Summoning the Wolf Ch. 01

"Just update me already Princess. This journey is costing me one less day in the West already." Though Zahara held the fort in his absence, Etienne knew the amount of work he would need to tend to upon his return. There was so much his cousin could do, even in her anointed position as an honorary Lady of the West.

"Well my Lord if I may," offered Eirikr, stepping forth from behind his sister. "We cremated and buried all the young we could find. However..." His eyes darted quickly to Eulalie as though seeking permission. When she nodded, he continued, "We found one still alive."

"What?" His grumpiness evaporated instantly as his head snapped up to pay attention to the siblings. "Where is he, she now? Unharmed? Healthy?"

"We cannot be certain my Lord. I... I have housed River in a cot next to my room but I am at a loss as to how to care for the child. It doesn't... eat like us."

"You named the child?" Etienne shook his head in disbelief. When it came to children, the Changelings could develop such irrational justifications; something that might be problematic should it be deemed dangerous for the baby -River -to remain alive.

"Every life is sacred," reminded Eulalie harshly. "If you promise not to kill her on sight, I will allow you to examine her."

It almost didn't surprise him to find out the hybrid child was female. While Changeling conception gravitated towards males, the Vampire half of it always favoured female births during times of disasters be it droughts, famine or in this case, twisted bloodlines.

"My Lord?" A feminine reminder.

"Yes, fine. I will merely observe."

Both siblings led him upstairs into a dimly lit room which he found odd. Saying nothing, he stepped in and looked expectantly for an outline of an infant on the bed. What he found instead made him jump backwards, a hand reaching for his swords immediately.

"A child you said!" His eyes glowed from gold to red as he snarled at the wolf siblings. This hybrid was on the cusps of womanhood - that tender age where her baby features still cushioned her face yet her body was growing and smelling more like a woman than a child.

"She cannot be more than fifteen my Lord. A child considering our ages," said Eirikr calmly, stepping in front of him as though to block his view of the female. "You are frightening her my Lord. Please lower your swords."

Shock was the only reason for his acquiesce but Etienne still kept a hand at the hilt of his blade as he stepped closer.

"Is it necessary to emulate her cave surroundings?" Everyone here had perfect eyesight, even in the dark and neither species were sensitive to light so why -

Her eyes. Pure clouds of white, framed by lashes the same multitoned brilliance of red and gold trailing from her scalp. Etienne was sure if he came closer, he would see the characteristic brown spots on her hair. This child looked every inch a hyena Changeling and yet her scent betrayed her nature completely.

"Can you hear me?" asked Etienne, watching as the young girl looked up -whether she could see him at all was another issue.

"Father, is that you?"

Etienne heard someone drawing a sharp breath - it was him. This child spoke in his native tongue and recognised his scent. Having never bedded a single Changeling in his life, Etienne knew only one other explanation.

"Scent me again and know I am not who you believe me to be."

Her gasp was audible even from across the room. Yet, nothing prepared him when she jumped right out of bed and came straight at him like a charging bull.

"Etienne no!" yelled Eirikr. Using his body as a shield, the corded muscles of his arms took on the impact of the seven branched sword as it slashed down, aimed originally for River's head. No sooner had his sword landed the blow, Etienne felt himself smashed backwards hitting the wall; Eulalie's elbow pressed against his throat.

"Father! Please!" she screamed, flailing against Eirikr as he held her away from Etienne. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save them! My brothers... sisters..."

"What is she saying Etienne?" demanded Eirikr, angling his head back with a desperate plea in his eyes. "I have never heard her speak... I just assumed she was mute."

No one could have guessed a child raised as a pack hyena spoke only perfect Vampire tongue.

"Let me go," he hissed at Eulalie. "I won't... kill her."

"Swear to it Etienne. Or else I won't be responsible for my blade on your throat the next time," she hissed back.

He could only nod for Eulalie had rested all her weight on her elbow before releasing him. Sputtering slightly, he took only a second to calm himself before addressing the child.

"What happened?" he asked.

"A murderer! He came in the night and killed them all!" She burst into instant tears, sagging against Eirikr, her face buried in his shoulders.

"Etienne please! You're distressing her. Tell her... I'll take care of her. Ask her what she needs," pleaded Eirikr.

"Do you know this wolf who holds you? Do you trust him?"

The stunned flush on her face told him two things -that her blindness could not differentiate between the genders and that she wasn't aware of the differences between Changelings. He had seen the way her eyes widened at the mention of 'wolf'. Did she even know what that was?

"He... he has been kind towards me Father but I do not know him. He speaks a tongue foreign to my ears but I don't... I..." Blind eyes looked up towards his presence. In a low almost muted voice, "I do not know what it is to trust."

