Blooded Bond

The wolves were howling, and Sienna was shivering. She hated it when they called. She knew they were tracking her, but she didn’t know why. It terrified her. Her stomach clenched as she built the fire up higher. She wasn’t sure how they still traced her. She’d run a mile through a stream, and her damp trousers attested to that. She whimpered under her breath before huddling closer to the smoking fire. ‘Please just leave me alone…I don’t want you near me. You’ll eat me…’ She knew better than to speak. Ever since her village exiled her for calling the wolves out the forest, any word she uttered drew them to her.

Her stomach snarled, with a savagery matched by a sudden gleam of gold on the other side of her fire. She whimpered as the beast stepped forward, and she realised just how wrong she’d been. Not ordinary wolves at all. These were the Moon-callers, the beasts which stole the form of a wolf and twisted it. Large paws bigger than the spread of her hands stepped nearer, and the gold eyes flared green for a moment. She hyperventilated as she drew back, reaching for a burning lump of wood. Her breath came out in sobbing whimpers as she heard the soft thumping of paws coming closer.

The Moon-caller stepped even closer, lips stretched in a grin no wolf could match. Its teeth snapped at the flames, as though no fear remained in its body. She sobbed softly before shaking her head. She wouldn’t speak. It couldn’t make her. Once it came through the fire, she saw the other differences. This stood almost twice as high and long as a wolf, with a head that seemed oddly cumbersome for the silent grace that rippled with every low movement. Its ears were large, and high on its head, whereas golden eyes clung stubbornly in place, large and seeming to brandish intelligence as a weapon. It snickered at her, if the broken growling was anything to go by.

There was almost speech in the sound, and despite herself, she had to listen. There was something that, despite the fear, pulled to her. She whimpered still, but this time it was abstractly. She drew in a slow, panicky breath as the beast did nothing but look at her. Its eyes changed, became kindly. She inhaled slowly, the thrumming of her heart stilling slightly until she exhaled in a slow rush. She was so worried. So scared. These were the beasts capable of stalking a herd of cows and taking one down each for food. She lifted her eyes to meet its eyes, pulled by something she couldn’t have named. A tingle. Their gazes locked and she found herself floundering, unable to breath.

There you are, speaker. Why did you run from us? We mean you no harm. You need our protection. None of the humans born in recent years could call us to them. We’ve been waiting for you – your loyal servants. The growled words echoed in her mind. She froze for a moment before clutching at her head, shaking it. She couldn’t speak. She curled into a ball, ignoring the Moon-caller where he…she…it stood. She wouldn’t admit to anything. She couldn’t. She instead exhaled forcibly, her stomach clenching and making her want to retch. She didn’t know what to think. ‘No. No. No. No. I’m just going mad. I’m imagining things. I’ve got to be. There is no way it just spoke to me.’

There was a growled, choked laughter in front of her, and anger burned in her stomach. She straightened up slowly, some strength lent to her. She didn’t know where from, but she pushed herself to her feet, pain exploding across her legs as they rebelled against the movement.
Not mad. Just young and alien to the bond we have. A blooded bond will ease it all…and you can choose who to bestow it upon. There’s myself or one of the others. After they have hunted, of course. This time, she listened closer to the words and tipped her head to the side, frowning. There was a distinctly motherly tone to the voice. A voice she’d heard before, but she wasn’t sure when. The Moon-caller seemed female, but if so, she was assertive.

‘Can…can you hear me like this?’ She didn’t mean to stammer, considering it felt as though she were talking to herself. She watched as the beast nodded, eyes widened before flashing green again. She tilted her head, curious despite herself. She knew there was a fair chance that her own blood could smear the ground and steam in the fire. A sacrifice. In blood and fire. She took a deep breath before sitting on the ground, her legs crossed. ‘If you decide to kill me, can you at least make it quick? I’m still not sure you are real. And…blooded bond? What’s that? Will it need me hurt?' She was tentative as she spoke in her mind. The Moon-caller shivered all over, pelt such a dark grey that she could barely distinguish the beast from the darkness behind her.

I won’t kill you. That’s something I won’t do, even if you beg me. You are to help us, young female. Remember something – we could have hunted you down time and time again. We didn’t, however. We wanted you to feel safe. And a blooded bond is simple. It simply means you and your voice are at last tied to my pack. Her voice seemed to shake for a moment before she spoke again, pride in the dark voice. A blooded bond – we simply share blood. I take yours and you take mine. Simple, yet painless. It’ll be quick, I promise. Sienna hesitated. She was shivering with the cold. It caused her to flatten closer to the fire before the heavy head of the Moon-caller pressed closer. Eventually resting on her lap, Sienna was able to touch the soft fur. She stroked over the head, the head, daringly touching the top of the skull where the Moon-caller changed.

