|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:24 am
The winds were abnormal today and it left Saraneth feeling restless. Taking it as an omen (and not sure whether good or bad) she sent Ulrika home deciding that working on this day may end unwantedly. The last thing she needed was harvested herbs to be whisked away on the air currents, or to fall into pits looking for things to use in her arts. She would not risk herself, or the apprentice she had fondly grown to love in the process.
Sara thought it were too bad Ulrika actually had a parent in the pride. She had such a fondness for her that if given the opportunity she would adopt her clean out from under Taraxa's feet; not that she's going to tell anyone that. Thankfully for her, the fondness she felt did not end up being one that would make things dangerous for her to be around Ulrika. Unlike her fondness for Nawiri, one of the freeborn in the pride.
She liked to watch the purple lioness from afar and had yet to bother approaching her for any reason. Sara was convinced it was a passing fancy. She always had passing fancies.
"Fancy, fancy that." She murmured to herself, watching from her spot at the mouth of her den. She craved company other than Ulrika's today. She watched to see who she could corner for a conversation.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:19 am
 Kazul had not expected to miss Ru as much as she did when she heard that he had been selected by Captain Nordik to come with him viking. It was Ru's first viking, and she was happy for him because it meant he would be a Reaver in true, but at the same time she missed him a great deal. She had come to rely on him to be there most days, and she was only just beginning to get used to the way he made her feel. There had never been anyone else in the pride that held her interest as he did, and she barely knew what to make of it, and now off he went viking.
So rather than put herself to work doing something useful, Kazul was moping in the lower portion of the pride, near the point in the river where the water turned brackish. It was no good to drink from there, but that more or less guaranteed she would not be bothered by anyone unless they were there to gather specific plants or hunt specific species of animals that only lived in that environment. Somehow she doubted she would be disturbed, and that was what she wanted, even if it was probably not what she actually needed.
It would likely be better for her if she had gone to seek her half-brother Odd's company, since he could usually improve her mood. Or even gone in search of some of her full-blooded siblings, with whom she had a slight rivalry that could push her out of her melancholy. She could even go to her mother, who would undoubtedly have wise words and advice, but she was too proud to do any of those things, because that would be admitting that someone else had the power to effect her moods, and she wasn't going to do that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:52 pm
It wasn't long before Saraneth found someone who seemed like suitable company, even if for a few moments. With those bright green markings and wings it was no doubt who the lovely looking adolescent strolling down to the brackish waters was. It was Aesir and Morrigan's daughter, Kazul.
Quickly snatching up her satchel and working it over her head, Saraneth decided to pursue the adolescent. It never hurt to try and get close to the children of your pridal leaders, but at the same time something seemed off about the girl.
She was heading to an area that most did not venture to. It was mostly a priestess hunting ground, herbs, plants, flowers. On occassion you'd see a Stormborn or two who happened to like the taste of the brackish prey; Sara herself was not a fan of fish. Regardless, if you weren't a priestess than venturing there was slightly suspicious.
She decided to trail behind at a distance. She didn't want to scare the girl off by getting too close. It would do her absolutely no good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 6:41 am
Kazul walked alongside the water without much regard for the mud and silt that was beginning to stain and cake her paws. She could always go for a quick swim later on to take care of it. Actually, in her present mood the filth on her paws suited her, though she couldn't have said why. She wondered absently what would happen if she just decided to cover herself in mud and go about saying exactly what she thought, whenever she thought it. It didn't take more than a moment for her to decide that she would be named insane, shaming her family and definitely failing to impress Ru when he returned.
