Anlaf hadn't been paying a great deal of attention to Ashley as he came and went. There was so much else going on, so many others vying for a moment to speak with her - he was one man in a sea of festivities. She glanced up when he first returned, empty-handed. Then her attention went back to Dagny.<br/><br/>"<i>These humans are like young pups,</i>" Dagny mused as she leaned in close to the Earl. "<i>Just learning to get their footing and finding amazement in the world at every turn.</i>"<br/><br/>Anlaf chuckled and shook her head. "<i>You? Calling them young pups</i>?" she teased.<br/><br/>Dagny huffed, but she was smiling. "<i>I came into the world before the great war. My young days are long gone</i>."<br/><br/>Anlaf smiled fondly. "<i>If you say so</i>." Her gaze dropped to Dagny's lips and she leaned in, but froze when another young woman spoke in front of their table. All of a sudden, it felt like all the air in the world left in a great rush. She<i>knew</i>that voice. It was the one that haunted her dreams at night - the one she thought she would never hear again.<br/><br/>The oldest of her kind, like her, lived long enough to see people born, and born again. Everyone lived more than one life, some several times over in this world before moving on to the next life. After Ragnarok, she had lost all hope in hearing that voice, or seeing<i>that</i>face ever again. It had surely been impossible to see her again. Ragnarok left this world forever changed and there were simply too few humans left to keep hope alive. Surely she had moved on to the next life.<br/><br/>The Earl looked up at the young woman, Saga Moen, who had spoken, and felt as though she couldn't breathe.<i><b>Maybe in another life</b></i>.... Everything that Anlaf tried to forget came storming to the forefront of her mind. All the time she had spent with her mortal lover - the tears, laughter, and love they shared. Yes, the young woman standing before her was exactly as she remembered, no matter how hard she had tried to forget.<br/><br/>And yet... she wasn't the same. Not even close.<br/><br/>Dagny frowned as the silence extended to being impolite. "Anlaf?" she questioned, concerned. "<i>My love, are you well</i>?" When there was still no answer, she leaned closer and placed a hand on the Earl's forearm. "Anlaf?"<br/><br/>The touch brought Anlaf back to reality. She blinked and cleared her throat, looking away from Saga to Dagny, then back again. "You must forgive me. You have a striking resemblance to someone I once knew," she excused. "It's uncanny, really."