Unfamiliar Territory - Chapter 15 (Early Access) (Patreon)

The next day, sore and still mildly blistered, Chloe was awoken with another kiss to her face. This time, she savoured it, smiling up at Tove in the din as the wolf retreated from their sleep space.

She returned quicker this time, with breakfast folded into her skirt, and was followed by Aunt Maja. Chloe could hear their conversation coming long before they made it into view through the window. Full of laughter and teasing tones, they could easily be sisters. Aunt Maja had the bed frame lifted high over her head as though it were a branch. Biceps and triceps and whatever else made up those enormous arms were bunching and flexing as the furniture bounced over her head. It took both werewolves to weasel it through the door frame of the small cottage, with Chloe pulling back the door itself as far as possible.

It was placed central in the downstairs room and Tove flopped to the floor, panting.

"I don't know why she's huffing and puffing, she only had to help for that last five minutes," Aunt Maja laughed.

From the ground, Tove joined in until she couldn't stop and had to roll onto her side to gather her breath. Chloe giggled behind the door, clinging to the edge.

"Thank you so much for carrying it this whole way," she said, tip-toeing towards her new bed, desperate to view Vilde’s work.

The carvings were light, visible only as indents from afar, but up-close Chloe had to keep shifting her spectacles to catch every tiny detail. Chrysanthemums, daisies, bluebells, pansies, daffodils and flowers she couldn't identify bloomed along the central pallet, winding into leafy stems and vines that tangled down the legs. The four posts each had a fat rose carved into the top, bursting with petals that looked like they would be soft to touch. Interspersed between leaf and bud were the tiniest, almost hidden, constellations. Speckles of stars filled the nooks and crannies like a game of hide and seek for Chloe to use on sleepless nights, like counting sheep. So much attention and care had been taken in the design, the execution immaculate. Vilde had a gift... and probably a lot of practice.

"Oh my goodness," Chloe breathed. "Vilde did this in one night?"

Aunt Maja hummed proudly. "She's sleeping like the dead right now."

Squatting to appraise the handiwork herself, Tove whistled and traced her finger over the curves of petals blooming from a vine. "She must have changed her mind about you," she said.

Chloe looked to Aunt Maja, who only smiled in answer.

"Looks good. Let's eat," Tove announced, breaking the spell of the beautiful carving.

"I want to look at all of it first," Chloe whined, shuffling around one of the posts on her knees.

"You do that and I'll cook." She added in a mumble, "If I wanted to crawl around on all fours I would shift."

Aunt Maja chuckled. "You two have fun and eat well, I should bring something to my exhausted wife."

"You should know better than to wake up Aunt Vilde," Tove warned, digging through her provisions.

Aunt Maja laughed again, and there was a nervous undertone. "I will be careful. I intend to live a lot longer than this."

Tove grinned and waved her out. Chloe joined in from the floor.

While breakfast spat and fizzed over the fire, Chloe rearranged her bedding atop the frame. It would need more cushioning, but already it was an enormous upgrade from the floor. There was an ache in her neck that had only gotten worse with a second night of only Tove's furry butt to buffer her from stone. Combined with a hard day’s work with Aunt Maja… Chloe was in need of a long hot bath. What she had was a bucket of cold water. She gave the bed a test flop, and there wasn't a rattle or a shake to the solid wood frame. She sighed happily.

"I've never slept on one of those," Tove mused from the fire. "Is it strange to sleep suspended in the air?"

"It's so much more comfortable than the floor, and warmer." She sat up and pretended to suddenly remember something. "But we don't usually allow dogs in the bed."

Tove laughed. "After all my sweat-"

"Aunt Maja's sweat."

"She doesn't sweat, she's too strong for that." Tove layered a few pieces of bread over the sizzling oil and vegetables, soaking up juices and toasting from pale brown to golden. The smell woke Chloe's stomach up, silent to screaming in just a few seconds. "I heard that," Tove chuckled.

Chloe flushed. "Is it almost ready?"

Tove nodded and began scooping servings out onto small plates. "Magic folk are impatient,” she said. Not unkindly, simply stating a fact she had learned. “You wouldn't survive making this bread from scratch."

It was true, but Chloe didn't give her the satisfaction of agreeing. Instead, she slid to the floor and accepted her breakfast with both hands and a grateful smile.

Every bite hit the spot perfectly. Crisp bread and fatty oil and tender vegetables. When both plates were almost licked clean, they laid on the ground with their hands on their bellies.

"I have to go and help my parents," Tove groaned. "I'm probably already late."

"I need to go help at the workshop," Chloe replied. She looked across at the bright sunlight bursting in through the window. "I'm definitely late."

They dragged themselves up, escorted each other to the centre of the city, and went their separate ways. Chloe was starting to remember certain streets, maybe even a few faces… she would have a mental map in no time.

Outside the workshop, a long and lean woman leant against the building. The few bits of material that covered her body were doing their best, but little was left to the imagination. Not that she would probably want a passerby trying to imagine a body for her - hers was perfect. Elegant lines and deep curves kept crocheted pieces balanced over her most private areas. The rest shone bronze in the sun. Chloe realised with a start that not only was she staring, but that this was the woman who had been sunbathing when she arrived in the city.

The woman was just as unbothered now as she had been then. One cat-like eye cracked open against the Summer sunshine, offered Chloe a bored once-over, and closed again.

"H-Hello," Chloe croaked. "Is... the workshop open?"

"Why?" the woman asked.

