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As much as he adored his daughter, Erling hadn't seen much of her lately. She was busy with her duties, and he with his. As wonderful as it was that his only daughter was an important Priestess, the situation did have its drawbacks.

So today Erling made a point of taking the time to pay her a visit. He was curious about how she was getting on. She surely had many things on her mind, what with the recent trouble between the Warlord and that outlander Captain. Still, her personal life was important. And Erling had some fatherly concern for her. As far as he could tell, Brynja was too wrapped up in her work to take a mate. And she had that ... well, daughter, he supposed. Not a real daughter of course, though Erling had never badgered her about it.

He did hope Yakuti was not the only daughter Brynja ever intended to have.

"Daughter," Erling called, approaching the entrance of her den. He smiled. "Priestess Brynja, I should say."

Erling bore up stoically under the nuzzling, pleased that his daughter was happy to see him. His brother Thorgrim seemed to be having problem after problem with his own brood. It was unfortunate that Erling had only ever had the one daughter, but Brynja was a treasure.

"It has been too long," Erling agreed. "I've been hearing your praises from everyone in the pride these days, but I'd like to hear about your work from you." He smiled. Brynja was truly a daughter to be proud of. A priestess, and by all accounts a great priestess. Erling had no doubt that she would be the high priestess one day.

"You're working hard. I hope Yakuti has been looking after you." Erling wouldn't speak ill of his daughter's adopted youngling, but he couldn't quite wrap his head around the younger lioness being a daughter to Brynja and not just some sort of beloved assistant.

The perfect daughter, of course, would be one of Brynja's true daughters. Erling had the sense to bite his lip on that particular issue though. Brynja was strong-willed and always had been. It was a necessary quality in a priestess. A somewhat annoying trait to the father of the strong-willed lioness in question, to be sure, but thankfully Brynja's will was tempered with intelligence and common sense.

Erling trailed his daughter into the den, settling himself after she did.

"I might find a husband for you, then," Erling suggested, relieved that Brynja brought up the topic of husbands so that he wouldn't have to think of a way to edge into it without offending her. He knew that some lionesses became unreasonable at being reminded that they were single.

There seemed to have been a few arranged marriages lately. His little-nephew with that white-maned female. Or was it grand-nephew? A nice match, in any case. Erling had always had the impression that the boy was a bit dim, but he was strong and willing and listened to his elders. Not Captain material, but a solid lion. And then there was Gaved, who (Erling thought ruefully) he should have arranged matters for long ago, before Thorgrim had to be bothered with it.

"Good," Erling said, already turning the problem over in his mind. "I'm glad, daughter." He smiled at the bold young priestess. "With your final approval, of course. I know no daughter of mine would let herself be packed off to a lion she disliked." He said this with an air of pride. He was on Gaved's side in the matter of his feud with Dalla, of course -- you had to stand by family -- but if Dalla was his daughter he fancied she would have had enough backbone to refuse.

"A Captain, do you think? Or maybe a Lawspeaker?" Someone that had demonstrated cleverness beyond that of the average Reaver, at least. "Pity that Skada is a female, if she were male she'd make someone an excellent husband." A joke.

"A Lawspeaker, then." Erling was slightly disappointed she hadn't gone for the idea of marrying a Captain, but he supposed it was to be expected. He had a hard time imagining Brynja putting up with someone who vanished on vikings for weeks at a time or boasted of fighting.

He was just glad she felt a Lawspeaker was cultured enough, as opposed to someone like a ... bard.

"I'll have to speak to our Lawspeakers." He knew of a couple that were certainly single, but he doubted if Brynja would accept an outlander. He grinned at his daughter. "A couple of them are former Captains. That would suit us both."

Brynja was such a sweet daughter. Headstrong, yes, and maybe a bit odd with adopting those peculiar foreign cubs, but a sweet and dutiful daughter. And he was delighted by the idea of her having a heap of grandcubs for him to spoil -- er, teach the ways of the warrior -- but he wasn't about to say something quite that sappy. He was still a Captain, not an old doddard. "I will start looking now, then," he said briskly, standing to leave. "I hope I can find someone up to your standards."

That might be difficult, but he was damn well going to try.