Wolfsong

by Kodilynn Calhoun

  “We could step outside?” I offered the siblings a smile, though my nerves were frayed at the ends. Arii nodded, but Aliel backed up a step.

  “I can’t. He’s right. If I don’t listen, it’ll only make my life harder.” He offered a tight-lipped frown, his gaze still downcast. “Thank you for standing up for me, milord—”

  I reached for him, touching his hand, and our eyes met. “Kia. Just Kia. I’m no one’s king yet.”

  “Of course. Thank you. See ya, Arii,” he said, then spun on his heel and darted back into the kitchen. The poor kid looked like a beaten dog. My hands clenched into fists at my sides and I shot a look at Arii. She frowned, wrapping my hand in hers. She tugged me back out of the building.

  “What was that all about?” I rounded on her, trying to bite back my sudden outrage. “He’s just a boy—he’s no older than Shae! He can’t just…live life, all alone and beaten down like some sort of slave.”

  I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, the wolf inside beginning to pace in agitation. I took three cleansing breaths and let them out through my nose.

  “I’m sorry…”

  “Don’t be,” she said. “It’s true, what you said. We aren’t slaves, but we aren’t respected, either. We do little jobs here and there, help on the big hunts, scout on the other side. If we’re lost, if we don’t come back…it doesn’t matter to Tallys. It’s just less for him to worry about. Our Elder is especially strict after losing his mate, but the pack respects him as a past leader. So they follow along.”

  Like blind little sheep… “But why?”

  Arii dropped her hand away from mine, wrapping both arms around herself, as if to ward off a chill. She rubbed up and down her arms and sighed.

  “Did you see my brother’s eyes?”

  “Yeah?” So they were a little strange, but it wasn’t too uncommon, was it? Siberian huskies were descended from the wolf and they had two-toned eyes.

  “Come with me.”

  I padded after her, into another building. She shouldered open a door after knocking twice. I was surprised to see a group of kids ranging from toddler to our age, sitting around a circle with books in their laps.

  In the center of the ring was an elderly woman with pristine white hair pulled back at the nape of her neck and pale blue eyes that were wrinkled at the corners. When she looked up and met my gaze, I was filled with a sudden twinge of longing. She looked a lot like my Grandma Rose, with those warm eyes and sweet smile. Grandma Rose had died when I was fifteen and she’d been the only one to truly get me.

  “Kuska,” Arii gave a bow of her head, then tugged me closer. The kids scooted away to make room; I saw little Harmony beam at me with a proud smile as he patted the empty spot next to him. My heart flip-flopped in my chest, but the teacher motioned for me to sit down.

  “This is Kia’la Silverwind. He wants to learn a chapter on Hati.”

  I settled down next to Harmony and Arii sat cross-legged on my other side, nudging my arm with her elbow. A small smile stole across her face. If the kids were bothered by the fact that Arii was a so-called Omega, they didn’t show it. She had a little girl with a blonde braid in her lap in a matter of moments and I couldn’t help but grin. The thought of her taking care of our kids someday—wait, what? I shook my head at the sudden thought. Putting the cart before the horse.

  Kuska smiled broadly at me, settling back in the folds of her long skirt. “Ahh, our prince is from the other side. Of course he wouldn’t know of Hati.” She pulled out a small, blue leather-bound book from her side, shuffling through pages until she found the one she wanted.

  She lifted it, showing it around to the eyes trained on her, mine included. The drawing was of a pair of wolf puppies. The one with golden eyes—Skoll, I assumed—was proud and rambunctious with a coat of dark rust, where the other had flat ears and Aliel’s eyes, his fur in shades of silvers.

  “Skoll and Hati were born of the same litter, sons of the great wolf god, Fenrir. Skoll was the stronger of the two brothers, big and sturdy with eyes the color of the golden sun. Hati was smaller than Skoll, but faster, his eyes two-toned. One was summer-sky blue, the other a steely gray. People teased him for his Sight, even his own brother.

  “It was said that his gray eye could see death, prophesize destruction before it ever happened. People began to fear Hati as said prophecies came true; he became revered as a Reaper, shunned by many.

