It was a month ago now that Northfall’s Watcher, Elli, appointed by Ragnar himself, had been sent to inform the entire world of Ragnar’s death in ways she saw fit. With her, she was to take two others of her choice, and she had chosen her two brothers, Vitus and Erza.

An admirable choice, Arvid had thought; though he tried to ignore the pain of jealousy he felt, in not having that same level of companionship with his surviving sisters. He’d thought not once, not twice, but thrice upon a time to track down his own kin - to show up upon their doorstep with an offering, or something, but they’d had all this time to do the same and had not. And that was the reason why none of his siblings from the Forsaken Bloodline had been invited. So the young Konungr had kept to his side of the Alpines, which usually did not mean this side of Northfall’s mountain.

But something was wrong - the trio would not request help like this, in this manner, for nothing, and upon Arvid’s arrival, a murder of crows were fleeing, with Erza digging something, and Elli laying on something, and Vitus staying nearby them, but off to the side - what was so important that they’d risk an avalanche?

As he approached closer, however, he saw the dead crows at Elli’s feet, and then he saw just who she was laying on, and who it was that Erza was digging out. It was not a something, but a who.

God damn it. It was Leviathan.

Their father.

They haven’t even gotten a chance to bury Arvid’s own father, because they couldn’t, not really - and he never wanted to share the burden of a dead father, nor dead parent with anyone. Was it better to have someone to blame?

Freya had taken Ragnar, but Mother Nature - assumingly - had taken Levi.

He took a sharp inhale, and made his way towards them, though there was nothing he could say to right this. Nothing he could do. They wanted their father dug out, but it would be easier to let the mountain have him - what would Arvid have done, if that had been his own dad? He didn’t know.

He approached them, glancing each over thoroughly, (as best he could) making sure his young cousins were unharmed. I am so, so, sorry. His voice quivered, for he spoke to them as their cousin, not their leader. They had already lost their mother, now their father, too? If he hadn't sent Elli away, would he have found them among the wreckage with their father? We’ll do all that we can do get him out.

He howled for Northfall, and hoped it wouldn’t anger the rest of the snow on Northfall’s peak as he headed towards Levi, and began to dig despite there being a familiar scent in the wind.

He would have to wait.