Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
As a Watcher, Fuil'fiach had taken his position in the pride far beyond the call. This had not changed when the pride had gone through a major upheaval when the muses had deserted most of the pride members. He was a Patron now, the Stormclaw to anyone but his family and the one proper friend that he had. Gypsy names were for use outside of the pride, but the stoic lion had never cared much for socialization, the addition of a new name was just what he needed to keep himself distanced from all others. It was something he had learned as a young cub, so afraid he was that the demon inside of him would take control and he would hurt someone he had come to care for, or someone innocent.
The demon had been silent for a long time and sometimes he felt a ray of hope, that it had been driven away, that the thunderstorms had finally vanquished it. But the visions still came, just as he knew his uncle Euri's still came. His uncle was the head of the fortune tellers, however, so that was acceptable. He never spoke about his curse, though he was sure his uncle knew about it. It was strange how little the demi-god missed when contemplating others.
He paused in his patrol of the lands, a job he didn't necessarily need to do but did anyways to pass the time away from his fellows. He felt that familiar whispering, the light touch as his sight began to fade and sounds began to echo in his mind.
He waited for the vision to pass before resuming his walk, almost ignoring it completely.
Livyathan:
The two sisters were heading for a specific pride, one where their talents would come into play. At least Mihika's talents for dancing and seducing men. Livyathan didn't care too much for her sister's antics, but that's why she was going along. The brown female was playing baby sitter for the blue one. Light blue eyes looked around and stopped when they saw something walking along in the horizon. This could be a potentially bad combination. It looked as if it were a male. Glancing to Mihika, Livy shook her head and stopped her sister.
"Mi. Stop. There's a male up ahead. Perhaps he's a guard for the pride we seek, but we can't be too careful. Do NOT talk unless I tell you to." Those blue eyes narrowed at her sister, telling her how serious she was.
Mihika:
Mihika blinked when she was stopped and then looked out. She'd been thinking of something to hunt for dinner, but everything sounded so good! She had to keep her figure, though, if she wanted to keep seducing men. Upon spotting the male, her heart thumped and a grin spread across her face. Well, hello there, maybe this whole trip wasn't going to waste after all.
Then her sister spoke, causing Mihika to roll her eyes. "Whatever, Livy. You're just jealous. Fine, whatever. Can we just go? I"m tired of walking and you drain the fun out of everything." It was said harshly, and she meant it to wound. Only... she knew her sister was immunte to her words, and had been since they were cubs.
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
Stormclaw saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head ever so slightly, his sharp eyes taking in the flatter lands to his right. Two figures, lions, no probably lionesses. Questions flitted through his mind but he paid them no heed. He rarely bothered with questions, in fact he rarely bothered to speak at all unless he was giving some sort of instruction. Idle chatter was not something he cared about.
If they approached him, he would ask their business. If they went on their way, he would merely keep an eye on them.
Without any other sign of emotion or care, Stormclaw turned towards them and sat down, waiting for them to come to him or leave.
He was, for lack of a better word, a giant even sitting. He was a large lion, like his father and grandfather before him, with a mane the color of the savanna during a drought, his coat the color of freshly-spilled blood. The only marks on him besides a few faint scars on his back and shoulders were a white claw-like shape under his left eye, his dirt-covered white toes, and a single black feather on his right leg. On top of that, he was built like a rhino, all thick muscle from his afternoons of work rather than napping as some of his fellow pridemembers did. His eyes, however... somehow they were the deep pink of the rays that heralded the dawn.
But they wouldn't be able to see his eyes, not unless they looked really hard, for his mane dipped down into his face enough to generally shade them from view.
Livyathan:
Livy realized how big he was with ever step they took towards him and it was causing her to hesitate every so slightly. Her paws were fumbling every so slightly but it was probably enough to let the giant male know she was afraid of him. Anyone bigger than her she feared, which meant she basically was afradi of everyone but cubs and her sister. They were young lionesses by most standards, barely reaching two summers old. Her brows knit together as they came close enough to speak without screaming at the top of their lungs, but far enough that she didn't feel like he was... .... Okay, he still felt like a threat, but it was better than being right next to him.
