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The blue storm herself hadn't made an appearance in the primary sections of the pride for quite some time. More often than that she had Stylter, her useless sidekick, make trips for her. Of course Stylter was 'babysitting' again. The youth he guarded was still young enough to need tending too and wasn't fitted with baskets yet. Her den was beginning to fill and not a soul was useful to her yet. Though her most recent addition, a lion cub, would eventually be incredibly useful. She was impressed with her find and lost in her thoughts she had nearly missed the vendor that sold drinks. Kluna prided herself on not typically drinking, but there were days...

"Excuse me." The attention she drew served purposes beyond getting things accomplished. Soon as the vendor spied who his next customer was he hopped to it. The drink was quickly before her and she took to consuming the beverage. It was refreshing. She had a long day ahead and without help she felt her haul would likely suffer. Around the pride was a scattered number of thralls that had been taken in by the pride and hadn't found homes. Homes that would of course become the dens that they cared for as 'housewives' in most cases. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she sought a particular victim.

Thyri was thoroughly frazzled, but she kept a polite smile on her face despite the fact it made many an Ironblooded male think her slow and therefore touchable. Her current state was that of disgust, as a recent troupe of a First Raid had come in a flurry and demanded she fetch them drinks, all the while being subtly groped and slapped on the rump playfully, which she had laughed off in the moment but knew she would seethe over the moment she was alone. She was still noticeably fluffed when she angled towards the attendant, all but ignorant to Kluna who was mere inches from brushing her shoulder. "The new Reavers have returned, I may need a few extra hands bringing them refreshment." She chuckled good-naturedly, but to the experienced ear it was hollow, and a passing thrall gave her a pitying glance; she had been here too long, she must be slipping in her facade.

She finally seemed to snap out of it and noticed the female at her side and she nearly jumped out of her skin, if it hadn't been for years of practice at avoiding such an action, "M-My apologies, miss, I was too intent on the attendant. I hope I haven't butted ahead of you?" He voice dripped with pleasantries, while her mind was more along the lines of, 'Ugh, here comes another bruise. I'm so stupid.'

Had the priestess been in a better state she would have simply slipped past formalities in favor of exiting the conversation. Instead she spotted an opportunity and though she wore a sour expression at first she was actually quite excited. "Not at all." Kluna responded and raised a poorly crafted cup filled with the drink favored by most in the pride. "You look pleased as ever to be serving those oafs." She casually glanced over her shoulder at seveal of the males whom received a set of narrowed blue eyes. A few of them shrunk away under her stare.

"How are you with manual labor?" Clearly she had gotten lucky. The lioness was precisely what she had been looking for. It was clear by the abhorrent displays that she was merely a thrall. It was fortunate that Kluna came by when she had - or so the priestess figured. Perhaps the thrall wouldn't consider her a savior.

She relaxed slightly, the tension easing from her shoulders just a bit knowing the lioness at her side didn't mind her presence. At her statement, her smile froze on her face, her ear flicking before she responded, "They're back and would be tired from their journey, it's my privilege to see them cared to." She was dodging the emotional aspect, but she'd learned long ago that the wrong word went a long way to reach the ears of the creature they were spoken of.
She noted that some of the lions seemed to avoid the lady's eye, and she questioned it silently, a little prickle at the back of her neck at the thought that this was dangerous territory, but she had to strive on.

"Manual labor?" She blinked, not expecting the question at first but quickly recovering, "I suppose I'm as good as any, miss. I've lived a lifetime within the safety of the pride and I've learned a few tricks that might give me an edge." She gritted her teeth. A lifetime indeed of serving others, because she was mistaken as a cub to a rather absent-minded duo who were no more her parents than the lioness at her side now. She'd spent far enough of her time dwelling on seething hatred for any creature who create her and abandon her, though the idea of being 'ghostborn' was interesting to pass the time in thrall gossip-y fashion.

"You don't need the false 'happiness to serve' in my presence." Kluna scowled at the lioness. The way she had spoke suggested to the high priestess that perhaps she had made a mistake? If the lioness had intended to sound like she actually enjoyed her lifestyle she'd have used more natural sounding words. Kluna paid the bumbling crowd around them no mind as she pressed forward on the conversation.

