4 comments/ 17037 views/ 2 favorites Wotan's Hounds Ch. 01 By: Navajazz i'm going back over this story as i know it could do with some tweeking, so i will be uploading the chapters as i finish them off and hopefully will be able to dig myself out of the hole i'd found myself in with it. Huge apologies to my fans for not writing for now but it's only since i found my new Roshi that i've had the motivation to start writing again, so you can thank Him. i hope you enjoy the revamp. Prologue I was three days old when I was picked up off the streets with my mother and two brothers. Mum had been caught out in a storm when she's gone into labour with us, so she moved under an abandoned house to wait until we were old enough to be moved somewhere safer. Unfortunately, some curtain-twitching do-gooder had seen her creeping in and out when she'd gone hunting, and called the animal rescue people. They found us when Mum was out one morning, and put us in a cage to wait for her return. We didn't know what was going on; we were still blind and totally dependent on Mum for everything. When we found ourselves out of the warmth of the blanketed nest she had made for us, we started crying out for her. Mum was a really smart lady; she was clever enough to live on the streets of London for years without being caught but when she heard us whimpering, she came racing back without thinking and ran headlong into the catching pole. She was bundled into the cage beside us, and we were put in the back of a van and driven off to the rehoming centre. I know the rescue people were only doing what they thought was best; it was just too bad that the whole experience was so stressful for my little brother that he changed mid-journey, so that when the driver opened the door he found two pups and a human looking baby curled up around the leg of a very protective hound. I don't know what he must have thought. He went running into the building, and came back out with one of the vets. Siggi was in the middle of changing back into a pup at that point, his body was sprouting hairs and his nose had begun to elongate into a snout, and soon he was snuffling round Mum's nipples looking for more milk. The vet had stood open mouthed watching all this, and when he finally got his wits together he told the driver to take the cage into the quarantined area while he made a few calls. In the end, we were only at the centre for a few hours before we were picked up by the Army, and moved to a camp in the middle of Cumbria. There was nothing around us for miles except the fifteen foot high chain link fence that surrounded the entire garrison. My brothers and I ran wild there for eighteen years, hunting in all weathers, only coming back to the relative civilisation of the barracks when we had to. I can think of worse ways to grow up. Chapter 1 Mum was a were-wolfhound, but there was a problem with the little switch in her that controlled her ability to change. This meant she couldn't move from hound to human, she was stuck as a dog. Her parents had been too closely related -- half-brother and sister -- and all but one of their pups had been born without the ability to change. The whole family had been expelled from the clan to rid themselves of the bad blood, and Mum had been living on the streets since she was fourteen. She had found it better to live alone where she wasn't pointed at, wasn't bullied or sneered at. It had been hard for her to understand that she didn't have to be afraid of these soldiers, who were there to watch us, to guard us, not to harm us in any way. We lived together in one of the barrack rooms that had been converted into a mix of play and school room with big soft squishy beds behind curtains at one end, and a huge flap in the door at the other. At first we lived as pups, only changing into our human forms occasionally, and mostly by accident or when we were stressed too much. By what would have been our eighth birthdays, we could all switch between human and hound forms as easily as sneezing, which made our rough and tumble games very interesting. Siggi and Froh particularly were in love with the soldiers the way only little boys could be, and they would go off for hours, practicing stalking and tracking. At first they wouldn't let me join in; it took me tracking them silently through the woods for five hours before I could convince them I was just as able as they were. It was like Froh said, "Flossi, you're just a girl. You can't expect us to know you're any good without proving it." I was ten when I got my own room; the boys had moved out long before then as their mess would get everywhere. Mum had gotten so sick of it all, she'd asked me to get permission from the Major in charge of us to give the boys a separate sleeping area, where they could create as much noise and chaos as they liked. Once that change was made, the boys ended up building a fort with the help of some of the soldiers. Going in there without a map wasn't advisable. My room was at the other end of the hall from the boys, with Mum right in the middle. I didn't want a girly, fluffy pink place, just somewhere quiet and peaceful where I could curl up and read my history books. The Commander of the garrison, Major Williams, had insisted that each of us have tutors. As a result, the boys could read, write and do a little bit of math, but unless it was to do with guns or machines, they weren't interested. Strategy was straight over their heads. If they couldn't go in with infantry, then they thought you should just blow the shit out of it with missiles. I loved the assessment side of strategy, though; thinking through the next move, planning ahead. When Captain James introduced me to chess one wet weekend, I was hooked from the start. I wasn't a bookish girl, hiding myself away from the big bad boys; I simply liked using my mind to boost my chances against them. The night we turned eighteen, the whole camp threw us a party. Siggi and Froh were going to be going off to another camp to do basic training; I was staying put to learn more from Captain James about history and strategy, as well as basic training in small arms. It never occurred to us not to join the Army. We'd lived in and around it for so long, it was part of our lives. To be honest, there wasn't anything else I would rather have done. The weather the night of our party was calm and clear, perfect for hunting. The boys had come in straight from the field and thrown on their normal camouflage combats before romping into the mess hall with mud and grass still in their hair and on their feet. They looked so sure of themselves, tall good looking boys with short black hair. Siggi and Froh looked so similar that, at times, the only way to tell them apart was to look at their eyes: Siggi's were amber and glowed yellow in torchlight; Froh had one amber and one pale blue eye. My eyes were like Siggi's, only they reflected green light. I had had long hair until I was sixteen (at one point it reached my waist), but it was forever getting in my way, so I cut it all off. Now it was no longer than an inch anywhere on my head. Combined with a slim figure from hard exercise and good genes, I looked, as Mum called it, gamine. For the party, I had made an unusual effort with my appearance. I was wearing a pair of wide-legged, black linen trousers, and a little lacy vest top. I'd ringed my eyes with dark brown liner, and added mascara in the same colour, making my eyes look huge in my tiny face. I so rarely bothered with how I looked. It wasn't like there were many other women on the site to trade makeup tips with. Most of the time I was either studying or roaming around the woods, and I don't think my books or the trees thought too much about how I looked. Captain James certainly noticed the difference in me. He came over as soon as I entered the room to claim me for the rest of the night, never letting me out of his sight for more than a few minutes at a time. I thought it was quite sweet actually til Mum came padding over to speak to me. "You know he likes you, don't you?" Mum asked. "Captain James?" I responded, "Yeah, I know. He's a really nice guy." "No, sweetheart," Mum insisted, "Captain James likes you as in-- " and then Mum sent me a mental image of a human couple having sex. "Mum," I cried, "Eww -- that's gross." "We did have a talk about the birds and the bees didn't we?" Mum replied. "Yes, and I got the picture," I said. "I just wish you hadn't coloured it in. I didn't think he liked me that way though." "I don't think he knew until tonight," Mum responded. "Everything OK, Flossi?" The subject of our telepathic conversation asked, rejoining us with a smile. Now I knew what to look for, I could see the signs I'd missed before. "Yes, Captain," I replied. "You know, it's funny, but I don't know if you've ever told me your first name." I wanted to see how right Mum was about him. "Thomas -- Tom to my friends," Captain James replied with a slight rise of colour to his cheeks. "Tom; that's nice. Yes, everything is fine. I think my brothers are about to start creating their usual mayhem though." I said. From across the room, I saw two groups forming, and I guessed that a hunting party was about to begin. This was nothing new, in fact it was something encouraged by the officers to give the squaddies and my brothers a chance to blow off steam. Siggi and Froh would pick teams, one to be the hunted, one to hunt. The hunted team would have a ten minute head start to disappear into the surrounding countryside before the chase began. In the past I might have joined in, but tonight I was looking forward to the chance to have some time alone with Tom. When Froh sent me a silent invite, I shook my head and was answered by a disgusting picture and the phrase, "All good girls should be in bed by ten, and home by two. Be good, little sister." Then he vanished into the moonlit night. Tom caught my scowl, and again asked if I was all right. "I'm fine, thank you," I replied. "My brother's mind on the other hand . . . " "Ahh, yes," said Tom with a smile, "I'm afraid it comes of hanging round with this rowdy bunch." "It's OK. I'm used to it by now," I said. "Shall we go for a walk? I think the party's starting to break up now." "Indeed, that would be nice," he replied, leading me outdoors. We strolled (I can't think of another word) out into the night, arm in arm. Over the past year or so, my ability to pick up on what the humans around me were thinking had increased ten-fold. My family were easy; we had been talking without words for as long as I could recall. But humans, with their closed-off minds, were much harder. It helped that I was touching Tom, and that his thoughts were right at the top of his brain so I could pick up on the nervous lust that was vibrating through his body. We reached a stone wall that melted into the woods, and stopped for a moment. A howl went up throughout the hills, bouncing off the enclosing mountains; the hunt was on. I listened for a minute until Tom turned to me and said; "Your brother told me tonight if I ever hurt you, I'd wind up in a mental home, gibbering if I saw a Chihuahua." That sounded like Siggi. For being the younger brother, he could be very over-protective. "Sorry about that," I said. "Don't be," he said, smiling. "I rather got the impression he was giving me his approval." "Ohh," I replied. I didn't know what else to say to that. I suppose I could have been mad at other people interfering in my life, but then we'd lived in each other's pockets for eighteen years, so I was used to the boys knowing everything about me and vice-versa. "Would that be such a bad thing?" Tom asked. The nerves were out-weighing the lust now; he really was scared I'd turn him down. "No," I replied with a shy smile. "In fact I think it could be a nice thing." I was finding this flirting thing quite easy after all. Tom leaned forwards and kissed me softly. The feelings of lust that swept over me from him were incredible; I hadn't known you could get so horny! A feeling of warmth seemed to pool at the base of my belly, spreading out down my legs, making them feel weak and shaky. And that was just from a tiny soft kiss. When he tried to pull away, I followed his mouth, pressing my whole body against his and feeling how his cock was bulging through the material of his jeans. It was like every feeling he was having, I was picking up on and bouncing it back to him. I could feel how he was a little shocked by my transformation from shy virgin to sex-crazed monster but it just felt so good. Without thinking and while my lips were still pressed to his, I asked if he was OK with this. Tom jumped and pulled back, "How did you do that?" "Do what?" I asked. "I heard you speaking to me inside my head." "Didn't you know I could do that?" "No. I mean, I knew you could pick up on thoughts and ideas," he went on, "I didn't know you could send them." "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." "It's OK," he said, "Can you tell what I'm thinking now?" I saw a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream, and two spoons sitting side by side on my desk, and responded, "Oh, yes please." We walked back to the party arm-in-arm again. The mess hall was empty now, but for a couple of privates clearing up the leftover food and drink, getting ready for breakfast the next morning. Tom and I snuck into the kitchen, and raided the freezer, smuggling a tub of Ben & Jerry's out and along to my room. There was still an undercurrent of lust rippling back and forth between us, but it had died down to a level where we could both think clearly. Sitting on the floor in a corner of my room was a pile of bean-bags and cushions, all covered in real fur from animals I'd hunted in the past, mostly deer or rabbits. I'd made a low roof and a front flap out of a trio of moose skins my brothers and I had killed on holiday in Canada a few years ago. This was where I slept at night; I simply couldn't get comfortable on a human bed so I would curl up in the corner. I led Tom over to it now, and sat down at the edge of the tent, while he sat on a low slung chair to the side in front of my desk. "So this is your lair then?" he asked. "Yep, my little hidey-hole," I replied, suddenly nervous about having him in my room. I'd never let anyone in here before. "Would you like to play? Chess, I mean," I added hastily. "We could have a game of chess," Tom answered with a knowing smile. "We don't have to do anything, you know. We can just talk or play if that's all you wanted." "I don't know yet," I said, shaking my head. "Sorry, I'm being a bit of a tease, aren't I?" "Can you see things without touching me?" "A little. It works better with you lot if I've got contact though," I responded. "'You lot?'" Tom said with a quick grin. "Come here and take my hand, I want to show you something." I crawled over to the chair and sat on the floor beside him. As I took hold of his hand, I got a flash of confidence from him, like he knew I would like what I saw. I was looking down at myself, my eyes half closed in bliss, my lips parted and moist. I was flat on my back naked, Tom's lips softly began kissing mine, his hand sliding down my belly and easing my legs open so he could play with my pussy. His thumb was gently flicking back and forwards over my clit, causing my whole body to jump in his arms. I could feel how this was turning him on, how the blood was rushing in his ears as it sped towards his stiffening cock, held in check for now by his tight jeans. "You like?" he asked. "I do," I replied, dropping my head as the lust spun through me "Would you like to try it for real?" "Yes, please." My legs were like jelly though; I didnt honestly know if I could walk over to him and make what I'd seen come true. Tom took the decision out of my hands. He got up and walked the few steps over to my lair, pulling me with him. He dropped my hand and tugged off his thin jumper, then crouched down and slithered between the flaps at the front, reaching back for me once he was inside. I joined him inside the tent quickly, and we settled down facing each other. His kisses were soft and sweet; he didn't want to scare me even though I could see his desires clearly from his mind. I wiggled out of my top with his help, and his kisses deepened as he tried to hold back from ravishing my naked breasts. For having such a small frame, they were surprisingly large, over-filling a C cup. I wanted to know how his tongue would feel on my nipples, how his hands would feel as he squeezed and groped them. I pushed his head down a little, and let my musings drift over into his mind. His hands moved up from my waist to cup my breasts, pushing them together so he could flit from nipple to nipple, licking, sucking, and then biting ever so gently. Tom's naked torso was rippling with muscle and pale white against the dark tanned patches of skin that were exposed to the elements every day. I held his head, feeling the short sandy coloured hair prickling in my hands as he moved his mouth from side to side. I could feel my orgasm building inside me, only this was so much bigger than when I'd played with myself. My belly was undulating under him, trying to push myself over the edge but I couldn't find the last bit of pressure I needed. I whimpered in frustration, and Tom lifted his head to look at me. We didn't require telepathy: the need, the desire was written quite clearly across my face. He trailed one hand down my belly and undid the waistband on my trousers. He pulled them down out of the way and began rubbing the heel of his hand all around my groin, over my inner thighs, everywhere except where I needed him. I groaned with lust, why couldn't he work out where I ached to be caressed? Finally he moved closer and I could feel how wet I was. I'd soaked through the thin cotton gusset of my shorts and was coating his hand in my juices. He pressed the heel of his palm gently against my clit and chuckled when he felt me thrust up to meet his touch. He tugged my shorts to one side and ran his index finger up and down my outer lips, feeling the short soft fuzz of hair that covered them. Again I whimpered, wishing he would just touch me. He twisted his hand and pulled my underwear off me, leaving me totally naked and exposed to his gaze. He slowly opened my legs up, kissing my inner thighs before dropping his head to nuzzle at my clit and slid his middle finger inside me. It felt huge as it snuggled its way deeper towards my core, while his lips and tongue were flickering over my outer lips, all combining to push me that much closer to orgasm. Then he wiggled his finger inside me, and I just exploded under his touch. I crushed his mouth down onto my clit, and wailed as the feelings of pleasure slammed through my body. Tom waited until I'd gotten my breath back, trailing his fingers over my belly and waist til my breath smoothed it's self out before asking, "Would you like to touch me?" I had gotten so caught up in what was happening to me I'd almost forgotten about him. I gently nudged at his mind and saw how pent up he was, how much he needed the release he'd given me. I nodded my head and he quickly freed himself from his jeans, sliding back up beside me. I reached down, curious but nervous at the same time. The first thing I noticed was how hot he was, then how stiff and weighty. I mean, I know I was a virgin and all, but seriously, how was that supposed to fit inside me when a single finger felt like I was stuffed full? When I let him feel my nervousness and incredulity at the situation, he just took over. He laid me back and began playing with my pussy, stroking my clit and making me forget all about him and his needs again. He slid one finger inside me, slowly working it in and out, then pushed another in beside it, gently stretching me so I wouldn't get too much of a shock when he swapped his fingers for his cock. Wotan's Hounds Ch. 01 I found myself getting closer to orgasm, yet every time I was on the brink, he would stop and wait for me to calm down before carrying on. On one pause I felt him shifting so he lay between my legs, then he eased his fingers out, replacing them with the tip of his cock. I tensed up, waiting for it to hurt. Instead he just lay there, letting me relax enough to open up. When he did move, it was with tiny thrusts that were all very nice but by now I was