Stone Circle In this place where we stand

She seemed to cheer up when she saw the two of them, and that made Skáld's heart hurt a little bit less. He did not like seeing her weary and grieving; he made his best attempts to keep a brave face for the children, but for her he softened, knowing they could share a sadness they could both fully understand. 

She spoke for Fig- and for him, and he settled down onto his haunches to listen. 

His head tilted every now and again as he sought to understand. At first, he thought she might be resigning from her leadership position- when she spoke of Gunnar, and of there only being four wolves at one point. Her tone was honest, and he thought he detected a note of guilt- and he was preparing to tell her she must continue to lead them until he realized she wasn't stepping down, but asking others to lead with her.

His mouth opened slightly and his expression smoothed. He felt relieved to realize that she would still lead; it was insurance, after all- that she intended to stay, rather than fleeing from the grief. 

Then he did the math; Figment and Tauris were two; she had said three-

He was surprised when she turned to him, then. His soft ears flicked forward, the faintly tulip edges lifting slightly. His gaze dropped when he considered Bjarna, and was surprised to realize that she was right. Was he truly Bjarna's age, now? He still felt like a child sometimes- and yet, when he was taking care of the children, he felt almost like an elder. 

He might not have had a great deal of faith in himself and his own abilities. Still struggling with the common tongue occasionally, he could only imagine that he might struggle a bit when speaking with visitors. While he felt like a protector in his heart, he wasn't sure he'd ever had a real fight in his life- and hoped he would never have to, either. He was not bold enough to lead hunts, and only dabbling in medicinal plants which would be covered by snow soon enough. 

But anything Tauris asked of him was impossible to turn down. Quietly, he smiled, grateful to have been included, and he nodded.