Choices

Chapter 77
(Present Time)
It's wasn't fair. It was bad enough Loki was in prison and she'd probably never see him again anyhow, but to steal from her the title of wife as well. With each day Odin took to make his final decision, the harder it became. Thinking back on the past only made her stomach churn with worry.
So much had happened in their youth, Cephera wondered if Odin regretted allowing them to marry at all. Was this his way of being rid of her and cleansing himself of their past altercations. Cephera had let Odin know, on more than one occasion, of her disapproval of his decisions. Especially when it came down to hers and Loki's children.
Thor gets banished to earth for causing a war between realms, and Loki gets a life sentence for doing pretty much the same thing. The difference, humans were a lot weaker than Frost Giants. Loki pretty much came out looking like a bully. It didn't make what Loki did any less horrible, but Cephera felt outraged that Odin would condemn him for life. Teach him a lesson like he'd done to Thor, not send him to rot.
Cephera hadn't wanted to believe that Odin favored one child over another, but she'd seen enough of it over the years to understand where those thoughts came from. It didn't excuse a single thing Loki'd done, but Cephera could only imagine how it must have felt for Loki to find out he was never truly Odin's flesh and blood. It was almost like that was the push Loki needed to throw caution to the wind.
She should have seen it coming, she should have been able to stop it, but she hadn't.
(Past: Cephera)
Chaos spun in her head. Worry blanketing her positive thoughts and smothering her with doubt. Cephera had trouble sleeping from the time of Fenrir's training till the night they were meant to hunt with Thor once again.
She woke that morning terrified the worst would happen. She tried to push those thoughts aside and believe in her son.
Thor looked smug, she wanted to hit him for it.
She bid Loki farewell and the same to Fenrir before they set out. A part of her knew that it was best they had found this out early. It gave them time to better understand Fenrir's wolf side. This had been the first day she'd seen Fenrir since Hogun took him for a whole month of training. They'd only just got back to leave again.
Cephera wanted to go, but was afraid she'd just be a distraction. So she waited, and she waited.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Cephera said more to herself because Hela was her current company. The queen was with her husband, and Cephera was afraid to go as far as the catacombs to see Jör in cause Loki and Fenrir came home.
She visited Hela who looked exasperated, but allowed her entrance. Hela had her room dark and full of alchemy things. Hela herself looked like a woman now. She'd stare at Cephera with that one cold eye and glare.
"I'm sorry," Cephera said to Hela. "I've never really thought about what it must be like for you." For once Hela looked at her with curiosity.
"What are you going on about?" She drawled.
"Being so different from everyone else. To have no one else like you, to understand what you go through and confide in." She didn't know what it was like to be undead, but Cephera figured that it was lonely.
"I see. So you came here to remind me how lonely and sad my existence is." Cephera stared openmouthed for a second and then pursed her lips.
"Don't guilt trip me." Cephera warned. Hela was known for that. The only emotions Hela ever showed were negative ones. It's like she fed off other people's discomfort and sadness. Sometimes Cephera wondered if she did feed on those things. "We both know you don't do sappy and sentimental."
Hela laughed. "Finally, you get it. I don't care. I'm incapable of caring." Hela's laugh sent chills through Cephera's spine.
"Incapable or just don't want to?" Cephera questioned. She stopped treating Hela like a child a while ago. Out of all of them, she seemed the most matured, if not petty.
"The dead can't care." She shrugged.
"That's a lie. I saw you watching from your window as Fenrir left. You worry about him." Out of all the kids he was the one most like a child still.
"You're mistaking simple curiosity for caring." She waved her skeleton hand at Cephera, but there was something about the way Hela couldn't look at her that told Cephera she was right.
"What have you been making?" Cephera asked changing the subject, it wasn't wise to push Hela.
Hela turned her eye back to Cephera. "Different things. Potions for underwater breathing, potions for death, potions for hair growth..., silly things." She grinned.
Cephera was half tempted to asked why Hela would need any of those things, but decided that she was probably just playing with her and it was best not to give in.
"I'm glad you've found something you enjoy." Cephera smiled.
"Enjoy is a strong word, let's say it passes the time." Hela corrected. Cephera tried not to smile. This was the most she'd gotten Hela to say to her that wasn't a sarcastic or depressing conversation.
"I'll leave you be," Cephera said. It was better to take Hela in small doses. She got up from the chair she'd been sat in.
"He'll be fine you know, Fenrir." Hela told Cephera gazing down at her empty bottle.
"I hope so," cephera answered. When Hela didn't seem to have anything else to say, Cephera left.
(Fenrir)
The scent of rabbit hugged his nose. The smell of fear fermented the air around him. He could always tell when he was feared. It wafted off people and animals alike. It was hard to ignore. Sometimes it made him feel sad, like when the parents of children he played with got frightened of him.
Fenrir was born to hunt, built for it too. Running through the trees was freeing. The wind through his fur; dirt and leaves below his paws. His size made it difficult to be quiet. It wasn't twigs he worried about it was whole fallen branches.
