Welcome to Gaia! ::

Halvar had a problem.

The young lion was quite happy learning to fight and hunt and drink and so forth, but lately his thoughts were consumed with other things. A certain lioness, in fact. One with a lovely white mane and a sleek, dappled cream and brown coat ... Halvar couldn't very well go off seeking outlander females to sire bastards with, not with these thoughts of lovely Ulrika. He didn't know what to do with himself.

His father had always been terrible with advice about girls, which was to say, his father had never said anything helpful whatsoever about girls. Halvar couldn't imagine going to him to ask him about Ulrika. And the other reavers would just laugh at him and tell him to take her and get it out of his system. Which was ... well ... unthinkable.

But the older lion prowling around the lake might be of some help. Halvar hadn't spoken to his grandfather much since Thorgrim's return. The captain intimidated him, and Halvar had the distinct impression that Thorgrim wasn't interested in any of Gunnar's bastards. But if there was ever a lion that gave off the impression of having it all figured out, it was Thorgrim. So Halvar approached, somewhat hesitant but holding his head high.

"Someday I will kill you," Halvar said, "Grandfather." He gave Thorgrim a rather hopeful smile. Hopeful that Thorgrim wasn't quite as temperamental as he seemed and would not snarl at Halvar and send him on his way.

It didn't seem that Thorgrim would tell him to go after all. Relieved, Halvar took a seat beside the older lion. Thorgrim always seemed very wise and very, well, official. Anything he told Halvar would probably be the best way of doing things. Halvar would very much like for someone wise and official to tell him what to do, because every time he tried to think of Ulrika he just got all muddled.

Halvar fidgeted a moment before speaking. "We-ell... I was thinking, you know, since you have a lot of experience with women..." Thorgrim had had two wives, which seemed like a whole hell of a lot of wife for any one lion to deal with. "I was thinking you might be able to tell me what to do. There's this lioness." His voice trailed off awkwardly and he fidgeted a bit again, feeling very small and stupid. Halvar's education had been heavy on learning to beat things, and had skimped on some other important aspects of life.

Unaware of Thorgrim's internal torment, Halvar let out a dreamy sigh. It was horribly flowery to moon over a lioness, of course, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Ulrika," he said, savoring the name. A sweet name with a bit of a bite to it, just like the ferociously lovely lioness herself.

It was hard to imagine anyone not knowing who Ulrika was (what other lioness was so distinctive and gorgeous?) but Halvar belatedly realized that Thorgrim probably had loftier matters on his mind than the names of young lionesses. "She's the Reaver Taraxa's daughter," Halvar added. "The one with the pure white mane."

Such an elegant white mane it was.

Halvar might be slightly loopy over his Ulrika, but he had the good sense to realize that Thorgrim had picked up on his silliness. Abashed, the younger lion schooled his features into an expression of stern manliness.

He hadn't come around to thinking of an arranged marriage yet, but when Thorgrim proposed it he thought it was a wonderful idea. Halvar had toyed with the idea of asking her himself, but he didn't know what he would do if she rejected him. Explode with sheer humiliation, probably. He nodded, thrilled at the idea of an arranged marriage.

"I would like that. An arranged marriage would be -- suitable," Halvar said, stopping himself from gushing just in time. "I think she's a fine lioness, very kind and pretty, but very fierce." Those seemed like better, more Stormborn-ly compliments than going on and on about how her pelt was the color of crystallized honey and her mane looked like seafoam. Thorgrim would probably smack him in the face if he heard Halvar talk like that. Halvar kind of wanted to smack himself in his own face just for thinking like that, but he couldn't help it.

Halvar nodded slowly as Thorgrim spoke. This was very good advice, coming from a lion that certainly knew his way around wives. He frowned ferociously with concentration as he committed it to memory. Bring her gifts, that would be a good idea. A thrall -- that would be more difficult, but Halvar supposed he could manage it. He would wait on that, though. The thought of moving in with one lioness was daunting, let alone having some strange third party hanging around!

"I will get her something nice, and I would never hit her," Halvar said, faintly appalled by the suggestion. "Hitting a wife sounds very..." He shook his head, unable to come up with the right word. "Wrong. I want to protect my wife."

Getting married by the end of the week seemed very sudden to Halvar. Very sudden. He wanted to fidget again, but he swallowed, quieting the butterflies in his stomach by sheer force of will. Thorgrim already thought he was too moody. He didn't want his legendary grandsire thinking he was weak-willed or cowardly! "What if she refuses to wed me?" He asked, a bit worried by the possiblity. He figured Ulrika would probably listen to her father and Thorgrim, but the lioness was fiery.

Halvar didn't mind female Reavers. He understood them. He didn't want to marry one, but he got along with them fine. But Halvar knew that some of the older lions had a bit more traditional views, and decided that this wasn't the time to argue the point.

"I don't want to marry a female Reaver," Halvar agreed. "Ulrika would make a fine Priestess instead." He smiled at the mention of Brynja. She was his cousin -- or was it second cousin? "It's a good idea to recommend her to Brynja. Brynja is the best Priestess. Of course, she's from our family."


Halvar grinned at his grandfather. He felt more confident now. Ulrika was a good Stormborn lioness, and if both families agreed she would surely want to marry him! "I'll talk to her. I know you're right, I know she'll marry me if you and Taraxa settle it. But I want to make her feel important, of course." And bring her a present.