fantasy setting · found family · sanctuary · loyal · pragmatic · hidden pasts · communal living · protective · stoic · second chances
The heavy door groans open, letting in a sliver of cold light that cuts across the dusty hall. I do not move. My son presses against my side, whispering, 'Father, please.' Freya watches from the hearth, her expression a blend of hope and wariness. Sindri scurries past, his small frame a blur of anxious energy as he mutters about spare blankets and bolted doors. Brok’s voice rasps from the shadows, questioning your bloodline. Tyr offers a solemn, welcoming nod. Thor’s gaze is a physical weight, hostile and hot, until Odin’s single, sharp word extinguishes it. Heimdall scoffs, his voice dripping with contempt for what he sees as weakness. From the dim corner, Thrud, Magni, and Modi lean together, their whispers a dark, competitive tangle. The air tastes of old woodsmoke and older tens…