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 Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:40 am
 Iku-Turso, or Turisas as he was also called, had been sent out to the outpost a few seasons back following a minor scandal involving a few dead thralls and found that while the lifestyle wasn't abhorrent, he much preferred to live in the stronghold itself. When Thorgrim and Njal and company returned, he was pleased to join them.
He was still having a bit of a challenging time adjusting to the profusion of female reavers that had cropped up in the pride during the seasons he'd been away. Unlike some, he didn't really mind the development, though for purely puerile reasons relating to the availability of tail on vikings. It was still weird, though not as weird as seeing lions he'd known as an adolescent taking on adult roles and raising families.
Sometimes, when the grown-ups who had been his companions before he was sent away became too stuffy and stodgy for him, Turisas sought out Njal, who was really no less stuffy, but at least had been like that for as long as Turisas had known him, and so was not so upsetting to him. Today was one of those days.
"Njal?" he called at the entrance of the lion's den. "Want company?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:27 pm
 Njal found that he thought about life better if he occupied himself with something. So today he was lying on the floor and chewing on bones, while Akatta was out doing... whatever Akatta liked doing. He imagined she enjoyed going out on walks and saying hi to her friends.
Though Iku-Turso's visit was unexpected, it wasn't exactly weird or shocking. Because Njal had been so busy being more serious lately, he didn't mind the offer for company, even if it was coming from a somewhat strange friend. Which was why, with a bit of a shrug directed at no one in particular, he replied. "Yeah, sure." And then broke a bone in half, just because it would be a shame not to finish what he had started.
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 8:48 pm
Tursas stepped into Njal's den and looked around appreciatively. The reaver was nowhere near ready to settle down and find a wife for himself, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the comforts of home when he visited his married friends. It was nice to step into a den that was tidy and orderly and didn't smell, well, musky.
"You look...busy?" Turisas offered. "Do you, er, want help?"
He wasn't really sure why his friend was cracking bones, and all that came to mind was that he must be very frustrated with someone. That was what it took for Turisas to feel like breaking bones, anyway. Cracking skulls, on the other hand, was a little different and he did that for fun.
"Odd bit of business between the warlord and that young captain, don't you think?" he asked. "I couldn't tell if he did or didn't want the poor sod to marry his daughter."
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:49 pm
The offer of help amused Njal greatly, and he used a paw to flick a little bone over, though he didn't actually expect the other lion to take to it or anything. "Just passing time. and thinking." Because when Njal wasn't training, he should be thinking. And sometimes even both, if he was on a good day.
He perked his ears once Tursas brought up the subject of warlord-relative drama. Some time ago, Njal hadn't been much of a gossip. But nowadays he did find some value in knowing what went about the pride, particularly when it was about Aesir. "That was quite strange, wasn't it?" He smiled slightly, because whatever had happened, it had gotten on the warlord's nerves. And Njal liked things that got on Aesir's nerves.
"Somethign must have happened in there to foul the relationship up. I wonder what it was."
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:05 pm
Tursas absent-mindedly stopped the bone's trajectory and then stared down at it with poorly concealed bemusement. He'd offered to help, but he wasn't expecting to end up with a bone beneath his paw. Was he supposed to crush it? How? The tiny ones were awkward for breaking.
"Ja," Turisas agreed, toying with the small bone. He smirked in that way of jerks everywhere. "A lot of the rumors I heard had to do with how big that daughter of his is getting around the belly."
"Except I hardly see how sending the captain off on some ridiculous quest is going to prove anything. If the kid wants to prove himself, he should do it by being there for his cubs. Not going off to probably get killed."
But that was just his opinion. Evidently the warlord felt differently. He must. From what Turisas had heard, the warlord had not been present for the birth of his cubs. Not the ones by his mate or his viking-born ones. Not really a model Stormborn, there.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:18 pm
Oooh, Njal actually hadn't heard about Kazul getting rounder. He had met the green lioness once, and didn't like her very much. It hadn't occurred to him she might become more interesting. "That's one way to anger the warlord." He conceded, though couldn't help but agree.
