[PRP] A Different Path (Sunnbein x Datura)

[Rennekae]

Sunna padded purposefully forward, the confidence in her steps and her head held high belying the nerves that roiled underneath her golden pelt. The sun was still ascending in a clear blue sky and the air was crisp and wonderful. The pride was already bustling as reavers and captains, sometimes accompanied by aspiring lions her own age, prepared to go Viking. Freeborn mingled about talking or headed off to tend the herds or practice sparring. Thralls rushed around in their duties caring for cubs or catering to Freeborn. And Sunna paid no attention to any of it.

Her mind was set on her destination - Datura's den. Sunna could still remember the first time she had seen the priestess. She had been but a cub, just old enough for her mother to allow her and her siblings to wander a bit. The bright green lioness had caught her eye and her nose as she whisked by with satchels full of Stormlords knew what. Immediately taken with it all, Sunna had followed the priestess back to her den and watched from a distance as she went about her most curious business. From that day on, she had asked her father for all he knew concerning the priestesses in the pride, thirsty for information and completely enthralled by them. She visited Datura's den whenever she could and watched her, trying to stay out of the way and hidden. Today would be different. Today she would do more than just watch. Today she would ask to be Datura's apprentice.

The staggering scents of many herbs and plants and assorted other items told Sunna she had arrived, just as the many racks and their burdens came into view. She slowed to a stop a respectful distance away and called out.

"Priestess Datura? Are you home?"

SyriusLionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Rennekae

“Finally decided to speak up have you?” Datura appeared behind the young lioness. Perhaps by chance she had been on her way back to her den when she spotted the young female. She had decided to follow the golden female, clearly away in her own little world.

It would have been foolish of her not to notice prying eyes around her sacred place, Sunna had visited her home often enough, she was difficult to miss, hiding amongst the dark stones watching intently. It made her smile, as a cub, she had done similar, stalking the priestesses like a lioness on a mission from the gods. She had found her calling early in her life and it seemed the skull marked femme had too.

Still the bright green female stalked past and without another word started to unpack her daily findings. She constantly carried saddlebacks which were usually filled to over flowing with her daily gathering as as well as poultices, potions and wraps to heal those who came back from their reavings covered in bloody scratches or sometimes things more severe.

The famine had finally passed them by and while the pride was finally getting itself back to normal the new warlord had brought some unwelcome new laws. Stilll she had to simply carry on with what she was doing, creatures were still in pain, babies had to be born and. Herbs had to be gathered and dried and sorted, a priestesses work was never truly done.

“Are you going to sit and watch all day or are you going to help me hang these skins, they won’t hang themselves you know.”  

[Rennekae]

Sunna started at the voice from behind her. She had been so focused that she hadn't even noticed she was being followed. When the words themselves finally sunk in, the pale adolescent was momentarily surprised that Datura seemed to have known she had been watching her. Surprise quickly gave way to sheepishness. Obviously, a Priestess would have been able to notice a cub spying on her.

All of Sunna's well-rehearsed words were lost as she struggled to recover and get her thoughts back on track. She grasped at words that were on the tip of her tongue, like birds flying just out of reach, distracted by watching the bright lioness with her bags and all the strange things inside them. When Datura spoke again, she nearly jumped, snapping to attention and hurrying over.

"Of course I'll help! I'd love to help. I-" Sunna caught herself starting to stammer and stopped talking abruptly, then began to move the skins to the hanging rack - knowing where it was from having watched Datura so many times. There was no use in pretending like she hadn't been. She cleared her throat and, in between moving hides, said, "Priestess Datura, I want to become a Priestess, and I was hoping you would be willing to mentor me."

Sunna's pale pink eyes briefly met Datura's blues before the blonde lioness lowered her gaze respectfully and continued about her task. She tried to act politely confident, but her ears pulled back subconsciously, betraying her nerves. She knew she could do this, and she wanted Datura to be the one to teach her. Still, she couldn't ignore her worry as she waited for an answer.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Rennekae

Sunna wasn’t the first young lioness to come to her for training and she doubted she would be the last, still the path she walked was not always easy. Not everyone could be cured with a poultice, warriors died savage deaths, cubs were born without their first breath, mothers sometimes did not wish to be mothers. She watched as the young female hung the hides she had fetched. Animal furs were always useful and she often traded her cures for them, they could be used and used again if dried properly.

Clearly the young lioness had watched her hang pelts from her racks before. She was calmly imprsssed that the young female had taken so much notice of so simple and menial a task. Still she had spoken warnings to her apprentices before and she would make no exception this time.

“Tell me young one, why do you wish to be a preistess?” She raised a brow, settling herself in to a careful sit her tail curling around her paws. This was a query she had asked others and the answer had seen her turn away other less keen females.  

[Rennekae]

Sunna finished hanging the last pelt and turned to face Datura, settling into a sit herself. She was courteous in the amount of eye contact she gave the priestess but her posture showed she wasn't acting out of fear.

