Hjördis✒️

Hjördis didn't have a hard time growing up. Despite her mother dying, she quickly became attached to her next caregiver, her older sister Arla. What was hard, was that Arla couldn't live in the same cave as Hjördis, like her mother had. Soon enough, Hjördis understood why this was. Arla was a royal, Hjördis was not. They shared a mother, but not a father. Arlas father had once been the alpha. Hjördis didn't mind at first, she hung out with her other older sisters daughter and tried to make friends with her sisters family, but most of them acted weird around her, some of them scoffed at her and once she overheard them telling Arla that Hjördis shouldn't be in their royal cave at all, she left and didn't come back. Arla still visited her and cared for her, of course.
-
Hjördis and her friends giggled where they laid by the trees, as the bard started singing. Wolves joined in, but his voice was the one that stood out. The fire was warming her face, and as the orange light flickered in the bards eyes Hjördis felt warm everywhere else, too.
Out in our meadow there grows blue berries
The bard went silent as the crowd chimed in with "Oh joy of the heart". Hjördis felt shy and didn't.
If you want something of me, let's meet there
And the crowd sang with the bard, "Come lillies and columbine, come roses and salvia, come lovely mint, come joy of the heart!"
The bard gave her a look and smiled as he danced past her, and as he turned away she raised her voice and sang with the others.
That night when going to sleep, the tune echoed in her mind.
Out in our meadow there are flowers and berries
but out of them all you're the one I most cherish
-
Hjördis quite liked the alpha, but then again she found it hard to dislike any wolf. She did not expect to fall in love with him, though. The alpha hung around Arla a lot, and he often showed care for Hjördis. Hjördis felt like it was inappropriate, she felt lowly for some reason.
-
Hjördis best friend, Åsa, was the bearer of the bad news. What Hjördis got to hear was that the alpha was going to kick her out because the pack didn't have enough food for everyone. And that's why Hjördis was now sitting under a pine tree, further from home than she had ever been, crying. She was going to lose her whole family and everything she had always known. But as she sat there, she realized maybe she was better off that way. While she liked a lot of her family, not many seemed to like her. She sniffeled, then she sneaked home during the night, to say goodbye to Åsa. As she came closer to her packs territory, she heard a familiar voice. It felt strange. She had never heard his voice like this before; barking out orders to three other wolves. Hjördis couldn't help it, she followed them and spied on them. They seemed distressed about something, and when they all looked in her direction she realized, she must have scared off their prey.
"Oh fuck," she was such a fool. Oh, FUCK, He was walking straight towards her, his white eyes piercing her as if he could see straight through the bushes she was hiding behind. Hjördis backed up and hung her head in shame.
"I'm sorry," she said as soon as he came close enough to hear her.
"You're Arlas sister, aren't you?" He asked, and Hjördis nodded, "what are you doing out here?"
"Well, I, you see," she stuttered and felt her face getting warm, "I had never seen you when you weren't singin by the fire, it was weird to hear your voice like that, and I followed you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disrupted your hunt, I guess i messed up tonights dinner, huh.."
"I thought you weren't related to Vår?" His question made Hjördis confused, she looked up at him with furrowed brows, and he laughed, "I'm sorry, I should've known you wouldn't get the joke. Vårs family tend to be extremely talkative."
"Oh.." Hjördis realized the tangent she had gone on.
"Don't worry, you didn't ruin our hunt. I sent the others home so I could go talk to you," he said and sat down, looking at her gently, "you've been gone for several days, Arla was very worried."
"I'm leaving the pack, just like everyone wants," Hjördes said, frankly, and looked intently at the grass as it changed colour when the moon came out of the clouds to shine a light on everything.
"Where are you going?" He asked. Hjördis glanced at him, and his eyes shone like moonlight. Hjördis felt a lump in her throat and she started tearing up, then she felt him embracing her, his paw resting on her shoulder and his cheek against her ear, "hey now, I'm sorry. It's none of my business."
Hjördis started sobbing, and he kept holding her. Eventually she calmed down, and they sat there in silence for a bit until Hjördis whispered.
"I don't even know how to hunt, I'm so stupid," she sniffled.
He pulled back and looked her in the eye.
