The Howling Rite

Quest For Fenrir

***KORA***

Henry would whisper to me, making promises he couldn't possibly keep. He didn't know at the time that those promises would remain forever out of reach.

"I'm going to find him," he would say, his voice brimming with determination. "I'm going to find Fenrir and get his blessing."

Henry had been dreaming of locating Fenrir ever since we were married. I was a full human and already passed the age of turning when my best friend in the world and I met the Bach brothers. After we wed, Via and Berthold generously allowed me to drink from Fenrir's water as a wedding gift.

I was familiar with the legends and superstitions surrounding the pack. I knew they were a gypsy clan steeped in magic. I believed in it wholeheartedly and had already accepted Henry for who he was. I wouldn't change it for the world. I had witnessed his transformation; he would shift into a wolf before my eyes. Despite his insistence that it was merely the water’s effect, I believed it was due to some mystical force that lay beyond our understanding. When I was blessed by the water, I grasped the reality of it. Yes, it was magic, but it was also palpable. I received heightened senses and emotions, everything intensified, but I would never shift.

Henry’s love for me was so profound that against all reason, he hoped I might transform. He knew, of course, that it was impossible.

"Don’t trouble yourself, Love," I reassured him one evening while Lena was under the watchful eyes of the Elders. "I accepted my fate as a human long before we met. You and the pack have already given me so much. I wouldn't dare ask for another thing."

"But I would," he insisted. "You are my mate. That makes you an Alpha. I can’t stand to lead the hunts without you! It’s your right, Kora! You should be able to run by my side." He sighed, shaking his head in frustration.

"Henry," I soothed, "I am truly content with my role, preparing for your return from those hunts. Now, let’s get some sleep. Via won’t be able to look after Lena forever." Henry nodded, but his dissatisfaction was palpable.

In the following days, Henry's determination to find Fenrir grew stronger. The challenge of searching for a mythical god is that reliable witnesses are scarce. The last known sighting of Fenrir was during the Great Turning.

He descended from the mountain’s peak, his shadow casting an imposing silhouette over the forest and river. There was a mighty rumbling of the earth as he came to investigate the new wolves in his domain. His presence was more than just a sight; it was a force that seemed to scrutinize the very essence of those who dwelled in his territory. I don’t believe he was aware that he created us, but it felt as if he approved of our existence. After all, we are still here, and we now have a name for the entity that bestowed us with this power—Fenrir. We have attempted to find him again, but he has vanished completely.

Henry spent many nights at his desk, obsessively reading the translated records of Fenrir’s last appearance. The entries did nothing to dissuade his search. Meanwhile, I continued to insist that I was content with my human form. I grew increasingly worried about Henry and pleaded with the Elders on several occasions to make him see reason. Berthold agreed that the quest was risky and likely futile. Via, however, was convinced that if Fenrir could be found once, he could be found again. She firmly believed that if anyone could achieve this, it was Henry. Her agitation at my insistence that he stop was evident.

"Of course you don't understand!" Via snapped one night while filling her kettle for tea. It was late, and I had taken Lena to seek comfort at the Elders’ cabin. I was distressed that, for the fourth day and night in a row, Henry had neither eaten nor come to bed, and he hadn't even held our two-week-old daughter. "You’re not a Runner!" Via continued. "Of course you don't have any faith in Fenrir. But Henry is Alpha, a right given to him by the power of the god himself!" She slammed the half-full kettle on the stove and pointed a long, bony finger at me. "I have faith in Fenrir, and I have faith in my son!"

"No, you don’t understand! I have faith in Fenrir and in Henry! How could I not?" I retorted. "I’ve been blessed by the god too, in case you’ve forgotten. But this obsession is unhealthy!" My voice broke as I glared at the stubborn woman across the counter. "My husband spends endless nights in his study, neglecting his health and our family. The hunts are the only time he eats! My bed is empty, and Lena cries for her father. Via," I pleaded, "If you truly cared for your son, you would not condone this!"

I rounded the kitchen counter and walked to where Berthold sat holding Lena in his rocking chair while Via poured her tea and glared. I kissed Berthold’s cheek. He had always been more accepting of me. I picked up Lena, giving Via one last pleading look before leaving. As I took Lena to the car, I could hear Berthold coming to my defense. I buckled Lena into her car seat and rolled down the window. Through the kitchen window, I could just make out their conversation.

"She’s right," Berthold said, standing up and approaching Via.

"Don’t you dare defend her while she speaks against our son!" Via seethed, turning her back on her husband and sitting down at the kitchen counter.

Berthold raised a hand in mock surrender. "I don’t think she speaks against him; I think she worries for him. And I agree with her—it’s an unhealthy obsession. Fenrir is a god. If he wanted to be found, he would have left us a sign. Kora is perfectly content with her life. Their daughter will shift and be Alpha—that’s more than enough of a blessing. I believe Kora shows wisdom in understanding that. She’s also very brave to live among wolves and be content. We could not ask for a better mate for our son." I smiled at his supportive words.

"Well, I think she’s holding him back!" Via said bitterly. I rolled my eyes, already aware of her disapproval.

Berthold placed his hands on Via’s shoulders. "I think she grounds him and cares for the health and safety of us all. A healthy pack needs a healthy Alpha. The search for Fenrir is detrimental not only to Henry but to the entire pack. We must be united in guiding him. His family needs him. Your granddaughter needs her father."

Via’s shoulders slumped in defeat as she let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, fine. But after Lena’s first shift, Henry will be allowed to continue his quest." I felt a wave of relief as the weight of my worries seemed to lift.

Berthold nodded. "That’s a fair compromise. Now, I must go. Boris had something to discuss with me."

Via nodded absently, stirring her tea. I rolled up my window and drove home, contemplating the thirteen to fifteen years I had before Lena’s first shift. It was ample time to devise a plan to keep Henry from resuming that maddening quest.