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 Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 9:56 am
 The day had gone from a stormy morning to a calm afternoon as Zeruaren and the viking band he was a part of returned home. It was a successful outing, fights fought, thralls captured and treasure claimed. Zeruaren had a few more battle scars than before. There were talks about the band going out and celebrating the victory, however, Zeruaren told his group that he had more important matters to deal with. The others teased him as he took his share of the loot, putting it in his bag, and headed out. They just couldn't understand that there was someone much more important than them that he wanted to celebrate with. He made his way straight to Neph's den. Seeing the lioness he was courting was always his highlight of returning home. Once they were officially married he knew that it would be all the more invigorating. He had always worked hard for himself, wanting to prove that he was a superior lion, but with Neph on his side, it became more clear that he needed to rise in ranks and be a lion worthy of her. Once he made it to her den, he stopped outside.“Nephthys are you in?” He called out.
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 12:44 pm
 Ever since meeting Zeruaren Nephthys had taken it upon herself to truly start behaving as a future Wife should. Their flirtatious tour of the Stormborn and the update on how things had changed had gone quite well if she was to admit, because now she had a proper Reaver wooing her as was proper. A Reaver with his eyes set on becoming a Captain, at that, and with such lofty goals of his own Nephthys knew she had to focus on being worthy to be claimed as his Wife. So she worked hard on her den, keeping it tidy and proper for a lioness like herself to live in. Clean, decorated with the trophies Zeruaren would occasionally bring her when a successful Viking was over, and welcoming. It really was only big enough for one lion comfortably, two could squeeze in if there was a sudden storm, but keeping this area pristine would prove that she could keep a den that could house two adult lions and a gaggle of cubs, plus a Thrall or two easily. It was during one of these cleaning sessions that she heard the familiar voice of Zeruaren call out to her as he approached her den. With a smile she left the pile of pelts she was adjusting to greet her visitor, a coy but delighted expression on her face. "Where else would I be when expecting your arrival?" she teased, pausing in the mouth of the den to survey Zeruaren. He had a few more fresh wounds to show for his time in the rogue lands, but also a heavy sack full of gods knew what for his troubles. "It seems you've had a successful adventure, Zeruaren," she added as her eyes finally settled on his, her smile turning a touch more warm. "Welcome back."
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:44 pm
Nephthys was perfect, Zeruaren thought, as he returned her smile. The perfect ending for today's adventure. His eyes scanned the den, noting just how cozy it was. He imagined when they had a joint den that their cubs would be play fighting all around on the pelts. Hopefully, that idea would soon become a reality. “You honor me with such a warm welcome. Some Reavers return home to nothing, but I luckily get greeted by the most wonderful lioness in the pride. There is no one I would rather see after my return- that includes our Warlord.” He said sincerely, stepping just a little closer to her. Since he joined the pride there was nothing more he wanted to do was find his perfect mate and raise a large, powerful family. He was certain Nephthys was the one. “Would you like to settle in and see the goods I managed to take from my viking?” He said with a playful grin. What could be better than snuggling up close together, sharing tales of his trip to the rogue lands, and showing off his findings? There was a decent assortment he gathered, but there were a couple of trinkets he had picked out specifically for Nephs.
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2022 7:24 pm
Zeruaren had always been rather heavy pawed with his compliments and for the more battle-minded females of the pride it might have come off as a lot, but Nephthys soaked it in. She preened as he complimented her, his comment about the Warlord drawing a delighted gasp from the her that was quickly followed by demure laughter. "Don't let him hear you say that," she teased, moving forward as Zeruaren did to bump her head against his. "You have to be in his good graces if you want that Captainship." She wanted it just as badly as he did, for what better honor would it be to be the Wife of a Captain? She was getting ahead of herself just a bit - they hadn't made anything official yet - but it was certainly heading in that direction smoothly and swiftly. The offer to show off his goods had Neph's ears perking up and her eyes sparkling with delight. "You mean aside from your new battle scars?" she asked, knowing that he was probably just as proud of those as he was the items in the bag. "Yes please." She backed up into the small den, shoving the pelts a bit with her hind paws to spread them out to cover most of the dirt floor. It would be a tight fit but they'd squeezed in here countless times before, just enough room to get cozy. "You'll have to tell me about your adventures too," she added as she laid down, leaving enough room for the larger lion and his bag.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:36 am
Of course, Nephthys was right. Anyone could hear his comment on the Warlord. It didn't matter though at this moment. He wanted to enjoy his time with Neph. “But it is true. And I want to become captain purely on my merits alone, not from playing nice.” He paused before continuing to speak. “For you though, I would hold my tongue to ensure our future success.” When she mentioned his new scars, he smirked. “These scars were well earned. A couple of our new thralls put up a good fight before surrendering. Some of them still have fight in them. I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of them participate in the next Breytast Vindar or the thrall ball to become freeborn. It will be an interesting battle if they do.” As much as he enjoyed fighting, it was always entertaining watching others fight when they had absolutely nothing to lose. The desperation in their eyes, knowing it would be all over if they lose. It was a beautiful sight. Zeruaren followed her into the den and squeezed in, setting his bag in front of him. “Where to start...” He whispered, looking into his bag. Then he pulled out two silver bangles with small blue gems on the outside. He held it out for Nephthys to see. “Here is one of the little trinkets I claimed from one of our new thralls. He didn't want to let it go, but I told him that he needed to accept the path fate has given him if he wanted to continue living. After another beating, he understood and offered me them.”
