There was much troubling the Freeborn lioness as she rested in her den.
After spending the morning along the sandy beach that bordered the Stormborn lands, Dalla had returned home. She'd gone to the beach to take her mind off of her troubled thoughts only to be stumbled upon by her brother-in-law. Her mouth twisted into a frown at the phrase. Brother-in-law. Bah. She could not think of Uhtred in such a fashion. In the beginning she'd felt such anger towards Ragnhild despite the love that she had for her sister. Dalla had never spoken of her hidden love and desire for Gunne, and now Dalla wasn't quite certain that it had been love. Perhaps it had only imitated love because of Dalla's jealousy towards her sister. Gunne had been strong and yet fair, admirable and yet with the same ego that most Stormborn lions had.
Gunne was also dead at the paws of Aesir, Morrigan and even her own beloved sister.
Aesir was not to be trusted. Morrigan was not to be trusted. Her sweet Ragnhild... was a weak pawn in a game of clever lions.
Dalla knew one thing for certain. Aesir would pay for what he'd done both to Gunne and Ragnhild. Dalla didn't know how or when, but she did know that Aesir would pay, and so would his little tramp Morrigan. Priestess be damned, Dalla didn't care. She would find a way to bring Aesir and his whore down a few notches. Dalla snorted to herself. Aesir had done nothing of note for the pride as of late aside from creating a litter of spawn with his whore-wife, and a litter of b*****d spawn with his lady-on-the-side. Dalla snorted again and gathered a small pile of smooth stones to her chest.
Despite her best efforts, Dalla's thoughts once more crept to Uhtred. Never had she known a more honorable lion. There was something so pure about him, something so untainted by the scheming and the plotting and planning. These attributes were something that Gunne never had; perhaps these traits were what made Gunne such a grand Warlord -- though Dalla doubted this, or he would have seen Aesir's plots and plans a mile away.
Annoyed now, Dalla rubbed the toepads of her paw against a few smooth stones that had warmed beneath her touch. The silky feel of stone beneath her flesh soothed her somewhat, though in all honesty she still felt on edge about the current events. Try as she might, she could not forget the way that Uhtred had admired her form, nor could she forget the way that her own body had eagerly reacted. Had she been imagining all of it?
Dalla did not know how to feel.
Rising to her feet, she padded a few slow circles 'round the interior of her den. Dalla did not want to fall into the habit of longing after the males that belonged to her prettier sister. She heard the words that others in the pride spoke, she knew that she herself was considered to be the 'ugly' sister. There was no way that she could compare to her softer, sweeter sister. Physically, at least. That thought brought a smirk to Dalla's face. Ragnhild was weak when it came to handsome males, and Dalla knew that it would not take long for sweet Ragnhild to have Uhtred simpering at her feet. But where Ragnhild was weak for handsome males, Dalla found herself weak for males that belonged to her beloved sister.
Idly her thoughts once more went to Uhtred. What sort of Warlord would he make? He was a well-loved Captain and he did much for his pride. He led his Reavers on Vikings, drove preybeasts into the lands for food. He'd yet to sire any children and this was something that Dalla found curious. Why had he not whelped any cubs on his Vikings? He never returned home with Thralls, either. It was strange, really, but it was something that Dalla could appreciate in a male.
Dalla exhaled. She was making her sister's husband out to be something of a saint, but she could not help to wonder what Uhtred thought about Ragnhild. What did he truly think of her? Was he upset to be wed to someone so easily swayed? Did he fear for his life? How did he sleep knowing that his sweet wife had been so easily prompted to assist in poisoning her previous mate -- did he ever worry that a Reaver would coax his new wife into killing him? Dalla would not put it past most of the Reavers in this pride. Many of them did not have the honor that they boasted, and she did not doubt that many Reavers craved Uhtred's Captain status.
Dalla could not blame Ragnhild. Her sister was so sweet and warm of personality. It was not her fault that males found her so easy to take advantage of. Meek of heart and soft of voice, even Dalla herself found it easy to convince her sister of trivial matters.
Turning her attention to a small pile of bones nearby, Dalla grasped one large, broad piece and examined it. The bone would be perfect as a pendant for Uhtred. Dalla could not forget the way that Vol had been so pleased with the piece she'd crafted for him, and she could only hope that Uhtred would enjoy the gift she was working on. The pleasant scrape of nail against bone soothed Dalla and as she worked her thoughts absently returned once more to Uhtred and Ragnhild.
Dalla worked throughout the night on the pendant, carving into it a large shield much like the marking that Uhtred's flank boasted. Within the shield she carved the symbol of their pride -- the three interlocking triangles, though the triangles were formed by snakes that had swallowed their own tails. Each detail was painstakingly carved into the bone and by the time that morning swept over the Stormborn's land, painting it with hues of pink and gold, Dalla had finished.
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