Etienne felt the impending headache at the edges of his mind and knew this was not something he could solve in a day. If there was one person who could help bridge the language barrier between this child and her temporary guardian here, it would be Zahara. But taking her away from the Western Castle meant he could not leave it unattended for longer than a week.

Damn it. He had to find a way to work out his schedule with his mate and son. The times apart were killing him.

"His name is Prince Eirikr and he will not harm you in any way. He has given the name River unto you, unless there is another name that you wish to be called by?"

The girl pushed herself gently off her muscled support and reached out with her palms towards Eirikr's face. From where he stood, Etienne could see her lips moving, almost as if she was testing the name he had given her and then the name of the wolf before her.

"Riv...err... Reee...veer..."

"Do you recognise the other scent in this room? That is his sister, Princess Eulalie and she will protect you, even from me."

"Eye... reek..." she whispered as her palms smoothed over the male wolf's face, ending with a shy smile. "Yuu...ll..." Etienne watched her try and emulate the 'L' sound and failing at the alien consonant.

"Your name might take some work Eulalie but I have introduced both of you to her. It seems she wasn't given a name, so you may call her River," said Etienne after a while. With thumbs pressed at each side of his temple, Etienne shook his head and angled his head towards the door. "We will discuss this outside."

Eirikr had chosen to stay behind to help the girl back to her bed so Etienne left quietly with the Princess instead. Once the door was closed, Eulalie rounded by his side; quietly awaiting some sort of explanation from him as to the exchange they had in the room.

"I will send Zahara here tomorrow and she will tell you all you need to know about the girl."

"Is that necessary my Lord?" asked Eulalie dryly. Surely any Vampire could assist us with this translation? Your humble servant Keiko perhaps?"

"Zahara is a master of all three languages. She can teach the young how to speak your tongue as much as she can translate what is necessary for you." All he got as a response was a defiant huff. "Meanwhile, did you find any leads to my uncle's whereabouts?"

"No but I found some fresh hyena tracks down by the river banks. Planned to follow them at first light."

"Very well. Keep me posted."

Meanwhile, Etienne had to return to the Western castle for the dreaded meeting with the head of the Pureblood clans.

***

After bidding her goodbyes that morning, Eulalie stepped forth from her brother's castle and journeyed southwards towards her own home at the end of the mountain ranges.

It was also a fantastic excuse to get away before the Pureblood bitch arrived to try and cozy up to her brother again. Eulalie knew how much Zahara affected him for Eirikr would behave like a love sick puppy. Absolutely revolting.

Not trusting herself with allowing that Vampire to remain alive, Eulalie was determined to leave at first light to trek down the river leading towards the mouth and see what hyena tracks she would find there. Somehow Eulalie had a hunch that where the rivers converged; there would be where she'd find her answers.

What boggled her most was how they navigated the less than friendly rapids, given that hyenas were not particularly fond of water. By boat? Doubt that. The rocks beneath the rushing current would have crushed any vessel passing by.

Unless... they swam through it? She wouldn't rule it out. Following whatever scent markers she could still sniff out, Eulalie continued until she reached the border separating the Eastern and Southern lands.

"Well, isn't this interesting." Standing on the boulder right at the tip of the plunging waterfall, Eulalie tipped slightly forward and peered down. No way thousands of hyenas jumped off this ledge into the shallow pool below. If they did, there would be enough water stains on the nearby trees and soil caused by the endless splashing.

"Not unless they sprouted wings... or if they could do this."

Her smile was half crazed and half anticipation as the woman part of her gave way to the wolf; leaping off the waterfall edge into the abyss below. Howling with laughter, she allowed the droplets to smash her face like tears as her paws padded over the cascading water; the wolf in awe of its ability to run vertically down the crashing falls.

Now came the hard part.

Angling her face forward, Eulalie gave herself maybe five seconds before her head would smash into the rocks below. If she timed it just right...

"Woohoo!" Shifting back into her human form mid fall gave her the most exhilarating sense of danger. With mere inches from breaking her neck, Eulalie then catapulted herself across the pool, escaping the more jagged rocks concentrated where the falls foamed at the pits.

Feet finally planted on solid ground, Eulalie pressed her hands to her knees and took a deep breath. With nothing except the sound of the crashing falls behind her and the weight of her dripping hair over her head, she felt almost... at peace.

The only problem now was her clothes - or her lack of it. Shreds of the linen she had draped earlier pooled around her, leaving only the strips of leathers criss-crossing her chest and hips. Guess she'd better drop by her own palace and get some decent clothing before continuing down South. Either that or face the endless red faced humans gawking at her like an animal exhibit.

Not that she gave a shit. Humans were the one species she had never been tempted by. But then again, since she's going to be in the largest human city in the lands, why not have a bit of fun while she's at it?

If memory served her well, there was one human in particular who might just be the perfect test subject.