It had been a surprisingly...eventful last few months for the newly chosen Jarl of house Mìmir. Sighing, he thought back to how simple things had been, only a short time ago, with his most important questions being about the strange...phenomena that had taken over the skies.
Reminiscing, he recalled how he'd ended up stumbling across the labyrinth that hid the Skiringssal from the outside world. He'd always trusted his gut, and something had encouraged him to find his way through the maze.
Even so, he'd hesitated to step forward into the void his father's death had left, and would have perhaps chosen instead to leave...if it weren't for Rúnar. The champion, who tended more to observatio than participation, had nonetheless taken him aside, and had explained in no uncertain terms the...chaos that was likely to result, and how badly it could impact the house, (assuming it didn't fade into obscurity altogether), if Eldur didn't put himself forward.
Eldur still wasn't sure just how far he could trust the other lion, since it wasn't as if they'd had time to become anything more than acquaintances prior to his ascension to jarl...but Rúnar's passion for their house was clear, and when he spoke up, it was often with a deep-seated conviction that was hard to dismiss. So he'd trusted the same hunches that had served him well to this point, and now...here he was. The responsibility weighed on him, even as the challenge of trying to raise their house's status...intrigued him.
Rúnar cleared his throat from where he stood in the shadows, a few paces away. He'd watched a myriad of emotions flit across his Jarl's face, and had left him to his thoughts...until his expression evened out into a more steady, thoughtful mien. This was a delicate conversation, but one he felt needed to be had - he served the Jarl, and more importantly, his house...but given both the youth and...foreignness of Eldur's upbringing, he'd taken it upon himself to help him find his footing, so to speak. It was only because he was finding he rather liked what he was getting to know of the new jarl that had him bringing his concerns to him directly, rather than trying to manipulate him into doing what he felt was right.
When Eldur looked at him, brow furrowing slightly in question, he sat back on his haunches, not wanting his posture to come across as overly...confrontational. "You did well, passing the tests." he began - it was always better to start with a compliment when one was about to broach a potentially-awkward subject, was it not?
Eldur narrowed his eyes minutely, trying to figure out what Rúnar was up to. He hadn't known him long, but....the Vegr wasn't inclined to unprovoked praise, and hearing him giving it made him wary. "Thank you." he said, his tone revealing none of his hesitation. Did he call Rúnar on his obvious ploy, or wait for him to come to the point? Was it better to make it clear he saw through it, or to keep his cards closer to the chest?
Proving he was just as good at reading others as his jarl, Rúnar chuckled, shaking his head. "While not the primary purpose of my speaking up, the praise is deserved." When Eldur merely raised a brow, looking expectant, he hid a small grin.
"Have you thought about what your next steps are? We're a small house, relatively-speaking, so there's less to manage, but..."
When Eldur just stared at him, his expression slightly puzzled, Rúnar pressed on. "When your father died, if you hadn't shown up and been recognized, the line would have broken, and I think it's unlikely that the house would have made it through the inevitable infighting that would have resulted."
Raising an eyebrow, he looked Eldur directly in the eye. "So it would probably be a...good idea, if you prioritized securing the line, so to speak."
Wrinkling his nose, Eldur's knee-jerk reaction was to be annoyed - while he understood that bonds in the Skiringssal, as a rule, tended to be...relatively loose, at least in regards to mates, he had still had the thought in the back of his mind that he'd get to know a lioness, enjoy her company, and if things went well, that eventually a commitment of sorts would come about. As a result, the more practical approach that his Vegr seemed to be recommending was unappealing, to say the least. His gut churned disconcertingly, even as he made himself take a moment to consider the possibility.
In so doing, he conceded to himself that Rúnar...wasn't wrong. When he'd put himself forward to step into his father's pawprints, he'd agreed to take responsibility for House Mìmir - and that meant doing what was best for it (within reason), even if it wasn't always going to be convenient. And so he waited a moment, closing his eyes in a slow-blink as he talked himself down from the irritation that the suggestion had instantly sparked.
"I don't necessarily like it, but other than adopting an unrelated heir, which, to my understanding isn't....done, I suppose it's something I need to think about." He finally said, his tone reflecting his dislike of the practicality of it, even as he agreed that it was necessary.
While he didn't outwardly give much of a sign, other than a slight widening of his eyes, the young jarl had managed to surprise Rúnar. While he'd proven himself cagey and clever in the trials that had been put before him in order to become jarl, Eldur had shown a more...romantic bent, rather than a ruthlessly practical one, and so he'd expected more of an argument before capitulating. "I have to admit, I expected more push-back on your part," he said, tilting his head almost imperceptibly to the side. "although there is nothing to say you can't pursue a more...satisfying, long-term arrangement at a later date, if that's more to your preference?"
While Eldur seemed willing to do what was needed, he definitely sounded more resigned than accepting, and so Rúnar found himself trying to make it at least slightly more palatable - he'd felt the tug of his sight when pondering this solution, and as far as he was concerned, the good of the house was paramount...but that didn't mean he wanted to see the newly-chosen jarl miserable, either.
Making another, more disgruntled face, Eldur nonetheless nodded. "That's a good point, I suppose." this was said with a small sigh, even as his eyes narrowed slightly, and he studied Rúnar with the beginnings of suspicion. "Have you already gotten so far as to have someone in mind, or is this at least something you feel I'm capable of deciding for myself?"
While he wasn't angry, per se, he thought he was justified in indulging in a moment of resentment - while he could acknowledge that his champion had been right to broach this subject with him, it was pushing him to have to do something that he found slightly distasteful. Additionally, while he wasn't averse to having the balance of a second voice to offer input, he felt a need to lay out some sort of boundary.
Without waiting for a reply, he shook his head, closing his eyes. "I'll think on it further, but if you don't mind, I think I'd like some time alone now."
Inclining his head respectfully, although Eldur couldn't see it, Rúnar made no effort to extend the conversation further - although he wouldn't be too far away, since he also took his role as bodyguard seriously, and had already lost one jarl to bad luck.
"Of course."
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