Chapters of a Life: Trainee (Complete)

5

As it turned out Atsadi had much to teach me, often at my peril. My relationship with Healer Gro had solidified. Turns out that Sorcha was her niece and so she regularly worked with me in the gardens teaching me all about the healing herbs we grew. It didn't hurt that several times a week I saw her in a professional manner as she bandaged a cut, set a bone, or help to fix whatever scrap I had gotten into. My lessons had continued on, seeming to be the safest part of my day.

On the third moon cycle, Alpha Liam called the entire pack together. "The punishment of Ewan and Seumas are ended", he said from the dais. "It is time to renew some old traditions, on the first night of the full moon we will celebrate new matings", at this the pack began to smile and talk happily amongst themselves. "Quiet down, run as a pack after that. Then on the last night of the full moon, the pack will again come together to hunt early in the day and we will eat like a pack that evening. Tonight we celebrate our mates, found and to be found. We will hunt this night as a pack." With that said he threw his head back and howled to the moon, calling his pack to join him. Soon the valley echoed with the cries of happy wolves.

As an unshifted child I and the rest of those who couldn't shift stayed back and made sure that the fires were kept hot for any meat that was brought back. We also brought out the ale and mead. As well as endured that side items were available for supper. We were a small pack and those who did not shift were rather small but we had enough of us to get it done so that when the pack began to trickle back with the deer and 3 rabbits we were prepared. After preparing the meat it was placed on a spit and Heather was left to spin the rabbits, with Alastar turning the deer.

"Ah, there they are, the children doing their jobs. They really seem to know their place don't they", Ewan started in. "Too bad they can't help feed their pack but at least they can wait on us like good little."

"Good little what? Go ahead and complete that sentence, Ewan", I said waiting for him to call my friends some horrid name.

"Fetch me a mead, child", Ewan said as if he were Alpha.

"Yer no better than me go get yer own". I told him, mad that he would dare talk down to us in this manner. Spinning around I heard him mutter, "One day ya will pay for all yer rudeness, girl."

Before I could respond to his slight of my wolf Papa wandered over and asked me to join Grandpa and him for the celebration of the moon.

Platters had been filled with the meat and veg, drinks passed around, the food disappeared and the celebratory mood was in full swing. Edgar, one of the warriors, stood up and made a request, "Elders would you grace us with a tale?" We all turned to face Papa and Grandpa.

Clearing his throat Elder Eecho looked down to Elder Seac, who nodded for him to tell his tale. With a large swallow of mead, he began:

" The moon Goddess was not our first patron, no that was Fate", he looked around to make sure we were paying attention. "The three sisters of Fate looked down at the early man and saw human's need for a companion who would be loyal, giving, and protective. They brought the wolf to the fire of man, eased the way for a bond to form between the two packs. For a while, all was well. The sisters had grown bored with the success of the pairing and had wandered away to different projects, abandoning us to the whims of others. Loki took notice of the pairing and became intrigued he wondered what would happen if he allowed Fenrir to have some fun with the humans, meddling in a project of the Fates was a bonus. He sent Fenrir to the village of Bjarnarfjoror in the guise of a wounded wolf for he wanted to see if anyone would take in and help a wounded wolf." Elder Eecho stopped a moment to give everyone a chance to refill their plates, shift a child, refill their tankard or whatever as he himself got a mead refill. Several moments later he again cleared his throat and we all scurried back to our seats. "On the night he arrived the moon was full and bright, it hung so low many thought it would be easy to reach out and snag it down for themselves. Out on the hillside, the chieftain's eldest daughter sat watching the sheep. The rest of the village was celebrating the return of the fleet, she did not feel like celebrating for her man had not returned. Her heart was broken and she considered joining her man when a cold nose on her neck startling her. Jumping to her feet she discovered a wolf bloodied and broken lying on his side. Scared, she wondered how the wolf had made it here and how she had not heard it. Drawing her sword to do the merciful thing and end it's suffering, she raised it high. Only to look the wolf in the eyes and at that moment she felt her heart skip, lowering her sword and placing it back in its scabbard she knelt by the large wolf running her hands over its wounds to see if any were life-threatening. After assuring herself the wolf was not as bad off as he seemed she left to get supplies to help clean the wounds and the medicines to help heal him. When she returned the wolf had vanished leaving a large blood spot as evidence that he had even been there. Sobbing she fell to her knees. The loss of her man was bad enough but to lose the creature that had called to her heart, that was too much to bear. He was gone and she felt totally bereaved, there was nothing to keep her here she drew her sword for a second time that night." Again there was a pause for a sip of mead.