Mihika:
Mihika, however, wasn't scared. She talked to any size males all the time, so what was special about his big brute? Grinning to him as they settled in their spots, she spoke, ignoring her sister's rules that had just been laid out. "Hi! We're looking for the .... Kizi pride or something. I'm Mihika and this is my elder sister, Livyathan."
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
He never once took his steady gaze off of them as they approached. The only sign that his focus might have been elsewhere was the occasional twitch of his ears in one direction on another. They were tiny things, and young by the look of it when he had finally gotten a good, proper look at them. Hell, he could probably break them both without too much effort. He almost snorted at that thought.
One frowned at him, not an uncommon look. He didn't get much attention from the ladies, perhaps he scared them. Strange thing, that, when he had two sisters of his own.
The fact that the other one was smiling at him unnerved him a bit. He immediately decided she was up to something. He did not smile back.
"Why do you hunt for this place?" he asked in a deep voice that seemed more used to roaring than speaking on normal terms, not moving an inch, not even a slight tilt of his head. He just sat there, staring at them while he waited for their answers.
They most certainly had met the worst member the Kizi had to offer when it came to newcomers.
Livyathan:
Livy jolted as the male spoke, scaring her even further and sighed. That's what they get for letting the younger one speak. Rolling her eyes slightly, she thumped her sister's back with a paw and scooted forward. "For...forgive her. She's my younger sister. ...Ah, we're... Searching for this place because we've been told about it by travellers and it sounds like a pride we could call home?" It was said as more of a question than a statement. But Livy didn't know if this would please or piss the male off. She was on her paws, reguardless, because she didn't want ot take chances. Licking her muzzle slightly, her gaze stayed on the male's.
Mihika:
Mihika flinched, but didn't back down when he 'roar' spoke at them. "Well, yeah. I dance and entertain people and this girl here? She's a good huntress and loves cubs. We figured we could be kidna useful, you know?" She asked, batting her eyes. Surly no male could say no to her right now. She was in prime flirt mode despite how old this male was. He was still a male and males liked females. That's just how it went.
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
A single eyebrow quirked up when the larger, the older of the two females spoke and even moved closer to him. There was fear in her voice, but she was trying to hide it, at least somewhat. Stormclaw's gaze fixed on her for the moment, more or less ignoring her sister. Oh, he heard the younger one's words and knew her game in an instant. She was right, she would fit well in the pride. He was sure a lesser male might trip all over himself and give her anything she wanted if she swayed her tail in just the right way. He, however, did not want that kind of attention. Besides, growing up in the pride had helped to sort of immune himself to those kinds of actions. His uncle was a prime flirt, bent on making any and every lady that came across him smile. Unmated or no.
Despite his suspicions for anyone outside of those he knew, he knew the ways of the pride and they turned no one willing to join away. As long as they didn't cause problems, he was to... welcome them.
"You have found it, then," he finally said, standing and jerking his hear over his shoulder ever so slightly, indicating the jungled pridelands behind him. He wondered just how well they would settle into the pride, into the roles they had decided for themselves. He did find it strange, two sisters at two very different points on the spectrum. And they were nothing like his friend, Nisija. She was such a shy, timid female. But it was no wonder, she had been terrified of monsters as a cub. It was actually why they were friends, as he had vowed to always protect her from them, even if it came down to protecting her from himself.
Livyathan:
When he said they'd found it and jerked his head, Livy's light blue eyes looked towards the jungle and nodded. Swaallowing thickly, she sighed and looked to the giant once more. "Thank you for your help," she faultered when she realized she didn't know what to call him. Yet again a frowned pulled on her lips, but it wasn't aimed at anyone but herself this time. Sighing, she shook her head and shruggd. "Do you see us in or should we do it ourselves?" She wasn't accusing or anything. She wanted to do nothing that would get this hulking male on their bad side before even setting foot on the pride lands. She just mearly needed to know so her and her sister could continue on with or without him.
