Kyra
Despite her frequent grumblings and the filthy looks she directed toward any and all freeborn Stormborn, Kyra knew that her life among the Stormborn wasn't nearly as bad as it might be. She had only to look at the plight of a lioness like the pretty one who called herself Tay to see how very well-off she was with Erlendr as her master. Looking at that slender female always made Kyra simultaneous uncomfortable and angry. There was something about her that was just so...She just didn't belong in the Stormborn, even more than most people Kyra knew in the pride.Tay
Tay used to hide herself in the darkest, most shadowy portion of the area where unclaimed thralls were kept, thinking that by doing so she would be able to hide from the males who made her life so incredibly unpleasant. It had not taken long for Kjar and Solvtorn and the rest to dissuade her of that notion and teach her that when one of them wanted her, they would have her. To Kjar it made no difference if there was an audience or not. Solvtorn preferred privacy, but he could be worse than Kjar was, in his own way.Kyra
"Hey," Kyra called to the frail looking thrall. "You know they wouldn't treat you like s**t if you'd stand up to them, right?"Actually, Kyra had no way of knowing that. She was a pretty much fearless lioness who made her rage into a weapon so that even though she was only a thrall in this pride, nobody tried to make her do things she didn't want to do. She had never really come up against lions like Kjar, but she knew what she'd do if someone like Solvtorn tried to treat her the way he treated Tay. He'd die.
Tay
Tay looked up at the thrall who had spoken to her. She had never spoken to the lioness before, nor been addressed by her, but she knew of Kyra by reputation. She was a personal thrall, and a well-treated one, but she was filled with rage and had apparently been known to turn that rage on anyone who annoyed her. Tay had heard that a lot of people annoyed her, and so she was leery of now being singled out. Tay had been brought up to be polite, though, and so she felt obliged to reply, "I couldn't do that."Kyra
Kyra shook her head and stood up. She wasn't afraid of the lions in the pride, but that didn't mean she was going to shout criticisms across the yard. Besides, she could tell that Tay was uncomfortable raising her voice, likely because it increased the chances of drawing attention to herself. Kyra understood. She remembered being afraid like that when she was enslaved by the Kuroi'Nera. But she had been angry, too."Why not?" she asked as she settled in closer to Tay. "Aren't you angry? Don't you hate being beaten and used the way you are? Why not fight?"
Tay
Now it was Tay's turn to shake her head. She doubted that she would be able to explain herself to Kyra's satisfaction, but she had the feeling that Kyra would keep at her until she offered some sort of explanation, so she might as well try."I don't like it. But hate is a very strong word, and although I'm not treated well, I'm not really treated all that much differently than any other female thralls in this pride. If they are hurting and using me, at least they aren't doing the same things to someone younger and even weaker."
Kyra
Kyra snorted ungenerously. She and Tay had very different outlooks when it came to bullies and how they ought to be dealt with for the common good. Not being one for self-sacrifice, Kyra's natural inclinations leaned more toward dealing with violence violently."Do you really think you're saving anyone?" she asked. "I mean, really. These lions may claim the want to be challenged, but they don't mean by people like us. Us they expect to be pretty pliant, and since that's what you offer them, of course they take it. But if you would fight back, they'd be less eager."
Tay
"I can't do that," Tay said. "I'm not a fighter. I don't know how to fight and I really don't want to learn."That would probably infuriate Kyra, and Tay hated saying it for that reason, but it was the truth.
"I left my pride broken-hearted, hoping to die, but then that reaver, Ru, who is now a captain and has apparently been exiled for something to do with the warlord's daughter, he found me and told me that I belong to him and that I cannot die without his permission. And so I wait. Um. Not to die. Um."
Kyra
Kyra made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat like she was preparing to cough up a hairball. That was the stupidest, most sentimental bit of tripe she had ever heard."If you're not waiting for permission to die, what are you waiting for? Him to swoop in and save you from all this? Wake up, Tay. You're a thrall and he doesn't give two shits about you. That 'something to do with the warlord's daughter' you mentioned? He got her pregnant. He's in love with her. You mean nothing to him."
Her words were cruel, but necessary.
Tay
Tay lowered her head, half expecting Kyra to strike her for being stupid. When it turned out she was only going to yell, Tay found herself relieved, though there had been a time in her life when simply being yelled at would have made her weep."You're probably right," she said. Admitting it cut like she'd fallen for Ru, which really would have been stupid, for all the reasons Kyra mentioned and then some.
"But maybe I'm not as weak and stupid as you seem to think. After all, I don't go around trying to get reavers to kill me."
Kyra
Kyra stared at Tay. Was that what Tay thought Kyra was doing? Trying to get free of the pride by pissing a reaver off enough to kill her? Kyra would never do that."You're a fool," she spat, full of offended pride. She had just wanted to help. "And you should know that your precious captain isn't going to come back. He's been sent on an impossible quest that even if it doesn't kill him, he'll never be able to complete it."
With that Kyra stalked off to Erlendr' den, muttering about fools who fell in love with their captors.