Welcome to Gaia! ::

She walked with her head hung low, slinking through the lands of what was to be her new home. The ground was wet, and she was assaulted by a constant drizzle of rain. The trip to these lands had been unbearable, not that the trek was difficult... but the company was. Yhe had been surrounded by lions that only wished her ill will. It had been clear from the moment Bast'ion and herself had returned to the group that they would not allow her to leave. With her as the prize, the raiding group did not linger much longer in the rogue lands. They had picked up a few more prizes on the way back, but Yhe was too busy pitying herself to waste her empathy on others.

Her coat was starting to get soaked, the usually distinct markings on her fur being shaped into something different from the rain. Normally she would have taken shelter from such a storm, but the lions around her seemed used to it. They had beckoned her on, even pushed her to continue on the path. Bast'ion may not have physically harmed her yet, but it was obvious that none in the group would hold back if she acted up.

She had managed to pick out her captor's name from the normal banter within the group. Her own, she kept concealed to herself. Yhe wasn't willing to give anything up that wasn't pried out from her paws.

Once within the pride's borders, the group seemed to disperse, taking away their respective prizes. The 'captain' of the little rag tag team had some sort of tribute to pay to the Warlord, and Yhe was at least thankful that the tribute was not herself. She sat alone, letting the rain beat down on her shoulders. Through the tuft of hair falling over her eyes, she spotted Bast'ion. Still here. Yhe looked at him, her eyes narrow and cold. "What now? Don't tell me you're going to welcome me 'home'."

The spray of rain greeted the traveling group the instant they set foot on the prides lands. It was a welcome thing to feel the cold droplets soak in to his fur as he'd returned with the rest of the group. The prizes were one by one taken to their various new destinations but Bast'ion was paying no mind to them. He had his eye on one prize and one alone which he'd arranged to keep for him self. This female was his first thrall and not only that she was a beauty to behold. Her mouth could use some work but Bast'ion was sure things would work themselves out.

"Home? I suppose you could say that. I mean. You're not going to be leaving it." He grinned. "You'll be coming with me." He looked her square in the eyes. "You can make it your home or you can make it your prison. I don't care." He moved his head in a way to gesture to the vastness of the prides land. "Not a lot of places a lioness can run. But if you wish to try running it should be good for a laugh."

He was still pretty sore with her and her mouth from earlier. Granted, Bast'ion deserved every bit of which he'd gotten the kirin lion didn't see it that way. His ego was healing and that made him a bit more dangerous than normal.

"So come on." He grumbled turning his back to her.

She knew it, even before he told her that she was going with him she knew that would be her fate. It had been clear from the moment that Bast'ion laid eyes on her that he intended to 'keep' her. Yhe was not oblivious to the machinations of this strange pride. She had heard the whispers of the Stormborn before, and knew what they did to those that they captured. At least she wasn't dead, but even now she wasn't sure which was the better option. Some would consider enslavement a punishment worse than death, but Yhe remained undecided.

Bast'ion had shown his true colors to her when he captured her, but she couldn't help but hold out hope that he wasn't as bad as he seemed.

Then his next statement proved her wrong, and she scowled up at him, her ears flat against the ran. She would not run, if she had wanted to try that she would have before they even made it into the pride's territory. Yhe watched him carefully, scrutinizing his posture and the way he spoke. How safe was she with him? "You do not frighten me nearly enough to make me run from you," she told him, words lined with ridicule and malice. It was an intentional insult. In a way Yhe was testing him, trying to figure out what lines she could cross with the lion.

Whatever she could get away with, she would.

The lioness hesitated, fighting against the urge to test him further and stay put. But, she did not have that kind of fight in her. Reluctantly, she rose to her feet and trailed after him slowly. "So, tell me what you intend to do with me, so I am prepared," Yhe demanded. She'd like to know what she was in for, and thus be able to devise a way to keep herself safe.

Bast'ion was being a p***k and some where inside of him he knew this but decided not to care. It was his ego that had been wounded and he was stubbornly holding on to a bit of a grudge from earlier. The kirin lion had tossed ideas of forgiveness aside and instead clung to pettiness like it was his life blood drinking it up as if the foul stuff was the sweetest nectar.

"It's too bad you never came round the border looking for a challenge. You could put your claws where your mouth is and challenged your way in." He responded with a gruff rigidness in his voice. "But instead you got captured and now you're here." In all honesty he was disappointed that he did not frighten her but he'd never admit that. However, his annoyance dimmed just a tad as the female got up to follow him.

