AN: Italics are for thoughts.

While leaving his work, Bard hadn't expected to see what it was in front of him now. He was so shocked that for a few moments could not breathe properly. Breathe, he command himself. It could be nothing, it is nothing. Just blood. He looked at the blooded dress laying on the floor of his small wooden shack. He used all his will power to pick it up. It was Sigrid's new gown. She was planning to buy it for a long time, she had been saving money for it the whole winter. What had happened?

Muffled wailing reach Bard's ears. Sigrid! He thought and instantly images of her being seriously injured flushed through his mind. A sudden strength driven by fear made him finally move from his spot and go and see what is wrong. Bard crossed their small living room, that also served as their kitchen, dining room and his bedroom to enter the kids' small room. He looked around and he identified as the source of the noise the bundle of blankets and pillows on the bed. After a close look he guessed that Sigrid was hidden in the core of them. Even though he was scared to death, he forced himself to approach her calmly and slowly. Bard sat next to the small mountain of blankets and put a hand gently on top of it.

"Sigrid?" he asked in an exploring tone.

"Go away!" the muffled cry belonged to Sigrid for sure.

"What happened, honey? I found your dress on the floor..." he decided not to mentioned the blood. Maybe it was better to let her talk about it, even though he wanted to pull her out of those blankets and see that she isn't seriously hurt by himself. Bard knew though that his eldest daughter would not appreciate it a lot. She was turning into a woman and she was quite uncomfortable with how her body turned out. Bard could not claim to fully comprehend what was going on, but he knew that for him, Sigrid would always be his little girl.

"I don't know! But it hurts!" sobs replaced her words and Bard decided to take a look for himself. He uncovered her and looked at her. Her face was puffed from crying and her hands where cruddled around the middle of her body. She threw herself onto his hug. "I did nothing and I don't know how to stop it! I was coming home from the store and I felt a sharp pain in my belly. Then some boys started laughing cause my dress was stained! They said I pissed myself but I didn't! It is blood and I don't know why! Da, help me!" agony, frustration and confusion painted her story but Bard understood. He relaxed at once, but then he got anxious again. But not because of fear for his daughter health, but because of fear of not being enough. Damn Alice, that was supposed to be your job. Now I have to fill in your shoes.

"Sigrid, please, relax" started Bard in the most soothing voice he could master.

"But dad I am dying!" she shrieked in panic.

"No you are not!"

"No?" she asked perplexed. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. The same thing happened to your mother, grandmother and it will happen to Tilda as well. Every woman goes through that... procedure every month for a few days." he tried to explain as well as he could. It was so hard to explain something he could not really understand.

"But why?"

"Because now you are a woman. That means that you can have children."

Sigrid's eyes widened in horror. "I don't want to have a child, da!"

"Not now honey, first you need to have a husband" oh please, Sigrid, accept that answer. Let us not have that talk.

The young girl contemplated his words for a while. "Okay. But what I am supposed to do now?"

"For now you will have a hot bath. On the mean time I will make you some hot tea and bread with butter and honey..."

"Honey!" exclaimed the young girl and sprang out of the bed as fast as possible. Her father knew that she had a sweet tooth and that she would feel better by being treated with it. Sigrid was turning into a woman, he knew that this time would eventually come. But for him, she would always be his young girl, and he would alway look after her. However, he would let their cousin Laura explain to her whatever women needed to know about that stuff.

AN: Hope you enjoyed! A review is always welcome.