Taking a swig of her drink she sighed softly before jumping into explaining her intentions. "Yes. Manual labor." The lioness was clearly irked by the question, but it was reasonable. She could handle reason. "Good. You can use those tricks helping me instead of waiting on these mongrels." She sneered at the freeborns, reavers, and captains alike. "I'm collecting various plants to stock up my den - you'd think being the High Priestess that I'd have access to a little more help, but that's not the case. Besides the help I can get isn't always the best help." A roll of her eyes accented the snarky comment and suddenly it may appear as though she belonged among these brutes.

"I'll supply the baskets needed and of course I'll need to teach you a thing or two." Of course it appeared as though the priestess were bothering to ask the thralls opinion on the matter, but truth be told she'd just as quick tell the lioness how things would go, but asking usually produced better results.

Her gaze slid to the attendant, doing everything she could not to crack. "I... um...." Her facade slipped just a bit, her nose wrinkling slightly, though her smile attempted to stay in place, despite being a grimace on her features, "Smiling is... much better than what the alternative would get me." Beatings, mental torture, many things one could expect from any number of drunk AND sober lions within the pride. At least a smile just got her a pinch here and there.

She had just managed to grab a few of the drinks, intending to bail quickly before the conversation took a turn, but she was caught rather quickly by the lionesses' words and she froze in place, squeaking rather audibly, "WHAT?!" She dropped the cup she'd been holding, the liquid splashing up against her ankles as she stared in disbelief, "So you're.... training me.... for yourself?" She blinked a few times, and did her best not to laugh aloud and it came out as a rather unfeminine snort instead, figuring that smiling her way out of it was no longer going to work with this one, "Well, I mean I'm more than willing to help....?" More like terrified. This lioness was a stranger to her, and she heard of some horrific lions hidden behind a kinder pelt.

You know what, to hell with it, dead was better than ogled like a show prize, "No, I will help, just teach me what you need me to do." Her response was a little more forceful than her usual speech pattern, and she hoped the lioness didn't take offense, though she supposed maybe she had been hoping Thyri had a bit of backbone, and she would show it off. She had a temper, no use hiding it forever.

A soft chuckle escaped the lioness. She was known for having odd ways of disciplining, much like any other lion among them in that moment, but she was relatively fair. The number of times her own familiars got away with wreaking havoc.. or pupnapping.. would have driven any other individual off the cliff. "If you smiled while doing what I ask of you then I would deem you mentally unstable. The job will be tedious." Kluna admitted casually before taking another sip of her brew.

Causing quite a scene Kluna watched, looking unimpressed, as the lioness dropped the beverages she had been preparing making a mess. The whole scenario had seemed to take a turn for the worst. "There will be training involved." She responded, careful not to take on that entire responsibility. "You'll be working among a few others that are part of my immediate party." Then the lioness brought of 'willingness'. Kluna set her drink aside and stood. Then she approached the lioness and narrowed her icy blue eyes. "Make no mistake, child, you didn't have a choice." Her tone of voice added to the suggestion that she was meant to live among these brutes.

"Yes you will."

The darkened facial features lit up the smallest amount. Hesitations were past and Kluna appreciated how sure the lioness had sounded. Anger bubbled at the thought of the lioness 'helping' her, but that was what the help was for. She sneered slightly, but quickly corrected the expression to something much friendlier.

"Cmon. Let one of the oafs get their own drinks. We have plenty to discuss." The lioness, without pause, began to leave the vendor in favor of heading towards her den with full expectations that the lioness would follow.

She made little effort to know the other lioness had gotten under her skin, and she cringed at her previous idea of being more forthcoming with the idea of helping her. But, she digressed, there was no turning back at this point, and she nodded. The lioness had started to walk off without her, and she look once at the mess she had left before quickly following behind, doing her hardest to hide the snarky expression she wished she could dish out to the lions she would be leaving thirsty. Gods above knew how that would've gone, and she'd like to keep it that way.
She took her warnings from earlier to heart and approached on silent paws, making sure to choose her next words very carefully, "What can you tell me about those I will be working with, my lady?"
Any other thrall may have asked what the plants were for, or how they were used, but Thyri got the idea that such questions towards her newfound mistress would be unnecessary to answer. So she sought knowledge that would be readily answered, and decided that 'miss' was no longer appropriate to address the priestess. 'Miss' was for flowery and lazy lionesses, not for someone with a depth that Thyri couldn't fathom.

