{ooc;}
NPCing important family members that haven't been adopted yet. no rush to post whatsoever, just whenever anyone feels like it! figured I'd make a little thread for family members to familiarize themselves/have a lil family meeting n whatnot. <3

**pls note that pia & vera are placeholder names & may not wind up being the permanent names of those characters!**

{sidenote} - all mates & cubs of vollans welcome! had zelie bring thor since i didn't want to pp tovek or nephele, <3. also not sure if we want to have the bearira litter already born, so being vague re: those cubs! just assume 3 of em are being carried by bear, hunn, & sol tho, if they have been born, & ira can bring #4 with her! <3

{ic;}
the clan is thriving, and it brings her strength to know that she will leave her daughter in charge of a strong family. the recent additions to the family - and the marriages to the other families - will ensure several more generations of prosperity for everyone.

the newborn dual-family cubs will also ensure the alliance remains as strong as it always has between the four families, and a weight that has been sitting in kine's heart since leaving their former lands is finally beginning to lift with the knowledge that things are secure.

of course, she must still lead the clan, alongside the other family heads, to this new land - and each family must find suitable places to call home after that. once that's done, though, comes the most difficult part of all of this. it will be hard on her daughters, she knows.

the ocean knows how hard it was for kine.

still, shazi and ylva will get through this. the family will help them, and kine knows johan will do his job. a smile curves her lips at the thought of that stubborn boy, amusement lightening her mood. they fight like lions and hyenas, those two, but they will do their duty.

a snort of amusement frees itself from her, and she sighs after a moment. vera's familiar pawsteps catch her attention, and the sightless matriarch turns her head - wishing once again that she could catch a glimpse of the woman she's loved for so many years.

vera has stood steadfastly by her side for over a decade now, her staunchest supporter aside from kine's own bonded bersärken. a gentle headbutt is vera's greeting, as always. do you think vibeke is doing alright on her own? that's always the worry, is it not?

vibeke won't fail them, though.

that branch of the clan is prosperous and extensive, and vibeke has so many there to support and guide her, including the visekvinnan and väktaren of those lands. {she isn't alone,} kine murmurs, and her faith in their family burns in her voice. {none of us are.}

the pair of lionesses sit in silence for a while, drawing strength and peace from each other's simple companionship. the journey is a long one, and still far from over, but both of them know that they are running out of time to have moments together like this.

when the journey is complete, and the family has established a safe place to live, kine will give up her life to tie this branch of the family to this land. her blood, and the blood of her bonded bersärken, will give them a connection to these unfamiliar seas.

I will help guide them.

vera's soft voice sounds again, and kine releases a soft sigh of relief. {they will need you, my love. i will wait with the waves for you, no matter how long it takes.} the pair exchange soft words for a while, taking some time to themselves while they can.

after a time, kine releases several chuffs, calling her family to break apart from the rest of the giant clan traveling together. they need to discuss some things, including when the ascension ceremony will be held. perhaps a month after establishing themselves?

a month would give the family time to make some contacts and gain stability in their new home, and would enable kine to ensure that shazi is completely ready to step up and take her place as the new valkyrien of this splinter branch of the family.

two months, perhaps. three, at most.

the ceremony could not be delayed for longer than three months, outside of severely extenuating circumstances. assuming everything goes well, three months would be the longest she'd have after getting the family settled somewhere. part of her mourns.

a larger part of her is relieved. she's so tired lately, her energy waning; it's time for her to return to the waves. she will last as long as it takes to do her duty, but she is ready to go. she's at peace with what is coming, and she hopes the family does not mourn too much.

she'll still be around, after all, as a guide for shazi and johan. still... she's well aware of how hard this is going to be on everyone - those two especially. she remembers how difficult it was for her when her mother brought them to the lands this branch has now left.

at least kine is old, unlike her mother had been.

her bersärken's pawsteps are the first to reach her ears, the sound of them quickly followed by vera's gentle voice. welcome, pia. the warrior woman hardly ever left kine's side, but she'd stepped away when vera had approached earlier.

as ever, she is in tune with her valkyrien, as any bersärken ought to be. the time to be alone with vera is always greatly appreciated and rarely found, and pia - oceans bless the woman - always does her best to give them as much time as possible, especially now.

{välkommen, pia,} kine says softly, echoing her wife. the grateful smile that briefly crosses her lips is the only thanks she offers her berserker as more members of the family come close, but kine knows it's all that pia needs. their bond does not require words.

they've more between them than any words can express.

Týrbjörn's paws are the next ones kine hears, and warmth suffuses her as her little brother approaches. {välkommen, lillebror.} after him comes two of his daughters, Fríða and Iðunn, and kine finds herself wondering where the rest of his brood is.

as she considers this question, Azélie approaches alongside Isbjørn. their steps are synchronized as if one of them is leaning against the other, but kine pays little mind to it. the scent of cubs fills the air, and a smile softens the harsh planes of the valkyrie's face.

it's difficult for her to believe that he's a grandfather, given how much younger he is than her. she doesn't have grandcubs yet - how the hell does he? ah, but it does her old heart good to know he's so happy. family is all he's ever wanted, all he's ever cared about.

kine is so thankful to ira for giving him one.

Solstice's presence comes next, and kine's smile grows, further softening her stern features. eclipse can't be very far behind - the twins hardly ever seem to separate - and if she's not mistaken, it's Thor that azélie is carrying. her union with tovek has been divinely blessed indeed.

of course, bear isn't exactly happy about the entire situation. it's understandable, after everything he's been through with his girls, but at least he isn't actively opposing their union - though kine knows he'd never commit such blasphemy. ah well, at least he gets cute new grandcubs out of it!

he adores them, too, as much as he might be skeptical of their father. everything will work out in the end, though, kine knows; the gods have put them together for a reason, after all. still... she sympathizes with her little brother and everything he's been through.

she is certain that their gods do, too.

more familiar scents and sounds filter in, the family pulling together; Ylva is running late, as is Shahrazad, but kine doesn't mind. hopefully they're collecting their bonded knights, although kine finds herself stifling a snort of amusement at the thought of shazi and johan.

those two are like oil and water most days, and the idea of her tiny daughter trying to corral her much larger knight and get him to move any faster than he wants to has kine fighting off a laugh. it's even funnier knowing that johan would probably move extra slow on purpose, just to piss shazi off.

vera leans more firmly against kine's side, putting her lips against the valkyrie's ear. what would you like to bet that shazi and johan are arguing again instead of walking over here? kine snorts - she should've known. vera is always on the same page as she is, after all. {that's not a bet, my love, it's a statement of fact.}

are those two fighting? does a bear shit in the woods?

we'll take "obvious answers" for 500, alex.

---

1. welcome, pia,
2. welcome, little brother.