So this is what it all looked like, from a distance.
Sjurd had just reached an appropriate age for his first raid, his mane trailing around his shoulders but not quite full. The lion stood looking at his pridelands consideringly, brown eyes narrowed as they traced the forms in the stormy, overcast lighting. He could see lions moving in the distance, but couldn't make out specific shapes. Everyone he knew, everything that his reality up until now had consisted of, it was all right there, in that one spot.
The lion often thought of this moment. Of what it would be like to step outside of the pride. To look into his home from the outside. He never imagined it would be like this.
There didn't appear to be anything special about the pride. Nothing emanating, nothing surreal. Yes, the fjord was impressive. To those who hadn't seen the ocean before, or who hadn't seen this face of the fickle sea, the shores would be a sight to see. Even breath-taking, perhaps. But this was a place he had known for his entire life. To Sjurd, this was nothing more than home.
But maybe home should have meant more than it did. Maybe some time away would give him some perspective.
The lion narrowed his brow and shook out his stromcloud-colored mane. He let out a breath and, in the cold ocean air, it was faintly visible against the dark skies. The young lion had been eager. Many were, he supposed. The first raid. It was a big deal to aspiring stormborn. The chance to prove oneself to reavers. To captains. To experience the outside world and perhaps even bring back something worthy and name-making.
This eagerness had brought the adolescent moving quickly towards the rogue lands, a few paces ahead of the band that had brought the young lion along. Sjurd didn't know how to balance his feelings. He couldn't really control his excitement; it less bubbled out of him, and more crashed out of him like the waves on the shore. At the same time, though he couldn't help but think that he should be cooler than this.
And so the young lion bounced back and forth from bubbling with excitement, looking excitedly from side to side, through the trees and up at the clouds, to moving slow and composed, each of his steps purposeful and composed, his head held high and straight.
No, he thought. Now he just looked stupid. Oh man, what were the other reavers going to think. What was the captain going to think.
So he settled for somewhere in the middle. He made a point to show strength in each one of his steps. He had to be poised. Powerful. A true reaver. At the same time, he made no effort to hide the grin that plastered his face.
"Today is a good day to die."
---
It was only an hour so of moving before the band came across something promising. The time had been spent with the various reavers giving tips and guidance to the new recruit, with the occasional word from the captain. Sjurd absorbed it all with ears perked. It was all a lot to absorb. The lion had the goal of becoming a reaver since he was young enough to know what a reaver was. The way they held themselves, they way that they were respected within the pride, Sjurd knew no other place where he felt like he could belong other than among the ranks of the reavers.
Since then, Sjurd had done everything in his capabilities to learn what it would take for him to become a successful reaver. He eavesdropped in on reavers as they spoke amongst themselves in the pride. He even stuck to some like a shadow, as a cub, until he was caught and sent home to his mother.
And now? Now, the time had come. He could prove himself and earn the title had sought.
The family was small alone, and unprotected. The male lion was average sized, if not a little on the larger side. He dwarfed the leopard he accompanied, assumedly his mate. They were distant enough to where Sjurd and the band could not decipher their words. What could be heard, though, were the faint murmurings of juvenile voices. There were three distinct voices and, after a few moments of watching closely from the brush, the leopon forms could be seen.
"Do you see them," one of the reavers murmured to the adolescent, his voice low as not to alert the family. Sjurd nodded, silent, and listening closely to the instructions that followed. The other reavers, stronger and more experienced, would take the parents. The captain wished to take on the father himself. Sjurd was left with one of the children. The largest male; though it was still a bit smaller than the lion, it wasn't miniscule like its younger sisters. Sjurd had to prove himself at least a little, after all. The family was the be harmed as little as possible, and taken back as thralls.
And so the band moved out, spreading through the underbrush, each keeping an eye on the captain and waiting for a cue. Sjurd moved with one of the older males, observing his movements closely and doing his best to mimic them.
Sjurd could feel his pulse from his ears to his tail. Excitement churned through his body. His ears pinned and his breaths became slow and steady in preparation. He had to wait for his mark. Each of his movements from here on out had to be as he had rehearsed in his head. After this moment, there could be no flaws.
In a stay thought, the realization came to him. He was here. This was really happening. This thrill, the potential honor that it would bring. Now this was a life that he was ready to start living. The thought brought a thin smile to the young lion's maw as he lowered to the ground. Yes, this was a life that he could live.
The dreamy thought almost distracted him from the quick motion of the captain leaping from the brush, and Sjurd could barely contain the excited yell as he leapt into action.
[wc: 1,044]
