Kyr
His da’s friend Gunnar was supposed to be training Kyr in fighting. Kyr’s da had arranged it especially and made sure Kyr knew that Gunnar didn’t have to do this, and was only doing it as a favor. Blah blah blah. Gunnar had no idea how to teach a cub to fight. He hit too hard, never stopped to explain things, and gave up entirely too easily. Kyr hated practicing with him.
Yesterday Kyr had begged off, telling Gunnar he was feeling too sick to practice. Gunnar had told him something about how reavers didn’t let things like being sick keep them from doing their duty by their pride, but Kyr had insisted he was much too sick. Today he simply hadn’t shown up. Maybe Gunnar would figure he was still feeling sick. It was worth a shot, at any rate.
The problem now was what to do with himself instead of going to practice. He couldn’t hang around the pride, where one of his parents might see him, or maybe one of his many siblings would see him and tattle. It would be better to be somewhere else. But where?
Yesterday Kyr had begged off, telling Gunnar he was feeling too sick to practice. Gunnar had told him something about how reavers didn’t let things like being sick keep them from doing their duty by their pride, but Kyr had insisted he was much too sick. Today he simply hadn’t shown up. Maybe Gunnar would figure he was still feeling sick. It was worth a shot, at any rate.
The problem now was what to do with himself instead of going to practice. He couldn’t hang around the pride, where one of his parents might see him, or maybe one of his many siblings would see him and tattle. It would be better to be somewhere else. But where?
Aslaug
Aslaug had nodded along when her mother had begun explaining the other day the different roles a lion could take in their great pride. It'd been interesting, but she'd known from the first option what she wanted to do. Or hoped she'd do at least! And thankfully her mother had accepted her at her word that she had no desire to fight. Sebor herself was not a reaver, but had offered to give them some basic knowledge on how to fight. She'd turned the offer down and instead gone rambling around the pride again, hoping to maybe bump into a friend, or some interesting adult to observe.
Neither came to pass, but a story she'd heard from another cub crossed her mind as she edged past the forest clinging on the edge of the pride's heartlands, and sent her scampering before boredom called her back. That would be where she was when Kyr crossed her path - settled back on her haunches and staring with interest through the tall trunks into the darkness. She WANTED to explore...but it would probably be safer to take someone along. Just in case.
Neither came to pass, but a story she'd heard from another cub crossed her mind as she edged past the forest clinging on the edge of the pride's heartlands, and sent her scampering before boredom called her back. That would be where she was when Kyr crossed her path - settled back on her haunches and staring with interest through the tall trunks into the darkness. She WANTED to explore...but it would probably be safer to take someone along. Just in case.
Kyr
It wasn't on purpose that Kyr ended up heading toward the forest. It's just that the forest was off-limits and so he was certain he wouldn't run into his family there. It didn't occur to him that a place that was off-limits to cubs might not be forbidden to adults. He'd never heard of anyone of any age going into the forest - or coming out of it, for that matter - and it seemed like a better place to be than practicing fighting with Gunnar.
He truly wasn't expecting to run into another cub at the edge of the forest, but she seemed pretty distracted by whatever it was she was watching within. Kyr crept up behind her and tried to see what she was seeing, but he still didn't see anything. The fact that he was being creepy by standing behind her and looking past her without saying anything didn't occur to him. It would have surprised him to learn that someone might be bothered by that.
So it wasn't good manners that prompted him to finally say something to indicate he was there. Just curiosity and a desire to know, "What's in there?"
He truly wasn't expecting to run into another cub at the edge of the forest, but she seemed pretty distracted by whatever it was she was watching within. Kyr crept up behind her and tried to see what she was seeing, but he still didn't see anything. The fact that he was being creepy by standing behind her and looking past her without saying anything didn't occur to him. It would have surprised him to learn that someone might be bothered by that.
So it wasn't good manners that prompted him to finally say something to indicate he was there. Just curiosity and a desire to know, "What's in there?"
Aslaug
She couldn't see anything between the darkened trunks. It was so dark. SO dark. How could anyone see in there? Maybe if she looked harder... Aslaug squinted, leaning forwads, trying to see if anything moved. And then the poor female cub leapt nearly out of her skin at the sudden voice just behind her and to one side. Straight up into the air she sprang, biting back a rather girlish (for girlish she was) yelp.