ready for more. I began to meet each of his thrusts with one of my own, wanting to see how it felt to have all of him inside me. This felt good! I couldn't believe how long it'd taken me to work this out; now I had, I wanted more. He was holding himself up on his arms, away from my body and when he felt me begin to move he looked down and said, "Are you sure you're ready for this?" "Oh yes, please," I responded, "I need this." "OK, then," he said. "Bring your legs up round my waist and put your hands on my shoulders. Ready?" I did as he said, virtually hanging from his muscular body. I felt his hips tense as he pushed hard, and slid all the way in. I gasped with the pleasure that flooded through me. I felt so full it was unbelievable. He stopped moving and I wiggled underneath him, wanting more movement. "Christ, you're tight," he suddenly grunted in my ear. "Oh, sorry," I said blushing. Had I done something wrong? "Don't be. It's a good thing." He replied, kissing me hard. "But if you don't stop squirming, this is going to be over very quickly." We lay there for a few minutes, kissing softly. He was heavy above me and in me, heavy and hot, pulsing with the blood that was coursing through his veins. I could hear it now, thudding in my ears and in my mind. He turned his head and I nibbled on his earlobe, making him grunt again. I couldn't help it in the end; I had to move. Tom picked up the pace and began driving into me. The base of his cock was grinding on my clit with every thrust, and I knew there was no way I could hold back and not orgasm. My whole body shook and I howled as I orgasmed again and again. If he'd felt big before, he was enormous now that my pussy was twitching and squeezing around him. Tom grunted again, sighed, "Oh, fuck," and came, his cock jumping inside me, giving me tiny little aftershocks of pleasure. He opened his arms, and let me flop back down onto the pillows, kissing my forehead. He slowly pulled out of me, and it was my turn to groan; I felt so empty now and cold as his cum dribbled out after him. Tom wiggled his arm underneath me, and pulled me to his body as he lay down beside me. I felt so content, sated and complete; I was just about to doze off when I heard Siggi outside. I pulled a fur over my body, and asked him what he wanted. "If you're quite finished with my sister, Captain, we've got a problem," he replied. "What's up, Siggi?" Tom said as he sat up, and began pulling on his jeans. "We weren't the only ones out hunting tonight, we need Flossi to come and help us track them." Wotan's Hounds Ch. 02 "What's up, Siggi?" said Tom, as he sat up and began pulling on his jeans. "We weren't the only ones out hunting tonight." Siggi replied, "We need Flossi to come and help us track them." I told Siggi to wait while I got changed. Tom had never seen this before; it wasn't a nasty sight, it was just that it was easier to be naked for it and I'd never been naked in front of anyone except my family before. He was fastening up his fly when I growled, and he turned to watch. The first thing that happened was the hair sprouted all over my body, thick soft charcoal coloured hair that covered every inch of me. Then my nose began to grow and my legs began to shrink; my back rounded up and my collar bones melted away to let my shoulders move forwards, and finally my tail grew. Within a few seconds, I had gone from human to hound. Tom ran his hand down my back, stroking my fur as I snaked my head forwards and licked his cheek. I wandered out of my lair, and stopped to stretch, leaning back with my front legs pushed right out in front of me and curling my tail up over my back. I stood up, shook myself, and bounced over to Siggi. He looked down at me and said, "Yeah, yeah. So you popped your cherry. Get over it already, we've got work to do." Siggi crouched down beside me and changed. His fur was darker than mine (almost completely black), though both he and Froh had tan patches on their legs. Both boys stood a few inches taller than me at the shoulder. I put my nose into his ear and sneezed, something he absolutely hated but always made me giggle. He growled and snapped his teeth at me, missing my nose by millimetres. I fluttered my eyelashes at him and said, "What's the matter baby brother? Upset coz you didn't get lucky tonight?" "No," Siggi replied, "I'm upset because there was someone out there tonight hunting us, and they weren't human." "You mean like us?" I was suddenly sober; Siggi was seriously worried about this. "I don't know. Come on, I want to get Mum, she might know more," Siggi replied. We trotted down the hallway to Mum's room and pushed through the flap in the door. Mum was sitting, looking out the window, and turned when she heard us come in. "I suppose you wanting me to go out with you," Mum said. "I think you need to," Siggi replied. "I've never smelt anyone like this before." "How many are there?" Mum asked. "Three that I can pick up, but they're covering their tracks well," Siggi said. "If it's who I think it is," Mum responded, "There'll be one other." "How do you know that?" I asked. "Because I think your father is in the group," Mum replied. <><><><><> Froh had joined us after we'd called him in from the hunt. While we were waiting for him, I'd run back to my room and gotten changed and dressed; Mum needed me to translate to Major Williams and his soldiers. Tom had put out a perimeter guard around the barracks to warn us of anyone approaching, and he walked back to Mum's room with me. We sat round, and she explained what was happening. "I met your father in London about twenty years ago," Mum began. "I'd been on the streets for nearly fifty years by then, and it could get pretty lonely at times." "I'm sorry," Major Williams interjected, "How old are you?" "In were-years, 42; in human, I've lost count," Mum replied. "I was born in 1715. Weres are different to humans. We age normally until we're eighteen, then for some reason we slow down. For every seven human years that pass, we age by one." Having brought Major Williams up to speed, Mum glanced at us, gathering our attention before she continued. "Anyway, I met your father one night when he was drunk out of his skull after a party. He'd wandered into a bad part of town by mistake so I followed him, partly to keep him safe and partly out of curiosity. I could smell he was a were, and I'd been without the company of my own sort for so long I wanted some contact. Eventually he found his own way home, back to a big hotel and I left him to it. Except he must have picked up my scent, because the next night he found me." Mum shook her head at the memories before continuing, "I had had a bad day, so I was curled up in a box in some little alleyway when this big handsome hound came trotting towards me. I knew who he was by his scent so I wasn't scared of him. When he asked me to dinner at his hotel to say thank you for looking after him I agreed. I think he was a little shocked by where he'd found me but he was too well bred to mention it." "How well bred are we talking Mum?" I asked. "He was the eldest son of his clan's leader, and his ancestors had come over to Britain with the Vikings. They could trace their pedigree back that far." Mum replied. I was stunned as I turned the telepathy into words for the soldiers who surrounded us. This was an old family she was talking about, I knew that much. Mum was talking again and it took me a minute to catch up with her. "He took me back to his room and left me alone while he changed and got dressed. I hadn't been brave enough to tell him I couldn't change until then. When he came back and found me sitting in the corner, I had to explain about my parents. I fully expected him to kick me out there and then, instead he calmly ordered us room service, including the biggest steak I'd ever seen, all for me." Mum seemed lost in memories, almost as if she were describing something she was seeing right then. She continued, "We talked for most of the night, about my past, his past, everything. He was down in London at university, this was his first term and he was finding living in the city very claustrophobic. It didn't help that he had two bodyguards and a witch keeping an eye on him. The night before he'd given them the slip, and gone out drinking with a couple of friends from his class, that's why he was alone." "So what happened? Did you stay with him?" I was so curious! Mum never had told us anything about who our father was before now. All that she'd said when we asked, and that wasn't often, was that he was high up in a pack and she hadn't seen him in years. "I did," Mum answered, "I was with him for nearly two years. He moved out of the hotel and we got a house together. We had to be discrete; I couldn't go with him to any of the parties his father insisted on, but we were happy. To a were, especially one who would be expected to take over a clan one day, I was and still would be considered an abomination. I have no idea why your father went against all tradition, but he could be a bit of a rebel. I suppose you could compare it to a white guy seeing a black girl in 50's America. Not the done thing. Then I fell pregnant with you three. It was a bit of a shock at first, then once the news set in, Odin, that's his given name, decided to come clean and tell his family he'd found a wife. We didn't think it would cause such uproar though. His father came down and said I had to leave." Mum's head came up and she looked around, as if she was surprised to find herself in the barracks and not in a plush London flat. "Odin didn't want me to go so we packed our bags, and were all set to run away together. Then he went out to get some last minute supplies and never came back. I waited and waited for him. After a few days, I got a letter he'd managed to sneak out, saying he had been taken back up north to the family estate. I knew it was in Northumbria somewhere, but I didn't know where about exactly." "The house was sold, and I was out on the streets again. I planned to go up and find Odin, then one night a few days later I went in to labour and had to find somewhere to hide out until you were old enough to make the journey. Then we were picked up and brought here, and the rest you know." Mum ended her story. "So, why has it taken him so long? If he knew about us, why hasn't he tried to find us until now?" I asked. "Odin wasn't able to find you until you were eighteen, sweetheart," Mum said. "That's when you truly became weres. He couldn't track me because we have no blood connection, and he needed something like that to use as a guide." "So what do we do now?" I asked. "I'll go out and find him," Mum said, "Can you ask the Major if Odin is welcome here? I know he'd like to meet you all." "Yes, that's fine by me," responded Major Williams to my question. "So long as it's just the four of them, and they're not armed." "Odin won't be armed, he doesn't want to hurt anyone," Mum insisted. "He just wants to find his children." "OK, then. Bring him in," said Major Williams. Mum got up and trotted out the door, followed by Tom. He needed to tell the guards who was coming in. I heard Mum howling for her husband, and the answer came fast and close by. Within a few minutes, Mum was back, leading in a handsome man in his early thirties, wearing a loose robe that belted round his waist with an elaborate scarf. He strode confidently into the room, followed by a pair of huge bull mastiffs and a pale-looking woman with ice blue eyes and ash blonde hair. I saw Siggi's eyes light up when he saw her, and he stood up to greet her. But his friendly remarks were greeted by a cold stare. "Dream on, mutt," the blonde sneered, "I don't consort with strays." On hearing this, the tall man spun round on her and growled, "Carla, if you cannot keep a civil tongue in your head when greeting my son, you can leave." "Yes, Lord Odin," came Carla's quiet reply. "Lord Odin?" I said, surprised at the title. "Yes, I am Odin," the tall man responded. "And you are?" "Flossi, Sir," I replied. Mum looked up at him and said, "Your daughter, Flosshilde. Your sons are called Sigfried and Froh." "And can they all change?" The blunt question came from Carla. "Yes, they're all full weres," replied Mum. "I don't expect you to understand, Carla; you never could." Tom stepped forwards and introduced Major Williams and himself. The humans had not been able to follow the speeches between Mum and Odin, but they all felt the tension in the room. I smiled at Tom, grateful for his help, a gesture that was not lost on the witch or my father. "Lord Odin," Carla commented in a smarmy voice, "It is as well you got here when you did. Your daughter had been fraternising with humans." I was furious with Carla, and lost my temper big time. "I've been more than bloody fraternising, witch. Lord Odin, is there a problem with me having boyfriends?" "You do not have to call me Lord, Odin will suffice if you cannot bring yourself to call me Father yet," Father replied. "The question still stands," I repeated. "Is there a problem with boyfriends?" "Well, I would prefer it if you chose a were over a human obviously," Odin replied. "Right, so you think you can just abandon my mother then show up here two decades later and start making demands?" I retorted. "If that's how you want our relationship to be then you can just turn round, and march straight back out that door." "And my sons, how do you feel about your sisters' statement?" Odin asked. Siggi and Froh looked at each other and changed. They sprawled naked on the floor, totally unashamed, and stared at our father. They'd perfected a technique of finishing each other's sentences over the years, a habit that could drive me nuts at times but they used it to good effect here. "To be honest . . . " "That all depends . . ." "On what you want from us." "If you're expecting . . . " "Us to follow you . . . " "Like good little lambs . . . " "Baa baa . . ." "You can get fucked!" Siggi gave Odin the most insolent look and concluded his part in the conversational duet by saying, "Round here, respect is earned, not demanded." Froh looked round at the soldiers watching them, and continued "We've hunted with every man and woman in this room, yourselves excluded, and we know them all." Siggi carried on, "If the Major or Tom gives us an order, we'll carry it out, no questions asked. They've earned that right. Who are you to show up out of the blue and demand the same treatment?" "Who is he?" The witch's eyes blazed for a second. "He is your father and the leader of your clan," Carla proclaimed. The boys' heads turned simultaneously to glare at her. I was used to their synchronised behaviour, and even I was freaked out by it. The witch paled even more as she recognised the threat they posed, and I had no doubt that if Lord Odin hadn't been in the room she would have used her magic against them. "Were we asking you, witch?" the boys said in unison. Odin stepped forwards. The soldiers stepped back, giving my family room to fight if they wished. They'd all seen us bringing down much larger animals, and they were well aware of our abilities. Odin paused; he seemed unsure for the first time since he'd entered the room. "We appear to have picked up a problem with our communication. I am not here to insist or demand anything. I simply wished to meet my first born children, my heirs. Perhaps I was wrong to do so in such a way, to come into your lives so suddenly, yet it is how my family has done things for many a generation." "He has pretty words . . . " the boys were at it again. "We'll grant him that . . . " "Ahh, yes, but can he hunt?" "Sister, you up for some playtime?" "Other than with the gallant Captain of course?" I grinned at my brothers. For all that they were loutish, they were fun and the night was perfect for some games. I nodded and slipped behind the curtain at the end of the room to change while the boys simply stretched and switched where they sat. Sometimes I thought it must be easier to be a man. Once changed, I trotted out to rejoin my pack. The world looked so different when I was on all fours. All the colours were muted; only reds, blues and greens standing out from the monochrome background. The smells on the other hand -- they danced in front of me. Mum was sitting in a cloud of mixed feelings, worried about us but oh, so proud at the same time, tinged with regrets for her life away from Odin. Odin had changed too, and I could see why Mum thought him handsome. Odin looked like a foxhound, very satisfied with himself, yet he smelled unsure, a little out of his depth and angry that he'd let himself be provoked by the witch. There was something going on between those two. Carla had waves of smugness and conceit rolling off her, and I wanted to bite her arse to pull her down a peg or two. There was something else too -- control. Carla thought she had perfect control over the whole situation. Odin's bodyguards were almost disinterested; if they had been human they would have been lounging against the wall examining their fingernails. My brothers were lit up; they couldn't wait to try out a new prey. Over the years they'd hunted everyone they could find, so they knew all the tricks that prey had used. They'd been longing for a new challenge for a while now; that was part of the reason for them leaving. They needed something fresh, and hunting a group of weres was a fantastic opportunity they couldn't have passed up for all the beer in Scotland. "Ok," said Froh, taking charge. "Here are the rules, as amended for tonight. No humans or witches; weres only. You three get a two minute head start, then we come after you. Stay within the fence. Anyone going over will be caught, captured and thrown in the cells for the night. If we catch you and manage to mark you, you're out. Oh, and trees are allowed for tonight only." "Trees?" asked one of the guards. "Yeah you know, tall things, lots of branches and leaves? Normally used for pissing on by thugs like you. The rules usually state that climbing them is out of bounds coz they get used by the judges, and we can't have them getting caught up in the action, but as we're dispensing with judges for tonight, trees are allowed. Any more questions?" Froh concluded. "No. Thank you, son. Good hunting." Odin peeled his upper lip back in a smile and turning, bounded out of the room with his guards following close behind. Froh looked up at the witch, and told her to stay put. When she gave him a withering stare, Froh said, "It's either that, or you can sit in a cell for how ever long this game takes. Your choice." Carla went and sat down beside Tom, who immediately got up and moved over beside Mum. I wandered over to him and let him stroke my head while I waited for the hunt to begin. It was so soothing, to be calmed like that. The energy I got from the anticipation of a hunt was huge, and it could leave me feeling a little jittery. Once I was actually out there using my skills, I was fine, it was just getting to that point. Froh looked over at me and nodded; it was time. I licked Tom's hand and followed my brothers out into the night. We picked up the scent easily; now that we knew what we were scenting, it was simple. The scent trail led down to the woods at the corner of the barracks, the three of them staying in a tight grouping. We each took one scent, each letting the others concentrate on their own work. I zeroed in on one of the bodyguards. He was a big guy, and the testosterone flowed off him, making him ridiculously easy to track. Halfway along the main path, however, he split off from the group, disappearing down to one side. I looked over at Froh for guidance, and he shook his head. He was focussing on Odin, but he could tell one of the group had left. It was a trick that the squaddies had used exhaustively in the past with us all, and one we knew all about. We expected that the next one to leave wouldn't be long and sure enough a few hundred yards later the second guard separated too, but again, we kept together, focusing on Odin alone now. He'd kept to the main track, leading us on through the woods at an easy lope and out on to the assault course. At the A frame though, the scent died; he'd tried to lead us into a trap. The attack came from three directions, the bodyguards rushing us from left and right, as Odin sprung down from the trees, via the A frame. No