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 Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:09 pm
But this time he’d planned for such an issue, and had slipped off to curl up just barely inside the mouth of the den, nestled in against the side of the opening. Here, the majority of the noises came from outside, a cool breath of air ruffling his dark fur every now and against rather than the close press of warm shifting sleepers. He’d lain awake for a while, ears relaxed against his head and his chin resting on his paws as he gazed up at the stars when the peeked through the scan clouds. He’d meant to keep an eye out for a falling one, just in case, but slowly the red orbs drifted shut and the usually restless cub drifted off into sleep.
Questions, ideas, curiosities, and ‘what ifs’ finally ceased to chase and dart around his mind, leaving him to dreams rather than ponderings. Though, to be honest, Anwar would have much preferred to be able to learn even in his sleeping. Think of all the time he could have had to spend on knowledge if only he had no need for rest!
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:22 pm
Obadias was sprawled out between two of his siblings, thankful for the body heat next to him as he struggled with what he saw when his eyes were closed. He had slept peacefully for several hours, until the flashes began. Twitching in a subconscious attempt to awaken from the dream, he let out a low yowl without meaning to. He wasn't awake, still caught in the flashes of his vision but that didn't mean he had to be quiet about it.
Blood. Why was there always blood? It was smeared across grass. Dark fur, hungry dark fur. The sound of teeth and shrill cries, young cries, as blood was dripped to the ground.
Crying. It was a more mature noise now, not the childish shrieks of earlier. A female rabbit, lightly coloured, standing over the bloodied grass. No sign of dark fur. No more babies.
Dark fur. It was a lion. Long gone now from the scene of the massacre . Why had he eaten the babies? They were tiny! No! Why had he done that?
His eyes snapped open, breath catching in his chest as another yowl tried to work it's way out of his mouth. He wriggled from between his siblings, pushing himself onto his feet. Breathing heavily, he stumbled towards the mouth of the den hurriedly, trying to avoid stepping on his sisters, mothers and brothers. He didn't have to worry about his father, since he was never in the midst of the other members of the den, so Obadias knew he wouldn't stumble over him.
A flicker of movement caught his eye at the mouth of the den, and he froze, thinking he had been caught awake by his mothers, but the figure was too small and he recognized the markings.
"Brother Anwar!" he whispered hurriedly, stumbling the last few steps to collapse down beside him. He was close enough that he could feel his brother's body heat, a comforting feel after the nightmare he'd suffered. To anyone else, it wouldn't have been bad, the death of rabbit kits happened every day, but the mother...she had been so sad. He lowered his head down, resting his head under his paws, trying to block out the thoughts.
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:02 pm
Oh the wonders of a dreamless sleep. Surely the brother's had every reason to envy each other. Anwar craved the knowledge Obadias found behind closed eyes, and Obadias would have loved to have the empty sightless sleep that Anwar found when he settled down at night.
Lost in his quiet empty slumber, Anwar did not see the dark cub wake in a panic, though his olive-furred ear did twitch slightly at his brother's yowl. It did not seem to be quite enough to wake him, though his whispered cry and the sudden presence of another body beside him did stir the cub from his sleep.
"Uwhazaa?" he mumbled, yawning and blinking drowsily. He was sure he'd heard someone say his name... Shaking his head slightly, making the light tuft of what was hopefully going to be a real mane flop into his eyes, he tried to clear the sleepy muzzy-headedness from it. Sleep. It only felt good while you were actually sleeping. Falling asleep was a nuisance, waking up was exhausting. If only it could be done away with altogether!
"...Brother Obadias?" Anwar called softly, shifting until he could feel his younger sibling's fur brush against his. Obadias looked so... miserable. Had he had another dream then? "Obadias..." he murmured, nuzzling the other cub's shoulder lightly. Perhaps his brother would tell him of the dream? What had he seen this time? Something terrible, sure, but oh, to know the things his darker sibling knew!
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:35 pm
Obadias hadn't realised his brother was asleep, figuring that Anwar was always awake. He didn't even seem like the type that would need sleep, or maybe that was just a touch of hero-worship from the younger male. His brother could solve anything, he was sure. Which was why he kept going back to him, Anwar would help him figure out the flashes, he would make them stop.
