[PRP] I'm gonna get this (Skummelt x Dooley)

[Princess_Feylin]

Skummelt wasn't sure she was doing this right. She had been standing on her hind paws, pushing with all her might against a rock she knew she would never move for the past twenty minutes, on and off, and she didn't feel like she was getting any stronger. If anything, she was pretty sure she was getting weaker, and that her muscles were slowly turning into jellyfish.

This was her third day in a row of pressing herself against the rock. The goal was not to move the rock. That would be impossible, given their relative sizes. The thing really was more of a boulder than a rock. Instead, the goal was for her to build up her pushing strength, so that when she fought a larger opponent she would be able to surprise them, and better withstand their attacks from a two-legged stance. At least, that was what her cousin said.

She was beginning to think that her cousin had just been being a jerk and was off somewhere laughing at her gullibility. It was absolutely the sort of thing Burzum would do.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Princess_Feylin

It was another new day. Dooley had joined the stormborn for a reason, he'd joined to protect the lady he loved, perhaps that was a silly reason, what with this being a pride of warriors. He had been born in to that world though, his mother had taught him how to fight, how to survive, and if his colour hadn't banished him he would probably still be on the motoujamii sands. None of that mattered now though, he would make this home and though he had no ambition to become a reaver that didn't mean he couldn't use his strength and skill for some good in the pride.

It was as he was pondering his place in the pride that he came across Skummelt. He paused in his movement and sat down, curling his tail around his paws. "I'm not sure if you are trying to move that boulder, or something else." He pauses for a moment and chuckles "I'm not really sure what else you could be doing." He stated, tilting his massive tan maned head to one side and concentrating on the lioness before him. She was young, he wondered who had told her to do that or if she had decided by herself to try and to shift something far too large for her. He pursed his lips his pale blue eyes glancing over the female and the boulder, he wondered if even he could shift it. It was a very big rock.



As Dooley sat a white jackal settled herself next to him, she leaned against his pale hide and watched the dark lioness. She said nothing, she was learning quickly that not everyone looked fondly upon creatures such as herself. She was safest by Dooley. Still she laughed quietly as her lion companion commented. "Dooley don't tease the girl." She yips wagging her tail swiftly.  

[Princess_Feylin]

When a large tricolor lion came upon her and addressed her, Skummelt was a little ashamed by her relief. If she was talking to someone, she would need her breath, so she couldn't continue pushing at the rock.

"Oh," she panted, planting her paws carefully on the sand. The way it had shifted beneath her hind paws had made her efforts even more of a challenge, but she'd told herself that was for the best.

"No. Not trying to move the boulder." Complete sentences would be good here. "I'm just...I'm trying to build up muscles, pushing as hard as I can against something that won't move."

She tried hard to say what she was doing as if it was a perfectly reasonable thing for a young lioness to be doing, and not like she, herself, questioned the efficacy of the practice.

Like most of the pride, Skummelt paid no mind to the jackal positioned near the lion. It was a thrall, and beneath her notice unless she had need of it. It barely even registered that the thrall was taking her master to task for something, so adept had Skummelt become at ignoring the entire class of non-lions.

"It's a good day to die" she said by way of belated greeting.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

"Perhaps a better day to live." The massive lion chuckled, he had heard this greeting around the pride, the lioness was obviously born here, she greeted as many of them did. "Hm, I suppose that is one way of doing it, not sure that is the most efficient though." He mused his dusty blue eyes resting gently upon the young female. It amused him constantly that all lions in this pride simply walked up to him, he was after all pretty huge and in the rogue lands most backed away. This pride, it would take some getting used to.

"Perhaps I can help? The rock may cut your paws." He stood and walked towards the female and without a moments notice he lifted her fore paws one after the other with his own looking at the pads. "Seem to be okay at the moment. I think you may be doing your feet a detriment though. You may be training your shoulders but if you can't unsheathed your claws or use your pads to grip you may find your self tumbled." He gave a nod. "Is that why you were pushing? In case you meet a bigger opponent? Theres a much easier way of toppling someone bigger than you."

Wessex almost fell as her companion moved she shakes her head and rolls her eyes, she moves and settles herself upon a flat-ish boulder to watch. It seemed Dooley had decided he was going to train the young female. He was such a helpful guy, she could see him doing this all the time. Perhaps he had found a calling in this pride after all. One that didn't just revolve around the sun marked lioness.

princess_Feylin

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Outlanders. Skummelt couldn't help thinking this as the lion replied to her greeting as if she'd meant anything by it. She guessed he would eventually learn better, but maybe not. She really knew nothing about him, other than he was an outlander, which was obvious in so many ways she couldn't even begin to list them.

