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 Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 7:16 pm
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It wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last, that Na'ira found herself stuck at a fork in the road. The first pathway led to a fleeting period of compassion and love during which she could indulge herself in the happiness found within vulnerable hearts - the other, simply, duty. If she had been a mortal, a creature so fleeting that eternity was all but an impossible concept, perhaps she would have forsaken commitments but she wasn't, nor could she even consider the choice as more than a mother's selfish longing.
Instead, she marched forward toward duty and solitude, ever mindful of the precipice she toed. The lands around her were rocky and the grass was sparse but tough. Overhead, dark clouds swirled with the threat of rain, promising a late afternoon storm. It was a small blessing she had been given a window at all to find the lion she sought without the Stormlord's blessing beating down upon her. At least she knew these were a hardy folk - it was something she could be proud of.
In no time at all, she found a pale lioness with a mask stretched across her face. It was harder to tell given the jester's markings but she felt a peculiar mix of emotions radiating from the poor thing - surprise, longing, and an underlying fear. Mortals were a strange breed at times.
"Find me Vidar," she said simply, ruffling her great, feathered wings for effect, "I will wait here."
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 7:55 pm
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 Vidar was lounging on a rock, enjoying the breeze the approaching storm brought. His eyes were half closed and his tail flicking pleasantly back and forth, the wind making the tokens in his mane jingle merrily. He was just on the verge of letting his eyes slide shut to take a quick nap in the abnormally cool afternoon when approaching footsteps caught his attention. He lifted his head in time to see one of the many Thralls within the pride pause before his rock. A brief conversation and he was on his feet, following the female with interest. A goddess was requesting his presence, how exciting!
Once they reached the place where Na'ira stood, Vidar felt himself beaming. It had been a few months since he had seen her last and he was glad she had returned.
"Well, well, well. What brings you back here, my dear?" he asked, trotting forward to get a bit closer to the large lioness. "It's been quite some time since I last saw you."
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:05 pm
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"Still a charmer, I see," but the smile that curled her own jowls was honest and amused. Being in his presence, she remembered why she had been so taken with him int he first place.
Her bright eyes slid past him to the thrall and with a simple nod of her head, the universal hint to leave, the paler lioness turned and made her way back toward the heart of the pride. Still, when Na'ira's eyes found Vidar's once more, she was already turning to head back in the direction she came.
"Would you walk with me for a ways, Vidar? I have a favor to ask."
Her great form shifted and the plume of feathers trailed behind her as she turned, falling into step without a moment of hesitation. She didn't really think he would deny her request, after all.
"Well, several favors, I suppose.."
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:10 pm
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"It's never changed," he returned with a grin charming enough to convince a baboon to swoon. He was quick to nod at her request, though, his smile settling to a more normal and interested expression. A favor? For a goddess? He'd be a fool to say no.
"Several?" Vidar echoed with a laugh as he caught up to her. He wasn't a very large lion to begin with and walking beside her might have made any other lion feel dwarfed, but he walked as if he were her equal in size, head held high despite having to look up a bit to watch her.
"I'll do whatever I can to assist you, Na'ira, to the best of my ability," he added, his teasing tone gone and replaced with one of sincerity. He had grown quite a bit since he was a cub, in mind and maturity if not in physical stature.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:23 pm
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There was a certain amount of admiration she reserved for him and his unwavering confidence. It made her proud to see and, if he'd had the mind to note it, he might have even picked up the difference in the way she watched him - assessing, remembering, approving.
"I know that you will, Captain," she added with a gentle laugh beneath her breath.
The path she pulled him along was quick, winding and stony and eventually leading to a small stone outcrop some way away from the heart of his pride lands. Behind an out of place bit of shrubbery she had pulled across the entrance stood a small stone cave, carved into the broken, rocky landscape. Without much drama or flair, she simply grabbed the shrub and pulled it away with her teeth.
Laid bare suddenly was the evidence of their delightful tryst, a pile of ice and fire that swarmed and mewled. Her face lit with pride just to see them but she stepped aside to allow him the view, knowing that more she stewed the harder this decision would be.
Instead of watching her cubs, their cubs, she lifted her eyes to watch Vidar's face instead, waiting for him to put two and two together.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:36 pm
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Vidar followed alongside Na'ira dutifully, trotting along with his mane jingling as he went. Where they were going he wasn't sure, but he did know Na'ira wouldn't lead him to danger. He was curious as to what these multiple favors were, but soon he had his answer.
He paused behind the large goddess as she pulled some shrubs aside, revealing a small cave within the rocky landscape. He stepped forward, ears alert and nose working like crazy as his eyes adjusted to the slight darkness within the den. The sounds had his heart pounding before the pile of cubs became clear to him and his mouth parted in a sightly 'oh' of surprise and delight.
