The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 20

Joann
"He can smell potatoes in the ground?"
Father was astounded, "Yes, and more. He could smell when I was pregnant before I ever realized I was even pregnant. Lycants have a strong sense of smell. One of our friends is a tailor, and I swear he can smell a fine material. Sometimes I think they even use smell to communicate."
"You mean like when a dog smells another one's ass?"
I laughed, trying to picture any of the dignified, proud Lycants I knew doing that. "No, I have never seen them sniffing each other."
His brow drew down, "Then what do you mean?"
"Just an identity scent of sorts. It's subtle, and hard to explain. Like Vam smells kinda like applewood, even to me. His mother had to do something with applewood sap at her meron for him. Oceanus can smell salty at times, like the harbor where my meron was. If I can smell it faintly then I am certain the Lycants can smell it better."
"What is a meron?"
And I got to explain that to my father. He was a bit disturbed at points in the explanation, especially when the soul was removed to see the child's. He looked a bit sick when I explained what Oarhu did to thousands of priests in one move.
He blinked, and eyed the baby asleep in the tent. The one who he had been carrying and who was already enamored of his grandfather. "Is that the only sign you have seen of Oarhu?"
"No." I told him everything I knew. Everything from when he extended his teethe to bite Ygr to when Oarhu grabbed Officer Devaren when he spoke in a threatening way towards me.
Dad's brows went up, but he approved, "Already looking out for momma. That's a good boy."
I fidgeted a bit, wondering how to tell him. "Dad, there's stuff you need to know about Oshie. Stuff only family should know."
He was confused, "You mean more than that he is in charge of a great spirit of the oceans? More than that?"
I nodded. "Yes. Fair warning, it is a lot to take in."
He looked at me flatly. "Today I have had my daughter back from the dead, wed to an enemy, with a child, who has a great spirit to learn to control. Just go for it."
I took a deep breath, "Oshie is foretold in Lycant prophecy. He is destined for greatness. He controls a great spirit, but he also is supposed to learn to be a warrior, and a priest. He's also supposed to learn all kinds of casting. He has Oarhu, but he also has a fire element too. It's normal sized. Now, it would take a lifetime to learn just the casting, but Lycants live a much longer life than we do."
"Like how much longer?" he asked.
"Vam is 269. Dura is over 600. I met one priest that was probably 1000."
"Years?" he was shocked.
"Yes. Years." I watched him try to process this.
It was like he was trying to swallow a piece of fruit without chewing it. "And Oshie is meant for greatness?"
I nodded. "He has to learn to control his fury. Then he can become a warrior or priest."
Father was stumped, "Do you really want him to return there?" He was asking if I really wanted to return there too.
I hadn't really expected him to ask that. I sighed, "Long after I am gone he will have family to advise him, comfort him when times are hard. And he will have hard times. He is the son of a runtling farmer and an elemental. And he will become a warrior, and then a priest. Warriors and priests hate each other on principal. He will need his warrior grandparents. He will need his cousin's father, who is a priest. Knowing that I won't be there to help him through all of it is hard. Vam is going to see me die when he is still relatively young. So yes, I want them both to be with friends and family who are Lycant."
Father went silent. "I need time to think about this." He stared into the fire, jaw clenched.
I had seen him like this enough times to know I needed to be quiet, and leave him alone. He had too much on his mind, and needed to sort it out. Sometimes it would take him hours. Sometimes days or weeks, and I had just given him a large load to consider.
I was tending to Oshie when Vam came back with a rabbit. He took one glance at my father and turned to help me prepare the meat.
"I take it you told him our age disparity, or the prophecy."
I nodded, "Both."
"Don't you think the man already has enough to think about?" he asked me.
I shrugged, "He kinda needs to know. I figure it's better to get it out of the way now, and then be able to cope sooner."

Vam
She went to sleep, and as tired as I was I could not. How could they be foolish enough to overhunt rabbits? Were people truly starving here? What did I bring my family to?
I sat, just outside the light of the fire. Her father sat closer. He was troubled. I suspected I knew why. My Veneran was not great, so I watched him as I considered how to word a delicate question. Much trouble had been laid at his feet.
He seemed to know I was watching him. "Yes? I don't know much about your land, but here it's rude to stare at people."
I ducked my head, "My apologies father. I was simply considering a thing."
He glared at me, "Don't do that."
"Stare?"
"That too, but do not call me father. You are more than 5 times my age. Besides, I barely know you."
He had a point. "You may call me Vam. What may I call you?"
"Kane. That is my name, and what you may call me." He poked the fire with a stick. "So, Joann tells me that both of your parents are warriors. How is it that you aren't a warrior?"
He wasn't trying to be rude. He was just curious. "I am a runtling, too small to train to be a warrior. I was fortunate to inherit my uncle's farm."
"What will Oshie have when you go back?"
He cut to the quick. "He will have to train to be a warrior."
"But he will be much smaller than the other warriors. You are small, and Oshie will not gain any height from Joann. How is he supposed to have a chance at being a warrior?"
I knew what he wanted me to say. He wanted me to say that Oshie would have to prove himself as a raider. However, "I have given this much thought. Before I even knew he was destined to be a warrior I considered this. I will probably owe favors to some people I dislike very much in order for him to be allowed to compete in a training admittance battle. He will have to prove himself worthy in the fight. I am not a warrior, however, I do know my fighting forms and the traditional family weapon."
"And if he does not prove himself in this battle?" Kane asked.
"Then he will be dead, and I will still owe favors." He would have to prove himself, and if he was stunted, like me, that very well may mean a fight to the death against a larger opponent.
Kane shook his head, "That's crazy. Are you saying that half the kids trying to enter warrior training die? Do you think he would make it?"
I looked at the Veneran male who was ⅕ my age, and 3 feet shorter. He had bested warriors and raiders alike who were twice his height. I barked out one laugh, then another, and another.
"I am serious! Can he?"
I looked at him, "You ask me this after all that you have achieved? You can train him for this. I can teach him what it is to be a Lycant. How to speak our language, hunt, ettiquette. But you are the warrior here. If anyone can teach a smaller Lycant to defeat a larger one it is surely you, Kane."
"Me?" he sighed and stared thoughtfully at the tent where Oshie and Joan lay. His eyes wandered thoughtfully to the fire.
My question for him could wait. He was already shouldering a large burden. Many of them. I could ask him if he had been assigned to kill me or spy on us another time.