Her shoulders twitched a warning that she was being watched, but Kazul didn't pay it much mind. She was known in the pride, and it would be a very foolish Stormborn who decided to offer her harm or threat. If it wasn't a Stormborn, well, that also indicated a level of foolishness. She was well within the boundaries of the pride, after all, and an outlander who had made it so far would not be greeted with open paws. Kazul briefly relished the departure from routine that a fight would represent, but then decided it would just be too much trouble.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," she called with little patience for mystery or intrigue. It might have done her some good, but mostly she was too tired and lethargic all the time to recognize that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:04 am
Saraneth watched Kazul quite closely as the two walked along the path. Sara continued to keep her distance so not to startle the still young freeborn mistress, but could see clearly the heavy look on her face. She was deep in thought, and something seemed to be bothersome to her. Sara stifled a chuckle at the premise that Kazul had anything of a serious matter to be thinking about. Sara never had many serious thoughts at that age, than again Kazul was the daughter of Aesir. Perhaps her mind was on him, his actions...
Sara's ears perked up when Kazul called out for whomever was watching her to show themselves. Saraneth grinned from ear to ear. She must not have been as stealthy as she perceived. She would not make that mistake next time. Perhaps she was a little too used to Ulrika's obliviousness to her presence at times.
"How can I come out when I've not been hiding?" Sara said pleasantly, a small rustle made as she came from the herb laden clearing behind some thick trees in the area.
"Merry meet, young mistress. I did not mean my presence to be bothersome to you," She commented, the contents of her herb carrier rustling in a pleasant manner, the mixture of the herbs fragranting where Sara walked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:23 am
Kazul was prepared to meet her watcher's question with snark, but when she emerged and the adolescent recognized the dark verdigris of Saraneth's pelt she bit pack her surliness. It was never a good idea to demonstrate temper toward priestesses. Her mother had to work with them, after all, and she didn't want it getting back to her mother that the disappointing daughter was being more disappointing than usual.
The smile she gave Sara's greeting was mostly genuine, despite her black mood. It was hard to be unhappy with someone who greeted you "merry meet." It wasn't typical Stormborn in any way, but from what Kazul knew about the priestess who used it, she wasn't particularly typical anyway. She did most of her spellwork using bells, for one thing, and that was definitely not usual. Where she'd learned it, Kazul didn't know and neither her mother nor her sister would tell her.
"Merry meet," she said. The greeting felt awkward in her mouth, but it seemed more fitting than to answer with the more usual, "It is a good day to die." Contextually speaking.
"Your presence is not a bother, priestess. I hope mine is not either."
Breathing in the scent that accompanied Sara, Kazul wondered if she could pick out the herbs that contributed to it. Her mother used a great many herbs for a great many things, and simply growing up with her around had given Kazul a good deal more herb lore than most young freeborn her age. Not enough to consider being a healer, which was an occupation to which she would be ill-suited anyway, but enough to identify some herbs and some of their purposes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:09 am
"Of course it is no bother," Saraneth mused, approaching where Kazul stood in the silt and mud to pick some of the fragrant grasses from the side of the waterway. They did the body good to chew on, and with the random influxes of pregnant Reavers and Freeborn, Sara felt it a good idea to collect the herbs that would benefit them and keep them from illness.
"I enjoy the company of youthful beauty," She said sweetly, giving Kazul a quick sideways glance as she placed the grasses into her carrier, "It makes the spirit feel younger when the body will not."
Which was in part the truth. Saraneth had noticed that every time she would have a run in with Taraxa in general or in discussion of Ulrika she felt slow and cranky afterwards. Had it not been for the fact she knew the Reaver lacked any sort of attachment to the world of spirits and fey, she would have sworn he was sucking her own youthful presence from her every time he passed. That or his old man attitude was just catchy.
She turned to Kazul with a pleasant calmness in her movements and expressions, even though a small wickedness was hiding behind her dark eyes. Morrigan's daughter had definitely grown into the same commanding sense of beauty her mother held, regardless of how much she resembled her father.
"How do you fair?" Saraneth asked cautiously. She did not want the young freeborn to feel as if she was prying and shove her off, but it was polite to ask how someone was to get them talking and if there was one thing Sara was, it was polite.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:04 am
Kazul snorted. "No offense, but you need your eyes checked. I'm youthful, but not a beauty."
