Something to Protect || RP Log
Sindri ||
It was strange- being a dad. Was this how Salomon felt with he and Rollo were born? Or when Tove was?
It was like- he was suddenly responsible for other lives, in a deeper way than the relationship between a mentor and a novice. Of course it was his duty to train and keep Idunn safe during her novicehood, but now that she was grown, it was less his job. She could come to him if she needed to of course, but there was some amount of... trust, he supposed, that she would keep herself safe with what he taught her. So strange to put trust in another cat. He was surprised he was managing to do so with Inger, too. She reminded him of a warm world away from the chill of coming winter, away from the coldness inside him. That he had the capacity to let others in his inner circle- he wasn't alone. The faux spring of their little family would keep the cold out just as the hot springs melt away the snow even in the coldest of weather.
Honestly, Salomon probably didn't feel the same as he did now. After all he already knew the responsibility of taking care of a city, well, to an extent of course as his supposedly-equal rule with Gunvald seemed rather uneven, part of what led to the civil war.
Would his little ones have to experience such things in their lives? He hoped not.
He laid out on a sun-warmed rock as his and Inger's children spent time in the autumn weather. An observant eye on them making sure they were safe. This was the time they should be allowed to be safe and do as they please within the confines of their small part of the world.
Asbjorn ||
Tired of playing Asbjörn climbed onto the warm rock and flopped down next to his dad. The kitten lay on his side, his little paws pressed into the fluffy brown and black fur next to him, kneading it softly.
"Dad!", he mewed, wanting attention. "Whats you think about?"
It was an innocent question, since Asbjörn himself didn't think about a whole lot yet. Mostly the next game he wanted to play. But recently he has acquired a new interest… Even though Faélan was kinda stupid to challenge Narök, Asbjörn was still impressed by the older kitten's ideas. He knew things about Eldur that Asbjörn didn't and had tried to solve a problem without throwing paws like the other kittens did. Asbjörn wanted to be clever like that as well! Maybe dad knew more about Eldur history? Things Asbjörn could impress the others with? He should ask! Dad knew a lot of things!
Sindri ||
He watched at one of his little sons came over and started to knead him. He ruffled Asbjörn's head playfully. "What am I thinking about, hm?" Honestly a lot of things. "The past, I guess." He shrugged. "Back when I was as small as you, instead of all the leaves you have around to play in, the land was covered in deep, 'snow'." He mewed, the word 'snow' full of suspense. "Which is basically water, but so cold it's partially solid." He explained. "One of my older cousins and her friends took us through the snow to see more of camp back then since it was hard to leave the kindle. The snow will be back about the time all the leaves have fallen." Approximately, anyway. The snow of winter had not failed to return every season cycle yet.
Asbjorn ||
The kitten's ears perked up as he listened closely to his dad's words. He couldn't picture his father being the same age as him, but this 'snow' thing seemed very interesting. Though it must have been very annoying to never leave the kindle. Sometimes there were so many cats that Asbjörn needed some time alone.
"Snow…", he whispered, trying to imagine how the city might look with snow lying around. He couldn't, but it didn't matter. 'The snow will be back', was what his father had said, so it seemed like Asbjörn would be able to see it in a vague period of time. For now, he only knew 'autumn' with its brown and red leaves.
"I wants more Eldur stories!", he exclaimed excitedly. "About grandpa! And snow! Please?" He rolled around to snuggle into his father's fur.
Sindri ||
Sindri pulled his little sun close as he snuggled closer, wrapping his fluffy crooked tail around the kitten. "About Grandpa, hm? and snow?" Truth be told, he didn't have many snow-related stories. "Well, this story doesn't have snow specifically, as it was after the last snows of winter had finally melted away, but has anyone told you the story about how grandpa became the phoenix?" His own first battle, and the beginning of his self-confidence as an ember. Beforehand he had thought it was foolish of the gods to pick such a scrawny, weak cat as an ember. But... he'd been proven wrong. And thus his belief in the gods' choice- his fate- was greatly strengthened. Somehow they'd known the best path for him.
Asbjorn ||
Asbjörn shook his head quickly. That was exactly what he wanted to know about! Since Fáelán had mentioned it, he had been wondering about that. Gunvald, who didn't seem mysterious and distant and pheonix-y like Asbjörn's granddad, had been a Pheonix as well. That was all a bit confusing to him... And apparently, his brother knew more than him about this part of history and Asbjörn definitely couldn't leave it at that.
"What happened?" His eyes were fixed on Sindri's. His dad had his whole attention now.