"I'll teach you, it's not so hard!" He smiled at her and suddenly she felt hopeful.
"What's your name?" Hjördis realized she had never heard anyone say it, but when she saw him looking uncomfortable, she corrected herself, "you don't have to tell me!"
"I'm Måne," he said, "I trust you won't gossip about it with anyone?"
Hjördis shook her head, and Måne smiled.
-
"Are you listening?" Hjördis blinked as Måne demanded her attention.
"Sorry, I'm a bit unfocused," Hjördis excused herself, but in reality, she was distracted by his beautiful voice and couldn't stop thinking about the other day, when she had once again attended a bonfire to listen to him singing.
"Let's end the lesson for today, you must be tired," Måne said and turned around, starting to wander back home. As she followed him back, he was singing the entire time, and sometimes he glanced over at her, smiling. The song stopped abruptly when they reached the territory, and the lack of song felt unnatural. Måne said goodbye as they went their separate ways, and Hjördis nodded.
"What was that?" Arlas voice startled her and she turned around to face her.
"What was what?" Hjördis replied too quickly.
"Why were you with that male?"
"Ummmm-," Hjördis kept making sounds while thinking, she didn't want to tell her sister that she was leaving the pack.
"He's courting you?" Arla looked displeased, "If he's courting you, why aren't you pregnant? Your first heat and spring, perfect opportunity for puppies."
"What!" Hjördis exclaimed, but she didn't know what other excuse to go with yet, so she didn't dare say it wasn't true, "maybe he wants to take things slow?"
Arlas dark eyes narrowed.
"Hmm," was all she responded with.
"I have to go!" Hjördis exclaimed and ran straight to Åsa and pulled her aside.
"I met this amazing wolf," Hjördis was tapping her feet in excitement, "I don't know if he likes me, how do I know?"
"Hmm, does he give you gifts?" Åsa pondered.
"Not really," Hjördis stopped tapping her feet.
"Do you spend a lot of time together?"
"Yes!" Hjördis tail started wagging.
"Does he look at you a lot?"
"Sometimes!" Hjördis started jumping around and Åsa started laughing, then Hjördis jumped into Åsa and hugged her and they laughed together in the moss.
"I dunno Dis, but you seem really in love at least," Åsa smiled and Hjördis covered her face with her paws in embarrassment.
"I'm ridicolous," she mumbled.
"You're not!" Åsa laughed and pushed her so she rolled around, "let's get some meat, silly."
Hjördis got up with a groan and followed Åsa to the meat pile. That's when someone came screaming.
"Fire!"
At first, everyone looked around as if no one believed it, but flames were spitting out between the trees. Hjördis must've looked at it a little too long, she did find it quite hypnotizing.. because when she snapped out of it and looked around, she was alone. She ran to west, but somehow the flames were quicer than her and had already covered the trail to the west. Suddenly someone pulled at her neck and yelled for her to follow, so she did. She focused on the orange-ish fur in front of her and ran as fas as she could. They reached the river and crossed it, which felt like it took forever. From the other side of the river, the fire was harmless. Hjördis stared at it, she couldnt take her eyes off it. Her home was burnt now, she knew it. What about her family, were they safe? Where had Åsa gone? At least she had someone left, she thought and looked at the wolf next to her. But she realized, she didn't recognize him at all.
"Who are you?" She asked without thanking him for saving her life. He had blue eyes that looked into hers.
"My territory burned in the bush fire and I didn't see where my pack went, but then I found you," he said, and Hjördis thought that's exactly what happened to me and felt sorry for him, she didn't even wonder how a small brush fire could reach all the way to a neighbouring territory that she had never seen before, and whether his story seemed plausible or not. She smiled at him.
"I'll help you find them," she said.
"Don't worry about it, I know where they went, I'd rather help you. Are you okay?" He didn't seem so bothered by the fire at all.
"I'm okay, well, my legs hurt from swimming," Hjördis stretched her legs and then laid down to rest, "last time I swam over the river, it seemed much shorter across."
"How strange," the male said and sat down next to her. But Hjördis realized something.
"Because that time, I swam across at our old terrotiry in the mountains! The river is thinner there!" Hjördis jumped up to her feet, "I know where my pack is headed. Thank you for your help."
