[SRP] You're coming with us (Bryn, Hro, Ukombozi)

[Puhterodactyl]

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Brynhildr almost couldn't be stopped. She was too eager, too excited. She was on her first reaving! She was going to become a reaver! She'd never felt her blood rush like this before. Every scent smelled stronger, the sun shone brighter, and the grass and earth beneath her toes gave way to her every step like it relished her paws the same way she loved it. She threw her head back and let out a little roar.

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"Oh my god, Bryn, shut up." Hróõvitnir rolled his eyes at his sister. Yeah, he was excited to become a reaver too. He was actually just as excited as his sister. But he just wanted to look cool in front of the Captain. The Captain hadn't seemed thrilled about two freeborn tagging along, two cocky young'uns more than ready to strut their stuff, but who would probably mess things up for their expedition. Hro was determined to prove his mettle. That he had what it took even out on their first reaving. He was going to be the best.

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Bryn snorted.
"Hro you can shove it." She darted in front of her brother, he was running too slowly. She started batting at his paws as though she was trying to trip him up.

"What are you hoping to bring back to the pride? Or are you just going to return empty handed?"
Their mother, Kifuani, hadn't been especially thrilled about them going out to become Reavers. She had been captured into the pride as a thrall with their grandmother, Chayah, and they were both pretty sour about it. Especially since Chayah now bore the scars of their encounter from the reaver and would have them across her face for the rest of her life. Yeah, Bryn supposed that'd be enough to make anyone a little bit sour… But they would be different. Wouldn't they? They knew better? Right?

 

[Puhterodactyl]

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Ukombozi was laying in the sun on her back, her little feet in the air. All her life, she'd never really known what to do with herself. She hunted, you know, to stay alive. She never searched for her family, though. Probably because she couldn't remember them that well. They'd gotten separated when she was an adolescent, but for some reason all of her recollections of them were vague. Maybe it had something to do with the way her brain worked. Having been born into a pride cursed with insanity, a mother who had always been a little off even before she joined the pride, and her father being the god of chaos gave her some interesting wiring. Her visions were never discernible, and sometimes they lasted all day. Her mother had been a seer, too. She saw death, she'd seen her cubs die a hundred times. It messed with a lioness, she figured. But she'd never taught Ukombozi or her brother how to cope.

So she passed her life one day at a time in the roguelands. Not very interesting, but it was her life.

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Hro tossed his mane and sneered at his sister, hopping over her paws and pushing into her with his chest.

"I want to capture a thrall, of course."

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Bryn let her brother push her over and she bit at his ankles. She couldn't take him seriously. That was like their fat sister Stiphen saying she wasn't hungry. It was just stupid.

"Oh yeah, and how are you going to do that? Annoy them into giving up? Or maybe they'll think you're so dumb they'll feel bad for you and come back so they can take care of you." She laughed at her brother.

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Hro stepped on Bryn's face. She wasn't being very nice. He would take someone by force if he had to. Their grandmother, Chayah, wouldn't be happy with him, but his reputation in the pride and his potential for upward mobility in it mattered more to him than disappointing his grandmother. Bryn had always been his most important family member, anyway. The twins had each other, Stiphen had food, Grandma had great-aunt, their other sister had… well someone probably, and their mom had their dad. Kind of. They had a weird relationship. Their whole family, including the extended family, had some kind of weird relationships. He'd heard his grandpa or great grandpa on his father's side had been the warlord or and exiled or something but he had a hard time finding out much about it. Like previously mentioned, made for some weird relationships.

"I'll do whatever I have to do."

 

[Puhterodactyl]

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Bryn stopped messing around. She'd never seen her brother so serious before. It was almost unnerving. Maybe that was the Calder showing in him. Their father had been a reaver going for Captain rank before Aesir's kin had been made thralls. He had been quite bitter about it. Now, Bryn quit walking. She lifted her head and sniffed deeply. She smelled another lion, but none of their reaving party was around. Her white eyes searched the open plains and landed on the body of a lioness, paws in the air. Was she dead? She didn't smell dead, but maybe it was recent. She nudged Hro and assumed a stalking position. Well, if her brother wanted a thrall, maybe this was his chance.

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Hro's golden eyes lit up when Bryn pointed out the lioness. She was alone, vulnerable. Maybe he could make this quick and wouldn't have to fight too much. For the lionesses' sake, of course.

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Ukombozi immediately became acutely aware of the two lions who were approaching. Slowly, she rolled over onto her side and gathered her feet underneath her. She had little experience interacting with those of her kind, or really any creature besides those who she was hunting. Her yellow eyes narrowed, but she didn't move.

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Ugh, they'd been noticed. Hro straightened and nudged Bryn, indicating she should do the same. The siblings stopped.

"Miss, you're coming with me." He said, loudly and confidently.

 

[Puhterodactyl]

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"And why should I?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Who are you?"

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"Please, don't make things difficult."

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Bryn looked at her brother nervously. They weren't going to hurt her, were they? Yeah they were two-against-one, and they were large lions. Calder had been large, and their great grandfather had been a god, but this lioness looked big (if only she had known Ukombozi's father had been a god, and her lineage Firekin which made her not to be trifled with).

"You're not going to hurt her, Hro, are you?" She bit her lip, worriedly.

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Hro ignored his sister. He had to. He couldn't back down. He couldn't afford to return a failure. The lion had to prove himself.

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"And just where do you intend to take me?" Ukombozi got to feet and tossed her forelock and whipped her tail around in agitation. She just hoped she wouldn't fall victim to a vision right now. That would be quite unfortunate, leaving her quite vulnerable.

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"The lands of the Myrsky Syntynyt," he said.

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"Never heard of it," she snorted.

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"You shouldn't take our threats so lightly." Bryn lowered her head. She'd never been so serious, either. She just didn't want to see anyone get hurt.

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"You'll love it, I promise." He took another step towards her.

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Maybe she shouldn't take their threats so lightly. The fur on the back of her neck bristled and she pulled her lip over her teeth to bare her fangs. She'd never been a fighter, she was vulnerable to falling into a vision that would leave her immobile for hours at any time, and there were two of them. If she wanted to get out of this alive and unscathed, she knew what she had to do. She could always escape later, right? She'd already left one pride…

"I'll be the judge of that." With her ears back and her whole body tense, Ukombozi supposed she just announced her surrender.

And Hróõvitnir had his very own thrall.

the end
word count: 1320 words