The North

Chapter 21

Waulking song - historically sung by women while waulking wool to keep everybody in time.

A Ghaoil - love (a gh-ool) term of endearment

A' Chuimrigh - Wales (ah choom-ree)

Keep your friends close...

Chapter 21
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I followed Gerlac around with chattering teeth and a scowl that turned to a smile every time he turned grey eyes my way. Hati thought working with my mentor would distract me from yesterday’s events, but the male was smart and knew something had happened when I went to find his female. It also didn’t help that I knew Hati, Gerlac, and Ingrid would be meeting to discuss the agreement that had been made between them. I still feared, even though he was Alpha, Hati wouldn’t be able to get out of it without causing strife the pack didn’t need.

“Gerlac won’t do anything to hurt his position in the pack,” he’d promised me once we’d dressed, cupping my face in his hands, his thumb pulling my lip from between fretting teeth. “After everything he saw with his own eyes yesterday, and even Ingrid no longer wishing to go through with it, there's little he can do.”

I hadn’t argued further with him. Had accepted his kiss, moaned as he nipped at my jaw, and then grown disappointed when I heard what he had planned for me today. While he looked into his brother’s claim of having spies, I was stuck with Gerlac pretending I knew nothing at all of conspiracy or spies. Eventually the matter would be brought before the council, but not until Hati was sure each member was innocent; unless we could come up with a way to catch the perpetrator out.

Right now, including Gerlac, the entire pack was under suspicion, bar a minute few.

So my mood was not the best as I stomped my way towards the dens outside the castle walls to try and keep my feet from freezing. The new boots Hati had insisted I wear for outdoor excursions in skin were heavy and clumpy, and I found myself tripping often. Begrudgingly, I admitted to myself I should have allowed him to put the new cloak around my shoulders too, one trimmed with fur and certain to be warm, but I let my ego get in the way.

A gaggle of pups trailed in our wake, all in fur and rolling around in the snow with little care of the cold. They pounced on the footprints we left as if they were prey because I’d made it clear the length of my dress was not for catching. Niamh and Anndra were the only two brave enough to risk an adult wolf’s ire by nipping at the wet length of blue fabric - more dark navy now thanks to being wet - dragging behind me in the ankle deep snow.

Gerlac probably disapproved of their games, but even he couldn’t deny letting the youngsters practice their hunting skills instead of running amuck inside. They were a nice distraction. Their youthful ignorance to what was happening in the world was enviable, as was their happy yips and barks, playful growls filling the air as they stopped to tousle and figure out the hierarchy amongst themselves.

“Such a racket,” Gerlac grumbled, pausing to look over a scroll scratched with symbols that made up words I couldn’t read. “I won’t be able to hear what repairs need done, and they’ll cause chaos getting under everyone’s feet while we’re trying to make homes watertight.”

“They’re not that bad. One real growl, and they’ll know not to get in the way.”

He hummed, eyeing them again before making his way over to a nearby den built of wood and animal hide. It didn’t look very stable, but it was still more than I had been used to. Now I saw it for how flimsy it was, how little it would do to protect the family living there from the coming storms.