Tova froze, like a statue, with wide eyes looking at the people of the Kirr tribe who appeared as if from nowhere. She disappeared into the dense ring of warriors, and whispering her name soundlessly, Halvard dropped his sword. It fell to the ground, and, not thinking what he was doing, he rushed forward, bursting into the crowd of Kirr warriors.

The warriors of Nadir watched warily at the line of Kirr, marching along the path from the gates of the village. Halvard saw a woman in a long red shirt, her anxious gaze darted around. The woman's white-painted face turned red, her alarmed gaze fixed on me.

- Where is she?

Tova looked at the faces of the people of the Kirr tribe who surrounded her. Bone necklaces adorned their necks, gray fur capes hid their tall figures, and their skin was completely covered with tattoos. Drops of rain flowed in colorful trickles down their painted faces, and it seemed as though they were about to melt in the air.

Tova felt their eyes glide over her tattoos, and she realized that everything that was happening was real.

A woman's voice came to a Tova, and a red shirt flickered behind the trees. A woman squeezed through the crowd of warriors, and finally Tova could see her . She stood right in front of Tova, looking intently into her face, the dark red shirt seemed almost black from the rain.

Tova tried to speak, but could not utter a sound. The woman looked at Tova for a while, and then clasped Tova with strong hands and, pulling herself to her, she began to peer into Tova's face with piercing narrowed eyes.

"I ..." A faint whisper flew from Tova's lips, but she did not know what to say. Because Tova recognized her. In a strange way, she recognized the woman.

The woman in red slowly returned to the circle of warriors, carefully examining Tova from head to toe.

"Who are you?" - Tova asked and hastily dropped her sleeves down to cover her tattoos, feeling naked in front of these people.

She took Tova's hands and her eyes fell on the images on Tova's palms. A joyful smile flashed in her eyes, and she replied:

"I'm your mother, dear."

The wind suddenly subsided, and the storm seemed to move into Tova's head. She recognised the voice. The deep, hoarse voice that sounded in Tova's visions, but before Tova could even utter a word, she turned away and moved back through the crowd.

"Wait!" - Tova rushed forward, trying to stop her, but two men blocked her path.

Tova shuddered, hissing at sharp pain in her wounded hands. The cuts did not bleed anymore, but after examining them through the holes in the shirt, Tova realized that they needed to be sewn up. The Kirr warriors dragged her forward. When Tova tried to break free, they only tightened their grip, and she peered into the crowd with crazy eyes, looking for him, for Halvard. And finally Tova saw how he came out of the forest. He wandered after her, squeezing through the crowd of warriors, And this man from Kirr, whom Tova saw in Utana, did not take his eyes off her. He watched as two warriors dragged her down the hill to the village gate.

The village was quiet and deserted, and Tova struggled to keep pace with the fast steps of her companions, but their steps on the stones were much faster than hers. People from the Kirr tribe parted before a woman in front. The bone beads that hung around her neck made a melodious sound. Without looking back at Tova, she entered the open door of the ritual house. When Tova turned around she saw that Halvard was still standing on the top of the hill with his head up to see her better. And then the doors slammed shut behind.

A bright fire burned at the altar, illuminating a dark room, and it seemed that the snow-white patterns on the woman's face flickered with a dim light. Tova again tried to free herself from the grip of her guards and suddenly noticed a tall man standing by the fire. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and on his large and muscular arms Tova saw many tattoos. Runes, animals, symbols that she did not know. Except one.

On the inside of his left forearm was an image of deer antlers. They were painted exactly like the ones on her hand. Tova looked through the torn fabric of the dress at her tattoo, and her eyes widened.

A woman came up to him, and the soldiers let Tova go and left, closing the doors behind them. The man and a woman stood by the fire, not taking their eyes off Tova. Dark hair fell in thick wavy waves on the woman's shoulder, and under her tattoos I could see the pale freckled skin. Tova swallowed a lump in her throat, looking at her own hands, streaked with the same freckles. When she finally spoke, Tova's breath caught in her throat.

