WOLVERINE'S WORLD - THE SHRINE

Travel along a river bank is usually frustratingly slow, but there are a lot of good trails paralleling the Huds. We made good time and within a few hours arrived at a place where an ancient structure had collapsed into the river, forming an unintended pier. All that was left of the building was a jumble of reinforced concrete, but centuries of water-flow had rounded off the rough edges and rusted away the worst of the projecting steel.

I'd been there several times before. The first time, the building had still been standing. It had been a facility for loading river-barges with stone from a nearby quarry. Even back then, it was abandoned.

"We've got a good view of the river," I explained. "We'll stay here and wait for the boat."

Rahne gave me a look that indicated I was perhaps forgiven for the infinity of grievances she held against me where David was concerned.

A meandering creek entered the Huds just south of the pier. On the creek edge, a basin that had been part of the grounds of the old building formed a pond. The water inside was swept clean by the flow of the creek, and its bottom was covered with gravel and cobbles instead of mud.

Emma and Rahne took one look at it, dropped their packs, stripped off their clothes, and dove in. I've noticed that women have this peculiar need to bathe more than once every few weeks.

Using some dry driftwood, I started a small fire.


"Why, hello!" I heard Rahne say in obvious surprise. She seemed pleased about something.

I looked up quickly from the fire. I hadn't sensed anyone approaching.

Emma and Rahne were waist deep in the pool, staring at a large timber wolf. The wolf was standing on the edge of the pool that abutted the forest. Emma was carefully backing away from the animal. Rahne, on the other hand, seemed delighted.

Without fear or hostility the wolf seemed to consider the two women for a long, curious moment. Then she lapped some water from the edge of the pool, turned around, and vanished back into the tree-line.

The wind was right. I should have been able to catch the wolf's scent.

There was none.

"Come eat," I called. Emma and Rahne waded out of the pool. Rahne was looking at the spot where the wolf had vanished, trying to catch another glimpse of her. Emma's eyes met mine.

She knew that something was wrong.


After our meal, I considered our options.

"Rahne and I will do some scouting," I said after a while. "Emma, find a place where you'll be out of sight, but can keep an eye on the river. If you see the boat, hail them."

Rahne looked puzzled.

Emma nodded and began gathering up our gear.

*What's going on?* she asked me telepathically.

*There's something in the woods that Rahne should see,* I responded. *I think it may be important for her.*

*What?*

*A shrine.*


It had been a while since I'd last seen the shrine. I knew it was inland, but couldn't remember the exact location.

So we would have to search.

Rahne and I began exploring the area, sweeping through a crescent-shape that centered on the collapsed structure.

We slipped through the trees like a pair of ghosts, moving in an overwatch pattern. One of us would move while the other observed and waited. While slow, it was a very careful and certain way to scout an area.

I hadn't told Rahne what to do. We simply fell into the pattern without any words. Not for the first time, I was impressed by her instincts. She was a true daughter of the Old One.

I could tell that Rahne was confused. And a bit frightened. She was wondering if I'd finally decided to take her, and this was just an excuse to put some distance between us and Emma. I think she'd made the decision to surrender herself to me if I made demands of her.

All of that nonsense went away when we finally came upon the shrine.


It was located on a low hill that was mostly covered with young trees. A fire had swept through that region one or two decades ago. That part of the forest was still recovering.

Piled stones formed a low, semi-circular wall that faced in the direction of the river. It was about ten foot in diameter. In the center was a boulder, on which two more stones were piled. The topmost stone was about two foot wide. It had been crudely, but effectively, carved into the shape of a wolf's head. The cross of the ancient Folk faith was carved onto its brow.

Rahne was kneeling in front of the shrine. She was utterly still as she stared at it. Both of her hands were at her breast - clutching at the Mjolnir pendant that she thought Emma and I didn't know about. She normally kept it tucked away under her tunic.

"Don't be frightened," I told her.

She pointed shakily to the wolf's head. "That..." she began. Then she stopped.

"I know," I said as I sat cross-legged next to her. "This place has meaning to you. That's as it should be, Rahne."

Rahne looked at me. The distress in her eyes tugged at my heart. "What is this place?"

"The woman who built this had your name. She lived in the days of the Old One and the goddesses. I suspect your parents knew of her - that's why they gave you her name. You might even be her descendant."

Rahne looked once again at the wolf's head. "We had something like that, but smaller. It was made of wood and hung over the door of our house. I never asked about it. It was just part of our home."

I nodded. There was nothing to say. A Creed raid had taken away Rahne's home and family.

"What do you know about her?" Rahne asked distantly.

I considered that. "Long ago, your namesake stood at the side of the Old One and the Crippled Lord. Some call her the Lady of Wolves and in the wild places she is sometimes worshipped almost as if she were a fourth goddess. In other places she is called a 'saint'. That means she was a powerful practitioner of the Folk faith. She bore a powerful son to the Asgardian prince of wolves. Because of that, many Thorians acknowledge Lady Rahne in their beliefs. Later in life, she married a Blood who was of the first issue of the Old One. She became one of the Mothers of the Blood. So our people honor her memory as well."

Rahne let out a long breath. "That's... that's a lot. She had a strange life."

"Yes," I agreed. "So many different worlds came together in her. And for some reason all of them are coming together in you."

Rahne caught something in my voice, and she suddenly became wary.

She'd been too distracted to sense what was approaching.

I got to my feet and extended my claws.

There were seven Creed standing upwind of us.


