LOGINShare
Daughter of the hunt
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56On the second day of our hunt, Dekota and Eris decided to take their team farther east to look for tracks. It was unlikely they would find any as everything the other hunters have seen told us north but it would be better to have them there to flank north if needed.
Makya kept Zophiel circling high above us, scouting for any sights as we raced north. Shortly after noon, Zophiel let out a pieces screech, bringing the team to a halt. I looked up to see Zophiel wheeling over the next ridge.
“There is a clearing, what? Around 1000 meters over that rise isn’t there?”
Makya looked at a small map he always had with him. “From what I can tell, that should be right. We camped there two summers ago, right?”
“That’s what I am thinking.” I climbed out of the sled, already missing its warmth, and pulled out my rifle.
“Not taking dad’s gift?” Makya teased.
“You are welcome to carry it as backup, but I plan to stay out of sight for now.”
He shrugged, pulling out his own rifle and ski set. “I will take the rise on the left. The dogs should be fine here. You going up to that overlook?” he asked pointing to an outcropping that should give a vantage down into the clearing.
I gave a gentle nod and began the trudge. The snow was thick today but thankfully our snowshoes made it fairly easy. In any case, I was accustomed to these hikes thanks to chasing Makya all over the frozen world. When I reached my spot, I lay out an oilskin on the snow and crouched on top, uncasing my rifle.
Down in the clearing, about 500 meters away I saw a stag, which was not what I expected after Zophiel’s alert. A stag here should mean no danger was in the area. I watched closely through the scope as a crow flew down into the valley.
“Morrigan? Cernunnos?” I breathed, not believing my own eyes. The crow landed on a branch near the stag and the two looked at each other. Then, a great red-furred timber wolf prowled into the clearing. I took aim on the wolf, waiting for the battle crow to mark my target.
“Brigid, lady of the forest, forgive me for taking one of your wolves. Cernunnos, thank you mighty lord of the hunt. Morrigan, mark my kill that you may feast first.”
The battle crow cawed and took flight. I slowed my breathing, taking careful aim, adjusting for distance. Then the crow landed on the horns of the stag! I blinked. Was I supposed to target the stag and not the wolf? As I began to adjust my sight to the stag, the wolf moved, following my crosshairs until it stood beneath the stag.
“Mother above!” I swore. “The three-faced god embodied. What world of hell have I evoked?” I about shat myself when all three creatures turned their faces in unison and stared at me through my own scope! There before me, the trigod embodied. As I watched, there was a flash, and the trigod was before my face, inches away!
I tried to scream but the world spun and went black. I stood on a plane of grass in a forest. No snow could be seen. Tir na nóg? Was I now among the Tuatha de Danann? Shit this was bad!
Before me stood the trigod, the battle crow, the stag, and the wolf. My eyes locked with the wolf and my mind felt like it was splitting in two. I clutched at my head, writhing on the ground. Then, like a cold splash of water on a hot burn, a voice, husky and deep spoke into my mind.
‘Daughter of the hunt, we greet thee.’
“Cernunnos?”
‘Welcome, daughter, to Tir na nóg.’
When I had my wits about me, I came to my knees and bowed my head low. Five minutes ago I believed in Cernunnos as a kind of fulfillment of my own belief and luck at hunting. Now? Now the embodiment of faith stood before me. Yea you freaking bow and grovel when you mean your gods' damned deities. Especially when you realize you are in Tir na nóg on top of everything else!
“How may I serve?” Yea, that is good. Let’s stick with that.
‘Rise, Daughter of the hunt, my faithful huntress.’
I hesitated but figured right now, obeying was the best option.
The wolf stepped forward. ‘Daughter of the hunt, we have been waiting for you.’
“For me?”
‘A great evil is preparing to return to the land. Your world is not the only one at stake. If Emrys Ballar returns to power, a druid of his ilk could cross the planes and jeopardize our world too.’
“And you want me to do what exactly?”
“Hunt” came a cawing command from the battle crow.
“Hunt? This Emrys Ballar? I don’t hunt humans…”
‘No, but you hunt wolves. And do so well. Emrys Ballar is as cunning as a wolf and you will need to have the mind of one to defeat him.”
“Mind of the wolf, defeat Emrys Ballar, save the world, save Tir na nóg. Got it… anything else while I am on this mushroom trip?” Probably should have kept my mouth shut on that last bit…
The battle crow’s eyes glowed red. Definitely should have kept my mouth shut.
