Wotan's Hounds

Sorry this has taken a while. Bloody life lol. A quick warning, this chapter contains some gory scenes.

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Over the next couple of weeks we settled in to a routine. I spent the mornings with Mimir, learning more about my history and the clan. My afternoons were filled by Catriona and her craft. Cadha had told her I could use my telepathy to talk to Tony even when I was human and pick up his thoughts in return. Apparently this was very rare and she was determined to stretch my talents as far as she could. Tony was training in the morning so our runs now had a purpose and a set path; I would leave him at one of the farms on my way back and he would work there until lunchtime when he'd meet me in the kitchen. I would go over some of the history I'd learnt that morning and he seemed fascinated by it all. Then we'd go our separate ways and he'd find Freya for a couple of hours meditation and reflection. He hadn't found his totem yet, it was proving elusive though he knew it was something big. He spent the rest of the day working out in the gym or helping the head keeper, Sean, with his duties in the woods. I would go over to the little cottage at the edge of the trees and wait for them to come back with Mary, Sean's wife and the pretty setter who'd shown us around on our first day. She worked in the mornings on the reception desk in the main house while her litter were in the nursery.

Then, one day while I was sitting on the floor playing tugs with her son, Tony came bouncing in and announced he'd found his totem.

'So, what are you then? Don't be keeping me in suspenders.'

'Oh, now that is a nice thought. Sorry,' he said as I slapped him round the back of his thigh. 'Where was I again?'

'Your totem, remember?'

'Oh yeah, Great Dane.'

'Really? You're a Great Dane? That's cool.'

'Yes it is. So we can go up to Scotland now and see the magic man.'

'That's right, we can. When?'

'Carla's going to fly up and speak to him over the weekend and we'll follow at the start of the week. Dinner time?'

'Ok then. Bye Mary, bye bye Ernest.' I patted the pup on the head gently, flicking my fingers out the way before he could latch on to them; he was teething so badly at the minute.

We ran up to our rooms to get changed for dinner. Tony was so much fitter already after two weeks of hard exercise and while the first few days had been hard on him, it was paying off now. He could even keep up with me when I ran flat out, something that he'd found impossible when we were at the camp.

Dressing for dinner had become a nightly ritual. Odin had insisted that we join him and the other pack leaders every day. I'd spent a day in Newcastle with Du shopping for all the new clothes I needed as a first born daughter and now my wardrobe was full of dresses and skirts, blouses and smart trousers. Tony had told me his sizes and I'd bought him a range of suits. If I had to get prettied up then he had to as well. Most nights we started getting ready early so we could share a bath. I loved feeling his hands soaping my body, sliding over my back and down my arms before he got me to lean back against him so he could reach my legs. He'd begin with my toes and work his way slowly up, making sure he got every little bit before his hands slipped below the water in search of my pussy; Tony's hard cock would be digging in my back and I adored the gasps that would slip from his lips when I wiggled against it. It became something of a game with us as to who could last the longest before we actively began trying to cum, something Tony usually won. The man drove me mad with his clever fingers though I was learning what tipped him close to the edge. I let my fangs grow once and nipped him on the neck. He exploded against my back and since then he had to try and keep my face away from his neck.

I also loved the way Tony would wrap me up in one of the huge towels. He'd dry me off then send me through to our bedroom and depending on mood and timing we'd curl round each other, fucking or making love. The only thing we couldn't do was play when I was a hound. First in the rules that Odin had set down was a prohibition on sex in different forms, so couples (or threesomes or whatever) had to either be human or hound, never a mix of the two. According to Cadha, this was unique amongst clans, where normally anything went. As Tony was still fully human, I had to stay that way too, for the time being anyway.

I hadn't seen much of Carla in the time we'd been at the estate. She lived in the woods, in a little cottage right in the heart that was impossible to get to unless you could fly like her. On the Friday before she was due to head up to Scotland, she joined us for dinner, still cold and aloof, talking to no one but Odin for the meal then leaving before the coffee was served. The tension between them was obvious to me, yet if anyone else at the table picked up on it they kept it to themselves. I tried some of the new ideas I'd learned with Catriona to see if I could work out why Carla was so upset with Odin; at my first attempt though I felt a steel wall come clanging down around her mind and if possible she ignored me even more. I figured it was simply that she thought it was her fault that Odin had sired my brothers and I in the first place. After all, he was under her care when he met Mum and we were conceived. Either that or she was still furious with him for bringing a human in to the clan.