The Creed were evenly spaced, about two dozen yards north of the shrine. Their approach had been patient and well-executed. Rahne had completely missed their presence. I had only sensed them at the last moment.

They ranged in size from well over seven foot to just under six foot in height. Their hair was blond and matted with filth and dried blood. They wore shredded fragments of poorly tanned hides. Primitive jewelry made of the bones of Blood, Folk, and Wilder indicated their tribal rank, in addition to boasting of their personal deeds of cruelty and violence.

Their fingertip claws were black and the savage smiles on their faces revealed sharp teeth with particularly enlarged canines.

They were all male. Female Creed do not survive long in their brutal culture. They produce some children, rear them as long as they can, and then die after one beating or rape too many. Captive women in their possession don't last long.

As a seeker, I follow the spirit and the will of the Old One. However, the path is not always clear. So I follow signs. I study the traditions. I read the histories. I consult with the priestesses. I've even talked to that Strange fellow.

But there is an aspect of the Old One's will that all know with absolute clarity. The Creed are the great enemy of the Blood and they must be exterminated. One of my most fundamental duties is to serve that cause, and to remind the Blood that can never rest easy as long as even one Creed remains alive.

We are slowly winning. The Creed have retreated into the wild places and every century there are fewer of them. But they are still a danger on the frontier's of the Blood lands.

But seven to two was bad odds. I had no illusions about what was coming and how it would end. The Creed are a dark reflection of the Blood - claws, regeneration, and feral deadliness without any trace of reflection, mercy, or justice.

Fighting a band of Creed in the midst of a shrine to the Lady of Wolves would be as good way as any for my long story to end. And at least I had been able to see Rose one last time.

But there was no good reason for Rahne to accompany me to our ancestors. I opened my mouth to order Rahne to run. I would sell my life to give her the time to get away, gather up Emma, and flee across the river.

Unfortunately for my plan, I hadn't reckoned for Rahne's boundless hatred of the creatures who had slain her family. She howled like a demon and charged right at the nearest Creed.


Rahne caught the Creed flat-footed with her savage fury. Flesh and bone split apart as she tore into and past her target. There was a hazy cloud of blood in the air behind her. Then she was behind the Creed and turning to attack again. The Creed were thrown into disarray.

Right behind Rahne, I hit the Creed. I tore out the eyes of the Creed that Rahne had just maimed and made a wild, speculative slash at another one that was grabbing for Rahne. My strike connected and his hand went flying through the air.

Two uninjured Creed piled into me, their claws digging deep into my body. The other three were going for Rahne - as a young girl, she was a priority to them. However, they were operating under the disadvantage of wanting to take her alive. At first, it was as if the three Creed had run into a sawmill blade. Rahne was a blur of lethal motion.

But there were three of them going after Rahne. They quickly encircled her. Rahne's moment of devastating surprise was gone.

I tore my way loose from one of the two who had me grappled. The heel of my boot connected with his forehead and he went flat on his face. The other had his claws dug into my side and back. I carried him with me, smashing my elbow again and again into his face as I staggered towards Rahne. Blood - mine and his - was flowing down my sides and legs. If I could cut Rahne loose, I would. If I couldn't, then I prayed that the Old One would give me the opportunity and strength to kill her before I was finally dragged down.

I couldn't leave this life with Rahne as a captive of the Creed. I just couldn't.

Suddenly, there was a howl. It was followed by a chorus of answering howls.

Then a giant gray wolf came out of nowhere, leaping silently over the wall of the shrine. It slammed into the back of one of the Creed who were trying to corral Rahne. The impact knocked the Creed flat. The wolf's massive jaws closed on the back of the Creed's neck and dug in with an audible crunch. He began shaking the Creed from side-to-side, tossing him about as if he were a doll.

Two more wolves leaped the wall. Another half dozen came around its flanks. They were of all colors and several different sub-species. I'd never seen anything like it.

Rahne used the distraction of the wolves arrival to dart off to the side, escaping the circle of her would-be captors. As she exited, Rahne - almost as an after-thought - gracefully reached out and opened the throat of the nearest Creed. Then the Creed was buried under the weight of at least four wolves.

Another pair of wolves tore into the Creed who was literally on my back. He fell away from me. I pivoted and slammed my claws through his eyes and into his skull. A twist of my wrist carved his brain like a joint of meat and severed it from his spine.

Wolves kept appearing. There were a dozen of them. Then two dozen.

And then yet more. I couldn't count their number.

The fight became a massacre.

The Creed simply disintegrated under our fangs and claws.


Our arms around each other, Rahne and I staggered back to the river.

Rahne craned her head to look back at the wolves we were leaving behind at the shrine.

"Don't look," I told her. There were several possibilities in terms of what might be going on back there. I didn't think Rahne was quite ready for any of them.

And besides, some mysteries should remain that way. It's a matter of courtesy and respect.

Rahne looked at me, nodded, then resolutely turned her face forward.

We regenerated as we walked. As I'd always suspected, the Old One's gift was stronger in Rahne. In very little time, she was fine, while I was still having trouble keeping on my feet. She became my crutch and I was grateful for that.


Emma met us half-way. She'd sensed that something was wrong and had come after us.

"Dear goddess... what happened?" Emma asked in horror, aghast at our condition. Our clothes were shredded and we were covered with half-dried blood. As she spoke, Emma's eyes scanned our backtrail for pursuers.

"Creed," I answered shortly.

Emma's eyes went wide as she once again rechecked the trail behind us.

"Don't worry," I reassured her. "They're dead."

Rahne gave Emma a wild and toothy grin. "Some family showed up and gave us a hand."