WC: 1,341
Rahman wasn't at all the simple sort. In his past, the complexities of his parent's relationships were a bit of a mess. His siblings older and younger, all were quite the handful. Most, bore the aspirations of his father, but those of his mother- some came out with her gentle soul. He- was stuck in between a rock and a harder place, with so much peer pressure to be his father's child, he remembered when the days were much simple. When he was in the roguelands. So far, he hadn't joined any raid parties, although he wanted to in the desperation to see beyond the pride again, maybe that would settle his mind, but most days, he would duel occasionally and wonder about the pride. Swim sometimes, make the troubled thoughts go away.
But this daybreak, he was wondering the skirts of the pride. It was simple to get in to the pride, his mother did it with cubs in toe. Fight your way in. Show your strength. Along his gatherings he found out dramas, the news and other whispers and the whisper he was going to seek was one he could not understand.
A lioness, whom showed so much strength, but at the same time would not go the 'easy' way in, she had family within the pride. She could be in by blood, but she choose to fight her way in. And in the last of her moments of fighting countlessly, everyday, she would sabotage herself, and after a few fights- reavers would make fun of her and play dirty. No matter how bad, she continued to push everyday. Without eating they said. Without leaving that post.
His tail dragged behind him with a slight curve of interest. He wasn't a reaver, and he wasn't going to bring her in but he did want to see what she was about. His satchel had a few fish inside, just to see if she would earn her right to eat them. When he saw the stripe of white upon the hill, he knew it was her. The one that everyone made fun of at this point, and like the stories, she was quite thin and exhausted looking.
"Ready for a duel!"
Gaea's head didn't move for a moment, and for that moment, Rahman thought she was dead. Nothing, moved, not even air within her chest for a few moments before finally she rose to her feet. The lion was taken back, and something twisted made him rage.
"You think you can take me!? Looking like that!?"
As soon as he said that, the lioness jumped with agility that he had not expected.Diving down on to the lion, and he immediately threw himself in to a dodge but was caught by the lioness’s talons upon his back. Although surprised, Rahman was like his father, largely, and his sparring daily made him a bit of a hard rock to push over. Huffing as she lowered her body for another attack.
“Spirited- I didn’t think you had it still in yea.” Lowering himself to match her as best as he could before she went to attack and he rapidly side stepped her and shoulder bashed her. The bash, sent Gaea flying across the ground and rolling a few times before being stopped by another boulder. His eyes slitted as he slowly walked over. When he was about to tell her why he made his appearance, she lifted back to her feet and lowered herself to another stance and began running towards him. His back legs slammed against the ground, and soon as she came for him he lowered himself to believe to send her flying again, when she moved like a snake would, and with her same about of weight from one side, she jumped to the other side, lowered herself, then shot up against his neck and bit down upon him.
That is when he really knew, it was her body giving up on her, and that was why she couldn’t finish a dual. Not without an experienced Reaver cleaning the floor with her. His ears went flat, and he felt his mother’s caring heart ache just a little. Making him huff at her face.
“Your jaws can’t even close.” Sitting, grabbing her snout and trying to pry the jaw open, but it didn’t come with ease. The more he tried to remove her, the more she thrashed her head again and again like a rabid animal. There was something so driven about her, and a desperation. To prove something either to herself or them. Eyes lowered to her... the eyes of his mother.
"I didn't come to fight you." Pulling his satchel from the opposite side of him.
The smell of the meat made her jaw water, and her eyes began to follow suit. Closing them hard, enough not to cry of the want. This wasn't the first time they tempted her. "Let go." But she didn't, instead, she began to thrash her head harder. Rahman couldn't help but feel the heart break, she didn't trust him, and she was right not to. Who was he to her? Yet, at the same time the more he saw her struggle the more he felt the sense of desperation she had. What had his fellow vikings done to her... Even still, why did she want to join this badly, why couldn't she have come the easier way. Like his mother had, it would have saved her mentally breaking.
That's when he had the idea to use his weight against her. Sitting down rolling upon the side she was on and pinned her against the ground. Breaking her suction of his neck and chuckled some.
"You lost." Giving her a wide grin before dropping the satchel between his massive paws, where her head happened to land. Embarrassment filled the fury in her heart making her instantly begin to struggle until..
The smell of raw and fresh meat sunk through. Engulfing her senses and blood trickling down in to her maw. It's nutrients turning her stomach to it's already starving mode. He loosened his grip and at the moment he did, she slipped away and began tearing the satchel apart. Her eyes began to water but they dared not leave her lids as she bit in to the gamey meat. Curling around the satchel like a protective animal.
He watched her for a moment, and shook his head. "You need to start taking care of yourself. Out here- starved, not tending to your battle wounds, is no way to get accepted nor respected. So tell me, why have you gone this far-" That much, he needed to know. Especially if she wanted in on the pride.
Gaea finally looked up. Ears went back... But she looked back down til all the met was nearly done before she spoke.
"If I leave, they would have thought I'm weak. I know what you say about me. But I will not stop til I am good enough. No matter how long." But when Gaea spoke, it was as if she was speaking to someone else. Rahman was nearly stricken when she spoke, her voice was nothing of what he expected. So hard, but the sound of someone sweater so deeply covered. That's when he really took a look at her scars. How many fights did she get in to, to be there.
"Why did you give me food. I thought you were not allowed." She growled at him.
"Yea, well when you are my father's son you can get away with some things." Shrugging.
She stared at him for a minute before finally finishing the meat and looked down at the satchel he brought it in, desecrated. When he noticed where her eyes adverted to he got up.
"Yep. That means you'll have to replace it." Turning from her and slowly making his way back to the threshold of the pride she so desperately wanted in, and the pride he so desperately wanted to leave..