Arla✒️

"Nothing will ever hurt you," Pappa said and she snuggled into his fur together with her sisters, "and if anything tries to hurt you, tell pappa and I will come take care of it immedietly, okay?"
He promised, and he kept his promise. The pups would run to pappa with anything, and he would fix it! A pebble between the toes, a scary bug chasing them, or a sharp twig. Nothing was allowed to hurt them, ever.
-
And nothing did. Arla was ready to make sure her family was safe after her fathers death, but her sister Asta was confident in herself and didn't need any help. When they were almost adult they moved into their family lines cave but their mother stayed behind. Arla would visit her to see how she was doing, but she seemed just fine as well. That was good, Arla thought, but she was becoming restless, this inner desire to protect didn't have any outlet. That was, until the Beta of the pack approached her. Arlas cousin, Bärnt, was the alphas little sister, and she kept the pack in line with her agressive personality.
"I need to speak with you in private," she whispered and walked off, clueing Arla to follow along. They stopped in a meadow behind a rock wall and the Beta continued, "he won't listen to me, I need your help."
"What, how would I help?" Arla expressed her confusion. She had never even spoken to the Alpha before.
"You have a way.." Bärnt stopped and looked at her, "I thought you were aware? Wolves listen to you naturally, I don't know how you do it."
Bärnt sighed, and Arla realized the bossy attitude wasn't something Bärnt was proud of, but rather something that was necessary in order to make people listen to her as a Beta. But appearently it didn't work on the Alpha.
"Why do you need him to listen to you?" Arla asked.
"I know your father chose him and I respect Borgs decision, but Magne is.. he's just not ready to be an alpha, even though it has been so long since he became one. He's insecure," Bärnt seemed worried, or bothered, "your first council meeting is in two nights, you'll see."
But at the meeting, Magne didn't seem to be a bad leader. He was calm and had easy solutions for everything. Bärnt wasn't allowed in the meeting, Betas never were because the Betas were always the sibling of the alpha. If the Beta was present, that would cause three wolves from the same family to be present, if you count the alpha, which they don't because the alpha is supposed to represent the whole pack. Arla watched the meeting go by, taking everything in without saying much, and she watched her family closely. Arla admitted it to herself, she was prone to superstitions, and she noticed this council was not balanced. The alpha had white eyes, and only one of the four council members had yellow eyes. Arla had black eyes, unusual for a descendant of Vår, as opposed to Skugga whos black eyes were a signature feature of her heritage; no one in Skades family had yellow eyes. This wasn't so concerning, other than the fact that the representative of Ulls family didn't have yellow eyes like Ull once did, and not grey eyes like they usually do. No, he had bright white eyes like the alpha. The only one with warm eyes was Vide, from Gerds family. Arla pondered, because Gerd didn't have yellow eyes, she had white ones. Is this system flawed? Arla started thinking, maybe we need to adopt our ancestors eye colours. She shook her head, she knew she was being superstitiuous and that this wouldn't fly well as an idea, because when a family wanted to produce an heir to the alpha they wanted to have a pair of siblings and their eyes should be one yellow and white. This was tradition. But still, she knew she needed to influence both Måne and Vide to find a mate and continue their familys legacy, as they had been decreasing in number.
-
As the head of Vårs family, Arla recieved many visits from her family. It was her job to help them and guide them, and bring with her their voices, metaphorically, to the council meetings. Arla enjoyed helping a lot.
-
When her mother died, Arla took care of her little sister, Hjördis.
Many years had passed and Arla had gained the trust of the alpha, and the beta, without them both knowing. Arla knew she was playing a dangerous game, but it was going all according to plan, until the packs assets were fading. Magne had already kicked out many wolves, and now there was talk of both her sisters having to leave as well. Arla didn't know what to do. Before her mother died, she had told Arla about an enemy pack that Arlas father had been taking care of. They weren't enemies anymore, and Arlas mother had begged her to care for them, so Arla had accepted the responsibility and brought them food and necessities.
But she cared about her sisters more than that pack. She sent a warning to the leader of the pack, then she went to Magne and told him everything. Magne was furious.
