*Soleil*
We are sitting around the table in Siri's small kitchen, discussing how to read the runes Gudrun has thrown about the premonition.

"My premonition was very specific. They are not newly changes and they are gathering". Gudrun looks at us.

"It has to be the two,High ones we Saw at the last moon". Marta gets an annoyed look on her face. "I said we should have followed them. Good knows how much damage they have done since".

"Marta, don't forget the last of this kind we fought took,all of our combined powers and it was alone". Siri points out. "We can't go blind into battle with an enemy like that, let alone two".

"I saw four". Gudrun swallows. "My kin showed me four, not two. They were in a wood. There was water behind them, maybe a lake. Farther down was a bridge. I am sure it was England, most possibly the London area, because the houses on the other side..".

I feeling takes hold of me as Gudrun explains about the place and I know my eyes goes wide. It can't be true. "A bascule bridge ?" I say feeling dread wash over me. "Is there a yellow house on that bridge ?"

Gudrun looks thoughtful for a moment, then she nod.

"I Think I know where it is then". I whisper, the little hairs on my neck standing up. "There are hamrams in my hometown".

"The forest by the bridge.. of course. Were you received Your calling". Gudrun say, sounding excited.

"It doesn't necessarily mean they know you my dear or us for that matter". Siri say calmly. "But now we have a concrete question to ask the runes".

"That we have". Gudrun say, shaking the pouch. We all lean forward to watch. She empties the rune stones into her hand and throw them on the cloth. "Is there a pack of hamrams in sister Soleil's town ?"

The runes lands. We are all staring at them for a moment.. they all landed with the blank side up, all except two. "Eoh in the northern wind and Odal in the moon". Gudrun finally say.

"That has to be us right ?" I look around on the others. "If we protect each other and people in town everything will go well, right ?"

"Well it is a very good guess". Gudrun say. "But.. ". She hesitate. "The question wasn't about us".

"What are you seeing Gudrun ?" Siri ask.

"It is a family. They are a pack bound by blood". She says hesitantly.

"And what else ? I can see that there is more". Siri sends her a supportive smile.

"I am not sure. This throw is hard to misread, it is almost to easy to read. I am scared that I will overlook something". Gudrun sounds worried.

"Try anyway my dear. We trust you". Siri sends her an encouraging smile.

"Freedom. Fighting oppression. They gather to protect themself ?!" She goes quiet, like she is searching for the right words. "But who are they protecting themself against ? Siri could this mean..". She turns to the older woman.

"... that they know about us". Siri finish the sentence and nod, looking rather worried. "But there haven't been a pack since Tordis released the curse. And know one has known of our existence since the attack on Tyra". She looks sad. "And that hamram is dead a long time ago. But these hamram has the same powers. We must have missed something sisters".

"No it can't be true". Marta say looking rather shaken. "They are animals when they are changed. They can't gather like that ! I see odal as a sign that it is four lonely hamram fighting over the same territory. Eoh in the northern wind is for Sol's kin protecting us. We just have to find out were they are, wait for them to kill of each other and take care of the last one standing".

"That could be a possibility too". Gudrun say. "But I doubt it. The northern wind are rough, it tells of harsh winds and with Odal on it's side..". She shakes her head in denial. "There are most definitely something here that doesn't add up".

"No matter if Eoh and Odal tells us one thing or another our role is the same. We have to find them and make sure they don't hurt anyone". Siri say turning towards the redhead. "How long do we have ?"

"Until tomorrow, the first full moon". She say.

"That means that none of us can get up to Scotland to look for newly changed". Siri squints her eyes, drumming a finger on her lip, as she looks at the runes. "Gudrun try and throw the runes a couple of times more and try phrasing the question differently. Marta try and see if you can find out if hamrams have been in the forest near Sol's home. Sol check if we have enough of hamram capsules. We need a lot to defend ourselves against four hamram. We also need salt and a first aid kit ready". Siri gets up and walks towards her bedroom. "I am going to talk to my kin about how to best protect us".

When Siri is gone, Gudrun collect her runes and bend over the cloth, while Marta grabs her coat and walk outside. I go find a big bucket of salt and start filling some pouches we can carry on our belts and I remember what Siri told me about salt being one of earth's greatest gifts. Our bodies needs salt to survive and it can keep food eatable for much longer. Salt is used for protecting, they had used salt to protect my mother's house, no creature of darkness can cross a salt protection spell without an invitation.

I finish up with the salt bags, and get our belts, attaching them. The I go get the bottle, the rubber gloves and the ampuls. When I have filled them, I look at them for a moment. I am supposed to close them with galdr, but what to sing ? I remember my father's favorite song and find it quite fitting for the situation.

Picking up the first ampul pressing it together I start singing. "I see the bad moon arising, I see trouble on the way. I see earthquakes and lightnin'. I see bad times today".

My fingers soon start tingling, telling me that my galdr is working.

