|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:52 pm
 |
|
|
|
 Thorgrim was actually feeling very forgiving that particular day. His muscles had no aches, his bones had no pain. Life was good this day, and perhaps that was one reason that he did not immediately dismiss the thrall that waited politely for him just outside his den. Then again, perhaps it was the fact that she was Erling's thrall, and because his brother was quite fond of the hyena, Thorgrim did not want to turn her away.
"Come in," he commanded softly, blue eyes bright in the dim of his rather sizable den. "Do not dally," the Captain added brusquely, only because he did not want to seem to be in such high spirits. Perhaps later he would take his wife on a stroll. He was feeling rather chipper, high-spirited and quite youthful despite his age. It was a rare day for Thorgrim, whose days were becoming filled with pain and lethargy. |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 4:19 am
|
|
|
 |
Oh good! He hadn't immediately sent her away! It was probably just because he thought she had some kind of message from Captain Erling, but it was still promising. Tindra pranced in, unable to keep her excitement from showing. She was well-scrubbed, her mane perfectly groomed and adorned with flowers that were pleasing to the eye. Surely Captain Thorgrim would be able to see that she was the most lovely, most dainty and best thrall of all.
Tindra bowed her head respectfully to the older lion. "Captain Thorgrim, I don't mean to bother you, but I had a request..." She dithered a bit, anxious. Thralls didn't normally make requests of Freeborn lions, and certainly not of Captains like Thorgrim. But it was a reasonable request, wasn't it? Captain Erling always told her every member of the pride was important in their own way.
"I, um, I know that you're the pride's very best matchmaker, you've just made so very many good matches, you know, and everyone is getting married, all of the old blood lines pairing up, and it's just so great, you know, I really admire you, only, there really aren't any suitable husbands for me and I'm a good thrall and I want to make my pride proud and have lots of good thrall babies, so I want a husband too. A handsome husband that's smart and clean and not gross. And handsome so we can make pretty thrall babies."
Tindra shuffled her dainty forepaws anxiously.
"So I was hoping maybe, if it's not too much trouble, maybe you could find a good husband for me?"
Some petals dropped from her flower-laden mane and fluttered to the floor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:45 am
|
|
|
|
Thorgrim squinted at the hyena thrall, a skeptical look on his face. This was outrageous, in truth. He did not mind finding suitable husbands and wives for old-blooded lions in the pride. It was something that he could spend his time doing when his bones ached too much to go viking. There was something far too amusing about forcing his errant grandchildren to marry, and Thorgrim found great satisfaction in it.
But this...
This...
If this thrall had belonged to anyone else, he'd have sent them packing with a swift strike of his broad paw against their head and a warning never to act so presumptuous again. The simple fact that she was Erling's caused him to stop and to make an actual attempt to proceed rationally.
Besides, she was well-groomed and respectful, and the pride could do with more well-groomed and respectful thralls.
...what the hell was her name again? Gods.
"Tinder," that sounded right, Gods, was he about to... Gods, "what would make a good husband for a thrall, besides being smart and clean and handsome?"
What had his life come to? Matchmaking for thralls.
Gods. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:54 am
|
|
|
|
He was going to find her a husband! She was sure of it! He even almost remembered her name, which was surely a compliment. Tindra was so excited she danced in place a little bit before she remembered that Captain Thorgrim would probably not be amused.
"Well," Tindra said happily, stilling her paws and bowing her head again. She had to think quickly. There were only one or two hyena males in the pride, and they were wholly unsuitable. Not smart, not clean, and not handsome. She would settle for smart, clean and handsome, truth be told. But if Captain Thorgrim was going to take a list, she would be delighted to fill it in.
"Nice. And respectful. Of Freeborn and Stormborn, of course--" Tindra nodded her head again. "--and also of me, since I'm going to have to teach him how to be a good thrall. And handsome." She had already said handsome. "With pretty fur. Very pretty fur. I like pretty fur -- so we'll make pretty babies, of course, you don't want a bunch of ugly thralls running around." Tindra wrinkled her nose. "And strong. So he can be a useful thrall. Of course. And he has to smell good -- oh Captain Thorgrim, I try my best to help the poor souls, but there are so many disgusting thralls around, I don't know why they're allowed to touch food --" Tindra indulged herself in a little dramatic paw wringing. "And funny and clever and brave. But not too brave, you know. Just someone like that."
