Deimos noticed the older, blue lion padding over towards her, as if to start a conversation and she scrunched herself up to seem as small as possible or to show him she was tense and Not In The Mood. Her fur bristled a bit for good measure, too. He didn't seem to get the hint. Ylevä was one of the more Good Natured lions that Deimos seemed to want to try and avoid, but he was not aware. The reaver attributed the youngster's anxiety and nerves to the fact that she was out here without any family, but as far as he was concerned, all members of the Myrsky Syntynyt were family. He fell into step alongside her without any real effort and he smiled. Deimos, however, was trying to make it difficult for him, walking as fast as she could without breaking into a jog, but the lion's legs were apparently significantly longer than hers and her effort was in vain as he strode alongside her.
"I understand you have quite the large family," he said and indicated towards the markings on her face that identified her as part of the multitude of lions and lionesses that could trace their lineage back to Aesir. Though Aesir was not an incredibly old lion by any means, he had quite the abundance of grandchildren and great-grandchildren and possibly more. Deimos nodded, it was the least she could do. So she did no more than what she had to.
"If you are stressed about going on a reaver without any of them, do not worry, it is natural," he said, smiling. Deimos gave him a sidelong look from the corner of her eye. Would he take the hint and move along if she just refused to speak? Ugh. Ylevä seemed quite prepared to monologue if he had to. And he would have to.
"I was born in the pride, like you, but I no longer have any family members within it. Some have left to seek their fortunes elsewhere– may the gods protect them– and others have passed away. My mother and father are of the latter. From time to time I do find myself missing them, but I am sure they are feasting with the gods now and I shall join them there someday. But I consider all the freeborn folk of the Myrsky Syntynyt my family now."
Deimos would have chanced rolling her eyes at the lion but he was looking right at her to see her reaction. She forced a smile and it was clear it was not entirely sincere. But the lioness supposed he meant no harm and did not intend to bore her nearly to death... He was trying to be nice and even though she did not owe him any thanks for his effort, she decided she would try a little.
"That sounds... nice," she said and it was only a little bit easy to tell that it was also a strained and forced effort on her part.
Ylevä beamed at the lioness. He was picking up on the fact that she was not a particularly chatty lioness. Or it was possible she was quite the talker but only with her family or with those who she knew better and trusted. But she seemed to be making an attempt. He would not bother her much longer, in any case.
"Aesir, who was warlord and who helped found your bloodline was a great warrior and captain. I am sure that you and the rest of your family will do many great things in his honor." Ylevä's family members had not amounted to
too much, at least as far as they had not become warlords or sired masses, but they had been humbly great in their own ways that Ylevä considered significant enough.
"Thank you..." Deimos said and bobbed her head. She noticed, then, that she had fallen into a more normal speed that Ylevä had also matched and her body had stretched back out into its normal length. He was not so bad, she decided. And they were both on this raid together so she might as well become familiar with her fellow reavers. Maybe someday one of them would become a captain themselves and form their own raiding party. Deimos figured it could be beneficial to be on the good side of this more experienced reaver, it could help her– and maybe her siblings– in the future someday to get themselves closer to fame and regard and the good favor of the gods and goddesses.
"Is... there any other advice you could give me?" She asked, softly.
Ylevä beamed at the lioness, took in a deep breath, and began.
"
Well on my first raid, I was somewhere between adolescence and adulthood..."
the end
word count: 1,024
