Little boy blue and the man on the moon

For @Ragnar (And @Thistle Cloud if Danni wants to throw her in)

The cliff face loomed imposingly in the distance as the tiny creature approached. Her pace was an unreliable thing; eager and hesitant in turns as her mind swung from one thought to another. She was eager to return home - it had been so long since she had seen her family - but how would her father react? Silver ears drooped as her internal monologue swung back to the worry. He must be furious with her! Mother too of course, but Gyda could handle her mother. It was Ragnar that she was most worried about.

A pitiful, very melodramatic whimper left the little one's chest as she halted at the pack's borders, seating herself unceremoniously. Silver ears drooped as she lifted her muzzle into the air and howled, tail wagging behind her as the note split the chilly air. It seemed even her body couldn't decide which extreme it should demonstrate.

Head dropping as the call trailed off, the sound was swiftly followed by the rumbling of the tiny Viking's belly. It had been quite some time since she had had a good meal, and the fact was showing on her underweight frame. Although she was usually a slight creature, her ribs were currently rather alarmingly visible and her posture poor with exhaustion.

Gyda speaks!

Thistle Cloud heard the call of her last born and took off after it. She ran as fast as her petite legs could carry her. She ran and skidded to stop as her daughters small svelte form came into her sights. She stared at her daughter as she warred between anger and overjoy to see her daughter. The anger won out as it often did with the tiny viking and she stared at her daughter with a fierce gaze.

Though I am very glad to see you. What were you thinking Gyda?! You left without a word a single word! We did not know if you died or what? Your brother even went looking for you!

Gyda had barely finished bemoaning the gnaw of her empty belly when a very familiar figure raced into view.

Mother! She cried, bouncing up and taking a step towards the woman, before shrinking down a little as the ferocity in those blue eyes registered. Tiny ears flattened back against Gyda's skull as she was berated, and she averted her eyes shamefully. There was a beat of silence before she broke it with a quiet, uncharacteristically subdued voice.

I'm sorry, mama, she began, moving her gaze until it imploringly met her mother's displeased one. I was playing near the borders when I got distracted. I wandered off, and by the time I realised how far I'd gone, it was getting dark. I found an abandoned den to spend the night in. And what an awful night it had been. It was so cold, mama.

She shook her head, remembering that she hadn't yet finished her explanation. I tried to come home, mother. Really I did. But I didn't know where I was, and I couldn't find the pack's scent anywhere! Little had the child known, she had ended up travelling away from her home, rather than towards it. Hence why it had taken her so long to eventually get back. I only found my way back now because a loner took pity on me and pointed me here...

She trailed off, gazing up at her mother. Thistle couldn't stay mad at her forever, could she? It was all Gyda could do not to rush at the woman for a hug. Gods, she had missed her family so much!

Gyda speaks!

Sorry if this is crap/for spelling mistakes. Mobile posting is a butt. :P

Ragnar had long since resolved himself to the knowledge that he would likely never see Gyda again. He had assumed that Nerian had stolen the young Scandinavian princess away from him though that assumption had never truly made sense given that it had been his ex-priestess wives' fear of children and him that had driven her away — so why would she steal Gyda from him? Though he'd had nothing else to go off of why should he have believed any different? As it turned out he had not known Nerian half as well as he had thought he had. Ragnar's concentration, as of late, had been on attempting to keep the fragile and tearing seams of Levi and Charon's lives together the best he could. The scarred Scandinavian did not know if he was capable of it, or if his attempts were all in vain. He could not control what the Gods had in store for the young Ostrega children but he was fighting for them, regardless.

And then there was still the matter of taking a journey back to Redhawk Caldera to tell Peregrine that as long as the offer still stood that he accepted, despite the enigma of exact details of the proposed alliance.

Surprise froze the platnium silver Viking when the call rang out, missing eye tilted skywards, throthe chilling loss of the soft winter breeze that travelled through the thick and ancient forest, coupled with the warm caress of the sun against deliberately scarred flesh. It was becoming easier now, adjusting to having one eye and the harder Ragnar pushed himself an trained, adapting his techniques to use it to his advantage as opposed to letting it debilitate him, the more positive the Jarl's outlook became. The call was familiar but also different, not entirely matchin the image of the small child he'd had in his mind, that she had been when she's went missing.

