail shifted in the leaves once more. Claws readied themselves just in case under the brush

Geyser Eelborn

GunSniper

 

[GunSniper]

Cain's attention snapped to the nantlil appearance. His posture remained unmoved, however, his muscles tensed in anticipation of having to defend his master. Claws unsheathed while his ears shifted forward to follow his eyes.

Thankfully his master was quick to speak.

"Yes M'lord." He acknowledged the stand down command and honored it.

Even during the introduction he remained still, a dark statue behind his leader. His claws had sheathed while Morning Star spoke, however, he was ready to use them at a moment's notice. There may have been two B'alam more than the one nantlil, but that did not mean there was no chance to trouble. Cain learned that the hard way... with cubs no less.

[ Radical Dreamer ]

Geyser Eelborn