Sindri ||
"Well," He began his dramatic tale. "Long ago, before I was born, grandpa and Gunvald decided they would rule side by side. But Eldur started running out of food. Grandpa thought the food should go to the seekers first so that they might have the strength to hurt more for everyone. Gunvald thought the food should go to the elders first to preserve their wisdom. Not only that, but as the fire, grandpa felt that Gunvald was not treating him as an equal leader. The city became split between the two sides, though it was hard to see." He had been too young at the time to really notice the split in the city.
"One day, right after I became a novice, grandpa set a plan in action. Along with many of the seekers in the city, Grandpa sought Gunvald's surrender. But instead of backing down from his phoenix rank, the two threw themselves- and the whole city- into battle." The confusion, the crowd, the blood and dust in the air. There was only so much the dramatics in his tone could convey. "We were finally able to drive Gunvald and the attacking embers away and grandpa stood as the new phoenix." Of course there was more to the story, like how the city came together again and how Gunvald got put as permanent kit-watcher, so he could continue if his son wanted him to.
He stretched out his right foreleg, the one that had some somewhat-faded but still quite present bite mark scars. "That battle is where I got this- and the ones on my side. Reminders of my first victory as an ember."
Asbjorn ||
Asbjörn listened in awe, while Sindri told him the story of the current and former Pheonix. They had been fighting about who should eat first. Would Asbjörn have to fight against Narök or Loki, if they ever disagreed on something? He thought not, but the young kitten never had been in such a situation. It was kind of hard to picture a fight at that scale… His dad and uncle seemed very close, too, and as far as Asbjörn knew, they didn't fight against each other either. It would probably never come to that!
"So now the seekers get to eat first?", he asked curiously, but then looked at the battle scars his dad was showing him. Even though it didn't seem possible, his eyes shone even brighter. Sindri had been fighting for grandpa! "Dad, you are so awesome! Will I learn to fight like that as well?"
The kitten was pretty satisfied with the explanation he was given about the Phoenixes. It was something, he could tell the other kittens and hopefully, they would be very impressed. But there was one still question, he wanted to ask…
Sindri ||
"Well, since then a lot has changed. Gunvald and the cats who allied with him returned and we had a battle with Stormr and managed to get some more hunting grounds. So you all get to grow up in a city that isn't starving and everyone is able to eat." Sindri explained, ruffling Asbjorn's head fur with a paw. Admittedly Sindri had never been the hugest eater, he had always been a rather thin cat, though by now he obviously wasn't starving-thin and some muscle from his training as an ember made up for it.
He chuckles at the compliment. "Maybe! We'll have to see what the cards have in store for ya. I can assure you, the gods are good at choosing roles." Admittedly he had his own doubts in his skills as an ember at first, being a weak skinny twig of a kitten who became a novice late from illness. But after the past battles, especially his first one, he was certain they had chosen correctly. And Rollo was an amazing seeker with innovations to drastically improve how traps work. "Regardless I'm sure you and your siblings would be excellent fighters. If your mother were an ember she would be a strong ember, though the gods felt her talents in crafting were what the city needed."
Asbjorn ||
The kitten grinned slightly as Sindri ruffled his head fur with a paw. It was great to hear, that no one would have to be hungry for long. Asbjörn didn't like the feeling of being hungry after all.
When his dad mentioned the cards, the young tom became thoughtful. He had watched the ceremony of his cousins, so he knew what was going to happen. Letting the gods choose his fate was exciting and he couldn't wait to see, what was in store for him. Later, he might worry about not liking or being very bad at what was chosen for him. But that was a problem for future Asbjörn. At this point, he didn't quite understand what each task would require of him. Everything sounded fun and amazing!
"Mum makes so many pretty things!", he praised, thinking about all the shiny stuff she had shown him. "I'll be happy if I can be a maker or an ember. And also a seeker!" And after contemplating for a moment: "And being a healer might also be fun. My friend Mista is a healer novice and she is very cool!"
Asbjörn snuggled closer to his dad, enjoying his company and assuring presence. But he hadn't forgotten the question that was still burning in his mind.
"What are mares?", he asked. He heard the older cats talking about them and he knew they were something bad, but he was never told any details.
Sindri ||
"That she does," Sindri purred in agreement. Inger was quite talented at her job. "That's good to hear, I think you will be grand at whatever you get." He had become rather find of healers over the seasons. Perhaps it was because he still missed a certain healer he had grown up around. One that fostered his interest in learning all he could. "It is good to have friends you can learn from, even if they are a different role from yourself." He would never unsee his father's punishment for his healer friend, and then his demise from the very thing the healer had sought to end. He wished he had spoken to him after he returned while he still could.
