Chapter 33: Fire

FREYA

“Freya, wake up.” She was startled awake at the serious tone in Cain’s voice. “There’s a fire that just burst to life near the camp. I have to go with the warriors to make sure it doesn’t reach the encampment.”

They were still outside. She slid off his lap as he stood up in a rush. Cain began to disrobe like the other warriors who were already running in the direction of the blaze. Freya could see the flames in the forest. The Adaryn were running toward them.

The strong winds of the coming storm were blowing the flames higher into the black sky. The sight caused fear to grab hold of her stomach.

“I will stay with her, Cain.” Freya felt Vistra’s calm hand on her shoulder from behind. “If we cannot stop the flames, we will cross to the mountains tonight.” The command in her voice was clear.

Cain nodded to acknowledge his mother before falling on all fours to shift.

The sudden appearance of the forest fire and watching Cain strip bare before changing into a massive wolf was more than enough to wake Freya from the exhaustion she had fallen into. Now her brain and body were on high alert.

“Come, Freya, we have to rouse the camp for any who are asleep and get them somewhere safe. Will you help me?” She didn’t wait for an answer.

“Of course. We can gather them near the canyon’s edge in the opposite direction of the flames.” Freya followed Vistra.

“Good thinking. We’ll split up here and go around the tents waking any who are asleep and meet in the middle closest to the canyon.”

With that, they went their separate ways.

Although it was frigid, Freya was sweating as she ran through the camp searching each and every tent on one side of the camp. Nearly everyone was empty as most wolves had already smelled or heard the commotion and left to help. She was almost run over a few times by massive wolves rushing to get to the forest fire that had erupted.

Freezing rain began to sprinkle down from the black clouds as she made her way through the encampment. Her breath was visible as she huffed breathlessly while she stopped to rest a moment. Freya was exhausted and tense from the cold and running.

Then something caught her attention. She was near to the spot of the camp closest to the canyon’s edge. Vistra should be near, and yet she didn’t see the wolf-mother. Instead, she heard growling.

A haunting howl floated into the night air, and the sound was followed by a monstrous snarl. Freya could hear bodies clashing and maws gnashing. This was the sound of wolves fighting, and it didn’t sound like the play or practice fighting she’d grown accustomed to.

No, this sound drove a violent shiver up her spine.

Freya’s instincts told her to run. Finally, she was afraid.

There was the sound of tearing flesh and a yelp of pain. That sound was like a knife to the gut. She didn’t know what had happened, only that someone might need her help. She had to go to their side.

Freya began to run around a few of the large tents to follow the sounds of fighting. The sound was taking her back into the heart of the camp. She could see the fire blazing in the forest casting an eerie red glow on the camp and surrounding trees.

Time seemed to come to a halt as Freya’s eyes were drawn to the shadow of someone leaning against a tent and clutching their sides. The storm overhead sent a bolt of lightning streaming across the sky and in that brief second Freya saw blood. Too much blood.

“Vistra!” Freya cried, and her feet moved of their own will as she ran in the direction of the wolf-mother just as she collapsed on the damp earth.

The wolf-mother was bare from shredding through her clothes, and Freya gasped to see the damage in the light of the forest fire. The wolf-mother had been mauled. Her throat was spouting blood, and her chest was torn open.

She fell to her knees at Vistra’s side. Freya threw her cloak over Vistra’s bare and lacerated frame to block her from the wind and rain. As gently as she could, Freya put her arms around Vistra and lifted the wolf-mother into her lap.

Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was ragged. Blood pooled from her split lips.

“No. No, Vistra, you’ll be fine. Please, be fine.” Tears spilled from Freya’s eyes.

“Freya.” Vistra reached up and took Freya’s trembling hand. There was a weak smile on her lips. She coughed up blood but didn’t lose her smile. “Little bird, daughter, I need you to run. Get as far away from here as possible—”

“No! No, I can’t leave you!” Freya interrupted, clutching at Vistra’s hand that was only getting colder by the moment.

“Ivar is here, little bird. He is after you, and I need you to run before he finds you. Please, run.” She coughed again, followed by a violent body spasm where she groaned in pain. “You are the wolf-mother now. And you must go.”

“No, I’m not ready. I cannot be what I am not. It has to be you, Vistra.” Freya attempted to argue between sobs.

“My dear, do not think of what you are not. Just be who you are,” Vistra croaked with a fading smile.

And then she was no longer staring into Freya’s eyes, but through her. Staring into another world. Staring at nothing.

~She was gone.~

“Vistra? Vistra, please no. You can’t leave me. Not here, and not like this.” Freya scrambled to brush back Vistra’s red hair sticky with blood. Her delicate gown was covered with blood now, not that it mattered. “Please, wake up.”

Freya was gently shaking Vistra’s shoulders as though she could possibly wake her. She couldn’t believe that this powerful woman was gone.

But then the sound of cruel laughter caught Freya’s attention. She looked up in time to see Ivar standing covered in blood and stark-naked glaring in her direction. In that moment she wasn’t afraid.

She was angry.

“You killed her! Your sister…your own sister!” She clutched Vistra’s body as though she could still protect her.

“She was weak, and she deserved what she got,” Ivar’s face was sliced through.

It made Freya proud to know that Vistra must have fought him to the end. Ivar was still standing, but he was covered in bloody wounds and bruises.

“No family of mine will live to take in you pathetic birds. Your kind are filth,” he spat at the ground.

“You’re a monster!” Freya screeched back at him. Anger rushed through her small frame.

“Then you are the prey,” Ivar snarled. His eyes darkened and he opened his mouth wide as sharp canines began to emerge. The bloodied man took one step forward before collapsing to the ground and beginning to shift into a bloody beast.

Only for a moment was Freya rooted to the ground in fear. She watched as his bones cracked beneath his flesh, followed by the fur that began to sprout.

Freya pulled Vistra’s body tight against her chest one last time, embracing the fierce woman who had welcomed her with open arms. She felt Vistra loved her as her own daughter even in such a short period of time. The tears wouldn’t stop spilling, but Ivar wasn’t done changing.

He would chase her. She ran.