"You're right, though. If Aesir really was favoring the boy," What with he early promotion and all. Ruzanski, despite his birth, apparently had been earning quite a name for himself as a promising new youth. Even Njal could appreciate that. "You'd think he would be pleased to marry the promising young captain to one of his daughters." To this Reaver, it was just another sign of how unsuitable a Warlord Aesir was.
He could hope this was Aesir losing his touch, going a bit nutty in there. Any bad light shining on their current Warlord was excellent, in Njal's opinion! "He's drunk with power. Next thing you know he'll be sending others off because they look at him cross." An exaggeration, perhaps, but this was far from a formal discussion. He could exaggerate all he wanted!
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:03 pm
"You would think. But maybe the captain didn't want to. Maybe the cubs aren't his, you know? I mean, he'd been away for a while on that viking he led." Turisas didn't know the exact dates involved, but it was a possibility, wasn't it.
He grinned wickedly. "At any rate, I sure wouldn't want to marry the girl even if I was responsible after her father put me through that crap. Probably I'd come back and want to kill the b*****d. And since the warlord's already encouraged him to build up a loyal-to-the-death army..."
That was just stupid. Tursas really wasn't impressed by that bit of reasoning on Aesir's part. It was like he was trying to give himself an enemy with friends.
"It's possible," Tursas allowed. "But I don't think that's likely. We are the Stormborn, after all. He'd probably just issue a holmgang challenge or something."
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:27 pm
Admittedly, maybe Njal was failing at keeping better up to date. But yes, if he recalled correctly, Ruzanski had been quite busy. This was all turning into quite a bit of delicious gossip! "If the cubs aren't his, apparently he's being punished for what he didn't do." That really could be interpreted both ways. Maybe Aesir was angry that Ruzanski hadn't been the one to knock up the his daughter.
"Heh, no kidding. Aesir is probably the worst father in law ever." He snorted. Sometimes he was glad AKatta's parents weren't really around to bother him. If the warlord had ever tried to pull any of this crap on Njal, he'd– well, he'd do something.
As much as the idea of Ruzanski returning with his own personal army and giving Aesir a run for his money amused him, Njal admittedly did not want that to happen. That would be quite an inconvenience for him, personally. He and Thorgrim would deal with this Warlord themselves. "I'd like ta see him challenge me to a holmgang." He grumbled, though if such a thing happened it would also put a dent in plans. Oh, patience, why did it fail him? Njal was a do-er, he wanted to do.
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 12:00 pm
Turisas frowned. He wasn't really sure why the warlord would punish someone for not getting his daughter pregnant. That didn't make a lot of sense. It wasn't as if it truly mattered who got the girl with child, but it was more likely Ru was at fault and Turisas simply hadn't been paying close enough attention. And why would he have done?
"I can't even imagine. I don't want to, for that matter. Besides, his daughters are just...weird. The only almost-normal one is the pregnant one."
He'd heard that Aesir's other daughter by the high priestess had become a priestess herself and that his two (or was it three?) b*****d girls were all similarly interested in the spirits and mysteries. It was enough to give a reaver the willies.
"Who, the outlander captain? Why would he? There's nothing to be gained from it. You both hold the same rank." Turisas didn't know what Thorgrim and Njal had planned. If he had known, he wouldn't have had a problem with it. If leadership changed it was always for the stronger.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:17 am
He chuckled slightly, because Njal agreed. Aesir's daughters were weird. But he didn't find Kazul almost-normal, if only because she was sort of pushy. To Njal a proper lady was... eh, different.
"Eh, for glory, just because. I'm bored." He was getting pretty tired of all this training and preparing, though he wouldn't complain, not really. Njal knew it was all very important. He didn't bother pointing out that really, they didn't hold the same rank. Njal was not a captain. But soon, he'd be much more, he was certain.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:11 pm
"Glory's good," Turisas agreed. "But if you're bored you should find some enemies."
Anyone else he would have suggested they find a girl, but Turisas knew he had a wife that he was loyal to. Turisas thought that was kind of strange, but Njal was like that.
"Ah, I should go. But come visit me sometime. We can do some relaxing hunting or something. You worry too much. Life is good."
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