"Wait," just as Hjördis was about to leave to find her family, he stopped her, "it's getting late and you've been through a lot, I can't let a lady travel alone without some rest."
How sweet, Hjördis thought, and she decided to camp by the river with him, the flames on the other side were ominously watching over her.
When he brought her food in the morning, she didn't think to question it. They travelled together, and Hjördis didn't even ask his name, because he didn't ask her hers. HE was good company, and he told her stories of her home, his siblings and everything. It took a day and a half more, before she heard a familiar growl. The alpha showed up and stepped in between Hjördis and her new friend.
"Magne, he's not a bad wolf," Hjördis became scared that he would hurt him., "he helped me find my way home!"
"Thank you for helping her, but you can go now," Magne said, not taking his eye off of the ginger wolf. The wolf nodded, took a last look at Hjördis, then disappeared. Magne waited for a bit, then he turned around to Hjördis.
"Did no one tell you not to talk to strangers?" He mumbled a swear word under his breath, and Hjördis was surprised, because he usually didn't curse around her.
"Where are everyone? Arla? Åsa?" Hjördis asked as they started walking.
"They're at the territory," he said and then he stopped and looked at her, "we've been so worried, you're the only one we couldn't find, I don't understand what happened. I thought I had everyone under control."
Hjördis looked up at him and shrugged, she didn't know either.
"Come on now, we have to hurry home," Magne turned around and led her away.
"Why the hurry?" Hjördis asked, probably because she had liked how much care there had been in his voice just then and wanted more.
"I left the pack in the care of the beta and your sister," Magne sighed.
"Why didnt you send Arla to find me?" Hjördis asked, and Magne grunted as he pondered.
"She was too worried about you, I didn't want her to get into trouble while searching for you," Magne responded, and she could indeed imagine her sister going straight back to the fires just to see if Hjördis was dead or not. Magne helped her over the first part of the river, he kept a close eye on her and even pulled her at times even though she didn't need it, and they took a break on the island in the middle to rest. As they rested in the sunset, Hjördis noticed Magne had burnt tufts on his shoulders and tail, and a leaf wrapping around his hind leg. Hjördis had been the last one left in the fire, and she wasn't hurt at all. Maybe Magne was the one who was hurting himself, hurdling into fires to see if anyone was left. Hjördis licked his ear, trying to clean soot off of him. He looked at her, and he saw her looking at his bandages.
"I'm the alpha, Hjördis," Magne said quietly, but in a serious tone. Hjördis nodded. He had to protect everyone, that's his job.
"I'm tired, can we take a rest here and continue tomorrow?"
"We're almost home," Magne looked confused, but then Hjördis faked a big yawn, and he nodded and agreed to stay. Soon enough, Magne was falling asleep; Hjördis plan worked. She sat next to him quietly watching the river streaming past her, and she looked into the pineforest on the other side. It felt like coming home.
-
Hjördis was attacked with hugs and kisses from Arla.
"I was so worried!" Arla exclaimed, and she started crying, Hjördis had never seen her cry before.
"I'm sorry, Dis, when the fire started I looked away for a second and you were gone, I don't know what happened," Åsa was also crying.
"It's okay, I'm fine!" Hjördis tried to console Åsa from under her sisters grip. Eventually Arla got the message and moved away. She walked over to Magne and they talked.
"Your sister was really worried, but she didn't cry until now," Åsa whispered as to not upset anyone.
"I'm not surprised," Hjördis looked over to the two of them, "Magne was coughing in his sleep last night."
"Yeah, Alpha gathered everyone into safety, told Arla where to bring us, and then he went straight back to the fires," Åsa sounded impressed at his selflessness, but Hjördis felt bad about it, and worried for both Magne and Arlas safety.
-
The new territory, or old territory I guess, is so much better! I love the trees and the river and the air is so different here. There are lots of old paintings, too, it feels like this place really has history Hjördis eyes were getting tired, so she put her journal aside and laid down to sleep. She felt herself drifting off, but then her ears pricked up. Someone was whispering outside. Hjördis groaned and got up, too curious not to. As she got closer to the entrance of her cave she heard the whisper again, and she realized it was someone calling for her. She popped her head out and said Hello?
