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It wasn't Gaved's first viking, but it had been Gunnar's. Gaved had never really cared for his brother. It was natural, really. If Thorgrim's wives had borne more than two sons, there would have been more boys to quarrel amongst themselves. But with only two males, Gaved and Gunnar found themselves constantly in direct competition.

But Gaved had done his best to help his brother on the viking. Gunnar was family. He didn't want Gunnar shamed on his very first trip as a Reaver. As satisfying as it might be to beat Gunnar in front of Thorgrim, a blow to Gunnar's honor would hurt Gaved as well.

Besides, he had promised Pia.

And there was the lioness in question, patiently waiting near the beach. Gaved grinned. It was wonderful to be greeted as a conquering hero by the rest of the pride, but this was the greeting he had really looked forward to. "Sister!"

"Brother," Pia returned, watching the darker lion approach. Her muzzle bore a crooked smile. She had been watching him make his way towards her for quite a while now. He looked handsome, as always. Noble. The dark brown fur and pale blonde mane that seemed to be the hallmark of the males in the family made him unmistakeable even in the fading light.

It was a shame that he wasn't as noble as he looked. Pia tried to turn her lopsided smile into a true one when he drew near enough to see her clearly, but her heart was heavy and the effort failed.

"Shouldn't you be threatening to kill me someday, O mighty Reaver?" Pia asked, gently teasing. Even though she was terribly disappointed in him, it was a habit hard to break.

Gaved laughed. It was difficult to imagine greeting Pia, perhaps the least bloodthirsty lioness he knew, with the traditional challenge. It felt strange enough greeting the few new female Reavers in that manner.

"Ah, Pia. I would never threaten you. What honor is there in beating a female?" Gaved responded, teasing himself.

Pia hadn't wanted to confront him so soon, but his words cut her. She had believed better of him. She believed better of him and Gunnar both.

"What honor is there, brother?" Pia asked, her voice soft and sad. "Tell me. What honor did you gain by hurting that female?"

The smile on Gaved's face faded as Pia spoke until he was wearing an extremely Gunnar-like expression of bafflement. For one thing, instead of being happy to see him, Pia sounded miserable. And what was she talking about?

"I haven't hurt any female," Gaved said, wounded. "I promised you." And making that promise had stung, too. It hurt to think that Pia thought he might harm a female. Gaved had a temper and might be a bit of a brute when fighting other males, but he had never raised a paw against the fairer sex.

Shaking her head, Pia turned away from him. "Don't lie to me. We all heard about that lioness you and Gunnar brought back." Rumors spread quickly when a band was expected back, and Pia's heart sank a little more with every one she heard.

She turned her head to fix him with a scornful look. "I thought you were going to help Gunnar fight, not help turn him into a beast! You -- both of you -- sicken me."

Gaved's ears lay flat against his skull and he took a step back from Pia. He had never seen his sister so furious, certainly not with him.

The lioness shrank back from Gaved and Gunnar, terrified. Gaved waited for Gunnar to move in, to strike her and claim her as a thrall, but Gunnar hesitated. And Gaved understood why: the gentle lioness reminded him terribly of their sweet sister Pia.

"That -- I lied, sister." His voice was low and urgent, barely above a whisper. No one else could hear this. "I had to catch her. Gunnar wouldn't. I didn't want anyone to think him a coward!"

Pia didn't particularly like hearing about any poor innocent outlanders being beaten for any reason, but she understood the basic realities of her birth pride. She knew that thralls had to be captured, and knew that they generally were scuffed up a bit in the process. While she wasn't happy about Gunnar and Gaved roughing up some poor lioness, she knew that they would gain standing by it.

However.

"And did you have to hurt her so, Gaved?" Pia's voice was slightly shrill. "I know what some Reavers do, but it's vile. How could you do that to an innocent lioness? What about Skada?"

Oh gods. No. No.

Gaved and Gunnar had done no such thing with the lioness, but Gaved had to admit he had spread it about the band that Gunnar at least had tasted the lioness's charms. He had threatened the lioness with a beating if she contradicted his story, and the terrified female was quite willing to agree. Gunnar, who had always been spectacularly inept with females at home, had certainly needed the boost to his reputation. But Gaved hadn't expected that particular rumor to be carried home.

He was growing angry now. Angry that such a fool story had been spread around, and angrier that Pia believed it. And what right did she have to interrogate him so? He would have been within his rights to take the lioness if he wanted to. Plenty of Reavers did such things, and he was quite sure they didn't have to put up with their sisters shouting at them when they got home. "And?" Gaved snapped. "We're Reavers. We're warriors. We're crude. We're not supposed to be nice. I'm sorry, sister, but I'm Stormborn. I'm not going to stay home and ... and clean dens!"

"So it is true, then," Pia said coldly. She could put up with other males, males she didn't care about, going off and abusing innocents. But not her brother, not her best friend since cubhood.

"What about Skada, Gaved? What about me? What if some lion hurt us so? How could you be so cruel?"

That mention of Skada had flown over his head before, but now it sank in. Gaved bristled. "Skada? I'm nothing to Skada." He had longed for the exotic-looking lioness for seasons, but she was too bold to court. Too warlike. Unapproachable, and he was quite sure, unavailable. Skada seemed more likely to tear his face off than respond to any sort of flirting. Besides that, she was a Captain, as strange as it was. He couldn't believe a female Captain would consort with a Reaver and risk losing her hard-won respect.

"Don't say foolish things."

"I'm sorry, O Mighty Reaver," Pia snarled. "You shouldn't be bothered by a mere cleaner of dens like myself." She was glaring at Gaved now, as she never had in her life. He had become everything that bothered her about the pride she lived in, everything she detested. And he was her own flesh and blood. It was unbearable.

Gaved, who had expected praise and thanks for helping Gunnar succeed, was angered and bewildered by Pia's scorn. His temper was beginning to overcome his sense.

"Pia! I'm a Reaver. Can you get that through your head? You should be honoring me!" He lashed his tail. "This is reality, Pia. This is how our pride works. You'll marry a Reaver yourself, and raise your sons to be Reavers -- it's who we are, Pia."

Pia held Gaved's gaze for a long moment. When she finally spoke the heat had gone out of her voice. "I won't marry a Reaver, Gaved." She stepped towards him and gently touched her cheek to his. "This isn't who I am. I loved you, brother."

Without another word, Pia turned and began to walk away, leaving Gaved behind.

Pia was dazzling, confusing, utterly beyond his understanding. Gaved let out a frustrated roar as the lioness left. He couldn't think of anything suitable to yell after her. It seemed that she had gotten the last word.

Well, she would be back once she had her wits together. Gaved turned and stomped back towards the rest of the pride, back towards the feast he and his fellow Reavers justly deserved. If Pia wanted to go pout somewhere, he wasn't about to drag her back.

She would be back on her own soon enough.