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Gaved didn't know there was a Lawspeaker searching for him. If he had, he would have made himself scarce.

If he had known it was Skada searching for him, he would have fled the pride entirely.

But Gaved knew none of these things, and he was surprised to see the lioness marching towards him where he lay lounging in the sunlight. The wounds that stranger had given him were healing, but he was still too stiff and slow to go on patrol. He climbed to his paws awkwardly, watching Skada warily as she approached him.

She looked as ferocious as she had in the old days, when she led bands viking. He felt a pang of loss. Gaved loathed female Reavers in general, but Skada was no female Reaver trying to bully her way into the ranks of the males. As a Captain Skada had been more like a force of nature. Deadly. Beautiful. To be feared.

And now, maimed -- a warrior no more.

"Lawspeaker," Gaved said slowly.

It seemed like every female he had ever spoken to had made a point of telling him what a wretched, terrible, vile beast he was over the last few weeks. Judging from the haughty look on her face, it was now Skada's turn.

Oh, what a joy his life had become since marrying Dalla.

Gaved was used to shrugging off the scorn of the average female (like, say, Dalla), but to get it from Skada now was undeniably depressing. He resigned himself to being beneath Skada's notice long ago, but seeing her always brought back a ghost of those old emotions.

He shrugged uncomfortably, unsure of what Skada was getting at. There was a trap in her words somewhere, but he couldn't see it. "It would have been a better feast if you were there, Lawspeaker Skada," he said truthfully. Better if Skada were the one he married, if only he had spoken to her in the days when she was a Captain and he was not yet, in Dalla's sweet words, a 'rancid beast'.

That was a difficult question coming from Skada. Gaved was torn. On the one paw, he had promised Lena he would stop complaining about Dalla to others. He also didn't think a Lawspeaker would be interested in his griping. Lions frequently married for duty rather than love. Skada would only remind him that he had promised himself to Dalla, and that he would just have to deal with it.

But the old Skada, Captain Skada -- he would have told her the truth. She was a warrior, or had been, and he was nothing but blunt with his fellow Reavers and Captains.

After a long moment of hesitation, Gaved replied. "It's wretched. She hates me. She has hated me since before she ever spoke to me." Which was likely his fault. He knew his reputation amongst the pride's females, and didn't really care if they considered him a brute ... but when Dalla came to him loathing him on sight, it was hurtful. He felt vaguely cheated. "I hate her as well," he growled. "I admit, I was angry when we were married, but I have tried since. Giving her gifts and such. It makes her worse!"

Gaved thought he had placed any hope for a relationship with Skada firmly on the shelf long ago, but it hurt like blazes to hear her speak so casually of he and Dalla making cubs. He grumbled, angry that Skada's words had the power to upset him so. He wasn't a soft, foolish male, fawning all over lionesses and throwing himself at their feet. No! He was Gaved the rancid brute, and he was disgusted that he felt such weakness.

But it was hard not to feel weak, when Skada obviously did not care at all what he did with the loathsome Dalla. He hadn't expected her to care, of course, but ... foolish thoughts.

"I don't want to get her with cub," Gaved said moodily. He was well aware that he sounded like a sulky cub himself, but he couldn't help it. Skada's visit was bringing him down. He had grudgingly accepted that he had responsibilities to create cubs at some point in his life, but all he could think of was a legion of miniature Dallas running amok in his den, calling him names.

"Every female I've ever known has told me how horrible I am since I married Dalla. I don't want to get Dalla with cubs, not with her hating and cursing me the whole time. She won't be able to stand it -- would you?"

Gaved winced as soon as he said it, but once you went full steam ahead on the self-pity train sometimes it was hard to watch your words.

Gaved scowled, scuffing at the ground with his paw. Skada was making him feel awkward and foolish. He felt foolish enough for whining to her like a spoiled cub in the first place.

He supposed he was lucky that Skada was speaking to him more like a friend than like a Lawspeaker. Skada would have been within her rights to chastise him and send him on his way.

But being reminded of his softer side irritated him, no matter how gently Skada put it. He hadn't ever wanted to show Skada his softness, certainly not when she was a Captain. Was that how she had seen him, as a soft weak lion? Vulnerable and overly emotional?

"Is that how you saw me, soft?" He gave a short, bitter laugh. "I should have been harder then. Maybe I would have been bold enough to ask you to marry me, instead of being burdened with Dalla now."

Just for a moment there he thought Skada ... no. That was stupid. Stupid.

Of course she wasn't interested in him. She never had been. Ha. He was lucky she hadn't laughed in his face and sent him on his way with a swat.

All the same, it was depressing.

Gaved laid his ears back, bowing his head to Skada. Clearly this conversation was going nowhere. Skada wanted him to accept and deal with Dalla, and he would never persuade her otherwise. "Of course, Lawspeaker," Gaved said gloomily. He half-wanted to rage at her, demand that she pay him mind, but he couldn't imagine Skada as Captain or Lawspeaker responding well to that.

"I will ... I will try to be more compassionate," Gaved said, dragging the word out with some disgust. "But our marriage will remain loveless. I will never love Dalla." He fixed Skada with a fierce look for a moment.

He purposefully left room in his statement, room for her to leap in.

"Perhaps you could love me, Gaved."

Oh, what an idiotic hope. He was starting to become as foolish as his wretched brother. And what good would it do if Skada did have feelings for him? She was a Lawspeaker, and would hardly interfere with his marriage. Feeling suddenly inexpressibly weary, Gaved heaved a sigh as Skada moved away from him. "Thank you for your advice, Lawspeaker," he said dully.

Gaved flopped back down to the ground, biting his tongue on a groan of pain as his injuries flared.