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Ru wasn't sure what Aesir wanted of him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't good. If it was good, the news would have come from Kazul. Or so he assumed. That it had come from Tuomas, a lawspeaker of the pride, and that Tuomas had said he'd see him there, well. That could only mean some sort of disciplinary action that Aesir wanted to have observed and recorded. At least as far as Ru could tell.

As he walked to the place Tuomas had specified as a meeting place, Ru went over in his mind the things he might have done to earn the warlord's ill will.

There was anything to do with Kazul. Aesir might have found out about how they had spent the evening before his first viking. Or the one after that. And then the fact that he knew Kazul was angry at him, but couldn't figure out what he'd done, unless one counted that terrifying and confusing morning waking up beside Bilijo. That would probably give him some well-earned fatherly ire, but surely he wouldn't need a lawspeaker present to deal with that.

More likely it had something to do with his behavior on a viking. He'd seen a fellow reaver or two look queasy watching him play with enemies already wounded nigh unto death. Perhaps there was something against that sort of sadism in the pride's laws after all. He'd never heard it mentioned, but he hadn't exactly asked. He'd been raised to keep those urges repressed and secret.

So it was with a feeling of dread that he approached one of the stone circles that dotted the lands.

Tomi wanted to make sure he arrived before Ru to the stone circle. Ostensibly because he was supposed to be present in an official capacity as observer and recorder, and so of course he would need to be there first so that he could observe and record the arrival of the other parties involved in the upcoming happening. But that wasn't really why he was early.

It was probably childish of Tomi to take so much delight in the expression he had left the young reaver Ruzanski wearing, but he couldn't help it. He had been given the training of the warlord's legitimate litter in their youth, and had remained friends with Kazul after the lessons had stopped. He could see what her relationship with this outlander was doing to her, and he was more than happy for excuses to make the lion suffer for it.

Probably he ought to have had Anezka come along, too, so that she could get an idea of what it meant to serve as a witness, as lawspeakers often did, but he still wasn't used to the idea of having an apprentice and it just hadn't occurred to him. Probably he was a bad teacher in that respect. He'd have to do better by the viking-born lioness. Perhaps he could figure out a way to turn her absence into a lesson the next time they met. Test her on how captaincy is achieved, ask her to tell him about a captain or two. That would work.

If Aesir had known the ominous way Tuomas would go about letting Ruzanski know where to be and when, and that the lawspeaker would purposefully neglect to mention why he was being summoned, he would have been amused rather than angry. Like Tuomas, he had no one to blame for his favorite daughter's despondency except her erstwhile companion and so he was inclined to lay the blame at his paws. And perhaps he had been withholding this promotion because of that. Maybe.

The fact remained, though, the boy's captain spoke well of him. Very well, in fact. Aesir hadn't understood it at first, since Ru's portion of vikings was never particularly impressive and he had brought the pride but one thrall so far, but Nordik had been emphatic in recommending Ru for promotion. The youth was a born planner and strategist. He mostly was used as a scout when viking, apparently, because he noticed automatically things other reavers had to be trained to note and could make informed suggestions based on his observations. "Fit for combat, better for command," was what Nordik had said.

Aesir began to make his way to the circle stones where he had told Ru and Tuomas to meet him, putting together in his head the words he would say. They would be observed and remembered, and so they had to be worth remembering. Such was Aesir's feeling, anyway.

Ru refused to allow Tuomas to discommode him. True, he was a lawspeaker, older and more respected in the pride, but Ru knew he was not poorly thought of by the pride's reavers and captains, and that meant something, too. He didn't dignify the lawspeaker's last bit of advice with any sort of reaction, and instead waited in a military At Ease for Aesir to arrive.

When Aesir showed up something about his manner suggested he had not just arrived, but had instead chosen to take his time before putting in his appearance, perhaps allowing Ru and Tuomas to have that brief time together, though for what purpose Ru could not begin to guess. Perversion, or his own amusement. It didn't really matter, Ru supposed.

He didn't say anything when Aesir told him to step forward. He just obeyed. It had been spoken as a command, and just because all freeborn Stormborn had the right to challenge the warlord didn't mean it was wise to do so. He did not bow, though, or perform any of the obeisances his mother would have wanted him to. If he was going to be punished, he would meet it with his head held high.

Tuomas almost laughed at Ru's stiff-necked pride. He had come to the pride that way. First he won his askorun on his first try when he was just barely an adolescent, albeit against another adolescent, and when someone finally asked why he was here, he said because he wanted to kill pirates. Apparently there was some vengeance being sought for the death of some littermates.