"Careful the rocks are slippery," He grunted behind him, "And what do I want with you? Hmmm well for starters you can help relieve Zerrins work load and tend to my daughters. I have three and they are teenagers and they could use an extra pair of eyes to watch over them." He looked thoughtful like he was trying to come up with more, "Prepare our meals as well.... "

He wanted to tell her to keep his den warm at night but something felt wrong with that demand so he choked on that thought. Something inside him wouldn't let him and it was possibly the fact that Bast'ion did have a good mother growing up. Zerrin for sure wouldn't stand for him bedding a female against her will. The kirin lion scoffed at himself in his head for showing such weakness.

"I wouldn't have joined this pride as an equal member if given the opportunity," Yhe answered snidely. She had no desire to join any pride. All she wanted out of her life was to take care of her mother and live freely within unclaimed territories. She had never been able to picture herself settling down in one place, perhaps because she had never simply lived in one area before.

Her gaze turned downwards, watching every step her paws made. The ground was wet, and Bast'ion at least was right to warn her about slipping. If she wasn't careful, she'd make a fool out of herself. Yhe was above that. At least he didn't seem to want anything nefarious to do with her, which was a relief in and of itself. She did not know what she would do if he tried to press his luck with her, so for now she could breathe easy in regards to that.

But... being a babysitter did not sound all that fulfilling either. She made a 'tsk' sound, annoyed by the prospects of her future. Teenage daughters? How was she supposed to keep an eye on girls that she had nothing to do with? They wouldn't listen or respect her. Bast'ion was crazy if he thought he was going to get any worth out of her from babysitting. "Fine," she told him, unamused. She had a feeling she would be stuck doing everything he had no desire to do.

Great.

"If that is all I will find ways to keep myself busy," she told him with a shrug of her elegant shoulders. Yhe hoped that there would be a way she could reprieve herself from being in his presence, but she honestly had no real idea what to expect from Bast'ion.

The slippery rocks were something that Bast'ion also found him self having to be careful of. He took each step with care paying close attention to where it was he allowed his body weight to be distributed so that he didn't unbalance and slip up. Being born of the storm was not in his blood but it was something he he felt a close connection to. The possibility that Bast'ion felt a kinship to this pride because he was coping was very much lost on the lion.

"You sure you'd join? You know how a lion has to join the pride right. They have to win a challenge." Bast'ion smiled, "But maybe you'd had gotten in if that was what you desired." His tone was a little more tired now but not with out a slight gruffness. The crew of vikings had been out for weeks and actively hunting down would be thralls as well as looting when they could. He was tired from the outing and he was relieved to be home.

"Tell me. What is that one such as your self would do with your spare time? I can't say I know anything other that you've got a mouth on you." Bast'ion shrugged, "I don't know why I am even caring but what is your name?"

What was completely lost on the kirin lion was that he had no right to be asking this female any of these questions like nothing had happened. His sense of perspective was seriously warped and in need of a fix. With out even waiting for a response he offered his own name.

"My names Bast'ion if you were wondering."

"I wouldn't," Yhe answered. Her ears were flattened, and the look upon her face was drenched in disapproval. She could not understand the way of life here. These lions took and took, but never gave anything back to the world. Their lives were imbalanced. They knew nothing of love, knew not how to care for the world around them. Like a plague, they roamed the lands and left everything destroyed in their wake. It was a pride that needed to be dispersed, but none were strong enough to rival its power now.

Yhe was reluctant to give her name. He had no right to know, and even though he offered his own up as some sort of stupid 'peace treaty', she was having none of it. Bast'ion deserved nothing from her, not after what he had done to her and what he inevitably would do to her. She lifted her head, daring him to look her in the eyes then. Within them revealed the strength of her will. "It is not a name I would have tainted by your tongue. You may call me whatever you like, instead."

Her name was a gift from her mother, meant to be spoken with love and adoration. She would not have that name used against her. The meaning of it would sour.

"Maybe you should have gotten to know me before kidnapping me," Yhe criticised. "I never had much spare time out in the rogue lands. I was always travelling between places, taking care of the ones I love." Who did he think he was, snatching her away from her duties to her own family? What if she had cubs? He had taken her without a second thought. They would have surely perished without their mother, and he hadn't even seemed to give consideration towards that.

Of course, she had no cubs. She had never been inclined towards another lion before. To her, only her family mattered - her mother and her siblings.

There was actually a laugh from Bast'ion, "You sure you want to give me that amount of power that I choose what to call you?" He couldn't help him self but to continue to laugh. "Alright. Skapraun. For vexation." He had decided it fit. "I'll call you Ska for short. Easy. Done. Didn't need a name." He seemed quite proud of him self for his problem solving skills not really solving any actual problem.

