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 Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:27 am
 Taking a deep breath the reaver paused alongside the stream, gazing down at the hazy reflection of himself in its waters. It had been several moons now since Lögmaðr and Bjorg had died during a raid, and Lucivar had been voted the new Captain by his fellow reavers. The concept that he was now in charge, at least nominally, of many older lions still made his fur prickle, not from nervousness, but the sense of responsibility that now weighted on his shoulders. He did not wish to follow Lögmaðr to the other side just yet, but he did give thanks the gruff old captain for his leadership since Lucivar himself had become a full grown male and joined the ranks of the Reavers. The old lion, grizzled and mean of temper that he could be, had still shown Lucivar the importance of leadership, how to be calm when a raid didn't go to plan, how to think on his feet and form a strategy even in the most dire of circumstances, and above all, the importance of honor on the battlefield.
Letting out a deep breath he pawed at the surface of the stream to dispel his reflection. Too much introspection was not Stormborn, that kind of deep soul searching he left to Erlendr and his strange eastern ways. His brothers had voted for him, had chosen him and shown their faith in him, he would not let them down.
Turning he resumed walking along the path, headed towards where he hoped to find the Warlord. He was not altogether sure how to proceed, but he had to talk to Aesir, that much he knew. He could only hope the male would agree to allow Lucivar's change in rank.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:57 pm
 Aesir crouched beside the brackish stream which flowed from the coast into the pride. It would become less salty farther inland, but here the saltwater and the freshwater mixed, making it useless for drinking but a fine place to fish.
Fishing was one of those activities Aesir liked to indulge in when he wanted time to himself. People let him be when he was fishing because they didn't want to disturb the fish. It was a great thing as far as he was concerned. Oh, sure he could have just said that he wanted to be left alone, but a Warlord ought to be accessible to his people, so he couldn't do that in good conscience.
Nevertheless, it seemed his solitude was going to be disturbed. The riverbank in this area tended to be a bit a little bit marshy, and so people's footsteps tended to squelch a bit, so Aesir heard the squelching. It served as a useful warning. He turned partially to see who it was. A young lion with a Reaver's build. He'd met this one before. One of Gunnar's sons. Lucivar?
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:21 pm
The wet ground wasn't exactly pleasant and normally Lucivar would have either avoided it, or made efforts to step silently, as moving without sound had become a habit for the young reaver since he had worked with Erlendr on better methods for doing so. But this time he let the mud squelch up between his toes as it was never a good idea to surprise ones ruler with an approach.
Spotting the warlord close to the river bank, Lucivar figured he had been fishing and belatedly realized he should have known that fact after being told just where the dark male was. But it was too late to turn back, for the other had spotted him. So, taking a slow breath the younger male continued to stride along the path until he was a few feet away from Aesir. Bowing his head in a gesture of deep respect, he gathered his thoughts.
"Greetings Warlord." Looking back at the impressive male before him Lucivar wondered if there was some kind of ritual to the whole issue of rank, but if there was he certainly didn't know it, so he forged ahead. "I was hoping to speak to you about the last viking I attended." Pausing he glanced at the river. "I can return at another time if it would be preferred?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:43 pm
"Greetings, Reaver," Aesir replied, giving up on his fishing. One of the other things he liked about fishing was that no one really expected him to bring anything back, so if he did it was a nice surprise and if he didn't no one was disappointed. Fishing was a great thing. Not as great as going out viking, but pretty great just the same, and something he could do without it becoming a big production, unlike viking.
"You're here now, so you may as well say what you want to say. I expect I've already heard it, but it would be good to hear it from you."
That much was true. Aesir was kept apprised of major events that occurred during any of the vikings that took place. Something like a captain dying was worthy of note and he had been made aware of the party's diminished numbers before they arrived, even. One of the advantages to having guards and scouts positioned at most of the obvious entrances to the stronghold. It had actually been one of his sons who had come to him with the news.
Of course, there had also been a more formal recounting when the band came in, but Aesir supposed Lucivar would want some sort of definite confirmation that the result of his captain's death, namely his promotion, would be a permanent promotion and not limited to the duration of that one viking.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:48 pm
Now that it was time to breach the subject, one that he still did not really feel comfortable with, he found himself embarrassingly tongue-tied in front of his Lord.