"Y-you scared me!" She chastized the - he was a cub, she noticed belated - boy between deep calming breaths. "You shouldn't sneak up on people that way...Oh! My heart is pounding!" She lifted a paw to press at her palpitating chest. It would take her a few more slow gulps of air to settle enough to think straight again.
"Uhm, nothing? Or at least, nothing I'd seen. Mother said not to go there though." She glanced back at the deep woods, feeling a little shiver trickle down her spine. "Mother said some people think there's ghosts in there. Spirits of dead lions that got lost from...wherever they go." She pondered that a moment, then squinted at the boy. "...Do YOU believe in ghosts?"
"Y-you scared me!" She chastized the - he was a cub, she noticed belated - boy between deep calming breaths. "You shouldn't sneak up on people that way...Oh! My heart is pounding!" She lifted a paw to press at her palpitating chest. It would take her a few more slow gulps of air to settle enough to think straight again.
"Uhm, nothing? Or at least, nothing I'd seen. Mother said not to go there though." She glanced back at the deep woods, feeling a little shiver trickle down her spine. "Mother said some people think there's ghosts in there. Spirits of dead lions that got lost from...wherever they go." She pondered that a moment, then squinted at the boy. "...Do YOU believe in ghosts?"
Kyr
"Deep breaths?" Kyr suggested. He didn't really know what to do in moments of sudden terror. He had never been that badly startled before. One of the benefits to growing up safe in the stronghold.
"Yeah, my mum said that, too," he agreed, deciding to overlook the matter of him being a horrible person who sneaks up on other people. "Not about the dead ghosts. Just that I can't go in there. But if there're ghosts, that would make sense, ja?"
He grinned, which put many small, sharp teeth on display. "Of course I believe in ghosts. Don't you?"
Kyr's grin grew wider as he had a brilliant idea. He was going to be in trouble when he go home no matter what. Why not do something spectacularly bad? He didn't say anything yet though.
"Yeah, my mum said that, too," he agreed, deciding to overlook the matter of him being a horrible person who sneaks up on other people. "Not about the dead ghosts. Just that I can't go in there. But if there're ghosts, that would make sense, ja?"
He grinned, which put many small, sharp teeth on display. "Of course I believe in ghosts. Don't you?"
Kyr's grin grew wider as he had a brilliant idea. He was going to be in trouble when he go home no matter what. Why not do something spectacularly bad? He didn't say anything yet though.
Aslaug
Aslaug was doing just as he'd suggested - deep calming breaths to slow her thumping heart. Her mother'd warned her off the place too, but hadn't expressly forbidden it. It wasn't that dangerous, she imagined - it wasn't like there were rogues in there...right? Outsiders? that'd be worse than ghosts even!
"I believe in lots of things. Ghosts too." It made sense if you asked her, all lions had spirits and sometimes maybe those spirits got lost or stuck. that's what a ghost was, right? There were plenty of stories about them at least, the lost souls of fallen lions...
Her ears drooped to tuck tight against her skull as a wind made the tall trees rustle ominously. "I think ghosts are sad, but they're supposed to be dangerous too. Maybe that's why no one goes in there... Have you seen anyone go in?"
"I believe in lots of things. Ghosts too." It made sense if you asked her, all lions had spirits and sometimes maybe those spirits got lost or stuck. that's what a ghost was, right? There were plenty of stories about them at least, the lost souls of fallen lions...
Her ears drooped to tuck tight against her skull as a wind made the tall trees rustle ominously. "I think ghosts are sad, but they're supposed to be dangerous too. Maybe that's why no one goes in there... Have you seen anyone go in?"
Kyr
Kyr made a soft pfft sound. How like a girl to think ghosts would be sad. Sad ghosts were boring, and he didn't think he would have been forbidden to go near them. Probably they were dangerous. That made a lot more sense.
"No, but I've never been here before. What about you? Have you ever seen anyone go in?"
