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 Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:57 am
Tuomas Tuomas fought the urge to yawn, stifling the impulse for the third time that morning. It wasn't required that the Warlord confirm him in his position as Lawspeaker, but he didn't think that was why Aesir had wanted to speak to him. In truth, he had no idea why the Warlord would want to speak with him. He was barely a Lawspeaker and still carrying out nightly sacrifices to see his adoptive mother's spirit to the best of the hereafters available to a non-combatant. What the Warlord could want with him was a mystery, complete and utter. So here he was, standing on the cliffs beside the waves and the water, waiting for Aesir to put in an appearance and let him know what he wanted. Aesir His cubs were fine, strong and healthy and seeing them for the first time had filled Aesir with a pride he could barely contain. He had brought Morrigan any number of gifts to show her how much she had pleased him with this litter, and he had been thrilled to go out and bring back trinkets for his cubs, too. He had never understood how other lions could be so pleased and proud about these squeaky, squalling balls of fur and fluff, but now that he had four of his own he could understand completely. He wanted nothing but the best for them, and to that end he had some arrangements to make. He would be the one to teach them to fight, of course, and their mother would teach them about the gods and spirits, but someone had to teach them the pride's ways and history, and for that he wanted a Lawspeaker.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:38 am
Tomi Dawn was beginning to break and the mist was rising from the water below and still the Warlord had not arrived. Far be it from Tomi to complain about his Warlord, particularly now that he had a new litter of cubs in his den to keep him occupied, but Tomi couldn't help wishing that the meeting had been set for a little later if the Warlord didn't intend to show up until the sun was up anyway. Warlords didn't answer to individual Lawspeakers and Lawspeakers didn't answer to Warlords, but good manners dictated showing up to requested meetings at the prearranged time. Tomi tended to be a bit of a grouch when he didn't get enough sleep, and it had been some time since he'd had to keep a Thrall's hours, waking up before dawn for someone else's pleasure and convenience. He was about to exercise his prerogative as a Lawspeaker and go home when the Warlord's imposing figure appeared coming up the path. Aesir Aesir knew he was going to arrive late, but it wasn't as if he could send someone ahead to act as a messenger to let Tuomas know that he wasn't going to be on time. He and Morri didn't keep personal Thralls, despite their respective positions in the pride. Each of them preferred not to be catered to, and to do things on their own, and so they had agreed not to keep Thralls. Times like this one of them would have been useful though. Well, he was the Warlord, and it was his prerogative to be late to meetings from time to time. He expected nothing less than the scene that met his eyes when he crested the ridge of the cliffs and saw the newest and youngest Lawspeaker standing there, clearly torn between two choices. If Aesir had to guess they were probably the choices to stay or go. Because he had not yet left, Aesir decided he wasn't going to take offense.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:55 am
Tomi "Warlord," Tomi said, inclining his head politely. "It's a good day to die." And it was an even better day to find out what Aesir wanted from him so that he could go back to sleep and try to squeeze a few more hours' rest out of this day before he had to meet with the First Speaker to continue reviewing what his new duties would entail, as if he wasn't already well-aware of those things. The lioness who had adopted him and trained him and selected him to take her place as a Lawspeaker had given him a clear view of all that. She had never mentioned early morning meetings with Warlords though. Perhaps that was some sort of special treatment he was subjected to because he was new, he thought with a sardonic twist to his mouth. No, this was probably something else, though he still didn't know what. He and Aesir had never had much to do with each other in the past. Aesir "So it is," Aesir agreed. Mentally he added, as he always did, that he had no intention of doing so, no matter how good a day it was for dying. His cubs gave him an excellent reason not to die any time in the near future. Not that he wouldn't be taking risks and kicking asses the same as usual, but he didn't intend to die either. No glorious death for him until he was certain his cubs' futures were provided for. "I wanted to ask if you would be willing to oversee my cubs' education in the pride's ways and history. I know as a Lawspeaker that's part of your duties anyway, but as someone outlander born I know that those who aren't born to the pride sometimes know more of its ways than those who are. I want my cubs to know all the little details of law and history they care to learn, and I want them to learn them from you." He didn't expect to be turned down. It was an honor, what he was asking.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:13 am
Tomi That was unexpected. The Warlord's request that he be the one to instruct his cubs in the pride's ways and laws and history definitely came as a shock to Tomi. It was undeniably an honor as well as a pretty huge responsibility. Those cubs would be learning to fight from their father and they would be learning of the pride's spirits and gods from their mother, the Warlord and High Priestess, respectively. He would have thought it would be the duty of the First Speaker to instruct them in the matters Aesir wanted Tomi to teach. He wondered why the Warlord hadn't asked the First Speaker, and since he was within his rights to ask about it, he didn't hesitate to do so. "Of course I will, Warlord, but why me and not the First Speaker?" Oh, wait, the Warlord had told him, hadn't he? He thought that an outlander-born lion would have a more thorough knowledge of the pride's ways, and perhaps that was true. "I see what you mean, of course, about my familiarity with the pride. It was a stupid question." Aesir It had been a stupid question, Aesir had to agree, but he refrained from saying so. Just because Tuomas was the youngest and newest Lawspeaker didn't mean he was any less important than the others on that council. It was an oddity of Lawspeakers and Priestesses that their ranks were more or less equal beneath that of their leader. Though all Captains were considered equal under the Warlord, too, aside from personal preferences, so perhaps it wasn't that unusual after all. "I'm glad you'll do this thing for me. I don't know how long my cubs will wish to remain under your tutelage, as I anticipate they'll probably be more interested in being warriors, but until they're old enough to really begin training as warriors I expect them to learn from you. Don't hesitate to deal with any problems that arise in your instruction, either. I don't want them treated specially." He did, of course, but he couldn't say so. Tuomas couldn't be so stupid that he wouldn't understand Aesir's meaning.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:38 am
Tomi "Of course, Warlord," Tomi agreed. At first he had not known what Aesir meant, to be honest, but Aesir's explanation that he expected his cubs to be more interested in bellicose activities summed it up. Aesir wanted to be sure that Tomi would be able to enforce discipline with unruly or rambunctious cubs who would rather be elsewhere. Tomi had no problem with that, and it wouldn't matter if the cubs were the Warlord's or a Thrall's. Tomi wasn't going to spoil Aesir's cubs. If their father wanted them educated, he would educate them, and if he wanted their errors corrected sternly, Tomi could do that, too, even though he wasn't a lion who particularly cared for confrontations. Dealing with cubs could hardly be considered a confrontation. "Was there anything else?" Aesir Aesir nodded, accepting Tomi's agreement. He would have been supremely surprised if the Lawspeaker had turned him down. People didn't typically refuse the Warlord of the Stormborn, particularly not when they were asked things that could only honor them. "That is everything." He said. "When their mother and I feel they're ready I'll bring the cubs by to begin their instruction with you." And with that and a nod Aesir departed to handle the other duties he frequently woke around dawn to tend to. He doubted most of the pride knew how long he spent each day working, and he didn't want it widely known. That might imply that he was working too hard, and thus incapable. Still, he felt good about this day. It had started with him getting his way.
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