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 Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 12:25 pm
 
Moving past the still form of his old friend, Lennart felt his throat tighten. For the second body he recognized was that of their Captain. "... Lögmaðr..." Feeling himself tense he reluctantly moved to the still form of the stone-grey captain and after a moment, lowered his head to try and catch any telltale hint of breathing. After a long time Lennart lifted his head and closed his eyes in grief. The old Captain had been rough and prone to too many fermented fruits and too many women, but he had been a good warrior and a trustworthy Captain. Taking a deep breath Lennart reluctantly reached out and tugged the captain's leopard furs from his back and draped the tanned hide over his head. Lucivar padded up behind the other reaver, pale eyes worried as he had seen the still form of their captain behind Lennart's bulk. "Is he...." The reaver couldn't bring himself to say the word as regret coursed through him. He had known Lögmaðr, had known the old lion had been feeling the pains of old wounds with the recent cold snap that had hit the pride's clifftop home. Yet the old lion had merely grabbed some fruits and yelled at the younger males to stop fussing over him.
Taking a deep breath he moved up next to Lennart and rested a paw on the old lion's fur-covered head. "You will be remembered in great songs when the pride is fat on fruits and meat, and your tales will warm our furs for many a season.. you old fool."
Glancing back he waited while the rest of the reavers gathered close, forming a loose circle around their two fallen comrades as Bjorg's body was placed alongside their captain's. Bowing his head, one paw still resting on the form of Lögmaðr, he recited the stormborn's prayer of death, aiding them in their journey to the next world.
"Lo, there do I see my father.
Lo, there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers.
Lo, there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning.
Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them in the Halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live,
Forever."
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 1:59 pm
 Erlender had watched in his silent way as the large pale lion had given over to his grief briefly. He was still learning the customs of his adopted Pride. He had seen the hardness that was instilled in them from birth, the purging of weakness, yet not of honor if you were as they were. Compassion and mercy where not always given, or encouraged, yet he had seen it in both the young lions that had become his companions. Just as he saw now another uncommon emotion play across first Lennart's muzzle and then Lucivar's, that of true grief. They would miss the fruit eating, foul mouthed, grizzled old male.
Remember Esui... the words of his Sefu came to his mind, a time when he was writing the kanji for battle in the sand, a lion who can not feel grief, can not know the value of life. Follow such a lion carefully, or it will be with your life you will pay.
As the Reavers around him spoke the words of their Dead, Erlender brought forward a large rock, placing it beside Lucivar's paw and another besides Lennart. Ready to be placed as the corner stones for the cairns that would be built over the top of their bodies.
Build the stones deep we shall...so undisturbed you shall be... Erlender promised both the dead as he waited for Lucivar's next instructions.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 5:09 pm
Lucivar dipped his head in private prayer over the two lions for a moment before turning to Erlandr when the bright male set the rock down by Lucivar's paw. Nodding silently in gratitude he stood and lifted the rock up in his maw, carrying it to the still body of Lögmaðr and setting it in place
Lennart followed the brown lion's lead and picked up the second rock before padding silently over to Bjorg and setting it down in its place. He too bent his head and said a silent prayer before both lions returned to the places in the circle.
Turning to the gathered reavers, Lucivar seemed to gather himself then after meeting each lion's gaze, lifted his chin a little. "We need to uphold their honor. Gather as many rocks as can be found so we can set Lögmaðr and Bjorg to rest." Turning he walked slowly and somberly away from the body-strewn battlefield to hunt for the rocks they would use to build the cairns.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:38 pm
Erlendr padded over to stand beside the young lion he had chosen to follow, his amber eyes their usual calm, his tone even, but low as he watched the gathered Reavers begin to bury their fallen comrades.
" Leader need they will now," he said, placing a paw on his friend's shoulder," your place it is."
He turned to regard Lennart with his far to knowing eyes, " And your place to say, for stranger still am I."
Erlendr turned to look back at the gathered lions, and nodded silently to himself. They were a strong raiding force, mostly young, only a few greying muzzles among them. Lucivar was well liked, and had proven himself time and time again in battle and in Challenge.
They would follow him, and those that would not, or that would try to undermine the young Captain would find that Lucivar was not alone, that Erlendr's claws and teeth protected his back.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:07 pm
Lucivar had paused some way from their fallen comrades, pale eyes down yet unfocused as he grieved silently, yet along wiht the grief that filled him, he was already thinking about their next steps. The rogue band had been annihilated, but they could have friends close by. His reavers could not stand about too long or they risked another fight and with two members gone and their strength depleted, they were in no shape to meet a fresh group.
The paw on his shoulder surprised him and he lifted his head, looking at his golden-furred friend with a faint frown, not at first gathering the meaning of Erlendr's accented words. When it sunk in he blinked, automatically turning to Lennart, for the steady, solid lion had always been the voice of calm reason when his peers needed it.
:ennart had listened, being close by more by accident than design, so when the brown male looked over, he studied the pair of them, exchanging a long look with Erlendr, before slowly nodding. "He is right. You are the best suited to lead them. Who else has trained as hard or won as many challenges as you? Not I, not Erlendr, nor any of the others. The older reavers are not captain material." Tilting his head he regarded the two for another long moment before rolling a rock close to himself. "Let us bury our dead, then we can vote." With that he bent and picked up his rock before turning and making his way back to where the two bodies lay.