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2022 6:32 pm
"New Thralls?" Nephthys said, tilting her head with interest. She knew better than to expect a Thrall from Zeruaren just yet - they were still a bit too 'new' for him to bring her one - but she couldn't help but daydream of the day she'd have a helping paw or two. She didn't mind keeping Thralls in line but she did hope hers wouldn't be temperamental or difficult. "Hmm. Well, I suppose if they deserve to be a Freeborn it will be so." Just because they had some fire in them didn't mean they were meant to be a Stormborn, of course. But still, that wasn't her business. She was far more interested in the satchel as Zeruaren pushed it open. Her two-toned eyes shifted from item to item, finding it hard to focus on one when there were so many trinkets within. Zeruaren helped in that regard as he pulled out two shiny silver bangles, blue gems decorating the exterior. She gave a soft 'oh' of delight as she moved a little closer, watching the light catch on the stones and the metal. "A wise move on his part," she agreed softly. "They're beautiful. I love how they catch the light."
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 11:16 am
Zeru nodded. “They were picked up pretty quickly by the warlord and my captain. One of the perks of being in charge. Once I am captain, I'll be able to have my pick of thralls. Truthfully, I'd only pick the ones that were the most deserving to serve under me. I would have no use for a sickly, weak one.” He knew that stronger ones had a tenancy to be rebellious, he knew with the proper motivation, any thrall would fall in line. He watched Nephthys react to the bangles. A warmth filled his heart when she looked at them. He was proud of procuring them. “I am glad you like them because they are for you. The moment I saw them, I knew they were destined to belong to you.” Zeru said, before moving them closer to her. He hoped that he would get a chance to see her wear them at some point. It would be a moment of pride for him to know that the lionesses he fancied took pride in the gift he picked out. Going back to the bag, he dug deep and pulled out the largest item in the bag, accidentally letting a couple of the smaller trinkets fall out with it. The item was a caramel-colored, gazelle skin. It wasn't very large, but the fur was soft and the color of the fur had yet to fade. “This came from one of our hunts. I felt like it would look fitting in a Stormborn den. I cleaned and prepared it myself to make sure it wouldn't get ruined.” He explained. It might have been a job more fitting to a thrall, but he didn't want the fur returned to him in any state other than perfection.
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Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:50 am
Nephthys gave a little 'mm' of understanding. There was a fierce hierarchy within the Stormborn and in order to reap the benefits once you were among the top, you had to respect them while among the bottom. Not that she and Zeruaren were on the bottom - that would be the Thralls of course - but they were climbing to social ladder tooth and nail. Zeru had to put in the work in the rogue lands and prove he was capable of being a Captain while Neph had to dig in and make a reputation for herself all her own back here. Freeborn and Wives weren't just females in a den, they were fierce and terrifying in their own right, not to be trifled with nor ignored. Without them there would be no pride, after all. A little gasp of delight left her as Zeru proclaimed the bangles were for her, her tail flicking back and forth with delight as she inspected them a bit closer now. They were very beautiful and she knew once they were on her they'd draw much attention from the other Freeborn lionesses she associated herself with. Not only were they a new decoration, but they were an unspoken promise of courting. The females would be envious and the males would be jealous, just the way they should be. "Thank you, Zeru," she said, the happiness in her voice evident. She was about to lean over to give him a nuzzle but he was back in his sack, tugging something large out that spilled his other spoils over the den floor. She politely pushed them into a pile so they wouldn't get lost as Zeru pulled his prize free. "Oh, it's lovely," she said, admiring the way the edges were perfectly finished and the care that had gone into preserving the fur. "I can tell you put a lot of time into it, there's not a hair out of place or tear to be seen."
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:20 am
“You're welcome,” he said while smiling. His next Viking would be soon and he was certain he would pick up more. He wanted to make sure Neph was not just taken care of, not just during the courting process, but as long as he was alive. They both deserved to live in luxury, “Thank you. I could not let it be wasted by one of the other Reavers, who would ruin it with their careless paws.” Zeru said. He looked around Neph's den before looking back at her. “What do you think of letting it be in your den for the time being? I want it to be a promise to you, that I will continue fighting for you and our future. And to serve as a reminder of me when I am away.” He brushed over the fur with his paw, smoothing the fur over. Every day he felt he was getting one step closer to asking Nephthys to be his wife. He wanted to wait until he was captain, to be a lion worthy of her, but every time he was with her, he just wanted to rush to the next step of their relationship. Waiting wouldn't be too long. Other Reavers were acknowledging his leadership qualities and soon he would start working on getting a band together.
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 11:42 am
Neph have a little huff of amusement as Zeru mentioned the other Reavers. While it was true some of them were like the male beside her, steadfast and strong and cunning, it was also true that most of them were brash, headstrong, and foolish, out for a quick victory and something flashy to show for it. Eager paws would have surely ruined the pelt and left it behind as a loss. "I think that's a wonderful idea," she purred, tilting her head up to nuzzle under Zeru's chin, pressing against his mane with delight. She'd happily keep the prize here with her, both as a reminder of her strong, devoted Reaver and to show off to the other Freeborn that would stop in to visit from time to time. It wasn't every day a future Captain laid claim to a lioness, there were quite a few that preferred to be unattached. "I'd be happy to keep it here until we have a space of our own," she added, pulling back to look Zeru in the eye meaningfully. Though no official requests had been made, it was very clear that they were both in the same mindset of becoming mates once the time was right. She looked forward to the day when they were allotted a den large enough for a Captain, his wife, a few litters and some Thralls. Running the roost while Zeru was out overseeing his band of Reavers was what Neph dreamed of. "It will be safe with me and serve a perfect reminder of you when you're away."
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