The Wolves

Put On Hold

Luke looked at the wolf, he had seen it before a few times. Mostly with Audrey, she had said it was a dog and then afterward had admitted to him that it was her brother.

Now he saw that Audrey seemed on the verge of tears as she looked at this black mass of fur and fang. 

"You find him and you bring him home. And you may be an idiot... But your my idiot." She said as she ruffled his fur and he raced off to the truck and caught a scent before looking around and then racing off into the wooded area behind their house. 

Ulf ran swiftly, his sister and Luke watching him as he disappeared. 

"The snow is picking up... I hope he doesn't lose the scent. Father never disappears like this. Sorry, this isn't how we planned on celebrating the night." Audrey said as Luke gave her a sympathetic smile. 

"It's alright, I don't really mind, I just hope your dad is okay." He told her as she smiled back at him. 

Ulf walked through a snow storm and as he lost track of where he was going and the feeling in his feet he heard voices. His father's and the voices of others. He walked up with a spring in his step as he saw the group of people. He walked up to his father and brushed up against his leg and his hand now rested on his head. 

"Ulf?... what are you doing out here." He said as he looked down at him as the wolf looked up at him and stuck out his tongue. His father pushed him away as the people saw a sort of smile on the animal's face. 

Ulf looked up at the people and saw who they were. He saw a woman with wings, a man dressed in red and Loki. All of them standing before the man who raised him. 

His ears dropped a bit as he thought of what this could mean. The woman with wings seemed to be thinking about what Ulf's father had said to the wolf and then it clicked. 

"Did you say his name was Ulf?... Does this mean that this is our Ulf?" She said as everyone turned to face the wolf. Surprise and wide eyes were what they saw from the animal. 

"Yes, he is... His ability seems to be his favorite toy now." He explained as Loki looked disappointed in the boy. 

Ulf then tried to shift back to his form. A whimper came from the creature, it went to topple over but planted a foot in the snow instead. A low growl coming from him as a snarl fallowed as he bared his fangs then as he opened his eyes he could shift back to the form in which he wished for. 

He caught his breath as he then looked at the people around him. His mother coming to him and hugging him. 

"You've grown so much, look at you." She said as she held his face in her soft hands. 

"Thanks Mum, I missed you too." He said as his smile was bright at seeing her again. She hadn't changed from his memories that were now clouded with age but this seemed to make them brighter. 

She then returned to her post beside the two men. 

"I've heard stories of you boy, you defend us with fury... You don't let us die in this changing world, thank you." The man in red said as Ulf realized who he was. An eye patch giving it away along with a long bread of white hair.  

"T-thank you, All-father." He said as he heard noise from outside the woods. 

"I'm sorry to interrupt but... I came looking for Father, me and Astrid have been waiting and we've grown worried about him." He said as the two gods and Valkyrie before him. Odin smiled as so did his mother. 

"In that case, we did go through what we needed to get through. You may return to your Yuletide festivities. Have a Merry Solstice to you all." Odin said as he then turned and walked into the forest, a bag over his shoulder. Ulf remembering what he did on this night, filling the boots of children with sweets and small toys. 

Loki then took the shape of a fox and ran off in a different direction, finally it was only Helga that stood before them. 

"You can't stay with us tonight?..." Ulf asked as his voice seemed to show that his heart was swelling. 

"... I'm sorry Ulf, I wish I could, but my post calls to me. I'll always keep a look out for you though. Your father is the man I shall hopefully take to the next realm. Your sister is tasked with you, but I've told her to keep you safe for now, I do not need you so young and being in one of the Great Halls." She said as she saw his smile held sadness behind it. 

"But I promise you, when the time is right, I will spend Yule with you. But for now, go have fun." She said as she gave him one last hug. 

"I love you Mum..." He said as he held onto her tightly.

"I love you to Ulf... Don't forget that." She said as she then let him go. She hugged her husband and they shared a kiss before she backed away and then flew up into the night skies. 

The two men left alone now. They looked at each other before returning to the yard where Audrey and Luke still waited for them. 

She turned and the got to her feet when she saw her father. 

"Your alright! Thank the gods." She said as she hugged him. He kissed her hair as he hugged her back. 

"I knew you'd find him, Ulf." She said as she then went to hug her brother.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Ulf said with a chuckle as his father then started to walk towards the fire pit, not seeing Luke at first. He knelt down to the wood that the twins had piled before and went to start the fire but then turned around, sensing something wasn't right. He saw Luke. 

"Invited a friend over, I didn't see you there." He said with a chuckle as he then went back to the task he had at hand.

"We're going to need some more wood for tonight. Ulf, go help your sister bring out some of the food." He told the twins as they then disappeared into the house. He then turned to Luke. 

"Mind helping me get some wood out of the shed out back?" He asked as Luke nodded and fallowed him.