Bast'ion continued to pad along and listen as 'Ska' continued to talk listening to her talk about loved ones. It left him to wonder some but not think too hard on what she meant when she referred to her loved ones. In a warped way it was exactly what Bast'ion perceived himself to be doing. By providing a thrall in a way he was helping to take care of his family and provide a motherly influence for his daughters. It was also probable that the girls were too old for such a thing like a motherly influence as well.

The selfish truth was also that Bast'ion was attracted to Yhe but had no idea what to do now that he had his first thrall. A lot of conflicting feelings were being had with his past and present self. He'd never force him self on a female even if she was as gorgeous but he did want to enjoy her company.

"We're nearing the den." He announced as the slippery rocks started to merge with a more earthy ground.

"I would rather hold the power of my true name," Yhe answered smoothly. Sure, he would be free to call whatever he so pleased, but at least she held the one name that truly had value for her. It was not something she would give up willingly to some fool so blinded by greed that he would steal someone's life from them. The name he picked for her, then, wasn't nearly so bad as it could have been. In a way,'Ska' reflected her own name, short, but with harsher tones that befit the terrible turn her life had made.

So, Ska she would be. 'Yhe' would be tucked away inside the place that only she had the right to, within the depths of her heart.

"You could have chosen worse." Ska lifted her gaze from the ground, trusting that her feet would find their grip naturally. The ground was wet and slippery, but Ska was naturally graceful. She trailed a bit behind Bast'ion, observing the pale qualities of his coat, tinted with a blue and blonde that was not unpleasant. Such a light colored creature, it made it ironic that he was so ill-natured. Ska, on the other hand, was a perfect play of light upon dark, and she supposed it was now a perfect reflection of her.

They were close to his den, or so he said, and she couldn't help but feel that rise of anxiety. "Will I have my own area?" Ska had no desire to rest where he or his children lie. She was not their mother, and she was not his mate. "I doubt your daughters would appreciate a strange lioness suddenly lording over them and sharing their quarters."

"If that is what you want." Bast'ion shrugged, "I'm not going to force your name out of you. Even if I did you'd probably give me a false name. I know I would," He was being honest but also there was a cognitive dissonance to 'Ska's' situation. Bast'ion really didn't see what he was doing as fully a bad thing but what he needed to do in order to fix him self. His point of view was only his own.

"I know I could have," Bast'ion admitted and sat with that thought. He really could have come up with something nasty but that seemed like a waste of energy. Ska was already hard enough to deal with and he was sure if he pissed her off more that he'd never be able to convince her to do things for him.

"Well at the very least I suppose its easy to remember. Ska. And no offensive repeatable language so Zerrin will be glad about it." Zerrin was not going to be happy that Bast'ion had captured a thrall. He was going to be so mad and he was going to give a speech about how they were better this but honestly Bast'ion was pretty sure he wasn't better than this. The kirin lion was pretty sure this was the exact thing he needed to be doing so he didn't really give a flying ******** if Zerrin was mad.

"Do you want your own den?" Bast'ion turned his head towards Ska giving her a confused look. He figured females would be fine together. "Well... We can get you one I guess. I don't really care where you sleep as long as you're there when you're needed. If that will make you more at home thats fine," He shrugged.

A few paw steps more and the families den was in view but it didn't seem like any of the family was actually at the den at this time. The dens were average size of what you'd expect from a large family. It wasn't exactly clean looking though as there were three adult males living there with a bunch of cubs. Zerrin was a neat freak but he couldn't always keep up.

"It is," she told him simply. There was no way he'd be able to pry her name from her, and at least he was smart enough to recognize that. Ska wasn't in the mood to fight with him much longer. All she wanted to do was curl up into a ball somewhere alone and mope over her misfortunes. She refused to show that weakness and vulnerability to Bast'ion, and so she held her emotions back, locked them safely away within her soul.

If she didn't let them out soon, they would poison her. She'd deal with that when it happened. Right now, she had more things to be concerned over.

"Zerrin sounds more likeable than you," Ska spoke up coolly. At least from the way Bast'ion spoke of the other creature, he appeared to be more respectable. She hoped in some way that it would bother her captor that he could not win over her approval but she could so easily gift it to others. For Bast'ion, Ska was no easy capture. Yes, it hadn't been hard to make her come back with him, but the real struggle was getting her to even remotely like him.

His offer for her own den startled the lioness. It was an act of kindness that she could not understand from the male, since it so clearly went against the evils his previous actions had wrought. Ska acted on the offer quickly, fearful that if she did not he would change his mind and make her stay in the den with him and his too-large family. "That would be appreciated!" She sounded too excited at the offer, but it was too late to tone herself down. It was clear how badly she wanted to simply be away from him.

