Stavanger Bay we gather in shadow and ash

Doe turned away from Muses and the children, her face made hard by the grief of the weeks leading up to this day, and by the singed fur that now revealed the sharpness of her bones under blistering skin. But when she looked on Szymon and when she heard his voice, something in her fearsome visage seemed to unravel. The red woman did not seem to soften, but there was something soft in her eyes, something that kept her from returning to the sorry state of Doctor or even Atoll. Doe Cairn. She was a Cairn, now.

"I am with you," she said, and the words were hushed and grave, but they were not soft as they had once been. Like the gull mantling its wings, the red woman drew herself up, ready to do what was needed. Together, they walked toward the Black Rock as the sky broke upon above them, and a dreary drizzle began to paint dew-stars over their coats. Despite the purpose laced through their even strides, the pair did not seem to hurry. Both were aching, world-weary, still feeling the sting of fear and betrayal from all their recent losses. It was difficult to shoulder the sum of all their losses and the uncertainy of their future, but together, the pair marched on.

"You've made my heart proud, Szymon," said Doe, her pace slowing as the sea sprawled out before them. Yellow eyes scanned the waves before slipping away, lovingly tracing the set of her husband's jaw. "You will make them all proud to serve under the Cairn name."