Low branching antlers swept out to either side, tines sharpened almost deliberately. She drew in a deep, uncertain breath as she ran her fingers along it before shaking her head.
‘This truly can’t be real. How aren’t you biting me? Ripping me to shreds? Our stories tell of you being the killers from the Deep Forest. That you live to kill us. I don’t see that now.’ She spoke softly in her mind, her head tipping the other side before she shook it. ‘What do I have to do to give us this blooded bond?’ She held her breath as she passed the thought over to the creature.

Use my tines. You can just slice your palm on my antlers, I taste your blood. When I bit my leg, you taste mine and then we mingle them. Then you’ll be able to talk. Talk without calling us after you. Do it now! She shuddered a little at the thought. Those foreign thoughts going through her mind. She didn’t like it. Her brows creased before she shook her head, sighing softly. She didn’t want to do this – but one thought ran through her mind. ‘I have to do it. I need the peace. I need to talk.’ She nodded her head, swiping her palm across the tooth-like tines on the antlers, the cumbersome weights on the canine skull.

She winced as the pain in her hand grew sharp, unbearable. She dropped her head and made a fist as she pulled her hand away, sharp pain slicing into her palm. She drew in her breath as she pulled her hand back, though the Moon-caller soon seized her hand with her teeth and began lapping at the blood. She wanted to scream, but instead bit her lip, sinking her teeth into it and shaking her head. ‘It hurts! It hurts so much…stop!’ She forced the words into the beast’s head and felt her flinch. She pulled her hand into her chest.

There was a pain she couldn’t imagine, working its way through her chest. She arched her back, whimpering softly before she heard the soft panting noises of distress of the Moon-caller. She had her attention dragged from her at the quiet cries. ‘Are you okay? Did you get hurt too badly? Or…is there something wrong with my blood?’ She asked the question quietly, but the low throb of a growl made her flinch away. She shook her head before focusing again on the beast. Her head was now up, mouth dripping with blood and some kind of gore. She felt slightly sickened, before she heard the lowest ebbing throb of a growl. She quivered, fear suddenly striking her deep in her heart. The hairs on her arms lifted. Her heart beat faster and her mouth dried.

She didn’t know what she should do. She just wanted some sort of advice, but the voice in her head was a savage snarl that allowed no prisoners. She shook her head, her eyes closing before she felt an oddly delicate touch.
I’m sorry, human. I didn’t expect your blood to taste so bitter. To then bite myself hurt – like a wound from a deer being bitten or scratched. Her voice was apologetic in a way she didn’t expect. She sighed softly before shrugging. Much as she wanted to, she wouldn’t and couldn’t bring herself to move. She wasn’t sure she could trust the beast. Even though she’d been nothing but kindness so far, the savagery in her voice alone had renewed the terror that flowed through her veins and lifted the hair on the small of her neck in reaction.

Come, human. It’s time for you to taste my blood. We need to be blood bonded before the others arrive. They seek to undermine my authority as leader, as their alpha. As their Queen! The need, the desperation in the voice made her shake her head. She wasn’t going to give in. She was not here for the beast to use. She drew in a deep breath and pulled away, her head dipped forward so her hair fell in front of her face like a shawl. There was some way to get through to this creature. She just had to think of a way to do it. ‘So it isn’t me you seek to serve? You just want to know that the others will still follow you. You don’t even care! Why should I not open my mouth now? Call to one who will treat me as you say I should be?’

She hadn’t felt this angry before. She wanted to rage at the Moon-caller. It was only the disgust of herself that stopped her. She’d given in, and all she’d gotten for it was a wound across the palm of her hand. She pulled herself upright, standing despite trembling legs and the slow drip of tears down her face. ‘You are as bad as the villagers. They wanted me while I was younger and could charm the animals to go to slaughter as happily as to bed. You just wanted me when I was older, to take control of your wayward pack!’ She watched the eyes of the female widen below her heavy antlers. Her head shook, a denial more human than Sienna would have thought possible.

She sighed softly, her eyes closer before the voice spoke again, more than tentative.
I don’t seek to use you. I just want you to be bonded with me. Not one of the pups that wouldn’t know how to defend his tail from a flea! There was vehemence in the voice. A ringing of truth that she still wasn’t sure of. She narrowed her eyes, sitting down slowly, but this time closer to the fire. ‘If you mean what you said, then you will come closer. Explain to me exactly why I need to be blood bonded. Why it is I can talk like this not just to you, but to any Moon-caller I come across.’ She demanded an explanation. Her brow was narrowed, creases forming between her eyes.

You were born of two who once belonged to a family like you. A family whose blood sings with our power, with none of the corruption. Your voice can call to us because your family always had my kind at their sides. We went to war together, to keep this land free and magical. We patrol the borders, our duty our own. Humans forgot us because of their fear. That can’t happen again. I won’t let it happen. She was growling now. Her voice rumbled in a low manner, a manner in which Sienna’s blood turned to ice in her veins. She huddled closer to the fire, oblivious of the licking flames stroking the skin of her back.

