Odin's Prize

Odin

The clouds hang like giant lily pads, the sky; it's blue water they float on drifting in waves on the wind. September sun is giving off enough heat to believe we're still in the long drought of summer. The days are shortening as the night lengthens. Season are rolling into one another. Soon winters frosty breath will wrap us in her frigid embrace.

There holds just a whispered trace of a threatening storm in the late afternoon air.

"Charlie, Shamus let's go." The two brothers are standing at the lake's edge waiting for us to come out.

"Are you ready Shamus? You have to throw your hardest or else the balloons won't break." Holding the water balloons underwater so the twins can't see them till it's too late. Payback for a few months ago when they decided to steal my diary from my room and read it.

Both of them on the ground laughing reading quotes from my pages, laughing at the thought of me wanting to be a healer.

We'll see how stupid they think I am when they're covered with the smell of the blossoms of the Callery Pear tree that has been soaked for months in water for this very purpose. I thought of the idea when Lana had me help her gather up the blossoms with gloves so she could soak them in a special elixir that is used by she-wolves to help their mates quickly mark and mate them if the male is being difficult.

No male stands a chance against the smell; it's too pungent. Lana says it brings out the basic instincts in the wolf to finally consummate their bond.

Male wolves have an aversion to this tree always wrinkling their noses at it while some even growl their distaste. The females are always laughing, passing by it with hands over their moths giggling that it smells exactly like their mate's essence.

"Let's go, you're late Charlie, the Far North is already here, and your mom sent us to bring you back." Keegan the twin that always talks for the both of them has his arms around his chest as if he's the boss, not looking amused at us still in the water.

The distant smell of campfires and music filling the air, the cooking pits full of food. Our welcoming celebration for the females that will be joining our pack today from the far north.

The Exchange as everyone calls it only happens every two years.

"Listen if we have to come in there and get you two, you'll be sorry." These two think they are so grown because they shifted first, thinking they are our handlers. Always corralling us as if we are little pups that need to be watched and protected.

"You're not the boss of us." Shamus is calling back to them not moving an inch forward. Staying in the shallows on our knees waiting for the perfect moment to launch our attack.

They both take a step into the water with their bare feet as one fluid movement reminding me how my father and Uncle Grey move when they are together. "Just a little closer Shamus, let them get a little closer." Whispering it below the sound of the waves that are breaking on the shoreline. The wind is starting to pick up slightly causing the crying echo in the treetops as if nature is trying to warn me that something is approaching.

Apprehension tickles just at the base of my neck that the atmosphere is off, but I just don't understand what it is because everything looks as it should be.

The caw of the crow catches my ear; it's noise dark and foreboding taking flight on the current of air.

A warning but what?

The twins are advancing on us getting the bottom of their shorts wet.

"Now!" Standing in the water the both of us with our arms back take direct aim at the twins hitting dead center of their chests. It's with great satisfaction the balloons explode all over their body. The pungent liquid is saturating their skin, while they start to gag and dive underwater.