doubt their strategy had worked in the past; they were quick and silent, no loud growls or cries, just the rush of air over muscular bodies, and the thud of heavy feet hitting the hard packed ground and wood. In most cases it should have left the intended victims immobilised with shock. We had been expecting something like this, though perhaps not so soon. We'd kept in a tight group, each one facing a different direction, a different aggressor, until they were just about on us, and then suddenly we split up, allowing them to flow in between and past us. We turned on them and pounced, turning the defence into attack. Siggi and I raked our outstretched claws over the ears of one of the guards each while Froh twisted in mid-air and snapped at our father, his teeth meeting in his scruff. It wasn't so much painful, more humiliating for him; that's where a bitch carried her pups. We came to rest on the floor of the clearing, landing more or less together and ready for whatever they came up with next. Odin looked at us in shock, then shook his head at the surprise of his guards. They weren't bleeding badly, it wasn't like we'd used our full strength on them. This was just for fun after all. "I can think of three people whom that would not have worked on, and I have known them for a very long time. Where did you learn to move like that?" There was a new respect for us in Odin's eyes and thoughts, a gleam that said he could see the day he'd be very proud of us all. Wotan's Hounds Ch. 02 "Here, where else? Humans on the whole are smart. They have to be with no other defences and here we have some very cunning men. Once they've been hunted in one way, you have to change tactics or else go hungry," Froh explained. "You eat them?!" Odin exclaimed. "No, but on hunt nights the winners chose the victory meal, and none of us can stand curry. So Saturday nights, we either win or go hungry," "There's not a lot to do round here at the weekends. It's not like we can nick into Keswick and go dancing." I added. We were walking back to the barracks now, and Odin had dropped his superior manners and was letting his curiosity show. "Have you ever left the camp?" Odin asked. "Sure, we go up to Carlisle once in a while, mainly for books or clothes, that sort of thing," I offered. "We went down to London too, a couple of months ago, as a going away present from the Major, that was fun. We stayed in such a posh hotel." "Which one?" Odin asked. "The Ritz, can you believe it? We actually stayed for a week at the Ritz. We had to dress for dinner and everything," I said. "Yeah, such fun," Siggi muttered. "Having to fight my way into a monkey suit just to get some scran." "It is nice there, I used to have one of the suites when I first went down to university," Odin said. "I use to stare out of the window in my study at the park when it all got too much." "Really?" I was gob smacked. "Just how rich are you?" "Well, we used to own a large area of Northumberland; over the years it got sold off, so not as rich as we once were. I guess my annual income from the farms and different investments would come to a little under twenty million. Obviously not all of that is spent," Odin said when he saw the shock on our faces. "Most goes back into safe investments, or is used to help the clan. It is also for them that I am here." "How come?" asked Froh. "As my first children, the eldest of you will one day take on the role as clan leader. Now that may not be for many years yet, but it is vital that I begin your training now. We have lost so much time." "Tough luck, big brother," Siggi sniggered. "All that schooling and no playtime in the army." "Lord Odin, as good as that sounds, I have obligations," Froh said. "I'm going away on basic training tomorrow; it's something I've been looking forward to for years now and I'm sorry, I'm not giving that up for a man I've known less than an hour." "I suppose I should feel relieved that you honour your commitments," Odin said. "Is that your final word on the matter?" "For now, yes," Froh replied. "You said yourself that we had years ahead, just give me a few of those to find myself." "Granted," Odin said with a sigh. "And you, Sigfried, you wish to go with him?" "Try and stop me," Siggi said. "After seeing how you move as a team, I would not dare," Odin replied. "Daughter, are you also committed to the human army?" "I haven't signed up if that's what you mean," I said. "But I was going to be working with Captain James on tactics and small arms, that sort of thing. I guess I could go back with you and have a look at your set up." "Excellent," Odin said, satisfied he'd gotten one of us at least. "We can leave straight away." I stopped dead at his tone. The superior voice was back, and I knew if I let him walk all over me now, I would regret it in the long run. "No, we can't," I replied. "I have a few things to get sorted out first -- the main one being if you think I'm going away with you without some company, you're barking up the wrong tree." "I see," Odin said, "And what kind of company did you have in mind?" "Well, for starters, Captain James." I said. "A human? No." Odin declared. "Then I'm staying right here," I said. "I've known Captain James since I was twelve years old. He's my best friend," I growled at Siggi when he muttered, "Amongst other things," but it was true. Despite the formality we had kept between us over the years, Captain James was almost as close to me as my brothers. If I couldn't have them next to me when I went with Odin, I wanted Tom. "Does it really mean that much to you?" Odin asked. "Yes, he does," I answered, with a stress on the word 'he" -- "it" indeed! "You should not get attached to humans, daughter," Odin counselled. "They age and wither so fast." "Oh, go to hell, you pompous twat!" With that, I ran back to the barracks as fast as I could, thanking my lucky stars that Mum had raised us by herself. I hated to think how I would have turned out if they'd stayed together. I burst into Mum's room, and slammed through the curtains. The witch looked up in alarm, jumping to her feet and turning to run out the door when my brothers arrived without Odin. "Where is he?" Carla demanded in a shrill voice. "If you've hurt one hair on his head, I will personally damn you for the rest of your lives." "Why, Carla, I never knew you cared so much about me, though I have to say your lack of faith in my abilities and my children is hurtful at the least," Odin had strolled through the door shortly after the boys. "Daughter, would you please join us?" "That all depends on what you have to say Lord Odin," I said, coming out from behind the curtain pulling my T-shirt down over my belly. "If you continue to disparage my family -- and these humans, as you call them, are my family -- then I can't think why I should." "Daughter..." Odin began. "It's not polite to speak about other people when they can't understand you. If you wish to talk, then change. Use the curtain if you're shy." I sat down at Tom's feet and waited for Odin's reply. He nodded curtly to the witch, and she followed him, pulling his robe out of her bag. Once he was back, and the boys were changed too, we sat in two rows and watched each other warily. "Daughter, I can understand why you have such feeling for these humans," Odin began. "You have been subjected to their company for your whole life but you must see that you are not like them." "What I see is that I am more like them than I am like you, and that's what's pissing you off right now," I retorted. "They at least stuck around to help raise us, when you disappeared off." "I did explain that I had no way of finding you," Odin said. "Bullshit," I replied. "You've never heard of detective agencies then? Or are they too human for you?" "Is there anything I can say that will convince you that I had no choice?" Odin asked. "Probably not; no," I said. "What you can do is stop acting all high and mighty just coz you've got a few pennies in your pocket." "More than a few pennies, Sister," sighed Froh. "Alright, a few million pennies then. That's still no reason to act like you can waltz in here and start dictating terms," I said. "You are our father in name only. If you want anything more than that you'll have to work a hell of a lot harder than you are now." "Very well," Odin replied. I could see how hard it was for him to keep his anger at bay, but he was the one who came looking for us. We'd been doing fine without him for years now and we could have carried on for years more quite happily. "As you know, I wish you to come and live with me at the clan estate, to learn about your heritage," Odin went on. "And I've said I will," I said. "But I can't just go wandering off into the night with you. There are things I need with me." "Such as?" Odin asked. "Well, clothes would be a good start. Then there's all my books and my bed; I'm not leaving them behind," I continued. "Anything else?" Odin said. "If he'll come, I'd like Captain James join us," I replied. "Daughter . . . " Odin began. "I have a name; it's Flossi, not daughter," I said. "Flossi, humans can not live with weres," Odin said, "We are too different." "We've managed fine so far," I protested. "Yes," Odin said, "Because until today, you have not been full weres. Trust me when I say you will tire of him before long; tire of how quickly he ages, how slowly he moves. It is not fair to keep him." "Is there no way I can change?" The question came from Tom and surprised me. I wondered how long he'd been thinking about this. "Carla? Can you explain this?" Odin asked. "Of course, Lord Odin," Carla replied. "It is quite a complex spell, and one that requires a deep level of understanding about the self involved. It is not something to be undertaken lightly, on a whim. It will change the rest of your life. You will see your whole family, your children and grandchildren included, die while you stay young and fit." "That won't be an issue," Tom said. "I'm an only child, my parents are dead, and I haven't a wife or children." "That is positive at least," Carla said. "I must warn you though that the first few times the change can be painful." "Toots, I'm in the army," Tom smilingly replied to Carla. "Pain doesn't scare me and neither do you." I turned to Tom and stared at him. I was looking for any sign that he was regretting asking the question. He looked straight back at me, letting me into every part of his mind. I saw his reasoning clearly there, mixing in with his feelings for me that he'd only just acknowledged. "Do you know how long I've watched you and your brothers and wished I could be like you?" Tom asked me. "To run free like that would be fantastic." There was such longing in his words, and in his mind, there I knew he truly wanted to do this. "Very well," Odin stood and turned to the Major. "Is there a place we may sleep tonight?" "Yes, we have guest quarters," the Major said. "If you'd like to follow me. Captain, I'll see you in my office in ten minutes." Major Williams led Odin and his party out. Tom stood to leave too, though he frowned when I got up to go with him. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked. "With you," I replied. "You don't have to, I'm a big boy." "Yes, I know; remember?" I said with a smile. "I'm still going with you though." "Come on then, better not keep the Major waiting." In the Major's office, we settled down in the hard fabric chairs that faced his chipboard desk. The walls were painted a stark white, with countless holes in them from pinned up maps and exercise briefings. This was Major Williams "official" office, the one he used for punishments and other business that would generate reams of paperwork. Mostly Major Williams could be found in the officer's mess, in a squishy leather armchair he had brought with him seventeen years ago when he took command of the camp. He was a complete gentleman in there, coffee on one side, pipe on the other and one of his Peninsular Campaign books being scrutinised under his razor sharp stare. That same stare was directed at us both a few minutes later. Though Major Williams had acquired a few grey hairs and a pair of half-moon glasses, he had changed little in all the years I'd known him. Right now he couldn't decide if he was angry and exasperated with us, or more than a little pleased that we were sticking together like this. Finally he sighed and took his glasses off, laying them on the table in front of him. "Captain, I get the impression that if I were to give you a direct order to quit this nonsense I would be told where to stick it," Major Williams began. "So, instead of having to deal with the court martial that would follow, I have chosen to simply remind you that you are still an officer in Her Majesty's British Army and that if you do leave this camp it will be as a guard to the young lady beside you. If during that time you find it prudent or useful to undergo some sort of transformation, it will be noted as such in your records and no further action will be taken against you. In fact you may find that you are given more assignments once you have gained new skills, do I make myself clear?" "Perfectly, as always, Sir," Tom replied. "Good; then I suggest you pack and make your farewells," Major Williams said. "I have the unenviable task of choosing your successor. Have you any thoughts on the matter?" "Lieutenant Park is a good man, Sir; keen, eager and the men respect him," Tony replied. "Yes, that was my thought too," Major Williams said. "I now have to run it past headquarters, which will be interesting. Well, I am going to miss you Captain, and you little one." Major Williams' gaze softened as it fell on me. "I never thought I would have a family. Thank you for letting me borrow you for a little while." Impulsively I got up and walked round the desk. I leant down and hugged Major Williams, receiving a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek in return. I hadn't realised how much I was going to miss him until now. He'd always been in the background, but I'd always thought he'd be there forever. All of a sudden he wasn't going to be there and that was a scary thought. But it was me who was leaving, not him. "Go on, now," Major Williams said. "Have a good life, little Flossi." I stood to attention and gave him my best salute, as a tiny tear rolled down my face. The warm little smile I got back was worth a thousand words of praise from any lesser man. Wotan's Hounds Ch. 03 Thanks again to my editor sdbnnc for all her help with this story. Hope you all enjoy it. The army had provided a jeep for the trip across the Pennines. Odin, his bodyguards, Bran and Gelert, and the witch Carla had all travelled by paw or hoof over the mountains in a few hours, but then they hadn't had any luggage other than Carla's bag. It turned out the witch was a shape-shifter; she could change into a horse or a hawk. I still hadn't figured out what was going on between her and Odin. There was a ripple that passed through the air whenever she disagreed with something he said or did, and I could feel his annoyance with Carla growing all the time. It was hard saying good-bye to everything I'd ever known. I'd spent my whole life at the camp, grown up with the people there, and now I was leaving it all behind. The camp was going to be closed down now that my brothers and I were all leaving and Mum was going to stay with Major Williams at his new post in Germany. Although Mum had missed Odin terribly, once she saw him again and realized how he'd changed from the young idealistic hound she'd known to the aloof cold clan leader he now was, she elected to stick with the man who'd kept her safe and helped raise her family. It took us a week to get ready to leave. Between packing, Tony and I had been studying with Odin and the witch, learning about the clan history and what the changing process needed in order to work. As Carla explained, Tony first had to determine his totem, his animal spirit, before she could decide what spells were needed to bring it forwards. To do this, Tony had to learn how to meditate before travelling to the wilds of Scotland to see a specialist warlock who could help. The trip would take five days: one to get up there, three for the consultation, and one to drive home. In the meantime, I was learning about my family's past. The first weres had been born in the Scandinavian wastes during the dark months of the year at the top of the world. They had been fearsome hunters, going out to bring food in for the humans with whom they lived. Once it was a source of pride for a village to have a were living there -- it meant the villagers never went hungry. The weres were chosen from the humans, and only the best and bravest men and women were picked. Then one day, a psychopath, a stranger to the town, convinced the warlocks he was worthy of the change. The man's totem was the wolf, a strong spirit, and the warlocks all thought he would be a good addition to the village. Something went wrong though; once the beast within the man was called forth, the man lost the last of his control, and went on a killing spree before fleeing the village and making his way south into Europe through Germany. The secret of the weres had been kept for decades, now this out of control were threatened it all, so the Norsemen began hunting him down. They travelled from the frozen mountains all over the continent, moving through villages and towns searching for the wolf. What they couldn't know was that the new wolf had memorised the spells and herbs needed to bring about the change, and had been recruiting new members to his pack. He would go into a town as a man, and live with the people there for a few weeks, finding out if there was anyone there who would suit his purpose. He sought out the weak, the criminals, the outsiders and gave them a way of life as members of his clan. It was the first time a group of weres had lived and hunted as a pack; before they lived in ones or twos, hunting for humans as well as for themselves. This new clan threw aside all the old ways, hunting humans for sport, and giving rise to the myths and legends that still are told today. "So what happened?" I asked. I was hooked by the adventure of it all. "Did they catch him?" "Eventually," Odin replied. "But it took them many years and they never got rid of the whole clan. By the time they had hunted and killed the original were-wolf, his clan had split into a hundred different packs. Their descendants are still out there today; mostly they keep to themselves, they know how they came into existence, and feel some shame for it. However there are others who are proud of their heritage, and they can still cause trouble. We call them Loki wolves, and we do not associate ourselves with them unless it is absolutely necessary." "If they're Loki wolves, then what are we? What do they call us?" I asked. "We are weres. If they call us anything it is Wotan hounds, rather than wolves. We have many forms other than wolves," Odin replied. "And are a clan and a pack the same thing?" I inquired. "No, the clan is the whole family of weres, including members by marriage," Odin responded. "The pack is a smaller group, and is usually only blood relations. Therefore, your brothers and mother are members of your pack, as am I. Bran and Gelert are members of the clan, through marriage of their mother to one of my younger brothers. Clear?" "Yes," I said. "What about Tony? He won't have either a clan or a pack, will he?" "Yes, he will become a member of our clan," Odin replied. "But, no, he will not have a pack of his own until he fathers a litter." "Do I have any other brothers or sisters?" I asked. "You do," Odin replied, pride in his voice, "nineteen in all, ranging from fifteen years to six months in ages." "Your wife must be run off her feet!" I exclaimed in wonder. "Wives, daughter -- not wife," Odin said. "I have three in all these days, not counting your own mother." "I thought wolves only mated with one other and that was for life," I said. "Ahh, but we are not wolves," Odin replied. "We are hounds, very different animals indeed. I am rich, and I am very sought after for marriage, as will you and your brothers be." "I don't know if I could have more than one husband," I said with a little smile. "We live for a very long time, daughter," Odin said. "Can you imagine the tedium of living with the