There they were. An entire bundle of little paws and ears that would no doubt stress her out to no avail, but this time she would succeed in her endeavors to strengthen them. As they squirmed in sleep, she nudged them closer together and stood, making sure they were undisturbed as she sought out her daughter. She needed to understand that bearing cubs didn't make her any better of a lioness than Freyja had attempted to raise her to be.
Shifting at the entrance of her den had Freyja looking up, beaming victoriously as she recognized the darker pelt of her grandson. She stepped to the side and gloated, "Look at them, Hel. Your mother may be weak, but this time..." She looked at her litter dotingly, "They will be more like you."
Hel had only intended to visit as he did daily, noticing his grandmother had gotten rounder and curious as to whom would father such cubs. All it took was one look at those pelts, however, for the dark look in his gaze to become close to frightening. "Who was it?"
Freyja looked up and caught his glare, curiosity sparking, "What do you mean, 'who'? It doesn't matter in the slightest."
The look in Hel's eyes slammed into her like a ton of bricks, and she hissed under her breath, "Outside. Now." She barked orders at the closest unclaimed Thrall to watch her cubs and stormed out, knowing full well Hel would follow her well out of earshot of the pride, nearest the cliffs.
She turned on him fiercely and spat, "You will NOT look at me that way, child. I am well aware of the hostility you carry towards some girl you met as a cub, but you will NOT take it out on me."
Hel's features never changed as he followed her out, and his voice was bitterly calm when he responded to her on the cliffs. "I bear that girl no hostility, Grandmother. In fact, I hold her in very high regard, which you... seem to have forgotten." Took a step towards her, watching as she scrambled back and that's when he saw it, a mere flash of fear had been in her eyes.
He chuckled, "No, no no, please.... Don't cower on me now. I haven't even begun to explain to you EXACTLY what you've done to me. You own, beloved grandchild, flesh, bone, and blood of your blood."
Freyja had gone from confident to less so in a matter of moments, and the more he spoke, the more worried she was about the spot shed chosen in which to speak with him. Although this was a quiet spot for gossip, it was also... out of eyeshot. Out of earshot. She swallowed, and he had caught the motion and spoken again. This was not going well at all, something she had not intended. "Hel, darling..." She smiled, reaching out in a comforting gesture, "Surely you can forgive me a little slip-up? I am old, and forgetful, and where you think you see 'love' I only see something that wasn't meant to be, and now you have aunts and uncles who can replace her in your heart."
At that moment, she could truly see just how big an adolescent he was, and he certainly had size in his favor. If she had any chance of fixing this, she would have to get back into the public eye, where she could keep herself safe. "Come, I can treat you to something tasty and we can put this all behind us, can't we? You can help me name the babies, you always had name ideas for your own cubs as a cub-"
Hel growled, annoyed by her audacity, and stuck out a paw as she made an attempt to brush past him. "See, I don't think you understand the situation you are in, at all." He pushed lightly and knocked her backwards, surprising himself with just how easily she had fallen over and looked up at him, defiance in her eyes already. "I don't want to put this behind me. I want to address this thing, those THINGS, you've created to spite my mother..." He took a step towards her, pushing her closer to the cliffside which she didn't seem to notice, her focus intent on him. Good.
"You've not only spited my mother, but ME. You grandson, the only one who listened to you, followed your advice..." He dared another step, and this time when she jumped to her feet to run, she could only watch as a few rocks from the ledge crumbled to the water below, and she knew she was caught. "You can't repay me with food and ignorance this time, Grandmother."
With only one move, he had her by the neck, and from how she struggled, he could only assume she couldn't breathe. He held her as long as he needed, waiting until she stopped struggling before dropping her to the ground, ignoring the sting of what were sure to be scratches covering his arms and face.
But one look at the whimpering creature at his feet, and he didn't pity her. He should, he knew, in some part of his brain, but his mother had tried to keep him away from her and that alone would be just enough cause for him to do what he felt he must.
While his grandmother was still struggling to breathe, he shoved her over the cliffside.
What he hadn't counted on, however, was the gasp from behind, and he turned just in time to see a flash of color disappearing around a higher stone, the sound of retreating running making him smirk.
He knew EXACTLY who that coat belonged to, and they were going to have a little chat.
Sparing a glance for the cliffside, he took in a deep breath, taking no joy in what must come next and therefore delaying for just a moment.
When he would return to his grandmother's den, he knew EXACTLY what must happen.
[Word Count: 1,006]