Gyda let out a huff. The babes were active and one of them had decided to kick her right in the stomach. It was strong enough to wind her for a moment and she paused in her trek to find the origin of the howl. She moved her head to the side and squinted at her rotund sides — had she been that big yesterday? — and spoke softly to her belly “Behave children,” with unbridled affection in her tone. Perhaps she should not be patrolling the borders. No doubt if someone decided to attack she would be a liability in her current state: she could not move like the Shield-Maiden she was. She was lumbering and had to take frequent breaks to relieve herself and to simply rest. Still, what was she to do? Stay in her den all day? Gyda didn't do well with being cooped up and she knew there would be plenty of time to be cooped up when the babes came into the world. She took their movements — and occasional abuse of her innards — to be a good sign. They were alive and strong enough to battle one another within her womb.

When her breath returned she pushed forth, a steeled edge to her gaze, her head and tail high as she approached the scene. Her eyes touched Wildfire first: a blaze of red against the backdrop and then it slid from Wildfire to the woman who had spoken, asking if Wildfire was the Alpha. “I reign here as Viking Queen.” Gyda spoke to announce her presence, recognizing the stranger's accent as a mirror of her own. Yet, the woman herself bore no recognition from Gyda. She was not of Odinn's Cove or Freyja's Moor ...from another Viking clan, then. Gyda had heard of them — knew that they existed elsewhere but had never before came to meet one.

Gyda could feel them move once more — the flutter in her womb a direct confirmation to it — and shifted her weight once but remained standing despite that she desired to recline back upon her haunches. Reclining showed an comfort that she did not feel, yet. Certainly, there was some draw of kinship with this other viking woman but it was not deeply seeded. She was not of Odinn's Cove and Gyda could not let the trickle of excitement she felt at meeting a Viking from another clan that was not directly related to the Cove or the Moor cloud her judgment. This was exactly that: a judgment. There was much Gyda needed to consider and just because they shared a culture and a faith did not mean an automatic acceptance. Gyda needed to be careful of who was allowed into Sleeping Dragon, especially as close to her due date as she feared she was. She had perhaps two weeks or so to go, yet. Not far, at all. She needed to know that she could trust the wolves beneath her rule with her children. Already there was one within their ranks that she did not and could not trust though, admittedly, she had not seen hide nor hair of the girl in some time.

Queen. The word in Ragnar's native tongue fell from the stranger's lips and Gyda took a moment to revel in it. It had been some time since she'd heard it, since she'd spoken it. It was familiar to her and Gyda had not realized how fiercely she had missed it until this very moment as it graced the air between them. It took Gyda a moment to realize that Wildfire had begun to speak, making the introductions. Lagertha, the woman's name was. “Thank you, Wildfire,” Gyda offered the flame kissed young woman with a warm smile and a sage nod. Wildfire had taken a step back but Gyda was silently grateful that she did not leave all together. “Þú talaðir um að þú getur barist,” Gyda drew, letting it be known that she had heard, at the very least, the tail end of what Lagertha had spoken. It was refreshing to speak in the tongue of her people, though she reverted back to the common tongue out of courtesy for Wildfire whom lingered nearby. “as you can see a famine has us in it's grasp. What other skills can you offer us that will be beneficial to us?” The expecting mother inquired. Sleeping Dragon had plenty of warriors and guardians ...they needed hunters, they needed medics. She needed to ensure that every new member could aid them. The green had begun to return but it was a slow process and the herds had yet to reappear. The worst might have been over, perhaps, but their lives were still threatened and things remained grave yet. Gyda did not allow herself the foolish hope that they were out of the deep end just yet.

Their dialect, Gyda quickly realized, was a little different. Not entirely — she could still make out the words albeit with some struggle — but the subtle differences only confirmed her conclusions earlier: she was not of Gyda's own clan(s). “nei, hún er ekki” Gyda responded and did not intend to further their conversation in their native tongues for the sake of not wanting to be discourteous to the flame kissed girl who lingered nearby. “It is the same for me,” Gyda admitted, waving away the apology with her words. She could not help but think that it would be nice to have another Nord in the Dragon, that she would have help with the sacrifices — despite that the famine made it hard to do any such thing — and could speak with someone that understood. Still, the judgment needed to be passed yet and Gyda firmly reminded herself of this.

Her attention was briefly pulled away from her task at hand when another approached — Thuringwethil — and as her lips parted to address Lagertha, whom had spoken once more, Wildfire had addressed Thuringwethil and then quietly added that she would leave her to it and departed. Confusion flitted across the Viking Queen's expression at Wildfire's abrupt departure, followed closely by Thuringwethil's own retreat after Wildfire sparked the heavily pregnant Queen's ire. Her irritation showed on her face and a low growl threatened to rumble in her chest. Perhaps it had been her hormones to spark such an instant reaction to their strange behavior while she was trying to tend her duties as Queen but it left her highly irritated at them both.

Alas, the task at hand was not over and Gyda offered Lagertha a sheepish smile. "ég er því miður” Gyda spoke gesturing at where the two women had disappeared. It had been rude, in Gyda's opinion and a situation she deigned to deal with later. “It may be some time before you can prove your true prowess as a hunter, if you specialize in big game. All that is left are small woodland creatures but I am hopeful that the herds will return soon,” Gyda spoke with a soft sigh. The famine had been hard, was still hard but the green she saw sprouting up was enough to lift the hopelessness she had begun to feel, the fear for her babes and what they would be welcomed to when they came into the world. They would not go hungry — no doubt she had milk enough for them — but she was tired of going hungry despite that she probably ate more than most of those in the Dragon if only in the interest of her babes. “I will soon be indisposed of fighting, at least until the babes are old enough to eat regurgitated meat,” Which was when she could entrust them to a sitter and tend more physically to her duties. “An extra set of ears and eyes on the borders would not be unwelcome.” At least Gyda could say that the Dragon and her precious babes were well guarded.

“Sleeping Dragon is not a Viking pack. You have seen the woman that leads beside me, the ebony one, Thuringwethil. Her title is Heda and her culture is different. Similar enough to mine...to ours that it works. She may not be a Viking but she gets the same respect that you show me. We do not tolerate insubordinate here.” Gyda herself did not tolerate insubordination but she would not tolerate it towards Heda either and she felt the need to make that clear given recent events with the Fos Goufa.

The other woman did not seem to be bothered by the odd exchange...and the simultaneous departure of the two women and for that Gyda was grateful. “Good,” Gyda breathed when Lagertha made the promise of treating Thuringwethil with the same level of respect that she would show Gyda herself. That was all Gyda asked: respect and that their weight be pulled. Nothing that she did not expect of herself. “I see no reason not to welcome you into our fold so long as you pull your weight. You will hold the rank of Mu, for now.” It was the bottom of their adult tier, admittedly, but there was plenty of opportunity for Lagertha to prove herself to Gyda and Thuringwethil, and surely plenty more to come while Gyda was left indisposed with the birth of her babes. It would be soon, the shield-maiden's body told her. Every thing was ready...Gyda was ready. Now, all that she could do was wait and while she waited the Viking Queen figured she might as well make herself as useful as she could. “Come,” The shield-maiden encouraged with a soft smile and a gesture of her muzzle. “Let me give you the tour ...though it may be slow.” A sheepish grin was given before Gyda began to walk, expecting Lagertha to follow after her.