The Tribes Luna

CHAPTER 1

ASTRID'S POINT OF VIEW

She's stroking my hair, singing softly, to get me to sleep.

"The sky is dark and the hills are white

As the storm-king speeds from the north tonight,

And this is the song the storm-king sings

As over the world his cloak he flings:

"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"

He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:

"Sleep, little one, sleep."

On yonder mountain-side a vine

Clings at the foot of a mother pine;

The tree bends over the trembling thing,

And only the vine can hear her sing:

"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

What shall you fear when I am here?

"Sleep, little one, sleep."

The king may sing in his bitter flight,

The tree may croon to the vine tonight,

But the little snowflake at my breast

Liketh the song I sing the best,

Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

Weary thou art, anext my heart

"Sleep, little one, sleep."

The moment my eyes drift shut, I jolt wide awake, like I was falling. A dream, just a dream. I sat back up, thinking of what I was doing at my desk.

As the fog from my brain clears, I remember, why I was at my desk and I smile as I remember when my mother was singing to me. She would always sing it to me if I had a nightmare or a bad day and it would always soothe me. I would usually fall asleep before she'd finish, but that time I remember staying awake to listen to her, and that was the last time she had ever sung it to me. I promised her that if I was to have children I would sing it to them, as a way to honour her memory.

In one week it'll be my 18th birthday and I had told my father I just wanted a simple bonfire/BBQ before I left on my world tour to try and find my mate, as he wasn't in our tribe.

Well, it wasn't a world tour, I was just planning to visit neighbouring packs, tribes and covens even before I went on a plane. Everyone goes on a tour of some kind when they come of age, to try and find their destined mates. My father had agreed to me going on my trip one week after I turn 18, on two conditions I have to call every night and bring my two guards. I was excited to get out of our tribe but very nervous.

I've never been allowed to leave the lands, my father has been afraid for me, ever since my mother died in a rogue attack. I have to go to the schoolhouse that's on our tribe lands I wasn't allowed to go to a normal school like everyone else. As I don't have my spirit animal, my father thinks I'll be in trouble. Even though I've taken done every single one of our warriors, whether in their supernatural forms or not. I'm the strongest warrior here, and everyone knows it, some just don't want to accept it.

I only abide by my father's wishes because I don't want him to worry too much about me. I wish I had my spirit animal, we usually are born with them, but people think because I'm a werewolf/Lycan hybrid I won't get mine till I turn 18 others think I need my mate and be marked by him.

My mother was a full-blooded werewolf and my father is a full-blooded Lycan. There are a few werewolves here, but our tribe is made up of mostly Lycans, my father is very accepting of others and allows all into our tribe if they are mated with one of our members. Our tribe consist of around 200 members.

The Wodens tribe mostly live off the land here. We live in little wooden cottages made from the trees that grow around, we never cut down more than what we need. We have several crop fields and orchards, plus several farms for cattle, so we always have access to food, the things we can't get from growing and nurturing them we have delivered, from packs we have alliances or we can go into the human town that's nearly 20 miles away.

There's a river that cuts off our tribe border, and with that, we have hydroelectricity, so despite at first glance we look like a native Viking tribe, we're fairly modern as well.

Because we live amongst the trees, there are no roads as such, more like paths where we're constantly walking about, we have a clearing of trees just inside our border where visitors park and then another clearing for all or our tribes' cars.

"KRAA!"

Loki made me jump out of my thoughts. I had been pouring over my notes about the tribe because when I find my mate or when I come back from my tour I'll be taking over from my father. I needed to know everything about the tribe and everyone in it, I mean I knew it all anyway because I grew up here and never ever left.

Loki is my pet, Raven. Loki means 'god of air' not after the god of mischief although he can be a real pain in my ass sometimes, he was my best friend. He usually followed me about, everywhere I went. Sometimes if I needed help he would fly off and usually find my father and guide him to me.

It was given to me by my mother, he was the last Birthday present she gave me before she died. She had found him laying on the forest floor the morning of my 14th birthday. He was only a couple of weeks old at the time. She tried to find any type of nest nearby, but she couldn't and she knew I always wanted a pet, so she thought he was meant for me. I was given everything he might have needed and with time he grew into the handsome bird currently sitting on my bedpost.

"What's the matter, Loki?" I ask going over to him, me and him are so close that I know what his noises mean. Right now he seemed anxious about something.