There were...seven. Seven cubs. And the majority of them were boys. And they were beautiful. A swirling mass of red and orange and blue and white and brown, quite clearly his own offspring. His heart jumped into this throat as emotion choked him up a bit, turning his gaze away from the pile of fur to look at Na'ira instead.
"Gods, they're beautiful," he said with a weak laugh. "I can't believe it...wow..." He turned to look at them again, reaching out with a careful paw to tuck one of the little females back into the pile as she shifted out a bit.
"You'd like me to take them," he said rather than asked, realizing why she had added the 's' to 'favor'. It wouldn't be the first time a female had brought his children to him to raise, but seven was a lot more than three and those had all been girls. Now he had five boys to raise on top of the two females he had spotted...and he knew it would be a pawful. Thankfully the trio of lionesses were now adults and he was sure they'd be thrilled to have younger siblings to take care of.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 7:57 am
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"Yes," the word escaped, strangled by a sudden lump in her throat. The sight of him, clearly overcome with joy at the sight of the cubs he had gotten with her, was so bittersweet that she did not have words for it. In another lifetime maybe she could have faked a mortal guise long enough to raise them with him but wishes were a fleeting, wicked taunt. She forced a sad smile onto her face and willed her eyes not to prickle with the hot tears she wanted to shed.
This wasn't about her, after all.
"They are all stable and healthy, they will start growing quickly now. I gave them all the time that I could but I have responsibilities that I can't forsake for them however much I wish I could." He wasn't asking for an explanation but it wasn't for him anyway, the words were her guilt, spoken aloud so that her little ones might know how much she loved them even in her absence. "I will try to come visit but I don't.. know when that will be or how often."
Her eyes pulled away from their brilliant bundle of cubs and slid up to stare at Vidar instead. The sad smile slipped and her face was serious of a sudden.
"Vidar, please keep them safe. There are things happening that might.." she trailed off, unable to decide how best to warn him without tangling him up in it, "just. The world may be a little less safe for a while, okay?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:00 pm
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Vidar could hear the emotion in the goddess' voice, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from the pile of cubs. Seven was a lot more than three, he thought to himself as he felt just a hint of doubt nibbling at his mind. He quickly shoved it aside, not wanting that to manifest at all around his children. His three daughters had turned out very well if he did say so himself and he could do it again.
He finally turned to face Na'ira again, looking up at her with a fairly serious expression. This wasn't a time for goofing, it was a time to be attentive and show her that she as serious about taking care of their cubs.
As the goddess turned serious as well, Vidar gave a solemn nod of understanding. Gods knew things that mortals didn't and although he knew better than to pry, he was thankful for the heads up that there was a chance of things getting shaken up around here. He'd keep an eye out for trouble at the very least and call off his Vikings until the cubs were well on their way to adulthood.
"Never fear, Na'ira. With me around they'll be as safe as they can be," he promised, his usual cockiness replaced with nothing but brutal honesty. Vidar was cocky for a reason. He hadn't gotten to where he was by luck. He would teach them all he knew in terms of survival, hunting, fighting, and getting by on a day to day basis both in and out of the pride. He took a small step forward to rest a paw over her much larger one, nuzzling her neck with his head to comfort her.
"And you are always welcome to visit them, even if it's just for a moment. I'll be sure to tell them of you so they don't forget." They were still quite little and even though they had spent their lives thus far with their mother, cub memories slipped away like leaves in a windstorm. He pulled back to gaze up at her again with a hint of his usual cocky, charming grin, trying to raise her spirits.
"They'll all be mighty Stormborn that can handle anything life tosses at them once they are grown, I'll see to that."
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 9:02 am
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It was a peculiar thing, needing the comfort of a mortal to settle the turbulence of her heart. The absurdity of it made her smile despite her worries and she found herself leaning back into his nuzzle. She was fond of him, for what it was worth. That was always a good sign.
"Oh, Vidar," she laughed, letting some of her usual playfulness leak back into her words with effort, "I do hope that the storms of your land can dampen their energy enough that you survive them. They won't just be stormborn, they are fireborn, my Captain. My heritage is power and fury and mischief." The words were punctuated with a pleased laugh, mostly meant to tease him but not entirely untrue. Raising the spawn of a Goddess was going to be a feat for him even with all of his prowess.
With a fluttered sigh from a sad smile, she leaned in and licked his cheek in familiar affection. The longer she stayed here with him the harder she knew it was going to be to turn her back on her little ones. It was time that they bonded with him and returned to their roots so that they might attach themselves to where they belonged.
"I will return as soon as I can but know that I trust you. I have all the faith that you will raise them well here."
She unfurled her great wings then and held them aloft. In a few strong beats of her feathers, she had brought herself away from the Earth and was rising at a steady pace. She could only spare one last parting glance before she looked up into the cloud thick skies.
There were things to be done.
SilverLutz One post from you and fin?
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