same person for centuries? It is clan law that you may pick a new partner whenever you wish, so long as that person is not already married to another. I know of households that have six adults living together, and they are the norm. Some females can have up to five pups in a litter, so our clan is very large." "And they all live in Northumberland?" I asked. "No, we have packs living in South Yorkshire and Cheshire, all the way up to Edinburgh," Odin explained. "There are four major clans in Britain; it is not really big enough for many more. Above us in Scotland, there are is Fidach and Caitt, two brothers who run the clan there, and who can trace their pedigree back to the time of the Picts, before the Romans or the Norsemen ever set foot on this island. In Wales, the clan is led by Cybi, who is great-uncle to Bran and Gelert. Below us is the biggest clan, Saxons; Alda and Leofric have run that for over two hundred years, with the occasional mistake it has to be said." "How so?" I inquired. "Who do you think the Beast of Bodmin Moor is?" Odin asked with a sad smile. "Alda's oldest daughter likes to run free." "So they're not hounds like us?" I asked. "No, as I said before, we have many different shapes and forms," Odin explained. "The Saxons have the most variety; I believe they even have a family of horses living within their boundaries. Horses are a very rare change to have, and are mostly found in Southern Ireland and over in America. They have herds, rather than packs." "So is that why we have to go up to Scotland to help Tony change?" I wanted to know. "Coz that's where the oldest clan is?" "Very good, yes," Odin smiled at me in approval. "They have a warlock there who is said to be over seven hundred years old, which is old even by our standards. He learnt his skill from one who lived when the Romans were hunting in the great forests, and he learnt from the man who first discovered the key to the change. If anyone can bring forward Captain James's beast, it is he. That is enough for today. We have a long journey ahead of us all tomorrow, and I think you had best get some rest. Good night, daughter." Odin rose and kissed the top of my head as he had for the past week. I hadn't realised it had gotten so late; looking up at the clock in the corner of the room I could see it was half past eleven, and we had to be up and on the road by nine the next day. I wandered along to my room, and found Tony sprawled out across the pillows of my lair sound asleep. I could see from the odd bits of him that stuck out from under the fur he'd thrown over himself that he was naked and the thought of sneaking in beside him while he slept was so nice that I didn't pause to question it. I wiggled out of my clothes, and carefully lifted the deerskin to slide myself under it. Once I was there, it occurred to me I had an unparalleled opportunity to really look at the first man I'd had sex with. What with everything that had happened, there hadn't been much time for anything other than holding hands or the occasional stolen kiss. I was surprised Tony even was here in my room as he'd been busy showing the newly gazetted Captain Park how everything worked now he'd been promoted. He didn't even stir as I lifted the fur and crept down to lie at his hips. Even when I was in my human form, I had excellent night vision, and I could see Tony clearly from the pale light coming in from the curtainless windows. His pubic hair was a fair sandy colour, the same as on his head and arms, and sprung in a riot of curls from the base of his belly, covering his balls. His cock lay on top; right now it was flaccid, the foreskin hiding the tip and I wondered what it felt like. Very gently I ran my finger over it, and was astonished at how soft it was, how velvety the skin felt to me. I stroked my finger up and down and watched as it started to grow, just from that little touch. I gently curled my hand round and began to move it. I don't know where I'd learnt to do that, it just felt right. I could smell how clean Tony was, and the beginnings of his arousal, and I was so tempted to taste him that I flicked my tongue out and licked the side, feeling how it jumped in my hand when I did. He grew bigger in front of my eyes, and I licked him again, liking the taste and smell that were also growing as I played with him. I ran my tongue along the top of it, from the base right up to the emerging tip, and then followed it down to the base again, where it met his balls. I sat up for a minute, and thought about this. My mouth was roughly the same shape as my pussy, so it made sense that he would fit inside there too. I crouched down, propping myself up on one elbow, and opened my mouth wide. I placed the tip of his cock on my tongue and sucked on it, letting myself become accustomed to the weight and taste before moving my head down and taking more of it into me. Tony's cock was quite big now, almost as big as it had been on that first night, and I couldn't fit all of it in before it touched the back of my throat. I remembered how we'd moved that night, pushing our bodies together and how good it had felt then, so I began bobbing my head up and down on his cock. I'd been doing this for a few minutes when I felt his hands come up and grip the sides of my head, pulling me off firmly. "I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just a bit curious." He bit his lips together, like he was trying not to smile. "Sweetheart, it's alright, I'm not mad. I thought I was dreaming for a minute there, that's all, and when I woke up and found you actually sucking on my cock like that I thought I was going to explode in your mouth." "Would that be bad?" I was genuinely puzzled by all this. "It might not be the best plan for your first time," Tony explained. "I'm told the taste takes some getting used to." "Oh, right," I said. "There's something very strange going on though." "And what's that?" Tony asked. "Well, I haven't even touched myself -- you know, down there -- and I can feel I'm all wet." I was suddenly shy about naming my body. "Can I have a feel?" Tony said. "Yes," I replied, and lay back for him. Tony pulled me up beside him, and opened my legs. "Goodness me, girl, you have got a wet little quim; and a horny one at that," Tony chuckled as I twitched upwards towards his fingers. "Let me see what I can do about that." Tony rolled over so he was between my thighs, and pressed his hard cock against my dribbling pussy. I lifted my legs up high like he'd taught me to last time, and felt the same pressure as before. This time there was no hesitation, and he was able to slide all the way inside me with his first push. I could feel how hot he was inside me, and I wiggled impatiently; I wanted the tightness that meant I was about to orgasm and I wanted it now! Tony pushed his hands under my body, and held me close while he spun round onto his back with me firmly impaled on his cock and going nowhere. "Now you sit up there and wiggle all you want to, make yourself cum on my cock, little Flossi," Tony said. I giggled at the name he called me, and began wriggling up and down on top of him. Tony reached up and grabbed hold of my tits, squeezing the nipples between his thumb and forefinger while he groped them. I put my hands on his belly for balance, and began really bouncing up and down on his cock. It felt wonderful to be like this, and I couldn't stop giggling until I felt the squeeze in my belly that meant I was getting close to cuming, as Tony called it. I gasped as the sensations intensified, and Tony put his hands on my hips, pushing me down onto him as he began driving his cock up into me hard. I flung my head back and howled as I felt my pussy clamp down around Tony; the answering twitch and jump from his cock made everything even better. I slumped down, still shuddering slightly, and curled up in his arms. Tony kissed my nose and told me to go to sleep. I pulled the fur over us both and lay in a heap on top of him. It didn't seem long before the alarm went off and we crawled out of my lair, and into the morning sunshine. Tony disappeared off to pack up the last of his stuff, and have breakfast while I got in the shower before joining him in the mess. After we'd eaten, Tony helped me take down my lair, and pack it away in the jeep. Bran was coming in the car to show us the way to the main estate, but Odin, Gelert and the witch had left at first light on foot. I'd said my good-byes to Mum last night after dinner so she wasn't there to wave us off, but the boys were there, sombre and quiet for once. We'd never been apart before, not like this and it was going to be strange not hearing them in my head or seeing the chaos that inevitably surrounded them. The boys were setting off at lunchtime; the camp where they were to do their basic training was just up the road in Scotland, so they didn't have far to travel. We stood in a huddle off to one side, not speaking, simply sharing our thoughts and emotions, telling the others how we were going to miss them; the boys making me promise to text them once I was too far away to hear them. I realised how hard this was hitting them; I don't think they had realized how difficult it was going to be to let me go. We'd spent most of our lives looking after each other in one way or another, now we were going to be hundreds of miles apart and reliant on human technology just to talk. Finally though, Tony came over and collected me; it was time to leave this part of my life behind and move on. Tony steered the big jeep along the twisting roads that led away from the camp. He'd volunteered to do most of the driving as I'd only passed my test a few weeks before. I was quite used to bouncing around off road, driving in the mountains and marshes around the camp, but I still got a little nervous about these huge cars on the tiny roads in the Lake District. I turned to Bran, and began questioning him about the estate, mainly to keep my mind off leaving my brothers behind. "How big is this estate then? Odin didn't get round to telling me," I asked. "The main house sits in about two hundred acres," Bran told me in his soft Welsh burr. "There's a park bit for the tourists to look at, but mostly it is woodland full of deer." "You have tourists coming to the estate?" I asked in surprise. "It brings in money and stops people talking. How many big country houses do you know that don't open to the public?" Bran replied. "The main house is divided up into sections, and the front centre wing is the only part we let humans see, the rest is kept locked away. And if someone did get lost, then all they would see is lots of big dogs lounging around on the furniture. We had one old dear poking her nose round, and she was horrified to see Gelert draped over a tiny tapestry couch." "I guess that would be pretty funny," I said. "Yeah it was," Bran said. "Anyway, that's just the main house. There are four farms surrounding the park as well, with anywhere from one to eight hundred acres, so the whole place is very large. It's all run by weres; part of the clan rules are that you have to do something around the place to earn your keep, but we have a wide range of jobs so we can give pretty much anyone the job they want." "Like what?" I asked. "Like, me -- I head up security with Gelert; we have forty guys underneath us who look after the main house, the perimeter of the park and the farms, personnel guarding and so on. We have the farm workers; there's housekeeping staff, three cooks, each suite in the main house has its own butler, presided over by Robson. There are gardeners, gamekeepers and grooms -- the three 'G's' that keep the outside looking spic and span. We have reception staff and secretaries who also double up as tour guides when we have visitors in. So you see there's something for everyone," Bran explained. "Do you know what I'll be doing yet?" I inquired. "My guess is pissing Brunhilde off," Bran replied with a grin. "She's been the princess for as long as she can remember; having an older sister show up to take her place is not going to please her, but tough tits to the bitch I say." "She's not a humble girl then?" I asked. "'Humble'? No, not the word I would use – the words that do come to mind are 'stuck up', 'spoilt', 'arrogant'. Brunhilde is very pretty, and thinks she's Odin's gift to the male population. She's a pure-bred whore actually. She's fifteen years old, and already making trouble with every male she can find, including one of my guys until I set him straight," Bran explained. "I should think so too at fifteen," Tony said. "I'd have slapped ten kinds of shit out of him for that, and then made him lick it up." "Yes," Bran said, "and she'd have enjoyed seeing every second of it too. No, I just took him off her rotation, and put him in charge of the tour guides. It is boring work -- mind numbing actually, nothing ever happens. He was good about it though; he knew why I'd done it even though nothing had happened." Tony glanced over at Bran. "A good deterrent is better than a bad cure," he said with an understanding smile. "Exactly," Bran replied. "When you've found your beast, come and talk to me, I might have the perfect job for you." "Thanks but I'm good. I've got my assignment right here beside me," Tony patted my knee and grinned. "When you two prize fighters are quite finished, can I ask a question?" I interrupted. "What, apart from making enemies before I've set foot in the building, will I be doing there?" "Having seen you fight, I'd love to have you with Gelert and me," Bran said. "However, I'm guessing Odin won't be too keen on the idea, so my guess is secretarial pool, right down at the bottom of the ladder." My face fell; Bran had to be kidding. "Will I have to wear heels and make-up?" I asked. Wotan's Hounds Ch. 03 "Oh, yes, and a pretty new dress each day," said Tony with a smirk. "I'll 'pretty dress' you in a minute if you're not careful, you muppet," I retorted. "There is no way, in this or any other world, that I am wearing heels, make-up or any sort of dress, pretty or otherwise. And I will tell Odin that the minute he suggests it. What does Brunhilde do?" "Oh, she sits on the main desk, looking pretty and perfect and doing as little work as she can get away with," Bran replied. "Mostly she gossips and causes trouble." I shook my head. What had I gotten myself into? We switched drivers at the big supermarket on the edge Carlisle before turning the jeep east and heading along the A road that led to the estate. On the way over the Pennines, we passed a line of jeeps and covered wagons on their way to one of the firing ranges in the area. Tony told Bran some of the stories of what he had gotten up to when he was stationed at one just after he'd earned his commission. I had to pull over at one point coz I was practically crying with laughter at one story of how he'd helped change the dark blue paint balls in the rounds of one tank for psychedelic orange, pink, green and yellows, then blasted away at the main barracks to the soundtrack of "Kelly's Hero's" at two a.m. the day he left the camp. My man had a wild side I'd never known about, and when the boys heard about it they were killing themselves laughing too. When I was finally able to speak, I asked Tony why; Tony said, "It seemed like a good idea at the time," which had me in stitches once more. It turned out though that episode had brought him to us; his Colonel had thought a spell of baby-sitting would be a good punishment for him. We passed through the various small towns that lined our route, sticking to the main roads until Bran told me where to turn off. The road narrowed considerably, winding in between the high hills and the enclosing stone walls that were such a feature of this part of the world. I wasn't entirely sure where we were now; somewhere in the middle of nowhere would have been my closest guess. It was just then that my brothers' voices faded from my mind. I had been expecting it, but it still was a shock when their thoughts disappeared. I'd never been without that link before, and losing it made me feel very lonely. At least I still had Tony as a link between the past and future; without him, I would have been totally lost. We were travelling north, away from the harsh moor landscape, and moving into the greener, lusher areas of the Borders. It was the first week in May, when you knew spring was on its way out, and summer was just around the corner. By now, the trees were covered in verdant leaves; the lambs, which had lost their first bouncy cuteness, were looking more and more like dinner with every mouthful of sweet grass they chewed. The first glimpse I had of my new home was through those leafy trees. The main house was built of dove grey stone, with white corner stones that helped break up the monotony. Bran told us that the house was open today, so we'd have to drive around and go in through the back gate to avoid the crush. For all that it had no safari park or wild rides, the Manse, as it was known locally, was a popular day out for families looking to escape from the nearby cities for a few hours. Eleven in the morning was the busiest time of the day, as that's when the first tour began and the café opened for lunches. The smallest of the farms also opened then, as a kind of a petting zoo, with old fashioned farming methods used to remind the kids how lucky they were. They could have a go at milking a cow or ploughing a field, but apparently most just stood in open mouthed horror at the amount of work that went into producing food before supermarkets became the norm. I followed Bran's directions, and we drove along the side of the estate slowly so we could see how it looked from the outside. The house was square built, with the front centre wing jutting out slightly from the rest of the building. The wings on either side moved solidly back in a phalanx of 17th century architecture, making the house into a substantial cube. The back entrance was through a small iron gate, with a security camera panning over the road outside, and an intercom box mounted at the side. There was a keypad below it, but Bran told me to push the button and talk to the guard at the other end. The jeep wasn't on the register of known vehicles, and using the code would have brought down a swift and unpleasant response. Just because the Manse was open to the public didn't mean there weren't stringent security regulations enforced at all times. After explaining who I was, who was with me and why I was there, the gates glided open smoothly and electronically, granting us access to the cobble-stoned courtyard outside the stables. We got out and stretched our stiff muscles while Bran went looking for our reception committee. He'd only taken a few steps before a sweet looking red and white setter came trotting through the archway and up to us, followed by Gelert and Odin, dressing in his flowing robes once more. The setter sat in front of me, looking down at the ground and blinking furiously. "Good morning, Miss Flosshilde," came the voice of the setter into my mind. "I am Mary. I will be looking after you until you get settled." "Hi, Mary," I replied, silently responding as Mary had spoken. "Please, you don't have to call me 'Miss' or use my full name, 'Flossi' will do fine." "Miss Flosshilde, you are the eldest daughter of Lord Odin," Mary answered. "It is my duty to show you respect." "And now you have, you can stop," I retorted. "I'm not going think you're being disrespectful if you use my name the way I've asked you to. Please?" "Very well, Miss Flossi," Mary agreed. "You are very different to Miss Brunhilde." "Good," I said, wondering once more how I would manage to get along with Brunhilde, about whom I had heard so much, so little of it good. I looked over at Tony, and speaking out loud, introduced him: "This is Tony. He's come with me to learn about his beast, amongst other things. Tony, this is Mary. She'll be looking after us for a while." "It's nice to meet you, Mary," Tony said. "How are you today?" Mary seemed puzzled that Tony had bothered to ask her about herself, but answered that she was well. Mary asked us to follow her into the house, and we set off together. The house had huge ceilings, even down in the old servants' quarters, and though it was spacious, I could see how easy it would be for Tony, without the keen sense of smell I