The Fenrir Saga - Part I

Chapter 25

Beonnie

Hild took fooooreeeever on the phone. She had been home for almost an hour, and we hadn't left for the pack yet. I tugged her top and motioned for her to finish her phone call, but she just brushed me off. Eventually, she hung up and turned to me.

"Alright, alright. Calm down!"

"Calm down? We are going to go to Jack tonight, remember?"

She rubbed her face.

"Right, right. Ok, so what are you waiting for then?"

"You."

She laughed and grabbed her keys and her phone and whatnot and ushered me through the door. We went downstairs and fetched Harry, and started to walk towards the woods. Jack had explained the way more thoroughly, and after a quarter of an hour's walk, we found ourselves standing in front of a big gate with a tiny peephole in it, allowing whoever was on the other side to gauge its visitors before letting them in. There was no indication that anyone would live in this place or any indication of life whatsoever, and my light knock on the gate sounded like thunder in the thick silence surrounding the area.

The gate swung open almost immediately, without any questions or inspections. I had at least expected a "Who's there?" but - nothing. A tall, blonde boy about my age greeted us.

"Very welcome to the Ironwood Pack, Miss B, and Miss H," he winked at me and grinned. "My name is Vile."

"Vile?"

"Yes, Viiile," he explained, exaggerating the pronunciation and shrugged his shoulders, not really bothered at all about his name.

We shook his hand and looked around while Harry positioned himself by the gate. 

A high brick wall edged the area where a bunch of cottages were crammed together, all facing a large pole erected in the centre. Further beyond them, the forest returned, albeit less dense and containing a training area of sorts.

It was a cosy setting, with lights both from inside the houses, but also from lanterns hung from wherever there was a higher point, be it a tree or a roof. One of the bigger cottages had its big doors open, and excited voices emitted from it, but I noticed that they died down as we approached. 

"So, this is us. All the houses, well, some are empty, are someone's living quarters and this..." Vile indicated the bigger house we were now walking towards. "..this is Jack's house. I mean, the Alpha's house, of course. Heh."

"Call me alpha again, and I will hang you from a tree," Jack emerged from the house and grinned towards Vile. He opened his arms and engulfed both Hild and me in a large, warm hug. "Welcome, kiddo, welcome, Hild."

His cottage was larger than the others, and yet it felt a bit crowded with about a dozen largely built men already in there. As we entered, I counted ten pairs of eyes turning towards us. The room looked cut out of a Viking photo book. 

They were all of different ages, but all were tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and had proud faces. Even the youngest, Vile, looked like he had fought many a war and won them all singlehandedly. They all looked like they could win battles singlehandedly. Bulk, bulgy, and muscular, they were a sight for sore eyes.

"Alright, alright," Jack urged for silence. There was no need, though, because as soon as we entered the room, you could hear a needle fall.

"This is Hild; you all know who she is, and this little kiddo here is B. Beorn's daughter."

He turned to us.

"And this is... Karl, Arvid, Boe, Fjalar, Bror, Gammal, Gorm, Halvar and Toke. And Vidar, you know of course."