Heir To The Iron Crown: Dyrith

22 - Tuttugu og Tveir

We were from two different worlds; my grey fur signifying a far off land, his dark black pelt indicating that he was from around here.

Yet fate had us grow up here together.

Now we were back here. Together.

If only I knew, what else our fates had in store for us.

Perhaps it didn't matter,
at least for now.

...

We were running.

We were running between these trees in this dense forest, the more of which I saw the more I remembered.

I realized I'd known these trees as if they were individuals. As if each one had a name, had its own personality. Each still stood in its place as before, just a few feet taller.

I knew which tree stood behind which, and which tree I brushed past as it said hello.

Every single one reminded me that I was home.

We were running towards my house, and were just a few minutes in before we had reached the North marker, the cottage.

But we didn't stop though. Valente told me we shouldn't keep our guests waiting too long. And in all honesty, I couldn't wait either.

As soon as we crossed the small stream and the small cottage, I saw dots of red on all of the trees. It was as if the Birch decided to switch species and sprout berries instead.

I had to stop and blink a few times to realize what I just saw was probably a trick of my mind.

The trees were still white-trunked and yellow-leaved. No berries, red.

"What happened?" Valente's voice came through our link. I saw him stopped at a distance further away from me.

"Nothing. Probably just seeing things," I replied, starting to run again, picking my pace to catch up with him.

"You sure?" he asked again, as we ran together.

"Yeah," I replied. I need a good night's sleep, that's all.

Once we'd crossed the cottage, it didn't take us long before our wolf forms stopped at the back of my old house, breathing hard and heavy.

A world of emotion hit me, and I wasn't even inside yet.

I could hear voices of children and the unmistakable scolding of my sister Renee, coming through the open window of the living room.

"They'll be here any second now, promise to be well-behaved you two," I heard her say. "I'm looking at you Ymir."

I couldn't see her through the curtains draped across the window. But her voice was enough to amplify the emotion I already felt.

I laughed to myself as my eyes became teary.

"Let's go see them?" my mate's voice said.

I just nodded my head, before looking up at my bedroom window.

"Like old times?" I asked him.

"Way ahead of you," he said as he passed by me, his wolf stealthily scaling the back wall, pushing up the window with his snout without difficulty, before finally jumping inside. It seemed as if he'd done this many times before.

I was right behind him, and it took me just a few seconds to climb into my room.

I left through this window thinking I'd never come back again. And now I've come back through it wondering how I could have ever left.