had to get very lost very quickly. With my heightened senses, I found our new surroundings overwhelming with sounds and smells abounding throughout the corridors. I don't think I could have gone through life as a human though. How quiet must it be not to hear a heart beating in the person next to you? Or how blinding was it not to smell their emotions? Human always thought they were the superior beings on this Earth, yet they were so blinkered to half of it, shut up in their own heads. Mary led us up through the house, using the smaller staircases and landings that were painted in a soft cream that reflected the light from the numerous windows and skylights. We would be staying in the east back wing, she explained. It was a bit out of the way, but Lord Odin had thought we'd be more comfortable there than in one of the main apartments. "Out of the way would be more like it," Tony thought, and I had to agree with him. If Odin was so pleased about us coming to live with him, then why hide us away, make us come in the back door? I wondered if this had anything to do with the witch; it felt like her work, and again I wanted to know what she held over Odin to make him do her bidding with little resistance. Our rooms were tucked away on the third floor, at the back of the house looking out over the woods. There was a bedroom with a miserly single bed, a tiny bathroom and a moderately sized sitting room, complete with a ropy old couch and an old Bakelite telephone. The fireplace was nice -- Art Deco with fresco tiles of red deer stags entwined by green thistles -- but the floor had a thread bare carpet that definitely had seen better days. It was a serviceable room, though I was willing to bet that, had Brunhilde been told she was staying there, she would have made a huge row. Mary seemed embarrassed that we had been put in this room; I looked at Tony and nodded. Tony looked down at Mary, and thanked her for showing us the way. He asked if we could make a few changes to the room, and she nodded her head, relived that we hadn't taken her head off. To be honest, we knew what was going on; we were being shown our place in the clan, and had we been good little children and stayed there it wouldn't have been nearly so much fun. As it was the first thing we did was get rid of all the furniture apart from the telephone – I quite liked that – by opening the window as far as we could and chucking it out, followed swiftly by the old carpet. Next we went hunting, spreading through the out buildings, looking for anything we could use. We didn't need a bed; we had my lair, but somewhere comfortable for visitors to sit would have been good, as would a decent sized bath. Tony and I had both helped out around the camp with the repairs that needed doing from time to time, so we could both do a bit of plumbing and joinery. We found a couple of nice rugs in one room, and a pile of sheepskins in another that would do for the floors; there was little in the way of seating though that wasn't flimsy or twee though. We decided to go to the nearest town the next day and find something there. In the meantime I literally stumbled across a stockpile of paint whilst searching for a light switch. The paint was hidden under a tarp that also hid a huge, cast iron, claw-footed bath. After running up and down the stairs, taking measurements, we figured we could squeeze the bath into the corner where the bath was now if we took out a cupboard that was in the way. The trick was going to be getting it up the narrow stairs. We spent most of the day demolishing and painting, moving my lair into the bedroom and setting it up so that once the tourists had left for the day we could use the main stairs. We enlisted Bran's help to move the bath though; it was just too heavy to move by ourselves. Bran rounded up a couple of the grooms to share the load. The grooms, Peter and Paul, were cousins, huge shaggy haired men that looked like they could shoe a carthorse one-handed. Between them, the guys heaved and shoved the bath up the marble and wooden staircases while I went on ahead and cleared the landings and opened the doors. Once the bath had been hauled into place, I broke out the case of beer we'd brought with us and picked up the phone to order whatever food people wanted. As we waited for the pizza to be delivered, Bran and Paul got rid of the old bath while Tony and Peter connected up the new one. The first gush of hot water was greeted by cheers for about thirty seconds until it ran freezing cold and we discovered that, this high up, the hot water was fickle at the best of times. It went onto the list of things to do, which was getting on for twenty items, including fixing the sash window in the bedroom that wouldn't stay open without a prop, and four loose floorboards in the sitting room. The weather turned cold; a storm had been threatening all day and now it unleashed its thunder and winds against the house. After checking that we wouldn't get covered in smoke from a blocked chimney, we lit a fire and settled down in front of it on the sheepskins with our beer and pizza. Downstairs, the main family also were sitting down to dinner, though they sat on sumptuous chairs and had roast pheasant with good claret. Personally, while that sort of thing could be fun – it was the sort of food we'd had at the Ritz – I liked sprawling on the floor with these rough men. They made me giggle and feel safe, even if some of their stories had me blushing to my ears. They reminded me of my brothers. I wondered how my brothers were getting on at their new camp. I got up, slightly unsteadily now I'd had a couple of cans of beer to drink, and borrowed Tony's phone to call them. They answered quietly; I don't know if they were supposed to have their phones on them. We talked for a bit, just catching up on the day's events. The boys were older than the other recruits by a year or so, but they seemed to be fitting in well. They were being careful to hide their wild side from everyone. We all knew how soon it could get out of hand, and they really wanted to do well. Once I'd filled them in on our new home and the improvements we'd made to it, I hung up and rejoined the group. By the time I got back, Sean and Old Mac, the head groom, had found us, and had helped themselves to the leftover food and drink. Sean was the head keeper, a small man with a big personality and difficulty in staying still. I later found out he changed into a Springer spaniel, which explained a lot. Old Mac also was short, but where Sean was round, he was skinny and wiry, like the fox terrier he was at heart. I always found it strange how a person's beast reflected his human shape. That thought made me wonder what Tony's beast would be. Tony is a big guy, nearly six feet tall and broad across the shoulders. I dropped down onto the floor beside Tony and stared at him for a minute until he turned to look at me. "What? Tony asked. "Nothing," I replied. "I was just wondering what your beast is going to be." "Oh, you had a few ideas did you? So what are they?" Tony responded. "Well, I don't think you're going to be a guinea-pig or a rabbit," I said, smiling. On that thought, I spun round to look at Mac and asked, "Do you even get a were guinea-pig?" "Not that I've ever heard of," Mac said. "Weres tend to be hunting animals, not prey ones, though I have heard of hares and of course there are horses. Hares might not be fierce, but they are quick and they make good messengers, couriers, that sort of thing. I think Tony here will either be some sort of hound or a bear. Sorry, mate, but I don't think you're quite feline material." "Are there any cats here?" Tony asked. "Here on the estate?" Mac asked. "Yeah, the family who run the East Farm are all cats, lions actually. They came from Africa after the war and Odin's father, Bor, set them up when they realised they couldn't live in the city. Two of their sons married into the clan a few years later and cemented the whole arrangement. Their daughters make good guards. Bran has five in his little group, don't you?" "Yeah, I do. Speaking of which, I better go and sort out the rosters for next week," Bran said, rising and moving toward the door. "Sorry, honey," Bran went on, looking down at me, "I daren't put you on there 'til Odin's authorized it. He'd skin me alive." "It's fine," I said. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. If I'm going up to Scotland with Tony, it might be a while before I can be assigned duties." "Yeah," Bran responded, "OK then. Well, goodnight people, see you in the morning." With Bran's departure, the others left too; the grooms heading back to their quarters over the stable block, and Sean to the keeper's cottage on the edge of the estate. Tony tucked the empty beer cans and pizza boxes over to one side of the fire, ready to take down to the bin in the morning, and joined me in the bedroom. 'Coz the room was so narrow, we'd pushed the wardrobe and drawers to the front of the room, on either side of the doorway, and spread our lair across the whole of the back half of the room. The floor was bare here, so we dragged in some of the skins we'd found, and used them as a base on top of which we'd arranged the cushions and pillows as our mattress. It had been a very long day, and I was shattered. Tony stripped off, and sprawled out in the lair. After kicking his legs out of my way, I changed, stretching out in my hound shape, flopping down at Tony's feet. I found I slept better as a hound, although some of my dreams could be truly bizarre. I loved chasing rabbits in my sleep, but having them turn round and start quizzing me on Homer's writing could be a little disturbing. If I dreamt that night I don't know, I was asleep before Tony turned the light out, and didn't wake up 'til his alarm went off at six the next morning. Wotan's Hounds Ch. 04 As always, thanks to sdbnnc for all her hard work. I didn't bother to change when I woke up. Tony and I went for a run most mornings before breakfast, and there was something wonderfully free about bouncing out of bed and straight out the door without having to think about clothes or where I'd kicked my trainers off last night. I ran downstairs and outside, smelling the wet earth and trees, lapping at the fresh rainwater in an old Belfast sink by the back door, and retiring behind a convenient rose bush while I waited for my friend to join me. Tony finally appeared, looking hungover and tired, wincing at the bright clear sunlight. I wagged my tail and jumped around him, eager to be off exploring. Tony just looked at me, and shook his head. "How you can be so energetic after last night is beyond me," Tony said. "It's easy; I didn't drink as much as you," I replied. "And I recover really fast." "So, is that a were thing?" he asked. "Yep," I responded. Tony sighed and said, "Remind me to sort out my own change quickly then. If I'm supposed to be keeping up with Mac and Sean, I'm going to need all the help I can get." "I know; Peter said when those two go on a drinking spree, they hit the whisky pretty hard," I sympathized. "Anyway, are we running or talking this morning?" "Yeah, yeah; I get the picture," Tony said. "Where do you want to go?" "I was thinking we'd just follow the main track, see where it leads us for today," I suggested. "OK," he said, "Lead on MacDuff." I trotted out of the courtyard, past the stables and round to the front of the house. There was a gravel driveway that branched off into a wide path and then ran up to the woods. We followed it for a while, keeping a steady pace for the first mile until Tony had gotten warmed up, then I began to stretch my legs out, moving from a fast trot up to a steady lope. It was so peaceful out there; no other sounds than our breathing and the birds squawking and calling from the trees off to the left. The path had changed from gravel to grass and dirt once we'd swung parallel to the wood so our feet made very little noise as they pushed us forwards. This was one of my favourite times of the day; I didn't have to think about anything apart from putting one foot in front of another, and it had a hypnotic effect. We seemed to be the only ones out that morning until I heard foot falls behind us. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw a group of black girls running hard. They all had long hair, fantastically braided and plaited up in swirling designs and long slender bodies. They slowed up as they got closer to us and spread out across the track. The leader, a lass in her early twenties, called out to Tony, asking him to stop for a second. "Can I ask who you are Sir? You do know this is private property?" "Morning! I'm Tony James; this is Flosshilde Jyrisson," Tony said, pointing to me. "Sorry we didn't know we weren't supposed to be running here." "Ahh, you are the new ones," the girl replied. "Apologies. I had been briefed on your arrival but had not had the time to look over your files. I am Zama Amahle and these are my sisters. Have you far to go this morning?" "We were just going to follow the track round 'til we got back to the main house," I answered her. She seemed like a nice girl, for a lioness. I could smell the cat in her and her sisters now, and I had to try very hard not to let it upset me. "In that case, may we join you? We were going that way for the morning meetings." She smiled down at me, not meeting my eyes in a challenge, but looking to one side in respect and friendship. "Of course. It'd be nice to have someone show us the area," I replied. We set out again, Zama running beside Tony and me, while her sisters formed a cordon behind us. For all Zama's openness, I still got the impression that we were being watched very closely and one false step would have landed us in trouble. We followed Zama's directions, and soon found ourselves back at the courtyard where we'd started. I ran up to our rooms with Tony to get changed; one of Zama's sisters, Mbali, came along to show us how to get to the meeting hall at the centre of the house. When we got there though, we found our arrival had stirred up some strong emotions amongst members of the clan. I could hear the raised voices even before we opened the side door to the clan hall. "How dare you risk all of this for one were?" asked a huge man standing in front of us. "You would chance every single life in this room by bringing a human into our midst?" "For the chance to know my first born children?" Odin replied coldly. "Yes, Njord, I would. The human has lived with weres for many years now, and knows how to keep our secret. Added to that is the fact that he is willing to undergo the change, and I can see no reason to fear his presence in this place." "And what of your daughter? Why is it she is the only one here from your first born litter?" these questions came from a smug-looking lady sitting in one of the few chairs in the hall. "Jord, you knew when you married me that I had children somewhere in this world," Odin said wearily, "and that if they lived to their eighteenth birthday, I would find them. My sons have other commitments that they are honour-bound to fulfil; my daughter has joined me to learn of her history and so that she may prepare the way for her brothers." He continued in a more forceful tone. "May I remind all of you that I am clan leader, and while you may comment and guide me, I am the one who makes the decisions. As such I have allotted roles to a few of you to help in the training of my daughter and the human; roles that I hope you will carry out to the best of your abilities." Odin went on, speaking calmly and precisely, making it clear these things were not open to discussion, "Bran and Zama will be assisting with the physical side of the training, especially the human. He will need to be fit to withstand the toll of the change. Mimir, old friend, would you teach my daughter more of her history?" The short, silver-haired man whom Odin addressed bowed slightly in his chair before Odin continued, "Sif will be instructing them in clan and pack protocols, and Carla has agreed to oversee the human's meditation sessions with Freya. Those of you without specific tasks will be expected to help those with tasks in any way that they ask. At this time my daughter and the human will have no tasks given to them as they are new to this life, and will therefore be busy learning about it. Are there any objections to this?" The room was silent as the clan digested the instructions given to them. No one had anything else to say, so Odin dismissed most of them, keeping behind those he'd singled out. The hall seemed even larger without the crowd of clan members, and I could see the complex designs that covered the floor and pillars supporting the high arched roof with its large glass panes that let in the morning light. The centre of the floor was dominated by a large flaxen hound inlaid into the dark wood and surrounded by an interweaving circle of branches of the same pale wood. Radiating out from there, vines seemed to grow up the pillars, ending with fierce-looking dogs' heads that snarled down from four sides. There were eight columns in all, with chairs in the spaces between them. Odin sat opposite the main doors in a smart dark blue suit. When he saw us waiting he beckoned us over to him. "Did you hear any of that?" Odin asked. "The end of it; I hadn't realised that bringing us here would cause problems," I answered. "Nothing I cannot fix," Odin reassured me. "Now it is time to introduce you to your new tutors. Bran and Zama I believe you already know," Odin said, pointing to the couple standing to one side behind him. "On my left is Mimir," he continued, indicating the gentleman. "He was my tutor when I was your age, Daughter; he will teach you all you could wish to know about your family's past. On my right is my third wife, Sif. She will teach you how to behave to other members of our pack and the clan at large." Turning to Tony, Odin continued, "Carla and Freya are not present at this time, but Antony, you will meet with them after lunch to begin your meditation studies in the pack library whilst Flosshilde is with Mimir. What is this I hear of you throwing furniture out of the window yesterday?" "Sorry, Odin, but we couldn't get it down the stairs; they're too narrow," I told him. "And why could you not use the main stairs?" Odin asked. "Well, we did in the end," I said. "How else could we have gotten the bath up there? There were too many tourists around to use them earlier on in the day, and we wanted to get the rooms finished off. We couldn't have done that if we'd have had to wait til the main doors were shut." "I see," Odin said gravely. "In future though, please remember that it is not seemly for the first born daughter of the clan leader to be grubbing around in the sheds or appearing in public covered in dust and paint." I turned my head towards Tony, and asked him quietly, "What's 'seemly' mean again?" I knew perfectly well; I was just winding Odin up. "Proper, I think," Tony replied with a hint of a grin. "Exactly," Odin spoke sharply to us then looked at Mimir. "You can see how my daughter's schooling is lacking. I wish you luck with her." Odin turned back to us and said, "Sif will take you for the rest of the morning. I will expect you at lunch." The pretty blonde haired lady that had stood meekly at Odin side stepped forwards and led us away. Once out of her husband's presence she walked taller, with her shoulders squared back and briskly took us to one of the myriad of rooms that opened off the long corridor from the meeting hall. Out here the décor was more conventional; less Viking round house, more stately home, with pale green walls and white woodwork and light pink Oriental rugs covering the polished wooden floors; on the walls hung tapestries of family trees. Odin's was in the middle, then those of other families, moving round the room 'til they met at filled bookcases that flanked the door. "This is known as the family room, for obvious reasons," Sif began. "Here is stored the pedigree of each member of the clan, right back as far as is known. Lord Odin has recently charged us with making his own tapestry, which will hang beside that of his family. Firstly, I need the names of your parents and grandparents, Antony. As you are not a were by birth, we need not go any farther back than that. Then I shall need the name of your