Year 102 A.C.
POV: Denovan
After a few minutes of rest, we were already walking deep into the forest. Nix had just located the body of another direwolf; at first, I thought it was a second battlefield, but it was just a trail from the previous fight that had stretched for kilometers.
After some time of walking, a sound cut through the air. A solitary howl.
"One of them is alive," I murmured to Sigrid.
A radiant smile appeared on her face. "Yes... let's go!" She bolted in the wrong direction.
"The howl came from there, Sig," I said, pointing to the opposite side.
Nix... Without needing verbal commands, the owl took flight from the side of the forest where she was and shot in the direction of the howl.
We walked in absolute silence. The forest seemed to hold its breath. Gradually, the sky began to change, passing from the bloody red of the sunrise to a pale grayish-blue. When the light finally stabilized, we stopped before the entrance of a cave.
"Morn, ask your men to keep their distance. We won't be able to get close with so many warriors around," I requested.
Morn nodded and gave orders in a low voice for the group to retreat.
"Sig, I will go with you. The beasts stay calmer near me. Try to approach slowly; it might take time, but we will come back as many times as necessary so that she follows you of her own free will. The rest will come with time."
She gave me a look of deep gratitude. "Thank you."
"They have already retreated," Morn announced, stopping by my side. I looked at him once, twice. He just smiled, ignoring the retreat order I gave the others. "You can go too, Morn."
"I want to see your magic, Denovan," he said, as enthusiastic as a child.
I sighed. "You're not going to see magic... just stay silent and don't block the exit. And, especially, stay behind me."
"Yes, yes. Let's go."
We entered the cave. The ceiling was high, allowing us to walk upright. At the back, shrouded by shadows, was a direwolf. Her fur was an intense red, the color of the rising sun. She was magnificent.
Noticing us, she growled, her fur bristling and appearing to double in size. She was ready to pounce, but something caught my attention: her belly was visibly swollen.
"She's pregnant, Sig," I said quietly.
"I think it's her... the wolf whose eyes I shared," Sigrid whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"That's good..." I replied, but my tone shifted to something more serious. "Stay here and don't interfere. Let me approach first."
I began to move closer, thoughts racing—how would I calm an adult, pregnant direwolf enough for Sig to approach?
Over time, I discovered specific things about my ability, which I call True-Skin-Changer. The main characteristic of this ability given by ROB is the golden thread. The golden thread is nothing more than my magic, a reflection of my soul. They truly connect me to the soul of the creature. I believe that, as long as it has a spark of life and consciousness, I can bind with it.
This bond is a two-way path: I strengthen the creature's soul, and the creature strengthens mine. The more souls that are interconnected with me at the center, the stronger my soul becomes and the more characteristics it receives, strengthening the other connected souls in a cycle. However, the criterion is quality: if the creature's soul is weak and fragile, it will have no positive effect.
I did a test with an ant a while ago, wanting to see if I would gain something like its proportional strength. The effect was disastrous. I had no improvements, the ant's body died instantly, and I had an intense headache for almost a week, in addition to physical weakness. This showed me that losing a bound creature would be drastic. If an ant caused this damage, if one of my main beasts died, I could become mentally or physically crippled. That's why I'm so protective and discerning.
My soul is now much stronger than that of a common human. Animals feel presences instinctively. When I extend my golden thread, I exude a unique "beastly sensation," a mixture of all the beasts I possess. This gives the animals the benefit of the doubt; they can't distinguish what I am, which allows me to approach without them attacking immediately. It's not that I calm them through kindness; I just confuse them with a superior presence.
That's why the red wolf hasn't attacked me yet. She smells me, knows I'm not of her race, but the sensation I pass on is different from an enemy.
"Easy, girl..." I said, extending my arm.
She growled, her teeth snapping in a mock pounce. I looked back and saw Morn watching me like a child at a show.
"Withdraw from the cave," I murmured.
"But Denovan..."
"I can't even get close with you here, imagine binding. Get out. I'll send Nix to call you when it's safe."
They hesitated but eventually left. Alone, I began to distance myself from the wolf and leaned against the opposite wall, sitting on the cold floor.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, little wolf," I said calmly. She relaxed a bit, though distrust still shone in her eyes.
Looking at that mother who had just lost her pack, a bold idea arose. What if I bound with one of the unborn pups?
I called Nix to my shoulder. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed until I released the golden threads. Slowly, they floated in the direction of the wolf. This time, I didn't seek her mind, but the small sparks of life in her womb.
My control had improved; I could manipulate several threads, but I used only one. In the "static world" of my mind, the weight of consciousness increased every second. The thread touched her belly. I tried to penetrate the skin, but I felt the resistance of the wolf's soul. If I forced it, I would end up binding with her, and Sigrid would never forgive me for "stealing" her wolf.
I recoiled and opened my eyes. "Would it really be possible?"
