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Flickering her concerned gaze from her mother to Esther, Astrid leaned forward, placing a reassuring hand on her mother's shoulder.
Clearly uncomfortable with the attention and immediate affection she was heavily receiving from her daughter, Sigrid swatted Astrid's hand away, rolling her shoulders tensely.
Glassy, red rimmed iris' glared heatedly into Esther's.
"I said I was fine, there's no need for all this fuss!" Sigrid complained.
Carelessly disregarding her mother's comment, Astrid turned to Esther, arching a brow.
"Everything seems okay- normal?" Astrid asked quietly.
Sigrid let out a loud scoff, throwing her hands in the air in annoyance. "You don't need to talk about me like I'm not here. I'm not some diseased cattle that needs to be slaughtered."
Slouching back against the harsh wooden back of the chair, Sigrid payed little attention to the blanket that Astrid had wrapped around her shoulders, the thick furs sliding down in retaliation to the sudden movement.
The corners of Esther's lips perked up in amusement.
"Well her attitude is still intact, which is always a good sign." Esther commented.
Sigrid grumpily sent the woman a glare. "Yes, yes, very well. Is that all? Have you just come here to trade petty insults?"
Ignoring Sigrid's bitter words, Esther leaned forward, placing a hand on Astrid's shoulder, sending her a half-hearted warm smile.
"Was there anything else?"
Astrid's mind drifted back to the alarming shade of alabaster her mother's eyes had so suddenly flashed, followed by the sharp words that clearly had a deeper meaning.
The whole situation was memorable to say the least, and it had shaken Astrid up to the core.
Deciding to confine in her mother-in-law, Astrid moistened her lips, her tongue gliding across her bottom lip.
"Before she passed out, her eyes turned white and- and she said something."
Raising a brow, Esther leaned in slightly, while Sigrid's expression was unreadable. "What did she say?"
The warm smile that had once rested on Esther's lips faded into a pointed (and clearly painted) grimace.
Hand moving to rest comfortably on her stomach, Astrid tried to steady her nerves, anxiously meeting Esther's inquisitive hazel gaze.
"She said 'It shall be then, when the mark of the one becomes the mark of many, a crimson river shall bring forth the dawn of evil and the age of death'." Astrid recited, the words having been scorned into her mind.
