Chapter Text
Slowly, the ravens began to come down from their tree.
It took some time. They still feared the Raven Keeper, it seemed. They needed to confirm that she was truly gone, that she couldn’t harm them again. The first to flutter down from the branches and rest on his shoulder said nothing; only stood there for a moment, examined the space, and flew back again.
He was sure it was the same raven who nested in his cloak’s hood now, carefully preening her feathers. The more time he spent in Niflheim, the more confident Kratos became that he could tell some of them apart. They gave impressions, glimpses perhaps of who they once were. It was why he was sure the one in his hood was a girl, even if he did not know her name. She was bold, considering what she’d been through. It gave him some hope for the others.
“The lake is beginning to thaw,” Kratos said. “I think…it is over.”
The raven rested her head on his shoulder and made a soft grunting sound–a near perfect imitation of his own voice.
Despite their somber surroundings, Kratos smiled.