[PRP] By Whatever Means (Narcyz x Ulfric)

[Dulcea]

Her latest experiment was most certainly a failure, Narcyz decided. The leopardess she had found in dire straits whelping was now on the verge of death, her belly full of infection. She had agreed to the plan, no one was at fault that it hadn't work. The healer had done her part in attempting to extract the cub, neither had had the strength to survive the process. They would have been lost regardless, she had given them a chance. Washing her paws in the river she paused to consider going back to end the thing, but that wasn't what healers did. She was no killer, after all. Instead she chose to push it from her mind, the gods would have their own and she was sure that there were others out in the world waiting for her particular talents. Still, it would have been nice to know the end. It was the price to pay for wandering, she supposed.  

[Lithiasaur]

Dulcea

Ulfric was happy with his new stake in the world. He had finally done it, and gained the rank of Captain within his pride. He was climbing up the ladder, and he saw his goals ahead of him. Things were looking up. He felt invulnerable.

He had fought three gods, and escaped each time with souvenirs of his battles. He had recruited and accepted challenges from new vikings, and helped expand his pride. He allowed others to become Reavers through his Vikings, and saw the potential in others realized and cultivated through training. He was dedicated, he was loyal, and he was very serious about what he was doing.

But he still liked the rogue lands, and coming out on vikings and to further establish his reputation.

He spotted a female not too far away from him and decided, since he was not up to anything else, to go investigate the smell of blood coming from her. She seemed to be cleaning it off, but he did not think it was from a hunt.

"Injure yourself, or someone else?"  

[Dulcea]

"Near enough," she lamented, rubbing her paws together just a little harder, "My injuries are spiritual, the other... Well, near enough anyway."

Narcyz was never quite sure what happened to her patients after she left their side. For all the strange occurrences in the world it was entirely possible that some grand god would come down and sweep them away. Not likely, but possible.

Clearing out her own mind she raised her head to look toward the stranger, taking in each aspect of his rather rough appearance. "You look like you've seen your own," she scoffed, settling on the bank, "Or do I mistake the look of a fighter."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Dulcea

Ulfric wondered at her answer, and the way she spoke when she responded. Refined, and curious. He often trusted his gut when he met others, and she had him responding. There was some sort of potential here, but what he did not know yet.

Perhaps she could be useful to him in some way, or he to her, but he needed to find out more.

"I am a fighter," he said, with a nod, "from the viking pride, as of now. Though not always, I am earning my place there. That is why I'm out here right now, in fact, to bring back spoils and treasure to the pride."

He did not take slaves or captives back, generally, though, and if he was inclined to raid a lion pride or camp, he did so with the intent of destroying all survivors. The only exceptions to that were those who were particularly interesting, or those that wanted to join the pride. He took opportunities as they came.  

[Dulcea]

"Spoils and treasure," she repeated, the words sliding lithely over her tongue as she nodded to consider them, "I'm afraid I don't care much for either."

Nor would he find anything that could be considered treasure in her campsite, should he stumble upon it. Some old shards of pottery, handfuls of herbs, a few bloodied fragments of stone. She valued them of course, but to an outsider they were just trash.

"What brings vikings this far out into the roguelands?" she questioned, pale eyes narrowed as she began to settle on the many ways this interaction could go south. Vikings took prisoners, thralls to serve them in their homes. But they didn't typically introduce themselves. "In stories your like always raid along the coasts."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Dulcea

"I don't either, really," he said blandly, offering a hefty shrug of his shoulders, "but if it is what the pride demands to earn a higher rank, then I will fulfill the tasks put before me."

And with gusto.

"I was hunting a very specific prey, but I haven't been able to find anything yet. Not this time, at least. But I am certain the hunt will be successful. Why are you out here? You seem to have a lot of knowledge about the Vikings for someone in the middle of the rogue lands."

He found he liked her attitude, and she was curious enough to keep his attention. He did not take thralls, but he wondered if she might want to become a viking, and join his band. When he was a Captain, after all, he would need all sorts of different lions to aid him, and he was certain she had some sort of important skill that gave her the confidence she seemed to have.  