Half believing that he was merely dreaming it took a buffered moment even when he came upon the scene, fixing his daughter in his single eyed stare as he moved to stand beside his queen wife on his blind side, ears cupping forth to hear the girl's explination. His expressions were well hid though Ragnar was torn between wanting to scold her and wanting to welcome her back home. For now the stoic Jarl remained silent, figuring that he would trust in the Gods — those who already knew how this was going to go.

Thistle listened and her ears went back to her skull. They had not gone looking for her other than Mercury. Simply because they all had assumed she had gone with Nerian. Not to mention that she disappeared right around the same time that all the others had disappeared too. She sighed a little, still incredibly disgruntled, but glad to have her home. She studied her daughter for a moment.

Then she bounded forward and licked her face. YOu should have howled for us or stayed put, we would have found you! Thistle then backed up and looked to her husband and waited to see what he would do. She wasn't sure if he would so readily take Gyda back into their fold without first making sure she would be an asset. It was a cruel science, but it was the way of things.

When her father appeared just as Gyda was beginning her explanation, she faltered a little. The cause was twofold - not only was she intimidated anew by his potential reaction, but so too was she shocked by his appearance. Ragnar had lost an eye. For a moment she opened her mouth to ask what had happened, before remembering the present situation and snapping it shut. She could ask later. After all, her family wouldn't actually turn her away, would they? They might be angry, but she was certain they would never send her away.

Finally the youngest member of the group's words trailed off, and she waited impatiently for some sort of judgement. Finally Thistle rushed forwards and licked her face, and Gyda whimpered, licking back and leaning into the touch before it was abruptly gone once more. A quick glance showed that Thistle was now watching the much larger wolf expectantly, and Gyda's heart fluttered. Turning her gaze to the huge Viking, she took a tentative step towards him.

Father..? Please, I'm sorry.

Gyda speaks!

Ragnar's ears twitched when Thistle went on to scold their daughter, likely in response to the Viking girl's spoken reason for having left. If her arrival had been mere days after she had gone missing from then Ragnar might not have felt the suspicion brewing, ugly and unbidden within the confines of the flesh and bone of his chest, stirring like poison in his heart. He wanted to trust her; however, the betrayal of his priestess and the coincidence that they had vanished at approximately the same time was too much for the Viking to ignore. No matter that she was his daughter. "You have been gone a long time Gyda," Ragnar began as he broke his silence when the girl pleaded with him, adverting his eyes when Thistle moved towards the lovely Viking Princess to plant her with mothering licks. Thistle might have forgiven her so soon but Ragnar ...he had a harder heart. Colder. Cruel. "You did not speak of leaving and one day you were gone and you did not return home," And loathe as he was to bring Nerian up the Jarl understood that in order to find if Gyda was telling the truth or not it became an unwelcome necessity.

"You vanished the same time as the Prieatess did. I had thought thy she had turned you away from me, in fear of me and my Gods." Whatever emotions that remained for Nerian they were nothing more than the coldest contempt and steeled distrust. "Did Mercury find you?" He wished for word of his and Thistle's eldest, of course, hoping that it had been Mercury that had found Gyda and steered her back home though the Viking was quickly discouraged by his son's lack of presence. As it stood, Ragnar had no intentions of sending his daughter away from her home, and his heart was lightened with joy and relief that she was truly before him, but he wanted answers and for now, he had to treat her the same way he would treat any other deserter. He did not believe in coddling his children and if she did not know that already she would learn.

Thistle slid closer to her husband and sat down curling her tail around her paws. She didn't know what to say to him or Gyda. She was disappointed in a way that he was so suspicious, while at the same time she knew it was coming. It was disappointing to know that he couldn't let the priestess go, even while she was gone she was just causing all sorts of problems in Thistle's world.

Thistle pricked her ears forward hoping for news of their eldest son. She tilted her head and though she wanted to rush forward and make her daughter come home and never leave. She also knew that Gyda and Ragnar had to work this out. They needed to be honest and straightforward with each other.

Flip, I forgot we were going to say that Mercury found her. I should have had her say that he pointed her home. Oh well, too late. My bad. XD

Ragnar's expression was stony, and as he spoke, the tiny child flinched, the suspicion in his voice wounding her. She resented his distrust a little, despite understanding the reason for it. She would never even consider betraying their family. Yes father, she agreed meekly, not sure how else she could respond. She had given her explanation. Wasn't it acceptable? If he chose not to believe it, she could think of no way to convince him. Her heart raced and she blinked hard to hold back tears. She wouldn't show that sort of weakness right now, even if he was going to send her away.

