Re: [In between: Sif and Hel]
Fate was a funny thing, sometimes. And it was different for them than it was for the human souls that took their turn upon Midgard. For them, they had myth and stories that tied them in the same sort of circle again and again. One of them to do this thing, and one of them to do that. And though they could try to escape it, they were always drawn back in. Even her, with her forest clearing and abundance to share. There would be another role for her eventually.
Her own seat at the edge of the fire was comfortable, and she relaxed as she watched Hel light her pipe. The scent of it filled the space, joining the aromas of woodsmoke and roasting food, and Sif closed her eyes to inhale and enjoy the mix of it all. It was not the rousing celebration of the tables of Valhalla, but it wasn't meant to be. No, this pause was meant to be different - something closer to the familiar comfort of a home than an unending feast. It was quieter, but that was the way it was meant to be.
Sif laughed at Hel's honesty, her face lighting with the joy of amusement. It wasn't a mocking laugh, nor was it anything sharp to cut or needle at another person. With a shake of her head and a smile, she looked at the other woman. The other goddess. "Just because something isn't for you, doesn't make it dull. Taking a place within the shield wall isn't for me, and yet I know it's far from boring." She shifted in her seat, turning enough so that her posture was more open to face in Hel's direction. "Marriage and motherhood can be their own sorts of battles though. You have to be strong enough not to lose yourself completely to another, but supple enough to fit around them as they fit around you. You have to find that balance of push and pull. And there are obviously benefits there." Her eyes glinted and her smile curved into a smirk, betraying the fact that she was hardly talking about who would do the dishes after a meal.
"And motherhood..." She trailed off, and the amusement of the previous moment faded into something more serious in her pale eyes. "Hardly dull. Hardly boring. There are enough women in your realm and in others that lost their battle there before it ever truly began. There is risk in birthing new life. And part of that risk is the chance it could be the end of yours." A shake of her head, her braid slipping back over her shoulder to hang down along her spine. "And even for those who struggle through the pain of birth, they them must raise this part of themselves to someday step out the door and not return as their child. At some point, it's a loss. Even with the soft moments of holding them close, feeding them and raising them, seeing them thrive... there is still an ache that never quite leaves. And mothers are the ones that decide that ache is worth it, and they carry it. It doesn't have to be 'for you', but that doesn't make it a lesser way to exist." All of her words were gentle - not scolding or angry - but there was a strength to them that stood as a reminder that Sif was as much a goddess as Hel.
When Hel sat back with her pipe, Sif let the mood between them lighten again with another smile, even though this one was a bit sad. "Too long, if we're being quite honest. Since he's been tied to Midgard." Lonely centuries without him at her side, she at his. It was a hollowness inside her sometimes, the way she missed him.