[PRP] Assumptions [Gideon/Kerra/Azar]

[Kimaria]

"Hey, Gramps!"

Azar looked up from his rhythmic stride and frowned ahead at his grandson. He'd told the lion - countless times - not to call him that, but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears and so, eventually, he'd just given in. Kerra, was, after all, one of his favourite grandchildren, so he supposed that ought to give him some leeway.

"Do you want to hear a rumour?"

"Depends on who it's about."

Kerra, looking pleased, dropped back to walk alongside his elder, matching his stride easily. It seemed not that long ago when his little paws had struggled to keep up and he'd insisted on being carried so he didn't miss out on anything exciting. Now, however, he was fully grown and there was no way that his grandfather would be carrying him anywhere. "I heard from a friend of a friend that one of the new huntresses tried challenging a soldier and won with ease."

Well...that sure was the most uninteresting piece of gossip Azar had heard in a while. When did his grandson find the time to chit-chat like an old woman when he should have been training or patrolling?

"Kerra," he tried to steer his frustration away, "why did you think I'd care about this?"

"Well..." Kerra faltered a moment, letting his eyes lift back up to the terrain and catching sight of life just ahead. Ahh, they weren't alone.

"Oh, look! Let's go say 'hi'," he changed the subject abruptly and hastened his pace once more.  

[Epine de Rose]

In the distance, Azar might have recognised a familiar figure as she strode away. The lioness had left just as the Grandfather and Grandson had drawn near, leaving only the male lion in her wake. He was hardly an unassuming figure either, striking an impressive (if unintentional) pose on the horizon as Asyria took her leave. That aside, the closer the pair would come, the more apparent it would be that not everything was quite as it seemed.

Gideon had only come with intention of checking up on his daughter. Fiercely independent, she had struck out at a young age and had largely looked after herself, however every now and then, he did like to ensure that, like her siblings, she was doing well. It had come as quite a surprise to the lion to discover that not only had miss independent moved from her usual haunts, but she had also adopted a home in his absence. Now if there was anything he had not anticipated it was most definitely that!

She seemed happy though.

Quite frankly he'd never envisaged her as a pencil pusher but as she had described her new role in the pride she seemed more than just a little enthusiastic. He'd picked up on the murmurings regarding promotional opportunities, and apparently she seemed to have gathered several 'friends' during her time here. Well, he wasn't sure he could call them friends so much as acquaintances but it was more than she'd ever had before.

Suffice it to say that the older lion was satisfied by what he had found, and had it not been for the faint sound of paws upon sound he would have turned to leave. Instead, his ears swiveled round at first, and then slowly but surely he turned to greet those who were drawing hear. He certainly didn't seem unsettled by their proximity, evidently it would take more than that to spook him...

Kimaria

 

[Kimaria]

It was Kerra who reached him first, looking curious rather than aggressive. He could be rather loud and accidentally give the impression of an assailant but he was, in fact, much more laid-back than that. "Oi," he called, slowing down as the gap between them dwindled, "you've got the scent of a stranger about you. Are you here to join up?"

Azar, with a growl, had spent more time glaring at the fading figure than the one they were approaching and seemed to take his time to realise that Kerra had already started talking. When he did, he moved up alongside his grandson and peered across at the black and orange lion skeptically. This one looked horribly familiar.

"Don't make assumptions," he chided, "didn't you see he was already talking to someone?" He huffed and leveled his gaze at the other male, "alright, you better start explaining what you're doing here."

Kerra battled to keep the grin off of his face. Uh oh. He could sense tension already.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

The were certainly abrupt here, Gideon could see why his daughter might have been drawn to them. Given they didn't mince words and, by the sounds of it, were relatively sure of themselves, he could only assume that they kept her on her toes and gave her as good as she got. Up until now she'd always lived on her own, always been the ruler of her own kingdom and as a consequence she'd always had a little bit of arrogance within her personality. He hadn't really made efforts to school that out of her, but he knew that eventually it might come back to haunt her.

