Stavanger Bay gently, gently, the constellations aligned

godson @Rannoch

she had not known of the events that had transpired but a day or so ago. she came, weekly, to care for skellige and to be sure he was recovering well. she was the fire beneath his eyelids, and wondered when the rest of him would ignite again. but she was patient with the man, as he was with her. she established, in the meantime, her rule within donnelaith.

aria and constantine had been gone for some time, and had not yet returned. there was not yet sign of them on the coast, though she had not yet diligently searched yet. donnelaith was her priority; her father had spoken to her, and had said, always put donnelaith first.

winter was coming. deirdre felt anxious that those that had raised her had left her before teaching her of its tenacity and its bite both. the chill weather was a prelude to something deirdre had only known as a cub, and it was difficult to recollect those days now. she had come to speak with skellige about the future, their future...

deirdre had called to @Skellige, and he received her. there was little time for her to speak on her thoughts in the crisp autumn evening, for he ushered her inside and spoke to her of a boy he had found and taken in. he informed her of that very boy being thrust into the ocean by he himself, and deirdre watched him as he spoke calmly. for her own part, deirdre did not question him. the boy remembered himself--was named rannoch--but skellige desired that she look over him. there was truly no question of it, for if she did not do it for the boy himself, then certainly she would have, for the leviathan beside her!

deirdre did not know the manner in which the boy was taken. the pale, ethereal witch did not ask; perhaps rannoch would share it with her, perhaps he would not. skellige lingered while deirdre peered into the mouth of the den, her voice soft and warm, gentle and truly sweet: hello--rannoch? she was thoughtful for a moment, her emerald eyes adjusting to the dim lighting of where rannoch rest--she caught only the outline of him. may i come in?