‘Show me what I need to do then. If this bond is so important, I’ll do it. Just don’t expect me to give in too easily, okay?’ She spoke with strength. Something she’d thought had been lost in her escape from this place. She shook her head slightly before sighing below her breath. The Moon-caller approached, lowering her head back to her leg. Those curved teeth ripped at her own flesh until blood cascaded once again and pooled on the floor.
Drink a few droplets of my blood, then reopen your wound. Press our two together and then wait. You will see all that I had said was true then. The command in the voice spoke to her. She shook her head, growling faintly before sighing.

That was an unusual sound to slip forth from her lips. She shook her head once more, steeling herself. She was vulnerable when she bent her head, but she had a way to rationalise it away. ‘If she kills me now, that’s quicker than starving or freezing to death. One bite, and she’ll have me dead. That’s all I need to think about.’ She knew the beast could hear her thoughts, but it didn’t bother her in that moment. She had her own death in mind - a death she wasn’t sure she could avoid. Curving herself down, she fastened her lips around torn flesh, hesitating at the touch of blood.

Her stomach rebelled until the rusty taste exploded on her tongue. She scraped her cut palm across the ground, blood spilling anew as she pulled back, stomach rolling and lips smeared red with blood. She pressed the wound in her hand to the answering wound on her leg. Pain shot through her. She convulsed, unable to think of what this was. She snarled out, and wasn’t sure with whose voice. Their minds were one, and she could know the Moon-caller’s words as easily as she herself thought them. My name is Kerr. And yours is Sienna? Is that for the colour of your hair? The beast spoke with her voice…and Sienna’s own. She shook their head, two minds, two souls in one body. She couldn’t think of a way to word it. She knew what her name was for, but would Kerr understand.

'I can talk now, right? With my own voice? I won’t call anything to us, will I?' She was anxious, and it showed. She growled, and Kerr growled with her. This time the sound was right. It matched how they were. What they had become. When she stood, she remained connected to the female. One small fist was knotted in the mane-like ruff of the wolf-like beast. Her heavy branches of antlers now seemed elegant. An intelligent design. A way for them to hunt and defend themselves without a struggle. Without a risk to the sensitive eyes that rested below.She saw the beauty in the beast. Even as she stretched, she could see a strength below the thick fur that she’d neglected to see before.

You can, but softly. The bond is new and you will hear as I do. Do not deafen yourself, Sienna. There was a tenderness in the voice that she hadn’t expected. She shook her head and harrumphed before swallowing. The idea of speaking, without any kind of fear scared her. She sighed softly, her eyes closing before she drove a sigh out.
“I was called Sienna because of my hair, yes. But not just that. My aunt. She had the same name, and she had the same talent I have – though to a smaller degree. She was killed by wolves the year I was born.” She spoke too loud at first. The echoes in the small cave had her flattening, hitting the ground as she flinched.

She wasn’t strong enough to call to us then. She must have only had blood on one side – enough to call to our lesser offspring. Kerr spoke to her, with no fear. There was peace in her instead, the golden eyes flashing green. Sienna’s head tipped to the side as she frowned. Now she could talk, she was determined to question everything.
“Why do your eyes go green? I thought you were all meant to be golden eyed.” She didn’t care if she sounded rude. Instead she snorted out a breath before flopping onto the floor. All the strength deserted her as she sighed. I am calling the pack in now. Before I was warning them away. You will be able to do the same thing, but as my eyes go green, yours will go gold. We are the perfect match now of beast and human.

There was something worrying about those words. She shook herself off before using the fire to warm her wounded hand. Or so she thought. As she rolled her palm over, she frowned. There was a thick knot of scar tissue, running from side to side and obscuring what a fortune teller had called an extremely weak life line.
“How did I heal so swiftly?” You took the magic which heals me. You are only human so you will always scar along with it. You have to be careful though. Our teeth can wound you, and when they do you won’t find yourself in a good place. A very painful one, in fact. Kerr’s reply was instant, and Sienna sighed. There was no such thing as power without consequences apparently.

The sound of paws outside made her pull into Kerr’s side, using the bulk of the Moon-caller to hide her a little. She was embarrassed. She’d run from the beasts coming in now. Why, she didn’t know. Instead of worrying, she buried her face in the soft fluff of her shoulder.
‘Greet my blood bonded crier, Sienna! She will help us become what we were before. None may harm her, not even in play. You all know to do so is to wish for death herself to visit you on padded paws and extended claws!’ There was a threat in the mind-voice which both buffeted her and shielded her. She could see the shock in the golden eyes, waiting beyond the fire.

