[PRP] Apprenticeship (Ragnvald & Pehmeä)

[In Good Faith]

Ruler of Everything

Ragnvald was uncomfortable, which was an odd feeling these days. For his entire childhood, and his adolescence to that, he’d intended on becoming a reaver. He was told to become a reaver. That was what was expected, if he were to be any type of real lion. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when… but at some point, he began to realize it wasn’t… what… he wanted. Which was hard to admit to himself, let alone out loud and to anyone else. He hadn’t even told Vigdis yet, which was something of an amazement in and of itself.

The young lion had realized he preferred knowledge to war. He’d known that preference since he was a child, listening to the stories passed down from his grandparents and parents. He just didn’t… really realize it until an opportunity fell in his lap that he couldn’t pass up. He’d been at the right place at the right time and learned of a lioness willing to take on an apprentice… to become a lawspeaker.

Ragnvald had seen a few lawspeakers in his youth and knew them to be highly respected. He hadn’t imagined himself one, of course, because he’d been told he was going to become a reaver. Why would he consider any other option? Older, and certainly more independent, those constraints no longer weighed on him.

Clearing his throat, the orange-red maned lion approached a black and white lioness in what he thought to be her… office? (He’d been directed by a passing freeborn from the market). “Hello… uhm. I’m looking for a Pchmea?”  

[RuIerr]

Pehmeä was resting. Now that she was finally a Lawspeaker (a dream which she chased for years before Eir chose to make her an apprentice), she found herself busies than she'd ever been as a simple Freeborn. She'd had no idea how swamped she would become - particularly with the problems of others. Much of her job as Lawspeaker included playing mediator in pridal feuds. And, with this being the Stormborn, there were many feuds. What lions couldn't settle with their claws, they settled using a neutral arbiter. Namely, her.

Without there being the full nine in the rank, there was too much work to go around. That was why when she was interrupted, the normally easy-going lioness got a bit huffy. She turned around, immediately taking in a bright red mane that she was sure she recognized from around the pride. When he stated that he was looking for her - or, well, someone of a name similar to hers - she assumed he was looking for her services in some way. "Pehmeä," she said curtly. She sighed a bit inwardly as she continued, "What is it you need?" Hopefully whatever problem it was that faced him didn't take up too much of her time.

In Good Faith

 

[In Good Faith]

Oh. Well, not off to a great start then, am I? The young lion thought inwardly. Obviously he'd caught her at a bad time, or rather a busy time. "Ah, sorry. Pehmeä." When she only continued to stare at him, he continued in a rush which trailed-off awkwardly. "I had heard you might... be looking for... an apprentice?" A pause hung in the air and he thought to give her a smile as a friendly encouragement. Despite his attempt at being friendly, he did shift his weight from one foot to the other, ready to duck out of dodge if she thought to throw something at him or swipe at him in frustration.

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

Pehmeä's face, quite literally, lit up.

She immediately shifted from curt and annoyed to grinning wildly, like a bit of a maniac. She hadn't expected it so soon but this was wonderful news! An apprentice.

The lioness had to chide herself inwardly and soften her smile to a much gentler one. Excitement wasn't the right reaction here. Instead, she needed to be sure that this was the right] apprentice for her. Luckily, one in her position got to be choosy. And she knew now what it took to be a Lawspeaker. So it was her job to see if this lion before her was truly a good fit for the role.

Taking a deep breath, Pehmeä spoke softly. "And what might the name of this potential apprentice be? And go on, tell me the why. Why you? Why a Lawspeakership?" When she had approached Eir, her own mentor, about becoming a Lawspeaker, Eir had posed many a tough question that Pehmeä herself was glad to have thought through beforehand. Choosing to take on a position like this one wasn't something that happened on a whim. It was something you thought long and hard about. So she hoped the lion before her had done his thinking.

In Good Faith

 

[In Good Faith]

Ragnvald raised his eyebrows nearly to his mane's hairline. That was a dramatic shift and one that caused his smile to broaden in response. Seeing her obviously shift back into a more serious-demeanor didn't happen his pleasure, mind you. He was pleased that his inquiry was welcome and that he wasn't too late. These were highly sought positions, or at least that was his understanding. Unlike when a reaver, captain, or the lionesses' positions, lawspeakers were almost like a panel; a finite number could exist at one time. Seeing her excitement lit his own fire, bringing the flames high.

However, unlike Pehmeä, Ragnvald had not thought quite so far in advance as to answer interview questions on the spot. He'd just been hoping he could one, find the lioness, and two, she wouldn't chase him out her front lawn. Now that he was here and speaking with a law speaker--probably the fourth one he'd seen in his entire life--he was somewhat stunned.

Eye's going wide, he stumbled. "I, uh. That is... well I'm Ragnvald." He began, lifting a paw towards his chest. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He added quickly, dipping his head respectively. Muling over her second question, his eyebrows came together in a furrow. "Well... I come from a family of reavers." This was true and the first thing he'd been thinking to himself on his walk over here. "And... I don't... want to be." He sort of said it haltingly, as if what he was saying was somehow going to be taken with offense. When he stopped there, the lioness merely staring at him, he realized that wasn't a very good answer.

