by Jade White
“Will you help us?” Geri asked.
“Why of course! Balance needs to be maintained. No one shifter tribe should have the upper hand. You wolves are the dominant ones, but, only because we didn’t stop the Raptors in time. Tal is going to get some sleep; you should as well. We need to go to the glacier tomorrow to get the sacred vessel. Her grangran had it sealed up there for safe keeping so no other shifter would find it.”
“I see. Anyway, thank you for your hospitality. We are forever in your debt.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Mamut said. “We still have to get up to the glacier and get the vessel, then get it to the Raptor’s camp before the moon is over, or your mate, and the entire north will be destroyed.” With that Mamut crawled out of the igloo, leaving his guests to sleep in peace.
***
The next morning, Tal came into their igloo and ushered them outside. “Now, I need to stop the snow storm before we head on up there, that’s going to take a few hours of mediation. You’ll have to stand guard for Snow Wights while I do this,” She said.
“Understood,” Geri said as he shifted into his wolf form. “Will this do?”
“Perfect,” Tal said as the other two changed shape. “Now let me get my old mammoth and let’s get going.”
They made their way through the terrible storm to where Mamut had found them the previous day. “You were butting your heads at the right spot but you didn’t have the proper key. Keep an eye out and I’ll open the door,” the old giant woman said as she sat down on the snow.
Geri, Freki and Bargi stood with their backs to the old woman while listening and smelling for any threat that may come through the blinding snow. Geri thought he heard a soft moan in the distance. His ears perked forward and he sniffed and smelled a whiff of carrion drifting on the wind.
“Here they come!” Bargi yelled as he bristled his fur as he heard a shuffling gait over the howling wind.
A pale white shape that almost seemed like the walking embodiment of the blizzard itself shambled out of the whipping ice as Tal sat meditating.
Geri saw another shambling towards them. “Incoming Wights!” he got ready to pounce. As one got closer, Geri pounced on the ice-cold undead walker.
As he clamped his jaws around the ice cold flesh, a gush of freezing blood filled his mouth as he felt the ice zombie collapse under his weight, a second one was met by Freki’s razor sharp fangs, and the third, by Bargi’s.
“They’re coming faster now!” Bargi said as he let go of his target.
Geri peered into the whipping snow and saw at least five or six more pale shadows shambling towards them as Tal worked to disable the raging snow storm around them.
“Shit. I don’t think we can hold them back at those numbers.”
“Well, we still need to try,” Freki said as he charged towards the zombie that was the furthest from the pack.
Geri noticed the wind was starting to die down just a little and jumped onto one of the approaching zombies. He ripped into its flesh as it shambled towards Tal while she worked to end the storm her ancestor set in motion so long ago.
Two more zombies fell to the wolves as they shuffled towards the elderly shaman. Why they wanted to stop her, they didn’t know. Maybe Tal would explain their purpose when she was finished. For every zombie the wolves rendered inactive, three more took their place on the horizon.
The wind continued to die down and the sun began to peek low over the horizon. As the bright light hit the wights, they disintegrated into piles of dust.
Tal let out an ungodly howl and the remaining snow filtered down to the ground. “There we go. The vessel is in a cave up the glacier.” Tal placed her hand on her mammoth’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Tal, why were the wights trying to stop you?” Geri asked as he loped next to the giant woman.
“They are created to protect the artifact. The artifact created them to act as its guardians. This isn’t an ordinary container. It contains power beyond any you could ever know,” she explained as they trekked across the frigid glacier.
“I see,” Geri said as he looked around for more trouble.
“Relax, there are no more walkers up here,” Tal said.
Geri nodded as the low sun glinted off the ice. “Will we go snow-blind up here?” he asked as he felt a sharp piece of ice cut into the soft pad of his paw.
“We need to hurry, this isn’t good for us for too long,” he said as he noticed the other two limping along as well.
