Once Upon a Time: EDITING

Freya

"We found on the front steps, squalling loud enough to wake the dead!" Grandmother recounted, seated by the fire while winter raged outside, "You were all blotchy but with stormy grey eyes and silver hair and across your left eye, you had an open cut. You still have the scar," she ran her finger over my eye, her touch gentle but firm, " You were not the cutest baby girl I had ever seen I'll admit! Anyway, it was Waer who opened the door and yelled for Mother and Father. Father arrived first and stood staring. T'was your Mum who had sense, 'Get the babe in from the cold!' she snapped and your Dad picked you up and carried you in. We all talked about what to do with you as your Mum fed you. She and Waer wanted to keep you, I wasn't sure and your Dad was vehemently opposed. Finally, I chose Tintenelle's side instead of Johanne's. She and Waer were delighted," Grandmother chuckled, "However, as soon as we had decided that, wolves began to howl..."

I smiled every time, Grandmother always liked ending the story that way. She loved the suspense, even at ninety.

"And we named you Freya because you were so strong to survive the cold and that cut!" my brother, Waer always added.

That was before he left on his stupid quest for Summer. He had gotten the idea that to end the permanent winter here in the North, was to find the Lady. It was true that this permanent, severe winter needed to end. Food and wood were scarce; in fact, there was barely any left. But none of the rest of the family, including me, thought that 'finding the summer goddess' would help at all. Waer had left for three years, and had returned but changed. He never spoke, only carved by the fire, or slept upstairs in the hayloft we shared. Johanne used to be a bubbly lad, but now he acted older than Grandmother, though he was only twenty-five.

I was fifteen and the baby of the family and had to deal with such comments as:

"Don't climb the tree, it's too high! You'll fall!"

Or

"Eat up! You need to make sure you're healthy and strong!"

Or

"Here, let me do that! You might hurt yourself."

Instead of becoming a big baby, I became a rebel. I climbed that tree. I ate when I wanted to. I did everything myself. And I had a wolf for a pet.

I had found Rolf in the forest behind our wooden house with it's pretty red and white check curtains peeking at the windows. I had been looking for firewood when I had heard a whine. A grey wolf pup with a white muzzle had had one leg caught in a steel trap. I had freed him and healed his leg. Rolf has been my favorite companion since.

"Come set the table, Freya!" called Tintenelle, her pale golden hair hiding her blue eyes as she bent to check on the oven. The rest of the family, even Johanne had her completion. I was the only one with silver hair and stormy grey eyes.

"Yes, mother, coming!" I replied.

I set the wooden bowls and utensils on the table. Soon, we were all seated around the table eating dinner. All that is except Waer.

"Won't you eat?" asked Grandmother.

Waer just shook his head. My father looked at my mother.

"I don't know Johanne, we can't force him," Tintenelle said at last.

And that's how it was for the next week. Waer had stopped eating. His face which had already been thin now looked gaunt and drawn. I lay awake at night, worrying about what to do. Maybe, maybe Waer felt like he had failed. Maybe, just maybe I could succeed in his place.

I got up and grabbed my warmest boots and cloak. The dark crimson flickered in the light of the dying ashes as I descended the stairs. Rolf raised his head from where he was sleeping by the hearth. A small pup he had been, but now he was gigantic. Sometimes, I would ride him for fun around the courtyard, taking care to avoid the stables since the horses were scared of my wolf. Quickly, I grabbed a leather satchel and filled it with bread, cheese, dried meat, and water. I opened the door and a gust of cold wind bringing a swirl of snow into the house almost knocked me off my feet. Rolf heaved himself up onto his paws the size of wine barrels and squeezed himself through the door after me. I tried to get him to go back, but when kept following me stubbornly, I gave up. I wasn't at all sure of where to go but I knew I had to be far from home by dawn or my parents would stop me from leaving. I decided to head north.