After all, there is a thin layer of soul around the body; every living being emits it instinctively, and when something physical and soul-less touches them, nothing happens, but when something that is also coated in soul touches, it has varied reactions—depending on the intention of the other being, this can have several results.
Most of the time, when one has no control over the soul, nothing happens, but when a being like me appears, or even a common skinchanger, and has physical contact, it is possible to impose oneself on that soul, cause damage and things like that, like Melisandre's magics in the series, in which she made sacrifices to the red god.
It gives me shivers just imagining doing something so cruel.
But the question remained.
How could I bind to the pup before it was born? How strong would a direwolf pup be as an adult if I bound to it before it left the womb?
Just thinking about that, a fire within me ignited—I have to try.
I repeat the process again, and my golden thread is almost touching the immobile wolf.
Before touching her, I start repeating to myself: I just want to see the pup, just see, just see.
I gradually see the golden thread lose some of its golden luster and become colorless; I see that at that moment, it is without my characteristic will coating it.
I try then to enter the wolf's hide with the colorless thread, almost invisible to my eyes, but the moment I make it move, it gains the golden color, and all my effort was in vain.
I try a few more times, and after almost thirty minutes, I had no progress.
"It's going to be hard," I admitted, standing up. I cast one last look at the wolf. She was now lying down, watching me not with fear, but with a cautious curiosity.
"I'll be back later," I promised, looking her in the eyes. "Just let me rest," I finished in a murmur.
Upon leaving, Sigrid approached me immediately. "Did you bind? Did you manage it?"
"I didn't bind and I'm not going to do that to her. In a few days, I'll be able to calm her enough for you to try."
"Phew..." she sighed, relieved. "But what were you doing in there then?"
"I tried something new: binding to an unborn pup. But it's proving to be very complicated."
"Is that even possible?" she asked, incredulous.
"Technically, yes. They already have life. They are just... stored."
I looked at the sun, already high. "Let's go, Sig. We have to head back."
We found Morn just ahead. "We're returning, Morn. It will take time to have progress."
"Too bad. I thought the 'Black Beast' would have another beast today."
"That wolf belongs to my sister," I replied with a smile. I liked those titles.
"To the brat? Is she a warg too?"
"A little respect would be good, old man," Sigrid growled, her good mood vanishing instantly.
"I will show you when I succeed, Morn. I'm going to bind to one of the pups. In a few days, I'll have another black beast with golden eyes."
Morn looked at me intrigued. "How do you know it will be that color? And now that you mentioned it... why do all your beasts have your eyes and the color of your hair? You aren't tran—"
I cut him off before Morn could say something outrageous with all the arrogance I could muster, amusing myself with the situation:
"I am different, Morn. I am not a common skinchanger; I am a True Skinchanger. She is just an imitation," I said, pointing to Sig.
"Bastard!" Sigrid murmured.
"Hahaha! That explains nothing!" Morn laughed awkwardly.
"We will have time to talk about that later. For now, think of it as magic; it makes it easier. Now let's go back. Your men are exhausted, and make the information of what we saw today circulate. It will be useful for us later."
A few hours later, I was lying on the roof of my cabin, waking up from a nap. Horus was guarding the wolf's cave; Nix was sleeping; Breu was grazing somewhere and Kali was watching him; and Orion was sleeping at my feet, his wounds closing quickly thanks to our bond.
Recently, I contacted my "Raven Brothers." I asked Huginn and Muninn to return. They worked for two years mapping the clans of the North; they deserved rest.
But Huginn would have one last mission. He would pass through the Vale of Thenn to warn my father and my brother about the wights. After everything I showed them, they would believe. And then, Huginn would depart for King's Landing. I want a glimpse of the Targaryens. They say their beauty is divine; I want to see if it's true. And who knows, maybe I'll talk to Viserys. He would certainly be enchanted by a talking raven.
"Maybe I'll warn him to stop trying to have male heirs for a while... it's going to kill his wife," I reflected, looking at the ceiling. "It would be a great way to avoid the Dance of the Dragons before it even starts."
I stood up and stroked Orion's head, who purred under my touch. And I left the tent.
Sigrid was already waiting for me outside.
"Do you want to go?"
"I don't think you can get close so easily..." I said, teasingly.
"I'm taking a deer for her. She must be hungry," Sigrid said, excited.
"Then let's go." I messed up her hair, and laughing, I continued, "I'm just going to warn some of our men and tell Morn we're leaving... We don't want him coming after us."
"Tsk!" She swatted my hand away from her head. "I'm going on ahead, you'll catch up to me fast anyway!" She left in a leap, running toward the forest.
A few minutes later we were at the entrance of the cave.
This time Sig delivered a dead stag to the pregnant wolf, and then sat by my side; we stayed there for hours, and during that time, I spent most of it training my golden threads... calling them that doesn't seem quite right, but that's what they were.
I tried to control them totally without placing intention; it proved quite difficult, but it was possible to see that in a while I would succeed, I just don't know if I will succeed before the birth of the pups.
