Jessa peered curiously around a corner at Kari. Surrounded by the excited children of the Jarlshold who danced around him, giggling and asking questions, he had yet to notice her. Nervously, she looked away. They were friends. They had journeyed from this land to that of his people, the Snow-Walkers, yet she felt her stomach twist at the mere notion of approaching him.

Slowly, she looked back towards him to find a smile gracing his lips. His was a beautiful smile, serene and sincere. In response her lips curved into a small smile. She darted back behind the wall. Her heart was pounding and she could feel a rush of warmth in her cheeks. Her smile widened. She hadn't felt such giddiness before though she didn't think badly of it, distracting though it could be.

Shaking her head lightly, she turned away. He looked more at peace than she had seen him before. The weight that he had previously borne, that of his powers and his being, seemed far away. Tentatively, she touched her cheeks to find warmth still radiating from her skin. She would speak with him later.

The hall was heaving. Bodies pressed against bodies pressed against bodies. Toasts were made and racuous laughter filled the air. Jessa held her arms close to her chest, afraid that they might be trapped by her side if she let them down. She could barely move. Across the table, Hakon writhed in his place on the bench though to no avail.

"Hello."

The rush of warm air against her ear startled Jessa. Flinching, she turned to find that Kari had somehow slid in next to her. He smiled warmly at her.

She beamed. "How are you?"

He nodded and she found herself at a loss for words. The scene from earlier returned to her, of the children crowding around and she was struck by how much he had grown so much since they had last met. They had all matured in some way or another. Even Thorkil had little Ánleifr. It made her shrink a little. What had changed in her?

Kari placed a hand on her arm. "Jessa, are you all right?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm fine."

Her voice betrayed her. Thankfully, amid the racuous celebrations she doubted that he had heard the hint of hurt in her voice.

"Jessa!" Skapti interjected, eyes aglow with delight. "Has Wulfgar told you about the shadows?"

She shook her head and leaned forward expectantly. The look on the Jarl's face was priceless. Delighted, Skapti was all too obliging to divulge the tale on the his behalf.

However, as the tale wound onwards Kari found that he was sinking. A deep pit had opened within him and he was falling fast. A sudden wave of hopelessness surged through him so fast that he gasped aloud though no one in the great hall heard.

Something was terribly wrong.

Author: Please, if you have enjoyed this chapter, give your thanks to Jennie. If it weren't for Jennie's review I'm not certain if I would have returned to the Snow-Walker fandom. So much time has passed since I last updated and my writing style has changed. I found it difficult to return to my old works but it really inspired me.

Both Solstice and 仙女will be re-worked and updated. However, in this, Solstice will be the lesser of the two as it was intended to be a trilogy linked to the one shot End. For that reason I need more time to work on it so as not to muddle continuity, etc. Most of my writing time, unfortunately, will be spent on my Tumblr, Little Pisces Dreaming, and my own novels. I hope that you don't mind the far slower pace.

Thank you if you have stayed with this story. I promise I will do my best.