She had nothing to say on the subject of whether or not spending time with the young made the spirit feel younger and vice versa. She didn't spend time with cubs because there weren't all that many cubs to spend time with and she didn't care for them anyway. Most of her companions were older than her. Even her viking-born half-brother was a little older than she was. She hadn't noticed them making her older, but a priestess would probably know better than she.
Kazul shrugged. "I can't complain."
She could. Really, she could. At length. However, she wasn't going to complain to a priestess about it. Priestesses served a necessary function, and she respected that, but they also worked with her mother and sister, and she wasn't going to give them any more information than necessary, just in case it occurred to someone to try to use it to advance themselves in the pride.
"And yourself?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:18 pm
"My work keeps me busy, but Ulrika's help through her training makes things manageable and keeps work... lively," Saraneth said.
Sara never considered her taking on Ulrika as a student a mistake in any form. The girl was an eager learner, and adapt. Still, Sara was apprehensive to teach her everything she knew. She would need to think of a way to test the girl's conviction and loyalty to her as her teacher. She no doubt had loyalty to her father, but she needed undying loyalty to her as well, and must never let them conflict.
Saraneth's maw pursed slightly at Kazul's comment. Not because she had claimed her eyes were bad, but to think herself such an ugly duckling when her mother was quite the swan.
"Nonsense," She said quietly, looking away from Kazul. "You have your father's strength and your mother's grace. It's noticeable."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:54 pm
Ulrika was one of Taraxa's daughters. She didn't know which lioness was her mother, Ulrika was part outlander or not, but it didn't really make a difference. Anyone training as a priestess was clearly Stormborn enough for the gods, and Kazul didn't think she was in a position to know better than they.
"Then it's going well?" Kazul asked. "Having an apprentice, I mean? I had always assumed it would be something of an inconvenience to have someone following me around, demanding explanations for everything I did or said."
Not that she had been much different than that as a cub. But that was cub stuff, and she'd outgrown it and learned to get her information in less irritating ways, even if she still preferred primary sources overall. Kazul knew she was fortunate to have Tuomas the lawspeaker as a friend and former instructor, since he was willing to answer any question she came to him with, if he knew the answer.
"My father's bulk, more like," Kazul countered, barely remembering to add some sort of smile so she wouldn't sound as self-pitying as she felt. "I really ought to eat less. Thank you though."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:55 am
Sara could see how Kazul would be concerned with her appearance. She was the daughter of the High Priestess and the War Lord. Both oh whom were very desirable people and had statuses in the pride anyone would want to marry into in hopes of attaining them. But Kazul's concerns seemed to differ from just not feeling pretty, because Sara at that age also did not feel very pretty.
Perhaps she feels her body is wrong? She thought to herself, dark eyes softening as she sighed and looked to Kazul, "Young mistress, you are far too hard on yourself."
Saraneth approached where Kazul was at the water's edge and looked down into it. The water was murky enough that it reflected their images, but Kazul's was brighter than Sara's.
"Look at yourself in this water. See yourself beside me," She said quietly, watching Kazul through the reflection, "How can you doubt yourself so? You are not bulk, you are strength. Undeniable power. Women envy someone like you, because that power is what gives you options. Power is a beautiful thing, Kazul."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:18 am
Now there was something Kazul had heard before. She didn't roll her eyes though, because that would be rude. It didn't occur to her that if multiple people said the same thing, even if it didn't agree with her own self-evaluation, they might have a point. Kazul's belief that she wasn't living up to her family's reputation was deeply-ingrained, even though no one had ever said as much to her.
"Perhaps, priestess, but I do not want to be the least of my family, or disappoint them in any way." Surely that explanation was sensible enough that there could be no disputing her concerns.
Again, Kazul resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the priestess's request. What did she think she was going to show Kazul that she hadn't already seen? It wasn't as if Kazul didn't recognize that she was undeniably her father's daughter in size and markings. Still, she obediently looked at her reflection in the dark water.
"Any power I have comes from my parents. I have done nothing for myself, and there is nothing in that to envy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