“We are almost there,” Tal said as she pointed to the rocky outcropping in the distance. “Just another hour or so."
Freki was limping badly. “I don’t know if we can keep up. The ice is ripping our paws to shreds,” he said as he pointed his nose towards the bloody trail they were leaving behind on the white glacier.
Tal looked at the grim trail and frowned. “You’re right. You won’t be able to make it much further,” she said as she opened up her mammoth’s bags. “Come here, I’ll wrap you up as best I can.”
The three wolves limped gingerly up to the giant shaman and allowed her to bandage their aching bloody paws.
“Thank you,” Geri said as he gingerly placed his paws on the ice.
“Let’s get back on the trail,” Tal said as she picked up the pace.
The rocks in the distance loomed closer as the party approached. Freki and Bargi’s paws were bleeding through the bandages. They were in sorry shape. “We still need to get back down, too,” Freki said.
“I’ll replace your bandages when we get up to the top. My apologies for the ice on your paws; be assured it would have shredded your human footwear just as easily,” Tal explained as they stopped in front of an icy cave. “You boys stay here while I go in and get it.”
The three wolf men flopped down on the ice, panting heavily. “My paws feel like they’ve been sliced with a thousand silver daggers…” Freki moaned.
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad, brother,” Geri said as he gingerly placed his paw on the ice, wincing. “Wait, maybe it is.”
After a few minutes, an ashen Tal emerged from the cave carrying a silver urn. “Disabling the wards took a lot out of me,” she said as she placed the urn in her mammoth’s saddlebags. “I’m not as young as I used to be. Now, let me get those paws re-wrapped and we can head back down.”
“This trip wasted almost an entire day,” Geri said grumbling. “We have no idea where the Raptors could be by now.”
“Use your nose, child,” Tal said. “The gods gifted ye with the best sense of smell in the realm, use it!” she said as she tied off the last of the bandages.
Geri stood up and admired the extra cushioning given by the bandages. “Alright, let’s get going. I want to be off this glacier before sundown. Who knows if the wights will be back?”
The party agreed as they started down the glacier back towards the giant’s village.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Gerda slept restlessly in the harsh rushes that lined her cage. They scratched at her delicate human skin as she tossed and turned in an attempt to get comfortable. Another male raptor slid food to her as the night progressed and she wondered why they were feeding her so much.
She was probably going to be a sacrificial feast. Burn her heart for whatever goddess they worshipped and feed her to the rest of the pack. Figures.
Stha walked towards her cage as the sun began to rise. “It’s been almost thirteen cycles since we’ve captured you,” she said. “We are getting close to the sacrifice stone.”
“When will I meet the Alpha?” Gerda demanded.
“You will meet her on the last day,” Stha said in her dry, raspy voice. “Not a day sooner.”
Gerda nodded. Her blonde hair was matted and filled with bugs that feasted upon warm blooded animals, having found little of those, Gerda’s body was a virtual smorgasbord. Their incessant biting caused her to itch badly, making it even more difficult for her to find sleep. Deep, dark circles were under her bright blue eyes, a test
ament to how little rest she had gotten over the past thirteen days. Even though her rushes were changed daily, her fur clothes weren’t aired out, nor had she bathed. Her own stench made her nauseous.
She also noted she hadn’t had her moon blood lately. Maybe it was the stress, or maybe she was with child. If that was the case, she had to engineer her escape on her own. She couldn’t afford to wait for Geri any longer. She decided since it was the raptor’s touch that undid the knots, she would need a raptor’s finger. How she could get it? Maybe if she sweet talked one of the unmated males, she could convince him to let her use the bushes unattended.
As she sat there scratching, the blue male approached her cage. “It is time for you to relieve yourself.”
“I don’t know how things are done in your tribe, but I…” she feigned a blush, “…I’m, my moon is upon me.” She stammered.
The raptor’s owl-like eyes went wide as he took in the possible taboo. “I need to speak with Stha,” he said as he jogged away.