He felt his brother nudge his shoulder and cautiously raised his head from beneath his paws. He could see his brothers eyes in the darkness, and what would usually be a scary sight was welcomed eagerly. Brother would make it better!
"B-Brother, make the flashes stop," he whispered, with a type of desperation only a terrified cub could have. "I don't want to see the blood anymore. Why is it always blood?" His voice raised in volume unconsciously, though he quickly quietened himself lest he wake up his other siblings or parents.
Unknown to Obadias, but sometimes he saw happy things, but because they were not scary, he thought them only dreams. Things his mind had made up but where actually things that had happened in the past, and sometimes they were good things to come, he only just remembered the bad the most.
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:59 pm
Oh yes... Obadias had had another of his real-dreams.
Anwar watched him for a moment, red eyes gleaming slightly in reflected moonlight. He didn't really know the depth of his brother's trust or that his sibling thought he could do anything. He just knew that it felt...really good that Obadias had come for him again. It made him feel like he could do something, he could be useful. Anwar wasn't big and strong and fast and fierce. He didn't have many people at all who would look up to him in any way. Just...Obadias...
"Shhh," he murmured, partially soothing and partially a desire to keep from disturbing family members. He nuzzled his little brother again, the last time Obadias had been upset by dreams he'd seemed to appreciate the contact, even if Anwar had never seen two Pads comfort each other this way. Well, the Banu did it. And they comforted their cubs like this. Maybe the Pads just liked to pretend they were too tough to need any comfort. "Shh...tell me what happened..." he coaxed. Talking about a bad dream sometimes made it less scary, or so he'd heard another banu telling a cub. Not to mention, Anwar very badly wanted to know what his brother knew. Envied him still, in spite of seeing him like this, shaking and scared in the middle of the night.
"Tell me what's wrong...you can tell me, it's okay..."
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:07 pm
He felt the nuzzle with a sort of relief. It was nice to feel that his brother was there. In his panic, he didn't think of how odd it would look, and how they wouldn't be able to do this when they were older, because two Pads just did not interact this way, ever, but they were still only cubs and Obadias only wanted to feel safe. He felt that way with Anwar around, assured that his brother could face anything that would happen.
He could hear his brother, soothing him. In his mind, he didn't think of the other reason he might be quietening him, just glad to feel comforted. He nuzzled into his brother, trying to hide his face in his brother's shouler.
"I saw blood, Brother," he whispered anxiously. "So much blood. A... male ate rabbit kits." That alone should not have been scary, or even disturbing, but what had come after it was haunting it. "I...I saw the mama come back. She was so sad, Brother. She was crying." He pushed away from his brother, storming from the den angrily. Glancing back, he hissed, "he ate them. Her babies! How could he do that, brother?" His voice wasn't loud, but it was hurt, as if the male had done something horrible to him by eating those kits.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:25 pm
Anwar wasn't thinking too hard about the future. He didn't wonder how things might change with his brother, or how many Banu he might collect, what position he might have. The only thoughts of the future was that, one day, he would show his father how great he really was. He would make him notice. For all Anwar cared, Obadias could come to him when he was in his den with his Banu and tell him of the dreams and seek comfort. He'd always want to know after all, and he didn't think too much of what others would say. He was young yet, he wasn't concerned.
He watched as his brother pulled away to prowl around the den, wincing slightly when he thought the other cub might wake someone else. But... he didn't really understand why Obadias was so upset about rabbits. They were just prey...right?
Oh. Well, he supposed any creature would grieve. And...well... there might not have been a need to kill her young. Rabbits were small, their babies must be tiny. Too tiny to make a proper meal. Was it worth the snack they'd have made? The mother's grief? He wasn't sure...
"They weren't babies to him," Anwar decided, rising to his paws he tried to nudge his head lightly against the other's shoulder. "Just food. That was why he did it. He didn't think it would make the mother sad, he was just hungry..." Well, it was all the reason he could think of. He was hesitant to go into the fact that they ate other prey creatures, they were eating some mother's young too. He didn't want to be the reason his little brother starved himself or something...
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:26 pm
Obadias knew he was taking this too far but, Anwar hadn't seen the look on the rabbits face when she discovered her babies had been killed. He hadn't seen it. He squeezed his eyes shut, stilling his restless movements. He felt Anwar nudge him again, relishing in the comfort but even that wasn't enough to make the images disappear. He wasn't looking at Anwar when he spoke again.
