[SRP] Good enough? (Hroovitnir x Ukombozi)

[Puhterodactyl]

Hroovitinr entered his den to the soft sound of crying. His eyebrows furrowed in concern, and he padded quickly over to the tightly curled form of Ukombozi.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He put his paw on the lioness' shoulder, but she only turned away from his touch into a tighter ball. He growled.

"Ukombozi, talk to me."

Her silence was only causing his concern to grow. What if she was unable to talk?! Under his worry, anger started to grow.  

[Puhterodactyl]

She turned around slowly, and only barely enough to meet Hroovitnir's eyes. She sniffled and wiped her nose with a paw. She did not need to trouble him with her petty little problems. She could take care of herself. She was a tough girl, child of the god of chaos and, well, she was just tough on her own. She did not need anyone watching out for her. She had survived long enough in the rogue land to not let some mean lionesses get to her.

"It's nothing… Really. Just… I don't know, go lose another fight or something…"

She turned back further away from him.  

[Puhterodactyl]

He sat down next to her.

"That is very rude. But I've got nothing else planned, so I suppose I will just have to stick around my den. You know, since I live here… Where else would I go? And where else would you go? You live here too, so…"

He reclined, then laid down beside his thrall. He wouldn't make her talk, but if he had learned one thing about Ukombozi, it was that she had a short temper and that she would get frustrated and spill the beans soon enough. He just had to wait her out, but forcing her would never work, she was too head strong too. In fact, they had a lot in common that way. That's how his sister Brynhildr was able to get on his nerves so easily.  

[Puhterodactyl]

She looked over her shoulder and glared at him. He was sitting too close. He was being too nosy. She had not thought he would be coming back to the den at this time, and that was why she chose here and now as the time to have her little pity party. But two was a crowd. She twisted and turned around in the den and put her butt right in her master's face. Unfortunately for her, she did not smell too bad, and this probably would not bother him all that much.

She huffed and puffed and groaned and sighed.

"Will you leave me alone? You're not helping. It's nothing…" She sucked in a another little cry.

"It was just some mean salt wives by the watering hole…" She shrugged.  

[Puhterodactyl]

Hroovitnir stood up to get a better look at her.

"Who." He didn't even say it as a question. All he got from her was a shrug and she avoided eye contact. He could also see where a little bit of blood dribbled down her face. Someone had hit her. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and he felt his blood boil in a rage, but he still got no answer.

"Ukombozi. Who."  

[Puhterodactyl]

She shrugged again. Truthfully she did not know any of their names and she had kept her eyes down so she would not be able to recognize them very well either.

"I had never met them but they knew I was a thrall, and they were saying how I was no good, rogue blood, a slave… Any kind of insult they could come up with… I have never had anyone in the pride be mean or rude to me… I know being a thrall is not a good rank, that I'm just a slave… But these females were saying things about how much better they were… Born in to the pride and salt wives to captains." She wiped a tear away from her eye, and some of the blood on her cheek, too.  

[Puhterodactyl]

His ears went back on his head and he tilted it. He had never heard of these mean salt wives. Heck, being a salt wife was not even all that impressive. It meant they were not a lion's first wife. He patted her gently on the shoulder and brushed her forelock out of her eyes.

"You're better than them, Ukombozi. You're smart and proud and strong. You're thoughtful and you're amazing to me. Thank you."

Quote:

She shot a glare at him.

"Thank me? For what? I don't have a choice. You and Brynhildr never gave me one. I never wanted this." She spat at him, her ager turning from the lionesses to her master. She wheeled on Hroovitnir and showed him her fangs. He was in the way between her and the exit of the cave, or else she would have been long gone. She didn't know where she would go, if that was the case. She was afraid of trying to flee the pride, of what happened to Hroovitnir's grandmother and mother happening to her. She did not have any scars, and the smack from the salt wife would not likely leave any, but a reaver or a bad-tempered captain could maim or kill her for trying to leave.

Hroovitnir hung his head in shame and could not meet Ukombozi's eyes. He did not know how to answer her. Having a thrall was a big responsibility and morally taxing on him. He thought of Ukombozi as almost an equal. The only difference was that he was able to boss her around to do chores that were less appealing to him. Cleaning the den? Ukombozi's job, but she lived there, too. Whereas sometimes he brought food back for the both of them, instead of having her do it or always fend for herself. He'd even been thinking about what kind of loot to bring back for her on his next Viking, but she probably did not want anything from him now…

"I… I'm sorry, Ukombozi. I am…" He turned and left her in the den. He just hoped she would be there when he got back.

the end
word count: 1020