Wolves of War

20

  At one week old, Valo shifted in his sleep to a wolf pup with a coat of shimmering white. Zephyra shifted as well to care for him, but day by day, Freya saw her eyes grow duller. The rigor of dealing with a newborn had worn away at her mind, already on the edge of breaking for many months now. Many realities were setting in, and slowly poisoning her. The first being she was dead, and there was no returning to the living realm to exact her revenge.

Freya brought Zephyra fresh meat and food from the market, and made sure she was comfortable at Odin's request. He still had not explained his motives. But Zephyra was lost in a haze of grief and madness. She could not accept her own death and that she and Lykaion would not be reunited. Freya avoided her questions about Lykaion when she asked. Zephyra decided tonight when the Goddess returned, she would not allow her to avoid it.

Freya made sure the meat was cooked but still bloody, like Zephyra liked it. She cooked by the fire pit across the room, out of the corner of her eye watching the white puppy snuggling into his mothers thick fur.

"Why has Lykaion not returned? It has been two weeks. What is going on?" Zephyra demanded. "You have avoided the question since Valo was born. Where is he?"

Freya stood without answering, placing the meat on a wooden plate before bringing it to Zephyra. While the female ate, Freya sat on a chair by the bed. "I do not know where Lykaion is. He left to raid Greece years ago and Zeus turned him into a real wolf. Before he had only been an Ulfenhednar, unable to change. Because of that Odin will not allow him into Valhalla or Asgard. I don't know where he is now."

Zephyra had taken human form to eat, her eyes met Freya over the chunk of meat in her fingers. "He was here two weeks ago! Fine, I will leave Valo here and find him myself."

"Zephyra, that wasn't Lykaion. That was Loki. He is a shape shifting God, demon, whatever you want to call him. I called him so you would relax and give birth. You and the pup were in danger. Lykaion was not here and I don't know how to find him." Freya explained. Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Zephyra ate stoically, staring at the tiny white ball of fur on the bed.

"I see. I should have known." Zephyra stood and smoothed her gown, ambling to the water bucket and dunking the dish into it. She turned back to Freya, "Thank you. Thank you for everything, I should not be so ungrateful, I know."

"This must be hard on you." Freya stood as well. "I will be back later tonight."

Zephyra watched the Goddess leave and then with a deep sigh, she wrapped Valo in a fur blanket and headed out a short time afterwards.

*

Odin was sitting in the Great Hall, waiting for one of his Ravens to return with news of the pup. He was not prepared for Freya to burst in, her temper flaring. In her arms, the little pup was wrapped in a brown cloth. He was peaceful now, but when Freya had found him, he'd been screaming in terror.

"Freya, how nice of you to come. You have brought the pup to me, I see." He had not expected that, tilting his head to get a better look at the baby with his good eye.

"Zephyra traded him to a demoness in exchange for becoming the Queen of Shadow Bay. She had wanted to be reunited with Lykaion but the demoness could not provide that." Freya explained, handing the small bundle to Odin.

The old man took Valo into his arms and sat back to hold him, chuckling lightly as the boy waved his hands at his beard. "She is a fool."

"Yes, an imp who saved Valo told me that. The demoness who took the pup turned him over to me; she didn't even want him." Freya watched Odin as he teased the baby.