mother, Flosshilde, so I may research your maternal background. You may use the notepad on the table there," Sif concluded loftily, and pointed at the spindly desk in front of us. As we wrote down the information she'd requested, I mentally asked Tony, "Do you think anyone here talks normally?" I was shocked when Sif answered out loud, "We all talk normally here. And it would be wise for you to learn not to project beyond the person you wish to converse with. Here it is considered highly bad mannered to use your telepathy whilst in human form. As Lord Odin has told us, we have mouths, we should use them." "OK, then," I replied and shut up after that. It was strange seeing Mum's full name written down in front of me. She'd always just been "Mum" to me, now she was "Annabel Redwald" and her history was going to be put in needlepoint for all the clan to see. Once we were finished, we looked around the room at the different trees that hung there. Where marriages had occurred between packs, the female name had been added to the male line with a note of her pedigree underneath her name. I didn't know where Tony would get added. It wasn't like we were married or anything; we'd slept together a couple of times, but did that mean he loved me? Or had he just been swept up in the lust of it all? Was I? This was the real problem with new feelings; I had nothing to judge them against. I put the thoughts to the back of my mind as Sif motioned us over, and we sat round the little table with paper copies of the more important pedigrees set out in front of us. "This is slightly complicated for an outsider to understand," Sif began, "so do try and keep up with me. The clan is set out in a pyramid shape with the leader, Lord Odin, at the top. Directly below him, at this time when he has no children who have reached full maturity, are the heads of the other family packs." "I thought my brothers and I matured when we turned eighteen," I interrupted, "isn't that how Odin was able to find us?" Sif looked pained at my casual use of Odin's name but carried on with her patronising speech. "Full maturity is not realised until you are twenty-one in were years," Sif explained. "So about twenty-one human years from now, you will become able to produce offspring, and then you will be judged to be fully mature. We live for a long time," Sif continued, ignoring my stunned expression. "There is no point handing over control to children who have yet to learn about the world and themselves," Sif concluded, before continuing her speech. "To continue then, below Lord Odin are the leaders of the other family packs. Nominally they are all equal, but in practice some have more power than others due to their length of time with the clan, and their pack numbers. At this time the Ddraig pack are the most powerful of these. I believe you know Lord Gelert, who is their pack leader. Should anything happen to Lord Odin, Lord Gelert would assume the mantle of leadership until one of Lord Odin's children reaches full maturity. The other Lords are much below the Ddraig pack, but at this time run in order of the Picts followed by the Saxons and the Amahle," Sif explained. Sif continued her exposition, "You shall need to learn the trees for each pack, the name of each pack's leader and each leader's children." Looking directly at me for the first time, and catching my eyes with hers, Sif went on, "As part of the first born litter of Lord Odin, there will be very few people you must submit to, the exceptions being your aunts and uncles." "And how many aunts and uncles do I have?" I asked. "Nine in all," Sif responded, "however only five live on the estate still. The Ladies Idun, Hel and Kitta and the Lord Braggi have moved to be with their husbands and wives in other parts of Europe. Etta, Gisla, Bera, the Lady Luta and Njord still reside in parts of the house with their families." Sif continued, "Lady Luta married Lord Cearl as her first husband and gave him two children, your cousins, bringing the Saxon clan into ours. She then married Lord Dai and gave him three children, more cousins for you. Your other aunts and your uncle are at this time unmarried. Tonight, my Lord Odin has said there is to be a feast in your honour. He thought you would be too tired after travelling yesterday. Tonight you will take your place at his table as his first born daughter so it is vital that you have at least a basic understanding of the different family packs and the protocols surrounding the greeting of each member of the clan." With this new information, I realized that there was a practical purpose and a new urgency connected to what had been a somewhat dry lesson so far. When Sif continued, I paid special attention as she said, "In front of you is the pedigree of the clan. You should take it with you and study it well. I shall be joining you before the feast to ensure that you will not disgrace either my Lord or myself. You may leave now." As we got up from our chairs, Sif looked down at the names we had given her earlier, making her dismissal of us plain. With our heads swimming with the information Sif had provided, we got out of the room as fast as we could. We made it to the other side of the meeting hall before we collapsed in howls of laughter. Sif had been so serious and so terribly earnest about all this protocol stuff. Tony and I had been sitting on hot coals for the last half hour, trying to keep straight faces while we tried to wade through the piles of paper given to us. Tony looked at me and said, "This is worse than the army. At least there we had clues from the insignia. Here I could snub the first son of the Pictish pack, and never know til afterwards." "Oh, I think Caitt would let you know if you did that," said an amused voice beside us, going on to say, "Hi, I'm Du." "Hi!" I responded. "Hey, I know that name. Wait -- don't tell me; you're in here somewhere," I said, leafing through the paperwork handed out. "Here we go! First daughter of Gelert's first wife, yes?" "Pretty much," Dru responded. "I'm actually Mum's only daughter. She's very good at giving Dad sons. You must be Flosshilde and Antony. Welcome to the estate." "Yep, but please, don't use those long names. 'Flossi' and 'Tony' are fine," Tony replied, holding up his hand for Du to shake. "So what time's lunch round here? I'm starving," Tony continued. "Well, you didn't have any breakfast, that's why," I told him. Du grinned at our bickering, and glanced at her watch. "The main lunch happens in about half an hour, but you can always raid the kitchens if you prefer." "And they would be where?" I asked. "Come on, I'll show you," Du said, and began walking off away from the meeting hall. As we walked along, Du explained Gelert had asked her to keep an eye on us in case we got lost. In a house this size it was a real possibility. The kitchens, when we found them after roaming along the long confusingly similar hallways, were huge and split into three sections. Off to the right was what could only be described as a medieval gallery where the remains of a large deer were being roasted on a spit. A pregnant woman was sitting beside it, ladling the running juices back over it as it turned. Du waved to her and said, "That's Nerys, Dad's third wife. She's expecting her first litter in a few weeks." The rest of the kitchen was heaving with people, chopping and boiling and baking in preparation for tonight's feast. We skipped around them, and made our way over to the walk-in fridge at the far end. Inside were platters of sandwiches ready for lunch so we helped ourselves to a few each, and then went out the back door into the courtyard area underneath our windows. There were a couple of picnic benches placed beside the gate to the walled garden, and we spread our food and homework out over one of them. There was something I was burning with curiosity over, though I didn't know if it was polite to bring it up. In the end, I had to. "So how does this whole multiple partners thing work then?" I asked Du. "Don't people get jealous?" "Everyone is aware of what happens, so no," Du responded. "Jealousy happens when things are kept from a relationship; in our society, first wives will often help their husbands chose their next wife and visa versa. Look at your aunt, Lady Luta. She married Lord Cearl a few weeks after she had her first heat, and it was slightly political but they knew each other well. Lord Cearl had learned long ago that he would probably be marrying one of Lord Odin's sisters, so he moved up here when he was eighteen and met them all," Du explained. She went on, "Lord Cearl's mother is second daughter of Lady Alda and Lord Leofric's third son, so the chances of Lord Cearl having his own pack are next to zero. Out of everyone here, he and Luta got along the best, so the match was made. That was fifty were years ago, a long time. So five years ago, when they realised that they weren't going to be having any more litters, they sat down and picked a good bloodline and found someone who they thought would give Lady Luta more children. That was my uncle, Lord Dai, different litter to Dad, and he had her pregnant within a few weeks with three pups." Wotan's Hounds Ch. 04 "Is there anyone here who isn't a Lord or Lady?" I asked. "The head of the pack is called 'Lord' or 'Lady,' out of respect, as are any partners they have. So Dad is technically 'Lord Gelert.' But Uncle Bran is just Bran, he's not pack leader. Children aren't given titles either, unless they become heirs to the leadership, in which case they are Lords and Ladies too. Confused yet?" Du said with a smile. "No," I replied, surprising myself. "Actually, it's all starting to make sense. So my dad is 'Lord Odin', and I'm his eldest daughter -- does that make me a Lady?" "No. Once one of your litter is confirmed as Lord Odin's heir," Du explained, "then he becomes a Lord, or if it's you, then a Lady. But only the one chosen as the heir is given the title." "So how come Lady Luta is a Lady if she's only a sibling to Odin?" I persisted. "Because Luta is married to the leader of the Saxon pack in this clan, it is correct to address her as 'Lady Luta.' Uncle Dai became 'Lord Dai' when he married Luta after her marriage had earned her the title of 'Lady.' If they'd gotten married first, then he'd still be plain old Dai, even if she still married the pack leader. See, clear as mud," Du responded. Tony looked up from his studies and said, "Now's probably not the best time to tell you I'm a republican is it?" "Everybody round here is pretty relaxed about it all," Du replied. "There are a few that get uptight about it -- mainly Lady Jord and Lady Sif. I'll bet Dad didn't introduce himself as 'Lord Gelert' though." "Nope," I confirmed. "Are you coming to the feast tonight?" "Of course," Du said, "everyone has to. It's Lord Odin's chance to show off his first born daughter to the clan, and it lets everyone here get to know what you look and smell like." "Right. Is it formal? Like posh clothes?" "Oh yeah; very," Du said with another smile. "If you've got it with you, Tony, I would recommend you wear your dress uniform. That should impress some of them, especially if you've got medals." "Yeah, I've got it with me," Tony said. "I've got a couple of medals from the Falklands war." "Really?" I asked. He'd never told me about those. "Yeah, that was when I was fresh out of Sandhurst, as a Lieutenant," Tony said. "Tony, please, forgive my curiosity but how old are you? I thought the Falklands war was over 20 years ago," Du's brow was wrinkled as she tried to do the math in her head. "Twenty-seven actually. I'm forty-five at the end of the year," Tony said with a chuckle. "Not looking too bad for an old man am I?" "Personally, I wouldn't put him a day over fifty," I said with a cheeky grin. "Oi, you behave!" Tony said. "This old man can still put you over his knee." I sniffed and shrugged, looking totally unconcerned, "You'd have to catch me first." Du looked at us in surprise. "That's like 27 years difference in your ages. That's nothing to a were, but to a human? Did your family not mind?" "I think my brothers just thought, at least he's not going to get me pregnant then run off," I said. "And we've grown up with him." "Oh dear," Du said, "I can just imagine what Mum would say." "Why?" I asked. "Oh, she's sort of the estate shrink; looks after people when they get too stressed out and a good run wont fix it," Du explained. "Absent father, growing up with a stronger older man around . . ." I looked at Tony, and said, "Eeewwwgggghhh, that's disgusting. You think I'm looking for a father figure in him? No! Big brother maybe, but then I had two of those, and they were enough for any girl. If anyone was a father to us it was Major Williams; he was great. Mum's gone off with him to Germany until he retires. But seriously, no. I think I was, what? Twelve, when Tony joined the camp, and apart from teaching me chess I don't think we had much to do with each other til I was seventeen and really starting to study strategies." I looked at Du, hoping I could get her to understand, "I started bugging Tony to teach me. And he agreed, but only if I agreed to teach him how we hunted." Turning back to Tony, I asked, "I don't think you really noticed me until then, did you?" "I noticed you," Tony said, "I just didn't think of you in that way til that last night, when you put some decent clothes on and suddenly it was like 'Wow!'" "And what was wrong with my clothes up until then?" I demanded. "You mean other than the fact you looked like you dressed in your big brothers hand-offs?" Tony asked, "Nothing." "OK, smart arse," I said, "and you just looked so debonair in your combats day in and day out. Actually, you did look kinda fit in them. When I let you keep up." Turning back to Du, I said as an aside, "Boy, is he slow on a morning." "At least my brain works after ten o' clock at night," Tony rejoined. "You acted like a zombie if you weren't in bed by then." "Yeah, when I was like fourteen," I said. "OK, then," Du interjected. "So are you guys gonna sit there and argue all day or can I ask what Flossi is wearing tonight?" "Oh, you can ask," Tony said, "I doubt if she'll have an answer though." "If I want sarcasm, I'll talk to my brothers, thank you very much," I replied. "Am I right though?" Tony persisted. I gritted my teeth. I hated when he won an argument like this. "Yes, you're right," I said. "I don't have anything pretty to wear tonight. It might have escaped your notice, but I really don't do pretty -- or elegant, thank you for pointing that out," I said, holding a finger up to stop Tony before he could say it. I looked at Du, she was curvier than me. "Anyone here I can borrow a dress off?" "Mmm, let me think," Du said. "You won't fit into anything of mine or anything from anyone in my pack, for that matter. The downside to having Mastiff genes, I'm afraid. Even Brunhilde is bigger than you; yet another thing for her to hate you over. You could try Isla or Blaire, even Cadha might have something from before the pregnancy that would fit ok. Come on, I'll show you where the Picts hang out and we can ask them," Du continued, turning with me before turning back to Tony. "Are you staying here or shall I show you the way to the gym? I think Dad, Fane and Drem were going for a work out," Du continued. "Sounds good to me," he replied. "Lead on." The gym was in the basement beneath the kitchen and stretched the width of the house. Gelert and two of his elder sons were just warming up their muscles before they attacked the free weights that stood in neat rows against one wall. In the centre of the room, between the columns that supported the roof, was a boxing ring and over at the far end were bars and rings, vaulting horses and beams all set out with thick mats under each piece. Tony glance round to familiarise himself with the layout before he walked over to where the others were standing. Gelert looked up and saw Tony coming over, and then introduced his sons. They were very much like their father, big stocky men, with flaxen hair and blue eyes, full of confidence in themselves and their abilities. You could see them standing at a pen in a market town discussing the price of cattle and straw over a pint or three of bitter, though when I mentioned this to Du she just looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "The only thing those boys know about cattle is you can make steaks out of them," Du said with a laugh. "Come on, let's go. I think Tony is going to fit in here fine." We walked back out of the basement and up the stairs past the kitchen. Du led me away from the main house and over to the east wing, where the Picts had their quarters. She explained that the packs all had separate parts of the house to themselves, so that although they came under the rule of Odin and his clan, they could sort out pack issues in private. The Picts had quite a big presence in the house, with two of the Pict clan leader's sons, Talorcan and Drust, living here with their families, so they took up two floors. Lord Talorcan lived on the ground floor, with rooms that opened out onto the gardens, while Drust lived with Du's Aunt Bethan and her other husband, Tidor, above them. As we knocked on the door to the ground floor apartment, we could hear yells and growls growing louder, then the door opened and we found ourselves face to face with a pair of wrestling fox pups, with a harassed looking girl just in her teens trying to separate them. "Got! Ce! If you don't cut that out right this second, I'm telling Daddy and you won't get to come to the party tonight! Oh, hi, Du, who's this?" "Hi, Maisie!" Du responded. "Are you on puppy sitting duty again? This is Flosshilde – Flossi. She was wondering if Isla or Blaire had a dress she could borrow for tonight." "They're in the garden I think. Come on through," Maisie said. She managed to split the pups apart, and was scolding them as she dragged them away. "You see, that's Lord Odin's first born daughter, and what's the first thing she sees when she pays us a visit? You two acting like a pair of hooligans! I'm definitely telling Daddy on you." I looked around as we walked down the hall. Like the rest of the house, this part had high ceilings and wide floors; in here though the colours were bright blues, deep greens and rich browns, reflecting the pack's earthy roots and connection with the land that gave them their magic. Most of the walls were covered in tapestries depicting animals and trees or bookcases filled with scrolls and leather bound parchments. Out in the private gardens, half a dozen girls were sitting around an old tree in a semicircle, listening to a petite red haired woman talking. She looked up as we approached and called a halt to the lesson. Du gave a half curtsy and spoke first. "Greetings, Lady Catriona! Blessings on this place," Du said formally. "And on you, young lady," Lady Catriona replied. "I take it this is Lord Odin's first daughter? Greetings and blessings upon you. I am Catriona, second wife to Lord Talorcan and teacher of the girls of the house, should they wish to learn our craft." I didn't know how to answer that, so I simply copied Du and gave a half curtsy, replying with, "Greetings, Lady Catriona. I'm Flossi." "Do you wish to join our group?" Lady Catriona asked. "Mmm, possibly," I replied. "I actually was hoping to speak to someone about borrowing a dress for tonight. I'm sorry, I didn't realise I was going to have to go to formal dinners or I would have bought something when we went through the town." "It is not a problem," Lady Catriona said graciously. "We were about to finish for the day in any case. Come and see me when you have the time, and we shall talk more about our craft, agreed?" "Yes, thank you, Lady Catriona," I said. "Very well," Lady Catriona nodded before continuing to speak. "Blaire, I believe you have some suitable dresses for formal dinners. Please show them to Flosshilde so she may pick one." "Yes, Catriona," Blaire replied. "Follow me please," Blaire said to me. Her room was small but very tidy. In a corner, a huge wardrobe had been squeezed in and was packed with all her clothes. Most of them were jeans and tops, like what she was wearing now, and a few summer dresses. Over to one side were a handful of long slim sleek dresses in coarse silk and soft velvet, with colours that ranged from white to sky blue to bottle green and gold. Blaire reached in and pulled out a green and gold velvet dress, and held it up for me to see. "This is what I'm wearing tonight," Blaire said with a giggle. "Daddy insisted that we all have our best clothes on to greet Lord Odin's daughter, so I don't know how pleased he'll be to learn you were here when I was in jeans." "It's kind of a big thing this, isn't it, being Odin's first born daughter," I asked. "I hadn't realised everyone was going to be so uptight about it." "This is nothing," Blaire assured me, still smiling. "If you were his first born son, then the whole place would be in uproar. There'd be petitions as to who was going to get to marry him first, always supposing that no-one from outside the clan wanted their daughter to get him. As it is, you're going to have plenty of suitors lining up to ask you to marry them." "Poor Froh, sounds like his idea of hell," I said. "Siggi would love it though, all those girls fighting over him." I grinned at the thought of Siggi swaggering around the place like a peacock as girls swooned at his feet, and carefully ignored the last bit. I wasn't too sure about having men fighting over me. "So there are brothers!" Blaire responded. "We didn't know if you were the only surviving child or not." "No, I have two of brothers," I said. "They're off playing soldiers for a few years before they come here." I had been looking through the dresses on offer and pulled out one, a blue silk Greek style outfit that left most of my back bare. "How about this one?" I said, holding it against me. "Other than the fact it's way too short, not bad at all," said Du. "Mmm, I know. Shame about that," Blaire said looking up at me. She was a good four inches shorter than my own 5' 8" height; nothing she had was going anywhere past my calves. "I might have an idea though," Blaire continued. "I've got a wide shawl that goes with that dress. I could sew that onto the bottom and make it long enough." "You can sew?" I asked in surprise. "Part of Lady Catriona's craft is stitching, sewing, cooking, that sort of thing, as well as the more esoteric skills, like tree talking and mind stepping," Blaire replied. "Are you sure that's OK then? I wouldn't want to ruin one of your dresses," I asked. "It's fine," Blaire assured me. "Besides it'll make the dress look different enough that most people won't know it's one of mine. I'll lengthen the top straps too so it won't strangle you, OK? If you want to stick around for a bit, I'll do it now so I know it fits." "This is great, thank you so much," I said. