"Hmm. I think there's probably a way to lure him there with a letter. - honestly I pretty much expect him to come if you just tell him you're a fairy who has his children and that if he wants to see them again he had better come today? He wouldn't come alone, of course, but I do think he'd be there, and I do think he'd meet with you if we sent anyone else who entered the ring back out again to get him. He's - really a very capable person, but I think that carries a certain amount of arrogance with it, and he doesn't think he has to fear dying if anything goes really wrong."

" - all right. We can do that. - you'd probably have to write the letter, but I can sign it if you show me how."

"Yeah. I can do that."

Eee yes good.

And when they've slept they can check on the children and compose a letter to the emperor of Scandinavia.

Yeah.

"Probably shouldn't send it until the last one's safely at the fairy ring in Sweden, really wouldn't want him to be intercepted. He'll be happy to be here, even if the others aren't right away."

"Yeah. We should head over there but are your older children going to get into trouble if they want to stay here? It'll be difficult to travel with them if they don't."

"Not too much, I don't think, if we leave them food and instructions on how to get more."

"Okay. - you should maybe tell me your son's name. I don't see how he'd repay me and slow down if I'm leaving but he might try and it'd be better if he can't."

Nod. "His name is Tyr."

Nod. "Would you rather tell them about the food or would you rather I do it?"

"I can do it. At least then - I don't know. Just - sort of want them to start thinking of me as their mother again."

"It seems pretty likely that they will eventually."

"Yeah. Hope so. I think the two little ones had better come with us, I trust the oldest to look after themselves if nothing can come hurt them, but not so much to look after anyone else."

"Sounds good."

Then she will explain things to Sigrun and Tyr and gather up Ragna and Ingolfr and then they can be off. 

It looks like the people who are supposed to bring Frey are at least starting towards the forest by the time they get there, although they're not very close to reaching it yet.

Well, they can - build another place to stay? Not as elaborate, probably, with five mouths to feed they're not going to be able to stay in any one place for more than a few sleeps.

Yeah, gonna have to be pretty nomadic from now on. But they were planning on doing lots of traveling anyway.

She can help build. Ingolfr can't help very much but he's very enthusiastic about trying.

Oh good. He's probably not too young to start learning how to braid ropes together to make them stronger and so on, even if his ropes won't be any use.

Ingolfr is very serious about learning how to braid his extremely questionable ropes.

Oh good. He will probably be useful in not very long. 

The kids are going to get to learn so many things at an age where most kids have to stay in their court learning how to talk. It'll be so good for them.

It will be!

(Catherine is very glad that the closest person they're going to have to a dad seems like he is probably going to be pretty good at this. At least for the little ones who have not decided that she's an enemy of the state.)

Well he can feed them and teach them survival skills and eventually teach them how to talk to strangers without getting enslaved. He's not really clear on whether there's anything else to parenting but if there is he probably won't be any good at it.

"I think mostly parenting is taking care of them, and teaching them how to get by in the world, and keeping them from making horrible mistakes, and not leaving them hurting too much at the end of it. And - loving them, I guess, and being proud of them when they accomplish things, although I imagine that's a lot easier for one's actual children, it's all right if you don't. I'm glad they have someone around besides just me, though."