"Well Sir... I know I gave a formal report after our last viking, of Captain Lögmaðr's and Reaver Bjorg's deaths. But.. there was something that was not addressed during the meeting." Pausing he struggled to formulate what he wanted to say in his head. He usually had no problem speaking his mind to his peers, but then... Aesir wasn't his peer, and if Lucivar was perfectly honest about it, the Warlord was a rather intimidating figure in his fur and metal and bones... not to mention the male's natural black and fire coloring.
Looking back at Aesir and well aware he was taking up the great lion's private time, Lucivar finally just came out with it as he lifted his head up higher and met the leader's impassive gaze.
"The other reavers with me took a vote and temporarily made me their Captain. I was wondering if this would be a permanent position now with my team, as they would otherwise lack a Captain." He had been over it a million times, all the captains who might have been able to take another team, were either retired or busy elsewhere, and all the currently active Captains had their paws full with their own reavers. But Lucivar was not a lion prone to false pride or expectation and he knew he was both young and largely untested, at least in the eyes of some of the older Captains. All bar two of his reavers were his peers and the two who were older, were thankfully not the type to judge a lion by his age. He briefly wondered if his comparative youth would factor for Aesir but kept silent, waiting for the Warlord's reply.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:38 pm
Aesir had been sorry to hear of Lögmaðr's death. The Captain had been a comrade of his for some time and he had enjoyed his company, even if he was older by several years. He had been less close to Bjorg, but he had known him by sight. Still, that was the way things went when a Stormborn went out viking. There was the chance for glory and reward, but there was also the risk of death or maiming. Lögmaðr and Bjorg had chosen to to take their chances and take the risk, and they had not come out of it alive.
As a Warlord, Aesir had to wonder how Lögmaðr had managed to plan a raid that went so badly wrong. Captains with as much experience as Lögmaðr had should not be dying on raids. And they certainly shouldn't lose multiple lions in a single attack. That meant someone had not done a good job planning. Or maybe a scout had made a mistake, but even so, it was the job of a Captain to double check these sorts of things. As a Warlord, Aesir could not help but be annoyed at the carelessness.
None of that was Lucivar's fault, though, and none of it had any bearing on this conversation, so Aesir dismissed it from his thoughts and brought his attention to bear on Lucivar. He couldn't say he disapproved of the young lion's ambitions, and he had been asking around - well, sending Kazul to ask around, really - about how Lucivar had fared as a Captain. He had not heard any negative reports.
"Well, it's always up to the Reavers whether or not they wish to go viking under a Captain," Aesir reminded the younger lion.
There were Captains who had a go-to group of Reavers who always went out with them when they did go out, lions who worked well together and worked well with that Captain, but even with those it was the Reavers' choice to continue to go with them. It would be a mistake for Lucivar to think of the crew he had inherited temporarily as a permanent group - the Reavers who comprised it might think otherwise.
"But as a Captain it's your problem to convince them that they want to keep going out with you."
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 3:04 pm
The silence that followed his question seemed to stretch out for eternity as the younger male forced himself to resist the urge to shift on the spot. he was no longer a cub seeking his father's approval, or a youth struggling to live up to his trainer's expectations. He was a grown male now with his full mane and the scars to prove his worth as a stormborn, such a male did not shift on the spot like a recalcitrant child.
Briefly his mind flicked back tot hat fateful day, the raid that had led to this rather surprising string of events. The raid they had planned had never even happened, jumped as they were by a band of roaming rogue males as powerful as any Reaver yet bigger somehow, huge beasts with fury in their eyes who had not been out for glory or pride or possessions, but simply wishing to kill. Lucivar had barely had time to even shout a warning before they had been besieged by the manic beasts, and the sight of those huge lions with their red eyes and ungodly screams still haunted his nights.
Dragging his mind back from the hideous memory he focused on Aesir, feeling the fur along his spine twitch. As the elder spoke, Lucivar nodded slowly, knowing the truth of what Aesir said, yet he still needed permission to claim the title for himself and he knew better than to do so without Aesir's approval. Suddenly ears that had pressed themselves back into the younger's pale mane lifted, pricking forwards at his Warlord's last words. He had no idea if there was some kind of formal saying to cover this situation, but he was sure he had just been given permission to claim the title of Captain openly.
