---Fenris' POV---

Dawn arrived with soothing scents on the wind. Sleep had been fitful, always jerking up in the middle of the night on full alert, ears pricked to catch the slightest sound. Right now, I was more relaxed than I ever was though I'd never let my guard down.

Crawling out of my make-shift den, I stretched in the sunlight, basking in its gentle warmth while I yawned. My claws dug into the soil, kicking up a wave of fresh dirt and decomposing leaves.

With a soft whine I stood back on all fours, shaking my fur out before deciding to explore. If I had to live on this planet, it would be nice to know where to get some food and slowly build out the den into an underground home.

I inhaled deeply and sighed before taking off into the vast forest I had dashed through last night. My scent made a clear trail back to my den, so that was something I had to be wary off.

Following my nose, I came up to a few trees holding red and purples fruits relatively close by. Good to know... but... are they edible? Looking around to make sure nobody was around, I hesitantly shifted and climbed up the tree.

The bark felt rough underneath my bare feet and against my thighs but I held on, pushing myself upwards until I sat comfortably on one of the branches and reached for the juicy looking fruit.

Only, when I bit into it, I nearly chipped my tooth! It was rock hard! I scoffed and allowed it to roll of the palm of my hand, sighing as I watched it fall down on the forest floor.

"Now what? I don't wanna hunt the wildlife if I don't have to..." I slowly trailed off, eyes fixed on the mist curling around the tree roots, growing thicker as the dull thud of hooves resounded.

Slowly, majestically, a white and grey buck appeared that seemed to be made out of the mist. It appeared solid one moment but as a branch snapped in the distance, it evaporated for a split second. Reappearing several feet away from where I was, it looked around.

Holy shit....

For a moment I wondered if it was real, actually physically present. But as it turned and raked its antlers over a tree, scratching them, it left marks and chipped off some bark. Its black nose tilted into the air as it inhaled, slowly walking closer to the fallen fruit.

When it spotted the purple bulb, it instantly stepped forwards, smashing his hoof on the fruit several times. On the fifth try it cracked and after another measured claw, it split into pieces.

I was surprised to see the inside was completely white with yellow linings. The core seemed made up from four or five slips, which the buck eagerly ate up. Leaning forwards to get a better look, the buck froze on the spot before dashing through the woods in strands of thick mist.

My heart thudded in my throat at the encounter, a slight pinch of sadness in my chest because I frightened the creature. No doubt it had smelled the wolf inside me and had seen me as a threat.

"I hope I see you again soon, my friend." I murmured, watching the animal disappear in the thick clouds of fog rolling around it. Releasing a breath I didn't even know I held, I looked back down at the floor before spotting the fruit, remembering why I was up here in the first place.

Gripping the tree firmly, I plucked several of the fruits before climbing down and went back to my cave. Using a flat stone, I hacked into the fruit but frowned as I could hardly do any damage. Deciding to use my wolf, I let it out and claw at the fruit and was pleasantly surprised when my claws were able to slice through it, slowly but surely.

Finally I got into the center of the fruit and shifted back, nudging one of the pale white slips of meat. Surprisingly, it felt rather solid and smelled citrusy but when I pinched it between my teeth and dared to bite down, it released the heavenly juices inside.

My eyes widened in joy as the sweet yet slightly tart flavor hit my tongue, the juice making my mouth water even more. I dove into the fruit with joy and finished all seven of them before I sighed and leaned back.

Fruits alone aren't enough to survive on. I need either meat or fish... I can't forget I have this wolf spirit residing in me now.

Looking back at the den, I scoffed to myself. Getting extra food could wait. Right now I really wanted to make sure that my den was better than this quickly dug hole in the ground.

If I could find some clay, I could dig out the walls better and higher, molding the clay against it and harden it with heat. It would make things more comfortable and less...filthy.

So I set out again, following my nose and went higher up the hills to find the rich clay soil. Once I find a considerable amount, I plucked a few of the thick grass strands and twined a small bag out if it.

By the time I had run back and forth for the sixth time, I was a mess of slick clay, leaves and damp with sweat. But I felt satisfied with the progress to my new home and the hard labor allowed me to clear my mind, if only for a moment.

Slowly the sky grew darker as I used the dying light of the day to gather some wood and create a small fire in the den. I placed it close enough so the clay would harden, but sadly that meant that I had to lie outside in the open sky to avoid the thick smoke.

I huffed, shifting into my wolf and deciding to take another bath to wash the days' filth away. The fire wouldn't be able to spread and I was on high alert for any presence nearby.

The forest was dark, a few luminescent bugs fluttering through the air as most critters fled to their dens to sleep. I frowned when I heard a loud caw, looking up to spot a large Raven circling the air.

My fur bristled as I bared my teeth at the bird. Ravens were the companions of Odin, the All Father. I hissed and kept an eye on the critter as my mind was filled with memories of my childhood, both mortal and amongst the gods.

Running through the market place as a young boy, unaware of the pair of ravens following in the sky. I made my way back home grinning as I saw the anvil of my father. "Papa, Papa, did you hear the news? They said it's the feast of the gods this moon!"

Father had looked up, a tired smile on his face as he worked the forge, the fire illuminating his face. He was the best blacksmith around and earned enough coin to give us a good life and food every day.

"I know Fenris, I know. But did you hear that on that day, it is possible to encounter the gods themselves?"

I had grinned, shaking my head with a wide-eyed and open-mouthed expression, stunned. I would love to meet the gods!

A snort escaped me as the memory faded. Back then I had been awed by the gods, respected and revered them. During the celebration, I had been watching out for any gods but found none, unaware that they were all watching me.

Scrutinizing me.

Judging me.

Hating me.

Years later I had met with Odin himself, a brilliant and impressive God that demanded respect. I had kneeled like I should, showing him my respect of him and he had offered me a place in his palace.

Little did I know that they were simply keeping a supposed enemy close. It had all been a ruse, a carefully planned step in their meticulous plan to gain my trust before binding me and locking me away in darkness, dread and despair.

I stayed out of the raven's sight, watching it caw and fly over the forest several times before disappearing into the distance. It might not be either Huginn or Munnin but I wasn't taking any chances.

I had learned to stay out of their sight or risk the consequences. And I was never going to end up in the hands of those gods. They trapped me in fear of the end of the world, of their so called Ragnarök.

And curse the gods, if they ever dared to trap me again, I would gladly give it to them. I would let Odin's blood soak the floor of Gladsheimer, tear down the walls of Valhalla and drown Asgard in sorrow.

I was tired of being accused of being evil, tired of being abused and having to take it all with a smile. Only two things in that forsaken realm had watched me and treated me with kindness.

The immense tree Yggdrasil and the God Tyr. He had been a good friend, almost a brother, until the day he helped the others in binding me and betrayed me.

I sighed in sorrow before throwing my head back to howl at the night sky, mourning the loss of my mortal family, the warm bond I had with the tree that had seen straight through all the lies, and the brotherhood I had lost.

And high in the sky, Munnin listened carefully to my mournful song, and for the first time in its very long existence, chose to keep one thing hidden from Odin. The Raven quickly fled the sky, a single tear dropping into the world below.