[SRP] Winter is Coming (Iaana'damu/Jolteon)

[Painted Moose]

1: Small, torn and barely usable. Worth 1 point
2: A fair quality jackal pelt. Worth 2 points.
6: A fair quality jackal pelt. Worth 2 points.
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Total: 5 pts



Iaana’damu worked hard for what she managed to earn. A lot of the pelts she was bringing in were from frozen or deceased creatures, which is probably why her over all count was so slow. Still, it was easy work that didn’t require much effort to still be successful.

She snorted. If I brought in too much another Servant would just take it from me. They would be tempted, certainly! Anything to gain favor with the Queen and Nobles would have been too valuable for her to keep onto for long without a squabble. So, Iaana kept her head down, and mostly, if not blissfully, continued her hunt.  

[Painted Moose]

6: A fair quality jackal pelt. Worth 2 points.
3: Small, torn and barely useable. Worth 1 point.
1: Small, torn and barely useable. Worth 1 point
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Total - 4 pts.



This was as far North as Jolteon had ever expected to go. The older cheetah looked about her, indigo eyes full of curiosity and wonder. Every breeze here was as crisp as a Winter’s day, and even on the Mountain tops she could see snow. But not here. All she felt was cold, lifeless packed earth that didn’t agree with her paws at all. I’ll not be staying here long. No, no she would have to leave as soon as her stomach was full enough to run.

Although, when she saw the lioness not too far off, she called out, “Excuse me! Do you live here? Can you tell me where I am?”  

[Painted Moose]

“You have come to the lands of the Mlima Tuokoa, my lady. It is a land that is safe for leopards and cheetah alike, one that you may stay in should you need a place to bed for the winter.” Iaana’damu was becoming quite proficient at seeking out the weary travelers. She only hoped this cheetah was as kind to her as the last she had encountered.

As she moved closer she made sure that her head was lowered, and that she made only the briefest of eye contacts with the stranger. “We are preparing for a bitter Winter, and if you have any spare pelts with you, there is many a merchant in our colony that would pay you handsomely for them.”

Hmm. Handsomely, huh? Hell, even if they just gave her a warm place to sleep and a full stomach that alone would be what it took to please Jolteon. “I don’t have any with me, but if you’re willing to hunt with me I’m sure I can scrounge some up.” It wouldn’t be too hard to do, right?

When the lioness nodded, Jolteon started to move on. Curiosity got the better of her, however, and she turned to the lioness, “You said this was a colony safe for leopards and cheetahs. What are you doing here, then?”
 

[Painted Moose]

For once in her life Iaana’damu was rude. At first she didn’t answer the cheetah’s question; it was just too painful to do so. She scrounged up a small, barely usable pelt and a few fine jackal pelts as well, through the actions of her own hunting, before finally returning to it some odd hours later. It had been awkward, but at last she could not stand the thought of being disregarded because of her behavior. “Forgive me. It is…it is not an easy subject to speak of. I-“

Jolteon held up her paw and shook her head. “Look, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I ain’t here to pry.” She shifted her own pelts around; those hours of mutual silence at been productive, at least. “Just, I dunno, say something every once in a while. It’s creepy as hell.”  

[Painted Moose]

The lioness shook her head with a little smile. As she walked she made sure to keep her pace level with the cheetahs. This way she was leading, but Iaana wasn’t so far ahead as to think she outranked her. “I’ll have to keep that in mind. Either way, forgive my rudeness.” When Jolteon flashed her a frown, Iaana turned to face forward. What was that? “The merchant is this way my lady.” With her hair over her eyes it was easy to miss the way the cheetah started to add her pelts ontop of Iaana’s before the transaction was over. The act stunned her into stopping. “Wha-What are you doing?”

“Giving you a helping paw. If they see me strolling in with all of these they’ll think I’m charitable. If I tell them that you brought me out of a frozen stupor while out on your big hunting trip then you’ll be in good, right?” Jolteon flashed a grin and nudged Iaana with her shoulder. “I’ve had daughters and girls trips galore; sometimes you just need to share a little to be the perfect wing sister.” And as she walked past the lioness her strut was almost cocky. Certainly it was proud. Until they got the merchant, however, where she pulled out her best acting.

Jolteon shook as she walked, stumbling here and there in the snow until Iaana was able to catch up with her. When the lioness had her steady, Jolteon moaned to the merchant, who was at her side as well. “Thank the Gods you’re here. This brave soul saved me from freezing to death, and she kept saying just a little farther, a little more…I didn’t believe it until I saw you. I thought surely I would pass on.”

True to her dramatic nature, she slumped over; even Iaana couldn’t tell if she had truly fainted or if it was all an act.
 

[Painted Moose]

At first Iaana’damu was truly concerned. She had been at the cheetah’s side through the whole hunting ordeal and she hadn’t seemed sickly. It was only when others were called in to look over the fallen cheetah that she noticed the way Jolteon was winking at her. The whole thing was so ridiculous she snorted.

“Watch yourself, Servant. Leave your pelts here and go on about your duties.”

Straightening, she shimmied the pelts off of her back, and walked past the growing crowd. Through all of it she spied Jolteon, who had “miraculously” awoken and was gasping for air. It looked as if she were laughing to Iaana, something of which she was sure to remember for years to come.
Shaking her head the lioness kept walking towards the heart of the pride.

Jolteon hammed it up as much as she could to give the lioness time to slip away. It wasn’t how she wanted to play it; no, she’d meant to give the spotlight to her savior, but it wasn’t meant to be. Sighing, she laid back down, content to let the others fawn over her. It was a nice change of pace and made for an interesting afternoon.

(WC: 1,113)