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 Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 4:56 pm
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Captain.
Ciro loved the sound of that title. No longer did he have to listen to others on raids, now he could establish a team of Reavers or Freeborn to take with him, teach them his way of being a viking. There were things the dark lion would love to change, and now him being a Captain he had the capability to do so.
First order of business, take care of the thrall he had. Well...the adult one. Somehow he had ended up with three thralls over the course of a few weeks. Two cubs that were growing like weeds, and the adult, Ruka, who Ciro was against taking in the first place.
She had stormed out one evening, leaving the two star pelted thralls in his care. One thing Ciro learned about himself, he was a terrible caretaker. Half the time, he ended up leaving the cubs with Astrid to raise.
Ciro sighed, wandering a worn path. His mind crossed heading to Njia's den (or vicinity of it). It had been awhile since he had seen her, or any female in general.
He shook his head. No. He needed to find the white winged female.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 5:17 pm
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There was only so far Ruka could run in a pride that held her prisoner. It was a small blessing she had not run into Ciro then, because she did not know how to face him or even the cubs that were supposed to be her responsibility. She had abandoned them much like her own mother had abandoned her - perhaps cub rearing was not the strongest trait within her bloodline. If she could have stood to be by her captor, perhaps she would have been ready to take care of those cubs.
But after their last fight, Ruka had no desire to be anywhere near the male. To his credit, he did not chase her down. Whether he was busy or made the conscious decision to let her be, she did not know nor did she care. He had been the last thing on her mind for quite a while. Ruka had found herself in the company of a young male the past few days. He had his mane, but he was very naive and quite sweet. His company had been refreshing and even teetered on the edge of being pleasing.
She was a thrall, but with him she could play the elder, the mature lioness who knew more of the world than he. It had been a change she needed, but even that relationship was temporary.
Everything here was temporary, fleeting in pain and pleasure. Nothing satisfied her anymore, nothing made her happy for long.
The lioness was alone when Ciro found her, her eyes tired and her expression almost haunted. "Fancy seeing you here." Her words, distant, masking whatever hurt she was going through now.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 5:57 pm
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Her ear flicked towards him, listening to an order that she was not so sure she wanted to obey. Ciro was walking on hot coals with her, and if he lingered to long or misstepped he surely would get burned. "I was just out here to think," she told him, words soft but distant. It did not matter what she had done until then, because she was unlikely to tell him. What she did with herself when he was not near was none of his business.
"What's the point, Ciro? I go back to your den, we fight some more. You fling in my face all the things you've done to me and I throw back how despicable you are for doing them? It's the same vicious cycle, and I'm not the one with the power to break it anymore." The only one who had power here was Ciro, and he had always used it poorly... at least in Ruka's opinion. He hadn't been cruel with his actions, but rather with his words. She, in kind, could not bring herself to be nice to him.
It seemed like then that Ciro would have to convince her. While there was less bite in her words, her feelings for him had not changed. They were not in a good place with one another, even less so with what Ruka knew of herself now. She was pregnant, and there was only one who could be the father... and she hated him for that too. "I haven't. You must have caught me on an off day or something."
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 6:59 pm
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She could have resisted him there. The idea played sweetly in her mind to turn her back to him one more time. Let him see the wings on her back that remained unbroken. But, what was the point of that even? She knew as well as he did that she was only a thrall, and that way alone because it was what Ciro had decided for her. He had been too weak to go against the word of his Captain. The crime had been his alone, and it was hard for Ruka to see past that.
She sighed, the sound heavy enough to move her shoulders. "I see you have not changed much since our time apart," she told him. The pale lioness rose onto her feet and followed after him. Ruka did not draw close to him, instead the distance between them spoke enough for how Ruka felt. Their last fight had been unpleasant, and it was no wonder why she still harbored resentment towards him for it.
"Why now? You seemed fine to leave me alone for so long, after all." Maybe he was just on more vikings, or enjoying the company of other females. If he had, she could not smell them on him. She would be unsurprised if he still had - it was the type of lion he was.
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:18 am
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It was a struggle for Ciro to refrain from rolling his eyes. He was sure if he did, even without the female looking at him she would know.
So he remained silent, heading in the direction of the dens. However, he did not make it there. Instead, he turned on a worn path that twisted through trees. His mind waged a war as he past familiar sites, before memories began to flash before his eyes. This was the same path they had used when Ruka was brought into to the pride. The only difference now was that it was just the two of them, instead of the cheery band of five from before.
"Things have changed in your absence." He said after the long silence. She did not need to know what exactly, nor did he think she would care if he had told her that he was promoted to Captain. His first order of business though as the newly ranked position would be regarding his thrall.
He stopped at the border of the lands. The impending storm now above them, darkening the skies.
"Go."
He said no other words, only turned away, sweeping his gaze to see if others were present before settling back to his pride. |
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 7:57 am
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She followed Ciro in silence, allowing the lion to lead her away from the depths of the pride. There was no need for words between them - whatever needed to be said had already been flung around more times than she cared to remember. Whatever affection she could have once felt for the lion had withered away throughout her captivity. It was why she had spent so much time away from him, and perhaps he had realized that too if he let her stray so far.
