Despite the blazing heat that blanketed the land, Katja had made the trek through the brown, withered grass to the edge of the tall cliffs she'd seen from the distance. She was panting and overheated when she arrived, her tongue uncomfortably swollen in her mouth from the heat and her body peppered with stinging scratches from the brambles she'd pushed through, but Katja embraced the mild pains. "Gaman ? leiden," she murmured aloud, speaking her family's motto like a benediction upon her own small suffering. Now, as to why she was there. The search she and her older sister had undertaken for their erstwhile cousin was not going as well as she had hoped. She had thought that upon tracking him to the land he had chosen to run away to, it would be a simple enough matter to find where he chose to make his home, but he was proving elusive. Either he was being unusually clever, he was already dead, or she'd completely mistaken the trail she'd followed. Of the three, she was not so arrogant in her own abilities as to dismiss the last possibility, but she found it hard to believe that the gods would have forsaken her so thoroughly. Could they possibly be helping Jaegar? She had thought her quest to be gods-given... could she have been wrong in that too? She raised her eyes searchingly to the sky, then lowered them to gaze into the still waters far below her. She had hoped to feel closer to the gods here, to ask Freya what she wanted of her. But she felt no less troubled than before. What sacrifice would be great enough to please the gods? For them to once more favor her quest? Did they simply wish her to stay here longer, and so kept her cousin out of reach? The straight-forward warrior did not often understand the intricate politics of gods - she was no philosopher, and so generally was not much bothered by it - but just now she wished she had some inkling of what they might want of her. "Siehe, da sehe ich meinen Vater," she whispered to herself, "siehe, da sehe ich meine Mutter und Meine Br?der und meine Schwestern, siehe, da sehe ich die Linie meiner Leute zur?ck an den Anfang, Siehe, da Sie haben rufen Sie mich, Sie bieten mir meinen Platz in den Hallen von Valhalla nehmen unter ihnen , Wo deine Feinde wurden besiegt , Wo soll der tapfere ewig leben , Auch werden wir trauern, aber f?r diejenigen freuen, die den glorreichen Tod gestorben." (German: translation: an old norse prayer "Lo, There do I see my Father Lo, There do I see my Mother and My Brothers and my Sisters Lo, There do I see the line of my people back to the begining Lo, They do call to me They bid me take my place among them in the halls of Valhalla Where thine enemies have been vanquished Where the brave shall live Forever Nor shall we mourn but rejoice for those that have died the glorious death.") She continued to stare into the depths, reflected sky and cliffs in the still waters, but her intent gaze was interrupted by a sound that had her spinning fluidly, her warrior's body at the ready for a possible ambush. "Speech"

He remembered it like it was yesterday. The image was unshakable now, even though so long had passed. His brother Einvir's blood painted the scene -- beautiful Freyleif's belly torn open, entrails spread around like a work of art. He had watched, hidden from sight, filled with both fear and curiosity. How could he not feel such pain at the passing of his kin? He remembered the panicked Jaeger rushing to their parents, explaining that a bear had attacked, and that he had fled. He himself had been confronted later, asserting the same story. He had quickly grown okay with his brother's actions, convinced he had sacrificed the two -- who now surely feasted in Valhalla alongside Odin and Thor and all the others, for being forever devout and faithful. And yet it wasn't until his brother fled home -- and he, in turn, followed him -- that he admitted he had seen all that happened. Jaeger had not been met with fear and disgust, but delight and interest. How faithful his brother was! The love that he felt for him was so deep that it could not be described. He'd had no choice but to leave home when his family had begun to question his brother's purity. The rumors of his relationship with their mother had forced him away, and in turn, Kapras?us had followed. He often wondered if he might ever see his family again, though he was fairly certain he would never return home. His fate had been chosen, by none other than the gods, and he was certain it included Jaeger. He had not seen him for so long, and yet his presence grew stronger every day. Once he had even crossed paths with his familiar scent, igniting such a sense of pride and joy within his heart. He would find him soon, but he had to be patient. Today his paws brought him away from familiar lands. Up, up, he went, climbing higher than he expected. Below the sea lapped threateningly at the shoreline, roaring defiantly. Kapras?us could not help but feel closer to the gods here, high on these cliffs, closer to the heavens above. The pale brute felt a strange sense of foreboding as he wandered, feeling as though the crashing of the waves was very much a warning from the gods for him to turn away -- and yet he wanted to know exactly what danger lurked here. A familiar scent would come to him, brought along by the sudden wind. It was not his brother's scent, no, could not be. And yet it was painfully familiar, drawing him closer. The man's eyes grew wide, brilliant pools of emerald searching the horizon for the sight of whoever it might be. He drew closer, his gait guarded and wary, so unlike his normal carefree demeanor -- and then it dawned on him. The dark-furred woman was none other than his cousin. Instead of speaking, he would remain frozen in place, a great distance away, praying silently to the gods for guidance. He did not know what she thought of his wordless departure from the family, but he could not help but feel apprehensive about their reunion.

