Warmagic

37 - Their home

There, in their village stood his human, his beloved Tyr. He looked calm even though he was surrounded by furry wolves. He seemed tired. He was dirty and thin. But there he was – finally.

I couldn't stop myself, so I ran up to him and threw my arms around his neck and hugged him as hard as I could. I melted in his arms, and he held me as if he'd doubted he'd ever see me again, pressing a giggling Ari to my chest. "Tyr, what happened? And why are you alone with Ari?" I gasped and leaned down to kiss Ari's cheek.

"Let him rest first," Vidar's voice called out behind us and the human's eyes instantly shot up from mine to meet the taller one's.

"I have much to tell you both," Tyr began and gently lifted Ari from the makeshift harness made of cloth and leather, and handed him to me. "But Ari needs food, a bath and maybe some healing."

I instantly hugged the boy tight to my chest, examining his aura and noticing his weakened state. "He will be fine, love," Vidar said after one glance at the child, "but some food will do him good."

Tyr seemed to relax at that and while I walked towards our hut with Ari in my arms, I noticed how our gathering pack was glancing at their Alpha with surprised expressions. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the tall man who was now kissing Tyr deeply for everyone to see. I knew he had missed him, and I knew this was an act of telling them Tyr was untouchable. But also I knew Vidar's feelings for Tyr were so much deeper than the wolf would admit to anyone, even to himself.

I peered down at the boy who seemed content in my arms. It had been months since I'd last seen him and he had grown, but I could clearly see the toll of Bjarke's curse on his body. I sent some healing energy through him, but hurried to place a pot of milk on the fire, to warm it up for his sensitive stomach.

"His left side is weak," Tyr said as they entered the hut behind me, "and Noora blames you two for it, so she pushed him away and she wont have anything to do with him." Tyr sighed and sat down heavily on a stool, "but it's not her fault. It's Liv and Bjarke. They messed with her head."

My head shot up at him and I lost my breath, "what do you mean?"

"Liv invited him to Skal."

I watched with horror as tears started to run down Tyr's face, a sight I had not seen since he was a young child. "Tyr," I whispered and felt tears entering my eyes as well, "tell us what happened."

In my arms the young boy started to stir and cry, as if he felt his father's distress. I started to rock him back and forth trying to soothe him, but he showed no signs of calming down. Until I reached for a loaf of bread and dipped it in the warm milk and added some honey – and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of the baby munching on his food. Creating a smile on his father's lips.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Vidar as he grabbed a vial from our shelf and poured the mixture into some hot water and made a strengthening tea for our long lost lover. After stirring it, he walked up to him and offered the warm beverage to him, then used his thumb to gently caress the tears off his face. "Ari will be fine, he may have a limp when he's older and he might have trouble using his left arm. Our bodies need air to function and I believe the left side of his body was weakened when Bjarke's curse kept him from breathing."

Tyr took a sip of the tea then looked up at him and nodded, "I knew it was his doing, and I told them. But only Dag and Ivar believe me. The others worship him as some sort of god, chanting his name and they follow him blindly." He drank the rest of the tea in big gulps, and after placing the mug on our table he met Vidar's eyes again, "why were they not affected? Or me? Why wouldn't his magic controle us?"