The Duo Explore

<font color='698AAB'>Temkaja grins and nods, following after them, "Usually."

The kyffen were lowing, snorting, and generally feeding on the tall grasses, several hundred feet away, but since the land was fairly flat, it wasn't hard to spot their bulky features. There are about twenty of them in this isolated herd, currently placid.

The trio of pendragons were as of yet unnoticed, and Nebai hoped it would stay that way - fighting for the privilege to mate would begin amongst all the adults over the next few weeks, and they were generally more hostile during that time.

Nebai picks up the pace just a smidge. She wouldn't disappear on them, but she wanted to get closer to the safety of the mountains and dense trees.

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>'Kaja, please. I'm the only one in our little party capable of hunting, and I'm not going to risk you two because your prancing gets us noticed.</span>

Temkaja realized the severity of the situation and ceases her dancing through the grasses. She still wasn't as fluid in disappearing like Nebai, but she wasn't making as big a fuss as before.

By now, their scent had gotten to the grazing kyf, and alarmed them. But they weren't doing anything but being aware.

As they approached the more forested area, the grasses begin to end. The trees were still rather scattered for Nebai's liking.

She looks back at her twin, still walking quickly, You two, move farther in. The more dense, the less chance we have of being chased. I'll watch." Nebai stops, and raises her head just enough above the grass, watching the stagnant herd.

Temkaja nods and smiles to herself, and Qamu, whispering to the young one as she turns south toward the trees, "She is rather bossy, but she keeps me safe - and you, too, now that you're here." the young lavender adult giggles.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Temkaja looks back at Nebai, then back to Qamu, "As far as I know.. they taste good." she chuckles as she sits down behind a wide-trunked tree, positioned so she could neither see the herd, nor they see her.

Nebai had heard the question, and once she was assured they were in no immediate danger, she turns back, and walks over to them.

She looks at Qamu, "Kyf in herds are usually quite docile, but when provoked, or approached by any pendragon, no matter the size, they turn hostile, and charge. Pretty much because we hunt them, and no animal wants to greet Fronima too soon. It's a self-preservation instinct. They're dangerous because their horns could easily skewer anything that got near."

She looks back at them over her shoulder. "So long as we don't go near them, and stay fairly out of sight, or just out of range, they won't bother us."

Nebai looks back at Temkaja and Qamu; and smirks, "But, yes, they do taste good." she chuckles and shakes her head, walking off a bit, likely to scout again, for the best way south, toward the ocean.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Nebai had sensed it, as well. They were moving. Well, three of the males. They'd taken to a charge, and they didn't look happy.

Nebai looks back at them, the absolute picture of calmness and rationality in a crisis, "Both of you, get as far into the trees as you can, then climb. I'll lead them off, and catch up with you later." She nods, "Go."

The orange and cream pendragon bounds through the grass stopping now and then, darting westward, away from the treeline, putting herself in the open plain.

Temkaja watches her twin with worry, and feel fear for both herself and Qamu; she hadn't the survival skills Nebai had.. but, with that thought, Nebai would be fine. She'd out run and out think them, no problem. 'Kaja hoped.

The lavender pendragon nods to Qamu, "Let's go, then!" moving through the trees, slowed only because she didn't want to leave the young one behind.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Temkaja looks around, and lets out the littlest of whimpers; hopefully the younger one hadn't heard. But, she wasn't exactly as calm as her twin under physical danger.

<span style='color:#818391'>{I don't think so,}</span> she replies, <span style='color:#818391'>{I think I'm far too big to climb these..}</span> she hurridly looks for a big enough tree to support her weight.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Temkaja looks around, <span style='color:#818391'>{Um.. ah.. oh, I'm not good at this sh.. stuff..}</span> she censors herself.

<span style='color:#818391'>{Nebai said go in farther, and I guess those things are too big to fit, so we just gotta get in far enough that they can't get past the trees. ... Right?}</span> 'Kaja looks to Qamu, who appeared much calmer than she was.

- ~ -

Meanwhile, Nebai was busy dancing in the grasses with an angry kyf. She looks rather like a spanish matador twisting and turning a hairs-breadth away from being skewered by the unbelieveable long horns.

But, it was tiring, and once she could find a way to slip off, she'd rejoin the other two.

The second one, seizes his chance, and charges her, at the same time the other does. She leaps into the air, and lands rather hard several feet away, rolling back to her feet.

