Dragon Bride

Chapter 19 First Snow

"Everything really turned cold fast," Unni observed.

"I hate the cold," Karliene said as she pulled on a pair of ankle length wool socks followed by her shoes.

"No, you hate wearing shoes," Unni teased her.

"Yup, that too." Then starting at her ankle she began to wrap her lower legs in a long strip of white wool cloth. She wrapped them with a cross hitched pattern then followed that with long garters also in a cross hitched pattern from her ankles to just below her knees.

"Can you do my legs too?" Oonagh said. So after tying Oonagh's shoes Karliene and Unni applied the wrapping to her legs. "I want to help you feed the animals," Oonagh said hopefully.

"Of coarse you can Oona," Karliene said, "then we can play in the snow." Karl joined them as they visited the livestock,

"Where's the piggies?" Oona asked.

"In the smoke house," Karliene said, "Turned into ham and sausage.

"When did that happen?"

"Just before your Dad left," Karliene said, "You were in the house helping your Mom." Karliene remembered the labor involved with harvesting the two pigs. Eric had quickly killed the pigs after she and Unni had boiled a huge pot of water. Then the pigs were scalded and everyone worked to scrape off the hair. Eric and two of the thralls then butchered the pigs. Gretchen and other thralls worked preserving much of the meat as sausage with Oonagh helping. Karliene had salted the cuts of meat that was destined to become ham, bacon and salt pork. It was an intense day and Karliene was surprised that now two weeks later Oonagh had finally noticed the pigs missing. "We will get two more baby pigs in the spring," Karliene assured her.

"I love baby piggies!" Oonagh said.

"Let's feed the chickens, Oona," Unni called and Oonagh joined her. They finished the chores and Karliene and Unni got their flat drums and whistles and started producing music and leading their little group in a silly snow dance.

They had a couple lengths of rope and each holding on to an end they danced passing under a rope or jumping over. They also skipped in a circle weaving and unweaving the ropes. They threw snowballs at each other with Karliene everyone's favorite target and receiving the greatest number of hits. Karl loved the snow ball fight throwing snow balls wildly. They were all laughing and singing as they finished their improvised dance and snow fight. Oonagh denied being cold but Karliene noticed her shivering and blue lips so they started to enter the house.

It was then that Karliene noticed the wolf. "I need to go with the wolf," she whispered to Unni.

"I'll take Karl and Oona in then," Unni whispered "and follow."

Karliene approached the lone wolf. She could see the rest of the pack scattered but hidden. She squatted in the snow and touched the wolf.

"Will you honor your promise Huldra?" the wolf said in a low growl.

"To the best of my ability I will."

"A young one stepped on a trap. The foolish boy has made it worse by struggling. Could you free him."

"I'll come this instant, my sister Unni will follow." Karliene stood. The wolf turned to his mates sister and said, "Lead the other huldra she will come too."

The snow was deep and knowing traps were scattered about Karliene moved carefully and slowly through the deep snow. The wooded spikes that anchored the traps were barely visible, almost buried in the snow. She was worried Unni would blunder into a trap and looked back and smiled to see Unni closing the distance following in her footsteps with four of the wolves following her. Then she noticed how the trapped wolf simply sat quietly. The only sigh of the pain she could see was a baleful look in animals yellow eyes. The snow was bloodied from the young wolf's initial struggle. As she cautiously approached the wolf lowered his ears and growled baring his teeth. The hair on his back raised making the young wolf look bigger.

"Oh knock it off!" Karliene said gently as she moved closed and touched the wolf, "I'm here to help." The wolf flinched as Unni now running joined her sister at the wolf's side. Both of them were rubbing the young wolf and it appeared to settle the animal. "I think it will take both of us to open the trap,

"I'll stand on the spring and you open the jaws," Unni said. So working together they opened the trap and the wolf was free. The animal moved away quickly holding the injured leg up.

"Not so fast," Karliene said softly, "we need to check your leg." The older wolf growled instruction to the injured one who lowering his head and keeping his tail held under his abdomen approached the sisters submissively. They reached out again gently rubbing the wolf's flank to assure him as the Karliene held the injured paw.

"Is it broken?" Unni whispered. Karliene nodded.

"The trap bit hard," Karliene said. "Put you hands on mine let try something." Unni put her hands over her sister's who held the injured leg. Their hands and the leg of the young wolf glowed with a green light and they watched as the torn skin healed. They both felt the cruel bite of the trap, the fear of the young wolf and the pain of the broken leg. Then the green light faded and they released the leg and stood.

"I thank you Huldra," the older wolf said, "The young one was foolish but will live and learn thanks to you."

"I am glad we could help," Karliene said and Unni nodded in agreement. The wolf pack moved off threading their way through the array of traps. "Lets go home," Karliene said as they followed in their tracks to return.

The entire episode of releasing the wolf was witnessed. Vada and Gorm had been returning to check their traps when they saw the Unni leading the pack of wolves behind her sister as Karliene followed the large black wolf they had been hunting. They had hidden themselves and watched as the wolf was freed and his injury healed.

"They are witches!" Vada whispered. "We have seen proof."

"Lets keep this to ourselves for now," Gorm said. "We can use it to turn the village against them." Gorm smiled coldly, "We will continue to watch and bide our time. We can share this with a few but not her clan yet, we need a little more to turn everyone."

"We can start spreading the word that we've seen them running with a pack of wolves." Veda said, "That will get the rumors running and I'm sure it will get embellished over time."

"The stories can not appear to come from us," Gorm said. "They will have more credulity that way as your hatred for the girl is well known. And a lot of folk do like her in spite of all your efforts. I will handle the rumors in a more discrete fashion. Leave it all to me."