"Tova," she spoke with a strange, soft accent, and the words sounded a little different than Tova used to hear them, "do you remember me?"

Tova looked at her again, trying to find something familiar in her face.

"I don't know," Tova replied, shifting from foot to foot, "perhaps."

Yet, Tova felt that she knew them. These two did not seem like strangers.

She smiled, squeezing her long fingers.

"You were very young when we last saw you. Now you are a woman."

The man who was a whole head taller than this woman continued to be silent. He only silently watched Tova, while the woman put her hand to her chest and said:

"I'm Swanhild." - When Tovs heard this name, something seemed to burn my soul, agitating the shadows of long-forgotten memories. I scattered a non-healing wound. "And this is Turonn," she looked at the man, but he did not answer. "We are so grateful to Nadr," her voice trembled, "for bringing you back to us."

"Do you remember anything?" - Thuronn finally spoke, and his bass voice filled the room, reflecting off the walls. It was warm and sounded very familiar. It reminded Tova of something long forgotten. - "Remember what happened?"

Tova shook her head, feeling the chill that bound her from the inside, despite the heat of fire at the altar.

"I only remember how I woke up. I opened my eyes and saw that I was all alone. I didn't understand where I was, because the fog was too dense and ...

"And you sailed through the waves of the fjord." Is that how you got to the Swell clan? "Apparently, he desperately wanted to hear the answers, but I didn't have them." I had no idea how I ended up on the banks of Liera.

"The priest found me." He said the Spinner of Fate brought him ashore. And gave me to him. "I remembered Jorrund standing alone in the forest in the rain." The mantle was wet through, the emptiness froze in his eyes.

"Of course," Swanhild's smile widened, "when Kzheld came to us and told me that he had found you ..." she took a deep breath, holding back the tears coming up, "I knew that they would keep the promise."

- Who?"

- Spinners."

The runes hanging on my neck seemed to pull me to the ground with their weight, and I reached for the nearest bench, feeling that I was about to fall.

"But why ... why did you expel me?"

- expelled you? - Torunn raised his voice, anger sounded in him.

Swanhild raised her hand, reassuring him before answering.

"You were our only daughter." But your fate was carved on the trunk of the Urdra tree, even when I carried you in the womb, "she explained. "I laid out the runes to see your future, when I realized that I was pregnant." And all at once it became clear. Spinners said that your fate is ruled by Dagaz. A new dawn. But death is on your heels.

With a trembling hand, Tova touched her chest where the rune of Dagaz was depicted.

"When you were six years old, you drowned in the sea."

Gray water. The silence is around. Streams of bubbles rushing to the surface, and her hands soaring in zero gravity. Scraps of her visions formed a single picture, which now became much brighter and clearer. Tova imagined herself to be pale, in a funeral boat, as fire grows stronger, and the boat floats away in a thick fog. She imagined her parents standing on the coast in a magical light that illuminated her memories.

"We are not always given to comprehend the plans of the gods, Tova." But Nadr returned you to us. She has a great future for you. - Swanhild went around the fire and, standing in front of Tova, touched her face. - "And here you are with us."

Tova looked into Swanhild's dark eyes and saw herself in them. Not just a reflection. Tova discerned in them particles of her soul. Dissolving in the warmth emanating from her, Tova felt hot tears roll down her cheeks, trying her best to contain the sobs rushing from her chest. Tova did not remember Swanhild's face, but perhaps it was for the better, because she did not have to live with the pain of loss all these years.

There she is, Otal's rune. Tova remembered the last time she arranged the runes, and this last time completely destroyed her confidence in Jorrund and chopped off all the strings that connected her with the Swell clan. And fate brought her here. At that moment.

They did not expel her. Nadr did not forget about her. She saved her life.

"They brought me to Hailey," Tova whispered, barely audibly, "the runes." They brought me to the people of Nadir. To you.

To Halvard.

Swanhild hugged Tova tightly and she buried her face in the dense, damp fabric of her mom's shirt and burst into tears. Memories came back. Every ray of light. Every drop of darkness. And Tova let them flow into her soul as a river flows into the sea.

She came home.