The Unknown

Chapter 61: The Longbottoms

It was later in the day when Fenrir returned to camp and was surprised when he didn't see his father, brother or sisters at the fire eating and dancing with the other members of camp as they played music happily. He found his family, however, having just as much fun in the royal tent. Jörmungandr and his father sat on one couch while his sisters sat on the one across from them, there was a small table between them covered in food they seemed to be picking at like a buffet. The four of them were laughing while Dahlia was leaning against Hela with her head resting on her shoulder with Hela's arm wrapped around her.

Fenrir smiled as they were laughing and walked towards them as he asked, "what's so funny?"

He sat down beside his father as Dahlia said, "they're telling me stories of all of you as children".

He hummed in amusement knowing it would be bad if he was in the story for him or funny if he wasn't involved in the stories. His father looked to him and said, "we expected you to be back earlier. Your sister was about to send people to look for you".

"Worried, sister?" he smiled as he looked to Hela.

Hela rolled her eyes and said, "I've only just got you back, you haven't caused me enough trouble or annoyance for me to not want you around...yet".

He laughed as the others smiled and picked up a grape and threw it at her which she caught and put in her mouth as Dahlia asked, "so what've you been doing? I doubt you've been talking all this time".

He shook his head, "went for a very long run after our talk. He told me about Greyback, what it's like to be a werewolf, we just talked...I've decided not to kill the werewolves".

They stared at him in shock while Dahlia stared at him proudly as Jörmungandr said, "you said you wanted all of them dead, extinct for their creation and the village's death".

Fenrir shrugged and said, "I changed my mind. Remus Lupin opened my eyes, told me of the life of the werewolf. The isolation, loss of self-control, discrimination, fear and above all else, many of them don't have a choice in what they become. Werewolves such as Greyback turn the children young, as young as three, and many are abandoned by their parents and their society turns their back on them. Children shouldn't suffer at the mistakes of others".

Fenrir felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to his left at his father who was smiling proudly at him and he smiled back knowing they were all thinking of a thousand years ago when the mistakes and choices of others separated them. They could have become monsters, it was a surprise they didn't with their treatment but they all became better and learned from the mistakes of others.

"Papa, I need your help," Fenrir said almost pleading, "Greyback I will kill but the others, those who changed without choice, who hate being what they are, I cannot kill...but I also cannot have these werewolves still roaming Midgard. Help me, papa. Help me remove the spell we placed a thousand years ago that created the wolves".

Loki opened and closed his mouth then sighed and looked to Hela as she shook her head and said, "we can't".

"Why not?" Fenrir asked looking between his father and sister, "papa, you once taught me that all magic can be undone".

"Almost all magic can be undone," Loki responded as he dropped his hand from his son's shoulder then glanced at his eldest daughter and said, "this could be undone, with the right amount of magic but-"

"I refuse," Hela jumped in and stared directly at her brother as she removed her arm from around Dahlia as her baby sister was looking at them confused.

"Why?" Fenrir asked sharply.

"Because it's not as easy as you think-"

Fenrir interrupted, "like papa just said, with the right amount of magic-"