Walking back home from late-night training with one of the more experienced Vikings, Cara trudged slowly feeling exhaustion set into her muscles. She wasn’t used to working so hard. Speed and agility were more of her strengths than brute force. When he mentions her ability with her hounds it made her head hurt trying to explain it. She could try better tomorrow. Perhaps if they went hunting it would be a better show of what her abilities were. Rubbing her neck she smiled some.
“At least they don’t think I’m a monster,” she mumbled to herself. Opening the door she slipped in letting her ax fall to the ground before falling with a heavy thump closing her eyes as warmth surrounded her.
Waking up in the dog’s shelter she could barely move with one of them pressed against her back, one against her chest head on Cara’s arm sighing happily, and one of the bigger hounds had decided to lay his head on her hip. The others laid with her keeping her warm even with the cold winds beating on the small shelter. Cara could hear the rooster from the village giving his morning call and sighed. Shifting slightly on the blanket-covered hay, making them start to lift up and wake from their sleep. Stretching while sitting up she felt her sore muscles cry at her moving. Dragging herself to stand she ran a hand through her messed up hair picking out some of the straw. Licking her lips Cara went to the door and open them letting the hounds trout out before her and stretch their legs. Cara began to drag herself to the house rubbing her neck with a moan of pain.
“Fell asleep in there again?” A gruff voice asked as she looked up seeing her grandfather chopping a log.
“Yeah,” she mumbled leaning against the wall. Rubbing her eye with her hand she opens her mouth wide letting out a long yawn before shaking her head.
“Well I remember you use to run straight into there when your father brought you over and falling right to sleep with those hounds so it’s no surprise you’re doing it again,” he told her walking over and ruffling the hair as it fell into her face covering it almost completely as her nose peaked out. Cara looked up at her grandfather and only smiled as he smiled his hand still resting on top of her head. She looked down smile faltering for a moment.
“I miss him somedays. I know I can’t change the past but I wish he was here with us,” she told him as he pulled her against his side pressing her face into his chest rubbing the back of her head.
“Me too Little Wolf, me too,” he told her. “I don’t want to think what would happen had he not come when he did. I don’t think I would be able to watch these hounds without you.” Cara nuzzled slightly against his chest.
“Stay home today, you need to rest properly,” he added as Cara nod her head pulling away and walking into the home pulling on her clothes to go change once in her room. Letting the dirty clothes fall to the ground before slipping into her nightgown. Grabbing the soft black pelt from her clothes dropping on to the bed and holding it to her chest. Laying curled up on the bed holding the pelt she closed her eyes letting the darkness take over her mind more.
Holding on to her mother’s shoulder Cara whimpered unsure of what was happening.
“M-Mama where are we going?” Cara asked as her mother stopped in the middle of the forest setting her down on her feet smiling gently. “Mama, why did we leave Dada?” Her smile faltered for a moment before holding Cara’s shoulders leaning down closer to her.
“I-It’s because-“
“CARA!” A scream could be heard then howling as Cara open her mouth to call out to her father when a hand clamped down over her mouth.
“Quiet you little monster,” she hissed the sweet smile slipping off her mother’s face replaced with a twisted grin. Cara whimpered looking at her with confusion. Another round of howls and Cara tried to pull the hand from her mouth when a scent she was unfamiliar with entering her nose making her want to pull away even more. In her last hope to break free Cara sunk her teeth into her hand letting the bitter copper touch her lips when the woman she thought was her mother pulled away wailing inhumanly. Finally free from her grasp Cara saw her eyes turn black before she dashed ahead screaming.
“DADA!” Cara screamed in a broken cry.
“CARA!” Her father called out as she picked up the pace.
“DADA! M-Mama smells weird a-a-an-and something is wrong with her! Her eyes are black as ink!” Cara cried out seeing the shadow of the hounds and their glowing yellow eyes. Tears streamed down her face falling to her knees and hugging one of them when a hand touched her head making her lookup. Seeing the relieved look on her father’s face and his piercing yellow eyes as he pats her head.