...Sometimes that was the best lesson.

Nevertheless as Kerra made his queries the lion placed a small smile on his lips and turned to face them; albeit it, his eyes hidden from view. He had been preparing to reply to the younger male when Azar joined them, turning what had been an innocent query into one that held a slightly more wary and territorial tone. Ah, so this must be the older and more experienced one? Or perhaps one who simply didn't like or trust outsiders, he'd run into a few of those in his time.

"I have no intention of joining your pride," he replied, at first addressing Kerra, who had approached him first. Azar would find that like Asyria, her father wasn't easily intimidated. "Nor do I have any intention of crossing your borders, the desert isn't a matter of importance to me at this time -" he paused. Admittedly he didn't know if that would change, but for now he was confident that there was nothing in there.

"I was merely visiting my daughter, this is the place she decided to call home after many years in isolation."

Kimaria

 

[Kimaria]

Kerra, making no attempt to wipe the grin from his face, bobbed his head in acknowledgement and gave his grandfather a smug look that seemed to say 'ha, you got all defensive for nothing!!'. Fortunately - or unfortunately - Azar'bijan was looking at the stranger and the stranger alone.

"At this time?" he echoed, his brow knotting.

"Ah, hey, I wonder if we know your daughter." Kerra continued.

"Of course we do." Azar grumbled, wishing that he did not, "well, you might not, since you decided not to show up during the recruitment day."

"Ah come on, dad was with you. Neither of you needed me. I had other places to visit. Other jobs to attend to." Kerra rolled his shoulders and then took a seat on the sand, deciding that this meeting was not going to need any sort of aggressive stance. Besides, with his grandfather here, someone needed to lighten the mood and he was totally up for doing that.

Azar severely doubted that Kerra had been doing anything of great importance but decided to say nothing. For some bizarre reason, though his grandson was not the ideal role model of a Firekin guard, he seemed to take it easier on him. "Your daughter seems to have become the bane of my life," he continued, "feel free to take her back home with you, if you like."

"Oh," Kerra's eyes seemed to light with realisation, "Dad told me---" he cut himself off abruptly at Azar's look, though the grin still remained.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"This is her home," Gideon replied matter-of-factly towards the disgruntled male. It seemed that Asyria was making friends rather quickly, or enemies in this case. Whatever she had done to the male was probably harmless in the grand scheme of things, but he had no doubt that it had probably dented the lion's pride. She had a way with words, and while he might have graced her with an education when it came to defending herself, she'd always favoured the bite of language rather than her claws.

"To say she is familiar with any other would be a lie," he added. It was the truth as well, Asyria had been born outside of the Al-siq and had no knowledge of her father's home. Up until recently the pride's gates had been firmly shut, even if she had attempted to get in she would have failed. Truth be told, he would have preferred she didn't anyway, as it would have made his life far too complicated.

...He wouldn't make any apologies for her either, she was an adult and could make her own choices. He certainly wasn't accountable for her in that respect!

Ah, but when Azar caught the tail end of his words he did afford a sigh and merely shook his head. They truly hadn't given an immediate cause for concern in these regions yet and he surmised they probably wouldn't, there wasn't really anywhere for the scourge to hide here... There were very few warrens in most deserts, at least not ones he had seen.

"Hopefully never," he reassured the older male. "The desert generally isn't one of the hot spots," he paused for another moment. "Please excuse the pun."

Kimaria

 

[Kimaria]

Azar'bijan snorted. Great. They were stuck with her! (Not that he'd actually believed the lion might take his daughter away). "She seems to have an uncanny knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Or perhaps it was he who had that particular ability. Either way, it sucked.

"Love is never easy," teased Kerra, "even for an old lion like you, gramps!"

Azar didn't hesitate in giving his grandson a cuff this time and the younger male gave an exaggerated howl, falling back in the sand. He'd always had a flair for drama, that one.

