A/N: The first oneshot I wrote for a Gods and Goddesses AU that I've been working on. You can also find it on AO3.
You hadn't intended to stumble into the realm of the Ringford gods. You had simply followed your wolves, much like a submissive shepherd following his flock rather than the other way around. Gods cannot die of hunger, but your wolves originally born from the tears of your mother are mortal and need to feed—their wisdom is invaluable to the human race, the current generation of which still has yet to learn how to properly domesticate dogs and cattle. So they came here, where deer and rabbits are in abundance for them to feast on.
Your form changes from the Great Wolf to your lean and muscular human-like form; the arabesque garments you wear are the only reminder of your past and you prefer it that way. Velvet is doing fine without you and you survive on your own—you've learned to after running away and being shunned by your fellow gods as a curse. And the humans? They leave offerings within your temples anyway, often in the way of slaughtered lambs and apples. They both respect and fear you, for legend states it was your fury that destroyed an entire kingdom.
You wander among the great trees that grow taller and taller as you venture deeper into her majesty Elfaria's domain. Eventually, you pass into the unearthly realm where the trees are as tall as mountains and the plants have their own thoughts. You can hear the flowers whisper softly as you walk by them—go away, go away. You spit at them, telling them that you're here to ensure your wolves hunt safely, and they shrink back. They know it is so easy for you to curse them.
The forest thins a little—you come to a stream clearer than any river that exists in human territory and it is here you and your pack stop to drink. The water cupped in your hands tastes sweet and your memory briefly flashes to the ambrosia that had been served in the halls of your former home. One of the wolves looks at you in worry as you let the water splash back into the stream and you shake your head. No, it's fine.
Your violet eyes turn and you see movement at a spot where the water falls in a gentle cascade. Lying atop a flat rock in a little ball, you see her for the first time and you find yourself oddly entranced.
You can tell just from a glance that she is one of Elfaria's tree daughters—various flowers are carefully woven into the braids that frame her soft face and there is a crown of oversized jasmines atop her head. You can catch her scent from here and she absolutely breathes the forest—in particular, she carries the breath of the ash trees said to hold the world together. Her delicate robes are in translucent shades of emerald and layered carefully upon her small body. Ivy vines wrap around her exposed calves and she wears soft white slippers on her little feet.
She is an image of youth, you muse, as you subconsciously move towards her.
She is in a deep asleep and unaware of the white and grey hounds lurking around. They've had a fill of deer, though, and aren't hungry. They wouldn't attack her unless you ordered them to anyway.
The water wraps around your ankles as you climb up the slight cliff and enter the stream. The rock is big enough they you can sit comfortably upon it and you lean over, examining her features thoughtfully. She is definitely a daughter of the ash tree, but you can sense there's something more to her. All of Elfaria's sons and daughters are nymphs of a sort, but is she perhaps a goddess in her own right? And if so, what powers does she hold?
She stirs; you freeze. She lets out the tiniest wide-mouthed yawn and you see her eyes are as red as ripe apples as they open. She turns her head sleepily to you and she blinks, seemingly unsure of what she's looking at.
Your breath hitches and you lean down, body covering hers. She only lets out a single whine and whispers softly.
"What?"
A moment passes, ending with the call of a bird. You slowly pull away, breaths a little heavy.
She's fallen back to sleep again, except she does so in the form of a little red-brown creature with a long, fluffy tail. You laugh dryly knowing you panicked and mixed two spells into one—at least they're only temporary and she'll be normal within the hour.
You're very gentle as you lift the fragile body with your hands and tuck her beneath your mantle. Your eyes dart around and you motion to the wolves to stay put—they give you an affirming nod. You jump back to the shore in a single leap and you begin sprinting through the forest—you listen very carefully and try to catch the scent on the wind of another daughter or son. The world is a blur—you don't like traveling this fast with your natural god's speed, but it's necessary this one time.
You hear a couple voices speaking. A laugh, a pause, more chatter. You smile faintly as you carefully approach the noises, not intending to directly confront them, but to leave them a gift.
Moments later from the safety of a large bush, you watch as the daughter of the yew tree screams with her olive tree brother. "Mercedes!" They gently shake the little squirrel and try desperately to wake her. You snicker softly and leave, returning to your wolves by the stream. Another hunt is to begin soon and this time you will feast with your hounds.
You will never know that Mercedes later woke, once again in her regular form, and ran to her mother telling her about the dream she had. She saw a young god—presumably her future husband—looking down at her seemingly struck with a case of love at first sight. Elfaria would sigh, pat her head, and hush her, telling her that she would one day meet him and be together with him. She would pout and look away, gaze falling to the forest where you were still running with your wolves.
It seemed so real to her and perhaps it was. Except for, of course, the love at first sight thing.