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 Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 8:47 am
 He wasn't a superstitious lion, Voldemaras. Oh, he absolutely believed in the gods as his ancestors and he believed that from time to time they could be convinced to intervene on their descendants' behalves, but like many in the pride he was more inclined to focus on mundane causes for most things, rather than spiritual ones.
Just the same, he set his paws on the path to the den of a Freeborn lioness named Dalla who was known for her skill at crafting baubles and idols. He had commissioned her some time ago to make a small sign of the gods that could be worn by a lion viking. Something unobtrusive that would not become a hazard or a distraction during battle.
He had not decided whether he would keep the token for himself or whether he would make a gift of it to the young Reaver he'd taken under his wing, as it were. Ru showed no signs of being religiously inclined or superstitious, but every lion ought to have a few trinkets he could adorn himself with at feasts and the like. Particularly Reavers, though it would be better if their trinkets were won through bloodshed.
Well, he'd make that decision when he saw the finished product he decided as he came upon her den.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:15 am
Dalla did not tend to stray far from her den during the daylight hours. Many Stormborn came to her on a daily basis; all of them knew well the location of her den. Remaining near her place of rest assured Dalla that they would not have to search her out. There were Thralls a-plenty to send out for materials and so Dalla did not deign to do such mundane tasks for herself. After all, what purpose did Thralls have if not to serve those of higher rank? Her latest trinket had been for Reaver Voldemaras; it was a piece of bone, flat and crafted into a proper pendant shape. Carved upon the flat surface of the porous, smooth bone was a serpent curled in on itself. Her own claws had been used to score the bone. It had taken her a painstakingly long time, but it was a piece she was proud of. All that would be needed was a long piece of leather or hempen rope through the hole at the top and the piece would be ready to be worn. Her ears perked as she caught sound of someone drawing close and instinctively her paw closed around the bauble.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:33 am
"Dalla," Vol called into the den.
Any other lion might have added some sort of upward inflection to the lioness's name to make of it a polite query: was she in and receiving visitors? No, Vol didn't much care. He used her name more as a means of attracting her attention before he identified himself: "Voldemaras. I've come to see if you've finished the piece for me."
So saying, he stepped into the mouth of her den. As far as Freeborn lionesses went, Vol had no complaints about Dalla. She was skilled at what she did and did not rock the boat too much. She did not try to put herself forward in front of menfolk, as far as he knew, and she was not given to fits of silly hysteria. Not that many Stormborn were, but it was more common among females than males.
It was unfortunate that she was not as lovely as her sister, though neither of them were exactly to Vol's taste. He preferred females with stripes. Like that little bit of blue fluff he'd taken on his last raid. She had been terrified, and probably one of the females prone to hysteria, though he had not lingered to see if that was the case or not. She was an outlander, and not worthy of his attention. Already his mind was forgetting the details of their encounter.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:48 am
Ah, Voldemaras. She did not mind the big lion much. Dalla kept to herself more often than not, and Vol did not make a pest of himself. She did not mind the Stormborn that kept to themselves; no, it was the lions that were egotistic and thought themselves as the Gods gift to lionesses that annoyed Dalla. One came to mind -- Reaver Taraxa. He'd tried to woo her but after a swift thump upside the head and a baring of teeth he'd left her alone.
Thankfully.
"Reaver Voldemaras," she greeted him, her voice mild and husky. "I have indeed finished your request. Well," she added thoughtfully, "it does need a bit of leather or twine to secure it around ones neck, but the pendant itself is done. I hope you approve of my work."
She did love to craft. It brought her a sense of peace. Losing herself in her creativity had a way of righting all the wrongs that had been dealt to her in her life. She only wished that her craft could right all the wrongs that had been handed to her sister. All in good time, she whispered inwardly to herself, and Dalla shook the rogue thoughts from her mind as she approached the Reaver.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:04 am
As far as hitting on Stormborn females went, Vol really didn't do it. When he wanted to have sex there were always Thralls to satisfy that particular urge, or there were the lionesses he encountered on raids. All of them were unimportant and generally inferior to Stormborn females, but he did not wish to sire bastards on a Stormborn female and he had not yet found a lioness among the pride that he wished to take to mate. Until or unless he did, Vol would continue to sate himself on the inferior and remain ignorant of any cubs he may or may not father.
"The cording can wait," he said, indifferent.
It would make more sense to wait anyway, given the fact he didn't know whether he would be keeping it or giving it as a gift. If he kept it, he would need a longer cord to wear it, since Ru's mane had not yet reached its adult fullness, though it was almost comically long. When he put on more muscles his mane would not lie so flat. At least Vol hoped that would be the case, for Ru's sake. Of course, he might wish to wear the pendant in some other way, but around the neck was generally the most practical way to do it.
He waited while she revealed the results of her crafting and smiled to see the serpentine design she had drawn out of the bone. A Stormborn was always good with their claws, he thought to himself. He was good at killing with his, and she was good at crafting with hers. This was a fine example of her work, and he recognized the snake from one of the pride's oldest stories.
"This is very well done," he said. "And quickly, too."
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:26 am
"Yes," she replied to his compliments. There was no need for her to say 'thank you' -- no, Dalla knew that the work she had done was beyond compare, and she highly doubted that any other in the pride could do better. It was not ego so much as it was the truth. Dalla was gifted with her creativity, there was no denying this.
"Bone is very difficult to work with," she said mildly, a soft smile tweaking with her muzzle. "Difficult to work with but the toil is worth the payoff when a piece is finished." Dalla held out her paw as she waited for the Reaver to take the pendant. "He who wears this will wear it with pride when the handiwork is complimented upon." Okay, that was a bit smug but she really was feeling pleased with her work. This pendant just might be her best piece yet, and so Dalla felt justified in feeling so proud of herself.