A few minutes later, he returned. “Stha has given you leave to use the bushes alone due to your moon time. Do not flee because we can find you, especially if you really are bleeding,” the blue raptor male said as he touched the knots with his scaly finger.
He ushered her to a bush far away from the main camp. “You’ll do your thing here,” he said.
“Don’t I get some fur or a strap of leather to use?” she asked.
The male raptor sighed as he ran back to camp. “Don’t go anywhere,” he hissed as he ran to get what she needed.
Gerda took her chance. She grabbed a sharp rock and cut open her arm and let the blood freely splatter all over the place. She let out a blood curdling shriek as she did so. After she splattered the blood, she got on all fours and dragged her injured arm through the mud, leaving a false trail to lead the raptors away from where she would be running.
Gerda noticed a large comfrey plant and grabbed one of the leaves and wrapped it around her fresh wound. With that, she took off in the opposite direction of her fake trail and booked it towards a small creek. She ran on her two legs for all she was worth, away from the reptiles. Her heart was pounding in her chest from both exertion and terror as she fled through the forest. Branches and leaves whipped by her, striking her in the face as she ran full speed through the thick woods. Brambles attempted to catch her but she agilely avoided their snares.
She reached the steep embankment that led down to the creek and slid down it on her backside, landing in the water with a soft splash. She stopped for a moment and listened for any sign of pursuit. Hearing nothing but the sound of the birds and buzzing insects, she made her way down the creek, hoping it emptied into the major river that ran from the glaciers in the north to the salt water in the east. All rivers led to the salt, her father once told her. Follow one, and you’ll find home.
Her pack lived by the sandy shores of the great salt water. They plied the tides for their food, going out in small canoes to capture the fish that swam in the sparkling grey waters with home spun nets. It was a good existence. She missed the fat clams she used to dig out of the muddy silt. Their sweet, chewy flesh were delectable, she was so tired of whatever meat those Raptors were feeding her, and she would give anything for food from her home.
She dipped her hand into the cool creek and took a sip of water as she trekked through the boreal forest. She didn’t recognize where she was, but she looked in the sky and noticed the sun was at its midpoint. She was heading east, where she wanted to go, so that was a plus.
She felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she trudged through the clear, babbling brook. Maybe she was with child. It would make sense, she thought. Geri would be over the moon with joy that she was going to give him a pup of his own so soon into their mating. It boded well, she just needed to find her pack before the raptors found her. Holda might be able to get rid of this collar around her neck that’s preventing her from changing shape, since breaking enchantments was her specialty.
A large raven flew down from a branch of one of the towering pine trees and landed on a rock in front of Gerda. It cocked its iridescent black head in her direction and let out a throaty croak before taking a sip of water.
“Hello, raven,” Gerda said softly. “Can you show me the way to my people? I’m lost.”
The raven cocked its head again as it took in what she said and leapt into the air, flapping its large, black wings with powerful strokes towards the east. Gerda sighed and started to mentally berate herself for even thinking that a raven could understand her. She kept trudging down the stream, hoping the raptors weren’t too far behind.
The raven landed on a branch and croaked again. Gerda thought that it was trying to tell her something, so she hurried up. Seeming satisfied with her renewed speed, the raven took off once more, leading her out of the creek bed and into the woods. She was scared of leaving the safety of the running water, knowing that if she set foot on land the raptors might be able to catch her scent again. She hadn’t bathed in weeks and she smelled it. Gerda definitely would be easy prey for anyone if they chose.
She decided to trust the raven, though. Hopefully, he wouldn’t lure her into a den of raptors and have her torn limb from limb. The large, black bird flitted through the trees as she followed it towards wherever it wanted to take her. Even if it were off the edge of a cliff, it was better than being sacrificed to a goddess and used as a pawn to destroy all her people.
