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 Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:17 pm
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 The attack by the Stormborn hoard had left the Outlands weakened but no less ferocious. Those that had survived had been hard to keep down and those that they had lost had been given their seven days of mourning and honor. Now that it had passed there was a renewed vigor within their warriors and, they all hoped, that it would extend to helping their Queen recover. She had a son taken from her, a Soul that was murdered and resurrected, and even for all that worry and mourning she had seen fit to take in the scattered members of the Pridelands as they fled from their own disaster at home.
Azzan thought now, more than ever, that she was the only soul that could have lead them through this travesty.
"Alright," he chimed, turning to look at the lions that had come out with him on this mission. They had begun training and traveling in Squadrons; as the most senior claw, it was his duty to lead one and he had been all too eager once he had recovered from the attack on the Prince. If he limped too much, at least his men were too respectful to say much about it. "Today should be a simple patrol. We are about a mile out from our border; we shall split into two smaller groups and look for any sign of the Stormborn band."
A round of nods met him and he shifted his gaze to Jiryan, the older Firekin male that had recently joined their pride.
"Jiryan, take-"
"Sir," the red female chimed, interrupting. Aithne, he thought was her name? His mistmatched eyes shifted to her quickly but, he realized, she was staring past him to the horizon. Fear gripped him and he whirled, careless of his still injured shoulder, so that his eyes could land on a group traveling towards them in the distance. He didn't recognize any of them but that meant nothing.
"Stand your ground," he ordered, knowing without looking that the other four members of his Squadron were shoulder to shoulder behind him. "We don't know if they are a threat. Yet."
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:40 pm
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Vileclaw.
Azzan's first thought was that it was an extremely peculiar name but it was, also, the only thing that made him suspect this was not a wandering group of Stormborn reavers. Of course, there was still a small change that he could be very, very wrong about that and he would not make a mistake. Not now. He took a half a step backward, putting himself into better proximity of his soldiers but his shoulders remained squared and his head high.
"Well met, I am Azzan, Scion of Tahka and Claw of the Ukulwa'Izwe. You are very near to our pride borders." It was not a threat, there was no heat in his voice as he stated, it was simply a fact. The squadron behind him waited in tense silence with part of their eyes on this large and undoubtedly capable female and part of them staring off at the horizon in case she came with the threat of numbers.
"You will have to forgive us, our hospitality of late is a bit lacking. We have yet to recover from a recent battle in our lands. I'm sure you understand our wariness." Not a single one of his soldiers had escaped a new wound or scar on their pelts; he was littered from shoulder to toe himself.
"It would help if we knew who you were the Scout Master for."
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:41 pm
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"Well, I did say you were near our pride borders, not within them." It was a statement that sounded like it should have been delivered with a smirk or a smug grin but his face was placid. He was much too guarded to feel an ounce of mirth. Azzan could appreciate her take on things, though he still knew it unwise to let his guard down too much - they did not know enough about her yet.
"Jiryan, find a feather," he commanded without dropping his gaze away from the newcomer. Behind him, he heard the ex-firekin turn away without a question; at least his squadron had veiled commands in place for such a situation as this one. They had learned after the attack on their Queen that although their system of communication was good, their plans of action could have been much better. Hindsight and all that. They would not make that mistake again.
"What use have you for allies, Warborn? And at what price?" Truth be told, Azzan knew that they could use them but he did not want to admit how badly their warriors had been injured as of yet. No Scout Master needed to know how easy it might be to kick a pride when it was down.
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:04 pm
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The mirthless air...the solid state of it all...what had happened to this pride? Azrasha's ear flicked curiously but her expression didn't shift and she didn't move, listening like some living statue at his words. The phrase 'find a feather' caught her attention, a code word? It seemed more likely, but it didn't phase her as she kept her eyes on this Azzan with the same level headed approach as she'd come to the group with.
"I imagine the Warchief wants to expand...not kingdom wise ofcourse, he wants to know if there are more lions that share our sense of honor, other than the obvious things, protection, news, trade, new blood coming into the pride and coming out of...simple things like that..." She raised a paw and rolled it quietly in a so-so gesture. "I think above all things, the Warchief and the rest of the triumvirate just want to know how the rest of the world is doing and wants something for the restless pride members to do."