"You didn't see it, Brother," he whispered, not meaning to rub in that his brother didn't have the gift, but simply trying to explain. "She was so sad. I-I know they were just food, but...Brother, what if it had been us? Mother would have grieved too!"
To think of his sister, or his brother being senselessly slaughtered for a snack was a horrible thought, and he didn't want to think of it but he had to. What if it had been them?
"I...know we eat babies all the time, brother, I'm..." he shook his head, moving back to his brother. He flopped down next to him, pushing his face into his brothers side to hide. His voice was muffled by his brothers fur. "I'm just sad, brother. I just want the saddness to stop."
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:53 am
Anwar knew Obadias wasn't trying to rub it in when his brother said he didn't see it. He knew Obadias didn't want to see it. But still...he couldn't help the jealous twinge at the other's words. Horrible as the visions were, he still wanted to know! He would love to trade!
He rested his chin on his brother's fur when Obadias flopped back down beside him to hide his face in his green stripy fur. He nuzzled him gently, now that he knew what his brother had seen he had nothing left to do but offer the comfort he'd promised in return for the knowledge.
"I know," he murmured softly, "I understand that it was just food to him. But it wasn't worth their lives."
And he meant it too. They were too small to be filling. It had mostly been a senseless kind of thing, though it was one that poor Obadias wouldn't have thought too much on had he not seen the mother come back. That was what made him so upset. The idea that it could have been their mother crying for them.
"It's okay, I'm here," Anwar soothed, not sure how to really make the sadness stop for his little brother, "I'll always be here when you need me. Don't worry..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:53 pm
He was grateful for his brothers comforting, knowing that most would be awkward around him when he was in this kind of state, thankful that his brother was not the type to back out on his promise. Obadias knew his visions interested his brother, and he was more than willing to share them, because it felt a little better, knowing someone else knew the horrors he'd seen. If his brother wasn't scared by them, then Obadias wouldn't be either!
He sniffled, not crying but still upset, as he curled up closer to the elder cub. He felt stupid, being this upset by it, and made a physically hard effort to reign in his emotions. He wasn't weak. He was a Vizier's son. He knew better than to cry over something he couldn't change. Sniffling again, he lifted his head away from his brother's side, still staying close but no longer trying to hide himself in the other males fur.
"M'okay," he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes with his paws. They weren't damp, because he knew he was too old to cry. The whites around his red eyes were stained an ugly red from the effort of not crying, giving him an almost demonic look. He sucked in a deep breath, steadying himself as he tilted his jaw up, trying to regain his dignity.
"Thank you, brother," he whispered, glancing at Anwar thankfully, though he looked like a wreck still, the previous breakdown was almost not visible on his face. He was recovering, wiping away and hiding his emotions from the vision he'd seen. He was stronger than this, he decided, firming his resolve. The night would end and he would forget about this breakdown, but he didn't think he'd ever forget the mothers face as she gazed at her broken warren.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 4:56 pm
Of course Anwar was not going to back down from his word. He wouldn't have given it if he didn't mean it. He might be a bit deceptive as to his so-called 'true' motives, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to do his very best to keep his promise. And if he was doing it for his own sake, or for Obadias' sake...well... what did that matter anyway? After all, if they were both benefiting from it, then who cared what the motives were?
He had no opinion whatsoever about Obadias being so upset. Not one that he was really clear on. He knew that he was unhappy about his brother being so distraught. But he was having trouble placing why. It just...wasn't logical. How was he supposed to know about stuff like this anyway? It was really hard to figure out!
But what he did know was that he couldn't think anything less of his brother when he was suffering. Maybe adults wouldn't allow themselves to show hurt. But they weren't adults, were they?
"You're welcome," Anwar said softly, pressing his muzzle lightly against Obadias' side, "You're always welcome, brother," he added pointedly. Always. Always come to him, whenever he needed him. Tell him anything, tell him everything, ask him whatever he wanted, whatever he needed. Because Anwar loved to know the things Obadias saw... and...maybe... maybe there was something else. But he could not place that, couldn't explain it. And so that he was going to ignore for now. Until he could figure out what was going on with it, then he was going to just justify his actions with his craving for knowledge.
