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 Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:24 am
The large blue lion awoke with a start. His mind had been a whir all evening and he found himself caught up in quite a few nightmares involving what he had begun to determine as his 'lost love'. Bjorn heaved a great sigh as he closed his eyes to regain himself than open them again to truly see what the day had given them. It was raining. "How suiting." He murmured softly to himself. Quickly he gave a look around, ensuring all of his cubs had gone back to their Mothers before he got up and took the first step into the humid, wet world outside.
Taking his time he left his den and headed to the comfort of where he last saw her. It was a lovely wooded area with a small overlook that aimed in the direction of where some Reavers fought. It was this area he wouldn't soon forget, but he wondered, had she?
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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:35 am
 Zsaria wondered when she might sleep regularly again, if ever. Since returning home she had been awoken every night by memories of the life she'd lead and the life she had surrendered. She had been stupid, naive, all manner of faults and failures for which she had never truly been prepared. There was nothing more to be done about it, the life of a reaver was not to end in one's own home but on the battlefield in a blaze of glory. Or struck down by dumb luck. The eventuality was sobering, but held no fear for her any longer.
Instead she had taken to sparring with the younger Reavers, in the place where her brothers once fought and trained. There was a peace in it, but eventually they all departed and she was left again to her thoughts.
Despondent and unwilling to return to the immortal cheer of her thrall, she had left herself to collapse in the arena, deep in thought.
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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:39 am
Once he was there and settled, rump on the ground for comforts sake, he had determined that the water had begun to soak through his thick pelt. It was perhaps one of the most uncomfortable feelings and he had almost instantly regretted making the move to leave his warm, dry den. Though the thoughts had crossed his mind to leave something kept him there, that something, or someone, made a sudden appearance down below him.
Beautiful, white and blue pelt made its way into his view. The ever feminine steps carried the female gracefully, though he was sure she likely didn't think so, and Bjorn sat there captivated as the female dropped herself to the ground. Had it been like it had than he would have run down there, comforted away the any bad feelings she was having, but that had changed.
"She probably has chosen here to be alone or distracted by fighting."
Bjorn knew all to well that she'd take on fights, not all was considered favorable on her side, but she was tough. The worry stricken male sat there. Through his worry he was also frustrated and sad, this was tough for him.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 10:50 am
Lost in her own hopelessness Zsaria found herself compelled to coat herself in the muck. Maybe then she could blend in and disappear for a while. For all the good it would do her, some curious cub or thrall would come along and beg an explanation.
Cubs. Her heart stung. She had feared the effect of her own age but discovering that she was now a grandmother had done little but compound it. She'd missed her chance, plain and simple, and Bjorn had moved on to one more prepared to bear him strong sons and daughters of the storm.
Perhaps the world would be better if she walked into the waves and surrendered to the dark. She laughed a little at the thought, wondering what Oddmund and the others of her youth would say to the fierce young lioness surrendering to despondency. "A sorry sight," she called out, "And a cautionary tale all the same." What was there left for her, other than to wither into the obscurity of an old reaver?
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 2:07 pm
Bjorn watched as Zsaria collapsed in various ways to collect muck and more. If he wasn't mistaken she was trying to disguise herself from the world, perhaps from him? The blue male had no idea what the scene below painted for him, but he was considering himself a fool for every moment longer he stayed away. Still he was hesitant, this female had seemingly left without so much of a goodbye. Though for all he knew she could have mentioned something and perhaps he was the one to blame for all his own woes. Should that have been the answer than his dignity would no longer exist.
Struggling; Bjorn was absolutely struggling as he continued to watch from above. Zsaria appeared to be almost grieving. This was what broke his heart; this was what broke his legs free from where he stood to bring him where he needed to be.
It was a short walk, though it felt like he had walked for several days, the weight of the conversation ahead was hanging over his head. He breathed deeply as he came upon the arena and saw Zsarias state first hand. "Zsaria." His voice broke a little when he said her name. It had taken him quite some time to even thinking of the pale female without some form of shattering experience.
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 2:19 pm
"Zsaria," she repeated, her voice hollow. Though she knew immediately who the speaker was she hesitated to lift her head for fear of what she might see. Or what he might, for that matter.
"I'm not so sure I deserve that name anymore. That's the name my father gave me, the one he hoped I'd carry it on into some great family." She hadn't done that, certainly. But she hadn't ruined it either, she just hadn't done much of anything.
Gathering her courage she turned her head to face him, the cloudy grey of her blinded left eye glaring starkly against the muck. "You know, you're the last person I hoped to see tonight and somehow that makes it all the more proper that you're here. Who else to see me hit the bottom than the one who watched me rise up from the same after my brothers' death. Full circle."
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 3:52 pm
Bjorn hadn't expected a welcoming committee, hadn't expected a smile or even words. At least he got those - words. When she spoke though he had to cringe, the female had become something akin to a hollow tree with a whisper from the wind flowing through it. "Zsaria." He managed to whisper quietly to himself - had he even been slightly prepared for what he was walking himself into he perhaps would have had a speech or something to pull her from this madness. Instead he felt his knees get weak and his eyes water slightly. This was not the Zsaria he had remembered - not the female he had chosen for a mate. Was she even his mate any longer? Had she chosen to go down a different path? It would be no surprise to Bjorn, not with his recent choices.
