My muscles were aching after being seated in the wooden chair for so long. All while hours passed and the men and women of our village came to ask me favours or advice.

For some unknown reason the crops were rotten on the fields. As a result of that, most of them were there to discuss the food restrictions I had made. After going through our stocks Faste had told me we wouldn't survive winter, and we had to make preparations.

I had spent the last couple of weeks getting to know the townsfolk and I had to admit that I liked it here. They were simple folk, they enjoyed the small things in life and rarely complained.

My men had adjusted to our new routines and were building homes of their own, but kept asking if they could travel back home to bring their families here. I wanted to say yes, I even thought about sending word to my wife and bringing her here as well. But the lack of food stopped me. The people here were still starving, even though we did our best to hunt and farm these harsh lands.

"You should send a messenger to your father," Faste insisted but as always I shook my head and declined his advice.

"Or send some of us to the neighbour in the north. They are fishermen, maybe we can trade with them?" Ivar suggested and I was just about to tell him about my talk with Liv when Freke entered my hall with frantic looking eyes and jerky steps.

My heart beat twice as fast inside my chest. My wolf was back. After being gone for weeks I had started to doubt their return. But seeing them again made all kinds of emotions wash over me.

"There's no oracle here," my lover pointed out as they walked up to me, clearly ignoring the fact that they'd been gone for several days and nights.

"I believe she was killed," I answered them calmly but with a frown on my face. And to keep my emotions at bay I continued to admire the knife I had in my hands. It had been gifted by one of the blacksmiths. It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and I was planning to use him as a reason for traders to stop by our town.

"The priestess hates me," Freke continued with a shaky voice and restless legs walking back and forth in front of me. "The people fear me, and you ignore me!"

At those words I instantly signalled to the others to leave the room before I looked up at my lover with a questioning gaze and did my best to stay calm. "Freke, will you sit down please."

"What do they want from me? I keep asking them but they won't give me an answer!" they continued desperately.

"The spirits?" I asked and decided to stand as they had ignored my plea.

"Who else?" Freke called out exasperated. "I have spent so much time out there, giving every moment of my day to them, and for what?"

I furrowed my brow and walked up to them, placing my hands on their shoulders and holding their gaze steady. "They fear you because you haven't given them the chance to get to know you yet. And if you want to be the seer of Skal, you need only to tell me. The position is yours, you know this, but only if you want it."

Freke finally met my gaze and held it for a long time. What I saw in their face disturbed me. They were on the brink of madness. Had they lingered in the spirit realm for too long?

It took them a while, but then the meaning of my words seemed to hit home. "I'm sorry," they whispered.

I shook my head and gave them a faint smile. "Just talk to me," I urged them. All I wanted was an explanation. If they had one I would forgive them, instantly.

The wolf sighed deeply, and it felt like days of anxiety left their body when my arms slipped around them. "Why do I feel so restless, Tyr?" they asked with a voice filled with despair, and it hurt my heart. I had never seen them like this. Chasing for answers like a madman, ignoring their body and the responsibilities around them. Freke felt weak and frail.

"Where have you been, my love?" I whispered, "I needed you here, Freke. We held a town meeting, and I could have used your advice."

"I'm sorry," they whispered again and buried their face in my thick cloak. "I feel lost here."

"Why?" I asked. "You are the one who told me to take this path."

"I know," they whispered even lower, "but now my mind is empty. I miss my hut and my herbs, my wooden table and my hay-filled bed."

I smiled to myself and peered into their amber eyes. "Are you homesick, my heart?" I chuckled, relieved there might be a simple answer to the pain.

"Maybe," they said with a weak smile. "But there is something weakening in the air here. As if there is a curse haunting this place," they said with a shiver spreading through their body.

"If that is true, why would the spirits and the Gods lead us here?" I asked and stroked their cheek with my thumb.

"That is what I've been asking them, Tyr," they sighed in defeat. "But they won't give me answers."

I leaned my head back to take a better look at them. They were hiding something from me, I could sense it. "Freke, what have you done?"

The wolf bit their lower lip and their eyes travelled down to my chest. "I went out to search for the source of my headaches and pains," they mumbled, just above a whisper.

"And did you find it?" I asked hesitantly, not sure if I wanted the answer or not.

"Yes," they said. Their eyes met mine again and they were filled with sadness. "I'm afraid our life here won't be as calm as you wanted it to be," they continued and their voice was filled with insecurity.

I grabbed their hand and moved us closer to the fire. Their bare torso was shivering from the rain outside and the black fur that lay on their shoulders was damp and not warming them enough. So I took it off them and hung it to dry before I pulled them down into my lap by the dancing flames. With Freke's body close to me again I could finally relax, and the weight on my shoulders felt less heavy.

"Tell me everything, Freke, whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it. As long as we're together," I added, and they must have felt the pain hidden in my words because they turned and kissed my lips. Gentle, like the fluttering wings of a butterfly they grazed my skin.

"I won't leave you like that again," they said with a tired voice, and yet again I saw the change in them. Whatever Freke had been through it had weakened them, and I longed to know every detail about it so I could make it right again. I was prepared to storm out of the hall and kill if that was needed. But then they rested their head on my shoulder. The wolf's breathing got slower, their body started to relax and I knew they'd fallen asleep in my arms.

I had to be patient. Freke needed rest and food. And when they felt better, they would tell me what happened, and then I would take action. Because I knew that if something had scared Freke enough to become this pale version of themself, it was bad, and it would probably affect everyone living in this village.

But for now, I closed my eyes, held my arms tight around them, kissed their forehead, and let their scent fill my nostrils. Freke was back in my arms, and that was all that mattered. All I could do was to pray to the gods that my lover would stay there and that whatever we were going to face, they would let us do it together.

A/N -  So Freke is back, what do you think happened to him?

Thank you all for reading ❤️