"It will be even more remarkable once it has seen battles -- the bone will soak up the blood of foes and will likely mirror the crimson hues after time." Dalla was especially pleased by this. "I am glad you like it, Reaver Voldemaras. Very pleased."
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:35 am
"Is it?" Vol asked, mildly interested despite himself.
The only thing he tended to do with bones was gnaw on them or break them in battle. He was pretty good at both activities, and had not found them to be difficult since his long-distant youth. As a cub his mouth wouldn't open wide enough to crunch bones, though he could still gnaw on their ends if someone else broke them, getting at the marrow. He had also lacked the physical strength to break bones while they were still in use by their owner. Not any more though.
He carefully scooped the pendant from her paw, taking the opportunity to glance at her claws as he did so. He guessed she used her claws to cut into the bone as there didn't seem to be any other obvious way to get the correct degree of precision and control to make such detailed forms. That would probably dull her claws though, and put a great deal of stress on the small bones of her paws. A different sort of strength, he mused, once more proud of the strength of his fellow Stormborn.
"Yes, I imagine I will," Vol replied to her remark about the pride with which the piece would be worn. He had decided in the last few seconds that he would keep it for himself. If Ru was going to adorn himself, he should do it with tokens he won for himself. That was the Stormborn way.
"Did you learn this skill from your a parent?" he asked on a whim. Everyone tended to pay more attention to Dalla's lovely sister and he could not easily recall who their parents were, or if they were even still alive. It wasn't a sign of old age, he told himself. Just an indicator of inattention.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:45 am
"Mmhm," Dalla affirmed, dipping her head, "though it is hardy, it is porous. It is why I chose the medium. I had a vision of this pendant colored in blood from battle, and I knew that it would hold the moisture of battleblood." She beamed, those pale eyes of hers filled with pride. "It will only become more glorious in time," she added, enjoying the chance to talk about her craftsmanship.
She loved crafting with stone and even wood when the occasion called for it, but Dalla loved bone above all else. It was soft and pliable, but not too soft, and it retained color like a sponge. She could color bone with flower petals to achieve a more feminine look, with blood for that rusty-brown color, or even mud to acquire a more aged look. Bone was something that was once alive, and through Dalla's craft she could give the bones life once more.
"My parents did not teach me this," she said on the subject of her mother and father. She did not want to go in depth about her familial history. "I learned these things myself. I did not aspire to be a Reaver and I was never much good at song or law, and so I found my calling by dabbling in such things as a juvenile."
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:53 am
That was cleverly done," Vol admitted. "A pendant that drinks enemy blood. Very cleverly done."
Vol took a moment to imagine how the pendant would look stained reddish brown with the blood of his enemies. It was an appealing mental image. He only wished he knew whether there was a way to have a Priestess consecrate the thing somehow, so that the blood of his enemies could be used to increase his own strength or something. It seemed like something that should be possible, but he was no Priestess and his understanding of gods and spirits was limited to the standard knowledge any lion born to the pride would have.
He nodded at her answer to his question. It made him feel better to know that his mind was not failing him. He was certain he would have remembered if a lion of the pride had the same skill she did, and had passed it on to his or her daughter. That sort of thing happened frequently enough among the Stormborn, a child taking on their parent's trade, but the ability Dalla had displayed would have been notable in another lion, too.
"Well, I am very pleased by this piece. I agree to whatever price you set on it." Which was, considering Vol's nature, a high compliment. He was not a lion to lower himself to haggling, but he had been known in the past to decide an artisan or crafter had overvalued their work and tell them he would not take the thing for that price, and if they did not care for the one he proposed instead, he left without it.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:11 am
"Thank you," Dalla acknowledged his compliment this time around. When he mentioned that he would agree to pay any price that she deemed proper, her eyes widened despite her efforts. Such a compliment was not to be taken lightly, and Dalla knew that Vol would appreciate the effort and reverence that had been put into the pendant.
"I require no payment as of now," Dalla said thoughtfully, "though a time might come in the future where I may need a small, trivial favor." She offered him a smile, eyes bright. "Trivial, this I promise. You will not have to slay anyone on my behalf," Dalla's grin broadened, though inwardly her thoughts were scattered. Would that I could, I would ask for Aesir's head on a stake, was the most prominent thought, but she tamped it down relentlessly. All in good time. All in good time.
"The fact that you are so pleased by my handiwork is payment enough for now," Dalla added.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:18 am
Dalla asking for payment in the form of a favor didn't much faze Vol. It was a common enough practice among the Stormborn, particularly between two lions whose skills did not lend well to an immediate exchange of goods or services. Though if Dalla didn't want him to kill anyone, he did wonder a little what she would ask of him. Vol's talents really did run mostly toward killing people. Hunting and that sort of thing were tasks better left to Thralls.
Unless maybe there was some specific material she wanted him to bring her back from vikings. There were some things which were not in such ready supply in and around the Stormborn stronghold as they were elsewhere. Mostly dye plants, he was given to understand. If she used those. He shrugged mentally and decided not to worry about it.
"All right," he agreed and turned to make his exit.
He wasn't much for offering people thanks, particularly not on the conclusion of a deal. There was no need to offer thanks in that situation, since both were already getting something out of the arrangement besides gratitude. Besides, he had already been fairly free with his compliments. For an artisan or crafter, that ought to be sufficient and take the place of gratitude.
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