Scowling with annoyance Auðlín strode down the path with a swift, angry stride. It was about time someone put her brother in his place! He had no business interfering in her life and threatening some random male who had apparently spoken of her in a complimentary manner certainly qualified as meddling! So what if she didn’t actually know the male in question, that had made her brother’s threats even more outrageous! The poor reaver had turned tail and fled the storehouse when she had appeared, and she had spent all week believing she had offended or scared him someone. Only to eventually track him down and force a confession from him.
It was all Aksel’s fault!
Furious at her elder sibling she stormed directly into the training grounds, not even looking about before letting loose a loud roar. “BROTHER!”
Aksel narrowed his gaze at his sparring partner. The big golden lion circled again, not even favouring the wound Aksel knew his war-brother was carrying. Had they been real rivals, he would not even known the tan male was injured at all. Impressed he snarled savagely and lowered his head, matching Ronan’s steps with his own. The two males circling slowly, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
Suddenly the roar split the air and Aksel winced. He knew that voice. Before he could even blink a massive weight slammed into him and he went sprawling, skidding across the hard packed ground in a cloud of dust and debris. Once he regained his senses he scowled up at Ronan, pale eyes narrowed. Though he couldn’t very well complain about the attack, it was exactly what he would have done if his opponent had let himself get distracted.
Sighing he dragged his dusty frame upright and shook. “Give me a minute. My sister is here…” At Ronan’s nod he turned and walked over to where Auðlín stood, glaring at him.
Having spotted her brother in the middle of a sparring match she hadn’t waited for him to finish. The bouts could last for hours and she had absolutely no patience to await his whimsy. Instead when he hit the ground in such spectacular fashion, she grinned broadly. Amused to see him take such a fall and feeling it to be karma for his earlier intrusion into her life. Belatedly she looked at his opponent and very nearly did a double-take, shocked to realise that she recognised the male. It was the big tan lion from the beach ledge. She had not forgotten him, mainly because his mane was such a vibrant red colour.
With effort she forced her gaze back to her sibling who had gathered himself up and was now walking over. Growling low as he approached she remembered her fury. “What do you think you were doing?” She snarled.
Her snapped question made him pause as he struggled to recall what action she might be referring to. To be honest, she disagreed with most of what he did so picking a likely candidate was difficult. But if he wanted to avoid making her yet more angry at him, it was vital he knew what she was talking about. At a loss he fell back on his usual habit of staring at her silently, waiting for the tirade that he hoped would follow and give him a hint of what she was on about.
Sadly, she was less apt than their mother had been to launch into a furious monologue… He only hoped she gave him enough hints to avoid increasing her fury.
Scowling at Aksel’s stoic expression. Yet for all her storming in and interrupting, she was not about to give the other reavers a show. Instead she glared at him and turned smartly about. “Follow me.” Without waiting for her brother’s agreement she stalked back the way she had come, tail lashing.
Once they got back to her den she led the way inside then rounded on him, both with furious words and sharp claws. Their raised voices echoed mightily in the close confines of the den but few came this far out and so no one disturbed them. A good thing as both siblings would have turned on any who dared to try. Their tempers were a match for each other and away from prying eyes, it was no holds barred, smack-down fight. His strength naturally restrained and even though she was no reaver, she fought as good as one. Though it was less about winning and more about exhausting their mutually hot tempers.
Only once the fight was over with and both lions stood with sides heaving for breath, liberally splattered with thin lies of blood, did they flop down on the den floor and finally talk like regular folk. The wounds were not deep, for neither had actually been intending physical harm. The scrap had vented their excess emotion, as it always did.
For the next while only low murmured voices could be heard, sometimes indignant, sometimes rough, but they were calmer, rational.
Aksel sighed, staring at his sister with a kind of exasperated affection. “I only prevented an undesirable situation… You would never have settled for a lion like him anyway.” He reasoned, able to be patient now that they were tired out and slumped together in a familiar heap.
“That is not the point.” She huffed, rolling her eyes at her brother’s intentional stubbornness. “I am the one who decides what happens to me. Not you.” She quelled his intended interruption with a look. “And if that includes telling a male I’m not interested in him, that is my prerogative.” She scowled at his guilty expression. As well he might, for it was entirely unforgivable that he had tried to decide who she accepted as a suitor.
Huffing he shifted, for the first time admitting he might have over stepped his bounds as a brother. “Fine… but his was entirely unworthy of you.”
This made her laugh warmly as she licked his cheek, finally forgiving him. “Brother… no lion alive would be worthy of me, in your eyes.” She responded, amused now that her righteous anger had ebbed.
“That is not true… there are plenty of males, reavers and captains, who would be worthy…” Instantly her smirk made him nervous, as did her question that followed.
“Who then?” She grinned evily.
Without thinking he lunged frantically for the first male knew who he trusted. “Ronan would be.” Instantly he regretted his words as the amused look in his sisters eyes turned downright dastardly.
“So if I was interested in Ronan… you wouldn’t try and stop me?” She asked, musingly.
With a sinking heart he knew he had dug his own pit in regards to this particular situation. He only fervently hoped she did not decide she liked his war-brother… that would simply be.. awkward. Admittedly not for either of them, but for him.
“Well then, you had best introduce me to this Ronan…..” Her smirk was triumphant, and Aksel could only sigh internally. There went his peace of mind…
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