[SRP] Enforced Shore Leave (Arimathras x Tethys)

[Epine de Rose]

News always got around fast, even in the roguelands there were means and ways to acquire information at a rapid rate. Arimathras was extremely well versed in such things and while she might have been exploring this peculiar pride, it hadn't been long before she had caught wind the change in mood. From what she had gathered these outings were supposed to be a glorious time, great fortune was supposed to be had and they often came back to much celebration... but not this time.

In her mortal form she scarcely received a glance and thus she had slipped through without disturbing the Freeborn as she picked up drips and drabs of information. The information she did receive was not something she had rather wished she hadn't. Out there, on what was supposed to have been an easy Viking, one of 'guaranteed' success... There had been an assault. In fact, that assault had been so significant that they had lost lives.

...And all of them had barely been adults.

Arimathras would have expressed her condolences if she had found an appropriate manner of doing so, but as she had yet to learn the customs of her offsprings' home, she kept to herself. Instead, she merely continued to listen until she heard a number of names listed... And one of them was her son.

"O-oh, oh no," she murmured and shook her head.

This was not something any mother wanted to hear and before she could catch herself she had already bounded off towards her daughter's home. Yes, she had heard the names but also the tail end of some of the remarks, he was alive and had been retrieved, but no one knew exactly what condition he was in. He had 'yet to be assessed' as it were....

Words: 298

 

[Epine de Rose]

He was there, alone for the time being save from the presence of the young cub and the servant. Arimathras had grown rather fond of the little one and the 'thrall' had proven herself on more than one occasion. However, both were quiet as she entered, Sima aiming to stay out of the way and Nanabe already distracted as she made the necessary preparations to treat the wounds.

Tethys on the other hand, had lowered his head to rest against his forepaws and was breathing heavily. He good do nothing more as he gazed ahead, focusing on a small crack in the den wall. It was a failed attempt at distraction, anything to take his mind off the constant thump in his head and the searing flesh. His wounds were large and gaping, and everything pointed to the fact that he had been attacked by multiple individuals rather than just one.

...Whatever they had been, this hadn't been a fair fight.

Admittedly he knew who and what they were, but as he caught sight of his mother, he knew that he wasn't prepared to discuss the truth no matter how furious she might be. Quite frankly, he'd never actually seen the lioness with a face like that one.

"Afternoon mother," he offered gently.

Words: 213

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Good afternoon?" she demanded. Was that really all he was going to say?

Her youngest son was lying in a pool of his own blood and resembled a preybeast who had been set upon by a rabid pack of hyenas. He was in ruins, and while he had been in a few scrapes in his youth his mother had never seen so much blood. She had so many questions and she didn't think she would be afforded half of the answers in his given state, yet all he could give her was a 'good morning', really?

...She had every right to feel the overwhelming fury in the pit of her stomach.

She had never felt this way before, not truly. Oh she had been disgruntled, frustrated... She'd even despaired now and then, but at this precise moment in her life she was utterly furious. Why had her son come home like this, was it normal and who the hell had done it? What exactly thought that it was fitting to set upon anyone and leave them like that. She knew there were barbarians but she simply couldn't accept this.

"Is that all you're going to say?" she demanded incredulously. "What happened, who did this?" she continued. "Where are they now?" she added suddenly. She had half a mind to go and deal with them herself.

Words: 225

 

[Epine de Rose]

Oh sweet mother of...

He really didn't have time for this, frankly he didn't want to deal with it right now. Logically he should have expected these questions, especially now that his mother was here and had more reason than most to fuss. If he hadn't asked her to stay (for her own safety), then this might never have happened. Nevertheless, he was just a touch unsettled by the manner in which she was looking at him now, particularly when she began to ask questions he would sooner she hadn't.

"Well, we were attacked," he replied slowly in an attempt to placate her, but the rest he was going to have to fabricate. He owed it to his father to keep his mother in check and he absolutely could not have a pure white being gallivanting off in search of those who deserved a good smack to the maw. "As far as for who they are?"

He paused.

"I don't know," he lied, and it looked like the truth given that his deception was already masked by his pay. "They are dead however," he confirmed and wince as he adjusted his position so that he could look at her more clearly. "At least the ones who attacked us our definitely dead we made sure of that," he muttered.

"So they aren't coming back," he added, as if to reinforce the point. For all he knew his mother might bolt off in a heartbeat if she knew there was any chance she might find 'them'...

Words: 254

 

[Epine de Rose]

"Is this normal?" she demanded.

Now she knew that their father had ordered them to find a home, a purpose, but this was not her idea of that. If her offspring were at risk of leaving this mortal coil long before they reached old age, then she was going to have one or two objections. Oh Destati might have argued right back at her about letting them make their own choices in life but when it came to this she would use her royal prerogative to overrule them.

...She was not going to allow her children to die.

No way. Even if she had to die them down with vines and drag them to a better safe haven she wasn't going to let them to succumb to violence that could very well be avoided. Despite how well kept this pride might be, perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to stay after all...

"Stop fidgeting you'll make your wounds worse!" she added and puffed out her cheeks. "Urgh, I should take you to proper healers, where it is safe. This place is not safe!"

Words: 151
Total Words (Ari): 674

 

[Epine de Rose]

Annnnd there it was...

Tethys cast a hard stare towards his mother as she began to chatter, but he did draw a very sudden line when she seemed to take the decision to move him to a safer place. Did he honestly look like a cub? His mother might have been ageless, eternal even, until she decided to move towards the next stage in her 'life' but she couldn't dictate how he was supposed to live his.

"I like it here," he snarled and pointed his paw towards her. "This is not normal, this shouldn't have happened, but it doesn't give you the right to determine what is and isn't safe," he pointed out. He silenced his mother with a stare as he hadn't finished speaking, oh he'd hear about it after, but right now he had the floor.

"Whether you like it or not this is my home, this is Dione's home, and we aren't leaving. We're capable of making our own decisions, father knew that we were of the right age to do so and you should accept that too -"

It wasn't that she hadn't accepted it before... But it seemed things had come into sharper focus for her now that she had seen the state of her son. The result was explosive, and while she might have let him talk in that instant, the den was soon a flurry of words as she snapped back.

Suffice it to say that the injured lion returned it in kind until the walls practically shook.

It was an argument that went on for several minutes before leaving his mother sulking in a corner, him in a rather foul mood, and the neighbours staring in confusion towards Dione's den...

Words: 288
Total Words (Tethys): 755