Odin's Prize

Mark Left

"I can't even think of the walkout, if you thought the walk-in was hard, it's much worse. We carry out all our meat, berries, food, fur for the winter. It's difficult, to say the least." Elska looks dismayed already, and we just arrived here, not even thinking about the walk out.

"Do you need me to help you with anything?" Looking around she seems so organized, looking back at my tent. There is nothing set up.

"No, Odin is going to finish cutting the wood, and I should be all set."

"Elska do you think that you can help me with how I set up my site. I'm not sure what I need to do."

"I was hoping you would ask me." She claps her hands, happy with a high pitch sound of excitement.

Odin and Warson are making their way slowly back, along the edge where water meets land.

"Do you see my male?" Elska's clouded pink eyes looking in the direction where the water smells the strongest. Not where her son is at.

"I see them."

"What's Warson doing?"

"He's catching frogs with Odin." Her smile curls up revealing teeth, if it were anyone else, I would take offense but her it's simplistic.

"Has he caught any?' A worried expression shuffles within that smile.

"It looks like he might have caught three or four." Elska beams, the worry sliding away.

"What are your plans for today?" She asks me as if I know what I'm doing.

"I'm not sure, Odin was gone before I woke up." Elska puts her head down facing away from me as if all of a sudden she's uncomfortable.

"Is there something wrong, Elska?" Blowing on the cup before taking a sip, it's tangy with a bold aftertaste of mint.

"No, nothing." Alpha Borson and Luna Bessa walk towards us, and I stiffen up. When the Alpha's eyes hit mine full force, the Wild within says her hello's outwards with the smallest of noises. She shifts herself to the most profound layering of my skin, ready to charge herself forward. She does not like this male wolf. In a way, I think he understands the dislike she has towards him. Instead, he looks harder, not at me, but the inside of my pupils as if giving a wordless taunt.

"Where is my grandson?" Alpha Borson asks, shifting his eyes away from mine because Luna Bessa has just pinched the soft skin of his inner arm. When he looks at her, she smiles lovingly, fluttering dark lashes towards him. He stops everything only to see into his mates eyes before putting his attention on Elska.

"Catching frogs with your oldest." Both her parents smile after she tells them where he's at.

"I've made tea, sit and join us until they come back with their catch." Elska already reaching into the container by her feet getting two cups out.

"How are you, Charlie? How was your first night here?" Elska chokes on her own spit turning flaming red.

"I think she enjoyed it." Elska answering for me through small giggles. I realize then that she probably heard me last night and now I am almost as bright crimson as her.

"I had a good first night," Trying to keep the embarrassment out of my voice because Elska has sonic hearing, and her tent is the closest tent to us. She must have heard my sound last night.

Warson runs up to his grandfather holding a frog in both hands. He's so muddy, even the lids of his eyes are covered.

Alpha Borson takes one out of his hand, inspecting the squirming thing. "He's fat, look how long his legs are." Too put emphasis on how big the frog is he stretches the frog's leg out. The Alpha now on one knee in front of his grandson, inspecting the other frog. He's meticulous with his scrutiny.