He had to be swift, Hogun told him so. Cunning, thoughtful. He had to predict what his prey would do before they did it in order to catch them before they fled. Smaller animals were faster than Fenrir because they could fit where he could not, but bigger ones didn't stand a chance.
He was aware of Thor behind him. Thor didn't like him, he didn't seem to like much of anyone as far as Fenrir could tell. Today his demeanor was different, tense. He didn't have his usual 'I'm better than everyone swagger'.
How many times did he pass Fenrir in hallways and Fenrir wanted to play with Thor's red flowing cloak, but Fenrir knew he'd get in trouble for that.
Today, Fenrir had something to prove. He wanted to make his parents proud. He hated to see his mother worry...,
His mother. Fenrir knew Cephera wasn't his mother, not in the normal sense of the word, but to Fenrir she was his one and only mother. She'd taken him in and cared for him long before his father even acknowledged him. She'd shown them kindness and love and to Fenrir that was all that was needed.
He was happy to have a family, a loving family. Hela had told him of their birth, Hela didn't forget anything. Told him that thier birth mother wanted them for evil things. She didn't love them.
Fenrir liked to think that Hela loved them all in her own way. She was odd but she was his sister.
A flash in the corner of his right eye had Fenrir crouching low. Thor stood still behind him and his father off to his left. Fenrir perked up his ears and listened. He could hear the smallest of things, the leaves being moved along the ground by a prowler.
Odd, why would it prowl?
It took him a moment to realize that they were being hunted. It was big by the sounds of it. An animal for sure, he could smell wet fur from its direction, he could also smell blood.
He wanted to warn the others, but he couldn't. Even though he didn't speak from his actual mouth, his words could be heard like anyone else's and it would echo through the other beasts mind as well. That and he wanted to be impressive.
Turning his head to his right he gazed in his crouched position and could almost make out two beady eyes piercing the bushes not too far off. The brush it hid in was thick and thorny.
All eyes were on him, he knew it. They waited for him to make his first kill. He'd so far managed to hold himself back from killing anything that moved. A fact that seemed to irritate Thor.
Movement caught his eyes again. The beady eyes disappeared and the bushes rustled so lightly only Fenrir could hear them. This was a true hunter, this animal knew what it was doing.
It pounced. All sharp teeth and razor claws coming right at Fenrir. Drool hanging from its jaw, spiky fur hugging its sleek body. A cat of some kind.
Fenrir reared up and with a single swipe he knocked the cat back and to the ground with a yelp and a snarl.
"A wild cat? What is it doing this far from the mountains?" Thor said.
Fenrir didn't listen to more, he was already charging forward, but the cat dodged. Thor lifted his hammer, "no, I've got this." Fenrir insisted. He needed to prove he could do this. He needed to be useful and not feared.
Thor was taken aback by Fenrir's command, but there was no time to think about it. The cat lunged and Fenrir rolled with it in a scuffle. Over and over, biting, clawing.
Fenrir howled when the cat pushed its claws into his chest. Blood welled up from his wounds but the cat had left his throat open for attack. Fenrir pushed against the claws, fighting the pain and latched his teeth into the cats throat.
The flesh tore, blood rushed into his mouth and the cat squealed and struggled for release, but it was too late. Fenrir had a good hold and he rolled, pinning the cat below him. The claws of the cat tore at him as it fought for freedom, but soon even those attempts died.
The cat stilled and Fenrir felt the pulse die off. When he was sure it was dead he let it go and backed off.
Loki was swift, he was down to one knee inspecting Fenrir's wounds and Thor was kneeling next to the cat. "Male," Thor said. "Strange to be this far from the hills." He inspected it closely. "Doesn't looked starved for food."
"Are you okay?" Loki asked Fenrir.
"Yes, papa," Fenrir said, the wounds were not so bad.
Loki stroked his fluffy head. "I'm proud of you. Good job." Fenrir beamed with pride.
"Indeed," it was Thor who spoke. "I was wrong. You've proven a useful hunter indeed." Thor was scratching at his beard. "I'll yet need your assistance."
Fenrir wagged his tale hard, almost knocking his father over. It was one thing to get a compliment from his father, but to hear it from Thor had Fenrir happier than he could imagine. Thor, the man who would rather see them dead, wanted his help.
"What are you thinking Thor?" Loki asked.
"I think we need to head north to the mountains and see what's driving these creature into the forests. Only a few more miles and this cat could have been attacking the outskirt citizens." Loki nodded.
"We leave now then?" Fenrir asked.
"It's best we do. At least to scout it out. I'd hate to waste time going back to the palace when there may be more cats prowling in these woods."
Fenrir sniffed the carcass. Inhaling its scent for better detection of another. "Mama will worry," he looked to his father with concern.
"She will, but once we return she'll understand and she'll be overjoyed by your progress." His father assured him, scratching behind his ears.
"Let's move," Thor said and began to walk away. Fenrir took two quick strides to catch up, his nose forever searching for more trouble.

Notes