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Dalla had been spending the past few hours in her den smoothing stones therein. A large half-shell was filled with sand, and Dalla used this sand to buff out imperfections in the stones she collected. Oftentimes the stones would go into the sand and after hours of repetitive movements of Dalla's paw the stones would come out of the sand gleaming and smooth. She could then use these stones as beads or pendants.

Dalla loved her craft.

Her ears perked at the sound of her sweet sister's voice, and she glanced down at her sand-covered paws with dismay. No doubt her sister was perfectly groomed and prettily arranged waiting outside her den for Dalla to answer. With a heavy sigh, Dalla shook the grains of sand from her paws as best she could and made her way towards the mouth of her den to greet her sister.

"Ragnhild," she called out in greeting, a pleased expression on her face. Despite their differences and the hardships they'd endured, it could never be said that Dalla did not love her sister. "I have not seen you in quite a time." She glossed over the reasons why she had not seen her sister, instead focusing on how beautiful Ragnhild looked.

"You are glowing. How are you, sweet sister?"

Dalla could not help but giggle -- giggle!! -- at her sisters show of utter happiness. It was so strange to think that this beaming, gorgeous female was the same one that had helped to kill the husband she was duty-bound to honor. That single thought caused Dalla to falter, though she swiftly regrouped when Ragnhild leaned forward so that their foreheads could touch.

Ragnhild had always been more animated than her sister. Dalla often felt dull next to Ragnhild's more elegant form, but after the happenstance meeting with Uhtred on the beach... after seeing the interest in his gaze and hearing the way that his voice had deepened, well... for once Dalla felt like the prettier sister. These were errant thoughts, though, and for now Dalla forced herself to shake them off. Now was not the time for ruminating on such thoughts.

Now was the time to focus on her beautiful, sweet, beloved sister.

"You are always welcome here, sister," Dalla said softly, muzzle drawn up in a giddy little smile. "As you have said, it has been far too long since we have been able to sit about and just talk as sisters do. I would put aside anything for you, Ragnhild," she said, drawing her sister back into her den for privacy.

"I made a pendant for your ..husband," Dalla commented mildly, stumbling over the word husband, "perhaps you can deliver it to him when you return home. I told him of it when we met on the beach recently -- a gift, I said, on behalf of the both of us." Dalla wasn't quite sure why she'd brought up the topic of Uhtred. Perhaps she wanted to hear how he was getting along with her sweet Ragnhild, or perhaps it was to remind herself that Uhtred was married to her beloved sister. Either way, Dalla felt a bit foolish for bringing it up.

Dalla moved towards her sand-filled shell, removing the stones she'd left therein before her sister had arrived. Brushing off each stone with gentle movements of her paw, Dalla did not look at Ragnhild while her sister spoke, nor did she look at Ragnhild when she replied.

"He is.. he is a strong lion, Ragnhild." Studiously she set aside one clean stone before turning her attention to another. "He is a fine male, and I sense a gentle kindness within in." Something I never sensed with Gunne, Dalla thought to herself before erasing the bold thought from her mind. Not now, not now. There would be time for the blunt conversations later.

Dalla did not mention the warm way that Uhtred's gaze had lingered on her body, nor did she mention the way her own body had responded. That would be Dalla's own little secret, one that she would cherish forever. That would be the first time in her life that she had felt like the desirable, elegant lioness that her sister was and that Dalla could never be.

"You must be good to him," Dalla said, meeting her sisters gaze for the first time since they'd entered Dalla's den. "Promise me this. You must never forsake him, Ragnhild. He is an honest lion, the finest Stormborn, and you must promise me that you will take care of him like a good wife would, honor him like a good wife should."

She looked slightly mortified at her sudden outburst. Would her sister suspect anything? Dalla doubted it -- and even if she did, Dalla could not bring herself to care.

"My sweetest Ragnhild," Dalla began, moving towards her beautiful, beloved sister, "you were not the one to blame for Gunne's fall. You were a pawn in a greater scheme," she paused, those bright eyes of hers flashing with icy fire. They had not spoken of the death of Gunne since shortly after it had happened, and even then the discussion had been brief and disjointed. Dalla could find no fault in Ragnhild -- after all, her sister wanted nothing more than to be loved and respected, much as most any female did. It was no fault of Ragnhild's that Aesir had capitalized on her precious sweet sister's weakness for pretty words.

"Aesir is to blame," her voice dropped until it was a whisper in the dim den, "Aesir and Morrigan used you as the weapon to bring Gunne to his demise, and you mustn't blame yourself for it. It... it is hard, I know, and I believe that you will do better this time. Uhtred is just as great a lion as Gunne was, perhaps ... perhaps even a better lion," Dalla dropped her gaze. She couldn't help but feel that perhaps she'd gone too far, but she charged on. Such was the way of Dalla.

"A time will come that your honor will be restored, my sweetest and most beloved sister," Dalla said vaguely. She turned her gaze up now, searching for the bright eyes of her sister that were much like her own. "A change is coming. I do not know when, my precious sister," she paused and her voice dropped once more, "and I do not know how, but I will not stand idly by as my sister is treated so foully. We are only lucky that you were given to one so strong and honorable as Uhtred."

It was obvious by her tone that she would not divulge more on the subject, but she fell silent, her attention moving back to the stone that she'd left in the sand.

"You are so strong, my sweetest Ragnhild," Dalla said softly as she lifted her gaze from the stone in the sand-filled shell. She ran her pale eyes over her sister's perfectly arranged form, hesitant to continue with conversation of Aesir lest someone overhear their threatening words. Such slander would do far more harm than good and Dalla did not want to see her tentative plans stalled before they even had a chance to grow to fruition.

"Nonsense, beloved. I assure you I could never grow tired of you. You are like a breath of fresh air among swine." Offering Ragnhild a grin, Dalla moved away from the shell she'd been working with. "Let me show you the pendant I have made for Uhtred. I am sure you will appreciate it. I have not yet found a suitable chain or somesuch to hang it from.. perhaps you can help with that?" Maybe if she included her sister in the crafting of the necklace it would not look so suspicious, even if she doubted that Ragnhild knew of her desire for Uhtred.

She presented the pendant to her sister, the carved bone resting against her pawpads. Upon it she'd carved a large shield much like the marking that Uhtred's flank boasted. Within the shield she carved the symbol of their pride -- the three interlocking triangles, though the triangles were formed by snakes that had swallowed their own tails. It was one of her finer pieces.

"Do you think he will like it?"

Dalla grinned brightly at the praise from her sister. Though everyone in the pride found Dalla's pieces irresistible and were quick to compliment her work, hearing the praise from the mouth of her dearest sister meant more to Dalla than any other compliment could.

It was so complicated, so beautifully twisted, the relationship that Dalla had with her sister.

"Mmm, I'm glad you like it, sister. I worked through the night on this piece. I want to show Uhtred my thanks for being so good to my most precious sister." She leaned forward to bump her nose against Ragnhild's cheek in a childish gesture of affection before pulling back, mulling over Ragnhild's suggestions.

"I like the thought of a brown leather strap. Sturdier than silver and much easier to find. While I think the silver would look stunning against Uhtred's fur, I think it might be a bit too flashy for him." Humming softly, Dalla left the pendant at her sister's feet before moving to dig through a medium-sized wooden crate that she'd found washed up on shore. She chose a fairly thick leather strap before returning to her sister.

"I think this will do nicely."