Their Viking had gone surprisingly well, Tethys had provided them both with rather positive feedback and seemed happy with their capabilities. In fact the entirety of their team had done well, even if the same couldn't be said for the others. To say that Simbi had been a touch concerned over Lofn's distress when she had been advised that she had failed had been an understatement. Hakon however, had received Naberius's rant with a dignity that Simbi could only admire.
Some in the mostly female group had been utterly furious and this had been made worse by the fact that the only male in the group had passed. Others had been distraught and had struggled to understand, and all the while Simbi had wondered why Tethys had acted in that manner. Hakon meanwhile seemed to have figured it out, and it was only as they had begun the walk home that Simbi had challenged him on it. What the grey lion had said to him had made sense, but it had also p[laced a lot of things in to perspective.
Tethys had debased the girls to remind them they weren't important, to remind them that as it stood they had done nothing of significance. He'd done it to remind them that the Stormborn was filled with multiple personalities and dispositions, and some of those lions simply weren't nice. There would be those who were traditional, firmly believing that a females place was in the home, and then there would simply be those that were unpleasant regardless of who faced them.
No matter what the personality, if you were a Reaver under one of those Captains, you had to obey them or risk being put down...
"I think I'm good," Simbi said finally as he strode down the path and glanced at Hakon. "I don't think I'm a fan of the whole 'if I say jump, you ask how high' thing they have going on," he admitted. He'd been in two minds about what career path he'd wanted to pursue and now he wasn't. The prospect of kneeling to someone just because they had brought back something shiny, but had nothing that he could see of merit, lacked in appeal. The only reward he'd get for being a subordinate was to go outside... Suffice to say that was hardly a draw or him.
He'd heard the stories and they hadn't impressed him.
"So he was right," Hakon chuckled softly. He'd be more measured in his response to Tethys's viking, he'd been an a** for the sake of it and it might very well have been the right choice. He'd forced those who were over confident to closely examine their own goals, and for those who were unsure, he'd shown them the worst of what they could experience (without the violence).
"Who, Tethys?"
"Thron, though technically both," Hakon remarked. "Thron knew we were still unsure and he wouldn't waste time on those who would seek to change their mind later. Tethys was much the same, taking the frivolous and showing them that in this world there are those who are utterly abhorrent and if you want to go out...you might very well have to kneel to one," he pursed his lips. "I can only assume that there were a few there who assumed they could use nepotism to safely settle into a band, but he chose to remind them that this would do them no favours."
"It was a bit much for the girls though," Simbi murmured.
"And your views are tempered heavily by your inclinations," Hakon wasn't blind, he'd seen that bubbling at the surface and watched with just a touch of amusement as Simbi had been required to shut up and let his darling friend receive her abuse. Hakon wasn't one to intervene in affairs of the heart, but he was a bit of a betting male, and he'd have put something of value on something happening between the pair in the future.
"No I was just raised to be respectful," Simbi remarked with a snort. Unsurprisingly he had yet to see that something might be blossoming under the surface, and given Hakon's reliably paws off approach, it might take him some time to figure out...
"Mhm..."
"And so the wayward duo return," The voice was that of the First Speaker, who had come to greet them as they made their way towards his home. His expression was pleasant, with just a hint of a smile upon his maw. "Am I to assume it went well for you?" he asked. He'd let the pair answer, he knew they had passed, he'd watched from one of the many vantage points as they had displayed their capabilities. The pair had been acknowledged as one of those who should have been signed off as capable, though the First Speaker would have to look deeper into what happened to one of the other groups.
...He'd not been in earshot, though he had known that something was amiss with one in particular.
"We do," Hakon agreed with a bow of his head. "And according to the Captain we both passed, we exhibited the traits necessary to do well," he confirmed.
"Except I don't really think that's the life for me," Simbi admitted and shrugged his shoulders. "I would like to be able to affect change and I can't really do that from the outside, glory hunting for shiny objects while taking orders from individuals that aren't always pleasant is... A lot of work for very little gain."
"Until you get promoted," Thron pointed out.
"That would require Breytast, a long way off, and then I would have to deal with a potential group of disastrous personalities and ensure they behaved themselves," Simbi was deadpan, Hakon could do nothing more than laugh.
