Tilting at Windmills [open]

[sindri.]

The scent on the breeze reminded Sindri of something she couldn't quite place, something familiar and encouraging. A floral note in the air that stirred mewling memories she had the slightest recognition of. She could not have recognized the smell as her birth mother's favorite flower. In truth, the saber cub had no memory of her mother. Instead, she could only remember Conchita; and the cannibal's warped concept of parenting.

The more gruesome details of Conchita's debauchery were not given to her. Yet Sindri was clever - and far more mature than she should be at her age. She knew that something dark followed Conchita. Though she could not name her surrogate's crimes. Stoneclaw had taken her in; and so it was with Stoneclaw she remained. Sindri had followed Nikolai into this, and she trusted her older brother implicitly. It wasn't as if she truly had much choice in the matter honest, or that she really understood it; yet what little understanding she did had told her that she liked it here.

Yet today she wandered the lands, going farther than she probably should have from the watchful eyes of her elders. Sindri wanted to find that flower. Some part of her, some gut feeling, recognized its significance. So with a determined waddle the young cub set out on a mission to find it. Several times, she would become distracted by a funny looking bug, or a particularly crunchy leaf; yet Sindri was resolute in her quest! She pressed onward in search of the strange smell with her nose down along the ground.

[Nexys]

Nexys had kept a close eye on the male saber and the cubs he brought with him. Alaina's tale of how they came to be in the pridelands made Nexys curious. None of the cubs looked to belong to the male, nor did they look anything like one another and Nikolai didn't seem quite old enough to sire a litter either. If Nexys could guess, he would say Nikolai was about a year, maybe a little more. But his deteriorated state could be deceiving.

That was another thing that Nexys couldn't put his paw on. The cubs were all in great shape. Fat and healthy. Nikolai on the other hand, was on the thin side and he didn't seem to be able to hunt well on his own. Nexys was a little worried if the mute male would be able to intergrate into the pride and be a useful member. They didn't have enough members in the pride right now to carry an adult male's responsibilities. Nexys wasn't even sure if the male had any way to communicate with anyone other than the cubs. Alaina had told him about the strange written language of Nikolai.

As a warrior, he could see the potential behind such a language, but in order for it to work, he would have to train all of his people in the language. Would that even be possible? Nexys wasn't sure. The pride was changing. Going in new and uncharted directions. The future was not certain and Nexys knew he would soon have to call upon Ranya and Afua to discuss their future. Things had to change. To progress in a structured society.

The king watched as one of the cubs explored, staying far enough away that his brown pelt matched with the reddish bark of the trees. He meant the child no harm, he was just curious. His stomach turned. Those old warrior instincts told him something was off here.

Quietly, calmly, Nexys neared the cub. He didn't want to frighten it, just as it some questions. "Hello there little one." He said with a gentle smile. "Are you looking for something?" He asked, noticing she was sniffing around for something.

[sindri.]

(sorry this took me so long to reply! I was hoping more people might jump in)

The scent drifted on the breeze, and the intrepid young saber cub followed it. Drawn ever farther outward away from Nikolai and company, she didn't hear the stranger as he approached. She was very lucky he was friendly, as the voice spoke out; unseen.

"Hello there little one."

Sindri jumped; back arching in a U shape as she bodily leapt up in surprise. Whirling on the adult, her scruffy mane bristling as she did so. He had spooked her! "Are you looking for something?"

Sindri stared for a moment, unsure what to do. Nikolai had told her not to talk to strangers...but Nikolai couldn't even talk! So what did he know anyway? Also, he had told her to be nice to those who already lived here in their new home... How was she supposed to be nice if she couldn't talk to anyone? That was dumb! Her ears flattened back against her skull as she debated what to do.  The stranger's kindly smile reassured her; big as he was, he couldn't be that bad.

"I'm smelling for something!" She said excitedly, puffing out her chest with pride. Sindri was proud of her 'tracking abilities'. She lowered her nose to sniff for the plant once more.  "I dunno what it is though..." She pouted a little bit, bottom lip sticking out from between her oversized teeth.

[Ranya]

Ranya bounded forward, having been stalking Nexys for quite a bit of time. She knew they apparently had a few random cubs and their mother/not mother running around, but that was about the extent of it. The child she came across was blue, and very unlike any of the sabers who currently lived in Stoneclaw. The Queen could only figure that this must have been one of the new little babs.

"Are you looking for something?"

Nexys was always good with children, where as Ranya tended to treat them like little adults. "I'm smelling for something! I dunno what it is though..."

Ranyas eyes widened as she sat back on her haunches and clapped her paws against either side of her face. "Oh wow! It's super hard to find something when you don't know what it is!" she exclaimed, before setting her front paws back down. "You must be like the best tracker ever. Hey, hey I have an idea!" A horrible, awful, idea. "See this here is my brother," she commented, giving Nexys a small shove. "But he's lost something." She then quickly turned to the side, waving the tip of her tail against the little cubs nose. "See I have a tail, but he doesn't! Do you think you can help him find it?"

Hue.

[Nexys]

The cub leapt, surprised at the presence of the king. Nexys chuckled. "Calm down little cub." Nexys looked around, surprised that the lavender eyed male that came in with the cub wasn't anywhere around. "Your brother... the oldest one with the spots... he's not here?" Nexys knew that the appearance of the male with cubs that were obviously not his blood siblings was more than a little odd. He just hadn't figured out what was going on yet.

"I'm smelling for something! I dunno what it is though..."

Ranya approached and Nexys dipped his head to greet his sister. She was better at this kind of thing that him. He only had his own children and he tended to treat them as if they were his age and therefor was more into the practical application of their skills than in indulging their fantasies.

"Oh wow! It's super hard to find something when you don't know what it is! You must be like the best tracker ever. Hey, hey I have an idea! See this here is my brother, But he's lost something. See I have a tail, but he doesn't! Do you think you can help him find it?"

Nexys sighed and shook his head. What the hell was she doing? Sending this child on a wild goose chase. Nexys had never had a tail and he was really missing the game in all of this. That type of fanciful thinking was beyond him. But he would do his best to play the game if it would teach him more about the child and her false siblings. So instead of biting off his sister's head, he smiled kindly to the cub. "Ah then... I don't know if it can be found. Been gone a long time." He saw a chance for another question and took it. "Have you lost anything important before little one?"