Curse Of Blood: Gods & Monsters

Chapter LIV⎮Brenna

Ahem. Some of my awesome readers felt that Renic's behavior towards the end of the last chapter was, in a word, sulky. Now I don't generally rush off to change things unless I feel, in my heart, that they're right. While I understand that Renic lost some control and was technically peeved at himself, not Brenna, it looks like he came across as sulky and affronted. Which, you're all right, does not feel Renic-like. So I tweaked the ending of the last chapter quite a bit, and I now feel that Renic's reaction seems waaay more authentically him. So thank you KAMMS18 cutthisout and greekgoddess18 for the thoughtful input ❤️ Now, on with the show.

"I cannot think that Aila should be so confident of that wolf posing no threat to the children," said Katla nervously.

She was standing at the threshold of the cottage beside Brenna, the two women watching as Freki climbed all over a sleeping Váli, the wolf seemingly oblivious to the child's antics.

Brenna gave a careless shrug, understanding that the children were in no safer company than Váli's. Her mind was more heavily occupied with their intriguing uncle, as opposed to the children themselves. At any event, Heida and Aila were just inside the cottage with Epona. If they were not worried, then neither should she or Katla be.

Brenna turned the little wooden falcon over in her hands, her fingers stroking the smoothed surface pensively. The carving had migrated from beneath her pillow to the beaded thong attached to her brooches the very day that news of Renic's death had reached her. It had never left her heartside since.

"It will be full moon tomorrow." Katla gave an anxious shiver, peering restlessly into the forest as though the beast in the woods might jump out at her at any moment.

"Yes." Brenna compressed her lips and shot the girl a sidelong glance. "Best prepare your fattest goat for the sacrifice; I see blood on the moon..." And she did. After all, there would be two beasts in the woods to worry about tomorrow. Not one.

Katla, meanwhile, who had not been at her ease to begin with, had given a small gasp in response and huddled deeper into her cloak. Thereafter she said nothing more, peering ever and anon at the cottage door, ostensibly hopping that Epona would hurry out so that she would not have to linger here beside Brenna much longer.

Brenna gave a silent snort, and a careless shake of her head. No one had bade the girl to wait outside, but she was determined to do so, timid creature. Moreover, Brenna was gratified by the silence that ensued, for she was in no mood to make idle pleasantries. Neither with Katla nor with any of the villagers did she feel obliged to do so. They all viewed Brenna and her mother with unveiled mistrust, perhaps not Katla or Eir so much, but certainly the rest of the clansmen and women. For that, Brenna kept herself just as aloof from them as they did from her.

As expected, Epona finally appeared at the door with a basket of herbs, roots, and tinctures that Eir, the cunning woman, had sent her daughter to fetch. It was through Eir that Epona was, at times, of help to the villagers, for the worst of the maladies at least, little thought they knew or appreciated it.

Epona transferred the hamper carefully into Katla's waiting hands. Katla, as a matter of course, thanked her and placed at their door the brace of fattened hares she'd brought in payment. With a smile of thanks Epona then gestured for the girl to be on her way, and so, affecting a last little wave, the young woman turned to leave.

Heida had by this time joined them at the door and the three women watched as young Katla scurried down the pathway, flinching whenever a tall, deathly blue aconite bent its head in her direction, as if taunting the skittish girl. Epona, with knowing dark eyes, and her hair flying wildly about her in the wind, gave a wry shake of her head just as Brenna had done moments before.