Azar, meanwhile, began to wonder why he ever went on patrol with the foolish male who - it seemed - had yet to grow up. Grinding his teeth momentarily to calm himself, he turned back to the male and tried to focus - though it was strangely hard to focus on a lion who's eyes were covered. Perhaps it was too keep his eyes shaded from the sun? Or perhaps he was just...odd. That would explain his daughter, anyway.

"Hot spots for what? You do like being cryptic."

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

Gideon's smile deepened as Kerra gave as good as he got, although he did file away that teasing to pry into later with his own daughter. What was this about 'love'? She hadn't happened to mention anyone of significance, nor had she really gone out of her way to mention any particular friends. All in all she had been more inclined towards discussing her new work and the structures within the pride. She'd taken to it like a duck to water in such a way that he had no doubt she would have been rather adept in the Al-Siq if she'd ever stumbled upon it.

He was proud of her - but this was just plain interesting, he was going to have to become more invested and nosy as time permitted.

"Love, is it?" he took a seat and rubbed his paw against his chin. "How curiously, she always had very high standards," he chuckled. "I wonder which parts of the list you might check off," he added.

However he did shake his head somewhat abruptly at Azar's queries. "Security concerns, generally kept on a need to know basis," he shrugged his shoulders. "Given the individuals would be too exposed on open sand, it is highly unlikely you're at risk," he paused and raised a brow. "Unless you happen to have networks of warrens underneath your paws... Then we might have a few problems."

Kimaria

 

[Kimaria]

"She has high standards?" Azar grumbled - mostly to himself but still loud enough for all present to hear. Then, with a narrowed look, he wasted no time in shooting back a reply, "for my sake, I better not check off any of them. She has no respect for the chain of command and I'd sooner never set sights on her again," he paused, wondering whether that was the best thing to say to the girl's father but deciding it was too late to start worrying about that, now.

Kerra was quietly dying of laughter.

"But enough about that nonsense!" He waved a paw as if swatting at an annoying mosquito and shuffled his paws deeper into the sands. "Our home is in the desert for the very reason that it defends us well against any who might try to harm us. We've had those try to attack us in the past and fail miserably. It might not be the easiest place to live but it does come with some benefits. Besides that, our members are plentiful and strong. There's very little reason for us to fear." It was true enough. They'd never had to deal with any big forces on their lands and the smaller groups had been crushed quite swiftly. Azar'bijan was still wary, of course - he spent much of his days out on patrol - but he wouldn't let an outsider know that.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"You can't defend against something you can't see or hear," Gideon waved is pay dismissively. "However if your land is not one filled with pure lions, then you will no doubt remain safe," he doubted that his reassurance was required, the elder lion seemed to be confident in the strength of his own pride and Gideon wasn't about to question it. He had no knowledge of the Firekin beyond what his own daughter had said, and from what he gathered, they didn't live in the most hospitable climates, nor did they have the warrens he would have shown concern towards.

No, it was better for him to leave it be, if he needed to interrupt their party and request access then he would do so at a later date, there was no reason to discuss it any further now.

"She has respect for a chain of command," Gideon returned to the top of his daughter, his eyebrow raising sky high. "But being in a position of authority does not mean you can demand respect," he pointed out. "No doubt she will refer to you respectfully during major events, but if you act in a baseless manner outside that, then she will supply you with the treatment you deserve," he paused to let this sink it.

"Respect is acquired through action, not due to bloodline, or because you may or may not have the favour of leadership," he finished. He'd had his fair share of nobles spouting nonsense at him regarding their entitlements, Azar might not be a noble...but he was certainly in a position where he thought he deserved something...

Kimaria

 

[Kimaria]

Azar felt himself growing aggitated. Was it not enough that he was being judged by the daughter, now the father had to start? Still, whether it was the way Gideon conducted himself, tone of voice, or the fact that he seemed to be a strong lion himself, the corporal held his tongue.

Kerra - who had calmed from his laughing fit - was glancing curiously at the stranger, now.