The crow flapped from its perch on the stag’s antlers and shifted before my eyes into a stunning woman. The Maiden!
“Girl, you may think this a passing fancy, but hear me now. Your father sacrificed his life to imprison Emrys Ballar before you were born. Your mother gave her life that the world might have a daughter such as you. They shared a power that most mortals could never dream of. It was in the power of their union that I was able to bless their child. Cernunnos and Brigid are here now and as one we have come to see that blessing complete.”
“And I am the answer to this? I don’t even have magic!”
The wolf locked eyes with me then, ‘This is far from true. It only needs to be awoken. On your eighteenth birthday, come to the grove at the center of the seven lakes. There the ritual will commence. Each quarter, the moon shall turn, blood shall flow, and you, our huntress, shall send forth a river of souls to us. Those of blackest night the Morrigan shall claim. With each blood moon, your power shall converge.”
“Blood moons, power, convergence… ok, got it. Anything else?”
The wolf showed me her teeth in what I assume was a smirk. Then it pounced! My head hit the ground hard as claws sank into my shoulders, then the maiden was at my head and raked a nail down the side of my neck, drawing a thin trickle of blood. The wolf leaped off me, leaving stinging claw marks. I tried to crawl away but I had nowhere to go. I was deep in Tir na nóg with no idea how to get back to my own plane.
‘Peace, Child. It hurts now, but our intention is not to harm you, beyond that which is necessary to initiate the rite.’ Came the stag’s deep voice.
“Then, it is done?”
The wolf circled me, ‘It has begun. You, Eileen, shall be soul bonded to my daughter, StellaLuna.”
“Soulbonded, your daughter- Stella… Luna? Queen? Star Queen? A wolf?” said in a panic.
‘A wolf? No, Child, Luna. I am of the Tuatha de Danann. If we act directly against the mortal plane, it would not be good. However, my daughter is pure wolf, born of magic, and now your soulbound.”
“So, like Makya’s eagle, Zophiel!”
“Only in part. You are of one body but two minds. She is your other half, your second form. Born of Morrigan’s magic, my shape, and Cernnonus’s blessing, your bond is our answer to your parent’s faith.”
“I’m a… a…” I wasn’t sure I could bring myself to say it. “Werewolf?” I finally whispered.
‘You are goddess blessed. You are soul bonded to my daughter. She is no werewolf born of cursed lycanthropy, but pure Direwolf, born pure for the earth as her defender. She is not a Luna of cursed origins but StellaLuna, born of starlight.’ Came Bridit’s howl.
“You are blessed by the Morrigan, born in the magic of love, and gifted with life and protection by the chooser of the slain,” came the battle crow’s cry as she shifted back into crow form.
‘You are the daughter of the hunt, our huntress. Go forth, and fulfill our promise given nigh eighteen years ago,’ came Cernunnos’s snort as the stag turned with the crow perched once again on its antlers, the wolf walking beside them.
I stood, not wanting to be left behind. “Umm, How do I, you know, get home?”
The world spun around me, darkness and light swirling in dizzying patterns.
I slammed hard on my back into the cold snow, my furs soaking in the damp. My shoulders ached. Ok, so that part was real enough. I reached into my furs, expecting to find torn clothes but only found torn skin beneath an intact fur coat. My hand came out slightly bloody.
“Eileen?”
Makya stomped up the rise. “I didn’t see anything. Was there anything on this end? I never heard a shot.”
“I. Nothing. A stag.”
“Ah, Zophiel must be hungry. I will make sure he finds some food for himself or give him some jerky. You sure you are ok? You look pale.”
“Fine, I think I just need to rest. Think I can ride in the sled a while longer before we switch?”
“You rest. I can lead the team.”
“You sure?”
“Eileen, we are not in a race. We are hunting. I am fine. I will stop when I am tired and we will set up camp ok?”
“Thanks, Makya.”
Related chapters
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Ambush!
