There are many who do not. But there will never be a day where I'll just wake up and hope he's safe. I need to know.

( undoubtedly there are several; she would never deign to say that there must be none simply because some insist that she give up on this "vain" hope that her son might be here. though she wonders how they can wake up every day and function properly without knowing that their children are safe for a certainty. do they just hope for the best? do they pray? she prays to her gods; were there animals here and food not nearly so scarce as it is, she might sacrifice one as an offering to odin and freya to ensure it.

but she can't, and so all she can do is persevere and keep looking for him. until the day she drops, either from exhaustion or because she is dead. she closes her eyes, and turns away from both the pyra and the homestead. there is nothing for her here. but if he wants to stay, she won't leave him. )

I won't force you to leave if you are uncomfortable doing so just yet. It is up to you.