  “The twins rarely got along. They were always bickering about something. As they grew up, they both had their sights set on a particularly beautiful ruby-eyed wolf named Astridr, whose name meant ‘beautiful goddess’.”

  I thought to Sitka, to her red eyes, gleaming like jewels in the sunlight.

  “Hati, with a burst of speed, asked to court the female first, but Astridr feared his Sight, and gently turned him down. Hati was hurt, but accepted the rejection.

  At least until Skoll slipped through and offered her the same option. When Astridr took Skoll’s courtship, it infuriated Hati. In a burst of rage, he saw Astridr’s death—and since he saw it, it would become the truth.

  “Four days later, the golden-furred wolf was dead. Skoll, having realized what had happened, turned on his brother.” Kuska paused and held the book up once more, to show a vicious battle scene between the brothers, hate spewing across the page in muddy blood-red and black ink.

  “Neither brother refused to give up, and they fought for three days, until the great Fenrir broke them apart. Angry at his sons’ behavior, he split them from seeing each other.

  “Hati was shunned to the farthest reaches of the skies. A bitter wolf, Hati spent his days in solitude, with only the moon to talk to. And when the moon mocked him, Hati ate her, sliver by sliver, until she was no more. Then, full to the point of exhaustion, he would collapse and sleep while the moon regenerated herself, to become full once again. When Hati would awaken, he would see the moon’s treachery and start the cycle once more.”

  Kuska lifted the book again, this time showing around an image of the wolf god, eating pieces of the sky, ears flat against his head and his eyes angry.

  “Skoll was given the job of waking the sun every morning and herding him into the skies, to beam down on us during the day and give us light and happiness. He is our predecessor, the god who gave us the innate ability to change forms into that of a wolf, to sing our songs to him. The pups passed down with the Sight—golden eyes—are told to be strong descendants, hand-picked by Skoll himself, leader material.

  “But Skoll and Hati were blood-brothers, and every now and again, there is a pup born with Hati’s Sight. In the beginning, said pups were destroyed upon sight, for their visions would be our ruin. In this age, they are welcome to live among the pack as the Omegas as long as they don’t cause harm to their pack members. Some have visions of death and destruction, but not all do. Still, they are feared…”

  I saw the way Kuska’s eyes locked onto Arii, her gaze softening ever so slightly. Then she clapped the book shut and gazed around the room.

  “The ones with Hati’s Sight are said to be cold-hearted and ill of mind, but perhaps that’s because they’re treated poorly. Perhaps a pup with Hati’s Sight, raised with love and respect, could be…something more than a cold-blooded killer.”

  “Like Kanzi?” The girl in Arii’s lap barked. She looked at me, met my gaze, and offered a bold smile. “Mommy says you’ve come to defeat the big, bad wolf.” Arii wrapped her arms around the girl and placed her chin on her blonde head.

  “Kia’s going to try,” she said with a hug. “But we have to give him time. He’s new here, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.” The girl giggled.

  But now I was curious. Tentative, I raised my hand. Kuska glanced to me with a brisk nod and I took a breath. “So…I’m guessing Kanzi has Hati’s Sight?”

  “The very same.” Kuska’s voice took on a deeper edge, lowering her gaze to the book in her hands. She rubbed her palm over the cover lightly. She opened her m
outh, as if to continue, when the deep dong of a bell went off just outside.

  I looked to Arii, to the kids who were leaping to their feet with happy barks and squeals. Kuska rose to her feet with the grace of a woman thirty years younger than she looked as she dismissed the class. The kids bolted outside, leaving me and Arii with the pale-eyed woman. She slowly walked up to me and took my hands in hers, squeezing gently.

  “I know you’ll be the one to save us, Kia. I have faith in you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Typically, when our children are still pups, we teach them the basics. How to protect themselves, in case of an attack, in both forms. That way, when they get older, they’re not strangers to blade-work.”

  We stood side-by-side, watching a group of older kids successfully bait, block, and parry with thin wooden sticks. They wore no protection besides a mesh face mask, though the blades were dull and none of the hits were hard enough to do more than bruise the skin. My stomach rolled uneasily at the thought of having to learn it.