Tindra beamed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:01 am
|
|
|
|
He really wasn't listening. He did his best to look like he was listening, but he really wasn't. He would bring the thrall a husband - and to Thorgrim, a suitable husband was one who could make more obedient thralls. So long as the hyena could perform, Tinder would have herself a husband.
His thoughts soon turned to what he wanted to eat for breakfast. Hare was stringy, but delicious. Fish was best when caught fresh, but he supposed he could probably send a thrall to fish him out a nice fresh one. Then again, antelope also sounded divine. Or bird eggs.
Letting out a low, thoughtful hum, Thorgrim merely nodded when he felt it was necessary to nod in response to Tinder.
Perhaps he would have eggs and fish. Or eggs and hare. Yes, that sounded good. Eggs and hare.
And then, he supposed he would have to arrange for a viking in the next few days. But first, breakfast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:17 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:25 am
|
|
|
|
Oh, she was still there. Well, Gods. He really hadn't been paying attention. His thoughts had been on breakfast, but when Tinder spoke again, Thorgrim gave her his attention once more.
"Yes, yes, you're quite welcome, Tinder." Whatever. "My brother is important to me, and you appear to be important to him, so consider it a favor to my brother. Nothing more."
He hoped she wouldn't read too much into it. Gods. He wasn't doing it because he liked the hyena. He didn't even know her. Thorgrim was doing it because he knew his brother would appreciate it.
Hmm. His mane was feeling a little ratty, and by the looks of the thrall's own hair, she knew her way around hair. Thorgrim dipped his head in a nod, gesturing her to come closer.
"Yes, do so. Fresh braids."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:18 pm
|
|
|
|
Tindra pranced over to the old Captain, shedding a few more flower petals as she went. She would have to remember to pick them up on the way out.
"Oh, wonderful, I know just the thing." Tindra rummaged around in the leather pouch at her waist for the carved bone comb Erling had kindly bought for her. "Now be still, 'cause this is going to pull a bit." She seized it in her teeth and started picking at the tangles in Thorgrim's mane. Pick, tug, pick, tug. It wouldn't be comfortable, but surely a big tough Captain could handle it. She needed to see Captain Thorgrim more often. She hardly ever had to tug out the tangles in Erling's mane these days, because she went over it so often.
With Thorgrim's mane sorted out, Tindra put the comb down and started weaving some braids in. "The young Reavers like them just by the face," she said. "That's the style. Keeps the hair out of your face in battle. But Captain Erling likes them just a bit further back, so you don't have big bloody braids flopping in your eyes. That's no good. Now, for the ladies I like to put flowers and charms in. I'd put a charm in but I didn't bring any with me. Sometimes Reavers bring me good-luck charms and so forth. Bones, too. Of course, you have to be careful with those because if you don't get your hair seen to often enough--" Tindra fixed Thorgrim with a rather stern eye "--it can get all tangled up into just the worst knots if you leave a charm in. The worst, I'm telling you. There's this one fat lion, I probably shouldn't be telling you, but you're a Captain of course, well, he actually had food tangled up in his hair. Food! Practically half a zebra. It took me hours to undo that mess, Captain Thorgrim, and that's no exaggeration. Disgraceful really -- I don't mean the lion, of course, I don't speak ill of Freeborn and Reavers and that is a fact, Captain Thorgrim -- but the mane was disgraceful, I say. Good manes don't just happen."
Tindra took a step back and squinted at Thorgrim's new 'do.
"Perfect!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:11 pm
|
|
|
|
Thorgrim merely grunted here and there as the hyena yammered on, a thunderous scowl on his face. He had to admit, the thrall seemed to know what she was doing. He might have to ask Erling if he could borrow the female once in a while. She was quick, and any discomfort she caused was easily dismissed.
He did fidget slightly when she gave him that stern look, and his expression turned even darker. He didn't take her to task for it. He knew that he probably hadn't taken as great a care with his mane as he should of, but Thorgrim hadn't really thought of it. He was a grown a** Captain who had important duties to tend to within the pride. Hair came after everything else, when he had the time.
Gods, she could talk.
When she stepped away from, Thorgrim grunted again.
"Well. I'll arrange a viking by week's end."
He fell silent and merely stared at her. It was an unspoken dismissal, but he didn't want to be rude. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 4:23 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tindra was nervous. She knew Captain Thorgrim must have seen her around -- she was Captain Erling's thrall, for one thing, and she also tended to spend a lot of time with the pride's lionesses helping them groom their fur and tidy their things. She had visited Lena a couple of times to fix her fur. But would he remember her? Captain Thorgrim was very important.
