[PRP] It's really not a problem (Victra x Kluna)

[Princess_Feylin]

One of the things about being her mother's daughter was that one day she was going to commit murder. It might be the only one of her life, but Victra already knew that wouldn't be the case. That was one of the things about being her father's daughter. It was because of him she was a seer, and knew she would be responsible for many deaths in her life.

These were the thoughts going through Victra's mind as she made her way to her meeting with the high priestess. Her mother had arranged it in advance when Victra told her that she had seen herself meeting with Kluna. She hadn't seen much more than that, though, so she didn't know what they would talk about, and her mother hadn't seen fit to tell her. She only knew that arrangements had been made.

"High Priestess?" Victra called from outside the lioness's den.

The young apprentice was nowhere near foolish enough to enter a priestess's den without express permission to do so. If it was anything like her mother's home, there would be protections to ensure intruders regretted their decision.

Abominable Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

When Nadezhda approached her Kluna was the least bit surprised and though she had only just returned from the Bahari there was no way she could avoid the meeting. "Yes Nadezhda, nothing would please me more." Her response had sounded likely as exhausted as she had felt physically and she made a mental note to work on that. The trip had been something else though and the amount of goods that the warband had brought back was unbelievable, it had been a day and a half, but the High Priestess found herself still organizing the new herbs and some other little things she didn't realize she'd have a use for.

Middle of her work and a voice poured into her den, echoed off the walls yet she still couldn't place the sound. Moments flew by in silence before she recalled that there was a meeting set to occur today. The daughter of Rama and Nadezhda. She had taken the time to learn a little about the family, of course she was highly familiar with her mother, the priestess that worked beneath her, and her work. Poisons being a personal favorite among her and her children. "Victra, you may enter." Her blue eyes had never left the shelf before her as she continued to stack some of the herbs away - it was only when she finished the satchel and spied the adolescents eventual entrance that she would completely turn to properly address the meeting.

"Victra.. you've grown." The High Priestess remarked at the lioness. "Quite nicely I might add and how is your Mother?" It was clear that during her adventures outside of the pride, submersed in a more diplomatic environment that she had found kinder words to replace those that often rubbed individuals the wrong way - of course if anyone were to step out of line she'd quickly smack them back into place, but that was for her to know and others to find out.

Princess_Feylin

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Raised by a snappish and exacting mother, Victra did as she was told, but did no more than that. She did not bring herself anywhere near the herbs the high priestess was examining, even though she was curious about them. Instead, she restricted herself to sniffing the air surreptitiously to determine what she could pick up of their scents, and waited for an opportunity to peer into the den to get a better look. It wasn't that she needed to know, but she wanted to, and as a poisoner, she felt it rather behooved her to be aware of what others with herblore might be doing with their stores.

"Inevitably," she replied to the high priestess before she could stop her tongue. She dipped her head in apology for her quip and corrected herself: "I'm flattered that you noticed. Thank you. My mother's as well as ever."

She resisted the urge to look down at her forepaws as she tried to come up with anything to add. She couldn't remember being in the high priestess's den before, and she really, really wanted to look around, but good manners dictated that she could not do so without an invitation. Plus, there remained the possibility of traps for people with a surfeit of curiosity and a dearth of care. Victra would rather not fall victim to something like that.

"How was your time in the rogue lands?" she asked. "It looks as though the viking was a success."

Abominable Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Kluna watched the lioness closely, monitoring her behavior at the invitation to come closer - as it were the adolescent remained a respectable distance, even avoiding having her eyes linger elsewhere beyond the High Priestess herself. Impressively disciplined. Was the mental note that she had made for herself, if she remembered to do so she'd have to send praise to Nadezhda for once again providing an incredibly suitable candidate for priestess-hood.