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Blaire and her sister Isla, gossiping and being stared at by the younger members of the household. They gathered outside the common room, peeking round the door and giggling. The older girls were a mine of information about pack and clan lore, especially my own pack and Brunhilde. I hadn't met the girl yet but her reputation made me want to. I wanted to see this girl who thought she was something special. I got my chance later on that night. I'd gone back to my rooms with my new dress to meet Tony, and we'd had a couple of hours together before the feast started at nine. Tony had brought a bottle of red wine from the kitchen, and I lay in our big bath full of bubbles with a glass while he sat on one of our fat pillows on the ledge that ran along the wall. He'd already bathed, and was dressed in his black and red mess trousers and looking ridiculously yummy. He didn't have any grey in his hair and very few lines except around his eyes. We were listening to a Beach Boys CD – Tony had taught me to accept his strange music tastes over the years I'd known him, mainly by refusing to listen to anything I'd suggested if it hadn't been recorded before 1979 unless it was Queen or Status Quo – and we were just chilling before we had to head downstairs and meet everyone. Once I was finished in the bath, Tony helped me into my dress, which now fell to pool around my bare feet. I couldn't do much with my hair, I only put a little make up on my eyes and I was ready to go. Tony shrugged his black jacket on and buttoned it up to his chin, the gold buttons shining in the half light from the oil lamps we had dotted about the room. His silver medals shone too, and I fell in love with him right then and there. He looked so tall and handsome as he offered me his arm to escort me to the meeting hall. We met other people walking down the main stairs, and there was quite a group of us that entered all together. It gave me the chance to hide for a few minutes as no-one really registered my appearance at first. Then Odin made his way over to us, and heads began to turn. He was followed by his three wives: Jord, Sif and Ran, and seven of their children, allowing me my first glimpse of Brunhilde. She was wearing a high necked, long sleeved dress in purple satin and would have been stunning if it not for the pained sneer she had plastered across her face. Du was right; Brunhilde was curvier than me and slightly shorter, but then most girls were. She had long black hair twisted up in a complicated knot at the back of her head. Brunhilde stood off to one side, looking bored at not being the centre of attention for once. To her left stood a boy, the mirror image of her, but without the disdainful expression. In fact he looked interested in us and I guessed he might be a little relieved that, with the revelation of two older brothers, he wouldn't have to assume the role of pack and clan leader in time. Odin held out his hand towards me, and drew me closer to introduce me to the members of his pack I hadn't met yet. "This is my second wife, Jord and her children, Brunhilde and Thor, her first born," Odin said. "Balder, Geri and Gerd, her second litter. You know Sif; these are her first born, Vali and Vidar," Odin continued, indicating an identical pair of boys standing behind Sif. "Ran's litter are running around here somewhere. We are not as strict with children as we are with those who are approaching maturity; we allow the children greater freedoms," Odin explained. As Odin spoke, a tribe of kids descended on us, a mix of pups and children. They were all different breeds -- foxes, mastiffs, hounds like Odin and what looked like cross between him and deerhounds. The children were dressed in white trousers and dresses that didn't look like they would stay clean for more than a couple of hours at the most. One little girl came barrelling into Odin and began tugging at his suit trousers. "Daddy, is this her?" she asked. "Yes, Tola," Odin replied, "This is your new big sister, Flosshilde. Daughter, may I introduce you to Sif's eldest daughter, Tola?" I crouched down to look at Tola and held my hand out, saying, "Hi, Tola! I'm Flossi. How do you do?" Tola regarded me with solemn eyes, the way only children can. She cocked her head to one side and stared at me for a minute, and then made up her mind and slipped her hand into mine, shaking it softly. "I'm OK," Tola said. "Who's that?" she said pointing behind me. I turned and looked to see who she meant. Tony dropped down beside me and said, "I'm Tony. It's very nice to meet you." "Are you Flossi's husband?" Tola asked Tony. "Coz I thought she wasn't old enough to have one yet. Mummy says I won't have to get married for years and years." "No," Tony replied, "we're not married, yet.' "Ohh," Tola went on, "is it true you can't change?" "Yes, it's true," Tony said. "Though I'm hoping to learn how to soon. Do you maybe want to teach me?" "Silly," Tola said with a chuckle. "I can't teach you. I'm not old enough yet." "Oh, dear that's a shame. How old are you?" Tony asked, tapping into that fascination all children have about their age. "I'm six and a quarter," Tola stoutly replied. "I'll be six and a half next month, and I'm the tallest in my class already." "Wow," Tony replied, feigning impression well. "Tola, run along now," Ran interrupted. "Don't take up all of Captain James's time." "Yes, Mummy," Tola said, dashing off after the rest of her band, who'd disappeared off into the crowd. I looked over at Tony and said, "Aww, she's a poppet." "Don't you be getting broody on me now," Tony answered with a worried grin. "Stop stressing," I responded. "You heard Sif earlier; I've got another twenty-one years before I can start thinking about babies." Odin cleared his throat, and we stood up again. "If you'd like to come this way, the feast is about to begin." Wotan's Hounds Ch. 04 Odin held out his arm to Jord, and she took it. Sif had explained that I would be next in line, so Tony and I took our places in front of Brunhilde, and I could feel her eyes burning into the back of my neck with hatred. She gasped as the tattoos on my lower back were revealed, but it was Thor who leaned forward and asked me what they meant. "It's my brothers' names in runes; Froh is on the left and Siggi is on the right. I got them done last month with them; Froh has mine and Siggi's names, Siggi has mine and Froh's. Do you like them?" "Yeah," Thor replied. "They're cool." "Thor, you're fifteen; everything's cool," Brunhilde jeered. "Tattoos are childish and worthless." "Oh," said Tony, contemptuously over his shoulder. "You won't want to see any of mine then." "I do," said Thor eagerly. I could see a little bit of hero worshipping going on here, and it only seemed to annoy Brunhilde more. She sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. Double doors in the wall behind Odin's chair in the meeting hall had been swung open, and led us through to a courtyard. The smooth floor boards vanished and lush, thick grass replaced them. The roof was covered in thin clear glass that showed the night sky above us. In the middle of the room, in a sunken pool, a pale statue of a hound loomed tall; a copy of the inlay on the floor of the meeting hall. I followed Odin around it, and up to a square of tables that were set up at the far end. Odin stood at the centre of the top table, and people arranged themselves around the others. Tony and I were placed to Odin's right, while his wives were on his left with his other children spread out beyond them. Gelert and his family were beside us and I was pleased that we would have someone other than Odin we knew to talk to. While we were waiting for everyone to find their seats, Gelert introduced me to his first wife. She was very pretty and looked a lot like Du, who was sitting a few seats down, and who had waved to us when we came in. Once everyone was settled, Odin raised his hands for silence and the clan turned to watch him. "Today we welcome a new member of my pack and our clan, my eldest daughter, Flosshilde. She has been lost to us for these past eighteen years, along with her brothers who will be joining us at a later date," Odin began. "But now she has been returned to us and we should rejoice in that fact. She brings with her a human, and something many of us thought we would never see has come to pass; a non-were, here in our most private chambers. We should respect his desire to learn of our history and culture. Who knows, perhaps this is a chance to recapture the age of understanding between our two peoples. I will ask my daughter and her consort to now stand that all may see and acknowledge them as part of my pack and our clan." Tony and I stood, the whole room watching us. I hadn't realised that people from outside the estate were coming, and the room seemed overflowing with curious eyes and noses. I wanted to giggle so badly at Odin's description of Tony as my "consort," but I managed to hold them back until we sat, then I buried my face in Tony's shoulder. He patted my back, he understood. The food had been put on the tables before we entered the room so that everyone could participate in the feast, and now we started to eat. There was home-baked bread, still warm from the oven and oozing sweet honey; there were plates of the roasted venison, sliced thin as the meat was so rich; tiny buttery potatoes; carrots and leeks without the crunch cooked out of them; three brace of pheasant per table and huge bowls of tomatoes and courgettes picked that afternoon and topped off with chopped spring onions. Carafes of red and white wine, jugs of cider and mead had been set out for the adults, while there was apple and elderflower juice for the children. I couldn't believe the amount of food that was in front of me, and I wanted to try it all. Tony took a careful sip of the mead before he let me try it. I'd asked him keep an eye on me so I didn't get stupidly drunk and make an idiot of myself, and he was right when he said it was really nice. It was sweet and rich but not too strong. He kept me away from the cider though, on Gelert's advice. Everything was very civilised, with muted voices and soft clinks from the cutlery. Odin looked positively smug with how everything was going, sitting in his chair sipping on red wine and picking at a little of the venison. Thankfully there were no more speeches and once everyone had eaten their fill, small groups began to form. Tony and Gelert were at the centre of one, with Fib joining them from the Pict table, and they moved out to the quiet gardens at the back of his apartment with a couple of jugs of the mind-blowing cider. I went with them, as did Du, Fane, Drem and Fib's wife, Cadha. Thor was looking longingly after us as Brunhilde talked his ear off, and I held out my hand for him to join us. The brilliant grin that lit up his face was reward enough for me. I figured he didn't get to have much fun, and when Du glanced sideways at me in askance, I leaned in close and said, "He's an ok kid, just give him a chance away from that stuck up lot." Du shrugged but left it. It gave me a taste of how much power I had as Odin's daughter, something I wanted to think over when I had the time later on. In the meantime, we were firmly ensconced in the garden with the stars and gibbous moon adding to the light from the oil lamps and candles dotted around on empty benches and tables. Tony, Gelert and Fib were trading stories about their lives while us youngsters were either gasping in shock or giggling wildly, especially as we took illegal sips from the jugs passing us. Thor had hidden himself away behind Tony and me, sitting very quietly, like he was afraid he would be told to leave if he was spotted. As the night wore on and became the early hours of the morning, the men continued talking, moving from outlandish tales to more serious matters, about tales of unrest in the North of Scotland and the Baltic states. Fane and Drem added in their views where they could; the rest of us settled down and listened to them hazily. Cadha was gently teaching me to control who I sent my thoughts to and it was working when Tony nudged me softly with his foot and told me it was time for bed. When I grumbled about having to move, Fib and Cadha invited Tony to grab a couple of blankets and sleep in the garden with the rest of them. As it wouldn't have been the first time he'd slept out in the open, I raised my head sleepily and nodded for him. When he got up to fetch them out, the others dropped what clothing they had on and changed. I was a little shy about getting naked in front of so many people but I guessed it was one of the things I was going to have to get used to. When Tony came back out, he helped me to stand – a mix of the cider and the long day was making my head feel very woozy – and get undressed. I stretched out tall and shook myself, then crouched down and changed. He placed a fur on the ground and took off his shirt. Turning on to his side, he opened his arms and I crawled into the little snug made by his body. He stroked my fur down my back and asked, "What does it feel like when you do that? Change I mean." I couldn't think of the words to describe it, there weren't any, so I sent him the feelings; how the hair tickled as it grew; how my bones felt like they were being smoothly but firmly squashed or stretched into their new positions; how the muscles slid to cover and bind them, and finally how it felt when my tail sprouted from above my arse, like someone was pulling my spine out from behind. It was a weird mixture of sensations, true; however it was second nature to me so it struck me as odd that someone I knew didn't know how it felt. Cadha lifted her head, and told me to tell him he'd find out soon enough if he practiced hard with his lessons. Then she looked at me in surprise, "You can speak to him when you're like that?" "Yes," I said. "I can do it when I'm human too. Why?" "Oh, no reason," she replied thoughtfully. I could tell there was more to it than that, but I was just too sleepy to push it any further. Telling myself it was another thing to think about in the morning, I laid my head on Tony's chest and slept til the morning sun stuck its rays round the side of the house and woke us all up. Wotan's Hounds Ch. 05 Sorry this has taken a while. Bloody life lol. A quick warning, this chapter contains some gory scenes. Over the next couple of weeks we settled in to a routine. I spent the mornings with Mimir, learning more about my history and the clan. My afternoons were filled by Catriona and her craft. Cadha had told her I could use my telepathy to talk to Tony even when I was human and pick up his thoughts in return. Apparently this was very rare and she was determined to stretch my talents as far as she could. Tony was training in the morning so our runs now had a purpose and a set path; I would leave him at one of the farms on my way back and he would work there until lunchtime when he'd meet me in the kitchen. I would go over some of the history I'd learnt that morning and he seemed fascinated by it all. Then we'd go our separate ways and he'd find Freya for a couple of hours meditation and reflection. He hadn't found his totem yet, it was proving elusive though he knew it was something big. He spent the rest of the day working out in the gym or helping the head keeper, Sean, with his duties in the woods. I would go over to the little cottage at the edge of the trees and wait for them to come back with Mary, Sean's wife and the pretty setter who'd shown us around on our first day. She worked in the mornings on the reception desk in the main house while her litter were in the nursery. Then, one day while I was sitting on the floor playing tugs with her son, Tony came bouncing in and announced he'd found his totem. 'So, what are you then? Don't be keeping me in suspenders.' 'Oh, now that is a nice thought. Sorry,' he said as I slapped him round the back of his thigh. 'Where was I again?' 'Your totem, remember?' 'Oh yeah, Great Dane.' 'Really? You're a Great Dane? That's cool.' 'Yes it is. So we can go up to Scotland now and see the magic man.' 'That's right, we can. When?' 'Carla's going to fly up and speak to him over the weekend and we'll follow at the start of the week. Dinner time?' 