Mihika:
He was.... He was unfazed?! That wasn't heard of in her book! Frowning, Mihika moved closer to him by a faraction of a breath and looked up at him through her lashes, biting down on her lower lip. "Thank you very much," She purred at him, grinning every so slightly. "Do you want to take us to whoever to talk to so we may join properly?"
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
Stormclaw's attention finally returned to the flirtatious one when she sidled up to him. He didn't like the closeness, it made him uncomfortable but he kept his thoughts contained. The more interaction he got with this one, the more he felt her sister was the better of the pair. In truth, she rather was. She was larger, though by a paltry amount, her coat a nice color for hunting outside of the jungle as well as within. She was polite and wasn't overstepping herself with him. And where this one had eyes light a somewhat cloudy day, the elder's could rival the sea itself. Aye, he liked her a lot more than her younger sister.
His eyes narrowed a bit as he closed the distance between himself and the younger one, leaning his head down towards hers.
"You will meet the king. And I suggest you don't try to charm your way into his den, little one," he replied, a soft growl in his voice. Oh, he wouldn't hurt her. He just wanted to intimidate this nonsense out of her. His head tilted just a bit, ear flicking towards the other lioness, a subtle sign that his attention was directed at her though he didn't take his gaze from the younger of the two.
"I'll escort you through the pridelands. Wouldn't want you wandering off into the sea." He didn't really much sound like he cared either way.
Livyathan:
When he growled at her sister, Livy stepped between them, somehow and pushed her sister backwards, muttering an apology. No, this was not how this meating was supposed to go. Stupid Mihika. She always managed to make a mess out of a simple thing because it seemed she was forever in heat. Why she had to sleep with every male she encountered was behind her. Livy hadn't slept with a single male, and she didn't plan on it any time soon. She had to make sure that her sister stayed out of any trouble, much like she was doing now. Thumping her sister on the head again, Livy looked back up to him. "Again, I'm sorry. She does this a lot. She won't charm anyone. I'll make sure of it if I have to gag her myself." She growled that out, aiming it at her sister by turning her head that way and pinned her ears back.
Nodding, Livy shifted from paw to paw as she waited for him to take the lead, and looked back to Mihika.
Mihika:
Mihika, however, was hanging her head in annoyance because she'd been growled at twice, called little AND was hit on the head. She didn't deserve this, did she? Stupid male was just like Livy. Maybe the two would get married and she'd be left alone. That's what she really wanted. That's when the idea hit her. Maybe that was going to happen. She'd make sure it did. Smirking to himself, the blue lioness shrugged and bit down on her lip. "Let's go then. I'm bored."
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
Stormclaw's eyes grew in an instant from the narrowed look of intimidation to a more neutral size when the older sister shoved between them, pushing the younger back. His maw even twitched at one side at the take-charge tone she had found when instructing her sister. He didn't smile, though. Perhaps she would make a good caretaker for the cubs, if she could handle this one well enough.
He nodded his head to her, what had she called herself? Livya... Bah, it was why he didn't bother with names. He nodded to Livya, taking her as the only real adult between the two of them, and turned to the pridelands, leading the way. He hated having them at his back, it was a vulnerable position. But then that was a stupid thought. They were mere slips of lionesses, there was no harm that they alone could really do to him.
"Your boredom is of no concern to me, little one. Perhaps you should find a better past time." The remark was a jab, for certain, and he did smirk a little bit then. Oh, he was probably giving them the worst idea of what the other pridemembers were like but what did he really care about that? The gods had cursed them into encountering him rather than an actual gypsy or someone like his uncle. Of course, Uncle Euri would never come this far from the trees, to at risk of having a vision cloud his actual sight.
