heat seeker

Valkyrie had grown restless over the last couple of seasons. She'd expected some amount of discomfort considering the plethora of changes, but she hadn't thought it would strike her quite so hard. From nomadic to settled, ruler to subject, unwed to married, unattached to mother...all in what felt like the blink of an eye. Though she did her best to take them in stride occasionally a malcontent spike would scissor her heart. Valkyrie had no regrets. Coming to her mother's people for a mate had produced the desired results. Five hardy, vivacious children wild enough to make any raider jealous and wary. But sometimes she chafed under the changes. Sometimes, when she was struggling with the overwhelming tide of developments she couldn't help but long for the simplicity of Hjarrandi when she could just pick up and go as she pleased.

Restlessness had brought her to the Isle. A little day trip was in order; a small respite from the rowdy children, foreign customs and saucy husband that her world now revolved around. Valkyrie was aimlessly roving the beach with no real plot in mind besides reveling in the sounds of the beach when her eye was drawn to the drag marks that marred the beach ahead. She followed them, curious, and after a time reached a place stacked with driftwood. From there her ears detected the sounds of distressed wood. She followed the groans and cracks back to a shed and upon seeing the source of the noise reared back like a startled horse. It couldn't be. Valkyrie leaned forward with a suspicious squint. No one else alive looked like that which meant...

Deion. Valkyrie made a noise in the back of her throat; a sound that wished to be a growl but got strangled by indecision at the last second. She didn't know if she wanted to be happy to see him or mad that he'd abandoned her all those years ago when she'd been trying to put the band together. Bringing her wolves together had been like herding cats and she'd been counting on those she'd grown up with. She'd been counting on Deion and then, the bastard, just up and disappeared leaving her with cats to herd and no one to help.

Just like Aesir. Valkyrie's eyes narrowed to slits. That revelation sealed the deal. Now she was angry. "You," she breathed, on the verge of leaping at him, but riveted in place by some unseen force. "Are a spineless bastard."