"Well at least you've learnt some of the basics already," Thron acknowledged with a slightly more bemused smile. He'd gambled on this one, the pride was in sore need of more lawspeakers as the older ones began to age and die out. They needed more modern minds, those not seeped in nepotism, it was the only way for the pride to grow and prosper alongside the ever growing number of lions that felt the need to wander. As it stood the Stormborn had little to offer within it, and far too much to offer outside... Thron sought to change that.
"Hm?"
"I'd assume he means the manner in which you can receive a promotion without using nefarious means," Hakon mused.
"Indeed," Thron confirmed. "But while I am aware of Simbi's view on Reaving, I have not heard yours."
"I've no great desire to go outside in an attempt to overcompensate for what I lack at home," Hakon remarked in just as blunt a manner as Simbi did. It seemed that neither had seen the appeal of that life, but whether they both acknowledged its necessity remained to be seen.
"I see," Thron refrained from pointing out that it wasn't appropriate to insult the Captains in that respect, or their reavers, but that would be a lesson for another time. "So what is next for you both, a pursuit towards the musical profession, crafts?"
"I'm not really that handy," Simbi waved a paw. "And he definitely can't sing," he added as Hakon raised a brow.
"I'm more interested in the politics," Hakon admitted and motioned to Thron. "And as far as I know, you're the only one that can help me with that."
"There's a lot of stuff that we seem to have forgotten," Simbi shrugged. "Seems like it's more important to go outside and bring back cubs for a female than it is to aspire to anything else. There's no urge to develop something significant here, to drive improvements in the pride, to co-ordinate efforts to make it better. We're so obssessed with what's outside that we've forgotten everything we are inside."
"Mmm," Thron pursed his lips. "And therein lies my problem, summarised so succinctly by two who are not yet educated in our ways," he admitted. "The oldest of the Lawspeakers are so seeped in nepotism and corruption that their arrogance has left us without many places to go," he shook his head. "Not an easy place to recover from, but we'll certainly make an effort," Thron smiled. "You will have to accept that while this will be a different type of battle, it will still be one though," he warned.
"Affecting change is always hard, but it still has to start from within to be accepted." Simbi murmured.
"Indeed, but the abuse may still come," Thron warned.
"So we play politics," Hakon shrugged, he sounded thoughtful. "While we begin with lessons," he glanced pointedly at his fellow student. "When we are ready, it will be our turn to make allies and play the game. We'll just have to be better at it than the current ones."
"Not a different challenge," Simbi murmured.
"Indeed," Thron chuckled. "Your peers are rarely even visible in society unless you bribe them," he winked. "So at least you will begin with an advantage when you are ready... But once you start on this path, I will not let you leave it, are you sure this is where you wish to go?"
"I am," Hakon confirmed.
"Yes," Simbi confirmed with a firm nod.
"Perfect, then your official classes will begin tomorrow. You will both come alone, your friends are not welcome as they will have their own musings to contend with," he waved his paw. "For now you should enjoy yourselves, you have had quite the day," Thron stated. "It will be the last relaxation you have for a while...so make use of it."
"Noted," Hakon nodded and gave Simbi a nudge. "Go tend to your friend," he ordered, knowing full well Simbi was buzzing for the chance to check on Lofn. Hakon on the other hand, would probably go to the inner regions of the pride to muse over his findings and to watch the pride as he was wont to do.
What are you going to do?" Simbi didn't even deny it.
"Relax," Hakon said with a wave as he began to make his way back towards the inner regions of the pride, no doubt Thron would join him soon enough, though he was unlikely to sit in the same spot.
"Fair enough," Simbi murmured, and it was with a nod towards his soon to be teacher, he began to make his way towards Lofn's home, though he wasn't entirely sure that she'd be there yet.
"Two down...several more to go," Thron noted to himself under his breath and gave a small nod. "Baby steps, but no less, they are positive..." he finished as he turned on his heel and moved on towards his next destination. It wasn't to be the inner regions of the pride though, he was to seek another set of potential students out instead. He had a lot of work to do if he were to reignite the passion for life that the Freeborn within the pride were meant to have...
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