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"Can't trust any of them. Cannot trust a single one of them to behave themselves. Isti -- Galning wants to do this. Ath wants to do that. Tim wants to get in the way. It's Godsdamned ridiculous."

Asper was not pleased. He was the oldest of the family, and as such it seemed that many issues fell to him when it came to dealing with this, that or the other. He had children to worry about now, especially his Resimus. He could not afford to rough up other Reavers - especially over his stupid brother.

But he loved his brother Atheris, and it troubled the blonde lion each and every day that he was trapped in the ranks of thrall. It was because of this love that he found himself this day seeking the company of the lion that had hurt his brother badly - what at first appeared to be a broken jaw had turned out to be a shattered tooth.

Nobody - nobody - messed with his family.

"Hinoko! I challenge you now. Come and meet my challenge, or know shame!"

He bristled as he waited, a terrible snarl on his face. He would win. He would win, and then he would find his brother's keeper and discuss terms of Atheris' freedom.

Hinoko heard the challenge. It was issued with the tone of someone who knew their importance within the pride. This was no Freeborn. This was no thrall. This was a Reaver that called to him now. Was this the cousin of the thrall he'd met? It was entirely too likely.

Such a challenge could not have happened at a worse time. With apprehension, he slowly turned a blank look in his wife's direction.

Great. Now he had to win, or he'd never hear the end of it from the brutish b***h.

With a soft groan, Hinoko rose to his feet and made his way to the mouth of the den.

Melinoe's ears quirked with interest. She'd been scraping the tendons from a set of bones for the crafter Dalla - a favor, more than anything, as the lioness had been recently wed and without a thrall of her own. Dalla was a good friend to have, and Melinoe respected her more than any other female in the pride.

At the cry of challenge, Mel swung her gaze towards Hinoko. Her fat, lazy husband rose to his feet. She followed.

If he found himself on the losing side, Melinoe would make certain that he would not hear the last of it.

Asper had not been expecting Hinoko to have a female with him. He believed in equal rights between the sexes - others did not, but that was their cross to bear. His green eyes filled with annoyance, but he would not be stopped.

"You touched a thrall that did not belong to you. My brother. I am here to teach you a lesson. He is a thrall, and a foolish one at that, but he is my brother and mine to look after."

Asper tried to keep his cool but could not help the way he bristled with rage. Did Hinoko really believe that bringing his female out with him would dissuade Asper from his task?

Wrong.

Then again, he thought he could recall seeing the female on the sparring sands. The situation suddenly turned a little dangerous. He suddenly wished that Galning was at his side.

This was just.. too amazing. This lion, smaller, yes but still well muscled - was standing here issuing a challenge in front of his Reaver wife. Hinoko could just laugh. Laugh and laugh and laugh. He refrained; doing so would only incite the youth's anger even further. Hinoko didn't want to do that, but he did shoot his wife an amused look.

She didn't look amused.

Hinoko cleared his throat and directed an ugly look in the challenger's direction.

"You would challenge me? In front of my wife, Melinoe?"

He did his best to steel his voice. Gods balls, if she did not have his back, he was well and truly ********. This one's brother had been small and weak. Hinoko scowled.

Melinoe looked utterly unimpressed. One brow lifted as her husband nattered on. The unimpressed look she wore turned to something more... annoyed.

"This is not my battle to fight, husband," she hissed softly, rocking back on her haunches. "You have been issued a challenge."

Her voice was low, reptilian - her gaze was schooled to match. A look of cool indifference was plastered across her face.

"Do you intend to talk? Or do you intend to answer the challenge, fight - and win?"

Her tone made it clear that failure would not be an option that she would accept. At all.

Asper couldn't help the bark of laughter that came as a response to the female's words. She was a true female of the pride - he would have been disappointed if she'd simpered on behalf of her husband. Having her urge her husband on only served to incite his own anger.

He moved to attack, claws unsheathed, teeth bared.

The fight was on.

Hinoko hadn't expected the male to make a move. He let out a low cry of distress as he felt the other's claws sink deep into his hide, just over his shoulder. All of this over a stupid thrall? Hinoko hissed, the sound squelched when a large paw caught him across the throat.

Game on.

Biting down on the other's ear, Hinoko felt a surge of pleasure when his teeth met through crunchy cartilage. The cry that the lion let out was pleasing, too, but the thrill did not last long.

He felt a sharp, incredible pain as teeth sank into the flesh along his flank.

Melinoe watched the fight with a disconnected look of boredom on her face. She already knew her foolish husband would lose this fight. Hinoko could fight those smaller in stature, but when he came face to face with those of equal weight and speed, he did not know how to handle himself.

Perhaps this was why Jez had fallen so easily to his large, fumbling paws.

He would learn a lesson today. It would be something that Melinoe would not hesitate to bring up in later conversations. Humiliating him was one of her favorite things to do in life, after all.

Assured that the female was a non-issue in this fight, and assured that he would not lose the ear that Hinoko had taken a bite of, Asper let loose. Fur went flying as he sank his teeth and claws over and over again into the other lion's pelt. It felt good, this release of built-up fury. He tried to be a good father to the boys since his brother could not do his fair share; it was a saving grace that Galning had brought with him a son - the four boys could keep themselves entertained.

Lashing out again, there was a decidedly pleasing give as his claws sank in, effectively shredding the skin beneath.

"How does it feel to fight with one of your own size, hmm?"

The words were uttered softly before he sank his teeth into Hinoko's cheek.

He was cowed. This was ridiculous. He was stuck in a battle that he could not win, and Hinoko knew it. It enraged him. Hinoko knew that if Melinoe helped him, they could take the lion down. She did not help him. The b***h only sat by and watched.

Red-hot pain arched through his leg as the skin was broken and pulled away. He made a feeble attempt at an attack, but it was a glancing blow against Asper's shoulder.

Melinoe took a moment to wonder if she'd done the right thing in taking such a stupid, weak idiot to husband. Then she grinned waspishly as she took in the sight of blood that darkened her husband's flank.

She took him to husband because he was such a stupid, weak idiot.

"You've lost, Hinoko," she trilled in saccharine tones meant to incite him. She knew they would, but he would not act on them.

He could not, judging by the depth of the wound on his side.

At that weak attempt at a strike, Asper released the other lion in disgust.

"A big strong male when it comes to beating thralls, are you? But then I come along and you fall before me like those you enjoy beating."

Asper shook his head and hissed, his voice a low growl.

"You will not come near me - or my family - again. Next time I will kill you, Hinoko. I will beat you so that you wish you were dead."

Asper gave Melinoe a nod before stalking away.

Hinoko was left panting on the ground, bleeding heavily from the wound on his leg. It was an agonizing sort of pain, and Hinoko was gritting his teeth to prevent himself from crying out. Doing so would only disgrace him further before his horrible wife, and he did not want to give her that pleasure.

He closed his eyes and willed the ache to stop. He would need a healer - but he would move only when he knew the world would not collapse around him in a heap.

Melinoe merely shook her head and padded back into the den, a harsh animalistic smile on her face. Hinoko's disgrace was not hers to share.

She would not help him with his leg, either. Perhaps there would come a time that he fought battles he knew he could win - and perhaps he would learn to think further into the perils the future might bring, as well.

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