  Zephyr tilted her head to me and barked a few commands at her students. She was a reed of a woman with wispy hair the color of honey. It was pulled up in a braided twist knot at the top of her head. Wearing tight black pants and a shirt that closely resembled a wife-beater, she had daggers strapped to her thighs and a long, thin blade of a sword hanging in a sheath at her side. Her dark brown eyes locked onto me, assessing me. Then she plucked a thin wooden sparring sword off the hook on the far wall and held it out to me.

  I grasped the hilt and found the mock-blade lightweight and easy enough to swing around. Zephyr gave a huff as the blade skimmed past her shoulder and I flushed.

  “Whoops?”

  She shrugged me off.

  I watched as the kids finished up their lesson, bowing to their master before stashing their swords and heading off. Zephyr reached out for one of the guys, touching his shoulder. He turned and I got a glimpse of his face, hidden behind a wave of golden bangs and the barred face mask. Zephyr murmured something to him and he turned to me, grey eyes wary as he pulled off the mask.

  Pallid scars slashed their way across his face, across both cheeks and over his left eye. That eye was milk-pale, unfocused on anything. Blind. How had this happened? He looked maybe a year older than me, if that. His good eye locked onto me and I could almost see his wolf, trembling beneath the surface of his skin, ears pinned back against his skull. Intimidated by me. I offered a smile, then my hand.

  “I’m Kia.”

  He took it, shaking it firmly, but his nerves didn’t subside. “Szarsa.” He paused almost as if he was going to give me a surname as well, and then shuddered and turned away.

  “Szarsa is learning our ways as well,” Zephyr said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. I almost expected him to flinch, but he seemed to trust the woman, looking to her warmly.

  “I’ve picked him as your sparring partner. I didn’t feel it would be fitting to pit you against a pup or someone older and more expert. Szarsa, why don’t you show him the basics? Let Kia get used to wielding a blade? Apparently where he comes from, swords are only used for decoration.” I caught the soft laughter behind her words.

  Zephyr held a face mask out to me. Szarsa nodded and slipped his back on. I fumbled with mine, the latch getting caught in my hair. Szarsa came up behind me and adeptly clipped it. I peered through the mesh at him with a sheepish grin, feeling out of my element.

  “Thanks.”

  He offered a slow smile back. “Hey, no problem. I had issues at first too. You’ll catch on.”

  We headed inside the ring, which was a padded area sectioned off with banisters and thin railing. Zephyr stood just outside and I could feel her eyes drilling into the back of my head. I took a deep breath to steady my racing nerves and turned to Szarsa. He held his blade ready in his right hand and launched into an explanation of how things would go. Then we jumped into lesson one.

  I’ll be honest: I sucked. Each time Szarsa’s blade rammed against mine with precision, it rattled me down to the bones, the sweat of my palms making it hard to get a good grip on my sword.

  “Calm down,” he said. “Take it slow. No need to rush.”

  Easy for him to say.

  I finally fell into a pattern: strike and block, becoming swifter with each passing minute. Soon I was able to block most of Szarsa’s strikes, my jaw set as I dodged his swings. A small smile grew on his lips as we trained.

  I heard a wolf-whistle from behind and my focus was shot. I turned my head, eyes darting to the side to see Arii and Aliel waving. I felt the sound whack of Szarsa’s blade against my side, then again on my shoulder, pain blossoming off the wounds.

  I spun back to face him, flustered that I’d let myself look away, but he had the upper hand. Slowly, he drove me backwards, to the edge of the barricade until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

  “Good game, Silverwind,” Zephyr said. I reached up and wiped sweat from my brow with the sleeve of my shirt, trying to catch my breath. She glanced to Szarsa. “Would it be possible to schedule you for two sessions daily, morning and night?”

  “If it’s okay with Kia’la.”

  I shot the man a tired smile, then nodded. “That works.” We hung our blades and masks up and Szarsa paused. He looked like he wanted to say something. His lips formed a tight smile, but then he shook his head and hurried off.

  I barked out a surprised laugh as arms wrapped around my torso, securing me tight. “You did awesome, Kia!” Arii said, sounding pleased. I pried myself out of her vice-grip and turned to look at her, my fingers skimming her jaw, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “No, I suck,” I said and threw my arm around her, cuddling her to my side. She was warm against my sweat-damp shirt, though if it bothered her, she didn’t say anything. I dropped my arm and found her fingers twined in mine. Zephyr’s eyes darted to our joined hands and she tried to suppress a smile by turning and walking away.