I closed my eyes against the biting wind as Makya mushed the team back into motion. Our sled slid along the snow path. We continued north for two more days without seeing signs of a wolf pack in the area and finally turned back southwest toward the village. Makya sent Zophiel to alert Dekota and Eris to meet us along the road. With luck, they would cross our path in a day or two just before the village. As dusk settled on our fifth day out, I built our cook fire while Makya set the tent up. A creek wound its way through the woods not far from our camp, giving the dogs easy access to the cold water. The embers were finally starting to burn off the damp from the snow when the ears of every dog in the team went flat. A low growl resonated from each of their throats as I scanned the tree line. “Makya?!” I said in a loud whisper. He looked over at me, and then to the trees trying to see what the dogs were alerted to. He reached over to the sled and slid out his ri
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Village Trades
Green tinted light cut through my eyelids. A heavy weight lay across me, pressing me down into the bedroll. I tried to push it off only to realize it was Makya’s arm. As my eyes adjusted, the canvas tent come into view only inches from my face. Makya must have moved us inside when the fire died down. His warm body was pressed up close against my back.I suppose I could manage to bear the weight of his limbs a little longer. The warm breath against my neck sent a shiver down my spine. Makya stirred and the weight lifted from my chest. My lungs gladly accepted the fresh intake of air, but I let out a groan of displeasure as the warmth of his body moved away from me. Makya rolled out of the bedroll and began pulling on layers without a word.“Time to go already?”“You awake? Well, with your leg injury we need to get you back as soon as possible. I am sending Zophiel to find Dekota and Eris. They need to know about the wolves and how they are
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Quinn Manner
Homecoming to Quinn manner was anything but joyous. Aunt Rihanna stood on the porch with her arms on her hips as if she was ready to berate me into the five hells and then sacrifice me to Morrigan the chooser. The white pillars of the manor porch were a stark contrast to her black dress and furs.“About time you returned. I see your boy has brought you back, though I don’t suppose you managed to keep yourself in one piece.”“And what is that suppose to imply?” I snapped, climbing off the sled and unpacking my gear.“It means that suiters are not going to want a girl like you, if they suspect you have lost your virtue,” a slight lilt slipping into her accent with her anger.I glanced at Makya, mortification likely burning up my cheeks. “Aunt Rihanna, What suiters could you possibly be worried about out here?”“The Coven expects you to carry on the bloodline. The Quinn family has been respec
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Alpha Arvin
As the sled passed the outer markers of the Coven’s lands, Selena stepped out from behind a tree. Makya halted the sled not far from her. “Selena?” I asked. “What are you doing out here?” “Checking the wards, girl.” I looked back at Makya, “I will be fine. Thank you for the ride.” “You sure?” I climbed out and nodded. “I need to ask questions anyway.” “Well, ring the bell tomorrow and I will come find you.” Makya mushed the small team and disappeared down the road. “Nice lad, that.” Selena said from behind me. I spun to find Selena standing right behind me. “Ah, Selena. You said you were checking the wards. Would you be willing to show me?” Selena eyes me speculatively. “You have rarely taken an interest in the craft. Has something changed to peek your interest? Some spark of power?” I debated how much to tell her. She was the matron I trusted the most, but that only meant a notch more than not at all. “
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Cernunnos' s bless?
I snorted as Aunt Rhianna sat at the far end of the table and began cutting into my venison. Cernunnos? Was she blessing them to all start having kids or something? The horned lord had already provided this bounty. What was she on about invoking him in his role as fertility god?“Something humorous?” Arvin asked.I held up a bid of leg bone. “Aside from this bone? My aunt’s choice in blessing.”“Ah, Cernunnos. You are not pleased in her choice?”“Unless you are looking to have kids in the next year, Cernunnos has already done his work by providing the meal. I think this is some of the buck I killed two weeks ago.” I regretted those words about as soon as the left my mouth. The hungry, lustful gaze that raked over me made my skin crawl.“If you are interested in following your Cernunnos’ guidance, I am certainly not opposed.” He purred, low, and guttural. “I understand you
The Huntress - Luna Eileen you need to go
When the door finally creaked open, it was my cousin, Breanna, who looked down at me with wide eyes. “You need to go.” “What?” “Find your native friend, and go. I packed some things for you. Go to your room and change, but you need to be gone in like ten minutes, Eileen.” “Breanna, what is going on?” “I want a chance at a life that is not here, Eileen. And Arvin is willing to offer that. but not if you are here. So, go!” I looked into Breanna’s muddled eyes and saw what I thought was a glimmer of desperation, and possibly hope. None of the mischievous, strong willed Breanna I had known. However, I also had heard the men outside the window and was not about to pass up the chance she was offering me. “Thank you, Breanna. I will remember this.” “See that you do.” There was a hint of sorrow in that remark that I couldn’t quite understand. I dashed upstairs and pulled on my thick furs. Breanna had already laid out so