Bast'ion was slowing down, and it became evident why. They were here, and from the outside his den did not look too terrible. It seemed small from the entrance, too small to properly house a father and his growing daughters. If she did not have to stay here, however, she didn't care. "Seems like no one is around," she told him, curiously arching her brow.

It was true that no one seemed to be around but that didn't alarm Bast'ion. He was sure the family was around some where with in the pride. None but Bast'ion and Midas had achieved reaver rank.

"Okay so we'll see about getting you your own den. That's no problem," He shrugged, "For now you'll stay in the smaller den with my daughters. It'll be good for you to get to know them or something.. I don't know how females function," He shrugged a second time trying to process things. Zerrin would probably be better at situating Ska to make sure she was comfortable. Bast'ion himself felt detached from this place and felt a need to go back out and do more viking pillaging and captures. There was a mighty need coming from his center that needed to be filled and family wasn't doing it nor was this place. He felt empty.

"Well... uh..." He looked Ska square in the eyes, "Is there.. erm.. Well..." What was he supposed to do now? Bast'ion was processing this situation. There was option A - stay and get Ska accustomed to things as it was his duty, option B - bail and go off - his brain stopped functioning and landed right on option B as it came up.

"So yeah. You're here. You'll figure it out. Imma bounce." He turned his back on Ska and started back up the slippery rocks. He didn't want to linger too much here and he wanted to keep busy. Something in him had the need to stay busy.

"Zerrin will help you out. Later."

It was super rude but Bast'ion wasn't the type to care much about that. At one point in the past he would have.

Wait... what?

He had captured her from the roguelands, torn her away from her family and all that she loved... and now he was just going to dump her some place and bail? The audacity of his actions caused a righteous anger to rise within Yhe. If he wanted her so badly that he had to ruin his life just to have her, then he wasn't allowed to just ditch her in some strange territory and expect his little family to take care of the rest.

Bast'ion was a fool, and he had no idea just who he was messing with. Yhe may appear to be a decliate flower, but she had a backbone, and she refused to be left alone to fend for herself after travelling all day. She had been threatened, oogled, and traumatized by the events that had transpired. Bast'ion just didn't get to run away from all of that.

Steeling herself for what was likely going to be another confrontation, the lioness darted ahead of Bast'ion, cutting off what was clearly his escape route. Not today. He wasn't running from her, of all lions. She turned to face him, scowl set deep into her features. "No, no, this is not how it's going to work between us." Yes, he had captured her, but if he wasn't going to really care about what he did with her, then she would. "You are not just going dump me here by myself. I don't know your family, they don't know me."

Her eyes met Bast'ion's, full of indignation. "If you kidnapped me and ruined my life, I damn well expect you to actually hang around me."

Before Bast'ion had even made it to the top of the cliffs his escape route was blocked off and he was there to answer to Ska. His eyes were wide and but not with fear. No one had ever talked to him like this or blocked his path in such a way. It was annoying but also it was something more than that. Bast'ion was having a hard time finding the word for it, maybe inspiring? Intriguing. Curious. Interesting.

What ever the word was Bast'ion found him self smirking.

"Oh." He began, "I thought you'd be happier with me away. Didn't realize I left such an impression on you," He couldn't help but be a little smug.

"Well okay. If you want me to stick around I will. Take responsibility or what ever," Big words coming from the likes of him who usually passed responsibility around like it was a hot potato. He started to backwardly back away from the clicks and back on to the softer sands below.

"There see. I'll stay." He stomped his sparkly paws on to the sands below. "See. "

"Just because you made an impression doesn't mean it's a good one," Ska answered with a curl of her lips. Of course he would find some way to be amused from her actions, but truthfully she did not want to be left alone in this violent pride. She had no idea what to expect from Bast'ion's daughters or companions, and she would not face that alone. In here, she had no one else but him, and though she loathed him... he was better than nothing right now. He was her only line of defense against this new world.

With some satisfaction at her achievement, she watched as the lion backed down and moved towards the den. While she couldn't exactly call herself the victor of this little event, she was pleased with this result. At least he would be here to deflect some of the attention away from her.

"Well... good." The words weren't usually up to Ska's eloquent standards, but she had no idea what to do or what to say with the male. Slowly she made her way back down to the soft sands and took a seat a little bit away from him. The silence that followed was long, and definitely not shy of being awkward.

Well, this was going to be a terrible new life, Ska thought grimly.