The pack leader stared at her, yellow eyes taxing her every move. He sniffed and walked away from her, as if saying she smelled strangely. Ylva knew what was wrong with her, she smelled cold.

"Follow me." the sound of the pack leader sounded in her head. How was this possible? She could hear the wolf's voice in her dream? Silently, the wolf headed forwards, not waiting for her answer. Ylva decided to follow.

It seemed like hours they walked through the woods, and Ylva felt the air becoming colder. Her feet hurt, her dress was tangled with leaves and thorns, and she began to freeze. But the pack leader didn't stop. The trees began to change, and soon pines towered above them.

Something cold dropped on Ylva's skin. Snow.
The pack leader continued walking, and Ylva began to feel desperate. She was hungry, tired, cold, drained, but she knew she had to obey the pack leader. Suddenly, there were no trees on the sides. The scenery in front of her was completely white, grey winds swirling around the snow around her feet.

Suddenly, Ylva could not see the pack leader anymore. She was alone in the snow storm, and the grey fur was nowhere to be seen.

The world seemed to turn around, and Ylva was covered in a thick coat of snow.
The young woman laid down, letting the snow warm her, and she thought that it didn't matter. She would freeze to death and it would be alright.

Would she only die in her dream? Again, it didn't matter to her. Nothing mattered anymore. Her heartbeat was getting slower, and even her dream began to fade, to become a swirling mass of grey and white.

„Get up." pack leader demanded.

„Get up and go back to your pack."

„I can't" Ylva answered. Or she wanted to answer. She could not hear her voice.

„No, you can't. You're weak, human" pack leader sneered.

„I know."

„This is the path you're taking, through ice and storm. This is your fate. But you are a weak human and you will die here."

A small moan escaped Ylva's lips. She had imagined her future to be a lot different.

„Open your eyes girl."

Ylva opened her eyes, although her eyelids were frozen.

Yellow eyes stared back at her.

The cries of a baby pierced through the howling of the storm. „Who is there?" Ylva asked, and the pack leader answered emotionlessly.

„The frost giant. He has been left to die, and you can not save him. He has lost his pack a long time ago. Decide now, girl. Our blood runs strongly in your veins, but you can walk away from it. Are you a human, or do you belong to the pack?"

Ylva could not think clearly. The cries of the baby sounded painfully in her ears.

„Are you a human or a child of the moon?" the yellow-eyed wolf asked again.

She wanted to sleep, she wanted to stay under the snow forever. But the baby was still crying, and the yellow eyes were merciless.

There was something inside her, the wolf, she realized, that wanted to fight. That wanted to wake up, as painful as it may be.

„I am a child of the moon" Ylva said, and now she heard the howling of the wolves in the distance. They were coming to rescue her.

„Welcome to the pack, wolf." Pack leader's eyes sparkled satisfied.

Ylva woke up in her bed, realizing she had almost overslept.
Quickly, she tried to fix her hair and watched into the mirror.

Her golden skin was pale, and she had dark violet circles under her eyes. She looked awful, but her dream had been awful as well.

It had felt as real as the other wolf dreams, but she had almost died in it. And she had taken a decision. Ylva shook her head, trying to chase the alarming thoughts from her head. No one could take decisions in a dream.

Yet she knew what she had to do. Still shaking, she walked to Ragna Ragnasson and asked for the day off. Ragna nodded worriedly, seeing the girl was a wreck. Ragna promised to replace her as Odin's servant for the day.

Exhausted, Ylva made her way to the stalls and asked for a horse. She was allowed to lend it for one day, and she opted for a young fox colored mare.
She sighed. She had rarely felt so terrible in her life. Actually, Ylva did not recall ever being sick, and now the woman felt like she could sleep through the whole day.
She hoped Loki would not take it the wrong way when she disappeared. But she was sure that only Ralf Akesson could give her the answer she hoped for.

The mare was ready, and Ylva prepared leave, when a light chuckle alarmed her.

„A girl like you should not travel alone" the stable boy said casually. Except it wasn't the stable boy, it was a cloaked Loki. Ylva shook her head sheepishly.

She looked like she had not slept for several nights in a row.

„Are you ill?" he asked and Ylva cleared her throat nervously.
„I don't know. Maybe."

Loki stepped forward and grabbed her hand. Softly, he let his magic run through her body, searching for a sign of sickness. But she was alright. In fact, she was more than alright.

„What happened to you?" he breathed, surprised by her state. Ylva had a strong magical aura, but it was completely unfamiliar to him. The dark haired woman stayed quiet, her hazel eyes filled with fear.

„I don't know" she repeated. Loki placed his hand on her forehead, and found her burning hot.

Ylva was looking worse in each passing second. Suddenly, her legs gave and she broke down. Quickly, Loki caught the collapsing woman before she hit the ground. Ylva's eyes flashed yellow before she closed them, breathing heavily.