Blue eyes looked at her. At first he looked surprised, but then he looked relieved and smiled. Hjördis was confused, and it must've showed on her face.
"I'm sorry, I just had to see you again," he whispered.
"Why are you whispering?" Hjördis looked around in the dark, she saw no one.
"I just don't want to bother anyone," he kept whispering, and his smile looked honest, "come, let's go for a walk."
And they walked in the moonlight, they talked about a lot of things, and Hjördis had a really good time, but she was sleepy and told him she really had to go home. That's the first time she saw him without a smile on his face. Hjördis almost thought he was annoyed, but she quickly forgot after coming home and going to sleep.
The two kept meeting in the night, and when he eventually referred to Hjördis as his mate, she felt butterflies in her stomach. But she couldn't keep her mouth shut.
"If I'm your mate how come you won't meet my family?" She asked.
"Hey, why are you asking that? You know I told you your pack doesn't like outsiders," he looked sad, and Hjördis felt bad for him, but she couldn't just not ask.
"Then why can't I meet your family?"
"What, you never even asked to meet them," he sounded confused, "how is that my fault?"
"Well I'm asking to meet them now!" Maybe she raised her voice a little.
"Why are you yelling at me?" He whined.
"I'm not yelling at you, I'm just wondering," Hjördis felt confused.
The fight didn't go anywhere, it ended with Hjördis crying and being comforted by him, he said he was sorry and then he licked her cheek and brought her home, and left as if nothing was ever wrong. For a while, Hjördis went along with it, kept meeting him, but every time they fought she felt a stronger sense that he was lying, that something was wrong.
-
"Hjördis!" Her sister shouted for her, and Hjördis wasn't surprised anymore by her showing up out of nowhere, she was scarily sneaky, but not with Hjördis. She sighed as Arla ran up to her to interrogate her, "you know what, I was fine with you being away for some days at a time, but you haven't talked to me in two weeks, I'm not okay with this - not okay at all. I, as your older sister and guardian may I add, feel a responsibility to take care of you and I'm sorry if that bothers you but I'm sure it benefits you in some ways and I feel like you may need to respect my wish to at least hear from you once a week. I really don't think that is too much to ask and-"
Arla kept rambling.
"Okay okay, I'm sorry," Hjördis turned around and looked her in the eye.
"I just worry about you," Arla looked sad, and Hjördis almost felt bad. She pushed her feelings aside.
"Do you know where Måne is?"
-
Måne was an amazing stalker, thats why he was the leader of his hunting team, and he was just what Hjördis needed to find her mysterious so called "mate". Måne hadn't hesitated to help her, and they were now deep in the forest.
"So you're looking for your lover.." Måne sounded confused, "who's hmm.. hiding from you?"
"He's not my lover," the thought made her annoyed, "and he's not hiding, he just doesn't tell me where he goes."
"Why not?" Måne asked.
"I don't know. I think he's hiding something," Hjördis tried to sniff and feel the scent like Måne did, but she didn't seem to be good at it.
"If he's not your mate then why do you care what he's hiding?"
"Well, it's complicated.. He wants me to be his mate, but I dunno, I don't like him.. I mean, like that.." Hjördis didn't know what she felt, but what she was saying didn't make sense to her either so she got that Måne wouldn't understand.
"Why are you involved with him if you don't like him?" Måne stopped walking and he looked very concerned. Hjördis felt panicked.
"I said I don't like him like that! Jeesh you're sounding like my sister with this interrogating!" Hjördis huffed and turned away, but she knew he was right. She didn't want to see him anymore, she really didn't.
"Hey, I'm sorry for prying. Let's continue searching," he nudged her, and she nodded silently before they started their journey again.
So, they found him, but he was alone. Another argument broke out, he was asking why she had followed him when he had asked for privacy, she was honest of why and told him he had been acting strange. He disagreed.
"We're done, I don't want to hear this anymore!" Hjördis attempted to end the argument and the relationship.
"Oh come on, don't be such a bitch," he responded and looked sad, "I'm sorry, I said I'm sorry, right? Why won't you forgive me?"
"I don't like this," Hjördis said and backed away. She wanted gone and he was trying to pull her back.
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