Hushed Willows Heart Beat Here

The excitement in the boy's eyes did not escape her. For a moment, there was the temptation to lift her lip as he pushed his nose to her face. It had been so long since she had felt real physical contact with anyone that her instinct was to shy away from him. An uncharacteristically gentle smile washed over her instead. It was evidence of exhaustion, though there were none now that knew her well enough to recognize it. Her body condition and dulled fur betrayed what had befallen her after her brothers had abandoned her. Again.
I am, she confirmed. All alone.
Her mind felt fogged with the aftermath of her sveppa habit. Her body had been rid of toxins from taking them, but whatever knowledge she had hoped to gain from the earth had become little. It was hardly a pleasant experience she had put herself through. Her scent was strange, and her spirit drained. The fire was dim.
He has abandoned me. As have my brothers, she answered vaguely. The poppy girl allowed Njord's touch, sitting down beside him and closing her eyes. It hurt. She had been avoiding admitting the pain of having those she loved leave her a second time. She had tried to cover it, put it in a steel box and hide it away. She was meant to be Valmúa, queen of the north. But she was not.
But you have not, have you, gæludýrið mitt? She looked at him expectantly.