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Vidar was still reeling from the battle with two gods he had taken part in. It hadn't started off too badly, but once he realized that he and the other Reavers he had been with were in real danger the fun started to go away very quickly. They had made it out alive, thankfully, but not without some serious injuries to the other two. He had gotten a bit banged up, but what really troubled him was whenever he tried to sleep hew as plagued by nightmares. Could it have had something to do with those gods?
Unsure but determined to make this Viking a success, he pressed on without the older two Reavers to try to find something to take back to the pride to show for their efforts other than battle scars.
Not far from Vidar Saran sat licking her paw and cleaning her ears after a successful hunt. The wild dog really hadn't stood a chance against her and for that she was very proud. She wasn't raised to be a hunter, but all Nergui had to know how to fight. Being out in the rogue lands and meeting fancy strong lions really did a number on her hunger, and now that she was heading back home she really needed a meal to make it. She was about to start digging in when a noise caught her attention and she looked up to see a brown male with a bright mane coming her way. Oooooh no...this was her dinner!
Vidar didn't notice the lioness or the kill until he was practically on top of her, and by then it was far too late. Saran was ready to attack to defend her kill. She pounced at the lion, teeth and claws bared, and it was only due to his training that Vidar managed to drop down low enough to avoid the worst of the blow. Her claws scraped over his back as he darted out of the way, but the little scratches were nothing compared to the gashes the gods had left.
"Hey, lady, I'm not here to bother you!" he said as he tried to scoot further away again, but Saran was having none of it. She turned on a dime and charged again, snarling loudly. She didn't care what he said, she wasn't letting him off the hook until he was running with his tail tucked between his legs. She swiped at his rear end where an old wound was barely scabbed over and grinned in delight as Vidar roared in pain. That seemed to be the tipping point for the lion, though, as he swung around to face her.
"Oh...you just pissed off the wrong guy," he growled, claws digging into the dirt. He lowered his head and let out a warning growl, but Saran held her ground.
"You came across the wrong lioness," she returned, imitating the position. There wasn't that much difference from them in size and Vidar knew he was at a disadvantage for being both tired and injured, but hey. She wanted a fight? He wasn't going to turn it down!
They both jumped at the same time, claws and teeth meeting mid-air as they struggled for dominance. Saran was still coming off the high of meeting that other male and spending some time with him, so she was energized and ready to go. Vidar, on the other hand, was weak in body but not in spirit. He pushed through the pain and shoved Sarah hard in the chest as they both returned to the ground, giving himself a little distance. As the lioness bounced away to regain her balance he darted in, his teeth closing down on her neck.
It wasn't a deadly blow, more of a dominance hold, but Saran froze instantly. Just because he wasn't biting down hard enough to break anything didn't mean he couldn't. Vidar could feel the way she tensed up and he held his position until he knew she'd give in. Letting go, he backed up a few paces and glared at her, dark green eyes flashing.
"Right. Now, for your stupid attack, that wild dog is mine," he growled, nodding to the kill. That made Saran's fur stand on end, and she bared her teeth again.
"No! You'll kill me before I give it up!"
"....geez lady, it's a wild dog. It's not some prize..." As he spoke Vidar's eyes widened. Wait...yes it was! He glanced at the dead creature with a grin, an idea forming in his mind. "What if I just take the head? You can have the body and stuff."
The proposal surprised Saran enough that she stopped snarling. The head...the brains and eyes were generally left for the vultures, but if this lion wanted it, why not?
"If you'll leave immediately after you take it, fine," she grumped. "But you're doing the heavy lifting."
"That's fine by me," Vidar said, bounding over to the wild dog to start removing the head from the body. It didn't take long since the dog was fairly small, and soon he had his prize between his teeth. "'hank 'oo," he said with a grin, turning to trot away, completely satisfied with himself. The skull would certainly make a cool prize! Maybe he could decorate his mane with pieces of it...yeah...that would be pretty cool!
Saran watched as Vidar left, very confused but glad he was leaving. That was the strangest encounter she had ever faced, to be sure. Shaking her head, she turned back to her kill to start to eat. After this adventure into the rogue lands she wasn't sure she wanted to come back any time soon. That, and she was hoping she'd have her paws full with cubs before too long. A lion of that size would definitely produce some pretty powerful cubs. If she couldn't have the male himself, she'd definitely be happy with his offspring.
The two lions went their separate ways, Saran back to the Nergui once she had finished eating and Vidar back to Sebor and Ulfric. They both had a story to tell when they got back, and even though it had been an odd meeting, they certainly would never forget it.
FIN
WC: 1037