His next words, if the situation had not been so serious, would have had Gyda rolling her eyes. Because I had no intention of leaving! I didn't mean to get lost! Her voice begged him to believe her, but there was a hopeless note there too. This wasn't how she had thought this would go.

At the talk of the priestess, Gyda blinked and shook her head, confused. What? He thought she had turned her against his Gods? That riled the child, and her eyes narrowed irritably. They're not just your Gods, father. They're our Gods. Do you think so little of me? It was then that her brother's name registered, and a spark of hope lit in her chest.

Mercury? she chirped, irritation gone. Yes, yes, I saw Mercury! Here her tail wagged. Here was something that might convince him to believe her. He decided to travel on to Odinn's Cove, once he found me safe. And I can prove that I saw him, father. He told me something that I couldn't otherwise have known. Cocking her head, she glanced between her parents, slightly concerned that they might be unhappy with her for mentioning it. Still. He told me, father. He told me about Crete.

Gyda speaks!

Thistle's disappointment rolled off of her in waves but Ragnar turned his blind eye to it (literally) because he did not want to have a fight with her. Not here, not now. How was he supposed to know that Nerian hadn't been to blame for Gyda's absence considering they had left at the same time. Could Thistle truly tell him that the consideration hadn't crossed into her mind as well? If she could then she was a better, less suspicious wolf than he. His daughter's words were brave, but served to irritate him at the audacity to speak back to him as she had. Ragnar's lip curled in warning. “Do not disrespect me with such a tone girl,” The Viking hissed, a low growl rumbling in his throat. It was the warning of authority, and a fatherly warning as well. No matter how old Gyda got he would always be her father and he demanded respect from his children, even if they did not like what he had to say. He was glad, secretly, that she did not forsake the Gods for Nerian's God, and for now the fear that Nerian had turned his daughter against him was soothed. “It is not how little of you I think, rather how little I think of Nerian. I know you two were once close,” Closer than they (Ragnar and Gyda) had been at any rate. Gyda had likely been the most accepting of his children when Ragnar had spoken to them of the polygamy relationship he had attempted.

It had failed. Horribly, and was in the past but Ragnar had contented himself with the thought that Nerian had taken Gyda with her since neither of them had so much as a peep about leaving or doing anything to him or Thistle. Of course Crete's name caused Ragnar's hackles to raise in irritation and he leveled in a heavy breath and let it out. Gyda knew of her true parentage as well. There were no secrets between parents and children now. Ragnar had not approved of Thistle's willingness to tell her children who their true father was but he hadn't tried to stop her knowing that in the end it was her choice. For a moment Ragnar was torn between mentioning Crete and mentioning Mercury unsure which deserved his attention first. “And? What are your thoughts on who your true father is?” Calling Crete her father was like spitting up acid — it burned in the Viking's throat with well concealed contempt and outrage — but he was curious, nevertheless.

“Mercury has went to Odinn's Cove? Why” Ragnar turned his attention to the next pressing issue. He was not overly sure what the draw was, and feared for the boy's life at the paws of Vali, though for Thistle and Gyda's sake he did not speak this fear aloud.

Unbeknownst to Ragnar she was not going to fight with him about this. He needed to welcome Gyda back on his own terms and she was not going to stand in the way of that. She was growing older and with her age, was a maturity and she was finding that it was easier to pick her battles. Her husband usually gave her whatever she wanted anyway, with or without a fight, so. Thistle's hackles rose and they fell not in the want to attack, but rather in the way his tone was. It merely startled her.

Thistle had not told the children of their parentage to upset them or Ragnar. But rather so she wasn't carrying the secret around. It had been more for her benefit than her childrens, to live with that secret always worrying someone else would tell them, it was awful. So she had taken the reins in her own hands so to speak. And it did not keep Ragnar out of the loop, after all for all things that mattered he was their father. Thistle's hackles did raise at the question of Ragnars. She would rather move on from Crete and forget he existed if she could. Granted yes she saw him in Mercury especially, but he had left and as far as she was concerned he didn't deserve a second glance. And on top of that her viking beserker had come in and stolen her heart anyway so Crete no longer mattered.

Thistle thrust her ears forward why would he go there. It is not safe there Ragnar! She quickly quieted herself too upset to listen now, fear for her oldest child eating at her.