It was reason enough.
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:14 pm
Obadias sighed in relief at his brother's words. He hadn't wanted the other male to think any less of him because of his breakdown and now it appeared that he didn't. It was a thankful realization. His brother was as close to him as anyone else, and the other male had been nothing but supportive so far. He rested his head on the ground, still laying close to Anwar.
He was used to sleeping with another cub next to him, usually one of the girls or he would curl up with his mother, if a space was free next to her. It was a comforting feeling to be next to someone and knew that he would most likely continue to sleep next to someone even as he grew older. He didn't know if he could sleep without the body heat.
"I wish I didn't have these dreams, Brother," he whispered, staring out of the den, "but I am glad that you are here to help." He sighed, attempting to close his eyes, but the second he did, he saw the rabbit, her wide eyes staring at him. His breath caught and his eyes snapped open again. No, he couldn't sleep.
"Tell me something, Brother," he suggested, wanting the quiet to disappear for a little longer. "Anything." He just wanted to take his mind of his dream.
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:12 pm
Obadias’ relief was evident, and Anwar felt oddly pleased to have managed to quell his brother’s fears. He might not have been able to totally assuage his anxiety, but that he could help… wait…
…he was only doing this to make him tell him more, wasn’t he? Well… whatever, he could help Obadias too. It didn’t hurt him, and if it made the other cub feel better than what was the harm?
But what to tell him? Usually Anwar was very hesitant to tell anyone anything, to give up any of his hard-earned knowings. He didn’t want to lose his precious little bits of knowledge, his carefully hoarded secrets. But for Obadias…
“…Our sisters brought mommy flowers the other day,” he said, picking at random. But he’d wanted to pick something pleasant, something sweet. Something innocent. Something to think about other than pain and death and heartbreak. “Uggi and Suri. They had more flowers than they could carry, all different colors. They smelled so sweet when they were done…”
Not that he’d gotten close to them. He’d just watched for a while, the two little banu giggling and excited about picking flowers for mommy. Which had given him an idea…when he went to try to ask their mother about Obadias’ dreams he might bring her some flowers. She seemed to like them, and if she was in a good mood then maybe she’d tell him more than she would otherwise…
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 7:45 pm
Obadias knew his brother was reluctant to talk, but he didn't want to hear the silence around them, it gave his brain more time to think about what he had seen and that was just not an option if he wanted to go back to bed that night. He was getting sick of not sleeping, of always being awake. He just wanted to sleep!
At the memory his brother had picked to speak about, something so sweet and innocent, Obadias couldn't help but smile lightly to himself. It was a nice thought. His sisters were very sweet cubs, he knew, they would grow up beautifully like their mothers, and be given away one day to the pads of the prides. He sighed, imagining them laughing as they picked the flowers, careful to pick the ones they knew their mother would like.
"Bet it looked nice too," he added, voice slurring lightly in his exhaustion. His eyes began to close against his will, his head bobbing towards his paws in an effort for him to lay it down so he could sleep. The image of his sisters acting like cubs, enjoying themselves, it was a good image, something kind to wipe away the injustice of the kits who had been slaughtered for a snack.
Sighing heavily, his eyes slipped closed, head resting on his paws. He could sense his brother still nearby, a comforting feeling, and he could hear him speaking of their sisters, reminding him that they were all safe. It hadn't been them that the lion had killed. They were safe. His breathing evened out as he slipped further into sleep, praying that the flashes would not return to haunt him again.
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:01 am
Anwar just kept talking, though he started to smile to himself as he felt hi brother beginning to relax. He knew he'd chosen well when he spoke about their sisters choosing flowers for their mother. Something so sweet and simple, it had to help, had to soothe the fear and hurt.
"Yes, it did. All different colors," he replied when Obadias said he thought it must have looked nice too. "I think mother Ukoo might show them how to make flower chains sometime. She was showing one of mother Weyard's cubs to make them the other day..."
On and on he talked, until he noticed his brother's breaths become deep and even. Well then... he seemed to have done what he set out to do. Feeling rather pleased with himself, Anwar yawned, then curled in snugly against his little brother. "Sweet dreams, Obadias..." he whispered as his deep red eyes drifted slowly shut.
FIN
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