Eir's POV
My head was a hot mess as I lay down on the soft grass watching the start. Tew's voice was carnal and deep, chanting words I'd never heard before in a language I could not understand. But that's not where my thoughts were.
Brother, Tew was my older brother!
The sound of the drums increased in intensity, working through my body and finding my heart. It matched its rhythm before slowly working it up. Up and up, to the point it felt like my chest would explode, but I still struggled to focus on it. The sizzling sound of the open fire, the smell of burning flesh and blood sacrificed to their old gods. The drums I earlier felt like dancing to, it all felt more like a distanced raucous creating a wall around me. It was locking me up in my own head.
There never was a claim on me as a mate; there never was a promise forged in blood. It had all been an excuse for Tew's pack to drag the Viking's pack to the moonstone with the council's help. They wanted justice for what they had lost so many years ago; they wanted justice for what the war had cost them. They also wanted the truth about what happened to the woman they lost, my mother.
For me; it had been an important detail; for them, it had been a detail only to make sure the council supported their case. My heart skipped a beat, brother. I have a brother and a family! One that wanted me searched for me, one that went to war to get me back. Tears stung in my eyes, and my chest tightened around my raging heart; I could have had all of this growing up. I could have been safe and loved; why she ran away, I still don't know.
So caught up in my own thoughts that I haven't noticed the changes around me. How the vibrating sound of voices and beats seemed to fade, colors and shapes faded into a blur. But it didn't bother me; I felt calm and content. I never knew how nice this feeling was to be wanted.
Like a stone hit my chest, I gasped for air without getting any; my eyes widened as I felt it. My heart stopped, and everything around me blew away in one harsh swipe of the wind. The scenery of a dream swiped past, faded colors mixed, and bright light chased away the darkness, and I wanted to cry the moment my lunges finally filled with oxygen. Coughing and swallowing air as if my life depended on it, it took me a while to notice the changes.
The grass I clenched in my fists had a strange deep green, almost blue color, and the steady deep rhyme sending my heart into a painfully rapid pace was gone. The smell of burning flesh, blood, and fire had changed to the fresh scent of grass right after the rain; the sweet scent of blooming flowers and chirps of a bird echoed into a massive open space.
Slowly I got to my feet and took in the scenery around me; magic and out of this world. It was the only thing I could think of as I watched how the stars and night sky passed around this little island. A piece of earth floating in space, what else could it be? I clearly saw where the edges of this land stopped, and there were only maybe 5-6 meters in each direction from where I was standing.
Black, blue, and dark purple colors shaded the sky all around me. Stars blinked, and flashes of falling stars appeared in every direction; looking up, the sight was no different. Did I die? Did something go wrong?
The air was fresh and light, and my heartbeat with a calm and steady beat. I felt at home here, like I had been here before, yet I had no recollection of something as beautiful and peaceful as this place. I couldn't help it or explain it, but with my arms starched out to the sides, I spun around, looking up. With a bubbling sensation of joy and happiness, I danced around like a child seeing snow for the first time, and my smile brightened even the darkest corners of my mind.
Then the sky exploded into strings of lights; green and purple lines of lights danced around each other, passing over me. My eyes followed the miracle appearing right above my head, and as they passed over my little island, my eyes found a big three at the end. With backs turned to me, watching the same spectacle as I was- A massive white wolf sat next to a woman with long silver-white hair.
Fearless and curious, I walked up to them, but they didn't turn around. Instead, I stood right behind them for a second, wondering what I was supposed to do.
The woman's hand patted the lush grass next to her,
"Sit, child, let us watch this."
Sitting down, I stole a glance at her profile. Her skin was pale, almost white but not in a way that made her look sick. No, the subtle shimmer of silver and glimmer on her skin made her look more like how I had pictured elves and magical fairies with long see-through butterfly wings. Long white lashes were curling up in a perfect bow, a sharp jaw and a pointy nose. A small smile graced her features, making her look soft and kind. Beautiful, stunning even, and for a second, I felt like I was sitting next to something as rare as Unicorn.
"What is it?"
Instead, I looked at the dancing lights as they diapered over the horizon.
"Northern lights, my child, where parts of your soul were created."
"Oh"
A short and stupid answer, but how do you even answer a thing like this? I am still not sure if I am dead or just dreaming. So, eighter way; my answer doesn't matter.
"I am glad you found your brother, dear, and I'm sorry about your mate."
"Toke? What happened to him?"
She didn't answer; her smile only stiffened as she slightly shook her head, never taking her eyes off the bright light now so far away it was hard to imagine it was just above us minutes ago.
"I can't help him, girl, the only one that can is him. He did this; he will have to undo the harm he did. He will have to find his soul again on his own because he was the one to hide it."
I frowned, it didn't make sense, not a single word of what she said.
"But that's not why you are here, little Rosabella, or should I call you Eir?"
Turning towards me, her eyes smiled. Silver-colored eyes with a tint of light purple played in those eyes, and something deep inside me told me this woman saw it all. There was kindness, love, hurt, and pain. Everything was swirling in her eyes but contained, kept, and saved.
"Eir."
"Okay, Eir. My name is Selene; I am the Moon goddess. I am here to introduce you to Drifa, your wolf."
Drifa.
The name Drifa comes from the Old Norse word drÃfa, meaning "snowfall" or "snowdrift".