𝐁𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄.

DRESSED  IN  FURS  AND  LEATHERS  HE  EMERGES  FROM  THE  TREELINE,  SMOKE  FROM  FIRES  RISING  INTO  THE  SKY  FURTHER  AWAY  FROM  THE  SHORE.     &     with  no  mind  for  the  wind  that  slices  at  exposed  skin,  ivar  narrows  his  eyes  as  if  the  sunlight  glaring  off  the  snow  blinds  him.     ‘     hver ertu  ?     ’     upon  receiving  no  name  but  only  a  growl  in  return,  ivar  begins  to  understand  that  they  do  not  speak  his  tongue  and  must  have  sailed  from  the  mainland.  is  their  arrival  an  accident,  or  intention  ?     ‘     that  loyal  friend  of  yours—  it’s  a  direwolf  ?  we  do  not  have  those  on  skagos  but  we  believe  in  a  monstrous  wolf,  fenrisúlfr,  who  will  devour  the  sun  when  the  world  ends.  i  am  rather  hoping  it’s  not  today.     ’     he  huffs  a  laugh,  wide  -  eyed     &     with  a  manic  shine,  before  reaching  down  to  one  of  his  iron  -  wrought  braces  around  his  legs  to  turn  back  to  the  treeline,  supporting  his  weight  with  the  crutch.     ‘     i  am  tired  of  standing  around.  if  you  favor  some  warmth  and  maybe  something  to  eat,  we  might  as  well  go  back  to  the  village.     ’

  𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒...     such a creature slumbers not within the great blackened beast behind the child,    but rather within the boy’s own chest;            eyes a glacial tundra containing more than just the vicious winds of a winter storm,    growl building within his throat more a vow than a threat.      man kind had created a monstrous little thing out of one of their own young / created a wolf from a little boy and  dared  to  call  it  kin.        catching a dull glint of sunlight from the steel of the man’s braces,   the child—   more beast than boy—   hesitates no longer.    ah,  there was a time when rickon had seen similar braces upon his brother’s own legs,  allowing the male to ride his horse...  and it was those times where rickon was suddenly transported in his minds eye;  beast racing after boy, as the child dashes leaps and bounds across the span of the forest that separated rickon from the stranger before him...   a name,  as dead as his own,  lingering ‘pon the back of rickon’s tongue   “ bran “.        princeling, heir to the throne, the only family he had left!