[Dulcea]

He was curious, that boded well for her at the moment. A curious creature was unlikely to strike her down without something changing. "I find I have a vested interest in knowing as much as I can about every danger this world might pose to me," she told him, her voice hiding a bit of humor, "Vikings being among those if I'm not mistaken."

He spoke of higher ranks and specific targets, so he was ambitious. Perhaps that meant he was also intelligent. If that specific prey were those of remarkable skill well then she may have information he'd find valuable enough to trade. As for what she was doing, that was a more guarded tale. "I make my trade out here, finding poor souls picked off by nature, kin, or kind. I find a certain interest in those marked for death."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Dulcea

"Most would be, I think. You're an interesting find. Some would consider you a good treasure to take back with them to our pride."

Ulfric watched her for a long moment, letting his words have some weight.

"But I don't see the point of wasting someone of talent by making them a slave. Forcing them against their will can never allow them to reach their full potential. Whatever one might see in you, for example, would be lost if they took you as a thrall. I consider myself a keen eye for talent. You are a particularly curious lioness to me, and there is something about you that I wish to know more about, if you don't mind me saying so."

He could be polite, but always to the point. He wanted to learn about her because he wanted to use her abilities to his advantage, if he could, or at least form an alliance that would benefit them both.

"I don't suppose you have considered becoming a Viking, and making your trade there, instead?"  

[Dulcea]

"Considered it, perhaps. Warring prides are a fine place to test my theories," she admitted, "Battle scars, birthings, drownings, catastrophic falls." If she were to say she weren't interested she'd be lying. The issue however came in the particular structure that came with prides. They tended to be litigious.

"Pridal life however is, well, a little too stern for my particular talents," she added, emphasizing the last few words, "One needs an open mind to really understand the potential there is in this world."

If he were in fact someone of some importance though, there might be a little flexibility. 'I would consider it further if I could be assured my practice go unmolested."

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Dulcea

Ulfric nodded his head, thinking her demands were not outrageous. No one wanted their plans to be foiled, and a deal was always best struck when both parties were benefiting from it.

True enough, he was only going on the assumption that he would get something out of her skills, whatever they really were, but his instincts had never failed him before. She was the kind of lioness he wanted around him, and he knew not to pass up on an opportunity when it appeared.

This was one of those times.

"I am going to obtain the rank of Captain, which allows me to form and lead my own band of lions for raids out here in the rogue lands. You would be able to continue your work, and while we were away from the pride, your methods would not be questioned. In other times, I would offer you my protection. Would that suffice?"

He looked after his own: he was loyal to his companions and allies, though he did not seem friendly. It was not about friendship, so much, as honor. And that he had in spades.  

[Dulcea]

It was difficult to argue an offer of protection, particularly when it would be guarded by such veteran fighters. She was unlikely to find such a deal elsewhere, many of the prides she had come across valued religious morality above strength. It was understandable, but led to weakness rather than progress.

"Then have yourself a healer," she assented, giving him a slight bow that betrayed how foreign she was to the concept of group loyalty, "My methods may be unorthodox but I assure you, you'll find no better. I've brought many lions back from death's grasp." More than would have survived without intervention, but not all of course. Perfect success was unattainable, much as she worked toward it.

Lithiasaur

 

[Lithiasaur]

Dulcea

"Excellent. You'll have to join the pride properly, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. I am glad to have you, though, and I am sure you will find that you will have plenty to do."

Ulfric, at least, kept things interesting. He was not one to sit back and let time slip by: he needed to be active, and he would even help her with whatever she needed to do, if she wanted him to.

He nodded his head and was glad the deal was all settled.  

[Dulcea]

"I have a few... loose ends I need to tie up," Narcyz added, her voice leveled out now that she felt safer. A lion like this one would not be likely to break a deal once it had been struck, that would be dishonorable. "Your pride, it's north along the ocean's edge is it not? If your band need move on I think I know the way."

In truth she wasn't sure how long it would take to break down her camp, and she'd want to gather some of the southern herbs she wasn't likely to find in that terrain.

Lithiasaur