"Oh, um, I've been helping Aunt Maja-"

"She is not your aunt." The sharp tone cut pink across Chloe’s cheeks.

"N-no, but she told me-"

The woman sighed. "She is not here, little witch." She pushed off from the wall and strode towards her, all hips. "But she mentioned you might want to make yourself useful, so come with me."

It didn’t sound like she wanted Chloe’s help, but if Aunt Maja had arranged it, there was no reason to run away. And Chloe really wanted to.

"Oh, thank you." Chloe spun on the spot, following the woman back in the opposite direction. "Um, my name is Chloe."

"Kajsa."

"That's a pretty name."

"Mhmm."

Awkward silence fell, although apparently it only bothered Chloe, and they walked single-file through the centre of the city. There were plenty of watchers, some with appreciative grins - those Chloe could assume were for Kajsa, while the nervous lip pinching was for her. She was obviously the beauty of her generation... which… would be Tove's generation too since they looked a similar age. Chloe wondered if she had ever given Kajsa that same look from afar… It would be warranted.

They had reached the abandoned outskirts when Chloe attempted another forced conversation. "What's your job in the pack?"

Kajsa’s replies remained curt. "I make clothes."

"Oh, that's nice.” It also explained why her clothing was so expertly tailored to show off every inch but her insides. An incredible body with perfect drapery. “I've not had much experience in sew-"

"But today, I have been tasked with collecting water." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "It is very boring, but I hear you are desperate to help."

"Um, yes."

They arrived at a plaque dug deep into the wall, easily missed amongst weeds and moss and algae stains. "We go through here to reach the spring,” Kajsa announced.

Chloe took a step back. "Wait, does this lead outside of the city?" They were at the opposite end to the city entrance she and Tove had come through, but the tunnel looked similar.

Kajsa looked at her as though she had just asked if it was day or night. "Of course."

"I can't leave, the alpha said so."

"Do you want to help or not?"

Chloe’s tongue tied itself into knots under the pressure of Kajsa’s intimidating stare. She managed to stammer out, "I should ask Tove first."

"I already asked my mothers and they said it was fine, Tove has no right to speak over them."

"But if I go too far, she’ll get stuck or dragged towards me."

Kajsa sighed. "Your offer of help shouldn't be conditional, either you want to be a contributing member of the pack, or you want to be a nuisance. Eating our food and drinking our water and-"

"I know,” Chloe said softly. “And I do want to help, but-"

"My mother was up all last night adding decoration to a stupid witch bed because you choose not to sleep on the floor,” Kajsa hissed. “The least you can do is abide by her guidance and come help me gather water for the pack."

Chloe frowned, uncertain. "Aunt Maja and Vilde said it was okay?"

Kajsa nodded.

"You don't look anything like them."

"How old are you?"

The sudden question wiped her brain of thoughts, but she answered reflexively. "Twenty."

"Shouldn't you understand where children come from by now?"

"I-I do! I just thought, maybe one was your biological mother and, um," she stammered. She had completely lost control of the argument and her mouth.

"Make your decision.” Kajsa turned way, hair swishing. “I am leaving."

Left on the other side, Chloe stumbled forwards and back, caught in indecision. Aunt Maja wouldn't steer her wrong, she was sure of that. Vilde... was supposedly asleep but if Aunt Maja had taken her breakfast and woken her up... Tove's warning popped into her head: you should know better than to wake up Aunt Vilde. Maybe it was in Chloe's safest interests not to disobey a sleepy Vilde's orders...

She dropped to her knees, lifted the metal lid and slid into the tunnel. The entrance opened into a deeply set room that Chloe half-fell into, kicking Kajsa on her way in. A growl filled the dark room and Chloe whimpered back.

"So you want to make use of yourself after all," Kajsa grumbled. "Take as many jugs as you can carry."

"Where are they? I can't see anything."

Kajsa huffed. " Here." Long pieces of pottery were pushed into Chloe's arms.

"O-okay, I think that's all I can hold."

There was a noise that might have been another sigh, Chloe chose to ignore it, and then a rush of light entered the room as Kajsa forced her way out the other side of the tunnel with her head braced against the hinged metal sheet. Chloe followed her, and got thumped on the forehead as she did. She didn’t even have a free hand to rub the sore spot, her arms filled with long jugs. Outside, everything was just as it had been before Chloe had entered the city. A quiet, overgrown forest. There wasn’t another wolf in sight - at least, that Chloe’s weak magic folk eyes could see.

The walk, or rather, jug-hugging-waddle, was much longer than Chloe had anticipated. Everything looked the same to her and it was impossible to tell if they were actually travelling very far away or just round in a big circle. Either way, she would have to speak up soon, for Tove's sake. Just another minute… then she would say something. Kajsa's wrath seemed to match Vilde's and Chloe wouldn't want to set her off without good reason.

Thankfully, the sound of water met them just as Chloe opened her mouth. A spring was spraying from between the cracks in a huge cluster of slate-like rock. The women dumped their jugs beside it.

"You fill them, and I will run them back because I'm faster,” said Kajsa.

"In wolf form?"

"No." She tucked her braids behind her ears primly. "That will tangle my hair. I will go like this."

It was a fairly simple task, and Kajsa zipped back and forth between the spring and the wall at an efficient jog. Until the last jug, that was.

Chloe sat with it resting between her knees, awaiting Kajsa’s return for longer than she would like to admit. Naive to any ill-will towards her.

She had been helping, she had kept up with Kajsa’s speed, and she hadn’t once complained.

The sky was darkening when she realised Tove’s cousin might not be coming back for her.