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While Morgut treated his position as if he were always "on duty," there were times that he was more involved in policing the pride, so to speak, than others. Today was a day that he was watchful but not running routes. At that moment, for instance, he was cleaning his maw from a meal of hearty, fatty meat. With his stomach full and the sun fading downward, he was looking forward to a nice, long nap. He'd just risen to head to his sleeping quarters when a hostile voice near by caught his ear.

"You worthless shite. Get up and finish this meat, now!"

Morgut could see near the stores of food for the pride, clearly a peon (a cook, meal prep staff more than likely) slouched on the ground, inert. Standing over her was an a lion that Mor had seen grow from a whelp through to completing his Om'riggor... and Morgut didn't like him one bit. Dreg was a snotty, self entitled t**t that verbally abused his peers, those younger, and those weaker than him. He'd been corrected by nannies and the caregivers over time but it was Morgut's suspicion that he hadn't changed, only becoming more sneaky about his behavior. With pursed lips, Morgut stayed where he was and watched.

"I will, just... just give me a second! I've been carving carcasses all day." A hunting party had recently come back with an unusually good haul which is why Morgut had just eaten until he nearly burst. The whole pride would eat well for the next several days. But that did mean a lot of work on the peons preparing the meat. The skinning, the gutting, cleaning, etc.

"I don't give a damn. I brought this kill in this morning and your worthless hide hasn't even touched it!" Dreg was baring down over the lioness with more hostility, his fangs exposed. "Get me its bones or I'll just use yours. Now move!" Thats when he raised his paw as if to strike the lioness.

With a menacing growl, just short of a roar, Morgut was on his feet the next second.

Dreg jumped with surprise, clearly not noticing Morgut. Honestly, he did blend in well with the ground in the fading sun. Jaw slack for a moment, he quickly changed his expression into one of clear irritation and lowered his paw. He knew better than to say something rude at the moment but it was clear in his expression the lion wanted to say something to the effect 'you have something to say?'

Morgut's eyes narrowed and all thoughts of making such a comment surely evaporated from the younger lion's head. "Whats this?"

"Whats what?" The grunt responded indignantly. After a couple heartbeats of Morgut's staring down the lion, he continued. "Ah, just a lazy sod not getting her duties done." The lion shrugged, as if this was run of the mill and to be expected though the lion shot daggers at the lioness as if she'd contradicted him.

Morgut's eyes shifted between the two. "Is that it?" His question was directed to the lioness and it was clear the lion didn't appreciate not being addressed or being called into question.

The peon's ears laid back in a cowed manner. "I-I... ah... I meant only to take a, a break... I've been working since dawn and..." she trailed off once she glanced at the lion whose expression was fierce. She was a smaller lioness, likely the runt of her litter.

Frequently the smaller lions were peons simply because they lacked strength to rise to a grunt through dueling and he didn’t doubt that was the case here. Regardless of the lioness’ weakness, all orcs know peons are critical so the success of the pride and abuse of them will not be tolerated.

Morgut eye'd them both in silence for a moment, then looked to the sun. It was quickly sinking to the horizon and, now that the days were progressively becoming longer, meant the lioness had been at work for sometime. Nodding his head once, as if in decision, he looked to the lioness. "Go ahead, you're off duty. You all've done well today."

A choking noise came from Dreg, as if beginning to protest which died quickly at the sharp look from Morgut. The lioness, lower to the ground than she would otherwise be, slinked off at the nod of Morgut.

"If you want to finish the carcass carving, you're welcome it." Morgut said pointedly to Dreg who was watching the lioness' back with a brutal expression.

The lion shifted his gaze onto Morgut and looked as if he wanted to snarl. Instead, he turned abruptly and stalked off in the opposite direction.

Morgut took a deep breath in, held it for a moment, and let it out in a gust. Some orcs were made for battle, for violence. They reveled in it. Others... were a different sort of violent. They became malicious and sinister and Morgut had the uneasy feeling Dreg was the latter. This particular type of orc lacked the essential trait that defined their culture: honor. It was Morgut’s personal opinion that this was a trait that could not be taught; at least, not once the whelp had made the choice not to embrace it.

It was a dangerous thing to not keep a check on and Morgut made the decision that he would discuss this encounter with General Gomuk the next opportunity he had. Morgut was fairly new to Gomuk Necksnap’s regiment, his previous general having been promoted. He hadn’t formed an opinion on the lion yet and this would be an opportunity to see what the general was made of.

The loud thud of a carcass dropping to the ground, having been gutted while hanging from a tree, jerked Morgut back to the present.

The sun had all but set when the blood guard was pulled from his internal musings. With his full belly and the adrenalin fading from his muscles, Morgut was suddenly very tired. As he made his way to the battle pits where he would collapse in a heap, he decided that he would be making rounds back here in the morning.