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It had taken a bit of planning and lots of talking, but finally the plan was in motion. Vidar and Na'ira had to put their plans on the back burner for a bit while Famine plagued the land and the gods hosted a war above them, but now it was finally time to act. The Captain had kept a close eye on Arwach recently, learning his patterns and the times he liked to go out a-Viking. He was strange in that he didn't usually go out with a band, but on his own. Whatever suited his fancy, he supposed.

But true to the patterns he had picked up, Arwach had left the day before for what Vidar assumed would be a few days out in the rogue lands. His other Thralls were off doing whatever they wished while their master was away, but Vidar knew one had stayed behind in the den, waiting for him to come.

Picking his way carefully towards Arwach's large den, Vidar lowered his voice but called out all the same.

"Radha? You in there?" His voice carried well in the cave, hopefully reaching the ears of the Thrall. "Coast is clear. Time to get a move on.'

Vidar didn't so much as glance over his shoulder as he waited for Radha to leave the den. The lion had confidence in spades, it was why he wore so many bangles and decorations in his mane. Give his enemies a chance to hear him coming and decide if they wanted to run or hold their ground. No lion could shake him, not even one with a reputation like Arwach's.

"As sure as we'll ever be," he said in reply, giving the female a little bump to give her some good vibes. This was dangerous in the long run for both of the, but more so for her. As a Thrall, if she was caught trying to escape it could mean death depending on who caught her. That and the new laws instilled recently stripped females of whatever rights they had earned just a few generations ago, so even if she were to fight her way to freedom she'd be chained to the pride far longer than if she had managed to win her Freeborn title just a few months prior.

"It's not the life for many," he agreed. "Come on then. We have to move quickly. And remember, the more you keep your head down and act as if I'm in charge, the less attention we'll draw." He nodded his head away from the den before turning, his head held high and tail flicking as if his heart wasn't racing from adrenaline. Even though he wasn't scared, his body was ready to fight or flee.

Vidar could tell it burned Radha to have to play along, but doing it would help in their exit from the pride. This wasn't the place for her and one with such a strong spirit would only suffer and wither away as a Thrall here. Perhaps if she had been able to challenge Arwach...although the male was quite strong and would be loath to let go of his 'things'. While Thralls were part of the Stormborn life, some of those who owned them left a bad taste in Vidar's mouth.

They walked in silence for a bit, moving through the pride lands to the border, and Vidar felt as though they were just about free when the fur along his back prickled. Someone was watching them.

"Keep an eye out," he said quietly as he turned to look over his shoulder just in time to see a blue streak charging for them. Vidar turned quickly but Arwach had gotten too big of a jump on them, and the two males fell to the ground in a mass of teeth, claws, and fur.



"How dare you?!" Arwach snarled as he tumbled with Vidar, paying no mind to Radha at the moment. This lion was taking his Thrall and he would pay dearly for the slight against him.

"She is mine and you will leave her!" Although the two were loud and tussling in the dirt, for the moment it was simply a show of strength, jockeying for position, and after a few moments the two separated. Vidar kept his smaller frame between Radha and the other Captain, the two staring each other down until Arwach peered over his shoulder to the lioness behind him.

"Radha," he growled, nothing but malice and the promise of pain for disobeying in his voice. "Get over here. Now."

Vidar waited, every muscle in his body tense. He hoped Radha would simply flee, but instead she spoke. He could see the change in Arwach before him, his expression shifting from surprise to rage. Oh boy.

"How dare you speak to me like this," the larger lion growled, fur standing up along his spine in rage. He completely ignored Vidar between them, a small lion that he could easily defeat. He only hoped he wouldn't have to harm his Thrall in the process and mar her coat. Scars were not becoming on his things.

"She can speak to you however she wants!" Vidar said in return, a growl in his voice that betrayed his frustration. That drew Arwach's attention to the other Captain once again, an amused look crossing his features.

"Oh...are you challenging me for her? Vidar...I didn't know you had a fondness for keeping Thralls. You always seemed too soft-hearted for that."

Vidar didn't give Arwach another moment to speak. He glanced over his shoulder, risking turning his gaze away from the other male for a moment.

"Get out of here. Meet me near the boarder, I'll find you once I've taken care of him." If Radha could escape perhaps it would distract Arwach enough to make him forget about fighting. Then Vidar could escort her out of the lands and into freedom. Unfortunately, Arwach took the slight advantage for what it was and bolted forward, clashing with Vidar once again. Caught off guard, the smaller male tumbled to the ground and could only lift his paws to try to stop the blows and slashes aimed at his face.