Lunansholt: The tale of the beginning of the wolves

CH 20 Aslaug's Powers

"Father, Dagny had twin pups this morning she'll need someone to bring her and her mate food for at least the next few days and maybe if you can find one a wet nurse to check on her just in case." Leif quickly sends out a mindlink to his father while walking back to his hut with Aslaug.

"I'll make sure it's done. We'll present the wet nurse as a caretaker for now and she will only offer any help feeding the babes if Dagny needs it."

Leif nods closing the mindlink. He looks over at Aslaug, and she smiles at him. He smiles back bringing her hand up to kiss her palm then seeing his hut a thought creeps into his mind and with a mischievous look on his face he throws her over his shoulder running the rest of the way home while Aslaug laughs but shouting in protest. He kicks open the door and throws her down unceremoniously onto the bed. "Seeing you with those pups made me think of seeing you with my pups." Aslaug laughs while waiting for Leif who is crawling on the bed to get close enough so she can grab his face and she speaks to him, "We will have the most beautiful and powerful babies." Leif smiles then kisses her longingly. "Only seven days and you're mine" she whispers to him between kisses and Leif smiles on her lips answering her sweetly, "Seven."

He groans as he pulls himself away from her lips throwing his body down beside her on the bed. He pulls her into his arms and sighs as Aslaug nuzzles onto his chest purring with satisfaction. He chuckles and starts rubbing her hair down on the top of her head, "Sleep my love you've had a rough few days. Rest while we have the chance now." She nods again yawning as if on cue and a minute later soft snores are heard. He lets himself drift off to sleep as well dreaming of his mate and their future children.

A knock brings Leif from his blissful sleep, and he groans internally before listening to make sure that Aslaug wasn’t woken up. "Five more minutes" he whispers to himself, but another knock convinces him to get up. Finally, he stretches his arms out to feel for Aslaug making sure him leaving the bed won’t wake her, but when he pats the bed and moves his hand around he can't feel her. He opens his eyes to see an empty space beside him then looks at the door and sees her creeping to the door. He breathes a sigh of relief then whispers to her, "Just forget them and come back to bed." Aslaug looks back surprised to see him awake and laughs "Damn I was trying not to wake you. They've been knocking for a while now I couldn’t continue sleeping with all this noise and when I heard you say five more minutes I thought I could sneak real quick to get them to leave and come back before you awoke. I'll be quick then I’ll come right back to bed, to you." She winks at him then turns to open the door and a thrall rushes in with food and ale for the two of them.

"Harald said to bring you food since you missed breakfast and lunch." She turned baring her neck at them as a sign of respect then quickly left. Aslaug giggled at her retreating figure then after a moment went to the table to inspect the food plating it high. She pours them both a cup of ale grabbing a plate with each hand reaching down for the cups placing them between her arms and her chest to carry it back to the mattress for them to eat together. Leif watches her maneuver the dishes smiling at her unwillingness to ask for help then eagerly waiting for her to sit beside him putting the plate in front of him and handing him his cup. He sets the cup on a side table thanking Aslaug then they dig in inhaling the food in silence both only just now realizing how truly hungry they were. Once all of the food had been devoured they sat back against the wall sighing when Leif belched and they laugh.

"Are you feeling better now?" Aslaug asks him still giggling.

"Yes, much better I didn't mean to sleep all day." He yawns then stretches as Aslaug smiles at him, “I believe it. Dagny took more energy out of us than we had planned, we needed the refresher.”

Leif chuckles nodding his agreement and after a second he clears his throat, "So, about your powers?"

Aslaug laughs, "Well, I have a few actually." She sits up leaning forward resting her elbows on her knees resting her hands on her lap. "I can heal which you already know about. I can also play with time. I can slow time down which is how I am able to do things that don't seem possible, and I can create a shield that's impenetrable for as long as I can hold it up, but it takes a lot of energy to hold."

Leif nods watching her in awe, "We seem to be equally matched."

Aslaug laughs but shakes her head, "Absolutely not. You are far stronger than I am and have far more powers, but we complement each other well. What I lack in power you have and what you lack I have." She grabs onto Leif hands smiling at him, "I don't need powers to be there for my mate or for our people." She straightened up fixing her hair then she looks at Leif with fire in her eyes, "But I am powerful enough to make sure that nobody is able to take what is ours."

Leif growls playfully as he grabs her, "There's that strength I admire so much about you." He kisses her and she straddles him. Leif regrettably breaks the kiss to look at her, and Aslaug places her forehead against his and a moment later a vision appears in Leif's mind. They're standing in a meadow when suddenly a small girl comes running towards them giggling, her long red curls bouncing behind her. She has one green eye and one blue that are both wet with mirth. She's being chased by a taller boy with his hair braided back showing off his brilliant green eyes and distinguished features. Both are olive skin toned with chubby cheeks and full mouths. They giggle while chasing each other through the grass when the little girl falls roughly through the grass cutting her knee. She pulls her knee to her chest rocking back and forth and she starts crying just as the boy runs to her holding her in an attempt to soothe her.

A woman comes from behind a nearby tree jogging over to them, "Oh my poor pup did you hurt yourself?" The little girl looks up at her mother with a crestfallen face nodding as tears fall down her face. “Sh my baby it's okay the pain will soon be gone and the cut will heal. A man then comes barreling up to them and the woman turns to him exasperated, "I’ll heal her now. My princess should never be in pain." As he squats down to reach out for her the woman stops him, "Just because we can heal them does not always mean we should. Sometimes pain brings lessons and other times they bring humility." She looks down at her daughter wiping away her tears smiling at her, "Just because we have the power to fix something doesn't always mean we should. Sometimes people need to learn to live through the pain so they can grow." Leif walks closer to them looking closely at the woman and realization dawns on him, "That's us. These are our pups." Aslaug nods as she walks up to him to grab his hand and in the next second they're back in his hut.

Leif looks up at her with longing and asks, "How?"

"It's a secret" she says as she winks at him. Leif laughs and she continues, "It's my goddess given power. I can't see everything obviously, but I can show people their future or at least a part of it."