“Get back to Grandfather, Cara. Don’t look back and don’t stop running till you are in his arms,” he told her as she looked confused.
“B-But Dada aren’t you coming too?” She asked him as he leans down pressing his forehead to the top of her head. Hearing a roar she snapped her head to look but she was pulled up into his arms shielding her from the flash of green fire that barreled past her just barely. Her father sat her own her feet turning her to out of the forest.
“Run! Run like the wind, Little Wolf!” He shouted as Cara began to run the hounds surrounding her as they ran away the sounds of battle growing further with each push off the ground and towards the parting of trees.
“Grandpa! Grandpa!” Cara cried out towards the house as he rushed out of the house eyes glowing bright yellow. Tears were streaming down her face as he kneeled down for her to jump into his arms. Clutching on to his shirt and taking in the familiar scent of the woods always mixed with the scent of home cooking that clung to him.
“Little Wolf, it’s okay. Grandpa has you,” he told her as she squeezed her eyes shut before lifting her head looking at him.
“We have to get Dada! Mama isn’t herself!” She told him pulling on his shirt as his eyes soften. “We got to go save Mama!” Cara twisted hearing screams as time seems to freeze around them. “M-Mama… Dada?… MAMA DADA!” Cara screamed trying to escape his arms and reaching out to the forest but he pulled her back against his chest as she screamed beating on him for her parents.
Eyes snapping open her body felt heavy the muscles frozen in place unable to relax thanks to her frantic heartbeat. Trying to force even of her fingers to move. Feeling it move she let out the breath Cara was unaware of, that she was holding closing her heavy eyelids as she shifted her body to lay on her other side. Pressing her face into the pelt she took in the fading scent calming herself with it. The thunderous sound of nails scraping across the wood alerted her as her door. Cara heard the door be thrusted open and the pack of hounds came in. Several jumping on the bed and trying to get her face that she buried into the pelt groaning. A nose pressed against her cheek before a wet tongue began to lap at it. Squealing in surprise she moved to lay on her stomach pressing her face into the pillow as they jumped around her while one flopped down and flipped to lay their head on her back another nipped at the low collar of her nightgown tugging before laying down and nudging her head with an annoyed huff. Giggling against the pillow she lifted her head looking at them with bright golden eyes and a gentle smile.
“Thank you, I needed this,” she told the one laying their head next to her own. Leaning over Cara pressed a kiss to their cheek as their tail thumped happily while they laid there. A calm silence took over the room as a calm look took over her face and she nuzzled into the pillow stretching out as much as the lounging hounds would afford her on the small bed.
“Are you mangy mutts bothering her when she should be resting? I didn't let you in to bother her, just to stop your damn whining for her.” Her grandfather said a fierce growl coming from behind the door while she bit back a bark of laughter with her hand over her mouth.
“T-They’re fine, just keeping me company,” she told him as he stood in the doorway looking to see her smiling through her hair as one that was laying on her back moved to curl around her head making more room for another to jump on to the bed making her laugh smiling more. “Let them stay a little bit longer, please.”
“They’re your pack do what you want,” he told her walking away. Smiling she pulled her blanket free from under the large black masses surrounding her and buried herself under it as their warmth invaded her space and soothed her along with their scents filling her nose.
“Just a little longer and we can go for a run, I just need a little longer,” she told them. A nose nuzzled her forehead making her smile as she nudged back.
Walking up the cliff she kneeled down at the edge looking over as the moon’s light painted the area in a pale blue light. Looking to the hounds surrounding her she smiled as they looked up at the moon and she did the same. Pushing to stand up she cupped her hands around her mouth breathing in before letting out a long howl. The hounds scratched at the ground joining in her howl. Looking at them with her glowing gold eyes she smiled turning back hearing howls in the distance joining them. Grinning she looked back over the edge. She could hear the thrill of the hunt in their howl in the distance, her hounds' excitement grew as she waved for them to go join them.
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