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Seven Lakes
It wasn’t long before we had the team harnessed up. Chief Eyote clasped his son’s shoulder, “Be safe, son. May Stella watch over you, and guide you. I will send Dekota and Eris to meet up with you tomorrow. Which direction do you plan to head?” Makya looked to me, “Eileen?” “Seven lakes.” I said without thinking. Chief Eyote paled. “Seven lakes? Eileen, are you sure?” “Brigit herself told me.” “Then may the gods guide your path and watch over you on this fools errand.” He waved as Makya mushed the team to the north west. As we hit the woodline, the little bit of sunlight we had quickly began to fade. “This blasted winter light is going to really cut into our ability to make any distance.” Makya said. “Think we can get an hour’s work out of it?” “As long as the team can see, we should be able to make ten to fifteen miles.” Ahead of us, the large red fur of Stella appeared. The team all perked thei
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Way Station
After we ate a quick meal, Makya went into the tent. I hesitated to follow him in now. For years we had been on over night hunting trips, even two to three day trips and it had never been awkward. You shared tent space, and you shared warmth. But now… now things were different. Or were they? Maya, one of Makya’s fluffy white Seppala Siberian husky, with a light gray patchwork covering her fur, whined at me. I wondered over and rubbed her head as she nuzzled in close. “How are you doing girl? Your paws doing ok?” I lifted her feet checking each of the paws after the hard run. They seemed to be doing well, so I figured she must just want the attention. I finally stood, needing to warm myself in the tent, but was followed by Maya. “You joining us in the tent then? Well, I suppose you could help break any tension there. Come on, you can be my cuddle bug tonight.” I went into the tent to find Makya stripped down to his thermal pants. Thin angry red slashes
Latest chapter
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Love my readers
My readers have spoken and I need to finish this tale and do it right. I will not be releasing new chapters for a while yet, but know that I have finished book one of Rejected Billionaire so now my goal is to FINISH this book before the end of 2022. it now has my undivided attention and I will be writing as often as I can. I have learned that it is better for me not to release chapters untill I am done, so I will be rough drafting for now, doing a hard edit and then working with some beta readers to make sure this ends up being the best tale I can offer. Again, you all are amazing. please keep holding on a bit longer and I hope to complete this tale for you with some great chapters. I will not be starting any other tales until this one is complete. I would LOVE to see in the comments anything you want to see happen, who you are shipping hard, and how much spice you want.
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Night of rest
Back in my room, Kiara collapsed on the bed, “Everything I grew up knowing feels like a lie! You said he was one of the Tuatha Dé Danann? You mean he is like Morrigan, and the others?” I simply nodded. “You know I still have not wrapped my mind around all of that. I grew up thinking Ballar was like a god to our pack. There was some mention of Herne but we never learned about the rest. If I had not gone there myself and seen them face to face, I don’t know I would ever believe all of that.” Kiara said, holding her head in her hands. I realized just how much insanity had happened in the last few weeks. We both had enough life experience with things that were out of the ordinary that our minds were open enough to accept some of this but it was still massive. “I think it is a lot for both of us. I honestly didn’t believe in half the things my coven taught up until a few weeks ago. I guess I always believed in Morrigan, but it was more of a guardian angel
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Herne
As we walked into the dining room, the aroma of roasting venison and hardy stew wafted from the kitchen. My appetite rushed back with a vengeance and I was eager to sample Caleb’s hard work. Then I noticed a man at the end of the table dressed in buckskin with long brown hair. I stopped dead in my tracks, staring at one of my patron gods, Cernunnos, horned lord of the hunt. “My lord, Cernunnos,” I said, curtsying and pulling Kaira down into a curtsy as well. The man snorted and stood, “I see you know my half-brother. While I like to think I have the better looks, he is still better known with the ladies. I am Herne.” I looked at him again, taking in his build and dress. He looked to be in his prime, perhaps mid-thirties, but his eyes held a timeless quality, full of deep knowledge. “Forgive me, I didn’t realize any of the Tuatha Dé Danann were here.” I said, trying to give Kaira as much studdle information as I dared. “That is a tale for after dinner.
