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Bren was getting used to being a reaver, to having responsibilities, to being the lion he had always hoped he would be. He was betrothed to a beautiful lioness that he wanted so badly to impress. She had seemed pleased with the thrall he brought her, but he wanted to do more than please her. He wanted her to be impressed by him, and admire him, and like him. No. He wanted her to love him.

And so he was trudging around the border of the pride, covering a specific stretch of land to make sure that no intruders made their way in. He had never heard of anyone trying to sneak into the pride, but he supposed some idiot might attempt it. He was more concerned about someone trying deliberately to get into the pride, a lion wishing to fight an askorun. Bren wasn't sure he was a good enough fighter to be a worthy opponent and decent judge.

So when he saw a lion drawing near, he felt a measure of panic.

Ru had given some thought to how he and his band ought to approach the pride, and in the end he had decided that it would be best to do it alone, leaving Don in charge of the band until he gave the signal for them to join him. They had been gone for a long time, and he was uncertain of their reception. Aesir had basically exiled him, but he had been known to be close with Aesir's family, so with them exiled...who knew?

The pride's borders seemed to have expanded somewhat since he left, based on the scent markers. He ignored these and walked in. He was a captain and had the right to do so. As he walked in he glanced around for signs that someone was watching him. He ought to have encountered someone by now. Someone was slacking. Either that, or the pride's numbers had dwindled. But that didn't explain the territorial expansion. Interesting.

"Hello?" he finally called. "Is there anyone here?"

The phrase of old Stormborn surprised Bren. He didn't speak much of the language, but everyone knew that particular phrase. It was so often spoken around the pride, it would be impossible not to recognize it. Relief flooded Bren.

"Welcome home, reaver," Bren said with a genuine grin. "Yours must have been a long viking indeed. I do not recognize you."

Not that there wasn't something familiar about the lion, but Brenning couldn't place it. In fact, he had been very young when Ru was sent on his impossible quest, and it had not made as much of an impression on him as the fight between the old warlord and Njal had done. He hadn't even been present that day when Aesir issued his proclamation about Ru. He didn't remember the rumours about the captain and the warlord's daughter.

Ru's grin didn't disappear, though it sharpened somehow as he corrected the other lion: "Actually, it's captain. Captain Ruzanski." He wanted to see what reaction his name would get, if any.

A part of him almost hoped that he had achieved a sort of notoriety in the pride, because that would have been funny, but his life might be easier if he had not done so. And what would Njal remember? Would he recall that Aesir had essentially exiled Ru, or would he recall that Ru and Aesir's daughter had been close? One of those recollections could help Ru, and the other, well, it would probably be less helpful to him.

Suddenly Ru wanted this encounter to be over. He wanted to get back to the pride he had chosen for his home and see what had changed. He wanted to see Vol, who he knew would give him a fair assessment of the state of the pride. He desperately wanted to see Kazul, but that would be impossible. She would not be there.

"It was a long viking. I am eager to be home." His voice held a warning: don't delay me any longer.

"Good idea!" Bren exclaimed, glad to have an excuse to get away from the black lion, whose green eyes were beginning to look like he was considering violence. Growing up as he had, Bren knew how to recognize the signs of someone on the edge of reasonable and unreasonable.

"Welcome home, Captain," he added as he turned to go. He heard a roar as he departed, the captain summoning his band, and moved a little faster.

Talking to Voldemaras was not really an appealing prospect, but there were worse fates, and now that he was a reaver Voldemaras was far less unpleasant to him. First, though, Bren would find Lyti and tell her the news so that she could truthfully say that she was the first to know about Captain Ruzanski's homecoming. She would probably like that.

Ru waited until the young reaver was out of sight before roaring a summons to his band. He would wait for them to catch up to him, but then there would be no more dallying and time-wasting. He imagined several of the band would be as glad to be home as he, since they had families. The thought stung a little, as Ru recalled that he might well have a family here, too, but he had no idea where they were or what had become of them. He would have to find out.

And he would have to talk to a lawspeaker about making sure the thralls who had left with him on his quest, like Aluka, were freed. They had more than earned it, in his opinion. Naturally, this did not apply to the family of hyenas returning with him. Those belonged to one of the lionesses from Hroarr's band that had decided to return with Ru, and he wouldn't try to do anything with them.

There was much to do, and he couldn't wait to get started.