He wanted to ask her about the other things she believed in, but he decided to wait on that. Right now he was busy trying to lay the right foundation to suggest a foray into the forest to look for ghosts. That had been his brilliant idea. To go looking for ghosts. It would make such a great story. Like, the best story ever. Way better than any of the lame stories his dad told.
"I bet it's not really that scary in there," he lied.
"No, but I've never been here before. What about you? Have you ever seen anyone go in?"
He wanted to ask her about the other things she believed in, but he decided to wait on that. Right now he was busy trying to lay the right foundation to suggest a foray into the forest to look for ghosts. That had been his brilliant idea. To go looking for ghosts. It would make such a great story. Like, the best story ever. Way better than any of the lame stories his dad told.
"I bet it's not really that scary in there," he lied.
Aslaug
She shook her head, braid flapping about.
"Never. Most of the time I stay by where the reavers come to trade their prizes for other things, or by the priest dens. I haven't been over here yet, not alone at least." Well, she still wasn't alone, but he'd know what she meant. Unsupervised, without a parent.
"I don't know...It's very dark," She looked back at the looming boughs. Even though it was bright out today, a rare half-sunny day, between the trees it grew nearly pitch black.
"It would be easy to get lost if you went in and lost track of what way you'd come from." That didn't mean she was afraid. She was just sensible! Even if she did sort of want to see a ghost...
"Never. Most of the time I stay by where the reavers come to trade their prizes for other things, or by the priest dens. I haven't been over here yet, not alone at least." Well, she still wasn't alone, but he'd know what she meant. Unsupervised, without a parent.
"I don't know...It's very dark," She looked back at the looming boughs. Even though it was bright out today, a rare half-sunny day, between the trees it grew nearly pitch black.
"It would be easy to get lost if you went in and lost track of what way you'd come from." That didn't mean she was afraid. She was just sensible! Even if she did sort of want to see a ghost...
Kyr
"It might only look dark from out here," Kyr suggested, trying to sweet talk her. "And I bet if both of us went in, we would cut the chances of getting lost in half. Maybe even half of half."
He grinned. One thing he had picked up from his dad was the fact that adding a grin or a smile of some sort to any kind of statement made it more acceptable to the listener. He hadn't yet learned to differentiate between all the different kinds of smiles, smirks, grins, and the like, but he would in time.
"I think we should go in and look around. Just a little, anyway. It would be really exciting and cool."
And it might even get that jerk Freyr to quit saying he had flowery blood. Kyr didn't much like Freyr.
He grinned. One thing he had picked up from his dad was the fact that adding a grin or a smile of some sort to any kind of statement made it more acceptable to the listener. He hadn't yet learned to differentiate between all the different kinds of smiles, smirks, grins, and the like, but he would in time.
"I think we should go in and look around. Just a little, anyway. It would be really exciting and cool."
And it might even get that jerk Freyr to quit saying he had flowery blood. Kyr didn't much like Freyr.
Aslaug
She frowned slightly, sensibly at his claim. Now what was he on about?
"That or we'll BOTH get lost," She offered up. Half of half? "Though I guess as long as one of us stayed where they could see the way out, and the other stayed near enough to be able to see the other one...that might be okay."
She pondered a long moment, staring back towards the forest...
A blink. "But we're not supposed to go in! It's a rule," she insisted. Still...
What if there were ghosts? Oh, they could tell her so much, she expected, about what happened when you died. About things she was interested in like spirits and maybe even gods. Did you meet the gods when you died? She doubted it if there were ghosts. What god would let a spirit become a ghost? Well...there were no adults around.
"Maybe...maybe just a peek?"
"That or we'll BOTH get lost," She offered up. Half of half? "Though I guess as long as one of us stayed where they could see the way out, and the other stayed near enough to be able to see the other one...that might be okay."
She pondered a long moment, staring back towards the forest...
A blink. "But we're not supposed to go in! It's a rule," she insisted. Still...
What if there were ghosts? Oh, they could tell her so much, she expected, about what happened when you died. About things she was interested in like spirits and maybe even gods. Did you meet the gods when you died? She doubted it if there were ghosts. What god would let a spirit become a ghost? Well...there were no adults around.
"Maybe...maybe just a peek?"
