Skade ❆✒️

"Soon comes Lussi, filled with warm and peace. She gives of her love, her light, she is so humble and kind. Come, Lussi, the queen of light, come to everyone here. Come, and teach us how to show love, we all hold you dear! Come, Lussi, queen of light, come to every den. Come and teach us how to show love, how to spread warmth and light."

"Mamma, sing the other song too please and thank you," Skade was barely awake, lying curled up close to her brother. Tyr knew she would never fall asleep until she heard the last note of both Lussi songs.

"The night is so dark during midwinter time, but soon Lussi will come. She comes, the good one, with the light to us. She comes with greetings of a peaceful Yule. She comes with lights in her crown. In the dark night during midwinter, we greet you, humble Lussi. Welcome, oh good one, with your light to us. Welcome with greetings of a peaceful Yule. Welcome with lights in your crown." Tyr listened closely to Skades breathing. Yes, she was asleep now.

It wasn't even winter, Tyrs litter was born in spring. Skades interest in Lussi started when she had asked her mamma where snow came from, while splashing through some snow slush, and Tyr told her it was a gift from Lussi, so that the moon could light up the world during winter as well. Skade then asked what winter was, and why the world wasn't bright during winter. Tyr told her that there is one high point and one low point in the suns cycle, in the summer on the midsummer day, the sun will shine its light all through night, and you won't see any stars. During midwinter however, the sun will barely shine upon the sky at all, and it will dark all day. Without the suns bright light, it will be cold as well. When snow coats the world so that the moons light can light up the world, that's when you know Lussi is here. The snow isolates the dens from the cold air, too. Tyr hoped Skade was too young to question any inconsistencies in her story. No, Tyr was not the best teacher. But she did teach her pups of the sun with a high and low point, and the moon which was fully bright and fully shaded at least 11 times if you counted it together with the suns cycle. Skade would go on to draw the sun and moon cycles in the snow or the sand, to teach the other pups.

-

"The sun rules over summer, but the moon rules over winter," Skade sat in front of a bunch of smaller pups. She was an adolescent now, but had yet to see her first snow. The younger pups drew their own symbols in the frozen sand, mimicking the one Skade had drawn. Her teachings were disturbed when she was tackled by and immedietly started play fighting with her brother, and the younger pups cheered on!

-

Skade woke up from her sleep by a hushing voice.

"Skade, I want to show you something,"

"Ugh mamma what is it? I'm tireeeed," Skade complained. She heard a chuckle and her mothers nose burrowed beneath her and pushed her, annoyingly.

"Come on, pup."

They went out into the snow together. Skades paws relished against the cold ground. Yes, Skade had seen snow before, it had been winter for almost a full moon. She hadn't grown bored of it, just familiar. Her mother led the path.

"Where are we going, mamma?" Skade yawned.

"It has been very cold this night, maybe you can feel it?" Tyr made a turn into the woods, and to Skades surprise, the snow didn't cave for her mothers feet. Skade tried one paw and was amazed, she started walking on top of the snow, Tyr noticed her daughter had stopped far behind and realized what was going on, "When it stops snowing, and the sun shines onto the snow, the top layer melts and creates skare. Now come on!"

Eventually they reached a clearing on top of a steep hill. After brushing past some pine branches, Skade could see how the skare glittered in the full moons light! It was magical! Skade ler out a "wow" and her mother looked pleased.

"Look up, pup" Skade did as she was told. When she looked up, her sight was resting on a spot right next to the moonlight, and she now saw something she had never seen before: the sky was glittering. No, not the stars. They were there too, because the sky was clear, but there was glitter being illuminated by the moonlight. Skade sat there and looked at it, mesmerized, for a while. She then went over to her mother and gave her a loving nuzzle. They sat quiey for a while until Skade noticed something behind the glitters.

"Mamma, the Ulv is high in the sky tonight," she pointed her mom to the constellation in the sky. Tyr looked up, and then let out a howl! Skade chuckled before joining in, grateful to have her silly, caring mother there with her in this cold glittery winter night.

-

Skade grew up to be a confident female. Had she not been born to a young alpha, she might've taken over the role. Skade and her brother, Ull, were a tight knit pair. They always got along, their values were the same. Naturally, Skade decided to bring pups to the world and similarly to her mother, she used other packs studs to do it. She had no interest in romantic relations, and preferred the process of electing good studs. Her brother wasn't so lucky, he didn't find a female to bond with for a long time. Skade had assumed that their children, who were to be cousins, would grow up together, but no. Skades children grew up alone. Ull was an amazing uncle, but Skade could tell that he too longed for a family, and so she decided to not bring any more heirs until Ull had some too.

-

Skade was teaching her regular lessons to the young pups of the pack. She taught them history, she taught them culture and stories.

"What does he do?" Skade asked, expecting an answer

"He howls!" two of the pups claimed in unison, Skade noticed they gave eachother a competitive glare before her next question.

"And what do you do?" 

"Run", "cover your ears", "don't listen," all the pups responded, some with the same response and some with variations.

"Yes, all of those are correct," she smiled at them, "now go play!" 

She dismissed them early as she had felt someone looking at her. As the pups attacked eachother and appearently started playing "don't let the stream wolf catch you", Skade turned around to see her mother by a tree a bit away. The spring sun was glowing onto her ablazed face and her golden eyes were squinting. Skade walked up to her.

"Mor," she greeted her and sat down, "Were you watching me?"

"I'm proud of you, Skade," her mothers words were soft, and Skade had heard them many times before, so she wasn't surprised but bowed her head in thanks anyway. "You are everything I'd want in a heir. It's a shame I didn't have you at an older age."

Skade knew what she would do if she inherited the pack. She would honour her mother, she would be a good ruler and she would have Ull by her side! But that wasn't going to happen. When the alpha dies, the pack needs a young leader. A pack needs stability, it needs to have a leader that will stick around for a while. Skade knew this. Wait.. why did Mor say it was a "shame"? Skades ears pulled back, worried.

"But it's also a blessing. Skade, I have a proposal that I want you to consider," Tyr stood up, "I am getting older. I need assistance with the pack. I have Björk, but he has a family of his own to worry about, and he already guards the territory while teaching hunting. I want you to step up and be my right hand. Take some time to think about it."

Tyr walked away.

It was like Skade was made for this. She was a natural leader and problem solver. She had a passion for knowledge and wanted to educate her pack.

-

"I'm sorry mamma, I did a bad job of raising her," Skade sat with her head lowered in her mothers cave, looking down at her own feet. Her mother sat a bit away, illuminated by flickering yellow light. Skade thought about it, but decided to not tell her mother of what Hel said to her. She had caused enough damage already.

"Pup, what's on your heart?" Skades ears perked up. Tyr sounded worried and frankly surprised. Skade peeked up at the alpha before lowering her head in shame and responding, "My daughter disrespected you," she paused, "Doesn't this need consequences?" Tyr walked closer to her.

"It's true, she didn't listen to me. But Skade, do you know what?" Skade looked up carefully, "If she had just come to me and told me how she felt I would've allowed her to have pups. And well, just because she didn't ask, that doesn't change my decision. I understand how she feels now. They are both of my blood, I will not chase them away." Tyr had paced around a bit, it must have tired her, because now she laid down heavily on her bed. Skade was confused, and conflicted. Her mother, the alpha, was her biggest role model. She wanted her to be respected and listened to, that's why she had been strict with her daughter. But was Skade disrespecting the alpha by being upset at Hel for disrespecting the alpha? Oh, this was complicated.

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