Lucivar snorted, one ear flicking back at the praise given, unsure how to accept it without becoming any more embarrassed than he already was. Once Lennart turned and walked away, Lucivar looked at Erlendr and swiped at his shoulder but was grinning faintly. Torn between gratitude, embarrassment, and a sudden sense of responsibility for the other males in their band.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:35 pm
Erlendr kept his peace as the pale lion spoke, knowing that not only Lucivar, but the other Reavers listened to the normally silent male. Lennart noticed much, said little, much like Erlendr, but unlike the gold lion, he had been born to the Pride, so when he spoke, others tended to listen. It was why Erlendr had said that if any lion was to recommend that Luicvar become Captain, it should be him.
At the swipe at his shoulder, Erlendr turned his amber eyes on his friend, a rare smile coming to his muzzle, one very few saw. " Ready you are, pleased our Warlord will be. Still danger we are in. Give me Reavers two and watch we shall keep while dead you bury."
He waited patiently while Lucivar worked out what he said, he did not mind that his friend could not speak properly and took a few moments to understand him.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:49 pm
Lucivar knew exactly what the other lion was thinking even as he disassembled Erlendr's words into something more recognizable in his head. Cuffing his friend round the head, he smirked at him. "I can translate you just fine, outlander. You will have your two reavers." Chuckling under his breath he smiled at the toher male then turned and, picking up a rock, trotted back to the area where the two cairns were slowly taking form. Calling two of the older reavers to him he spoke with them a moment before resuming his self-set task of stone-collecting, while the two reavers turned and made their way to Erlendr, obviously unperturbed about being given orders by a much younger lion.
Lennart had delivered his stone and was looking for more, but was keeping his eye on the two males Lucivar and Erlendr. Ever since the yellow male had joined the pride, Lucivar had been more tractable, less likely to vanish for days on end to train god knew where. The yellow stranger had been a positive force on the young reaver and Lennart was fully content that Lucivar would make a good Captain.
It was some time before all the stones necessary had been gathered and Lucivar placed the last layer, carefully balancing them to make sure they did their job and kept the bodies safe from scavengers. Finally, he called all the other lions to him and stood at the head of the cairn for their late Captain.
"Today we suffered a great loss, Captain Lögmaðr, and reaver Bjorg were good, strong stormborn. But even as one falls, another must raise to lead. I call a vote on who will step into Lögmaðr's pawprints and lead us home."
Lennart waited for the others to speak, but only a few glances were thrown. Finally one voice rang out and claimed the captaincy for himself but no others joined in agreement, so Lennart took a step forwards. "I here-by vote for Lucivar to take on the responsibility of captain."
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:06 pm
Elendr nodded to the two older Reavers, moving toward them and speaking to them in low tones. After a few moments the three of them fanned out, keeping an eye out for the rest of the rogue bad while their dead were seen too.
When it was finished and the call for captaincy was made, Elendr waited until he heard Lennart's voice slip into the silence, only then did he speak his own support, " Second this I will."
"Aye, the young lad and the foreigner have the right of it. Lucivar may be young, but he has a head on his shoulders. I will third it."
Around voices raised in agreement, till only a pawful of the band stood silent or obviously displeased with the vote. Elendr made note of them, they would be the ones his amber eyes watched carefully until they returned to the cilffs of the Stormborn's home.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:36 pm
Lennart looked round the gathered band before Erlendr's voice rang out. Turning his pale eyes on the outlander, he nodded slowly. Then the next voice, one whom he recognized as a veteran of many raids, joined them he let himself smile inside, though the expression did not reach his muzzle. Lucivar had support and though the road would not be smooth or easy, he would do just fine, of that Lennart was quite sure. For no one was as harsh a critic of Lucivar as Lucivar himself.
Blue eyes watched Lennart as the pale lion spoke, then slowly moved on to each of the reavers as they voiced their agreements. Pride and a deep sense of gratitude rose up within his chest for those that had agreed to support him, and he was determined never to let them down. Finally, when all that were going to speak had spoken, Lucivar took a step forwards, head held high as he met each lion's gaze in turn. "I accept this charge you have placed upon me and I swear by the honor of my ancestors that I will uphold the pride of the Stormborn." Pausing he glanced at Erlendr before his voice rose to fill the sky above them. "All Hail the Warlord! All hail the Myrsky Syntynyt!"
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:44 pm
The golden lion nodded once to his friend, letting him know that though the road was long and filled with danger from both without and within, it was a road that Luicvar would not travel alone. Erlendr have given his loyalty, only death would sever it now.
As the young Captain's voice rose in praise to their Pride, Erlendr's joined it, loud and clear, and surprisingly enough, with syntax intact, " "All Hail the Warlord! All hail the Myrsky Syntynyt!"
Death had come, it had taken, but it had also given. Captain Lögmaðr's tale had been written, now his songs would be sung...Captain Lucivar's had yet to be told.
All hail the Myrsky Syntynyt... Erlendr thought quietly to himself, his amber eyes watching the other lions. All hail the Storm Born
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