Nebai snorts, <span style='color:#E4BB69'>"Now, that's not nice. Ganging up on me. Be fair!"</span>

The kyffen snort at her in reply and prepare foranother charge. Nebai smirks, and takes off, continuing to lead them away, until some steam was blown off. She'd have to find shelter, though, soon, else she'd draw the wrath of all the herd; and that she wouldn't be able to get out of.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Temkaja chuckles nervously, <span style='color:#818391'>"I guess so. You'd know about as much as I do. Probably more."</span> she winks.

Taking a deep breath, she attempts to calm herself. She walks around the trees, and sits rather far behind them. She couldn't even really see the plain anymore, and she wondered how her twin was fairing.

<span style='color:#818391'>Nebai?</span>

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>Yes, I'm alive. I'm busy outrunning these stupid things. Talk to me in a minute.</span>

She sighs in relief. If Nebai was still thinking, she'd be perfectly fine. No doubt.

Looking down at Qamu, 'Kaja grins, nodding assuredly, <span style='color:#818391'>"She's alright."</span></font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Temkaja shakes her head, <span style='color:#818391'>"Not really.. only when I've gotten us in trouble."</span> She smirks, <span style='color:#818391'>"But then, she's gotten us in plenty of trouble politically and socially, where I've only gotten us in trouble physically."</span> 'Kaja winks, <span style='color:#818391'>"She's twice as bad as I am."</span>

A moment or two later, Nebai swings into the forested area, not too far off, and looks directly at them, <span style='color:#E4BB69'>"They're tired, now, let's get moving. We're heading south, towards the ocean. I'd rather not trek through the desert; we haven't got the supplies for that."</span>

The orange twin looks at Qamu, <span style='color:#E4BB69'>"Are you coming with, or would you rather we took you somewhere else?"</span> At least she was considerate. Going sidelong the desert to the ocean was going to be rough; not as rough as through, but rough enough.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Nebai nods and turns, walking away through the trees. The golden desert wasn't far off, and could be seen from their position. So, she heads westward. Once hitting the desert, they'd go south.

Temkaja grins at Qamu and follows along behind. <span style='color:#818391'>"Onto the wonderful beaches of southern sudesha!"</span>

Nebai chuckles, <span style='color:#E4BB69'>"Somehow I doubt they'll be wonderful."</span> The desert was a rather big "beach".

<span style='color:#818391'>"Pessimist."</span> 'Kaja smirks.

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>"Aha. Pessimist. Right. I prefer realist, thank you, 'Kaja."</span>

And so the two would argue. For the sake of Qamu, rather than tormenting each other mentally, and travelling in silence, the two were speaking aloud.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>Nebai considers the question for a moment, <span style='color:#E4BB69'>"I suppose it really depends how fast we move. Since we're heading directly south, and following the desert, and the mountains, before rounding the desert on the ocean side, I'd say two days or so, no stopping, three or four days with a couple stops."</span>

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>"But, then, that would have been with only us. 'Kaja's such a priss, sometimes, but she'll run. If you decide to walk, so we don't tire you out, I'd say it'd add a half a day onto the journey. Not really a big deal."</span> Nebai smiles.

Temkaja trots along behind the two of them, listening. She was doing her best not to prance, but she couldn't really help it. She liked fancy parties, and Nebai liked dirty wilderness. They both suffered some when out of their element, and right now, she was out of hers.</font>

 

<font color='698AAB'>The two were busy arguing again, mentally this time, as they were being particularly nasty.

<span style='color:#818391'>So, what've we got for food?</span>

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>Food? ... 'Kaja?</span>

<span style='color:#818391'>Yes?</span>

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>Don't tell me you forgot.</span>

<span style='color:#818391'>Me? Forgot what?</span>

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>Ugh. Why do I have to do everything?</span>

<span style='color:#818391'>Well, you're miss wilderness, you should have the food.</span>

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>Oh, please. Like the party snob can't handle finding out where the food is.</span>

<span style='color:#818391'>Oh, go hunt something!</span>

<span style='color:#E4BB69'>Go manipulate something.</span>

<span style='color:#818391'>... Um.. we're leaving Qamu out.</span>

Nebai looks at Qamu, <span style='color:#E4BB69'>"Lovely 'Kaja forgot about the food. So it looks like I'll be hunting something for dinner."</span> She glares at her twin. <span style='color:#E4BB69'>"Again."</span></font>