"Well, it's not just that I don't want to be reaver! It's, well. Complicated. I prefer... knowledge." Saying that, he sat down on his rear with a huff. "I prefer learning. Our history is something that I enjoy most from my childhood; hearing stories and asking questions." He stopped there cocking his head. "It was actually rather annoying when my father didn't know the answers to my questions and clearly making up the answer." He added that last bit almost as a murmur to himself.

Shaking his head, he got back on track. "I want to be of value as a Stormborn but I wouldn't get pleasure out of viking..." Again, a well of embarrassment rose in his chest. "So... I thought about my options. What good would were knowledge of our culture, of our history, if I wasn't putting it to any use?" He shrugged, looking a little helpless. "It makes me happy, and I want to do what makes me... happy." He pursed his lips then, realizing he'd been babbling for quite some time. He wanted to apologize but even to say that, he thought, was going to open the dam back up to his babbling so he remained quiet. Instead, he smiled at her.

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

Ragnvald. It was a nice, strong name. She rolled it over in her mind, repeating it so that it would come to the forefront when she needed to remember it next.

She was a bit concerned to see that her question stumped him a bit, but after a bunch of rambling and mumbling to himself, he finally got around to the heart of it, and she was pleased. As he spoke, she simply nodded, through all the twists and turns.

When he was quite done and finished, Pehmeä decided to open up a bit about her own background. "I am the daughter of a great god and a female Reaver. Well, from back before when Reavers could be lionesses," she bit her tongue from making a sarcastic comment about the rule change. She had her own opinions, but she was still getting used to the new laws of the land. It wasn't her place to pontificate, it was her place to study. "I was never destined for that life, either."

"Now," she started, "I know why you want to become a Lawspeaker, and that is all well and good, but why should I choose you? What makes you deserving of the part?" It was another tough question, but she only had a few of those in her arsenal. She was coming off a bit stern but she really was a gentle and kind lioness at heart. She just recognized how serious of a move taking on an apprentice was. It meant a lot for the pride.

In Good Faith

 

[In Good Faith]

Well, s**t. Ragnvald didn't have the greatest self-esteem. He was not the most handsome, or the strongest, which was how to got anywhere in the social system as a youth. Now, as an adult, he was better off than a lot others who had more brawn than brain but that didn't leave him with a lot of sentiments on bragging on his skill sets. In fact, all he could do for the first few heartbeats was blink.

"Well..." What would Vígís say? Well, no, that won't work. What would Vígdís say about me, had she been asked? Okay... "Well, I'm more intelligent than any of my siblings for starters. Which of course you don't know my siblings but, well..." He was babbling again and cut it off. "I would happily have you test me on the histories of Myrsky Syntynyt. I'll study every day until you're satisfied with my knowledge. To that, though, I'm a hard worker. I may not know exactly what you need from me at first, but show me once and I'll take it from there. I'm also stubborn but... well, I think you probably need a little of that as a lawspeaker, don't you think?" He quirked a smile then but he wasn't joking. Lawspeakers were hard as nails and couldn't be pushovers.

"Tell me what you need from me and I'll deliver. I guess I could say a desirable quality in stubbornness is I won't quit, I won't stop, even if there's a block in my path." Satisfied, he nodded at this last bit, as if agreeing with himself. "Yes, I think you would do well to take me on and I will do my best not to disappoint you."

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

Pehmeä had to make it a point not to laugh when Ragnvald mentioned his siblings. But he saved himself by boldly offering whatever it was she needed - including testing his history of the pride - which she found impressive. She nodded along as he kept speaking, keeping her mouth shut for a long time as she deliberated coming up with a tough question to stump him.

But then she realized she was putting on a bit of an act - the hardass Lawspeaker caricature, of which she was not. She was a sweet and kind and eager lioness and this lion - her new apprentice, she decided - seemed to mimic those qualities. And he didn't deserve to be tested further. Not now, at least. That would all come in time.

Finally, she chose to speak. "And what would you say if I offered you the apprenticeship?" She smiled a lopsided smile then, quirking a brow in the air as she awaited a response.

In Good Faith

 

[In Good Faith]

Ragnvald actually bit his lip but in a nervous way, turning his head and looking at her as if trying to figure out if that was an actual question or if she was trying to tell him she'd made her decision.

"I would say... when can we start?" His heart was thumping in his chest so hard he could hear it like a flood in his ears. He stared at her for several, long, agonizing moments. He had a feeling she was teasing him but at the same time, there was no way that he'd waltzed in here today and was managing to leave as a lawspeaker apprentice.

Oh god. What was mother going to say? What was Vígdís going to do?

Ruler of Everything

 

[RuIerr]

His response was quick, and absolutely everything Pehmeä had been hoping for. Here he stood, this firey-maned young lion, her brand new apprentice. She wondered what Eir would think of her now briefly before the crashing realization of how much extra work an apprentice was going to be came down on her. Oh, well. She had asked for it, hadn't she? Teaching someone the ropes couldn't be that hard, could it? As long as she liked the lion - and she felt strongly that her and Ragnvald would get along swell - it couldn't be all that difficult. At least, she hoped.

"Well, then," Pehmeä said with another big smile. "Let's get going. We've got a lot on our plate today. Er, every day," she said as she turned and started walking off into the pridal lands, not waiting for Ragnvald to follow her. He would have to learn to keep up on his own.

In Good Faith

Annnnd fin! <3