N o k k

Nokk was raised to be kind.  Firm, but kind.  He lived a full life, finding his place in the world, hunting, scouting, fighting, finding his way.  He was able to find the love of his life early, on a scouting trip with his brothers, they ran into their sister pack hunting in the same grounds.  He and his brothers joked and jested with the ladies, perhaps flirting more than they should have, causing the ladies to roll their eyes at their not so subtle flirting.  Nokk was able to notice it wasn't working and instead tried to woo the one he had been drawn too.  Eis, a tall, white wolf like himself.  Eis was stern, as the oldest of the others it was her responsibility to keep them in line after all.  

It took Nokk a few “accidental” run in’s with this group of ladies, to finally get Eis to warm up to him, and he asked her to go on a hunt.  She reluctantly agreed, and they hit it off.  Nokk was quite the gentleman, as well as a bit of a show off, scaling a cliff to fetch her “Only the most beautiful flower, for the most beautiful woman.”  Eventually, the two fell for each other.  Hard.  And they ran off to start their own family.    

Their first litter was unfortunately unsuccessful, and it took a toll on Eis.  Still he stood by her side, and was enthusiastic and loving, and eventually they had a second, healthy litter.  Eis and Nokk were overjoyed, and for the first few days after it was a fairytale, until the third day.  The smell of new, easy prey wafted in the woods easily, and scavenging predators made their way to the den.  Eis buried the pups under leaves and dirt, praying to whatever gods there were to protect them as both she and Nokk led the scavengers away.

Nokk was victorious in his fight  against the scavenging scum, however, Eis had been horribly wounded and after taking painful last breaths, succumbed to her wounds.  Nokk grieved for hours by her, wailing, until dusk fell, remembering his children, the only pieces of her he had left.  He raced back  to see the den empty.blood trailing from the entrance. He fell into a deep despair and wondered somewhere as cold as his heart had begun to turn.  Something about losing all he held dear changed him, turned him colder, more stoic, he didn’t care anymore. 

Wanting to forget (but not really), he travelled North, far north and found a barren, frozen land that had no claim, no others there, just him and the cold, desolate landscape. As he discovered this land, he discovered its secrets, good and bad, and those who had found it before him.

A band of three had said they claimed the land first and challenged him for it. In all his anger and ferocity at life and it’s unfairness, he tore into the three with no mercy. Spilling their blood on the ground, and claiming victory. Nokk took claim to this cold land, and began a new life for himself. Not quite forgetting those he loved before, but honoring them in a new step. A new, victorious life. 

In Járnviðr.