Gutu = Bold
Tyr was furious beyond all furiousness. Ever since his little tiff with Kazul he'd refrained from returning home. He just didn't want to deal with the repercussions with what had occurred between himself and the little lioness. The WARLORD's little daughter. He'd screwed up and he wasn't looking forward to going home. Then again, he was proud of himself for having the nerve to stick up for himself and his brother. Talking badly about someone when they weren't around to defend their own honor wasn't something to be proud of doing, and so like any good brother should, Tyr had immediately taken a stand for his brother.
Now here was was, not really hidden away but not really home, either. He was hungry and tired, but he wasn't about to head home, not yet. Let them worry, for now he would stay out here, unhindered by his clothes and enjoying the solitude.
Gutu had been scouring the area recently, trying to find an appropriate father figure for her many children and coming up short. The fact there were no proper male figures in the immediate area that lived up to her lofty standards was very disheartening. She didn't mind living the life of a single mother, but she wanted her sons to have a proper male father figure. She didn't want to confuse them by being both their care center and their discipliner. How could they come to her with their problems if she may punish them? It needed to be a split job in her mind.
As she heaved a sigh, the whiff of something odd caught her attention. A mixture of several different scents coming from one direction hit her at once, like it was a den of many different species of animals, or maybe just two. She couldn't rightly tell at the moment with her worries clouding her mind. Regardless, she decided to check it out and crept up closer and closer to the scent as quietly as she could.
She nosed around until she managed to nudge something warm and fuzzy and her brows furrowed. A baby? She nudged the furry mass before he again, "Wake up."
Tyr wasn't exactly in a mood to be fussed with, and a low growl sounded from his throat. The scent was unfamiliar, but he wasn't going to worry about it. He could defend himself, and in all honesty he wasn't that far from home. The growl sounded louder as he curled tighter into a little brown ball of fluff, the only color showing was that of his mane and tail. "Lemme 'lone," he snarled. It was probably one of the stupid thralls straying too far from home. He didn't care.
So he would ignore the intruder for now, in all honesty he couldn't care less about what happened. Morose and irritable, if she kept prodding at him, he would strike out with claws unsheathed in cublike fury.
"No. Get up." Gutu said, grabbing the cub by his scruff and dragging him out from his hiding place so she could get a look at him. He didn't seem thin or in need, so obviously someone had been caring for him for some time. So why would he be by himself alone?
She licked the little brown ball of fur, trying to get him to open himself up inside of being nothing more than a ball of unhappy. She couldn't stand seeing a cub so unhappy looking. If any of her sons were that unhappy it'd break her heart into two. "Get up and tell me what's wrong."
Nobody except for his mother had ever scruffed him up and demanded that he do things. Perhaps it was out of habit -- or perhaps he needed someone to rant to -- but it wasn't long before Tyr was spilling his guts to the strange female. She was frightening to look at, assuredly, but she seemed nice and welcoming and she really did seem to want to hear what was wrong with Tyr.
"I'm never going home," he started, fighting a sniffle that threatened to turn into full blown tears. His lip wibbled and he sniffled again before suddenly wailing, "Life isn't fair!"
"Life isn't fair?" Gutu asked, furrowing her brow at the little brown cub as she licked the top of his head reassuringly. Such funny words coming from the little boy's mouth. 'Life isn't fair!' What did he know about life? He was only beginning to live and he was saying how life isn't fair. She sighed and gave the cub a couple more licks to his face. He was absolutely filthy. Whoever was taking care of him was not doing a very good job at it.
"Why is life not fair, little one?" She asked, pulling him close to her for a nice big hug, "Did someone make you mad? Why're you mad, though?"
"My mom makes me wear a PINK outfit all the time," he wheezed, big crocodile tears falling freely from those odd eyes of his, "and then I yelled at the Warlords daughter -- she RUINED my outfit -- and I don't want to go home because I hate wearing that stupid thing and I don't want to get in trouble but she was making fun of my brother because he's pink but it doesn't matter if he's pink because he's still a good brother, he's the best brother and it made me so MAD that she was making fun of him!!" He ended the rant on a little choking cough, his entire body shuddering with his upset.
"I don't even think my mom likes me," he whispered, "and I don't think my dad likes me much either." Tyr shook his head and raised his reddened eyes towards the stranger before burying his face against her chest. It felt nice to be hugged.