The sight of the wolf whose approach had pulled her from her devotions struck Katja speechless. Her sleek silver-ticked pelt rose in alarm. No - it couldn't be... Kapras?us? Her older cousin, who had vanished so silently from his family, the one she had so long assumed was dead. Killed by Jaeger, as she believed he had killed the other siblings. Yet here he was, a draugr, returned from whatever unmarked grave Jaeger put him in. Superstitious fear rooted her momentarily to the spot before her own good sense and serious nature shook her free. Ridiculous to think him draugr - far more likely that he had simply managed to escape his brother's notice for the time. He was still some distance away, but Katja moved to close some of that distance... cautiously, for superstition was deeply ingrained and it was still a possibility that he was a walking corpse, and she stopped just within comfortable speaking range, no closer than that. "Kapras?us," she began flatly. "Ich hatte nicht gedacht, Sie in diesem Leben wieder zu sehen." (translation: I had not thought to see you again in this life.) Her voice held no accusation of wrongdoing - simply the same cold tone she might use to conduct business, or discuss the weather forecast. Then again, she might have used the same tone when speaking with Jaeger as well. "Speech"

The man would creep forward so carefully, his gait stiff and wary. It was so unlike his normal nature to be fearful, to be cautious. Kapras?us had always been a rather hasty creature; even as a youngster, he had been bold and fearless despite his naivety. And yet his eyes were so utterly devoid of apprehension, and instead they glimmered with manic glee. A smile threatened to break through, but he stifled it, unsure what the strange look in Katja's eyes meant. She almost seemed frightened of him! Or perhaps she was angry that he had left the family. For some time, even Kapras?us had wondered if he had comitted an act of betrayal by abandoning them, but now he was certain the gods were acting in his favor. They had lead him to his brother -- they had saved him. Step by step he would encroach on her space, never daring to come more than a yard or so from her. She was so serious -- and yet this did not surprise him, for she had always been dreadfully dull to him. Only during sacrifice would he ever consider her presence thoroughly enjoyable, and he could count on one paw the times he had seen her smile. Of course, she was younger than him, and they'd never been terribly close. And yet they were kin, and he suddenly found himself regretful that he had not come to know her better before his departure. Of course, if they had met once again, and so far from home.. it was certainly fated that they reunited, and he could not dare test fate. "Wie k?nnen Sie sicher, ich bin real, Vetter sein?" He replied with ease, his deep voice laced with obvious jest. He was certain he could bring her to laughter -- or so he told himself. He was not known for being terribly serious about anything. "Vielleicht Loki spielt Tricks auf Sie!" he chortled, shifting his weight uneasily from one paw to the other. He would pause for a moment, eager to assess her reaction. To him, it was quite a viable possibility. The gods were known for their trickery and deception when it was necessary. "Ich scherze. Es ist mir in Fleisch und Blut!" There was much to talk about, yet Kapra suddenly grew concerned about what their conversation might bring. Before his departure, there had been hushed rumors about Jaeger's relations with their mother, though it seemed the voices were silenced whenever he made his presence known. He didn't know if Katja thought these rumors might be true, but he took her as the type to care if she found out they were. "Ich glaube, die G?tter gn?dig zu heute, mein lieber Cousin! Wie lange ist es gewesen." He dared to move closer, moving as though to circle her.

Katja eyed her cousin with a healthy dose of caution as he crept closer. "Sie sind verwirrten, Vetter," she said sharply. "Nat?rlich hatte ich es als. Loki ist listig und hinterh?ltig seine Tricks." She frowned at him, her brow drawing down speculatively. He was acting odder than she remembered him being, though surely Loki's cleverness would extend to actually doing a proper imitation. "Glauben Sie, mir so ein Dummkopf, dass ich nicht? Obwohl, um wirklich zu sprechen, dachte ich, Sie ein Draugr. Haben Sie starb, und kommen zur?ck, um mich zu verfolgen, Vetter?" He had laughed and said he was real, but Katja couldn't entirely discount the idea that he was a trick. If he were not draugr or an illusion, it seemed her theory of his brother doing away with him was discounted. Why, then, had he left the family so unexpectedly? Her silver-and-gold eyes narrowed as he made as if to circle her, and she shifted so that he would not be at her back were he to continue. Cousin he may or may not be, and she could not be too cautious. "Es scheint, sie tun, Vetter," she agreed. "Da ich sicher gewesen du tot waren. Wo haben Sie die ganze Zeit gewesen?" "Speech"

Katja did not seem as amused by his suggestion that he might be Loki himself, playing a vile trick on her. A gentle laugh escaped his throat, brimming with glee -- yet he contained his jubilance at their reunion. As a child, he had always been rather excitable, often to the point of seeming quite strange, and yet it seemed that since his departure from his family his weirdness had grown. He seemed on edge, even now; poised precariously on the pads of his paws as though he might strike, or flee. And yet merely circled her, watching and waiting, his muzzle painted with a smirk that seemed unwilling to falter. "Wenn ich gestorben, mein lieber Cousin, w?rde ich nicht damit besch?ftigt Schlemmen in Valhalla sein? Oder meinst du zu implizieren, dass ich verurteilt, diese Erde f?r alle Ewigkeit verfolgen werden?" He paused his movements as she turned, quickly swiveling to face him. His head would cock to the site, curiosity masking his former joy. He was truly curious, and could not help but assume she might be implying something less than favorable. And yet the smile returned as quickly as it faded, green eyes sparkling vividly. Her question came more quickly than he had anticipated, and he was not so sure how to respond. "Ich habe f?r Jaeger gesucht," he began carefully. "Ich habe Angst um seine Sicherheit, Katja. " A long pause followed as his mind reeled. Eyes widened as he parted his jaws to speak again. "Aber was hat Sie hierher kommen, Vetter?" His voice was full of laughter. "Sie schlug mich nie als die Zeit, um Ihre Angeh?rigen zu verlassen."