Stone Circle Grace, just hold me in your arms

"...and the lady knew she could not abandon the little one the way the rest of the world had...

so she called that little one, bjarna. and she took that little one and said, i will love you forever. you will be safe with me. you will never be alone again."

mother bear

---

the last time they spoke, there had been a story. a truth brought to light and promises of love. of safety. of never going through what she had been born into. mother bear had saved her and given her a full life. a life of siblings and family. a life of a home with bustling bodies. she had never been hungry again after meeting her mother. she never had anymore cold nights or fussy times.

now bjarna had busy days. dotting upon her brothers and collecting strays around the stones. she brought home those in need. those who had also been left behind to be alone, without a family. she made trades with those nearby too. connections so that kvarsheim may never go without.

so that her brothers may never go without.

and it was here, in the cold of the night, that she realized one of those brothers was missing. skáld was nowhere nearby. dagur laid in a lazy sprawl, shoving paws into her as he slumbered. snoring like a beast. unbothered by much of anything it seemed. yet she did wonder how he felt in these uncertain times.

regardless, skáld was the one who lived in the forefront of her mind this hour.

which meant she planned to go find where her softer sibling decided to sleep — or what kept him busy so late into the night.

she had missed the show in the sky that might have captivated her too.

but she did not miss the stars. nor the way he sat under them, looking rather...distant. perhaps he had fallen asleep stargazing. then she worried that another grand dream might take over him and she would not be able to live with herself if she was not there to comfort him.

little star, she called to him softly. not wishing to disturb him if he was asleep, if anybody else was around.