They made it to the border of the pride, and one word took her completely by surprise.
Go.
Startled, she turned to look at the male only to see that his back was turned to her now. She knew he meant it, that right now if she wanted to leave she could... and she did want to leave. Her gaze switched back out over the border of the pride and into free land, musing how far she could make it before complications arrived. Not far.
His timing was as terribe as always.
The pale lioness sighed, the sound carried heavily through the night. If she left now, it meant she'd have to stop too close to these lands for comfort to give birth. Her cubs wouldn't even be mobile for a few weeks after that. But, if she had them here... would she ever be able to leave? She could wait until they were old enough for them to all leave together, but she wasn't sure she could wait that long.
Was it selfishness on her part that she wanted to leave now? Or was it more selfish to want to leave as soon as her cubs could walk? She hoped there were not many, otherwise the journey would be impossible.
"Wait, Ciro," she told him, gaze flickering back to the dark male. If only he hadn't bogged her down with cubs, but that was a problem she wasn't ready to face, nor was she sure she'd ever want to face it.
"I won't make it far before the cubs arrive. I will leave after they are born and they can make the journey." If she left now, she risked getting recaptured and endangering her cubs needlessly.
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:17 am
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He expected to hear shuffling, to her to take the opportunity and to run with it. But it was silent. There was no rustling, no shifting on the ground. Just the sounds of a small rumble of thunder, loud enough to mimic a grumbling stomach. Why wasn’t she going?
She wasn’t his problem. Ciro gave her the ability to leave, and he wasn’t going to stay here to make sure she would.
But when she called out. Wait, Ciro. he paused his step, ear flickering towards the white female before his gaze soon followed. He watched her as she made the next comment, his mind not fully comprehending the words she was speaking.
Cubs?
The dark lion was mouth slowly opened, forming an ‘o’ as he replayed the scene in his mind.
Cubs…
He nodded slowly, as if struck by another. In a way he had been. The words Ruka said were not ones he expected. His first thought was denial. Sure the female had been with another male on their time away. But the time frame did not fit that. Sure, the two had only one night together, but that apparently was enough. His gold eyes flickered towards her stomach. To think, life was there now? He had no reason not to believe her. She did not want to stay in the pride, and her not leaving at this chance just added onto the truthfulness of her words.
“If---if that is your wish then.” Ciro hesitating on his words was such an uncharacteristic act he did not know what to do with himself. “You are welcome to stay in the den if you wish. However, I understand that…you may want other alternatives. We can see it if you wish to stay with Astrid and Astrus. She has a litter of cubs currently. And when you are ready to leave, I will get you an escort to get you safe outside the territory.”
An escort, meaning Ciro would not be seeing her, or their cubs off at the time of her leaving. What reasons would be behind it, only the darkened mind of the lion knew. |
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:40 am
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She looked at him, considering her own options. If she leaned on him now for aid, where would that take her? He could become attached to her cubs, and if he became attached... would he even let them leave. That was something she could not risk - there was no future here for her or her cubs. She refused to allow them to be raised in a pride that was so thoughtlessly cruel. There was no honor in enslaving others, no pride in throwing oneself into countless conquering. Ruka would not have her cubs know the values this pride held.
"You have done quite enough for me already, Ciro." There were plenty of ways that Ciro could interpret those words, and Ruka wasn't sure if she cared either way what he thought of them. She had no intention to be cruel, but she was determined to stay true to herself. "It is fine, I will find my own way until it is time for me to leave." Even staying with Astrid and Astrus meant bringing herself closer to Ciro, when at this time all she wanted was distance between them.
It wasn't just her future now that she had to think about.
With a soft sigh, she decided to at least confide some information in the male. If, in the future, it provided any use to him. "I am going home, I've seen the future changing and I know now where I need to be. By the time I get there, I'm sure the lands that were once my home will be vibrant and beautiful again."
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 12:53 pm
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The words she spoke bit l like ice on first touch. He froze in place, taking her words, construing them as it was his fault.
Well. It kind of was. his mind reminded him causing a snort to emit from his nostrils. See, this is the reason you don’t take thralls.
“You do that.” He said after a moment, turning back in the direction, back into the pride. Maybe it was for the best. If she had the cubs and if he didn’t see them there would be no attachment to them. When time came to take them away, there would be less of an emotional connection to them. Ciro could…probably…live with that decision.
His ears perked, but no other reaction was given at the mention of her going home. He had heard of it from talking briefly with Ruka on their first meeting, and then there was that spitfire of a lioness who also came from the same pride that he would be able to fish for information if needed. His normal coercive ways wouldn’t work on her, so he would have to approach differently if he wanted to figure out the exact location.
Right now though, he did not care. He couldn’t. His mind was on the fact that he would soon be a father, an idea that would never have crossed his mind, no matter how many ladies he had spent the evening with.
“Goodbye then,” Ciro said, almost sullenly, as he walked away, refusing to look at the winged female. He would now need to figure out what he was going to do with the two star pelted cubs in his den too.
More reasons to go on Vikings.
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