I don't have any plans for Ralf right now. He isn't a MAIN character after all... Just a nice guy to have around. He makes a great foil for a lot of people. For Sigefrith, for Eadred, maybe for Saeward too, though we haven't seen them together.

I expect Ralf's day WILL come and he WILL find his true love, but like I said... nothing on the horizon right now.

By the way, I wouldn't say he's "living with an old lady" like that. He has servants. It's not the same thing. Even if he got married, his housekeeper would still be there.

Edit: His cats too.

People probably do have happy endings in the valley... we just never hear about them again.

Uh.... yes. Is this a Ralf-related question?

Nobody blames Stein for what happened to Lathir. These things happen. Aed wanted her to marry a Norseman to get himself in good stead with the Norse minority that is ruling the Irish Sea. Stein was (at the time) on good terms with Whitehand & Co., but had the further advantage of being Brede's and Sigi's close cousin and Eirik's slightly-more-distant cousin, as well as having better blood than Whitehand and most of the Norse component of Whitehand's team. (And, of course, because he is Sigefrith's man.)

Aed wouldn't throw away that alliance just because Lathir died unexpectedly. On the contrary, he will probably show Baby Gamle extra favor, to keep the alliance alive. After Uallach he doesn't have any daughters left, so he has to make the most of what he has.

I doubt Ralf and Stein are close. They don't have much in common.

I asked because the original topic of this conversation was Ralf, and you wandered off looking for a mate for him, so I wondered...

Well... I suppose. She is looking for a husband in Norway though. That's why she sent the kids packing. I doubt she would come to Lothere unless she thought she could do better there. And I doubt she would consider Ralf better enough. After all, she might yet bag one of the innumerable grandsons of Haakon Raudi.