Astrid did not miss the defiance in the girl's eyes. It was only fair. If she truly wished to avenge her people and especially her mother, she had not doubt Svala would do so. Anyone would be angered in her situation, however some saw the advantage of joining a stronger village much quicker than others. Astrid prayed to the gods and hoped the girl would soon come to her senses and use common sense instead of her emotions to cope with her fate.<br/><br/>The family eventually retired for the night, making sure to lock their doors. However, if Svala wanted, she could have escaped right then and there. Her door and the main door leading outside was open. Inge passed out on her bed, as did Jonas and shortly after Astrid gave in to her exhaustion. It had been a long day and a long night, but eventually they had emerged as winners. There was nothing greater, nothing more joyful for their village. They could be sure to survive through the winter thanks to the loot they had found and would manage quite well far into spring. By then, they would be able to hunt even more efficiently and thing would become much easier.<br/><br/>As morning came, Astrid new that today would be their official celebration for a successful raid. Upon dressing herself, the matron was surprised to find Jonas already up. He was holding a rudimentary piece of leather "paper" in his hands and was reading it with a focused look on his face. "What is that?" Astrid asked and snatched it from him, realizing it was a letter from her husband, which announced the success of their raid on another continent. However, it also mentioned that one of her children, Ketill, had fallen during the raid and that he had been buried in foreign soil for the lack of better place. Jonas looked completely different from yesterday; he was defeated, quiet and even angry. His favorite brother had fallen and he did not know how to cope with it.<br/><br/>"My dear." Astrid spoke with sorrow. "Ketill has found his way to the gods. His sacrifice was not in vain, for the raid was successful. Find joy in small things and-"<br/><br/>Jonas stood up and hurried outside to clear his head, unwilling to hear his mother's comforting words that then meant nothing to him. Astrid sighed and placed the letter down on a wooden table. Inge was still not awake, probably because she had been drinking the night before and had not heard the courier arrive to their house early in the morning. Her thoughts then moved to Svala and whether the girl was still even in her room.