The weekend passed quickly. I had time off from my studies though Tony carried on with his training and the farm work. On the Saturday night there was a deer hunt, with members of the different packs coming together round a fire in the walled garden. Only a few of the clan would actually hunt, mainly the younger group who still had the hunger for it. The rest would remain behind in the garden and relax after a hard week. Fane was the unofficial master of the hunt and he gathered together all the volunteers, to choose his hunters and to brief them.

'For the newbies, a few rules. Don't get separated from the pack, stick together. We only hunt bucks, never does, breeding stags or fawns. Kills should be done quickly and cleanly, breaking the neck is the best way to do this. And please, no squabbling over who actually made the kill. These creatures are smart and tough, it requires the whole team to bring one down, ok? Any questions? Then lets get changed and get out there.'

Tony looked rather forlorn as I crouched down and shifted in to my hound shape. I knew he was aching to come and join us, but even if he had been able to keep up, he never would have been quiet enough for us to get close to the deer to launch an attack. I pressed against him and thought, 'Next month. I'll teach you to hunt so you can come with us.' He patted my head and thought 'Thank you' back to me. I pulled away and slotted in at the van of the group, in behind Fane. He glanced around to make sure he had everyone, then set off out in to the trees.

'The bucks have their own herds,' Fane said to me as we trotted along. 'Usually they stick to the outer part of the woods, with the breeding herds further in.'

We slowed to a walk as we got closer to one of the ponds that the bucks used, spreading out through the undergrowth. If it hadn't been for the thoughts flying back and forth from each member of the group reporting to the others I never would have know there was anyone else out. The whole pack moved silently along through the brambles and ferns, coming to rest at the edge of a clearing. Half a dozen red deer, their hides glossy with the spring feeding, their antlers still covered with the soft fur that protected them while they grew each year. One stood on guard while the others drank and fed from around the edges of the water. He was a runty little thing compared to the others and Fane decided we would take that one. Part of the hunt was to provide food for the clan; part of it was to thin out the herds of the weaker animals that wouldn't be strong enough to breed later in life.

Slowly the pack spread out, surrounding the pond, leaving an opening at one side where Fane and I waited. The deer became restless, lifting their heads to try and work out where the danger was, their ears swivelling in all directions to pick up the minute sounds we made from brushing through the undergrowth. When everyone was in place, Fane gave the signal and three hounds rushed forwards from the bushes directly opposite us. The herd sprang forwards, away from them and tried to burst in all different directions. Now other members of the pack came forwards, pushing them towards us, squeezing them in to the funnel we'd left. The runt was lagging at the back and we could see now he was lame; one hind foot would twist out from underneath him every time he put weight on it.

Fane and I waited til he was level with us, then pounced, one on each side. Fane's heavier mass spun the deer round when he knocked in to his side while I landed on the deer's neck and sank my teeth either side of his spine just behind his head. I felt the blood spurt in to my mouth, rich and sweet, then the bones cracked under the pressure of my jaws and the deer was down. His eyes glazed over and his tongue drooped and though his back feet continued to kick for a few seconds, he was dead almost before he knew I was there.

The rest of the pack came bounding over to inspect the kill and to congratulate me on a quick and clean finish to the hunt. I was pleased it had been quick; I loved hunting, loved doing what I was born to do. That didn't mean I loved causing pain to the animals I brought down.

Fane picked out four members of the pack to change and carry the carcass back to the house before leading the rest of us back. The herd had scattered and we'd have no more luck hunting tonight. As we trotted along, the mood was high and it carried over to the rest of the party that were waiting in the walled garden for us to return. I changed and spent the rest of the night talking with Tony and the group that had formed around us. We were all excited about the trip to Scotland. Once Tony could change it would cement our circle all together. It also meant that the two of us could seriously think about making our arrangement permanent, possibly not marriage yet but it would be more realistic than it was right now.