'Ok then. Bye Mary, bye bye Ernest.' I patted the pup on the head gently, flicking my fingers out the way before he could latch on to them; he was teething so badly at the minute. We ran up to our rooms to get changed for dinner. Tony was so much fitter already after two weeks of hard exercise and while the first few days had been hard on him, it was paying off now. He could even keep up with me when I ran flat out, something that he'd found impossible when we were at the camp. Dressing for dinner had become a nightly ritual. Odin had insisted that we join him and the other pack leaders every day. I'd spent a day in Newcastle with Du shopping for all the new clothes I needed as a first born daughter and now my wardrobe was full of dresses and skirts, blouses and smart trousers. Tony had told me his sizes and I'd bought him a range of suits. If I had to get prettied up then he had to as well. Most nights we started getting ready early so we could share a bath. I loved feeling his hands soaping my body, sliding over my back and down my arms before he got me to lean back against him so he could reach my legs. He'd begin with my toes and work his way slowly up, making sure he got every little bit before his hands slipped below the water in search of my pussy; Tony's hard cock would be digging in my back and I adored the gasps that would slip from his lips when I wiggled against it. It became something of a game with us as to who could last the longest before we actively began trying to cum, something Tony usually won. The man drove me mad with his clever fingers though I was learning what tipped him close to the edge. I let my fangs grow once and nipped him on the neck. He exploded against my back and since then he had to try and keep my face away from his neck. I also loved the way Tony would wrap me up in one of the huge towels. He'd dry me off then send me through to our bedroom and depending on mood and timing we'd curl round each other, fucking or making love. The only thing we couldn't do was play when I was a hound. First in the rules that Odin had set down was a prohibition on sex in different forms, so couples (or threesomes or whatever) had to either be human or hound, never a mix of the two. According to Cadha, this was unique amongst clans, where normally anything went. As Tony was still fully human, I had to stay that way too, for the time being anyway. I hadn't seen much of Carla in the time we'd been at the estate. She lived in the woods, in a little cottage right in the heart that was impossible to get to unless you could fly like her. On the Friday before she was due to head up to Scotland, she joined us for dinner, still cold and aloof, talking to no one but Odin for the meal then leaving before the coffee was served. The tension between them was obvious to me, yet if anyone else at the table picked up on it they kept it to themselves. I tried some of the new ideas I'd learned with Catriona to see if I could work out why Carla was so upset with Odin; at my first attempt though I felt a steel wall come clanging down around her mind and if possible she ignored me even more. I figured it was simply that she thought it was her fault that Odin had sired my brothers and I in the first place. After all, he was under her care when he met Mum and we were conceived. Either that or she was still furious with him for bringing a human in to the clan. The weekend passed quickly. I had time off from my studies though Tony carried on with his training and the farm work. On the Saturday night there was a deer hunt, with members of the different packs coming together round a fire in the walled garden. Only a few of the clan would actually hunt, mainly the younger group who still had the hunger for it. The rest would remain behind in the garden and relax after a hard week. Fane was the unofficial master of the hunt and he gathered together all the volunteers, to choose his hunters and to brief them. 'For the newbies, a few rules. Don't get separated from the pack, stick together. We only hunt bucks, never does, breeding stags or fawns. Kills should be done quickly and cleanly, breaking the neck is the best way to do this. And please, no squabbling over who actually made the kill. These creatures are smart and tough, it requires the whole team to bring one down, ok? Any questions? Then lets get changed and get out there.' Tony looked rather forlorn as I crouched down and shifted in to my hound shape. I knew he was aching to come and join us, but even if he had been able to keep up, he never would have been quiet enough for us to get close to the deer to launch an attack. I pressed against him and thought, 'Next month. I'll teach you to hunt so you can come with us.' He patted my head and thought 'Thank you' back to me. I pulled away and slotted in at the van of the group, in behind Fane. He glanced around to make sure he had everyone, then set off out in to the trees. 'The bucks have their own herds,' Fane said to me as we trotted along. 'Usually they stick to the outer part of the woods, with the breeding herds further in.' We slowed to a walk as we got closer to one of the ponds that the bucks used, spreading out through the undergrowth. If it hadn't been for the thoughts flying back and forth from each member of the group reporting to the others I never would have know there was anyone else out. The whole pack moved silently along through the brambles and ferns, coming to rest at the edge of a clearing. Half a dozen red deer, their hides glossy with the spring feeding, their antlers still covered with the soft fur that protected them while they grew each year. One stood on guard while the others drank and fed from around the edges of the water. He was a runty little thing compared to the others and Fane decided we would take that one. Part of the hunt was to provide food for the clan; part of it was to thin out the herds of the weaker animals that wouldn't be strong enough to breed later in life. Slowly the pack spread out, surrounding the pond, leaving an opening at one side where Fane and I waited. The deer became restless, lifting their heads to try and work out where the danger was, their ears swivelling in all directions to pick up the minute sounds we made from brushing through the undergrowth. When everyone was in place, Fane gave the signal and three hounds rushed forwards from the bushes directly opposite us. The herd sprang forwards, away from them and tried to burst in all different directions. Now other members of the pack came forwards, pushing them towards us, squeezing them in to the funnel we'd left. The runt was lagging at the back and we could see now he was lame; one hind foot would twist out from underneath him every time he put weight on it. Fane and I waited til he was level with us, then pounced, one on each side. Fane's heavier mass spun the deer round when he knocked in to his side while I landed on the deer's neck and sank my teeth either side of his spine just behind his head. I felt the blood spurt in to my mouth, rich and sweet, then the bones cracked under the pressure of my jaws and the deer was down. His eyes glazed over and his tongue drooped and though his back feet continued to kick for a few seconds, he was dead almost before he knew I was there. The rest of the pack came bounding over to inspect the kill and to congratulate me on a quick and clean finish to the hunt. I was pleased it had been quick; I loved hunting, loved doing what I was born to do. That didn't mean I loved causing pain to the animals I brought down. Fane picked out four members of the pack to change and carry the carcass back to the house before leading the rest of us back. The herd had scattered and we'd have no more luck hunting tonight. As we trotted along, the mood was high and it carried over to the rest of the party that were waiting in the walled garden for us to return. I changed and spent the rest of the night talking with Tony and the group that had formed around us. We were all excited about the trip to Scotland. Once Tony could change it would cement our circle all together. It also meant that the two of us could seriously think about making our arrangement permanent, possibly not marriage yet but it would be more realistic than it was right now. We set out for Scotland on Monday, the jeep packed with all our stuff and Tony at the wheel. I was so excited I couldn't stop bouncing around in my seat. We came back over the Pennines and picked up the motorway, turning north towards the border. As we travelled on, I began to pick up my brother's thoughts again and they could feel my enthusiasm over Tony finding his totem. It was brilliant to be in contact like this with them. I hadn't realised until now how much I'd missed it; it was like a part of me had been lacking somehow. Now I was able to catch up on all their news, not just the facts but also the feelings that went with those facts. We were able to keep the connection until Glasgow, then it faded as it had before. I spent the rest of the trip up swapping thoughts with Tony, getting him to practice thinking clearly, even though he couldn't project his thoughts to me yet. Having part of his brain switch on to telepathy when he found his beast was going to be disorientating and I wanted to help him out all I could. It was dark by the time we reached Fort William and the helipad by the hotel was lit up like it was Christmas. As we checked in we could hear the loud thud of the bright yellow Sea King helicopter coming in to land. The landlady told us a pair of girls had gotten lost up in Glen Coe and they were bringing the bodies in now. 'They died?' I was a little shocked. 'Yes, a real shame. Couple of townie lasses on a school trip, got separated from the group. Don't really know what happened to them. Bobby said they were really messed up, like they'd fallen down the rocks, even though they were found in the river.' 'Who's Bobby?' Tony asked her. 'My husband, he leads one of the mountain rescue teams round here.' 'I see. Well there are some dangerous parts up on the hills if you don't know what you're doing.' He said to her. Turning to me he said, 'I'm just going to get the bags in, hon.' I stood and talked to the landlady about our stay while I waited for him. When he came back his face was pale and set. I looked at him and asked mentally 'What's wrong?' 'We've got a problem. Can't talk here, wait til we get to up to the room.' he replied, thinking hard and clearly for the first time that day. 'Ok then, lets go.' I knew it would take a lot to rattle him like that. We took the bags along the corridor to our snug little room and set them down. Tony sat on the chair beside the bed and looked worriedly at me. 'I saw one of the girls they just brought in. If she fell down on to rocks I'm Elvis Presley.' 'So what do you think happened then?' 'She'd been savaged, and badly. The wind only blew the blanket off her for a few seconds, but I could see part of her chest was missing and her face had been chewed off. I know of some animals that can do that, I will admit that. None of them live in this country normally though, that's the problem. And I haven't heard of any escaped big cats or wolves in the area.' I was stunned. There was only one other explanation for the girl's injuries. 'So you think this was a were attack?' 'I do. Do you remember the night of the party? Gelert and Fib were talking about unrest up in the Shetland Islands and over in Norway. Fib especially was worried, it's his clan's territory after all.' 'And?' The man was infuriating sometimes. He couldn't come to the point quickly. 'And there have been reports of people going missing, weres as well as humans. They just disappear. Sometimes a few bits of clothing are found, nothing more.' 'Are people thinking there's a rogue were or pack out there?' 'Yeah that's how it's looking. And they're moving south. I need to call the estate and talk to Odin about this. Can you sort out some food while I do this?' 'Of course. Chip shop ok?' 'Yeah, fine, whatever. You know what I like.' He switched off from me and pulled out his phone. I slipped out the room and went to get dinner. I found a place round the corner and as I was waiting for my order I was thinking furiously. Tony and I were supposed to be heading up to Glen Coe tomorrow to see the warlock; if there was a problem in the area then we'd have to be careful. We at least had the advantage of my abilities, though I'd have to be careful with Tony while he was unlocking his beast. The process took forty-eight hours to complete and he'd be totally vulnerable until it was finished. Freya had explained that the first change for a non-were was extremely difficult and painful. After that it got much easier; however Tony's age was going to work against him here. The younger the person, the smoother the transition was. I took the food back to him. He was still talking to Odin, planning how we were going to get up and back without attracting any more attention than was necessary. When Tony hung up he told me Odin hadn't heard from Carla since just after the hunt on Saturday night and it was unlike her to out of contact for so long. We would keep our eyes and ears open for her once we were up in the Glen but it was unlikely she would come running to us if she did need help. We snuggled down for the night, in a proper bed for once. My lair would have raised too many eyebrows. It did feel strange to have the mattress so firm underneath my whole body; normally the cushions in my lair had lumps and folds that I fitted my body in to. Driving up in to the hills was fun, in a scary kinda way. We knew there might be someone out there who was hunting humans and weres but if Tony was ever going to be able to change we needed to do this. The warlock's home was hidden away in one of the little valleys that dotted the area. Unless you knew where you were going, it would have been horribly difficult to find; as it was we missed the turning and had to backtrack after finding somewhere to turn around. As we got closer, the sun, which had been shining brightly all day, seemed to fade and a mist descended through the trees. The air began to smell dank and rotten, like the floor of an old forest. Closer to the house, it changed, becoming sharp and putrid and I put my hand on Tony's arm to make him stop the car. 'You'd better stay here.' I told him. 'You can't go up there alone.' He replied, frowning heavily. 'I can move much faster than you through the woods and much more quietly too. Pull the car off the drive and wait here. I won't be long.' I answered him, wiggling out my clothes and changing at the roadside. I could see the worried look on his face but he knew I was right. I slipped in to the forest and began working my way up the hill. Out of the jeep and in my hound form, the smell was much stronger, as was the fog. The woods were silent, no animals stirred or spoke and my breathing sounded loud against the stillness. Something was very wrong here. The nearer I got, the more the smell and the wrongness increased until I could barely stand it. The fog was now so thick all I could see was whiteness in front of me and the only way I knew where I was going was the uphill gradient and the escalating smell. Abruptly the whiteness stopped. It was like stepping out from behind a curtain into the clearing that surrounded the two storey stone cottage. The sun had returned and bathed the scene in glorious noonday light. I really wish it hadn't. The grass was no longer green, but black or brown and slimy. There were flies everywhere, big green and blue ones that buzzed around the decaying remains. A head lay by my feet, half changed with a cats' muzzle, the lips peeled back by rigor mortis and scavengers, the huge canine teeth seeming to grin in a last defiant snarl. Other body parts littered the ground, a leg here, a torso there. I made my way carefully over to the house, picking my way through the carnage. I needed to see inside the house, see if there was any sign of Carla so I could report back to Odin. The door had a round handle on it, one I couldn't move with paws or teeth so I took a deep breath and changed, trying not to overbalance and land in something, or someone. The door was heavy, leaning on it's hinges and they protested loudly when I put my shoulder to the thick wooden planks and shoved. The interior was dark from the shutters covering the windows and unsurprisingly the lights didn't worked when I tried them. There were a few candles on a shelf though and they provided just enough flickering light to let me see the grisly scene continued inside. I tiptoed down the hall, the unsteady flame giving life to the corpses and making me jump at the shadows. My mouth had gone dry and my whole body was shaking but I had to see. I made it to the back door and looked out. Thankfully it wasn't as bad here, the only dismembered limb being a chewed horse's hoof. I knew that were-horses were very rare and the chances of one hanging around here were remote. I couldn't bring myself to look for more of Carla though and assumued she was either piled with the rest of the dead or eaten. 'Ding dong, the witch is dead.' rang through my mind as I stumbled back. Then something on the kitchen wall caught my eye. Someone had written in huge, arching, dribbling letters, 'LOKI WOZ HERE' I could almost hear the mad giggles from the author and I ran. I dropped the candle and changed in a heartbeat, powering my way out of the open front door and back out to the whiteness of the fog. If it hadn't been for the scent trail I'd left, I'd have been lost within a few seconds. I ran with my head down, thinking of nothing but getting back to Tony as fast as my legs would carry me. The horror of the situation was catching up faster though and as I skidded to a halt beside the jeep, I vomited over and over again, trying to rid myself of the taste of the fear and decay from the back of my throat with what was left from my lunch. I hated throwing up normally, now I almost welcomed it. Tony jumped out of the car and crouched beside me, stroking my ears back out of the way. He had come on to full alert when he heard me crashing through the sparse undergrowth and now, even as he tried to comfort me, he was still scanning the area looking for danger. Finally I stopped heaving and I was able to reassure him there was no immediate threat to us. I changed back to human and asked him for the water we had with us. Tony handed it to along with my clothes, wisely keeping quiet until I had calmed enough to stop shaking. I looked at him and asked if we could leave. Wotan's Hounds Ch. 05 'Of course. I take it there's no point in me having a look?' 'No, trust me, you don't want too. It's all in here,' I said tapping my temple. 'I'm not going to lose these images for a very long time.' 'Ok then, do you want to go back to the hotel or what?' 'Hotel would be good. I need to shower badly. Thank you.' My sentences were short, clipped from the shock of what I'd seen. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see the severed limbs, that gnawed hoof and the bloody graffiti scrawled across the wall. I didn't cry though. I didn't scream or shout or throw my head back and howl. I was worried that it meant I didn't care, that I couldn't care and what kind of person did that make me? Tony glanced over at me and said softly, 'Don't worry if you don't feel anything in the next few hours. It'll take that long for the shock to wear off. I know you want a shower but when we get back, I want to debrief you while you still feel numb. It might make it easier in the long run if you only have to get over it once, so to speak.' I nodded my head. We'd done debriefs before, after games and hunts and there was something very reassuring in the slight normality it would bring. Back at the hotel, Tony dug out the little camcorder we'd brought with us and set it up to record. It was supposed to be used to capture the first time he changed, now it was going to be put to a different purpose. 'I'm going to take this slowly, ok? If at any time you need to stop then say and we'll take a break.' I nodded and smiled. He took such good care of me at times. 'Right, what is the first thing you remember?' 'The smell. Like rotten meat. It got stronger the closer I got to the house.' 'Did the fog change?' 'Yes, it got much thicker.' As I took him through everything I had seen, smelt, heard and felt, I could see the revulsion on Tony's face grow deeper. I was trying very hard not to project the images from my mind. Unfortunately the more I talked the stronger they became until I knew I was showing him exactly what it was I'd experienced and I couldn't help it. That hurt me more than anything; I was unloading all this shit on to him and I couldn't stop. I was shaking again by the end, the sheer terror of it all was too much and I broke down and howled. Tony switched off the camera and sat beside me on the bed, holding me as I sobbed. I clung to him, not letting go even when he stood and walked through to the bathroom. He gently stripped off our clothes as best he could with me stuck to him like a limpet and turned the shower as hot as he could stand it. He stepped over the side of the bath and put me under the spray. It took a long time for me to calm down again. Tony wrapped me up in one of the huge, slightly rough towels the hotel had provided and set me on the bed while he made a few phone calls. I wasn't paying too much attention to him or anything else for that matter. I was too busy shutting away the memories where they couldn't hurt me for now. I wasn't surprised when he began to pack our stuff back in to the rucksacks though. I guessed Odin had called us back. We got on the road and headed south soon afterwards, returning to the relative safety of the estate.