When I have sealed them all, I put them in the belts to, and breathe a sigh of relief. Then I go through our backpacks and fill up the first aid kit. Behind me I hear Gudrun mumble. I turn and walk over to her. "Is everything okay ?"

"I am getting the same answer no matter how I throw". Gudrun is staring at the runes. "They keep telling me that these four hamram are protecting each other, like they are the ones under attack. But I can't see against who".

"What about Your kin ? Maybe he can help ?" I say.

"We are to far from the water right now. Maybe we can stop on our way to the forest and ask, but I doubt that there is much more he can say". Gudrun suddenly smile. "But there is something else we can do while we wait for the others".

"What is that ?"

"You have not burned Your first rune into Your staff yet". She gets up and comes back with a burner.

"Wow you have those laying around like everywhere huh ?" I say with a giggle.

"Yeah we use them quite a lot". Gudrun laughs. "And believe my this beats using a nail warmed over a bonfire. Which rune do you want to do ?"

"I don't know. How does it usually work ?" I ask.

"Well usually the rune kind of find you. Is there any of them that seems to speak to you ? It should be one that tells about where you stand in Your life now. It will protect you and guide you, remind you about the road you have chosen to follow. When you are standing in front of a new turn in Your life a new rune will speak to you and then you add that to Your staff and so on". Gudrun empties the runes out, turning them so I can study them.

My eyes keep going to the same rune. Then I look at Gudrun and she nods. "Yeah it is in the place of the eastern winds. It could be a sign. It is a powerful rune, but it might be just that kind of energy you need right now".

"Then that is the one. Thurs is the rune of the Jötnar, of my kin, so I guess that is fitting right ?" I say.

"Great". Gudrun say. "Go get Your staff and lets get going".

"Okay". I get my staff, sitting down with it in my hands, closing my eyes and visualising myself swinging it, imagining were the rune should be. As soon as I see it for me I open my eyes finding the spot on my staff and start burning it into the wood.

"Remember Your galdr". Gudrun reminds me.

"Oh yeah". I giggle and start mumbling 'Bad moon rising'. I feel how every word strengthens the rune and the staff. When I am done I feel the weight of the staff in my hands.

"Creedence as galdr ? Well then I have heard that too". Gudrun chuckles. "Now you can kick some serious ass".

"Oh I hope so". I giggle, but the laughter quickly dies and I sigh nervously.

"Hey, I was close to pissing my pants the first time too. Actually I still often is. I am not going to lie to you; it will be dangerous and if we are not looking out for each other we could die.. we will die. We have never been up against this many hamram at once before, but we have trained for this right ?" Gudrun say up beat. "And with Your kin backing us we can do it. Are you clear on how to best use his help ?"

"Yeah I have trained the combination with him that Marta showed me. I just wish I had trained them with you too". I answer.

"It would have been better, but none of us could foresee that this would happen". Gudrun says, making me look at the runes, then at her, and we both breaks down into fits of giggles. "Yeah okay you know what I mean. We expected to have time to meet again and train some more. But nothing has gone as expected this time". She looks at me. "I am very proud of you sister, proud that you are still here after all the hard work you have had to do".

"Oh that..". I look at my staff, scratching at the rune.

Marta walks through the door. She looks shortly at Gudrun, shaking her head, then she throws her jacket on the chair and disappear out into the bathroom.

"So the trolls couldn't tell us anything either". Gudrun say disappointed.

Marta walks back out from the bathroom. "I couldn't reach all the way to the forest in my search. There is no contact to the north. I Tried towards the lake too, but couldn't reach to far that way either. All I know is that there isn't a pack close to here, so they have to be on the other side of the death zone".

"The death zone ?" I look at her with confusion.

"The day we picked you up there were a ring around the town were there was no vaetter at all. They were all... gone. Maybe this pack of hamram is what has chased them away and not the dark one as we thought ?" Marta turned towards Siri who walk out from the bedroom.

"It is possible my dear". Siri slumps down at the table.

Gudrun sigh. "I hope Your search was more fruitful than ours.

"I had a good long talk with my kin. I am afraid it is the past coming back to haunt us". Siri say, accepting the cup of tea that I hand her.

"You know who they are ?" Gudrun with surprise.

"Yes, it is as I feared. They are sons of the hamram who killed Tyra". Marta and Gudrun stiffen at Siri's words and look at each other.

Marta sits down. "But we stopped him, didn't we ?"

"He had children when we killed him. Three sons. My kin couldn't say why we have never discovered them before. But they must have done something to threaten the balance, since we are getting premonitions about them". Siri say.

"It doesn't make sense that all three has managed to stay hidden for this long. We should have seen something". Marta says.

"And it doesn't explain the fourth either". I say.

They all look at me. "What do you mean ?"

"Gudrun's kin saw four hamram right ? But if there are only 3 brothers, then who is the fourth ? Is it the one from Scotland ?" I swallow. "And who is he ?"