Ragnar watched as Peregrine's subordinate rose, dismissed herself and left. If he were a different kind of man he might have felt guilty about nearly excluding her from his and Peregrine's conversation, but he wasn't a different kind of man. His gaze did not linger upon her disappearing form, instead returning back to Peregrine when the other man let out a dry laugh and responded that Junior wasn't on good terms with him currently. He didn't comment on the fact that Junior would probably be happy to see him, he couldn't say for sure because it had been a while since they had last seen one another, but he would make good on his promise and go visit her. “No, it's recent,” Given, that Peregrine likely wasn't aware of Ragnar's polygamy relationship might have been confusing, the Viking considered. “I had a polygamy relationship for a short while, it was a mistake,” Ragnar said coolly, feeling irritation and betrayal rise like an ugly beast within the confines of his chest. “I am lucky that Thistle loves me still, however.” Because it was just the two of them now, as it would be forever more. He had tried to take more than one wife and it had bit him directly in the ass. “Thank you. We do not know if she would return or seek shelter elsewhere in the Wilds,” Granted, it was a vain hope. Ragnar was fairly sure that he would never see Gyda or Mercury again, and if he didn't then at least it was their choice but he wished they would have stayed. They were his children, no matter what. “Maybe if Thistle and I have children this coming year I can convince them to stay,” Ragnar spoke dryly, with a coy smirk that didn't at all reflect how he felt inside. No matter what was said to him he would always feel that, as a parent, he was somehow at fault for his daughter's disappearance, never mind that he suspected Nerian had ran off with her.
“We are small but the wolves that stand behind me seem to be extremely loyal,” They weren't overflowing with wolves but they were at least swimming as opposed to sinking. To say that Ragnar did not worry about such things would be a lie, and if he were to lose his Bay then he was not sure what he would do but he doubted he would stay in the Wilds. He could not go back to being a subordinate. Not when, in truth, he'd be plotting his take over the entire time, and there was nothing that said starting a pack anew would make it more prosperous than it had been before. Though Ragnar did not linger upon such things, he kept them as considerations for if the worst should come to pass. Peregrine's following words, however, managed to recapture the Viking's attention, surprising the Northman. Accepting a proposal of an alliance between Stavanger Bay and Redhawk Caldera would go against what Ragnar vehemently stood for; and if the Jarl recalled correctly Peregrine had shared in that sentiment himself. There were so many reasons why Ragnar did not believe in them, so many ways that they could go wrong, and Odinn's Cove had done well being solitary. Not concerning themselves with the other packs in the Eldingar Valley, it had worked extremely well because their neighboring packs were subjected to raids, at the mercy of the Berserkers. Yet, Stavanger Bay wasn't Odinn's Cove — Ragnar's effort to re-create his birth pack had failed though this was mostly because it's life blood was too diverse. Ragnar had his traditions but he could not force them upon any of the others that wasn't how conversion worked.
Ragnar understood what it signified, and in turn understood that if he accepted the proposal that he would not only look like a liar, or if not as extreme a man who went back on his word, but that it was also a huge act of faith ...and trust. Even if they never had to call on one another to take up arms to defend their allied pack. The Viking hesitated for a moment, considering things, weighing the pros and cons that he could visibly see, but he, like Peregrine, would need to seek the council of his wife before he proceeded with a solid yes, or no. “I should seek my Queen's opinion before I make a decision on the matter,” Ragnar confided to Peregrine, but Ragnar was heavily considering Peregrine's proposal.