Just as she prepared to take her life. Fenrir's head came over the hilltop. Growling to gain her attention she tossed the sword away and ran to him, tossing her arms around his neck she sobbed out her heart telling him about her loss and how his appearance was God sent. --At this point Elder Eecho looked around at the gathered pack and raised his eyebrow, many of the adults laughed.

Gathering the sheep she put them in their pen. Before taking him to her home, making him a mat in front of the fire before climbing into her own. Thanking God for the wolf's appearance. The next morning she awoke to find that she was not alone in her bed. She knew it was wrong not to throw him out but she could not bring herself to do it, instead she drew him close and they drifted back to sleep. For many moon cycles, she and her wolf slept together through the night, with him slipping out before sunrise only to return after sundown.

Then came the day that she had dreaded, her father announced that men were coming to the village in search of wives and she was to consider one of these men. Returning home that night she told Fenrir of her father's plans for her. Fenrir considered her to be his, he called out to Loki to allow him to claim this female. Loki who had forgotten about Fenrir and the humans so as he was looking for a bit of mischief so he agreed. That next evening on the first night of the full moon Fenrir and his mate left the village climbing to the top of the highest hill, there bathed in the light of the full moon they asked for the moon's blessing and consummated their love."

By this time the moon was high and we all needed a break. So as Elder Eecho leaned down for his tankard we broke off to find ourselves a bush. A short time later we all returned to find Elder Eecho and Elder Seac has swapped places.

"For weeks the weather was horrid and the villages were homebound, but eventually the weather cleared and the horn announcing visitors was blown. As the villagers poured down to the shore to meet the dragon boats the whispers started for what had been hidden those long weeks was now on display. No longer was she alone, for her belly was telling its own tale. Before the first visitor set foot on the shore, her father had her grabbed her and her confined to her home. For several days she was left alone, but her father's anger had only grown. Calling her before him in the fire he demanded to know who had fathered her child. She refused his question, instead of telling the gathering that her child was a gift from the Gods. Enraged her father grabbed his sword and struck her down, then cut the child from her body. Yet it was no human child that rolled from his daughter's body but that of a wolf pup. Fenrir was late returning that night and smelled the scent of his mate. Bursting into the longhouse he took in the scene, his mate dead and his pup under threat of a sword, rushing in snatching his pup up in his maw he fleed. But not before memorizing the man who held the sword.

The pup grew and when he reached 5 years of age, about 15 human years, he shifted for the first time, one moment he was a wolf the next a human male. With no one to ask for help, he cried out to the Gods and Goddesses for help. Mani heard his plea and answered his call, upon seeing the young male grief and confusion she pledged her assistance to him. Yet she could find no answers to his questions, no one knew of another like him. Until she ran into Loki on a moonlit night, he was returning from an evening of revelry and easily spilled the story of the female and Fenrir. Shocked at what he had done Mani called the Gods and Goddesses together to decide what would become of Loki's mischief. While many of those gathered wanted to kill the young male and be done with it Mani, the Fates, and Fenrir all stood firmly by him. They all agreed that Loki could not create any more creatures and he was informed of such but the young male was placed under the protection of Mani she would help him and keep him safe. Years passed and he grew more and more dejected, he was lonely. Mani saw this and granted him a mate, a young woman whose family had been taken by the winter. All alone she was happy to have such a stapping young male as a mate. Before long though she began to see how he was different from other males she had known. He growled at those who got to close to her, his teeth were sharper, his nails were harder, his hair grew quicker, these she could overlook but it was how he disappeared each full moon that worried her the most. After a time the couple was blessed with a pup. Her time came earlier than that of other women in the village and as with his birth, his pup was born in wolf form. The midwife fainted, realizing that they could not stay they quickly packed up and moved far into the mountains."

Looking around Elder Seac could see the children fighting sleep in their parent's arms. "We will hear more later for it is late and tomorrow is another day."