Welcome to Gaia! ::

After his talk with Taraxa, Gunnar had resolved to seek out the lioness he had met. His time with her hadn’t been very memorable, but it had been something to boast about. Now he was worried that she might be with cubs. And Taraxa had pointed out that it would be a terrible thing to leave Stormborn cubs with a dull, weak female.

As frightening as it was, he would have to go back and see if she was with cubs. It was far too soon for them to be born yet, but hopefully he would be able to tell whether or not she was pregnant. If she was, perhaps he could convince her to come back to the Stormborn with him. Not as a wife – the very thought made him cringe – but perhaps as a thrall, or something. Taraxa would be sorely disappointed if he knew Gunnar had left Stormborn cubs with a weak little female.

Approaching the area where he had met the female, Gunnar went into a crouch and began creeping along. She had said something about guards, and as fun as it was, he didn’t want to get into a fight now.

Pumzi was, as usual, at her post. The golden-brown lioness was feeling quite well today. The night had been warm, treating her nicely. She relaxed, stretching a bit. The sun was making her feel even better, melting the stiffness that crept into her joints overnight. She was alert today, and it was easy enough for her to spot the slight movement as the strange lion crept up to her.

It was difficult to see him in the concealing grasses, but she was not alarmed at having a stranger creep up on her this way. If he meant to attack, well, what could she do? There was nothing she had to give anyone, and she knew that she was quite inoffensive. When the lion stood up, Pumzi realized that she recognized him … somewhat. She must have only met him briefly, for him to fade in her memory so. “Hello, stranger,” she said amiably. “I am Guide Pumzi. Welcome.”

It wasn’t the reaction Gunnar had been expecting … but thinking back on their strange encounter, he supposed it wasn’t too surprising. Pumzi had impressed him as being somewhat vague and disconnected. A sudden alarming thought occurred to him. What if she was touched in the head? What if she was pregnant, and passed her loopiness down to HIS cubs?

If she did bear addled cubs, Gunnar resolved not to take them back with him. He would die of the shame if everyone knew he had produced idiots.

He cleared his throat, feeling somewhat awkward. “Hello, Pumzi,” he said, speaking slowly and clearly. “Do you remember me?”

Ah, so she had met him. Pumzi knew that folk often took offense if you didn’t remember meeting them. Well, hopefully he wouldn’t be upset. She looked at him closely, thinking carefully. He was familiar, but not very. Not one of the pride members. Not someone she had met in the last couple of days, either. Something else swam into her recollection … discussing a strange lion with Sutala. Ah. Right. This must be him. She smiled kindly at him. “Yes, now I do, Stormborn. You seemed very angry, but now you do not seem so angry. That is good.” She sat, watching him patiently, waiting for him to speak. Perhaps he wanted to visit the Shrines now.

It was a relief that she remembered him after all, but Gunnar was still a bit worried. It wasn’t as though he was just some visitor! They had … well, she had allowed him to do … that thing. Maybe she did that sort of thing all the time? Oh, horror. Was she some kind of slut? She didn’t seem very seductive at all, but it was hard to tell with women sometimes. He was instantly suspicious. What if she bore cubs that weren’t his at all, and he took them back to the Stormborn?

The thought was horrifying. “Are you a slut?” Gunnar snarled.

Now the lion was angry again. That was too bad. She remembered him more clearly now. He had tried to frighten her, threaten her, but he had also seemed sad and conflicted somehow. She had been kind to him, and then he had gone his way. Pumzi knew what ‘slut’ meant, but it was difficult to connect the word with herself. She wasn’t sure if the lion was trying to insult her (in which case, she didn’t care), or if he were asking a question.

“I don’t think so,” she said, after a moment of thought. “I hoped that if I was kind to you, you might not be so angry, and go your own way.” She smiled at the angry lion. “I do not really like men that way. It was just a kindness. I am sorry if you are upset.” She put her paw on his, a gentle touch.

Gunnar was often caught off guard by females, but with this one he was utterly at a loss. She didn’t seem offended or taken aback at all by his rude question. She answered as though he asked her about the weather. Her words soothed his temper somewhat, but he was still suspicious of her. “How many men are you kind to like that?”

It was really none of this stranger’s business who Pumzi was kind to or in what way, but she wasn’t offended by the rudeness of the question. It was just another question. She thought for a moment. “None,” she said finally. “None but you. I usually see visitors with a guard, and the folk in my pride are not so unhappy that they need that kindness.” Pumzi peered deep into the stranger’s blue eyes, so close in color to her own. “I hope I have not caused you distress,” she said gently. She had really only tried to help.

Gunnar blew out a sigh. It was difficult to sustain a good head of anger in the face of this mild-mannered female. She was bizarre, but well-spoken. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her intelligence. Maybe she had been raised by … antelopes, or something. Or maybe she was a Seer. That thought brightened him up a bit. He would feel proud to bring home female Seer cubs to the pride. That was if she was pregnant, of course. He decided to cut to the chase. “If you have cubs, I would like to bring them home,” Gunnar said. “…and if you want to come with me, you are welcome.” His tone was slightly stiff, but the offer was sincere.

Pumzi shook her head, laughing slightly. “I wait here, Stormborn. It is my duty.” No further explanation on that. This strange, impetuous fellow did not need to be bogged down in the details of her life. She peered at him curiously. “Why do you want my cubs? I don’t have any, in any case.”

“Our cubs,” Gunnar amended. “If you are pregnant after … you know. If you have cubs sired by me, I would like to take them home.” Good grief.

“Oh.” Pumzi mulled it over for a moment. She’d never really considered that she might be pregnant, although she supposed it was possible. The lioness had never thought of herself as a mother. She didn’t know how she would feel about cubs until, and if, they arrived. If this lion wanted some, she supposed that it was only fair that he take some. But wouldn’t her pride want cubs as well? It was a difficult problem. “Cubs are created from both a mother and a father, so if I do have cubs, you should stay here.” Pumzi looked at him keenly and a little sorrowfully. “But I believe you are too angry to stay here, Stormborn. If I do have cubs, you shall have some, and I shall have some. That is only right.”

Gunnar wanted this awkward conversation to be over. He nodded. “All right. That is fair.” That was good, get her to agree to handing some of the cubs over … and then when he came, he could take the rest as well if he had to. If there were any addled cubs, the decision would be easy. He could just leave her with the damaged ones and take the whole ones. “I’ll visit you again, and see if there are any cubs,” Gunnar said stiffly.

“All right,” Pumzi said mildly. “Good-bye, Stormborn.”