Besides, she was distracted from her musings about the oddities of outlanders when this one lifted her paws. Her pupils dilated and then her eyes narrowed as she experienced first shock at being touched without permission, then had to make a split-second decision whether she ought to teach the outlander the error of his ways. The exhaustion in her legs decided for her; she would endure this uninvited contact. For now.

"That was what I was doing, ja," she agreed, her eyes still narrowed with suspicion. Part of the suspicion was directed toward the tactile outlander, but the other part was reserved for her absent cousin. Had he actually given her good advice? Maybe it had been inadvertent on his part.

"What's your way of doing it then?" she asked, her gaze skipping momentarily toward the jackal as she moved onto a flat-topped rock. She wondered briefly what the thrall was doing there, but didn't ask. There might be useful things to learn in the near future.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Princess_Feylin

Dooley chuckled at the look upon her face. Obviously close contact was not appreciated but he had always been touchy feely. Still perhaps he should have introduced himself before he started to mess about with her paws. "My name is Dooley, my little friend over there is Wessex, we hail from the firekin and we all have to face an opponent bigger than us at some point in our lives." He had been out in the rogue lands for longer than he really cared to admit but his heritage, he was from the firekin and he was okay with that. He had been taught well how to fight, how to survive and he had survived well. When he had met Kaelyn she had made himself tart sparring again and that had built up the massive solid muscle in his shoulders. He knew though that his size and weight were handicaps sometimes, you just had to know how to topple.

"You're fast yes?" He raised a brow, she was young, youth brought speed, though not strength. He stood and padded around her before stopping himself in front of her once again. He pointed to his chest. "You get under even a big lion will fall. It was how I was taught, usually the other lion is so surprised they forget to attack. There is the odd one that will snap at your back though." He nodded.

"Wessex come here." He called to the jackal, his tail tucking around his toes.

The pale dog got top her paws and padded towards Dooley, she had no idea what he had in mind. "What can I help with?"

Dooley grinned and picked up the pale jackal turning her on her back. "You see here." He pointed at the bottom of the rib cage. "You get your head here and the lion will raise his paws then its just a matter of pushing." He flipped the jackal back to her paws shifting a massive paw he pressed at her under belly.

Wessex automatically lifted her paws. She didn't like this but she trusted Dooley he would never hurt her.

The tan maned lion pushed her gently and watched as the jackal rolled on to her back. "Hard to recover from that." He stated looking at the dark lioness. "Do you understand?" He raised a brow curiously.  

[Princess_Feylin]

"Dooley," she repeated. She didn't say anything to or about the jackal. Privately, Skummelt thought Dooley's thrall had a name that sounded like a sneeze, but she kept the thought to herself. It had no bearing on their present conversation, after all.

"I'm Skummelt Hrodvitnirsdottir," Skummelt replied. Practice made her patronymic roll off her tongue easily, but she knew it was not a simple thing for others to pronounce, especially outlanders, and so she added, "I go by Skummelt."

She was glad, however, when the conversation returned to fighting. She was on more familiar footing there than interacting socially with strangers. In fact, she'd really rather be fighting than talking in most cases. Words didn't come easily to her, and she often found herself tripping over them, her complex patronymic not withstanding.

In response to Dooley's assumption that she was fast, Skummelt cocked her head to one side in something like acknowledgement. She was about average in speed. There were faster lions in the Stormborn. Many of them. Still, she listened as Dooley explained how she might apply speed to her attacks, in lieu of strength.

"Ja. That looks simple enough," Skummelt answered Dooley. She was fairly certain it was more easily done with a compliant jackal than an adrenaline-fueled warrior, but she didn't voice her thought.

"I've heard of the Firekin. That they're warriors like us, but based in a desert?"

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

He smiled gratefully as she gave him a much easier name to pronounce, he very much doubted that he could have said her full name. It was way too much of a tongue twister.

He points to his own back "Get a really good pelt, wear it when you fight, this move is best if you have something on your back to protect your spine." He rights the little jackal and brushes the dust off her back with a nod.

"Yes I was born in the firekin, my mother was third generation, they are mighty warriors but they care deeply about your fur colour." He smiles a little sadly, it had been a long time since he truly thought about the home he had been tossed from on the sand. He didnt miss it, he had happily been a rogue for years before he had met Kaelyn. It was still a little strange for him that he was a member of a pride once again. "If you wish I can teach you to fight on sand. It can be a tough substance to keep your footing on."

Wessex shook her head and sat herself down beside dooley, she leaned against him and wagged her tail. She didn't mind if she could help Dooley out, it seemed he was finding himself a career here. He liked youngsters, he wanted to help them, she could see that. It seemed he had dubbed himself a trainer.