"What the fuck, Arla?" He snapped, "Our pack has been struggling and you've been giving handouts to enemies?"
Arla sat silently, with her head hanging down, taking the verbal punishment.
"This is outrageous. Maybe your fucking family doesn't deserve to stay in this pack," Magne growled and Arlas head shot up.
"No, please," She panicked and begged him, "let them stay, I can go. I'll even take the other pack with me, you'll never see me again. I just want my sisters to be safe, Magne, please."
Magne paced back and forth for a second, until he stopped and his cold eyes glowed onto her.
"I'll fix this fucking mess for you," he said and left. Arla stayed, frozen. She wondered what would happen to the other pack. At some point, Asta found her in the woods and brought her home.
"I love you," Arla told her sister, who smiled and responded with the same, "Maybe we should run away."
"Silly head, go to sleep," was all Asta had to say about that.
The next day, Arla noticed familiar faces in the outskirts of the territory. They didn't know her, she had never shown them her face, but she had seen them clear as day. Wolves from the other pack. But only wolves that weren't related to the leader. Arla felt bad, she had betrayed her mother. But maybe it was a step in the right direction..
-
"Are you mad at me?" Arla didn't beat around the bush, and Magne grunted, seemingly annoyed at her surprising him. He was sunbasking on a cliff, looking out over the river.
"This pack needs some discipline," he said, without looking at her, "the other pack did, too. They're disassembled now, and I doubt they will reform."
Arla walked closer, taking his willingness to talk as an invitation. She noticed his body had some new scratches, it seems the other pack could fight at least.
"Do I need discipline, too?" Arla attempted a joke, it almost worked. Magne shot her a glance and grunted.
"If anyone tried to discipline you, they'd fail horribly," he said as he laid his head down on his front paws. Arla sat down and looked at the view. The river was glimmering in the sunlight. Arla sighed.
"I still have a huge problem," she confessed. Magne looked at her, wondering, and Arla looked back at him, trying not to frown too much.
"Hjördis," Magne understood. She was on the list of wolves that have to leave the pack.
"I'm not letting her leave on her own," Arla didn't notice Magnes concerned expression.
"She doesn't have to leave," Magne replied faster than usual, "I'll let her stay, I'm the alpha."
"What about the other families? The council?" Arla shook her head, "they will be furious."
"I don't care, it's my pack for fucks sake," Magne pressed on.
"They'll lose respect for you as a leader, please Magne," Arla rolled her eyes. Magne was now on his feet, pacing a bit and in deep thought. Arla allowed him to ponder for a bit, until she got tired. She needed to find Hjördis and start planning where to go, and who to appoint as the new head of Vårs family. She got up and stretched a bit before turning around. She could bid Magne farewell later.
-
"So you finally understand me," Bärnt scoffed. Arla sighed in shame, and sadness.
"Yes," Arla wasn't entirely lying this time. Many years had passed since Bärnt had approached her that first time. Ever since then, Arla had been charming her way into both the alphas and the betas favor. For a long time, Arla had focused on Magne, and she did enjoy his company. As time went on, he proved to be the best wolf Arla had ever met. He had his own way of caring and showing love, he was always there to help and he was a strict but fair leader. He saved Arlas sister more than once, and that meant a lot to her. When Magne got older though, he started talking about heirs. This hurt Arla, because years prior they had both confessed to eachother that they weren't interested in having pups, they had bonded over it as they had that in common. Arla discouraged him, and he took it way more serious than she thought it was. Not long after, pups started being born to random females in the pack; pups that belonged to Magne. Arlas stomach was in knots over this.
-
The mural was staring her straight in the face. She couldn't take her eyes off it. The paint was flaking off, and only one of the wolfs eyes was left. The nose looked scarred by the granit underneath. Arla didn't know how to paint, and not how to restore this mural of their alpha. All she knew was that the preserving of their packs history has been neglected by the alpha, and that it stung like fire in her heart. Arla had tried her best to teach the pups of the pack about their history, but it was more like stories to them, stories that faded with time. How did it use to be? How did they have such a strong connection to their ancestors in the past?
"It's because of him," Bärnt would say. She seemed to despise her brother and alpha.