"Wow, you really are cryptic. I like you. It sounds to me like you're talking about stuff out of a story. You know. Magic and the like," he grinned, recalling all the fantastical tales he had heard - and made up - during his childhood. "Should we be worried or excited? How do we know if we're pure or not, huh?" He patted a paw on his chest, "I'm a good lion with no evil deeds to my name. I'd say there's quite a few who'd also meet that requirement in the pride..." he eyed his grandfather teasingly.

"Don't even think it," Azar snapped. His only crime was that he was ridiculously grumpy about ninty-nine percent of the time. That hardly made him impure!

"I've done enough for the pride to earn respect," he grumbled through his teeth.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Are you white?" Gideon challenged Kerra in such a matter-of-fact manner that there could be no mistaking that this was what he meant by 'pure'. "Almost completely, if not entirely, devoid of markings?" he continued and shook his head. "If you do not meet this descriptor then no, you are not at risk," he fixed the smile back on to his lips and 'regarded' Azar for a time. Perhaps a touch thoughtful at the demeanour that the lion seemed to possess.

He was...interesting, to say the least.

He was also an incredibly easy target and Gideon could see why his daughter might have acquired this male's ire. She would have been drawn to him like a moth to a flame, something easy to poke and pester, to goad until he blew up. Not exactly the smartest thing to do for some, but she seemed to be relatively skilled at it whenever she needed to gather information!

"Are you sure about that?" Gideon asked curiously. "Are you certain that all of the pride might sing your praises and offer you respect -"

He paused.

"Or would there be some who criticize your gruff manner and potential arrogance?" He asked in a curious tone.

Kimaria

 

[Kimaria]

"Oh." Kerra blinked, clamping his jaw shut - if only briefly. So that's what the lion had meant. Pure coat. Not pure of heart. Well that was slightly less magical than the stories, in that case. Still, it was hard to know whether to take the lion seriously. Fighting an invisible enemy who targeted white lions? It was a ridiculous notion. Still, real or not, it was nice to know that he wasn't about to be attacked by this strange force. Although...to be fair...there were quite a few white lions to be found in the pride...

Kerra pondered. That was unusual for him.

"Well obviously not all!" Azar flustered, stomping a paw into the sand, "the pride has its fair share of idiots - or those too young to remember!" Both ears twisted back, his mouth set in a firm line. "I don't have to explain myself to you or--"

"--hey, what if we did have white lions in our pride? What then, huh?" Kerra burst out, not seeming to even noticed he had interrupted.

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Then I would strongly advise they aren't left alone at night," Gideon replied simply.

He seemed unfazed by the younger lion's interruption, then again, there was very little that tended to both this lion. He'd simply seen too much, heard too much, and done too much to find himself offended by poor etiquette. Kerra was understandably curious and Gideon couldn't blame him for this, but he wouldn't provide further details to those who weren't at risk. Based on previous experience they had all had, such individuals often attempted to play hero... And he didn't want to be scraping their carcass off a rock while he attempted to discern where the scourge had gone.

His attention returned to the blustering elder though and he afforded a chuckle.

"So those who do not provide you with the respect you feel you are entitled to are idiots, or too young to know better?" he challenged and tilted his head to the side. "So you aren't looking for respect," he mused. "You're looking for someone to shove their nose so far up your a** it turns brown," he stated bluntly.

Kimaria

 

[Kimaria]

Kerra was curious but whilst he asked questions he wasn't quite sure what to believe. After this event it was quite likely that he'd go back and retell the tale to scare the cubs and nothing more. It would take more than a mere story to convince either of them - but not just them. Firekin could be particularly stubborn about such things and were not so quick to believe a tale from the outside - especially one such as this.

Azar growled, taking a step forward and laying bare his teeth.

"Woah, woah!" Kerra was on his paws now, "come on, gramps. Don't be like that."

"I think you've outstayed your welcome," Azar gave in response, setting his claws into the ground and ignoring his grandson. "Thanks for the warning, though. Much appreciated." His sarcasm was biting.

Urgh...why were people so...annoying.

Epine de Rose