We set out for Scotland on Monday, the jeep packed with all our stuff and Tony at the wheel. I was so excited I couldn't stop bouncing around in my seat. We came back over the Pennines and picked up the motorway, turning north towards the border. As we travelled on, I began to pick up my brother's thoughts again and they could feel my enthusiasm over Tony finding his totem. It was brilliant to be in contact like this with them. I hadn't realised until now how much I'd missed it; it was like a part of me had been lacking somehow. Now I was able to catch up on all their news, not just the facts but also the feelings that went with those facts. We were able to keep the connection until Glasgow, then it faded as it had before. I spent the rest of the trip up swapping thoughts with Tony, getting him to practice thinking clearly, even though he couldn't project his thoughts to me yet. Having part of his brain switch on to telepathy when he found his beast was going to be disorientating and I wanted to help him out all I could.

It was dark by the time we reached Fort William and the helipad by the hotel was lit up like it was Christmas. As we checked in we could hear the loud thud of the bright yellow Sea King helicopter coming in to land. The landlady told us a pair of girls had gotten lost up in Glen Coe and they were bringing the bodies in now.

'They died?' I was a little shocked.

'Yes, a real shame. Couple of townie lasses on a school trip, got separated from the group. Don't really know what happened to them. Bobby said they were really messed up, like they'd fallen down the rocks, even though they were found in the river.'

'Who's Bobby?' Tony asked her.

'My husband, he leads one of the mountain rescue teams round here.'

'I see. Well there are some dangerous parts up on the hills if you don't know what you're doing.' He said to her. Turning to me he said, 'I'm just going to get the bags in, hon.'

I stood and talked to the landlady about our stay while I waited for him. When he came back his face was pale and set. I looked at him and asked mentally 'What's wrong?'

'We've got a problem. Can't talk here, wait til we get to up to the room.' he replied, thinking hard and clearly for the first time that day.

'Ok then, lets go.' I knew it would take a lot to rattle him like that.

We took the bags along the corridor to our snug little room and set them down. Tony sat on the chair beside the bed and looked worriedly at me.

'I saw one of the girls they just brought in. If she fell down on to rocks I'm Elvis Presley.'

'So what do you think happened then?'

'She'd been savaged, and badly. The wind only blew the blanket off her for a few seconds, but I could see part of her chest was missing and her face had been chewed off. I know of some animals that can do that, I will admit that. None of them live in this country normally though, that's the problem. And I haven't heard of any escaped big cats or wolves in the area.'

I was stunned. There was only one other explanation for the girl's injuries. 'So you think this was a were attack?'

'I do. Do you remember the night of the party? Gelert and Fib were talking about unrest up in the Shetland Islands and over in Norway. Fib especially was worried, it's his clan's territory after all.'

'And?' The man was infuriating sometimes. He couldn't come to the point quickly.

'And there have been reports of people going missing, weres as well as humans. They just disappear. Sometimes a few bits of clothing are found, nothing more.'

'Are people thinking there's a rogue were or pack out there?'

'Yeah that's how it's looking. And they're moving south. I need to call the estate and talk to Odin about this. Can you sort out some food while I do this?'

'Of course. Chip shop ok?'

'Yeah, fine, whatever. You know what I like.' He switched off from me and pulled out his phone.

I slipped out the room and went to get dinner. I found a place round the corner and as I was waiting for my order I was thinking furiously. Tony and I were supposed to be heading up to Glen Coe tomorrow to see the warlock; if there was a problem in the area then we'd have to be careful. We at least had the advantage of my abilities, though I'd have to be careful with Tony while he was unlocking his beast. The process took forty-eight hours to complete and he'd be totally vulnerable until it was finished. Freya had explained that the first change for a non-were was extremely difficult and painful. After that it got much easier; however Tony's age was going to work against him here. The younger the person, the smoother the transition was.

I took the food back to him. He was still talking to Odin, planning how we were going to get up and back without attracting any more attention than was necessary. When Tony hung up he told me Odin hadn't heard from Carla since just after the hunt on Saturday night and it was unlike her to out of contact for so long. We would keep our eyes and ears open for her once we were up in the Glen but it was unlikely she would come running to us if she did need help.

We snuggled down for the night, in a proper bed for once. My lair would have raised too many eyebrows. It did feel strange to have the mattress so firm underneath my whole body; normally the cushions in my lair had lumps and folds that I fitted my body in to.

