INTRODUCTION
Written by kkolmakov
A/N: When Wynni offered me to collaborate on the continuation of my spin on the Red Riding Hood fairy tale (can be found on my page under "Fairytales From Under the Mountain" chapter 5) I was endlessly happy!
In this story you can find her OC and Philippe's (AU Fili from the line of Durin) story. On my page under the title of "Claws and Cloaks" you can find Wren (my usual OC) and Darius (AU Thorin), as well as Nerys and Killiare (OC Reese and Kili written by RagdollPrincess.) Thank you, my lovelies, and enjoy!
In the world where monsters freely roam lands but follow the universal code, men turn into wolves with the full moon, but sometimes marry the very hunters who are supposed to be their doom, on a bloom covered field where grass was soft and fragrant, warmed up under the July sun, Wren of Leary, the Chief Hunter of the biggest Hunters' clan, was lying on her back, her slanted amber eyes lazily following fluffy lambs of clouds running across the blue sky. With her finely attuned hearing she caught slight rustling on her right, her red lips curled up, but she didn't move. The terrifying beast crawling to her through the spingly grasses tensed every muscle in its body and with a loud screech jumped at her.
Wren swiftly rolled on her side, her small strong hands grabbed the beast across its middle, and a squeal burst out of her attacker.
"No fair, Auntie!" Little Caronwen yelled, squirming in her aunt's hands, merciless tickling attack eventually leaving her breathless from laughter.
"You are the one who attacked me, little one," Wren laughed. She carefully put the girl on her back, on the cloak spread on the grass and looked at her lovingly. Caronwen had her mother's curls, at the moment scattered around her head like a nimbus, soft and of the colour of linden honey, destined to darken a few shades with age. Wren remembered Carys when she was a child herself, the same elegant nose, large brown eyes, plump lips. Wren being the oldest often caught herself painfully jealous of Carys, sunny, loyal, smart Carys. Wren tapped her niece's nose with a tip of her finger and smiled to the girl. Caronwen had her father's bright blue eyes, and his unbendable will.
"Will I be as fast when I am all grown-up, Auntie?" Caronwen had a melodic voice, both her parents being exceptionally talented singers.
"I am not fast because I am a grown-up, little one, I'm fast because I have trained."
"I too want to be a hunter like you!" She sat up and gave her aunt a challenging stare. Wren chuckled. Caronwen looked exactly like her father at that moment, brows frowned, lips pursed stubbornly. She was a true daughter of Philippe, the alpha of the Northern Wolf Clan. Wren always thought that children deserved the same respect and honesty as any adult, and she softly spoke to the girl.
"Caronwen, you have your mother's gift. You would become an exceptional healer, perhaps even the Chief Healer like your mother. The decision is yours, but everyone will expect you to follow your mother's steps. Since you are no wolfkin, like your father."
"But you didn't become a healer! Your mother was a healer, but you are a hunter!"
"Because the gift was passed to your mother, and honestly she manages it better than I ever could. It's easier for me to draw a sword than deal with people's ailments. And emotions," Wren wrinkled her delicate nose.
"But Uncle Darius says you are a very good healer too." Wren smirked at the thought of her husband.
"Uncle Darius is flattering me."
"Because he is married to you?"
"Because if he doesn't, he is in trouble," Wren gave her niece a wink, and the girl stared at her.
"Are you not afraid of him, Auntie?" Caronwen suddenly switched to whispering, her tone reverent. Wren laughed and fell on her back. "He is so scary..." Wren kept on roaring with laughter, Caronwen was studying her with widened eyes.
"No, I am not afraid of him. Are you afraid of your father?"
"Of course not!" Her little face lit up with a radiant smile.
"He is an apha now, Uncle Darius isn't anymore."
"And still..." The girl fidgeted with the hem of her cloak. "Uncle Darius growls." It took Wren several more minutes to subdue her frolics.
"Indeed he does, but your father is the scariest of the wolfkin these days, he is the strongest, and everyone submits to him."
"Yes, but it's just Da!.." Caronwen looked at her aunt with her giant brilliant eyes. "And mum shushes him. One can't be scary if you see him shushed at dinner." Wren rolled on her stomach, and Caronwen heard her snorting into her sleeve. Finally having calmed down a bit, and it took a while, Wren lifted her face and gave her niece a wide grin.
"Your mum is a force to reckon with. Do you know how they met? It's quite a story..." Caronwen nodded.
"Daere told me," she cringed mentioning her older sister, and Wren recognised the sibling rivalry she herself had experienced more often than not. Both Carys, Caronwen's mother, and Nerys, Carys's sister grew up with Wren, being her cousins, and the three of them were inseparable when children. Later Nerys and Wren started their training as hunters, while Carys had become a healer's apprentice. "It was after the Big Hunt, when almost all wolfkin were killed by hunters." She frowned and looked at Wren from the corner of her eye. Wren sighed.
"It was not that simple, it never is, Caronwen. But yes, the Big Hunt was the last big war between wolfkin and hunters. As you know hunters have a code, we only hunt those who can be considered monsters, those who have taken an innocent life, otherwise, any race is allowed to live in peace. Hunters had reasons to hunt wolfkin then, and they were outlawed, until one day..."
"You met Uncle Darius..." Caronwen pronounced in a sing-song voice. Wren laughed loudly.
"Yes, little one, until one day I met Uncle Darius..."
Cover Picture by Axcido, found here: http [colon] /d62o5sw