|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 3:34 am
|
|
|
|
Aruná was watching the steel gray waves from up on the cliff. Tiny water droplets covered her pelt, but a thick layer of underfur made sure she wasn't really wet. She'd spent the better part of her life in the Stormborn, longer than she'd lived in her birth pride. It was strange, but she'd flourished here. To some people she would always be an Outlander, but she looked and behaved like a Stormborn.
At first her plan had been to leave as soon as possible, taking Udongo with her. Only problem was... Udongo didn't want to leave. She was a thrall, a slave, but she was... happy?
Akatta had advised Aruná to claim Udongo as her personal thrall to be able to offer her some measure of protection. They'd lived together since then. Udongo was happy and Aruná was getting used to safety again. Few people knew that they were really sisters. When she learned that one could become a freeborn if a family member was a freeborn - without fighting for it - they had already lived together as freeborn and thrall for several seasons. She had told Udongo immediately of course, but the other lioness had just changed topic. Udongo seemed to quite like being a thrall and she had gained a reputation of being good with cubs. Other freeborn females even asked to borrow her for cubsitting now and then.
She could just go to a Lawspeaker and get it over with, but she somehow doubted Udongo would be grateful. Perhaps it was better this way? The two of them, like always.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:35 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:23 am
|
|
|
|
Aruná was a bit shell shocked by the encounter, and didn't know what to say at first.
"Yes," she finally said, but it wasn't entirely clear which of his questions she had answeed. Yes, it was strange to see him. Yes, she found Udongo. Yes to both? She decided to elaborate. "I found my sister, she's here too."
She took a few steps towards him, unsure what to do. She was happy he was here, but wondered why he was. He didn't act like a thrall, but then they knew each other. He wouldn't be submissive to an old friend, right? The thought ran through her head 'If someone took him as a thrall I could claim him as family.' From what she know of him she doubted he'd fare well as a thrall, but then again it had been years. Did she know him still?
"Did you... challenge your way in?" she asked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 2:59 pm
|
|
|
|
Aruná was relieved to hear that Cythraul had fought his way in like she did. It made this much less complicated. If he'd travelled to Stormborn lands looking for her and then been caught... But she was getting ahead of herself. She didn't know if he'd come here looking for her, or if it was just chance leading him here.
"I fought the one called Lesedi," she said, grinning at the memory. "I think he expected me to lose, but I didn't."
She hadn't fought anyone since then. When she joined the pride females were strongly encouraged to leave the fighting to the males. The current Warlord allowed females to become reavers, but it hadn't occurred to her to pursue that path. She was a hunter, not a fighter, even if her hunting skills had served her well in the fight to be accepted as a Stormborn. It was strange to her that mostly Thralls hunted, but she had got used to that too. Now and then she joined a hunt for fun, pretending to go with them to supervise her Thrall.
Cythraul was standing very close to her, so she leaned in and rubbed her chin against his.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 2:21 pm
|
|
|
|
Aruná fell silent. How could she answer that after all this time? She recognized him, but could she say she knew him? Still, she wasn't sure she wanted to decline either. Cythraul must have felt her tense up. She rested her chin on his shoulder, still staying close to him but avoiding eye contact for now.
"I have missed you too," she finally said into his mane, "but I can't answer that question right now."
Breathing into his mane was simple, but as soon as she removed her muzzle from it things would go back to being complicated. What would he think about how they lived here? With Udungo as her thrall. There was only one way to find out.
"You need to meet Udongo," she said, "Come."
If that didn't scare him away, she could start thinking about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|