"No, they love him, they love that he's putting out and giving his good genes to their pups, he's a good protector," Arla had argued one time.
"They do love him, no doubt about it, but they don't know him," Bärnt said, "he's the alpha, his influence carries the pack."
Arla thought about that conversation now. Had he neglected their story?
Arla didn't bring it up with him, because it might affect the way he sees her, as his right hand and confidant.
-
"You know, a long time ago, before I was alpha," Magne was looking out over the frozen river, and sunlight was shining on his face, "I had the idea that I should run and live on my own."
"Why didn't you?"
"I just couldn't leave my family, they needed me.Adn then the entire pack did, too," he sighed. Arla looked at him and she saw a wolf who cared. A wolf ho risked his life for others, just for them to be happy, like he had done countless of times for her. His chin was prickled with grey hairs, and maybe Arlas would have been too, if she hadn't had such light fur.
"It's not too late," Arla mumbled as she fantasixed about running, too. Everything was so complicated, but when they just sat together, there wasn't so much to worry about. He turned his face toward her with a smile.
"I'm not leaving now, I'm too old, and my pack needs me," he said and squinted, his light eyes were sensitive to the snows glaring brightness durign these sunny winter days. Arla felt conflicted, a knot in her tummy. Did his pack need him, really? Or could they have someone better? Or was this his right, and Arla was betraying him by doubting? Bärnts words echoed in her mind. But is it really so bad, that they have lost some history, does it matter so much?
"Hey, what's wrong?" His voice was concerned.
"Huh?" Arla felt a warm flush to her cheeks as she tried to compose her expressions. Wolves had a hard time reading her because of her dark eyes, but Magne knew everything about her by now.
"You look seriously sad," he said lightly, "I'll listen if you'll talk."
"It's nothing, just.." Arla pondered how to explain without hurting him, "I'm questioning whether what's important to me is important to others, too. It's complicated."
"Hm, well," he said and looked out at the ligh blue sky, "I always found the things that you care about to be very important to me. I'm sure others would, too, if you told them about it."
Arla looked up at him and she felt that care he had inside him. He was not a bad wolf. She regretted rejecting him all those years ago.
"We're old, aren't we?" Arlas question brought a funny expression to his face as he looked at her.
"We sure are, well, at least me," he chuckled a little.
"Soon, nothing will matter anymore, not even the important things," Arlas gaze was fixed on his face, which looked confused and was quiet for a moment.
"I don't agree."
"Why not?" It was unusual of him to disagree with her so shortly.
"Everything will always matter. We make our mark and we should leave a good pack for the ones we leave behind, even if we're not there or even of we're forgotten," Magne looked away and Arla became quiet. More quiet than usual. She always had something to say, especially to Magne, who she wanted to steer in the right direction with her words. But this time, he was the one being wise in her stead. She felt confused and lost, and, and..
"I love you," she whispered, and his face gave her a doubtful expression of since when, so she shook her head and looked away, "I always did."
-
"Big brown wolf hunted big brown bears, exchanged her eye for four pup heirs"
The pups little song reached Arlas ears, and she listened intently.
"One of moon, one of sun, one of fire, one of stone"
Arla leaned her head to the side.
"Hey pup," she caught the pups attention, "who are you singing about?"
The pup shook his head.
"You don't know? Hm, who taught you the song then?"
"Dag sings it all the time," the pup responded.
Dag?
-
"Arla!" Hjördis practically screamed when she saw her, and rushed to embrace her.
"I'm so sorry I haven't visited yet," Arla began to explain herself and her shame. She actually wanted to see her little sister with her new family.
"It's okay, I know it has been stressful!" Hjördis said and smiled at her.
"I heard you named one of your pups Dag?"
"Yeah it was so crazy, she was born with like greyish eyes and then they just.. well, look at her," Hjördis led Arla around the bend and Arla saw the pup playing with its sister away by the treeline. A dark grey pup with bright amber eyes.
"But you and Måne both have white eyes?" Arla was confounded.
"Yeah it must've been some strong genes from Ull coming through!" Hjördis laughed, "well, that's why we named her Dag anyway."