"KRAAA!" He screamed more loudly, puffing out his wings, letting me know that something bad was near.

"Well, it can't be that bad, otherwise the alarm would've gone off," I tell him, pointedly, hands on my hips like my mum used to do, well, nearly everybody.

"Kra!" Deflating his wings, and looking at me curiously.

I sighed shaking my head at him and I go over back to my desk. I look over all the bits of paper, parchment and scrolls scattered all over it and I decided I'll put it all away and go out for a walk down by the river.As I was stacking them all away on the shelves I had for them, I caught my reflection in the full-body length mirror, on my wardrobe door.

I was almost the spitting image of my mother, pale skin, heart-shaped face and striking orange hair, I had my fathers crystal blue eyes though.

As I finished putting everything away, my mind wanders back to my dream. It was a very different type of dream, than what I usually have. I guess my mother thought I needed her today. I hoped she was sent to Vallhalla and not Hel, I know she didn't die on a battlefield, but I would still consider fighting rogues for your life a brave way to die.

I usually dream of the stories or legends I was told while growing up, but just in much more detail, than I was ever told. The elders of my tribe call me a Seer or Prophet. I just think I have a great imagination. The youngest of The Wodens tribe would love to hear my stories and always ask to hear them.

I went over to my dresser and sat down on the little wooden stool, looking at my reflection in the mirror, I realized I hadn't brushed my hair today, I was so focused on my studies.

I picked up my hairbrush and began to detangle my long hair, then put it in two long braids down my back, reaching just above my hips. I decided I would stay in what I was already wearing, Jeans and a fitted t-shirt, just add trainers and I'd be ready to go for my walk. Slipping my trainers on, I headed to my bedroom door, I placed my hand on the doorknob before I turned back to Loki.

"You coming?" I ask, jerking my head to the door.

He flys over to me and lands on my shoulder, I reach my hand up and scratch under his beak. He stretched his head upwards letting me know he loves it.

I chuckle, wondering whether he really was just a normal Raven, but I don't really care, he's still my best friend and always will be.

I swung the door open and nearly walk straight into a bare hard chest. I look up to see who it was, but I knew who it was, thanks to the smell of soggy hot dogs.

Mathias.

Ugh! He was so egotistical it was unreal. If he wasn't a pompous t**t, we might've been friends.

Mathias was our tribes' commander, for our warriors. He had dirty blond hair and brown eyes. He was just wearing leather pants and nothing else, it's what he always wore, no matter the occasion.

He had one arm, raised above his head, leaning against my doorway, as though he had been waiting for me to open the door. If I had known he was on the other side I wouldn't have opened the door to him ever, I would've probably barricaded it instead.

"Whoa, there! Where are you going in a rush, gorgeous?" He asked, grinning at me.

"Out," I tell him, trying not to be rude, but failing miserably.

Loki, squeezed my shoulder with his sharp talons, letting me know he was ready to go get help if needed. He had never liked, Mathias, it was usually when Mathias was near that he went to get my father.

Mathias looked over at Loki, annoyance flickering across his face for a moment.

"Do you want some better company, baby?" He asked smugly.

"No, thank you. Loki is the best company around." I tell him, pointedly, feeling anger start to rise.

"You know when we're officially mated and marked, he's going to have to go out on his own." He says, reaching out to grab my chin.

I smack his hand away from me and his face looks livid, he's not used to girls not falling at his feet, but I was a special case. Loki was kraaing and flapping his wings at the sudden movement I made.

"We are not mates!" I tell him, my anger starting to bubble over.

"How would you know? You don't have your spirit animal yet." He spits at me. "You'll be mine, one way or another."

With that, he struts away, down the corridor, and out of the front door. I just stand in my doorway for a few minutes, his words going round in my mind, over and over again. Loki nudged my cheek, drawing my attention back to the real world.

"Odin and the Moon Goddess wouldn't give him to me as mate, would they?" I ask Loki as I stroke his head.

Loki seems to shake his head at me in response.

"I hope so." I whisper.

I don't think I could survive being Mathias mate. He thinks women are good for only cooking, cleaning and babies. Even though in our tribe my father makes sure everyone is trained to fight and has a skill that is beneficial for the tribe. And if Mathias was to somehow become my mate, he would be the Chieftain and he would want it so that the men were the only ones to be warriors and have the valuable skills.

I couldn't let that happen.