Livyathan:
"Though her past time is quesitonable, for certain, I hope you plan on not making a jab at her like that again. You may be the guard, and guide, but you have no right to talk down to someone you've only just met," she said, her tone even. No one would get away with calling her sister out on her past. She would take him on and lose to defend her sister. After that, her pace slowed down, but she still followed the male to the pride, looking back at her sister every now and that.
Mihika:
That bit actually stung Mihika and caused her to look at her paws as she walked. She didn't think a total stranger had the right to tell her that. Her brows knit and she just stayed behind them both, taking her time in following them, not even sure if she wanted to be int he same pride with this male anymore. She would, though,b ecause what were the odds they would see each other that often when her plan went into effect?
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
He raised an eyebrow again at Livya's change in demeanor. She's actually stood up to him, and one could even say she lectured him on his fair lack of manners. He knew he didn't really have them, but that wasn't the point.
He didn't say anything for a good bit, just led them on.
"My uncle would suggest whistling," he finally said. It was an absurd comment, but the added shrug made it seem more off-hand than anything. Hell, his uncle would probably also say that flirtation was a perfectly fine past-time, within reason. He was a natural flatterer, that one, and took every delight in seeing the ladies wiggle with pleasure over his honeyed words. Of course, he drew some lines. He tended not to press too much if the lady seemed uncomfortable by it and never went farther than flattery with most of them. He was a good male, Stormclaw's uncle and he was proud to call him such even though they shared no blood.
The pair did intrigue him, he'd give them that. It seemed like less of a sisterly bond and more of a mother and her daughter, though they were not far enough in age for that to be the case. He wondered if it had always been like this between them.
Livyathan:
The next comment leaving his lips left both girls confused and staring at him like he'd grown an extra head. Okay, that was the oddest comment they'd heard befor.
Livy just arched a brow and stayed quiet as she followed their guide. He was interesting to her. He was huge, older than her, but he lacked manners and even the common sense to give a name in which to address him. She would have to get to know him before figuring just how odd this comment was to him.
Mihika:
Mihika stifled the laughter that bubbled up at his comment and just looked off to the side, watching their surroundings and let her tail swish back and forth. What an odd note to end on, whistling. Who whistled, honestly? It was useless and rather annoying, especially when males whistled at her to come near. Still, soon they'd have a den and she could shake off the meeting with this male with some sleep.
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
He let out a sigh that could have bent a tree. Gods, how he hated company. He was being lax in his job by escorting them through the forest towards the dens, but then anyone he knew would probably just tell him he worked too much as it was. Worked too much, bah. Someone had to make sure the borders were safe. There hadn't been much protection when the muses were here and there still wasn't much now. Half the time he felt like the only Patron in the whole pride. It wasn't true, not at all, but that didn't change how he felt. He was getting grumpy now and suddenly wanted to go hunting.
As soon as he got these ladies where they needed to be, he would do just that, get something to eat and have a long one-sided visit with his uncle.
He was quiet as he continued along, his ears listening to the world around them. He had thought he heard something for a moment, but as soon as his ears flicked back the sound was gone.
Livyathan:
Livy looked uncomfortable with the silence. She really didn't like it. Tilting her head to the side, she heard the sound as well and frowned a little more. Something was out there. She could feel it. Her eyes glanced around them before her footing stopped completely, looking this way and that. "Something's out there," she whispered to her sister, making sure her sister stopped just beside her.
Mihika:
Her brows knit together as her sister stopped her, but Mihika was feeling very uneasy. There was no more sounds coming from around them that sounded off. Everything sounded normal, save for her and her sister's breathing. "Who's out there? What's out there?" She whispered, tilting her head toward the male. Was he dumb? Why didn't he stop and call out to whatever it was. Wasn't that his job as a guard?
Livyathan:
But, just as they'd stopped, Livy picked up the pace again and caught up with the male, her tail twitching rather stiffly.. Anyone could be lurking around them right now and she wouldn't know. She didn't know how they were trained.