Driving up in to the hills was fun, in a scary kinda way. We knew there might be someone out there who was hunting humans and weres but if Tony was ever going to be able to change we needed to do this. The warlock's home was hidden away in one of the little valleys that dotted the area. Unless you knew where you were going, it would have been horribly difficult to find; as it was we missed the turning and had to backtrack after finding somewhere to turn around. As we got closer, the sun, which had been shining brightly all day, seemed to fade and a mist descended through the trees. The air began to smell dank and rotten, like the floor of an old forest. Closer to the house, it changed, becoming sharp and putrid and I put my hand on Tony's arm to make him stop the car.

'You'd better stay here.' I told him.

'You can't go up there alone.' He replied, frowning heavily.

'I can move much faster than you through the woods and much more quietly too. Pull the car off the drive and wait here. I won't be long.' I answered him, wiggling out my clothes and changing at the roadside.

I could see the worried look on his face but he knew I was right. I slipped in to the forest and began working my way up the hill. Out of the jeep and in my hound form, the smell was much stronger, as was the fog. The woods were silent, no animals stirred or spoke and my breathing sounded loud against the stillness. Something was very wrong here. The nearer I got, the more the smell and the wrongness increased until I could barely stand it. The fog was now so thick all I could see was whiteness in front of me and the only way I knew where I was going was the uphill gradient and the escalating smell. Abruptly the whiteness stopped. It was like stepping out from behind a curtain into the clearing that surrounded the two storey stone cottage. The sun had returned and bathed the scene in glorious noonday light.

I really wish it hadn't.

The grass was no longer green, but black or brown and slimy. There were flies everywhere, big green and blue ones that buzzed around the decaying remains. A head lay by my feet, half changed with a cats' muzzle, the lips peeled back by rigor mortis and scavengers, the huge canine teeth seeming to grin in a last defiant snarl. Other body parts littered the ground, a leg here, a torso there. I made my way carefully over to the house, picking my way through the carnage. I needed to see inside the house, see if there was any sign of Carla so I could report back to Odin. The door had a round handle on it, one I couldn't move with paws or teeth so I took a deep breath and changed, trying not to overbalance and land in something, or someone.

The door was heavy, leaning on it's hinges and they protested loudly when I put my shoulder to the thick wooden planks and shoved. The interior was dark from the shutters covering the windows and unsurprisingly the lights didn't worked when I tried them. There were a few candles on a shelf though and they provided just enough flickering light to let me see the grisly scene continued inside. I tiptoed down the hall, the unsteady flame giving life to the corpses and making me jump at the shadows. My mouth had gone dry and my whole body was shaking but I had to see. I made it to the back door and looked out. Thankfully it wasn't as bad here, the only dismembered limb being a chewed horse's hoof. I knew that were-horses were very rare and the chances of one hanging around here were remote. I couldn't bring myself to look for more of Carla though and assumued she was either piled with the rest of the dead or eaten.

'Ding dong, the witch is dead.' rang through my mind as I stumbled back. Then something on the kitchen wall caught my eye. Someone had written in huge, arching, dribbling letters,

'LOKI WOZ HERE'

I could almost hear the mad giggles from the author and I ran. I dropped the candle and changed in a heartbeat, powering my way out of the open front door and back out to the whiteness of the fog.

If it hadn't been for the scent trail I'd left, I'd have been lost within a few seconds. I ran with my head down, thinking of nothing but getting back to Tony as fast as my legs would carry me. The horror of the situation was catching up faster though and as I skidded to a halt beside the jeep, I vomited over and over again, trying to rid myself of the taste of the fear and decay from the back of my throat with what was left from my lunch. I hated throwing up normally, now I almost welcomed it. Tony jumped out of the car and crouched beside me, stroking my ears back out of the way. He had come on to full alert when he heard me crashing through the sparse undergrowth and now, even as he tried to comfort me, he was still scanning the area looking for danger. Finally I stopped heaving and I was able to reassure him there was no immediate threat to us. I changed back to human and asked him for the water we had with us. Tony handed it to along with my clothes, wisely keeping quiet until I had calmed enough to stop shaking. I looked at him and asked if we could leave.