"It was wrong of that little girl to make fun of your brother. If you were my baby, I'd beat her up for you," Gutu said giving him a warm smile, though it was hard to tell with her markings, "I never let anyone mess with my children, because they mean the world to me just like I can tell your brother means the world to you. You did the right thing by sticking up for him."
She gave the little brown boy another hug and licked away his tears. He looked like he needed so much love, and Gutu was willing to give it to him even if he wasn't her child. No child should feel so sad like this and frustrated. They should be happy and focusing on playing and hunting. Normal activities.
"Why wouldn't your mommy and daddy like you? You're such a great little boy. Sticking up to bullies, and making sure your brother's being defended when he isn't around. My sons would love to have another brother like you." Gutu said, the thought beginning to cross her mind.
Tyr sniffled softly to himself, using the fur of her chest to wipe away any tears that lingered. She was so nice and soft, and she gave such good hugs. It was nice to have hugs. "She makes us all wear these jackal furs, like she's ashamed of us or something." He shrugged before shaking his head, changing the topic.
"You think it was brave of me to stick up for my brother? Even though it was to the Warlords daughter and I might get in trouble?" He would never let ANYONE hurt his brother Ingmar, but now he was in a fix himself and wasn't sure what to do. It helped that this stranger was here, helping him deal with it all.
Gutu nodded her head to him, a growing sense of frustration coming over her to hear of a mother treating her children so poorly. No child was supposed to think their mother didn't like them, or that she was ashamed of them. What kind of mother was this? If she found her she'd teach her a thing or two... with her fists.
"It was very brave of you. Making fun of someone behind their back is cowardice. They do it behind others backs because they know if they do it to their faces they'll be challenged, and they're afraid they'll fail." Gutu said with a nod. "Your brother is lucky to have you, and why would you get in trouble? If he's such a great Warlord wouldn't he feel ashamed that his daughter did something so cowardly?"
Tyr slowly nodded his head. She was right. Cowardice wasn't something to be proud of, and neither was bowing down from someone who did the wrong things. He was a Stormborn, and while he didn't find the ways of the Reavers appealing, well, his mother was a Reaver and so was his father, and acting like he was anything less would be a tragedy.
"I'm Tyr," he said softly, feeling that introductions were necessary. She was a good friend, and though he knew nothing of her, he could tell that she meant everything she said. Peering up at her with soulful eyes, Tyr waited expectantly for her name.
"I'm Gutu'bufuu," She said with a grin. It was nice to see that he was bucking up. She hated seeing little ones feeling so down on themselves. Children equated pure happiness in her mind, so seeing one unhappy was like breaking reality for her. Not that her reality wasn't already broken. She wasn't aware of this, though, and would not be for some time.
"I have a son about your age, Tyr. His name is Dosari, he is a very serious sort. I should introduce you two." She said with a smile. The thought that she may have found a friend for one of her sons was quite a thrill to her. If there were others around like him, than perhaps there would be other cubs to play with her sons. So long as the cubs weren't girls she'd be fine with it.
"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, more to himself than the large lioness. Despite her fierce looks she had such a mothering, nurturing aura around her, and it comforted Tyr. She wasn't like his own mother, a fierce and outspoken warrioress. Tyr supposed that both were rather admirable in their own rights, but at the moment Gutu was exactly what he needed.
"Well, just be careful," he warned. "My pride is kinda... well, everyone always fights there. Rocks in their blood or something." Iron in their blood, actually, but Tyr didn't have a taste for such language. "They're kind of scary, but if you want to bring your son here to meet me, I would like that very much. I just don't want you to get hurt or something." He knew that the Thralls could sometimes be treated roughly. In fact, a lion Reaver named Taraxa had brought a Thrall back to the pride after punching her in the face, at least that's what Tyr had heard.
"You're real nice," he added wistfully.
"Thank you, Tyr." Gutu said with a smile, taking note of his warning regarding his pride mates. She hadn't had a good fight in some time, so an excuse to beat on someone while she was trying to introduce her son to such a nice young man sounded even more tempting than just her son making a friend.
"I will keep that in mind," She said, giving the boy another hug. She decided to spend some more time with the boy until she could coax him back home, or at least get him to promise her that he'd think about heading back home. He shouldn't be out on his own for so long, after all.
Word Count: 2022
