Compared to her siblings, Ursa was a homebody. She preferred the safety of the forest. She enjoyed the calm atmosphere that the den and garden provided. Content to work her days away at the tender plants that began to sprout once the hides had been removed from winter. Day after day, she would sing her songs, set her traps, and harvest her herbs. A docile life for a docile pup. On the days that she did venture down to the col where the market lay, she secretly hoped she would come across the boy again. Even though he hardly spoke, she had caught her interest. He was sweet. He had been nice to her. And as much as her mother warned her that she shouldn't socialize with outsiders until she was older, she wanted to see him. To walk the market once more with him as they shared their maple candies.

To her surprise, as she went down to the market, she had seen him. A glimpse of his tail and companion leaving the market and heading east. Though pudgy, Ursa ran to keep up. Nearly out of breath, she was able to bump into him. Acting as if she stumbled, her shy smile and glittering lavender eyes looked at him. There was a question there. A hope that maybe he would stick around. Gurgled words, hemming and hawing, but finally, Ursa had been able to convince him. They could leave the safety of the Col as long as he promised to keep her safe. He was larger, older, and seemed capable of that. At least in Ursa's eyes, he did.

Following him out toward the other mountain range east of the col, she let Erik take the lead. Up the slopes, trying to hide the fact that she was indeed tired and exhausted. Holding the extra weight from those snacks she snuck from the stores at night was beginning to hold her back. Yet, no matter how often she ran or exercised, it never went away.

Finally, they stop as the opening of a mineshaft comes into view. Looking to Erik, Ursa hesitates. What if monsters were in there? As if she wasn't standing right next to one already. Not that she needed to know that. She tries to be brave though. A little adventure would be good for her. Right? Inhaling a deep breath, she walks into the mineshaft. Looking around the dimly lit cavern hallway, she thinks she sees something slither farther into the darkness. Frog? Snake? Salamander? Curious, Ursa nudges Erik to follow her. "Maybe we can catch something!" She says, almost a little too chipper as if she was trying to hide her fear.

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Erik has made himself at home in the north, just as he has in Auster. That’s the thing about vikings– they’d view any land beneath their paws as theirs. He doesn’t need to worry about things. He doesn’t need to fear. Hell, he barely even needs to think twice. Maybe there’s some entitlement to him, sure. Maybe it’s something else. It lives in his bones, it lives in his blood. It makes him feel well and truly alive and real. He is a viking. It doesn’t matter that he’s equal parts bastard and prince. Erik carries himself in such a way that… well, just look at him. It doesn’t matter that the boy wears a heavy curse around his neck. It doesn’t matter that he’s a bastard.

It doesn’t matter that he’s a bastard, save for the way he knows they look at him. He’d seen it in the Warlord’s eyes at a distance, like hearing he was Víðarr’s son came as a surprise. They knew he was Sedna’s son. Like there was an extra layer of explanations that the world seemed to want. He’s grateful that neither parent would give it so easily. Talk about entitlement. No, they would not answer the prying questions that seemed to dance behind the eyes of strangers. There are too many political machinations, too many things that he can’t bring himself to give a shit about.

Well loved, now, the boy is. He wants to be well feared, but that would come in time. He could only give so many wild-eyed glances to kids his own age, surely it would begin to rub off eventually. Please. And then there’s the question of Ursa. Okay, he doesn’t want her to be afraid of him. She’s soft, but Erik suspects she’s stronger than even she knows. The two move through the Mines in quiet tandem… he’s glad she stopped him in the market. Dad didn’t mind if he slipped off and away, thank fuck. Víðarr said something about don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, and the two were off on their own adventure.

While the vikings were trying to expand into the Crypt, Erik had gotten pretty used to being underground. It was kinda fun, like a scavenger hunt. Speaking of scavenging, Ursa wanted to… catch something. Erik had seen the slithering from the corner of his eye, too, and he could only wonder what was down here. Still, he wasn’t going to go breaking her heart about it. Of course they could try to hunt something. He gives a little nod, setting his nose to the ground. He’d rely on that more down here, along with his ears. Inhaling deeply, closing his eyes, trying to dial in on the scent.

Something distinctive smelling… he pauses. Waits. Breathes for a moment before dialing in on the right direction. There were bats deeper inside the Mines, and Erik was happy to lead the way towards them. They’d make for a good snack… right? If they could find a way to get them down, at least. Ursa would probably come up with some smart plan once they arrived at the little sky morsels. Erik was pretty sure of that much, at least.

"Speech"

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