The praise she had been building up came tumbling down as Victra proved just how 'humble' she was - though she did correct herself. "Victra, you must realize that first impressions are everything." Kluna scolded her. "You ought to think before you speak, it's a process that may come with time, but it will be a struggle." She spoke from experience, recalling a number of times where she had likely stepped out of line during her stay in the Bahari`mtoto. Fortunately, her friendlier apprentice turn priestess was there to swoop in where necessary and respectfully correct her. (Not that her or Dione would spread such things around.) "Regardless, I'm glad to hear your mother is well." The question had been a way at prodding into their life as she recalled a family tradition - healthy mother meant that the daughter wasn't entirely done learning, she had Nadezhda for a little while longer it would seem.

"My trip was bountiful, both in wisdom and herbs - as you can see." Kluna moved a little bit more away from the wall where her herb store resided and raised a paw to show them off. "Come closer and take a peek - you'll likely see some that you recognize and others you may not. Our recent outing took us to a pride who was more than willing to impart some knowledge onto us." Anyone who followed the High Priestess would recognize that the us accounted for the pride foremost, but also pertained to herself and the newest priestess, Dione.

Bit by bit she was going to satisfy the youths desire to peer around, but at her own slow speed.

Princess_Feylin

 

[Princess_Feylin]

"Yes, high priestess," Victra acknowledged.

She didn't say it meekly, because meek was simply not a part of her personality, but she was respectful. Particularly since Kluna was right. If her mother found out she'd mouthed off within a few moments, Victra would be testing mild poisons on herself for a week. Perhaps that wouldn't happen though, as Victra found herself invited to inspect the high priestess's herbal bounty. Surely that offer would only have been made if her verbal misstep was already forgiven.

"Thank you."

Maintaining a more controlled and dignified demeanor, Victra moved closer to examine the plants. Some were familiar, as Kluna had said, and others were not. The unfamiliar ones she fixed in her mind to describe to her mother later, and to Turisas, if it came to it. The blue-eyed reaver was always pleased to bring things back from his vikings for Nadezhda, and if Victra told him her mother had wanted something, he'd surely seek it out.

In the back of Victra's mind was the certainty that Kluna probably wanted to know more about the likelihood Nadezhda would be replaced in the near future. She would have told the high priestess that she had no immediate plans for her mother's demise. In fact, very few priestesses in their family actually became priestesses before they were well into adulthood. Everyone was simply too well-trained in their arts to fall prey to one another's poisoning attempts. Still, she would not volunteer the information unless this meeting came to an apparent close without the matter coming up.

Abominable Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The corrective disciplinary words appeared to take effect nearly immediately as the lioness acknowledged her, the result was pleasing. "Like what you see?" The high priestess waved away the thanks while watching the adolescent approach the plants with eyes like a predator spying upon prey, the way she analyzed the herbs was studious.

"Did you have any questions?" Perhaps she hadn't created to many habits akin to their previous hosts (some of whom offered up information, even when the information could have been deemed unnecessary) - Kluna found herself curious as to what the young priestesses of this day and age were interested in. Traditions wouldn't change, not so long as she were high priestess, but one day she'd find herself challenged and even outwitted - she'd be a fool to consider herself safe from the Breytast another year. "I'd be happy to answer anything you may like to know."

Kluna settled in her spot, dropping herself gracefully into a seated position clearly prepared to truly invest in their current one on one.

Princess_Feylin

 

[Princess_Feylin]

"Your collection is very fine," Victra observed when invited to offer an opinion. She recognized several plant variations which were nearly impossible to discern from one another before they bloomed, yet which had different effects when used in mixtures. "I'm truly impressed that you were able to get a reaver untrained in herbal arts to bring back the correct items."

Then Victra recalled that they had only just finished discussing the fact that the high priestess had gone into the rogue lands, and she felt like a complete idiot. Lamely she added, "Or, I suppose you probably gathered them personally."

It was a welcome change in subject when Kluna asked whether Victra had any questions. Having been raised to be inquisitive, of course Victra had questions. But she was better trained than to give voice to them all at once. She supposed it would be best to be direct and bring up the most pressing matter regarding her eventual priestesshood.

"Not so much about the herbs," the apprentice said. "But I feel obligated to ask: how much do you know about my family's traditions regarding the training of replacement priestesses?"

