My feet sunk into the snow-covered slush with ease as we gathered our bearings and began travelling south, the sun continued to follow us as the unique landscape proceeded on for miles and yet the beauty of our surroundings never ceased to amaze me. The mass of trees eventually parted as lush fields greeted us, the snow parted as if a spell breaking, the cold was no longer harsh, nipping at my delicate features with a bloody vengeance. Odin marched forward before me with our prisoners lagging at our flank, their suffering brought me joy as Odin refused to feed them, their hopeless whimpers of despair filled my ears like a musical note and yet a part of me couldn’t help but ache.
The human part, I thought to myself distantly.
There was a part of me that wanted to be normal, to not have to feel the crave and longing of death, to feel the life of another slipping through my fingers as I absorbed the very essence that made up their soul. There was nothing that I wanted more than to return to the lonely and decrypted land that the living considered hell, and to reign over the lost and forgotten souls that beckoned me. Yet the purity that made up the man who was my mate kept me grounded with the air resonating within my lungs pure of hope and longing.
I glanced towards Odin and took in his muscular frame as he wove past his pack members before him, there was an air of loyalty and unending love surrounding him as he glanced towards his younger sister and laughed at a joke that she had made. I wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel the warmth that was spreading throughout his body and radiating out of him and yet I was still a stranger to them, a weak soul who had been pulled from the sea with nothing but my nakedness engulfing me.
“-me” a distant voice called from beside me.
“Caoimhe,” It tried again.
“What?” I asked confused as I pulled myself from my reverie.
“You seem distracted,” Ure said in a gentle tone.
I glanced at him quizzically and yet softened my expression once I saw the concern on his face, his brilliant green eyes shone curiously at me as he surveyed my expressions. I understood his close relationship with Odin at that moment as Ure wasn’t afraid to confide in someone or show his concern towards him, his reactions and emotions were pure for someone of this world and yet a part of me couldn’t help but worry for his sake. I sighed to myself as I tore my eyes from Odin’s beta and looked over at the vast horizon that stretched for miles before asking the question that had been nagging at my mind the last few hours.
“Does he know that we’re coming?” I asked in a quiet tone.
“I’d imagine he does,” Ure said with a slight nod.
“Have you ever met Elijah?” I asked curiously now.
“Only once when I was a child, he was bat shit crazy then too,” Ure said distantly as if being brought back to that specific memory.
“Every Ayer grows mad at some point,” Odin said distantly as he paced himself before us.
“That’s because of the curse,” I said with a sigh as I looked down to the ground.
The pace quickened as Conri shoved his enlarged snout into the spines of our prisoners, Essen grunted from exhaustion and frustration as she was made to march on in bare feet with her flawless blonde hair a matted mess upon her head. I smiled slightly to myself at her obvious discomfort and yet I couldn’t help but notice Odin’s shoulders tense up as the sound of her struggle carried over to his ears, it enraged me how he still held feelings towards her and yet there was nothing that I could do about it at that moment, I needed to focus on the task at hand, killing those who opposed me.
The days ticked by with the air continuously growing more uncomfortable by the day, it didn’t take long for Essen to collapse to her feet as she now had to be carried by Ure who slung her over his back and carried the exhausted girl. I wanted to scold him and yet my attention was currently taken by my biological father who steadily paced behind me with his eyes boring holes into my back, I wanted him to live just long enough so he could witness everything he painstakingly built with his own two hands come crumbling down to his feet. He was an unbreakable and unkillable man who could only be brought down by the monster he helped bring into this world.
“I can sense it,” Svarog said with a taunting chuckle.
“What are you going on about now, old man?” I demanded as I was forced to pull away from my thoughts.
“You’re slowly losing your grip on reality,” Svarog said with a bemused smirk.
“If I’m not mistaken, it sounds as if you’ve gone mad yourself,” I said dryly.
“Oh ho, I went mad the day that witch seduced me with her beauty and charm,” Svarog mocked as he gritted his teeth.
“Do you want to die right this moment?” I asked with ease.
“You can’t kill me, others have tried before you and have failed,” Svarog said with amusement.
“My mother cursed you, you don’t think she would have left one person in this world who could stop your reign?” I asked furiously now.
“Caoimhe, stop talking to him, he’s only egging you on!” Odin ordered as he glared at the man who had been continuously taunting me.
“I know,” I said with a sigh as I turned my back on the man who had given me life and approached Odin.
Odin held out his arms expectantly and smiled to himself as I obediently dropped down into his outstretched arms, his embrace was warm and comforting as we sat by the fire. Those who were the most precious to us gathered around happily and warmed their hands by the scorching flames with the knowledge that we all may be dead by daybreak as we were miles from Odin’s place of origin, his father and everything that should have been his was within reach as he pressed his chin against my forehead and released a sigh of relief.