The bugs itched like mad in her hair and armpits. She needed to find some garlic and witch hazel to mix in with some deer fat to get rid of the insects that plagued her. She kept her eyes open for the tell-tale plants as she followed the raven.
The raven stopped and perched on top of the mouth of a large triangular shaped cave mouth. Gerda looked confused as she slowly approached it, not knowing where this cave led, or whom it might house. She knew for a fact it wasn’t the raptors, though.
Against her better judgement, she slowly crept into the cave. She noticed a deep musky scent as she proceeded further inside the rocky shelter. She noticed a used fire pit next to the entrance as she made her way inside. So people live here she thought. That’s promising. In the corner she saw meat hung up to dry on racks along with many herbs, some of which she didn’t even recognize. In another corner, she saw a pile of finely woven baskets with subtle patterns woven into the reeds, giving them a subtle elegance. With the baskets were wooden bowls, so well-crafted that one could almost see one’s reflection in the dark patina.
She marvelled at the fine elegance of everything that filled the small cave and didn’t notice any bed furs. Gerda turned around and noticed a rough passageway that led deeper into the cave that she decided to explore. She had no torch or oil lamp so she was taking a chance, but she couldn’t risk being out by the cave mouth and possibly spotted by a raptor patrol that was probably looking for her. She slid between the rocky hole and into a large room. Inside, there were two lit lamps and a pile of sleeping furs. She was amazed at how large this room was compared to the front of the cave. She was in someone else’s home and she needed to get out. Lone wolves were notoriously territorial.
Suddenly, the pile of furs on the ground shifted and rose from the dirt floor. They weren’t sleeping furs.
A bear stared at her with liquid brown eyes and yawned. Gerda backed away, terrified that the large ursine would eat her. She pressed herself against the stone wall, hoping the large omnivore wouldn’t tear into her for waking it from its slumber.
“Welcome, child,” it rumbled in a baritone voice. “My name is Lars. I’m the last of my kind,” he said sadly as he changed into the shape of a wizened old man.
His right arm was mangled into an unusable husk, and his right leg was short and withered. His entire right side was scarred from his head, which was missing one eye, down to his feet. “I was caught in a fire,” he said as a cursory explanation. “Back when the Raptors enslaved my people, I was the only one to resist. They tried to sacrifice me, to burn me
alive to grant them the warm blooded power to conquer the cold lands, but they failed. I managed to break their shifting lock enchantment and now you have what is before you,” the old man explained.
“That means you’re a…” Gerda said with her eyes wide.
The bears were annihilated centuries ago by the Raptors from what her father told her. They made them swear fealty to their goddess and because of that, those who followed the Raptors, were permanently in their bear shapes.
“Yes, I’m the magician of the Bear tribe. The last one alive. Now, why are you here?” he asked as his remaining rheumy eye peered into the depths of her soul.
“I was led here by a raven,” she explained.
“That makes sense. Corvo is always looking out for those in trouble. Now, why are you so far from your pack, little wolf?” Lars asked Gerda.
“Well, I was taken by the Raptors for their sacrifice,” she explained. “Does that mean I’m a…”
“You’ll have to ask your shaman that question. I just know you are fortunate to have escaped before they threw you in the flames,” Lars said sadly as the memories of a long time past flooded him. He felt the searing flames licking his skin like it was yesterday and he flinched.
“What stopped them?” Gerda asked.
“Well, I remember being tied to the stake. The fire lit under me but only the right side. Before the left could get thrown on, there was a bright flash and a very hot wind, not as hot as the flames mind you, but it was hot, from far in the distance, at least two leagues away. The Alpha raptor, she ran to go see what it was and I managed to undo the ties that held me to the stake and stumble away into the wilderness. It took me three moon cycles to fully heal from the physical wounds.”
Gerda sank to the floor, realizing how narrow her escape was. “Can you help me?” she begged. “Can you get this collar off of me? I think I’m with child and I need to find my mate.” She started sobbing.