  “Okay, so maybe you do. But this was your first practice. Zephyr’ll whip you into shape, won’t she Al?”

  I followed her gaze to where her brother stood a few paces away, watching us with a slight tilt to his head. Aliel ran both hands through his blond curls and then he chuckled. “She might seem like a hard ass, but earn her respect? She’s a big softie down under.”

  “Don’t think I didn’t hear that, Umberlith.” Zephyr poked her head around the corner, a snarky smile on her lips. “Maybe you need to come back to school for round two, eh?”

  “Maybe,” Aliel quipped back. “If I get to spar with Kia. Once he’s better, of course.” He shot me a smug grin. I was a little surprised—I’d had him pinned down as beaten and submissive. Perhaps first impressions really weren’t all that.

  Arii smirked at me, sticking the tip of her tongue out between her lips. “Aliel was the best in Zephyr’s class. He kicked major werewolf ass. You’d better watch your butt, Kia.”

  “Oh, be afraid. Be very afraid.” Aliel snickered. His face smoothed out as he looked back to his once-master. “If you need me to help out or anything, you know where to find me. Ready, Arii?”

  “Yep! C’mon, Kia!” she said, yanking me after her so hard that I worried my shoulder would pop out of its socket. My body was lightly thrumming with adrenaline from the training, but I knew it soon would wear off and become pain. What I really wanted to do was take a shower, but they seemed to have a plan.

  “Where are we going?” I managed to gasp as we ran away from the village and into the forest surrounding it. Aliel broke away first, shifting mid-stride into a lithe wolf with a pale blond pelt. My legs pumped to keep up with Arii, her hand still gripping mine tightly. She threw me a grin over her shoulder.

  “Consider this a warm-up.” Then her hand slid from mine and she hit the ground on all four paws, darting between trees with a high-pitched yip.

  Panting, I slowed to a jog and fell back into a walk. My heart pounded wildly in my throat and I wiped sweat from my brow. The birds in the tre
es stilled their song and sunlight dappled the ground. I gave a soft groan, wanting nothing more than to sink to the ground for a nap.

  My wolf came more readily to the surface this time, springing forwards with a rush of black fur and only a twinge of pain. I settled on my paws, picking up the pace at a quick trot. My ears swiveled around as sound bounced between them and I opened my mind.

  “Arii? Aliel?” No response. I continued to move. In the back of my mind, a little voice was niggling that something was following me.

  My fear was confirmed as a branch cracked sharply behind me. Muscles tensing, I let a low grumble out of my throat. There was a burst of sound as birds sprang from the bush at my right and I yelped, springing out of their way. They soared into the sky with cries and I turned just as a dark shadow leapt at me. I toppled and rolled under the weight of another wolf. With a sharp squeak, I snapped my jaws in a panic, though I only got a mouthful of fur.

  Aliel’s laughter filled my mind.

  I lay on the forest floor, panting for breath as he stood over me. His eyes were bright with excitement.

  “You seriously need us,” Aliel said, nipping at my paw before backing away. I lurched to my feet, bristling a little. He dropped his ears back a notch, but didn’t look away. “Look, if I was one of the Rashti, you’d be dead right now. You just freaking laid there while an Omega showed you who’s boss.”

  “Jerk,” I huffed, feeling foolish. But he was right. Had I been stalked by an enemy… I shivered at the thought of my underside bared to deadly fangs. And my mouthful of fur.

  “Okay, so maybe you’re right. What do you intend to do about it?” I glanced back around me, suddenly wary. I jumped again as Arii sprang out of the bushes to stand beside me.

  “Hey, cool your jets, Kia; you’re safe,” Arii said. “Do you think I’d bring you out here without protection? Scythe and Sikta are waiting a few yards up ahead.”

  I suppressed a groan. “More training?” And with Sikta. That didn’t sound fun.

  “Yep. We needed to make you aware.” Aliel leveled me a stare. “Just think, the faster you learn how to protect yourself, the more freedom you’ll have. Then you and Arii can…” He gave a wolfish grin and winked. “You know.”