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 7:26 pm
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Azzan considered her words in silence for a moment, measuring the weight of them in his thoughts. It seemed honest enough - he was beginning to form his opinion of what her pride must have been like with all the talk of warborn and honor. It didn't seem far from what they were, here, among the red canyons.
"Honor is important," he admitted. Those behind him knew the meaning in it; it seemed the Stormborn parasites had very little honor about them if they were willing to attack a pregnant Queen and slaughter her council in the name of a few paltry bracelets. Of course, there was the matter of the hostages now as well. This war always seemed to weigh heavy on his thoughts and as he stared at the strange female across from him, someone so large and comfortable within her skin, he wondered for the first time if the viking horde might not be so unbeatable as they seemed. They had numbers, but Outlands had skill. Perhaps, if..
He stopped his thoughts there. Ifs were dangerous things.
"I don't think my Queen would be opposed to it but I must be honest with you, any alliance with us will earn you a vast enemy. We have found ourselves the target of a pride without honor and a taste for blood."
Behind him, a cry sounded through the air as a raven lifted high and circled back to the pride. Beyond it another rose, and then another, until they dwindled into the distance. He turned his head to glance over a shoulder, then settled his mismatched gaze back upon their visitor.
"If you would like to speak with our leaders you are welcome to come back with us to the pride's heart. They're aware you are here, now."
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 7:47 pm
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Azrasha watched Azzan curiously, though her facade of a stony attitude hadn't changed she nodded firmly in agreement at the 'Honor is important' comment. It was, it was to her and the rest of the pride, it was drilled in very early on that you had to have honor to be part of the Warborn...without it what were they but mindless savages biting at the dust and spilling blood for nothing?
When he spoke of a vast enemy and being a target, she lifted her head and listened intently. There was a soft snort, not a demeaning one, but one that sounded almost excited at the idea of a proper challenge.
"The Vita'Alizaliwa have been forged in war, Azzan, at a young age we are either taught to fight or taught to mend, those that cannot fight do the talking and mending, those that prefer not to be grinding herbs all day find themselves as soldiers and scouts...and those that can do neither wait to prove themselves as well protected peons and workers, are valued life blood....and even then, for all those that cannot, their blood is the blood of those that have fought wars, survived slavery and come out to meet another dawn." She took a deep breath, a flare of pride in her eyes before calming herself and looking behind her.
"Snakebite, go send word to the High Warlord...she will want to come and meet with our new possible allies and hear of their plight with these honorless ones." With a curt huff one of the other lions vanished back the way they came and Azrasha moved to her paws closer to Azzan.
"You'll...forgive me if I got a little excitable in my wording...we Warborn are a passionate lot....even us scouts."
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:28 pm
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The Scout Leader's words washed over him and he found, by the end of them, that there was a spark of something knew settled behind his breastbone. Hope? Comfort? He couldn't find the name for it and it didn't matter. What mattered, in that moment, was how close this stranger's words rang true to their own beliefs. If she had shied from the knowledge that any agreement might bring disaster down upon her pride and their heads then he would have known in an instant that they were not worth the sand beneath their feet.
But she did not shy, she shone.
"Do not apologize to me," his words were blunt but there was a ghost of amusement on his face, a smile almost too hard to see if one wasn't looking for it. "It is rare we find anyone willing to run as quickly into battle as we do. Most of this world seems content to let themselves be overrun by the snakes and scavengers around them. Your mindset is.. refreshing."
He beckoned her to come with him with a simple jerk of his head; he turned, and the small rank of lions behind him broke to allow them to pass. They would follow the pair as they walked home toward the pride and, ultimately, their leaders.
"Every soul you pass within our borders has been trained to fight even if they ultimately have chosen a job away from the war zone. It is our way of life; we protect our own as surely as you." He tossed her side glance as his paws began to follow the pathway to their pride heart. "I think your High Warlord will find us worth the journey."
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