Struggling to keep the silly grin off his muzzle he bowed his head and shoulders low to Aesir somberly. "Thank you my Lord. It is a 'problem' I will willingly undertake." Straightening he finally allowed himself a grin before inclining his head once more. "I apologize for disturbing your fishing and shall take my leave."
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:48 am
Aesir did know some of the details of the raid. He knew, for instance, that his Stormborn had been taken by surprise and attacked by a strange group of lions bent purely on destruction. The fault still lay mostly with the Captain for not finding a more defensible position and not having better guards set out. At least to an extent. At the same time, Aesir did understand why a Captain might not bother. What lion in his right mind would attack a troop of Stormborn on a raid? Aesir meant to look more deeply into the matter.
"I'm glad to hear it. With your litter growing up and Taraxa's and Nymphaea's litters doing the same, the pride suddenly has a lot of young lions itching to be out viking. It's all to the better if I have enough competent Captains to keep them from becoming too bored and destructive around the pride."
Aesir had actually been considering leading another viking for more or less that reason, but he had been putting it off until his own sons were old enough to come with him. It was absolutely nepotism, but he thought he might take them all out as his crew along with a few of his friends among the more experienced Reavers. It would take care of the matter of their first viking without creating rivalries about who got to go and who didn't between his legitimate sons and his viking-born ones.
Lucivar's remark about Aesir's fishing caused the Warlord to glance toward the water. The fish didn't seem to have noticed that another lion had joined the one hunting them. They remained and were behaving with no more caution than usual. He shrugged and resettled the pelt he wore across his shoulders.
"The fish are still there. You haven't disturbed too much."
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:46 pm
Now that the question of his place within the pride had been answered, he felt an unusual sense of peace slide over him, as if for the first time, he didn't need to struggle to attain something... The young lion almost appeared to grow older during the few minutes their conversation took, and a calmness slowly filled those pale blue eyes, replacing the youthful restlessness and anxiety that had always been the young male's driving factor in life. Now, instead of being over-awed by the Warlord, he felt quietly respectful, not exactly a peer but not a terrified cub either. And for the first time he could look upon the other male with respect unfettered by fear or apprehension.
Allowing himself a small smile at the warlord's words, knowing he had indeed been one of those restless young males who had, more than once, driven the older reavers and captains to distraction with his constant pesterings. Maybe eventually he could return the favor his teachers had given him and take a few of the pride's younger members under his wing.
"I will be sure to capture any boisterous youths and give them an outlet for their energies, sir." He replied, a smile curling across his maw. He had invented so many training tools for himself that he was sure a few of them would come in handy with the younger lions, and at the very least he could keep them active and away from the rather volatile reavers. Having no idea of Aesir's thoughts, Lucivar simply nodded to the comment about the fish remaining in the river. He would have been the first to put himself forward for the Warlord's viking party, but then it would have surprised Lucivar terribly if any of the up-and-coming reavers and captains would have willingly refused the honor. Experience was always useful, no matter how many vikings a lion had been on, at least that had always been Lucivar's opinion on the matter.
Stepping back he dipped a shoulder, head inclining smoothly. "Thank you for your time sir." Only once he was released from the older lion's attention did then newly appointed Captain turn and slip quietly away from the warlord, leaving Aesir to his fishing, with the intention of going to his reavers with the good news.
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Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 7:55 am
Aesir nodded and watched as Lucivar's posture subtly changed. He had no doubt that Lucivar would be very dutiful and devoted to his post as a Captain. The young and ambitious usually were the most diligent, particularly at first, when they knew all eyes would be on them, and judging their abilities. Aesir could remember being in a similar position, though it was a long time ago now. Gods, that made him feel old.
"Go well, Captain," Aesir bid him, perhaps a little bit distractedly. From the corner of his eye he could see that a fish had surfaced and it was taking a lot of self-control not to go after it. Really, only the knowledge that he might well miss in front of an audience kept him from making the attempt.
After Lucivar had departed Aesir turned his full attention back to the fish and tried not to think thoughts about what the pride would think of this youth's promotion. They would accept it, of course, for he had done nothing wrong, but Aesir was less concerned about acceptance and more concerned about reaction, specifically his daughters' reactions. Would they find it impressive and romantic that Lucivar was advancing so quickly? He hoped not. Lucivar was impressive, but he wasn't good enough for Aesir's daughters. No one was.
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