What Victra was leading up to was asking whether she would be penalized or treated as a criminal for poisoning her mother when the time came. She wanted to assuage the high priestess's possible concerns that there would be any repercussions beyond Nadezhda's death and Victra's change in status: Victra's two siblings were males, and not allowed to become priestesses anyway, and Victra didn't think her mother was going to have any more cubs, so there would be no one seeking redress or revenge. And if, for some reason, someone did try to seek punitive action against her...Victra was equipped to deal with that.

Abominable Greenie

I'm so sorry about the long wait between tags. I got very busy with job things.

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

"Thank you." Kluna responded, keeping her tone in check as she almost became excited by the numerous findings - it was perhaps the one thing that got the high priestess' mood elevated, herbs. Remaining composed through the next comments she simply gave a small smile before speaking. "Yes. Myself, and newly appointed priestess Dione accompanied the warband." She said firmly. Attention to detail was very important to her and though it was a small mistake, it could lead to others. Detail was vital.


She felt her eyes naturally want to narrow at the question posed by the adolescent before her. A time was going to come when Nadeshda would no longer be and Victra would take her place, Kluna was well aware. Family traditions were hard to escape in most cases, this would be no different and in a way she admired the devotion from a family that alwas produced a priestess. In a strange way, it always guaranteed the best out of a priestess when she had to successfully do away with someone who had aptly trained in a field such as theirs - poisons.

"I'll not interrupt a family tradition and I suspect that if you didn't comply with it you'd disappoint your family, both living and those who have perished." She admitted this carefully. Though she admired the family line for the strength it produced, it was likely that others may not see it that way - of course, what the family suffered afterwards would be beyond her control. Yet, if the priestess sought it, she would have protection with the high priestess herself. "If you're seeking security, you have it. A blessing? You'll also have that." Though the words sounded as though she were simply giving it away the weight in them said otherwise - she'd thought on the blessing for quite some time.. even prior to this encounter. As soon as Nadezhda had produced a young female she knew the day would eventually come - if that female even sought to follow in her mothers paw steps, which typically appeared to be the case.

She grew silent.

Princess_Feylin

It's my turn to apologize. <3

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Well, that had been easier than Victra had feared. Of course, it helped that Victra's family had been succeeding each other as priestesses for generations. There had been some who had decided to challenge for the priestesshood during breytast vindar, and they'd either succeeded or not, according to the gods' will, but Victra intended to do things properly, and was relieved to know that if she made a successful attempt during Kluna's tenure as high priestess, she would not face punishment.

"There was one other thing," Victra said, filling the silence. She did not prolong her pause in any sort of attempt to draw out the tension. "I've had a vision that there is a god in the area, or will be. I'm afraid that our pride's weather patterns make it difficult for me to tell seasons in my visions unless it's breytast vindar."

The daughter of a god, Victra's visions were usually very accurate. Usually she simply reported them to any relevant people, if she thought it in their (and her) best interest. In this case, she had not bothered to inform her mother, lest Nadezhda decide she wanted to seek another godspawned litter and jeopardize Victra's surety as her successor. She did think, however, that the high priestess should probably be informed of the eventual arrival of a divine visitor.

"He's going to bring changes," she went on. "I'm really not trying to tell you how to do your job, but I got the strong impression that it would probably be better if he didn't linger, though how that could be discouraged if he decides to stay is beyond me."

She offered a wry smile at the vagaries of clairvoyance which was also half apology. If Victra had more information, she would have shared it, but she didn't. As for the advice, well, that was just her opinion, it was true, but she believed she had the right of it. At any rate, what Kluna decided to do with the information at this point was up to her.

Ctrl F Greenie

So, what Victra's referring to is the same god I mentioned when I made the breytast vindar post, my god Kefanaan. He's the god of impermanence, and one of his traits is that he tends to cause changes to happen the longer he stays in one place. Hence the modifications to the breytast vindar rolls and stuff. For the time being he's just passing through, but if there's anything you'd like to have him do while he's in the area, I'm up for that.