When I regained consciousness, I tried to stand and a wave of pain burned through my body. I was tied to a straw bed with a roof over my head. Where had I been? I knew one thing for sure, I hadn't died and ascended to the Hall of Alpha... Pain didn't fit the description of lots of mead, food and eternal happiness.
"Stop moving! Are you going to ruin all my work? If you undo my patches, pray that you die as a result, because if you stay alive, I will make sure that you suffer the worst pain." Grumbled an old woman with long silver hair, tied up in a sort of bun with a bone in it. Mrs Idália Shadow, healer of the Protectors.
"How did I get here?" I asked with difficulty. I looked like a mummy, even with my head bandaged.
"You were found about four days ago by a patrol sent by the Chief. You and she were in tatters on a pile of corpses. I don't know what you're up to, but I've been ordered not to let you leave this room, even if you're better."
"What a curse..."
I didn't get to finish the sentence, the damn old woman pulled the bone out of her head and struck the wound on the side of my head. My vision began to fade and the last memory I had before falling asleep was of Idalia complaining about my dirty tongue.
And so it went for three weeks, in bed. At night I had strange dreams, as if I were out of my body, and when I woke I felt two presences not far from where I was, like another limb or another me, something difficult to explain. It wasn't right, but difficult questions remained at the periphery of my mind because my reason for living was Ingrid's safety. They didn't answer my questions, condemning me to ignorance about her.
On the 22nd day, by my reckoning, I felt well enough to walk, talk and dress myself. Idália said she didn't have much hope that I would live much longer than a week, but in three weeks I was practically recovered. She hailed it as a sign from the Alpha. It wasn't long before two warriors appeared and led me to the communal hall, the seat of the wolf government, where the chief and elders gave their orders.
The communal hall was in the centre of the town, a fortified building with three floors and two towers with square arrows. It was a strong and very old building. As soon as we entered, a darkness overtook my eyes, which took a while to adjust to the dim light. Our footsteps echoed off the floor as we made our way down the long corridor, which was decorated with furs and tapestries of hunting scenes and wolves, with torches and arrows on the walls at regular intervals. As I entered the courtroom, I soon saw Ingrid standing next to three huge piles of furs, which, as I got closer, I was surprised to see were giant wolves. I quickly recognised two of them, I knew who they were and they knew me too.
Sitting on four thrones were the elders, who watched us with faces marked by long years and completely indecipherable. A little higher up was a larger throne, that of the chief, and behind it an even higher one, which was empty.
"At last all parties are present. Warriors, you can withdraw now, I have faith that there is no danger for me and these gentlemen". The chief said in his powerful voice, receiving a nod of agreement from the guards.
Once the seven and three wolves were alone in the area, Osmar Lomuk, one of the elders representing the main Lomuk branch of the wolves, said.
"We have three giant wolves and two candidates for Thane. Who is the friend of the beasts?"
"Hump. Always early." Mumbled Bella Kerl, a lady of once great beauty who still retained a high presence and inexplicable charm. Osmar almost choked when he heard his ex-lover's words.
"Stop it, both of you! Today we're observers, act like it. The boss will conduct this meeting and when he gives us permission, we'll talk". Ruan Jokek was the most cultured of the elders, the guardian of culture.
"Grandfather, what's wrong? Nothing has been said to me since I woke up, and only now have I had the opportunity to leave my confinement". Ingrid Alvesk said to her grandfather, Chief Gustavo Alvesk, The Counsellor of the Wolves.
"You were found among twenty-four deformed bodies, a truly violent scene. Between you were these three beasts, also in critical condition, and some cubs. From the injuries, neither the humans nor the wolves should be alive."
I looked at Ingrid and she shrugged, seeming to have no idea what had happened either.
"They have healed themselves in an unnatural way and yet these animals have grown to a size that you can see, beyond all norms. For me there is no doubt... Thane." Juan added, glossing over his own rebuke.
"Ingrid, can you communicate with these beasts?"
"Rhoar is my friend. I don't know much yet, but I have some perceptions of him, as well as learning his name and translating it into human words. We have a bond."
"What about the other two?"
"Chief, Goar and Near are my friends."
"A protector like Thane?" Bella asked in surprise.
"That's not right..." Osmar muttered.
"Ivarr, two of them are your friends? Do you admit that you are a Thane, a friend of the beasts?"
"I don't know what I am, but as Ingrid said, I have a bond, and yes, two of them are my friends."
The meeting went on for the rest of the morning. There were several hours of discussion between the elders and the chief. The idea of a Protector being a Thane didn't seem to go down too well with the main branches, especially if he had more beasts under his bond, and according to culture lore, the number of beasts under command is one of the main factors in knowing the degree of power of the Beast Friend. They rarely gave us the right to speak, and when they did, it was only to answer specific questions. Ingrid was very uncomfortable with all of this; if she had her long sword, I don't know how the safety of these bigwigs would have been guaranteed. In the end, it was decided that there should be an extraordinary meeting of all the clans to deal with the matter, and at the very least to ease the problem of the Protector's natural ascension by removing my ability to possess two bindings from everyone.
Some of the warriors took Goar and me apart. Of course, they didn't come out entirely unscathed. Some blood was spilt, I owed obedience, but for the wolves, our hierarchy was worthless. Afterwards, Ingrid and I were put with our Friends in a house that was fenced off and heavily monitored by the Warriors until the day of the Big Moon.
And so...
*****
My daydream was interrupted by an irritated exclamation from Ingrid. Lately it had been difficult to concentrate on anything for long. I'd been suffering from this problem since before the 'bond', but the long separation from Goar, my four-legged self, had made it worse.
"The she-wolf should marry a yak and ascend to the Great Throne. The protector wolf should marry an antelope. In this way the Thane would be linked to the other clans. Erik argued to the others present. "Power would be well distributed. We could also build a fortress on a neutral border between our territories so that the Irekan can rule us all."
"Culture dictates that the Irekan take the throne in his homeland..." Gustavo Alvesk replied.
"Times have changed. Hundreds of years have passed since the last Thane we had. We've managed to preserve our culture and our way of life thanks to the balance. We can't just throw away the way of government that has saved our people from chaos," replied Chief Edvan of the Iaques.
So the three chiefs continued to decide every aspect of our future, and we Thanes, the supposed icons of our culture, were nothing more than puppets of the great clans. As the moon disappeared in the west, it was decided to end the extraordinary meeting. Ingrid and I were taken to our guarded house to sleep and await the final decision, which would be made at the next full moon.
As soon as we arrived, Ingrid called me into the bathroom, where no one was supposed to be listening.
" I'm going to run away, Ivarr, will you come with me? I won't cooperate with this affront to the culture. As Thanes, we are above any branch or clan. There's not even a balance of power problem, because when we become friends with the beasts, we leave our original branch and clan to ascend to a new class whose people are all Inkars."
"I am your shadow, wherever you go, I will be by your side to keep you safe"
"You really are a mindless barbarian, haven't you heard? A Thane is above the branches, you are no longer my protector!" Ingrid replied with false anger.
"Just as I had a bond with Goar and Near when I was born, I had a bond with you. I don't understand the culture, I don't care what the elders decide, as long as I can do my duty".
"It's hard to explain anything to a rock, but in time, if Alpha lets me, I'll be able to open your hollow head and make some sense of it. In any case, we must leave on the first moonless night."