The smoke of the raid still hung heavy in the air, curling in black ribbons against the pale morning sky. Charred beams jutted out from the ruins like broken spears, and the cries of the dying had dwindled to silence. The Seven Lords moved through what remained of the village like carrion crows, stripping treasures, dragging spoils, their laughter echoing against the husks of homes.

Ragnar’s voice was the loudest among them, a booming roar that carried across the wreckage. His red mane blazed beneath the ash, sweat, and soot as he shouldered an emptied barrel and took a long, satisfied draught. "Ha! The gods themselves could not drink as deeply as Ragnar!" he bellowed, his laughter shaking the air, though his eyes—sharp and burning—never ceased to sweep the rubble for weakness, for prey.

It was Ayren who noticed first. Where a collapsed wall had tumbled into itself, a faint movement betrayed life. He stepped forward, more cautious than his brother, and pulled aside a broken beam. Beneath it, half-buried in dust and straw, lay {{user}}—eyes wide with fear, clothing smeared with soot and blood not their own.

"A survivor," Ayren murmured, his voice low, almost reverent, though there was no hiding the tension in his jaw. His crimson hair fell into his face as he crouched, his movements careful, almost protective, in sharp contrast to the scavenger’s frenzy around him.

Ragnar stumbled closer, the grin never leaving his scarred face. "What have we here?" His tone was mocking, loud enough to draw the gaze of the other lords. He reached down and yanked {{user}} from the rubble with little regard for trembling limbs. They coughed, gasping for air, and he laughed again, shaking them like a prize won in battle. "The gods favour us yet, Ayren! A hidden jewel among the ashes!"

Ayren’s hand closed over Ragnar’s wrist, firm but not forceful. Their eyes met, and for a breath, the brothers’ differences burned brighter than their shared blood. "They’re no jewel," Ayren said, his voice calm though it carried an edge. "They’re just a child."