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Cozy Healing
I awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright. I was alone in a large bed, in a decent size room with a big bay window. Sunlight was streaming in as I glanced down to find I was dressed in a large shirt and little else. I scanned the room and found my green dress draped over a chair. Next to it was a red dress in the same fashion and what looked like the black one Morrigan had given us. I briefly wondered where they might have come from, but dismissed it, realizing if Morrigan wanted us to have them, she would have found a way.I stood up, and grunted at the pain that rocked my body. As I dragged my body out of its sleepy stupor, I realized my arms and legs were covered with bruises and nearly healed cuts. If my experience a few weeks ago with the wolf bite was anything to judge by, I must have been in a serious state not long ago to still be seeing this much damage to my body. My stomach made itself known then, the pangs of hunger gurgling forth. I quickly pulled on the red dre
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Heading to the Glacier Pack
The brief nap in the tub gripped my body, my eyes begging for more rest. It had been too long since we had been able to sleep in a comfortable and secure place. The large bed called to me, and I laid down, my hair still wrapped in a towel. Kiara joined me a moment later, sliding under the sheets as I made room for her. I opened my arms, and she snuggled in close against my robe. As I held her tight, I thought of Mayka, and what he might do to me, the pleasure he could inflict upon my body if he could join me in this luxurious room.The next morning I awoke to the early morning light. Being east of the mountains for the first time in my life, the sun streamed through the windows far earlier that I was used to. Kiara was cuddled against my chest, her cheek pressed to my bare breast. Sometime in the night, she had snuggled into my robe and we were now pressed together. I wasn’t about to wake her, enjoying her warmth, when a loud pounding sounded on our door, startling the
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Fairmont Palliser
Kiara leaned against the door as I began to explore the room and I heard a small snick as she bolted the door and added the chain and deadbolt for good measure. “That one was a bit bold.”I smirked, the tension slowly seeping from my shoulders as I took in the grand room we had been put up in. a huge king size four-poster bed took up a good bit of the room, but there was also a couch, a desk, a small table, and a large widow with thick curtains that looked out over the town. “You interested in what he is offering? He may be a few years older than us but I bet he could show you a good time if you wanted.”“No.” she said plainly, not a hint of interest. Her voice almost sounded revolted at the idea.“Is there someone special you are hoping for?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the plush bed and flopping back onto its luxurious comforter.“There is… someone,” She said carefully.&ldquo
The Huntress - Luna Eileen A meal with Tucker
The run down the far side of the mountain was swift and at times a harrowing experience as we plunged down steep cliff sides, sliding through thick snow drifts. Stella and Sierra’s thick fur was all that kept us from being torn to pieces as branches and brambles flicked overhead. As the sun began its decent in the afternoon, we finally crashed out of the woods and onto a well traveled road. Tucker in his wolf form led us to the rear of town to a small barn where his wolf crashed into his chest.Tucker had been sitting cross legged in the barn atop a pile of straw and suddenly opened his eyes as Kiara and I shifted back into our human forms.“Ah, ladies. Good to see you whole.” He smiled at us both as he rose to his feet and pulled on his shirt. My gaze lingered on those rippling aps as his shirt slid into place, hiding them from view. I then noticed his gaze locked on my feet. “Have you two been without shoes this whole time? Come, there is a sh
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Up the mountain
A dainty arm wrapped around me and I gripped the hand, hugging it close to my chest as morning light streamed through the canvas of the tent. The warm body pressed against my back and I longed for a warm bed so Makya could press me into it. I kissed the fingers gently, wishing for so much more, but the hard floor of a tent, in the cold of winter was not my idea of a good time. And soon enough we would be back home and we could find his bed and enjoy the warmth of his cabin.“Eileen?” a soft groggy voice asked, the hand pulling away from me slightly. A feminine voice. NOT Makya.I froze, a sense of horror and shock gripping me as I slowly opened my eyes and glanced down at the hand I held. Definitely female, and not Makya’s native tan. I did my best to pretend nothing had happened, “Morning Kiara.”“Where are we?” she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, apparently unperturbed by anything I had done.“I ho
The Huntress - Luna Eileen Escape
Out of the dense forest, wolves began appearing. We pulled up short as they surrounded us.‘Follow us if you want to live.’ We heard over the mental tether. It was a strange dialect, clearly not the same as that of the Clearwater pack. These must be members of the glacier pack Arvin had yelled about.‘Why should we trust you?’One of the larger wolves stepped forward. He had a gray coat, not the black I had seen in Arvin’s wolves. ‘For now, don’t. simply trust that we are more interested in causing the Clearwater pack issues that we care about you. Removing you from their care is simply the easiest way to piss them off.’We glanced at Sierra/Kiara and made our decision. We all needed time to recover, and so long as this other pack didn’t try anything right off, perhaps we would get the day or two we needed to be at full strength. The fact these wolves were not the solid