"Mares, hm?" He hummed thoughtfully. "A relatively new enemy. Creatures that show up in the dark of night while you sleep. They cloak the city in darkness and put out our torches. They speak with the voices of those who are gone. But remember- the gone never come back, so if you ever encounter a mare, don't let it fool you." If he hadn't seen them himself, heard them speak with- Alotte of all cats voices??- then he would think they were fake. He thought about the protection rune in his possession. Perhaps- perhaps he should hand that to his children. Being a father felt so strange still, feeling that sense of needing to protect someone that wasn't himself or Rollo? Feeling attached to not one cat (being Rollo), but also Inger and these little bundles they brought into the world.
Asbjorn ||
Asbjörn grinned at his dad and nodded. Having friends was great and having cool friends like Mista was even better. He also wondered if it would be more fun for him and his siblings to all have different jobs, or to all have the same.
If we all get different jobs, we will have a lot to learn from each other, he thought. And if we have the same we can help each other out! Conclusion: Both seemed fine, at least while Asbjörn didn't think about something like jealousy playing into that. "Did you and uncle Rollo share many tricks? Or are seekers just allowed to do seeker stuff and embers just ember stuff?"
The kitten gasped while picturing a nightmarish enemy in the darkness. It was kinda worse than he thought… It was scary to think they might attack while he was sleeping. On the other paw, his family's tent felt safe with his parents around. He knew they would always protect him. "But they won't attack anymore, will they?", he asked, still kind of worried. "Everyone scared them away?"
Sindri ||
"Well, your uncle Rollo used his smarts to come up with an improved trap with the makers, likewise I helped inspire your mother's idea for a new weapon. And of course he got some fighting practice with me." Sindri chuckles, giving his son a toothy grin. There was probably more he and Rollo had learned from and inspired each other, but he couldn't think a good example at the moment. They'd grown up together, been through Hel and back and he would do it all over again if he could be by his brother's side.
He hums thoughtfully at Asbjorn's questions. "They're still a foe we're still dealing with, however you have a whole city of cats to protect you. Especially me and your mother, and we'll do everything in our power to protect you. Actually-" He bent around to reach his bag and pulled it in front of himself, digging inside and pulling out a simple necklace that bore some sort of rune. "I want you to have this." He had something to protect. "It's a rune of protection- Aegishjalmur- and I want you to keep it with you in case you and your siblings are ever in danger and me or Inger are unable to reach you. You can wear it to give you the courage to protect yourself and them." There was a fondness in his gaze. "And you can keep it between us until it's needed, hm?"
Asbjorn ||
Asbjörn nodded, validated by his father's explanation about sharing experience. That was exactly what he planned to do later with his siblings. They would all show each other cool tricks! Maybe even inspire great innovations everyone would talk about for generations…
But right now, thinking about the Mares, Asbjörns neck fur stood up a little, which made his mane even bigger. They might come back… But his father was of course right, that his family would protect him and the whole city would hold together as well. I want to protect others, too, as soon as I know how, he decided. While he was thinking that, his dad pulled out something from his bag, which made Asbjörn strain his neck a little, curious to see what it was: A necklace with a rune on it, that Asbjörn didn't know.
"Aegishjalmur", Asbjörn repeated after Sindri, in awe about this special gift. It was supposed to give him the courage to protect, exactly what he wanted to have.
The kitten nodded slowly, touching the rune with a paw, then turned the necklace around to look at all of its sides. Finally, he looked up to meet his father's gaze. "I won't tell anyone", he promised. It felt special to have something like this, to know it might help him if the need arose. And the secrecy made him feel like he was on some kind of adventure, only he and his dad knew about.
He purred softly and rubbed his head against his dad's shoulder. Then he got up on his paws. "I'm gonna hide it real good!", he said with a smile and hopped down from the rock, the necklace in his maw. All the new information he had learned today, flooded through his mind, while he stepped away from his dad to bring his new treasure to a safe place.
Sindri ||
"Always keep learning things, son. Knowledge is a powerful weapon." He purrs as Asbjorn takes the necklace. This felt right. Like the gods guided his paws.
"Good kid," He praised as Asbjorn committed to the secret, giving another pat on the head. A secret between father and son. Had he had such a thing with Salomon? He couldn't recall. He was only close enough with Rollo out of his family really, maybe Dagny when they were younger. Perhaps that just meant the family bonds were stronger here. That was both a blessing and a curse; loss and betrayal would hurt more, but it also meant that he had something new that was worth protecting and not be so co-dependent on Rollo.
"You do that!" He chuckles good naturedly as he watches his son bound away to go hide the small trinket. He waved him off and curled up more tightly again on his rock. Thoughts continued to wander; The sword, the shield, and the hunter. The idea of the invincible trio of the brothers and their big cousin Dagny that had hung in his mind since he was small felt like it was a dream now. Something only formulated by his own mind, fading away as time passed.
And fading away was his consciousness as the small tom dozed off in the warmth from the sun.