He knew that she knew, and the smile which curled across his muzzle was all too smug for her liking. He wanted her as a bodyguard, a subordinate, and Ida almost laughed in disbelief. She could have denied him then and there, if only to see his expression crumple and twist as it had with the countless others she'd defied, but she held her tongue. His words were honey sweet, but Ida knew that beneath those delicate petals and feline structure, he had the heart of a shrewd, greedy wolf.
He was offering her many things, many more than he could afford to give as he stood now. He was trying to sweeten the pot--ore, a roof, whatever meat she wanted. He offered everything but independence. He needs me, she realized, and she rasped her tongue around blunted fangs again. He needed her, but he was trying to twist it towards the opposite-- to make her indebted, and reliant.
"Never am ah gunna rely on anyone else fer stone," she rumbled. "Ain't ever gunna trust a need 'tuh someone else's paws," 'less ah'm willin' fer them 'tuh take it away. Her beady gaze flicked between the two cats as her thoughts churned, and an idea came to her then.
"Ah'll follow yuh 'fer as long as ah want, likely 'till yuh settle. Guard yuh n' teach yuh," a flicker of amusement passed through her then; he had no idea how new she was to the land as well. "In exchange ah'll take yer offer fer meat n' medicine. Perks. Call it uh test run. See how it works out 'n where yuh settle. If it's somewhere with uh cool wind n' plenty o' stone, ah'll...consider it."
Ida snapped her mandibles together with a sharp crack, and a chuckle rumbled through her barrel chest. "Yuh ever build with stone, Sol?" Her offer was simple--she would help him, he would humor her. He was no king now, but perhaps...
Her thoughts turned the idea of eventually. If she could survive, thrive, with a king that needed her and believed the opposite. Not as a nameless subordinate who relied on him for survival.
He was offering her many things, many more than he could afford to give as he stood now. He was trying to sweeten the pot--ore, a roof, whatever meat she wanted. He offered everything but independence. He needs me, she realized, and she rasped her tongue around blunted fangs again. He needed her, but he was trying to twist it towards the opposite-- to make her indebted, and reliant.
"Never am ah gunna rely on anyone else fer stone," she rumbled. "Ain't ever gunna trust a need 'tuh someone else's paws," 'less ah'm willin' fer them 'tuh take it away. Her beady gaze flicked between the two cats as her thoughts churned, and an idea came to her then.
"Ah'll follow yuh 'fer as long as ah want, likely 'till yuh settle. Guard yuh n' teach yuh," a flicker of amusement passed through her then; he had no idea how new she was to the land as well. "In exchange ah'll take yer offer fer meat n' medicine. Perks. Call it uh test run. See how it works out 'n where yuh settle. If it's somewhere with uh cool wind n' plenty o' stone, ah'll...consider it."
Ida snapped her mandibles together with a sharp crack, and a chuckle rumbled through her barrel chest. "Yuh ever build with stone, Sol?" Her offer was simple--she would help him, he would humor her. He was no king now, but perhaps...
Her thoughts turned the idea of eventually. If she could survive, thrive, with a king that needed her and believed the opposite. Not as a nameless subordinate who relied on him for survival.