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It had been a few days since Eli and her friend Siggy had gotten blackout drunk together. She still didn't remember many details of the night, but it had come with an epic hangover such was the stuff of nightmares. It had involved actual nightmares, come to think of it.

She'd actually missed a viking because of the hangover. Something she'd have to thank Siggy for at a later date, when her friend was going through less emotional turmoil. She was a new reaver, and she could not afford to skip out on vikings. Not if she wanted to keep being brought on them, anyway. And since the captain and the band were away, she couldn't make her apologies until they returned.

Well, that was a problem for Future Eli. Present Eli needed food, and should probably gather some rushes for her den to keep it smelling nice, so she set off to take care of those things.

Since Aarre hadn't wanted to tip her hand and let Signild know what she was planning with regard to fixing her failed relationship, she had taken a few days to find out who Signild's friends were.

It wasn't as if she could just ask her family either, although she knew who they were from Signild's introduction. Her father was named Magnus, and from there she had been able to learn that Signild's best friend was a lioness named Elisef who had recently become a reaver.

She'd already visited Elisef's den this morning, but the lioness wasn't there. So Aarre waited. She didn't really have anything better to do with her time. Well, she could be training or something useful like that, but she'd already done some of that before she'd set off to find Elisef.

Still, the idea of being completely idle rankled, so Aarre did some exercises while she waited for Elisef to return home.

When Eli returned she was startled to see one of the warlord's daughters outside her den doing exercises. She and the striped lioness had never been close or even introduced. There was no reason Eli could think of for the green-eyed lioness to be in front of her den.

"Don't take the wrong way, but are you lost?" Eli asked, dropping her mouthful of rushes to ask this question. "I mean, this is my den, and I am certain we have never been introduced or anything, so I can't think why you'd be here, unless maybe you were lost."

It occurred to Eli that she probably could have been more polite in greeting the warlord's daughter, but she'd been startled and the first thing that came to mind when she was startled was rarely polite. She'd been quick to pick up on the foul language often used by reavers.

"I'm not," Aarre said. "At least, not unless you're not Elisef Halvardottir."

She paused briefly, waiting for the small nod of confirmation Elisef offered her. The strange expression which accompanied her nod reminded Aarre of the rest of what the other lioness had pointed out, that they had never actually been introduced. Aarre was used to people recognizing her on sight, and thus not having to introduce herself, but she was capable of exercising good manners when it came to it.

"I'm Aarre Ruzskidottir, and I'm here to talk to you about Signild, if you have some time." She added as an afterthought, "It's a good day to die."

There. That ought to be sufficient introduction to facilitate the rest of their conversation. Aarre got tired of pointless formalities.

"Good to meet you," Eli said with a quick, rueful glance at her rushes, which she couldn't carry while talking, effectively trapping her in her place for the time being.

"All right, sure. But help me get these rushes back to my den, will you?"

It was a way of getting her work done and stalling for time while Eli tried to figure out what, exactly Aarre might want to know about Siggy. Eli hadn't heard from Siggy since their bender.

Oh gods. Eli knew she shouldn't have believed Siggy when she said she was all right to get home on her own.

"Siggy's okay, right? She didn't actually get so drunk she drowned on the way home, did she?"

"Oh, sure. Of course," Aarre said, a little taken aback at being asked to help with menial labor, but not unwilling to be of use.

She bent to take up a mouthful of rushes and realized they were unpleasantly dry and flittery against her tongue. She didn't care for the sensation. This was why freeborn kept thralls. Although apparently not as many freeborn followed this practice as Aarre had assumed. She couldn't imagine why that would be.

Aarre dropped the unpleasant mouthful instantly when she realized what Elisef must have assumed when she came at her with those worried questions. She hastened to assure her, "She's all right. Well, she's an emotional wreck, but that's what I'm here to talk to you about. She did me a favor and I'd like to help her out in return by fixing whatever her problem is with her guy."

With a small sigh Eli gathered all the rushes and carried them into her den, jerking her head to indicate that Aarre should follow her. Inside she dropped them in basically the right place and began to scatter them with her paw as she spoke.

"Don't bother," she said with a derisive snort. "That whole relationship was based on a sham that both of them fell for. Siggy was pretending to be a lot stupider than she really is because she thought that was what Frjokorn would want and initially she got into the relationship to prove a point."

It wasn't that she didn't feel sorry for her friend's situation, but she also thought that it was best moved past, since the whole thing had been unsustainable anyway.

Aarre blinked at Elisef's blunt declaration that she shouldn't try to help Signild, or Siggy, as Elisef called her. Then, as Elisef explained further she got a clearer picture of the situation and found herself more in agreement with Elisef.

"I see what you mean," she said. "It would be pretty terrible thanks on my part to help her get back into a relationship like that. But when I spoke to her she seemed really upset that she didn't know why Frjokorn had ended things. Do you think it would help her if I made him explain himself, or at least apologize?"

She could almost certainly do that, after all, whether through bribery or intimidation. Being the warlord's daughter came with some perks in that respect.

Eli considered the matter for a few seconds as she continued to place rushes to her satisfaction. Closure probably wouldn't be a bad thing for Siggy, but she didn't think it would be a good idea for Siggy to see Frjokorn right now. She was still too emotionally vulnerable and would probably just fling herself at him with hysterics and apologies that might even work, and that would be terrible.

She conveyed these thoughts and related concerns to Aarre and refrained from asking why Aarre was even bothering with this. She'd mentioned something in passing about thanks, so Eli guessed Siggy had somehow done something to help the green-eyed lioness, but beyond that she really hadn't the faintest.

"If you're set on meddling with her love life - which I cannot say I approve of - give her some time before you shove Frjokorn back into her life. Personally, I think she could use a friend or a project more than a guy, but that's just me."

Aarre considered. As much as she didn't like the idea that her first instinct hadn't been the best, she had to admit that Elisef probably knew her friend better than Aarre did, and would definitely have a better idea of what would be good for her. If she didn't think a meeting with Frjokorn was a good idea right now, Aarre would respect that.

Friendship probably would've been better, but Aarre was really looking for more of a one-time reward. After all, Signild had only found her gem the one time.

"Thank you for your advice," she said. "I will take your words under consideration."

She glanced around the den, giving herself the chance to be reminded of anything more she might need to say here, but nothing came to mind, so rather than stay and chat, Aarre bid Elisef farewell and departed to decide what sort of project she might suggest to Signild.