Tomi had taken some time earlier in the day to find out more about Ru, since it seemed he was a lion worth noticing. Besides, if he was ever required to compose something about the youth, he would need all these details. Still, his own interaction with Ru had been fairly limited up to this point, and so it was still entertaining to watch such a prideful young thing brazenly face the warlord as though they were equals.

He knew he would not be required to do more than observe and state that the occasion of Ru's promotion had been officially observed by a lawspeaker of the Stormborn, and that it would be included in the history of the pride, and so his mind was allowed to dwell on these other matters just a little while the two fighters did their thing. Tomi had been something of a fighter before he was taken by the pride, but he had stopped almost as soon as he realized how little it would avail him among the Stormborn.

Aesir took a moment to study the reaver he was promoting. He was older than Lucivar had been when he was made a captain, but Lucivar's promotion had been by the vote of his deceased captain's crew. Ru's was at the suggestion of his crew's captain, which was the more typical way of doing things. Just the same, Ru was very young. Aesir wondered if maybe he was doing the wrong thing, but he ignored the doubt. He had made this decision and now he would stand by it.

"Your name has often been brought up when I discuss plans for vikings with my captains, Ruzanski Outlander. There is much praise spoken of your ability to look ahead, not just as a scout, but as a strategist and planner. Whomever I speak with, there are none who feel you would be an unfit leader of warriors."

He paused, taking time to collect his thoughts so that his next words would come out as smoothly as these had. This was not an unrehearsed speech, after all. In fact, its lack of spontaneity was another reason he had paused. He wanted to be sure Ru was appreciative of what he was saying, and also that Tuomas was able to get his exact words in his capacious memory.

Gods. A captain! Once Aesir began to speak, Ru had figured out that was what he intended, but hearing the words still sort of stole his breath momentarily, causing him to expel a short puff of air. His jaw remained slack for several seconds after the air had left his lungs, just with the enormity of what had happened.

"Thank you, Warlord. I won't disappoint you," Ru said, meaning every word.

He didn't even want to let himself think it, but his thoughts had always been unruly. Before he could quash the thought, it flashed through his mind: And now I might be worthy of your daughter. Since that first night together Ru had come to realize that while there was an undeniable attraction between them, she was too intelligent to stay with him based solely on physical attraction. He needed to be better if he was going to keep her.

He knew that in pursuit of the sort of honor and glory he was in danger of losing Kazul. It wasn't as if he couldn't see how his absence hurt her, worried her, made her seek out other company. He hated the company she sought to replace his because he could see that they were more intellectual than he was, not outlanders like he was. Maybe now things could be different.

Tomi bit back a sigh. His antagonism toward Ru wouldn't interfere with his ability to do his job. He was here to observe and record what happened here. For posterity. And why Aesir felt that posterity might need to know about Ru's ascendancy to captain was his own business.

"Heard, witnessed, and remembered," Tomi said, speaking the formal words of a lawspeaker performing in the capacity Aesir had asked Tomi to perform. "This will be known for generations to come, that our descendants can speak with pride of what their forefathers have done."

He turned to Aesir and told the warlord, "If there is no other service required of me this night, I will take my leave of you. Good evening, Warlord, Captain."

Tomi didn't actually wait to hear whether or not he was still needed. He was a lawspeaker, appointed by no one. His position lasted beyond the rule of any warlord, and he had no call to even be polite if he did not so choose. He liked Aesir, and so he was polite. But he didn't like Ru, and so any rudeness he displayed was for his benefit.

"I'm pleased to hear it," Aesir told Ru. "I expect nothing less."

His thoughts, too, might have followed a similar path to Ru's. If this young warrior was ever going to hope to be worthy of his daughter, he would have to be more than a mere reaver. And Aesir was helping him, though the gods only knew why. Perhaps because it was what he hoped Kazul would want.

After Tuomas spoke the formal words Aesir felt himself relax a little. This would be remembered, and he had done things as they should be done. Now he had but to hope that Ru didn't let him down. After all, Ru was the first captain Aesir had actually appointed. Lucivar had been chosen by his crew for the position, which wasn't the same. It mattered to Aesir that his appointment was a success.

"There is nothing more," he told Tuomas unnecessarily. "You both may go."

On his walk home he tried to decide whether he ought to tell Kazul and the rest of his family where he'd been and what he'd been doing, or whether he ought to let Ru share the good news.