She smiled a little, pulling herself upright and supporting herself on one of the antler, spreading out from Kerr’s head.
“Welcome to your Queen, Kerr of the Crier pack!” She felt Kerr guiding her words, but it was her own actions that went along with them. “Greet me, all of you! Show respect to me, for I raise your status as a pack above any other of the guards to the East and West. You will come forth now, and with pride, lay your submission bare for me to see and accept.” She snapped the words out, holding her head up. She wasn’t aware in that moment of anything.

Not the dirtiness of the clothes she wore. Not the slight dampness of her hair or the itching of her wounds on her legs as they healed. Finally, one broke free. Pressing forward from the furthest group of the pack, she had a grey coat that was almost white and dark gold eyes. The antlers that would grow from her head were simply nubs, small points breaking free of her flesh. ‘My pup, name her!’ The voice demanded a lot of her, but she wasn’t scared. She knew she was up for the challenge. Stepping forward to meet her, she watched the youngster drop to her side, her throat bared with pride as well as fear.

She knelt beside her, brushing one hand over the unusual softness of the coat. She could feel the throbbing of the enormous heart and yet lent closer, pressing her face against the young females.
“I call you Cloud, for the softness of your fur. You will darken the sun for your enemies and wash the troubles of your pack far away. Rise, stand behind your Queen.” She made no mention of the family ties that had to bind the two together. Instead she smiled, scraping her nails down the back of the female as she stood. When she stepped away, Sienna rose back up, her calves already screaming with pain. “Come forth, the next brave enough to be named.”

The largest one there broke free, walking with a measured pace toward her. There was a feeling of nerves coming from Kerr as she spoke, her voice a low whisper. ‘He is Strange. He is my rival.’ She nodded a little before bowing her head in a gesture of respect to the large male. She could see why he had his name. His antlers had twisted, growing together at the tines and pressing in against each other. His eyes were also two shades – a gold and a green that seemed to shift almost nauseatingly.
“Greetings, Strange. Do you recognise me now as part of the pack? As the blood bonded companion to your Queen?” Her voice was soft this time, more respectful than when she’d spoken to the pup. She waited for a reaction – somehow knowing that he would set the reaction for all the others yet to come.

His black coat bristled as he growled, the sound sending a low throbbing thrill right through her. She growled lightly, answering him back as Kerr directed. She knew he’d only respect strength, so it was strength that she’d offer him. You are fit for a companion, human. You stand strong in front of me, despite knowing how easy it would be for me to split your flesh and chew you up. You would make a small meal. You will make a better advantage. She shook her head before pushing him aside. She felt no fear, but when the pack rushed at her, the first tendrils of pain, of fear, rolled through her. The pain wasn’t hers. She turned her head sharply, her eyes moving swifter before she stepped in front of the one who limped. Her brow creased before she saw on the floor and pulled her leg from the ground.

She ignored the warning that was simply a growl. She could feel the pain in her own hand, and it was agony. Her fingers felt about the pad of the Moon-caller until she felt the rugged edge of a thorn. Her eyes assessed the rough patch of skin until she growled at the softly rumbling female.
“Shut up and hold still. You’ll lose your leg otherwise! Or your life. You can’t heal while this is in the way. Bite me and Kerr will hurt you back. She’s going to protect me.” She snapped the words out. Blooding their bond had turned out to be something good. She pressed on the flesh surrounding the thorn before bending forward, gripping it in her teeth while more was revealed.

As she pulled her head away, the female snapped where her shoulder would have been. She heard a squeal as she spat the thorn into the embers of her fire. The cave smelled like wet dog now, but it didn’t bother her. It was warm. She needed to be warm. She shivered before stroking her fingers down Strange’s back.
“Thank you for protecting me, handsome one. Let her up. She was in pain, lame. Now she’ll be your fleetest runner again.” She spoke softly, her lips curled in a small smile as she looked around at them. This was her new family, of a sort. She straightened with a groan, her back clicking as she walked slowly to Kerr. ‘You fit in with us, don’t you? We aren’t a normal pack. My mate is dead, killed by…well. You’ll see. You are a Moon-caller in your soul, Sienna. You are our human and all of us will protect you.’

The soft confirmation of voices behind the female made her smile. Before she could say anything though, she knelt down, offering her throat to the queen.
“As you have pledged you and yours to me, so I offer my fealty to you, my Queen.” She spoke softly now. Her voice had made her own head ring. Instead, she shook her head to clear it before the female bent to lick against her throat. ‘And we accept. We accept, friend to all Moon-caller’s. We will call your name into the darkness when we hunt tonight. Three will stay here to guard you. We have a lot of things to change, Sienna. And not long to do it. Spring is coming, and then you’ll need to be somewhere else. We will be too aggressive even for you to calm us from then…’


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