Fuil'fiach and Percival:
There, he heard it again. This time he paused in his strides and his ear flicked. A growl rumbled low in his throat just heartbeats before a creamy streak leapt at him from a nearby bounder wedged up against a tree.
He fell to his side, growling and pawing at the much smaller lion.
"Gods be damned, you little wretch! Where on earth is your mother?!" he growled when the pair finally ended up lying on the grass, Stormclaw on his side and the aforementioned little wretch slung over his back, grinning. Percival was the cub's name, but most just called him Percy. And he'd grow up to be a fine warrior... someday. Him and his brother, if Stormclaw had anything to say about it. But for now, the cub was just starting to properly grow into his mane and Stormclaw wouldn't be training him for a few more moons. For now, he just took the boys hunting sometimes, since their father was absent in their lives someone had to do it. And as long as they weren't fighting or causing trouble, hunting lessons didn't bother him too much.
He glared at the black-maned cub who had the gall to smile back. He aimed a paw at the cub's head, jerking it slow enough that Percy could duck without trouble.
"Donno. Looking for plants no doubt. Or Baris. Prob'ly Baris," the cub replied before turning his attention to the ladies. He gave them a bit of a once-over and smiled in a very charming, boyish way.
"And who did you find, Stormclaw?"
Livyathan:
Livy jumped when something came bounding out of nowhere and then the big male fell to his side. Watching the two, she rolled her eyes and realized that it was just a cub, she relaxed and just snorted at them. Well, at least it wasn't anyone to be afraid of, Just some cub who was playing with .. apparently, Stormclaw? That was his name? That was the oddest name she'd ever heard. Her ears flicked back and forth at the pair before sighing and shaking her head once more. He was trying to be charming now? After scaring the two newcomers? It wasn't exactly going to work on Livy; her sister did the same thing when she was in trouble.
So, instead of saying anything, Livy just looked away and looked at her sister. "We should continue ahead of them," she spoke quietly, brow knitting. She wanted to get somewhere to call home and just go to sleep.
Mihika:
However, Mihika squealed when she realized it was a cub and moved over to them, trying to paw at him. "You're so adorable! Look at you, with your patchy mane. I'm Mihika, and this one is Livy. Her full name is a big mouthful, so you can call her Liv. Who're you?" She asked, moving closer to him, dropping to her belly to get eye level with him.
Livyathan:
"Mihika, you're an idiot," Livy said with a sigh. "We're on our way to meet someone to let us into the pride if they'll take us." She said to the cub, looking to Stormclaw. "Can we go?"
Fuil'fiach and Percival:
Percy puffed up at the attention, at least from one of the sisters, and his smile grew. He reached out a paw to try and kiss hers like he'd seen the head fortuneteller do, but Stormclaw grumbled a bit and he was dragged up by the scruff of his neck. He couldn't help letting out a disgruntled whine.
"Percival," Stormclaw growled once he'd righted them and set the boy back down. His look was stern. The cub didn't even blink, just looked up at him with a contrite expression Stormclaw knew he didn't mean.
"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" he asked, sighing in exasperation very much like his teacher.
"Aye, you are. Your mother would tell you to apologize."
"But you won't."
"No. But for this you won't be going out the next time I take your brother." The cub visibly wilted, but he needed to learn. A warrior did not sneak up on travelers, even if they were his allies. For all he'd known, Stormclaw might not have realized who he was in time and lashed out. It was stupid and the cub needed to learn.
His attention was drawn back to Liv when she spoke to them. He grunted with a nod, then glared at the cub.
"Well?"
"I'm sorry ladies. I'll go back to the den, then?" Stormclaw gave him another firm nod, sending the cub slinking back off into the brush. There was no doubt that he wouldn't go back to his mother's den, he'd probably go looking for his brother, or trouble. In truth, between the two of them, Baris was more of a trouble-maker, but when he was of a mind, Percy was just as bad.
As soon as the cub was gone, Stormclaw continued walking.