Having to do the right thing in this situation would take time for Bjorn, he wanted to scream at her - You'd better shape up! - but instead he lost his voice. When she had finally decided to look up at him his voice seemed gone forever. "Your eye." He said ever so softly and he approached her slowly as though he approached a scared beast. Gently he lifted a paw and tried to place a paw to her cheek. "My poor dear.." He whispered.
"You seem so distant; yet here you stand with me. You appear to have visited the Goddess of Insanity." The voice he had lost came, but it hadn't come alone. A light tear dripped slowly from his eye and dotted his mane. "Where has my courageous, rambunctious and determined lioness go?" Bjorn felt as though he was standing out side of his body and watching this devastating scene from afar. It was almost as though it couldn't have been actually happening.
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 4:04 pm
"I lost it," she told him flatly, though she could feel tears welling up in her own eyes, "To a lion, or a god, my brothers, I can't pretend to know anymore." The last months, or had it been years now, they were all a blur to her. She had raged from one battle to the next, punishing herself for her imagined ills. When one viking had returned she had left with another, often before so much as crossing the border home.
Zsaria paused, pressing her face against his paw, "I haven't forgotten." She felt compelled to throw her arms around him, to pull him to the ground and embrace as they had when they were young. But she resisted, the idea seemed so foreign now after all they had been through and all that had gone on in her absence.
"I saw my brothers," she whispered, "A long time ago they began to come in my dreams. I thought I was insane. They called me to battle." She paused, realizing how mad that must sound after how hard she had tried to escape the reaver's life. "I think I was meant to die, to join them out there. But I didn't. There must be a reason for that." Her voice had grown strained, desperate. If there was no reason, why had she thrown her life away? Why had she thrown their life away? "I made it back Bjorn, if you're still here."
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 4:25 pm
Witnessing tears beginning to pour from his companions eyes had caused his own tears to form fuller and fall faster. It took several blinks to chase them away enough to see again and when Bjorn found the voice he seemed to repeatedly be losing he spoke again. "Beauty from the battlefield." He lifted his paw lightly, not truly leaving the touch that held them together, but instead giving a gentle stroke from her ear and back into place. "I am glad you have not forgotten. My hope has been answered in at least one way."
That hope was what kept him driven - hope and anguish. Bjorn had done a number of things to keep himself busy, one of which lead him to a Father-hood he would never regret. Though he had waited for the words she spoke next, waited for this moment to come once more. Once the chance was upon him and she had finished speaking he pulled her in close and held her tightly allowing himself a few moments for crying. A few moments to truly allow himself to grieve what he thought he had lost and shed tears for the happiness that had been returned to him and hopefully her as well.
The silence seemed to last forever, though it may have been for just a few minutes. When the Reaver had composed himself enough to speak again; he did. "I will always be here; always waiting and forever loving. I hope to spend now and 'til the end of my days with you, through many storms." His feelings had changed, but for the stronger. If it could be possible he felt the strengthened bond grow stronger between them. At least he hoped it was a shared feeling.
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 4:49 pm
Zsaria leaned into him, collapsing into a sobbing mess. Losing him had been her greatest fear and she realized now that running had only been her way to avoid having to confront it. If she never came home there was no possibility of ruining the time they had shared together. Now that it had become real once more so to had the fear.
"I'm so sorry Bjorn," she managed through sharp snatched breaths, "If I had died out there, if you had-" She couldn't bring herself to form the words. Her body shook as she tried to compose herself, sinuous muscles tight and shallow beneath her skin. The time spent in the roguelands had been hard on her, but it already seemed a lifetime ago.
"I don't know who I am without you." The words felt shallow in light of her feelings, but they were the best way the lioness knew to express her thoughts. "I will never, never leave you again. Through many storms, many memories, and many lifetimes yet to come."
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 5:31 pm
The pair of them would likely be a sight had any on lookers been of the Reaver variety. There, in the open area they had once again committed to one another and vowed to never leave each others side. Hope had grown within the blue lion and Bjorn promised himself to never allow this to happen again. Had he been watching more closely perhaps he could have saved themselves both this particular moment.
"Don't think about, Zsaria." He said, hushing the horrible thoughts that had already been on his mind during his daily routine. The lion was often seen near the borders seeking out Zsaria in hopes that he may at least hear word that she had gone with the Storms or not. The pressure it put on his heart could have seen his end earlier than anyone would have expected. Even with cubs and an individual who had come to him seeking companionship hadn't been enough to keep him afloat though he was sure he would have tried. His needs and survival were based solely on the return of his love.
"I will hold you to that."
Through his tears he smiled towards to lioness whom he still had a firm grasp on. Fear would not allow him to let go, this would be a moment he would never forget. The moment he found what had been lost to both him and her. The love they shared was stronger than any beast the two of them may face and he was sure they'd likely see another Viking. This time he'd not see her go alone with some other group. He would go where she did.
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 5:43 pm
The lioness didn't respond, there were no words strong enough to match the overwhelming sense of relief she felt simply being back in his embrace. She would go alone no longer, true, but primarily because she would go no more at all. Her time as a reaver had long since come and gone, her place was here. If the gods willed it she would yet die in battle but it would come to her in her home. Otherwise, they would have to seek her out another way.
She gripped him tighter, her claws digging slightly into her own flesh around him but she held still. The pain reminded her that this was real, no figment of her addled imagination.
Finally she managed to speak, a hint of a smile making its way to her tear stained face. It was a phrase she felt she had spoken a half dozen times, but never before did it seem so poignant to her as it did now. "You will make me your wife," she told him, a statement rather than the question it had always been before, "And we will live our lives for each other until the Storm takes us."
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