Grey Souls

A Mother's Riddle

Chapter Two

Drinking deeply from the herb infused water Daga swallowed the earthy concoction down with a small eye twitch before passing it to Bjorn who sighed heavily before taking the offered container and drinking just as deeply with a grimace as he handed it back to his sister, Daga couldn't help but chuckle at his facial expression.

"Shut up." Bjorn said poutingly causing Daga to laugh louder at her brother's child like response.

The warriors had been on their journey for three days and if they kept at the steady pace they were currently at they would need another three to make the farmhouse. The brother and sister duo stayed side by side at the back of the procession with their mother at the front.

Bjorn couldn't hold his tongue any longer "Are you worried?"

Daga smirked slightly as she gazed at the warriors riding in front of her she was expecting her little bear cub to finally ask such a question "In a sense yes. We have two little brothers we have never met before and one on the way. We have not seen Uncle Rollo and Aunt Siggy in some time and I worry about Ragnar's reaction to seeing us. I also worry.."

When she did not finish Bjorn softly pressed forward "You also worry about what?"

"I worry I about my own reaction. And other things I do not feel like talking about at the moment. Are you worried?"

Bjorn nodded in understanding before replying "I am, I fear he will hate me for leaving."

"You are his first son Bjorn he could never hate you." Daga spoke softly her words filling Bjorn with a deep warmth.

"Just as he could never hate you. You are his first born and his first daughter, you made him a father." Bjorn said causing Daga to flinch at his choice of words as their similarity to words spoken to her many years earlier by none other then a God.

"So I've been told."

The pair rode in silence before Bjorn asked a question that truly caught Daga off guard
"What is it like being a parent?"

Daga gazed at her brother her purple eyes clashing with his blue ones and giving him a lovingly warm nurturing smile.
"Being a parent is unlike anything I can fully explain little bear, being a mother is unlike anything I've ever discovered before. Ubbe makes me strong when I feel weak, he gives me faith when I lose my place, he gives me hope when I start to lose my sanity. He's a literal part of my soul walking around outside of my body."

Bjorn mulled these words over with a soft smile he often found himself dreaming of the days when he would have his own little ones to call him Papa, his nephew meant the world to him just as his sister did and he had no idea what he would do without either of them.

"Do you wish for more children?" Bjorn asked causing Daga to smirk at him "I've seen the future brother I know I have more."

"How many?"

"One."

"Boy or Girl?"

"A Girl. It seems I am destined to bare children that look like our parents my son will look like Ragnar and my daughter will grow to be the spitting image of our mother." Daga joked causing Bjorn to smile and chuckle. "I'm sure I'll see plenty of you in her, regardless of how similar physically Ubbe will come to look like Father he can not be mistaken for anyone's but yours."

Daga smiled brightly at her brother as the pair kept on riding side by side never noticing the abnormally large raven that followed silently over their heads on their journey.
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Daga took a deep breath before submerging her entire head deep within the water of the river opening her eyes she felt her mind fade as a vision came to her suddenly.