Livyathan:
The exchange betwee the two left Livy with the impression of father and son. Well, if he was mated, that was fine. It wasn't as though she liked him or anything. She still didn't understand the male at all. He was hot and cold, it seemed, and she didn't really like that in a male. What was she talking about? She already admitted she didn't like him. Shaking her head, Livy sighed and stretched herself out before starting to walk with him again. "I'm sorry, but we're both tired and we need sleep. I'm sure you understand not really wanting to be standing around.."
Mihika:
Mihika just watched them and laughed a little more. They seemed like good friends! Maybe she'd get to play with that little cub one day. Grinning from ear to ear, she moved up to the male again. "Was he your son? You seem really close. Who's his mother? What's his name? I wanna play with him!"
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
"Your journey is almost through. The dens are not much farther," he replied with a small shake of his head. Then the other one started talking and he felt like he was going to have a headache from listening to her prattle on.
"Percival is not my son. He and his brother want to be warriors some day, as they were told their father was, and I was volunteered to help train them, since their mother is an alchemist and not a warrior herself." Stormclaw surprised himself, saying so much in one go. He really wasn't one for talking, as the cubs well knew. Training was a silent affair, unless he was giving instructions. Or, of course, if he had lost his temper and was lecturing them. Lecturing seemed like the only time he talked a lot in one span.
Except with Nisija, but then she was almost as quiet as he was sometimes. He mostly just listened to her fears and nodded his head and vowed to protect her from what he could. Some of her fears were too much to ask, but... Ah well.
Mihika:
When her questions were answered, Mihika nodded and dropped back to walk with her sister, laughing a little. Good. He wasn't mated with cubs then. That means she could work on getting him and Livy together so Livy would let her do whatever she wanted! This was just getting more and more perfect. A grin spread along her face as she kept thinking of this, her pawsteps springing slightly-
Livyathan:
Livy, however, was more than annoyed her sister decided to ask so many questions in a row. Instead of getting onto her, however, she figured she would just ignore the other girl like she'd done with the cub perviously. Her eyes stayed focused ahead of herself, darting to Stormclaw every now and then to make sure she wasn't falling behind. "I'm sorry for troubling you with this. It's probably not your duty to escorte potential pride members."
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
"My duty is to do whatever to help and protect the pride. Escorting you is..." He trailed off and shrugged, stopping when the trees started to thin again.
"You can go along from here, through those trees is where the king usually spends his time. I will remain here," he added, sitting down where he stood. In truth, he didn't trust the ladies and his king was not the most skilled of fighters. But beside that, once they had met with the king and were dismissed, he would remain in the case that they needed anything more from him.
He hoped they didn't.
Livyathan:
Nodding a little more, Livy turned away from him after whispering a word of thanks to Stormclaw for all of his help. Sighing heavily, she continued up the path he lead them down. She looked back, stopping and sighing. "I'll repay you for your kindness, Stormclaw. I'll... make you something." She nodded to him and wandered off. "Come, Mihika."
Mihika:
Mihika laughd and nodded a little, prancing off after her sister. "Goodbye, Stormclaw! I'll be visiting from time to time!" She chimed off, laughing and following her sister, tail flicking behind her like a cub in play.
Fuil'fiach / Stormclaw:
Stormclaw grimaced. He didn't need thanks, he had just been doing his duty. To thank him for that was simply not necessary. Regardless, he said nothing in return, just nodded a bit.
He could barely suppress the shudder when Liv's sister called back to him. By the gods, he didn't need her visiting him. She would just bother him. Let her bother Uncle Euri, he would at least... somewhat appreciate it. Until she started bothering him, too. His uncle had a much cooler temper than he did, but even the Godchild lost it sometimes.
He sighed when they were gone, heading to the beach where the king liked to walk. He would never lose his temper with a female, wouldn't raise his voice or hurt one, but that didn't mean he might not say things that would hurt their feelings. He seemed to have already upset the younger one. He slowly shook his head.
