Throne and the Bear

Fimblewinter- Part II

As they made their way back to the shelter, Freya hugged her brother tightly, grateful for his bravery and protection. Rune hugged her back, proud of his sister's strength and courage, and thankful that they had each other. Together, they faced the challenges of fimblewinter, and they would continue to face them, one day at a time.

Days passed, and Rune and Freya were feeling more confident in their survival skills. They had managed to find food, shelter, and warmth, and they felt like they were finally starting to make progress.

But then, as they approached their village, they were met with a scene of chaos and destruction. Their village was burning, the homes and huts ablaze, the villagers running and screaming in fear.

The siblings stood frozen, watching in shock as the maurauders attacked their village, plundering and pillaging, destroying everything in their path. Rune's heart sank as he saw his childhood friends and neighbors being attacked and carried off as captives.

Freya grabbed Rune's hand, tears streaming down her face. "We have to do something," she cried. "We can't just stand here and watch."

Rune nodded, his mind racing. He knew that they were no match for the maurauders, but he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He grabbed a nearby branch and fashioned it into a makeshift weapon, and he and Freya made their way towards the attackers, determined to fight for their village and their people.

The battle was fierce, and the siblings fought with all their might, impaling a few men, but in the end, they were outnumbered and overpowered. Just as they thought all hope was lost, a group of warriors arrived, led by their father, the village chieftain. With the reinforcements, they were able to drive the maurauders away, decimating their forces and saving the remaining villagers and reclaiming their village. But the damage had been done, and the village would never be the same.

As the sun set on that fateful day, Rune and Freya sat huddled together, surrounded by the smoldering ruins of their once-thriving village. As the villagers began to tend to the wounded and assess the damage, the chieftain gathered his children around him. He looked at them with pride and gratitude, tears in his eyes.

"You two were very courageous out there," he said, his voice shaking with emotion. "But you should have waited for backup. It was too dangerous for you to go out there alone."

Freya looked at her father with a fierce determination in her eyes. "We couldn't just stand by and watch," she said. "Things could have been much worse if we hadn't acted."

Rune, who had been quiet up until this point, suddenly spoke up, a sly smirk on his face. "It wouldn't have mattered," he said. "I would've taken them all down."

The chieftain looked at his son sternly. "Rune, now is not the time for jests," he said. "Your sister is right. You both acted bravely, but you must also be wise. You cannot put yourselves in unnecessary danger."

Rune looked down, ashamed of his words. He knew that his father was right, and that he and Freya had been lucky to make it out of the attack unscathed.

Freya placed a hand on her father's shoulder, her expression softening. "We understand," she said. "We won't make the same mistake again."

The chieftain hugged his children tightly, grateful for their bravery and their love. They were all they had left, and he knew that they would face the future together, as a family, with courage and strength. As the night fell and the village began to settle down, the chieftain retired to his hut, exhausted from the day's events. Rune and Freya, however, were wide awake, their minds still racing from the attack.

They sat huddled together by the fire, their faces illuminated by the warm glow. They talked about the bear they had met a few days earlier, the one with the massive paws and the deep growl.