Arlas mind started turning. A puppy that knows, and cares, about the history of this pack, and she has been blessed with eyes from Ull, it's perfect. Arla looked at Hjördis, and wondered, what kind of mother is she: will she refuse to let Arla train the pup, or be gleeful that she wants to?
"Hjördis, I heard that Dag has been making these songs.." Arla decided to explain carefully, just in case, but Hjördis interrupted.
"Songs? Oh, you mean the skalds? Dag loves singing a lot, but Natt is the one making up the stories," Hjördis smiled while watching her puppies attack their older sister.
Natt
Arla felt unease by the name, but she brushed it off, it didn't matter if Dag wasn't the gifted pup, the other one would do just fine as well. Hjördis tugged at Arlas neck skin.
"Come on, I want them to meet you!" and when they got closer, she demanded the pups attention, "puppies, this is your Moster, her name is Arla."
Both puppies looked up intently and said Hi, while their older sister sighed in relief that they stopped biting her ears.
Dag, with the bright eyes and dark fur. Natt, with the light fur and the dark eyes.
Arla spent the day with the puppies. But it was nagging at her. Natts eyes were pitch black, much like Arlas own eyes. Its a good thing for a spy to have, someone who needs to lie a lot, someone who's sneaky and decieving. That's why they fit on Arla. Wolves have a hard time figuring you out, even though you look quite friendly. Those are not the eyes that an alpha should have, especially after the last alpha had white moon eyes. The cycle should be sun, moon, sun, moon, sun, moon and so on! Black eyes are not a part of that cycle. Arla started thinking that Skade had cursed the pack with her black eyed offspring, now all the families started having them.
But Natt was drawing things in the dirt, using a stick she found, and later in the evening she was drawing on a rock with a charred piece of wood from the fire, and when she played with other pups, she told them stories, that were actually mostly true. Dag would sing and perform, she clearly took after her father and would be a great skald in the future, but not an alpha.
"What's wrong?" Arla was startled by Månes voice one day while visiting her sisters family.
"Why are you wondering?" Arla dismissed him, but despite her rhetorical tone, Måne answered.
"You've had a concerned expression while watching my pups, I think I deserve to know what's bothering you about them, or I might have to ask you to leave," Måne sat next to her.
"Hjördis wouldn't allow that," Arla huffed, his words had offended her.
"I don't know, you're being kinda creepy, and she might agree," Måne was teasing her, he knew loved her sister and nieces dearly. Arla pierced him with her eyes.
"This is confidential," she spoke in a lowered voice, "as a council member, I trust you to not speak to anyone about it."
Måne nodded and looked confused.
"I'm looking for the heir to the alpha, it's looking really scarce if I'll be honest. The alpha is.." Arla paused, didn't want to give away is recent memory issues and irrationality, "let's just say he doesn't think anyone is good enough. I've been desperately trying to find a wolf that would fit."
Arla didn't tell him that the alpha wasn't looking for a heir at all, that he forgot about it every day, nothing seemed important to him anymore and that he most of all wanted the alpha to continue being from Vårs family, as it had been for two generations now. Arla disagreed with him, and knew it would only bring bad things, and so she twisted the truth a little bit, it was for the good of the pack.
"You think one of my pups would be the alpha?" Månes whisper sounded almost angry but also excited.
"Don't be shocked, you know I've had my eyes out for you since the beginning," Arla sighed, "listen, these pups brought my hopes up so much, but unfortunately they don't seem to suit the position at all."
Arla got up and started to leave, but Måne followed.
"Why not?"
"Dag is clearly a skald, like you," Arla said.
"And Natt?"
"She.. she's just not alpha material. Just look at her eyes," She huffed at the interrogation.
"What's wrong with her eyes?" Måne sounded confused and Arla just rolled her eyes at him and walked the other way, "Your eyes are the same colour."
"Yes, see," Arla stopped and looked at him sternly, "I'm not alpha material, and neither is she, or anyone with our kind of eyes."
"What about your mother, Natts grandmother? A wonderful lady, I met her myself," he pressed on.
"She was a loner, longing to run away constantly, not fit for a pack and certainly not as a leader!" Arla got a bit heated.
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