The fatigue wore heavily on him today. Both recent hunts had taken it out of him - far more than he would care to admit. Sullen at this revelation, the brute would haul himself out of his den early, seeking to slip out of the territory and out to the border to patrol before running into anyone else. Keeping busy was all he could think to do right now; the first birthday of his eldest children loomed, ever pressing, and the reality of it was daunting. As Jarl he had the utmost faith in his offspring, and yet.... surely he had sacrificed enough, surely.

Alas, Magnus knew better than most that He was a hungry God; Vellen could take, and take, and take, and they would be powerless.

@Steinar

Steinar had been absent from recent affairs. There was a rising sense of guilt in him that caused the walls of his chest to heave, and the strength in his muscles to wither away. The brute suspected that his absence will have been noted by his older brother and the rest of the Sigrun, and he’d have to explain that to them. What he would say though, was questionable.

Black limbs moved through the neutral territories of the peninsula, ebony eyes watching carefully as he analysed every little thing. He found the gentle swaying of the grass in the brutality of the wind interesting: it was curious how Vellen would control certain aspects of the world around him.

It wasn’t until the Sigrun caught the scent of his brother, @Magnus, that his attention swayed. Black limbs casually change direction as he crossed the Lagoon borders without any concern. The harsh smell of salt combined with the sea breeze made him feel exhilarated, as though he was home. It wasn’t long until his gaze fell on Magnus, and the male walked over to his elder brother with a chuff. It was good to see him.

Most would not get away with trespass, but @Steinar was kin, and certainly a sight for sore eyes. His absence - and that of Draugr - had been noticed amongst the rest of the chaos, but the Jarl could barely split himself in half, let alone any more ways. His brothers certainly had a penchant for wandering; far more so than his sisters did. Or perhaps he simply worried more for the women of his family; an innate disposition to sexism, ingrained by his upbringing, even if he had worked hard to overcome it. Regardless. The King would chuff in greeting to his younger sibling, slowing to a halt several feet before the melanistic rogue. "Bróðir - þín hefur verið saknað. Hvar hefur þú verið?"

OOC: I'm so slow ;;

Nostrils flare as the mixture of salt and fresh sea air seep into his veins from the Lagoon that @Magnus now called home. It was interesting to find him within the Lagoon, after his time away. Had he not been the High Sovereign of the Hollow?

"að kanna. hverju hef ég misst af?" He explains, moving his body so that the younger brother was walking alongside the Sigrún Jarl. Truth be told, he had struggled slightly to adjust to being back around kin since finding them, and he questioned where he fit into the grand scheme of things. Magnus had grown so much - he had a family now, children, loving wives, and what did Steinar have? Very little - not even a pride to call home.

Exploring. Magnus arched a brow, though opted not to pry further. His younger brother, should he wish to ever do so, would elaborate when he was good and ready. "Ég sé." In his younger days, the High Sovereign had been much the same; a drifter, reluctant to set down any roots. Even now, on occasion, he found the familiar itch settling uncomfortably in his gut. And yet here he was - a husband, a father, a King and a Jarl. The titan fought to keep his expression neutral, instead of betraying any of the turmoil he felt at his position as the latter. A family man he could take - and would take, happily - but the rest? It wore thin. "Ef ūú ert orđinn ūreyttur á ráfandi ráfandi, kemurđu međ okkur hingađ? Það er nóg pláss fyrir þig í okkar röðum." And, not inclined to keep the younger male in suspense, Magnus would give a little backstory alongside it. It was what @Steinar had asked for, after all; who could blame him for wanting clarity? "Ulla stjķrnar nú Holunum. Ég tók Lónið af óvini; Það hentar okkur miklu betur, finnst þér ekki?"

Steinar made note of the eyebrow raise that @Magnus made upon his statement. The Sigrún family had never been one to have idle conversations just to make conversation, but Steinar felt inclined to explain to Magnus where he had been, even if the larger male didn't want to hear it. "Ég fór í leit að annarri fjölskyldu en það tókst ekki. Fyrirgefðu ef ég hef brugðist þér." The younger male explains, so very much aware of the expectations that his brother had of the males within the family. If Steinar had failed Magnus, then he had almost certainly failed Vellen. He twitched a single ear.

The offer of a home did not go unnoticed, and Steinar would be a fool to refuse. "Ef þú vilt fá mig, myndi ég elska að vera með þér." Though before the male could expand any further, he listened to the news of Úlla and her rise to the throne in the Hollow. A nod was formed: interesting. "Úlla í hásæti?" Steinar asks, almost curious as to what Magnus was saying. Was she truly capable? "Lónið er miklu betra, já." The ebony male confirms, looking across to his brother.

The apology would earn a simple shake of the head, brows furrowed and expression mostly neutral. "Afsökunarbeiðni þín er óþörf, bróðir. Það hefur ekki verið auðvelt að finna aðra. Við erum kannski það eina sem eftir er." Still, while that was troubling in some regards, Magnus supposed things could be a lot worse. Their numbers were nothing to sniff at. They were hardly dwindling, not at this point in time. A smirk is offered in Steinar's comment regarding his elder sister. "She has done well." And then a gesture towards the den sites on the horizon, growing ever closer as the pair advanced across the sands. "Komdu, ég skal sũna ūér stađinn. Ég hef nóg eftir að segja þér."

EXIT

Steinar gives a nod to @Magnus, understanding that his apology was not necessary. Their family was large, and Steinar felt an obligation both to his older brother and to Vellen to go forth and find the rest of them. But it seemed as though the majority were here, especially now that the Sigrún occupied two prides.

With no more words, the melanistic man broke away from his standstill posture, moving into a gentle walk alongside his older brother. Despite their difference in size, it was nice for him to be walking alongside another Sigrún kin. He would settle well in the Lagoon, he thinks, ears pivoting forward as he listens to Magnus explain more about the Lagoon.

EXIT