Princess_Feylin

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Skummelt smiled to herself at Dooley's advice about getting a really good pelt. She already had several. Not that she would want to spoil any of her really good pelts, using them as protection against attack, but maybe one that had flaws could be turned to that purpose. It wasn't a bad idea, and if she could prove that she was using the pelts and bones she collected, her sibs might not give her so much trouble about her collection.

"Your...fur color?" Skummelt asked.

She'd heard that, too, but she hadn't put much stock in the rumor. What on earth did the color of a lion's coat have to do with anything? As far as she knew, it had no bearing on personality or ability, inasmuch as it indicated who one's parents were, and whatever they might have bestowed on their offspring, either by birth or upbringing.

"What about...non-lions?" she asked, not sure how to refer to Essex without using her name, which she wasn't sure she could pronounce. "Did the Firekin care about their fur color, too?"

"We are on a beach," Skummelt remarked drily. "You could. But the tide's coming in from the look of it, so it would have to be a quick lesson. The water rises fast in this cove."

She'd learned that on her first day pushing at the rock, when she'd found herself with icy water lapping at her hindpaws. Usually members of the Stormborn were more aware of the tides, but she'd been very focused on pushing with all her might, and hadn't been keeping track of the sun, nor listening for the change in the water's rolling bass.

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Princess_Feylin

Dooley gave a nod "The firekin have a lot of old traditions, one of them revolves around the colour of your fur. My brown and tan are not welcome there. My mother taught me well how to survive in the outside world and I have been a wandering rogue for many years. I am not angry with them, they raised me well and I have survived well and lived long and now I have a home again." He chuckles quietly.

Turning his gaze on Wessex he gave a little smile "Creatures like her are welcome if they can perform a task. As you probably know the firekin live in the desert so they are forever looking for water. Jackals, snakes and birds are most useful of course, though to answer your question they are not really considered members so are not bound by the colour rules. They are tools. Wessex here has been my companion since I was a young cub, she has never steered me wrong."

He turns his gaze to the rising tide and gives a nod "So strange seeing sand and so much water together, though I suppose I shouldnt find it weird after all this water is undrinkable." He paused in his musings to look the lioness. Over carefully. "Perhaps another day then. It takes time to learn to splay your paws."

The white and black jackal wagged her tail, she shifted nervously. The problem with this pride, well the problem was that creatures like her were tools. She knew Dooley didn't see her that way but, she was positive she would never go any where without him. Even if this was home now.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Skummelt smiled and said, genuinely meaning it, "The Stormborn are lucky you've made your home here."

As far as non-lions being put to use as tools, that wasn't too far different from the way the Stormborn dealt with them. She wondered whether the jackal found it offensive to be referred to that way, and if she preferred to be considered a thrall. At least a thrall wasn't thought of as a thing. Thralls were people. Just people who weren't free to leave the pride or disobey orders.

"Another day," she agreed, still smiling. "It was good to meet you, Dooley, Essex. I appreciate your willingness to take the time to offer advice. And the excuse to take a break!"

She took care with her pronunciation of the thrall's name, as the jackal was obviously important to Dooley, but it was not the easiest name to pronounce. Still, she'd tried, she thought to herself as her muscles began to ache a little. That had to count for something.

Syrius Lionwing

Finished, do you think?

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Princess_feylin

Looks good to me I'll pop in a wrap post!

Dooley smiled a genuine smile, one that made his face look all fluffy and friendly. He felt at home here already, he knew he would find a place and become useful and that was all he needed out of life. "I'm very glad to hear you say that." He chuckles "You can call on me any time. It has been a nice distraction, I think I may like teaching youngsters how to defend themselves." He nods, mostly to himself. He liked the idea immensely and once he set his mind to something, he usually saw it through.

Wessex nodded at the lioness. Hm, perhaps others would not be so bad here, "I'm sure we would be happy to help." She smiles wagging her tail happily, she wasnt about to correct the lioness about her name, she was close enough, it was nice that she had tried and had at least addressed her as something. She had a feeling about what Dooley was thinking and she definately knew she would be a training aide from now on. He was so single minded once he set his brain on something.

"It was most adventagous meeting you Skummelt." He smiled a broad grin and nodded. "Come and find me tomorrow when the tide is out and I will show you how best to fight on sand okay?" With that the massive tan maned lion got to his paws nudges his jackal companion gently and trotted off back towards his den, he would have much to tell Kaelyn when she came home, he would tell her of his new ambition. He would train youngsters and he would be an asset to the pride he now called home.