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It took him a ridiculous amount of time to reach the den, all things considered. When Njal should've been charging to Maera's side to comfort her, to let her know that someone was still around to protect her, he just... Couldn't muster the energy. With each step, Njal could feel a strange resistance building up. He didn't want to see the den, or Maera. At least, part of him didn't. It was a terrible thought that brought with it a new layer of guilt.
Looking upon the abandoned den and seeing the darkness there - absent of the light of his life - made Njal want to stop moving. He wanted to hide away in the ice and let the world just pass him by. 'You can't do that, you have to see her. You have to take care of her.' The little fireborn girl. Mini-Tuwawi. His paws led him along the path to the den, and without thinking Njal was standing outside of it.
He didn't go any further. The dark of the den appeared to him as his own heart did - a great dark chasm, missing an essential component.