But five days passed and we continued in the same routine; whenever we could, we went to the cave. The wolf, who previously stayed alert to our presence, began to ignore us and seemed to have no fear of us. I didn't know if it was progress, but Sigrid was happy and well... now we could stay closer and closer to the wolf.
My progress with the golden threads improved a lot, but not enough; I'm still afraid of accidentally binding to the wolf. I talked with Sig and she allowed me to do the test today; she said that at least one of the pups would be hers. I agreed immediately; after all, I could feel five pups in the belly, that was a lot, and I believe the birth of the pups is near, they are already quite large.
"I'M HERE, I'M HERE"
My thoughts were cut off by the shrill sound of Huginn's voice.
I diverted my gaze from the axe I was polishing to look at the pair of ravens, a bit too robust for common ravens. Muninn was quiet as always, and beside him was Huginn...
"I'm heeere" he spoke, hopping as he approached me.
"I see..." I replied amused.
I took some pieces of meat that were on the table; I had set them aside for them, I knew they would arrive today.
"Come, eat a little and rest, you worked hard." The quickest to reach my hand with the pieces of meat was Muninn, who began to eat rapidly.
"I WANT" Huginn's irregular voice sounded; it was strange to see a bird manage to imitate and even think for itself, just from a few conversations it heard around.
"There's some for you too," I said, putting a piece in his beak.
"In two days you will have to find my brother, I have a message for him," I said, stroking Huginn's head.
"You just rest for now." I stroked Muninn as well; he was silent but liked attention no less.
Later I left the two ravens, who were exhausted from the journey, in the tent; they would sleep, and Nix and the sabre brothers were there, so I could be at peace.
This time I would go up the mountains riding Breu, me and Sig; we intended for me to bind to one of the pups that haven't been born yet, and well, I would be quite tired. My mind, when it enters the 'static world' multiple times, gets heavy, and my body becomes somewhat weak when I use this 'magic' many times. I wanted to understand this better, maybe use it in battle, but to enter this mode, I needed a lot of concentration, and I myself couldn't move, and staying for just a few seconds at a time already tired me out.
A large-scale fight would be impossible; would it be that if I bound to a dragon I would have more 'magic' or would my soul be shredded and burned for trying something with one of those beasts?
I sigh.
"Let's focus," I murmured softly, looking at Sig beside me.
"Did you say something?"
"Thinking out loud," I replied.
She shrugged and we continued the path in the woods until we were in front of the cave. Horus stayed outside on watch; Breu lay down in a corner outside the cave in an unconcerned manner. 'Arrogant horse,' I thought, looking at that brute lying in the roots of a tree.
"I'm going to try for real, Sig," I said with conviction, looking her in the eyes.
"You're going to succeed," she said seriously, and with a gentle look she said, "I really wanted to bind with this red wolf... I've already thought of several names too, so you have to succeed!"
"I won't let you down," I said sincerely; after all, I would be a terrible brother for binding to a wolf that Sig possessed in a dream.
"You don't," she said unconcernedly, and that sounded somewhat encouraging, but when I saw so much trust being placed in me, I felt even more pressured.
When we entered the cave, the wolf already seemed to be waiting for us.
She was very close to the door; we got close slowly until we saw her react negatively, baring her teeth.
When she did that, we took a step back and sat on the floor; we waited a few moments. Sig was already used to my attitude, and she says she has started to copy it and that it helped her a lot in her bond with Wind Wing.
A few moments later the wolf was already more relaxed; she cast glances at us once in a while but was tranquil. Seeing this, I breathed deeply and entered the 'static world.'
In the same moment, a bright and very thin golden thread began to come out of me and go in the direction of the wolf's belly; it was fast. When it reached a few centimeters away, it began to turn black, as black as my hair; it changed color slowly, from the tip to the rest. When more than half was already black, the thread began to touch the wolf, and I felt nothing—a sense of relief took over. The black thread began to enter further and further until I entered the womb. I could feel five lives there; some slightly moved their paws, tail, neck. I didn't see, but I could feel. When I entered the static world, I didn't see or hear anything, but I could feel the frequency of the soul. I directed the black thread toward the soul that seemed to be the strongest. When I touched the baby, I was excited; it was now.
I began to pour in my intention—very little, after all, the pup's soul was fragile. I put it in bit by bit and didn't let the thread turn golden; I maintained control, only the tip was.
In that moment, I felt a small bond form, and I felt the other bonds react to nourish the new one that entered; this was good and bad, after all, I had never done this in such a young soul.
I released my breath completely and the static world dissolved. A wide, beastly smile appeared on my face, before I could look at Sig and tell the good news. The wolf stood up in a leap and fixed her gaze on my eyes, as if she knew what I had done.
"You're not going to attack me, are you?"
Seeing the wolf staring fixedly at me, Sig's voice spoke, sounding a bit sad:
"So, did you bind with her?"
"No... I didn't. I managed to bind with one of the pups, but now she's staring at me..." I said, without taking my eyes off the wolf.
-/-/-
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