"You're a captain now?!" Ayanga practically shouted at her best friend. "Wait. When did this happen?" Her fur bristled on her neck. How easy it had been for the males to rank up in this pride, and yet the females could never gain such titles. "And when were you going to tell me, hmm?" She huffed with a small growl, flopping on the ground.


"I...Wait...I just told you...?" Aldan said slightly bewildered.

"But HOW long have you been one? Why wasn't I the first to know HMM. And you are already talking about going on a viking? Where is my invite, huh? Come ON Aldan." Ayanga glared at the winged male.

The usual storm had started to make its way through the land. Lightning struck in the background, causing a glow. It made Aya's look even angrier than she probably was.

"Hey now." Aldan frowned. "This just happened. Like...not super long ago. I'm sorry, you may be my best friend, but you do realize the first person who will know about this would be my wife right?" Aldan asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Aya gave an exasperated sigh.

"As for your next question. I wasn't planning on going to too soon. I want to make sure Yorshka is all settled and able to defend herself in my absence." Then, there was the idea of what if he didn't return? Yorshka would revert back to thralldom, and then who would claim her? A shudder through his form at the thought. Ciro was gone too. He hadn't returned from his last viking, but the demon had, quite wounded for that matter. The smug b*****d wore a frown as he headed towards the War Lord's den that day. Aldan could only assume his Captain friend had fallen, and he was there to take his place.

He never fully learned the truth, not one to corner Kristanf and ask. He had seen one of Ciro's children however, and she seemed rather distraught a few days later.

Aldan shook his heaad.

"I expect to be part of one of your first vikings then, Aldan." Aya said, waving a paw in the air. "You need to sponsor me so I can keep going out!"

Ah, right, female's needed sponsorships to continue to leave the pride.

Aldan nodded. "Fine. I think a band is former soon, although I'm not too sure you want to join with them?"

Aya blinked. "And why would you say that?"

The demi-god shrugged. "Mostly reavers, one shield maiden, and a freeborn. I don't know how fun it will actually be?"

The pale lioness frowned, sighing. "Fine. Is that planning on being a long mission?"

Aldan again, shrugged. "I don't plan on it, but you know how Vikings are. Even in the short time you were a reaver yourself. They can last anywhere from a day, to weeks." Or, in their first lucky mission, months with the injuries their whole band sustained. It wasn't Ciro's fault there. He had taken three adolescent freeborns on the raid, where a group of five adults had attacked.

"Yeah," Aya knew where Aldan had been going with that. "I remember ours, you don't even have to mention it." Aya grumbled, eyes narrowing at the sound of shuffling nearby.

"Oh, Haruhi~" Aldan said with a small smile. She was the child of Ciro who had been distraught days after Kristanf had returned but her father had not.

"Hello," the winged female said quietly, her golden eyes looking away from both Aldan and Ayanga, as she continued forward.

Aya frowned, glancing towards Aldan who shrugged. "So, do any battles to become something other than freeborn?" The seer asked with a small smirk. Haruhi paused her steps, glancing at her.

"No. I don't think that I will be doing that." She stated.

"Ah, come on, the land outside the pride is so interesting compared to here. New sites! new smells! New creatures to meet. Aldan and I once met this thing called a...cheetah...when we were younger, right Al?" Aya grinned.

"My father would want me to become a reaver. I would have liked to follow in his footsteps, not below." Haruhi said almost bitterly.

The storm around them strengthened, thunder rumbling and rain pelting down on the trio.

"Join the party sister." Aya muttered. "I am sure your father would want you to be more than what you are, wouldn't he?" She asked. "I know my grandmother would."

Ayanga's relationship was strained when it came to the fallen Captain. He was the responsible party of the death of her grandmother after all, him and the male who had gotten her pregnant. Where the remainder of her younger aunts were taken was a mystery to her. She was glad at least three of them remained behind.

"Regardless. If you decide that is the route you want to take, find me, and I will make sure you get your sponsorship you need." Aldan said to Haruhi, who only nodded.

"You are going out then?" She questioned the male.

Aldan nodded.

"Can you see if you can find anything about my father? I...I don't think he is gone." Haruhi hoped he wasn't at least. She wanted so badly to think he was still around, even if she hadn't spent the most time with him. His avian friend hadn't returned, and the purple raven that shared the den had long gone as well. The only remnant of her father that remained was his beds of pelt still scattered around the den floor. She couldn't clean it up. If he returned, he would want them there.

"I..."

Ayanga took a step forward, cutting Aldan up. "When I go out with Aldan, we will look to see what we can find. If...you promise to do more with yourself."

Haruhi glanced at Ayanga, flickering her gaze between her and Aldan. "Fine. Deal." She had begun her walk away from the pair, looking to seek shelter from the storm.

Aya smirked as Aldan spoke. "Motivational speaker are you now?"

A shrug from the young seer, she glanced towards the winged male. "Mayyyybe that is just my best skill." The once sour mood the lioness was in was now gone. "So, you promise to take me out next time though, right?"

Aldan nodded, extending a paw. "I promise."

Soon, Ayanga thought, she would be able to show the damn War Lord who's boss! And right now, the only way to do that was to continue to rise up the ranks.

[word count - 1080]