Odin's Prize

Mother Wolves (Part 2)

Steel colored streaks of clouds are slowly building, stretching themselves thicker, wider in the sky. A bitter wind screeches in from the North.

Bile with its acidic burn heats the back of my throat, Morvared didn't even have time to scream properly.

My mother's Nature is without hesitation. The Wild within me takes notice of how our Mother Wolf acts. This shakes me, how could my mother kill my friend? Why would Lana say this?

The entire atmosphere of the gathering has combusted outwards. The Far North Pack acts instantly, the wolves who wear the black band tattoo around their eyes take the point in front of their entire pack.

First to die with the waves of bodies my father can send their way.

Luki is among them. They all look intimidating with smiles spread wide across their faces as if they are alright with meeting the Moon today as warriors. Behind them stand all of the females, knives drawn, all silent and stoic.

Watching

Next are the males who hold no knives, Bryon is standing with the Far North, a pang spreads between my ribs when Aunt Meela gasps out at her brother's choice of sides. Behind them are the pups and pregnant females. This must be the defensive posturing of a pack which is facing a legion of wolves.

"Your mate has just killed our Elder Healer, Finian." Odin's sound pulses into the darkening air.

My mother's Wild comes to stand right next to my father, a paw in front of his leg - elongated fangs exaggeratedly pull back to show her arsenal of bloody War in the most blatant show of disrespect.

Gasping small breathes, cries start to scream come from the back of the Far North Pack.

Night

It's the Night

The Night will come for us.

The pups of the Far North never made a sound until my mother's Wild came into view and now those pups are unable to hold their terrorized screams in.

There is twisting within my chest because my mother's Wild has just put away her teeth because of the behavior of the pups. Somehow she understands all their fear is of her. Now my father puts his leg in front of the Wild's chest as she presses herself into him. My dad's hand goes to her head, and he leaves it there.

"Odin, obviously my mate had her reasons for taking the life of your Elder healer." My dad still has his hand on my mother's head. She's looking through the pack to see the pups who are pointing at her, scared, crying, confused.

"It's an act of War, Finian to kill at the Exchange. You know the rules, never in the history of our packs Exchanging with one another has this happened." Odin is facing my father, speaking with a sound that can be heard in through the first rumblings of thunder.

"What, do you want, Odin?" All of my father's movement is concentrated on Odin, who has all of his vision on my father. There is a charge within the air, the space around them is electrified.

Crackling

The current running under Odin's flesh is shifting, flexing his musculature. There is a dark concentration within him to focus on precisely what's in front - a singular view that holds my father's eyes.

Looking around, Borson still has his daughter cradled in his arms, he's standing now, in front of the pups. His pants hold a wetness to them, and I think Elska might have peed herself. Warson has his fingers clutching his grandfather's pant leg, the material bunched in his fingers - a silver knife held in his other small hand.