The golden lioness pondered her answer for several heartbeats; she had originally followed Datura as a cub purely because the chartreuse lioness herself was so interesting to a young creature. Brightly coloured, bags loaded with a million sights and smells, and all the strange things she did when she got back to her den - like hanging up hides to dry, she thought, amused. But as she'd grown and continued to watch Datura, Sunna's attention had turned to focus more on the job she did and the meticulous way she did it. She'd watched her through the common tasks such as collecting and organizing, and she'd watched her through the more gruesome tasks, like birthing and wound tending - things she honestly might have been a little too young to be watching, though something or someone had always coincidentally gotten in her way if things got too graphic or started to go south. Knowing now that Datura had been aware of her presence, Sunna had to wonder if perhaps they weren't coincidences at all and the priestess had always made certain she wouldn't see more than she could handle. Still, the object of her passion had shifted from the priestess herself to the work she did, and Sunna realized she was already dedicated to the job.

"No disrespect, Priestess, but I don't wish to be a priestess. I need to be a priestess. I feel it in my blood; it calls to me. Not to listen to a Warlord, but to hear the Stormlords. Not to help bring home treasures or thralls or stories, but to help bring life into this world. Not to fight other lions, but to fight Death himself. This is the way I was born to serve my pride and my Gods."

Sunna could feel her fur grow hot, a little embarrassed by a passion burning brighter than she realized. She shifted her front paws uncomfortably; she had never opened up to anyone like that, and she felt oddly vulnerable and free at the same time.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Rennekae

Datura met the young lionesses gaze calmly, listening to her words. She was a determined one. The need to be a priestess, yes, it was a good enough reason. “You have followed me for a while now.” She smiled a knowing smile, she didn’t want the young female to think she wasn’t aware of her presence. Since she turned up the first day, a wide eyed cub to this moment she had been aware of the little female. Still need was a very strong phrase, she had to make sure.

“Sometimes, we have to make very, difficult, decisions, it isn’t all about helping.” She smiled an almost bitter smile, she had, had to do things in the past that she was not entirely proud of, they were things that haunted her dreams.

“Sometimes death is the only way little one not everything is roses and silver linings. Not everything can be cured.” She paused for a moment and let a long sigh roll over her lips. “You have to take the good with the bad, do you understand?” She raised a curious brow, she guessed that the lioness would not be deterred still she had turned away more than one potential apprentice because they didn’t understand that there were days when there was no winning against the inevitable.  

[Rennekae]

Sunna nodded, a shy smile on her lips. It had been implied, but Datura actually stating that she knew made Sunna feel a little sheepish. Not that she was being reprimanded, but she still felt a little like she would have felt had Datura called out to her as a watching cub.

Sunna's smile faded to a grim expression at Datura's sentiments. Again she nodded, though much more solemnly. She hadn't always understood; as a cub, she was naive enough to believe that Datura fixed everyone that came to her. It wasn't long ago that she had learned the truth. She had passed by a grieving pridemate who had lost her brother, and asked her mother why they hadn't just sent him to see a priestess. Her mother had had to explain that they had sent him, but the only thing the priestesses could do at that point was to beckon death to come quicker. So many questions had buzzed in the golden lioness' brain, but her mother refused to speak about it anymore. Still, the main lesson had sunk in. Not everything got better.

"I understand. Death will win some battles despite how hard I fight. No matter what I do, the final decision will always be the Gods' to make, and I have to trust that they are right."

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Rennekae

The green lioness gave a light nod. At least she understood that not everything could be fixed. There were many things that the young female would have to learn and a lot of those things would come at a price. She herself had decided at a very young age that she would be a priestess, and she too had stalked the head priestess to gain her apprenticeship.

There was much to learn, a lot to do and their time was hardly ever their own but this young female was a determined one and she had a feeling she would go all the way. “Very well, return here at first light tomorrow and we will begin your training.” She paused for a moment and smiled at the young female, she did so remind her of herself, ready and willing to learn.

“Go on home to your family, rest, it will probably be the last good nights sleep you have for some time.” She chuckled, emergencies hardly ever happened when the sun was up a good nights sleep was not something that a priestess ever expected. “Sleep well my apprentice.” She rumbled turning her back on the young female she ducked slightly to enter her den, there was much to do before the sun rose tomorrow, preparations to make, a new priestess had to be trained properly to be effective.

“I will see you at first light.” She called from the shadows of her den.  

[Rennekae]

Sunna's heart leapt so intensely she wouldn't have been surprised if her feet had lifted off the ground. Datura had agreed to mentor her! She was an apprentice! Finally!

Wrangling her excitement as best she could, she forced herself to sit still and listen carefully. The pale lioness nodded at each instruction, not even daunted at the prospect of losing sleep. As Datura disappeared into her den with the last call over her shoulder, Sunna dipped her head respectfully and answered a simple, "Yes, Master."

She rose to her paws only after Datura was gone and turned to pad away. It did not take long for her brisk walk to break into a full out run as she rushed to tell her family the good news - and spend what would likely be her last uninterrupted day with them.

Syrius Lionwing

Fin!