Kluna was very nearly gleeful that the lioness had left the mess the way it was. It was an outspoken act, even if the lioness wasn't speaking out herself. To put up with being a priestesses thrall an individual may end up going through quite a bit, let alone being the thrall to a high priestess. "You may call me Kluna." She offered as casually as she could. "They are.. quirky." That wasn't even the half of it.

"A maned wolf, Stylter, who can't seem to ever actually do his job. Even if I had to save his wandering arse from the river. Oh, and stay away from the river will you, I don't make a habit of rescuing from it." She scoffed slightly and rolled her eyes as she thought about her most useless companion. "Then there is the jackal he pupnapped. Only the gods would actually know why he had done something so foolish, but he did it. I still believe it's because he thinks the little thing is cute." The lioness' nose wrinkled at the thought of the jackal. It had yet to provide any kind of purpose to being in her den.

"Then the most recent addition..." She mused softly with a chuckle. "A small cub brandishing the attitude of a a creative from myths. He believes that he can fly and breathe fire." Another chuckle. The mood had lightened considerably since she began to speak of her brood. Whether she cared to admit it or not she did enjoy their company and even loved them.

"Do you have any family around?"

She took the information with a nod, though she could tell Kluna was fond of them and she allowed herself a small smile.
When the mention of her own family came up, however, her expression soured. Although it was a sore spot for her, she believed it best to be honest about it. "I was found outside the pride as cub." She began, watching the lioness for any cues that she should stop, or if she had any thoughts on the matter. "They assumed I had been misplaced by a pair who'd recently bore cubs, I matched the colors of their own litter." She wrinkled her nose lightly, "But even they knew I wasn't theirs, so I've been peddled around since." And luckily, she thought to herself, no one had decided to keep her around for long. She learned young that if she made it seem as if she belonged to someone else, lions were much kinder in their treatment of her, fearing repercussions.

She thought back on what would be her new company and questioned Kluna silently, though she couldn't bring herself to say anything that might be taken offensively towards the tiny family the lioness had formed. Knowing what her new company would be, she assumed Kluna sought her out as someone who was more able-bodied than the rest of her brood. "They sound like quite the handful."

Truthfully the lioness understood the reasoning behind collecting the cub at the border. Any individual lion patrolling would have done the same. When no one was prepared to claim the cub as their blood it was no surprise she ended up in her position. "How tragic." Kluna said absent mindedly. Her thoughts were elsewhere as she considered her own growing brood. "Have you ever tried to escape?" She asked her. They were rounding a small section and soon her den was in sight. The trip was short and easy - her preferred daily trip, not the usual wandering into the swamps that would soon be this lioness' task.

"They are definitely a handful." She muttered. "But they are mine to mind." She clucked her tongue in mild dislike, but still her affections for the brood were clear. "Lastly, what is your name?" Formalities had escaped her earlier, with those oafs and drinks crashing to the ground.

She shook her head, the thought of escape the last thing she would ever think to consider, "With no place to call home outside of this one, I'd just end up back here. It's all I know, and running isn't worth the risk of being hunted down."
She took notice of their surroundings, wondering how much further they would have to travel to reach Kluna's den... not that Thyri minded, the more distance she put between herself and those males, the better her chances of eluding them in the long run. The lioness couldn't keep an eye on her 24/7...
She nodded silently, accepting the truth as it was; Kluna's family would be her own, but she wasn't the one who was charged with seeing how they handled themselves, unless Kluna saw fit to make a request of her.
At the mention of her name, Thyri made an effort not to show signs of embarrassment, considering it a fault on her part for not introducing herself, "My name is Thyri. I couldn't tell you where it came from, or who first called me by the name, but I feel it is the only thing I came into this pride with."

Kluna could appreciate the logic in not leaving. Depending on how well the lioness knew the area she may put herself into harms way accidentally as well. Let alone dealing with those who might hunt her down. "That makes plenty of sense." Finally echoing her thoughts out loud as she entered her roomy den. "This will be your new home. I have no idea where my brood has gone off too." But she wasn't the least bit surprised to find her den empty - perhaps they would surprise her and have gathered some items, but it was unlikely.

"Thyri." Kluna said, almost tasting the name. "Every lion should have at least one thing." She began to ramble away a little bit and then bumble about. "You can rest for tonight, but tomorrow I will have to see if the baskets I normally use will fit you." Continuing to ramble away she finally settled on seating herself. "Then we can begin to teach you about herbs and their purposes. Then rituals." The high priestess nodded. Finally she would have a competent helper.