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The she-wolf ran as fast as she could, trying her hardest to ignore the searing in her legs, the sharp pain she felt in her lungs with each panicked breath, the jolts that ran up her feet as they pounded against pavement, she had to ignore these if she wanted to get away. Her pursuers were closing in on her, shouting and hurling insults, promises of all the horrible things they were going to do to her.

Robin hated this, she'd been a target for bullying her entire school life, she'd always been the odd one out. It couldn't be helped though, her family was too conservative, too religious and they pushed her to be all of those things as well, not caring if it was what she wanted or not. Keep your head down and listen, do as we say, this is all you need in life and you'll be damned if you think of wanting anything else. She knew this made her weird and strange, a perfect target for bullies, especially the popular kids. Their abuse had only gotten worse as time went on and high school had become her own personal level of hell.

Eighteen years old, a senior student and still running away from abusers instead of standing up for herself, was this going to be her life forever? Probably not if the three girls chasing her had anything to say about it once they caught her. The thought gave her a burst of energy as she took a sharp turn left, she could hear the sound of crashing and someone loudly cursing came from behind her, one of her pursuers had probably bailed into a trash can. She'd known to avoid the trash can in advance, she also knew that if she hit the lever coming up on her right that it would cause a hidden gate to swing out, barely giving her enough time to squeeze through the gap before it blocked off the path behind her. She slammed her paw against it, causing a jolt of pain but otherwise it went as planned, the gate was starting to swing towards her, she veered off to the right and managed to make that small gap just in time for the gate to slam shut. She heard the sound of shoes scraping against gravel and the metallic crash of someone who hadn't stopped in time before ramming themselves into the gate.

That wouldn't do much, it would buy her a couple of minutes at most as the one who crashed collected themselves and they all started climbing over, but it would also fuel their anger, rather than deter them it would only make them chase her harder, not stopping until they had Robin in their paws and took out all their anger on her. She knew that, but what other choice did she have? If it gave her a small chance at escape it would be worth it.

A glimmer of hope filled Robin as she realized how close she was to the hiking trails, large hills, thick trees and lots of plant life, it was the perfect place to lose someone or to hide! She ran as hard as she could, summoning up whatever energy she had left as she made it to the trails, she was almost home free!

Robin yelped as her head was roughly yanked back, a fistful of fur had been grabbed, she was spun around and pain exploded across her muzzle before she could process what had happened.

"You stupid little bitch!" She looked up and saw the snarling face of a lioness and the equally angry faces of her companions, another she-wolf and a bear. The bear hauled Robin to her feet despite her struggling attempts at escape, the lioness cracked her across the face with another punch and Robin saw stars in her vision.

"Just had to make this difficult." The bear snapped as she kept Robin from falling. The she-wolf kicked her in the ribs, completely winding her.

She cried out as the lioness gripped her scruff and yanked her head around, it wasn't to get her attention, or to keep her in place, it was simply to cause as much pain as she could. Another fist rattled her teeth, a foot dug into her stomach, claws scratched her. Robin tried to raise her arms to protect herself as best as she could from their vicious assault but there were too many of them and it only gave them another target to land more injuries on her. She couldn't fight back, not effectively, not against the three stronger girls but she had to do something, if for nothing else than for a chance to escape. She wildly swung her arms at the lioness and she-wolf to keep them off of her while stomping on the bears foot, the girl yelped in response and threw Robin to the ground.

As she hit the ground Robin felt herself rolling, the bear had thrown her down one of the hills! Leaves crunched as she rolled over them, fallen branches scratched her body and tore through her clothes, fresh pain exploded through her body as she tumbled down the hill. Oddly enough an icy coldness struck her, the crunching as she rolled became louder, coldness clung to her body and melted through her clothes until she finally came to a hard stop as she crashed against the ground.

She didn't move or even try, the pain from running, the girl's assault and from the fall she'd taken were too much, everything hurt. All Robin could do was stay down and let out a pathetic, keening whine from how much pain she felt, praying that it would go away soon. The only comfort to her sore, aching body was the soothingly cold ground and the icy wetness seeping through her clothes. She'd overheated herself from running and it was helping to cool her down, it also took some of the sting out of the bruises, cuts and scrapes. It was odd though, the ground was too cold, winter wasn't that long ago sure, but it shouldn't be freezing like this. She cautiously cracked an eye open and froze at what she saw.

Robin ignored the pain as she bolted upright into a sitting position and took in her surroundings. This wasn't the hiking trails, or anywhere even close! What surrounded her was a vast forest blanketed in ice and snow. She looked up at the hill and found that her pursuers were no longer with her, even stranger, the disturbed snow on the hill was only about halfway up, as if she'd simply been dropped on the hill and fell the rest of the way down, as if she'd popped up out of nowhere.

The thought filled Robin with an all-consuming fear and panic, this wasn't her town, these weren't the hiking trails, this wasn't like any forest in her area, but if that was the case... then where on earth was she!?

Her ear twitched as a crack broke through the eerie silence, she whipped her head around and her fear intensified at what she saw. It was another person, a wolf that looked about her age, maybe older, but not like any she'd met before. He was wearing a black cloak, the hood lined with fur and underneath he wore leather armor and pelts, his own fur was covered in strange markings, blue paint contrasted against the various greys of his fur, he looked like he'd come straight out of the middle ages! He was staring at her, slack jawed as he looked her over. Embarrassment and a rush of shame filled Robin, no doubt she looked awful, torn up and beaten. No, how she appeared to him shouldn't be her main concern right now!

He took a cautious step towards her and Robin bolted to her feet, disregarding all the pain she felt, the strange wolf paused. He slowly raised his paws up in a sign of surrender, raising his cloak in the process. That's when Robin saw his weapons, an axe on his right hip and a sword on his left, he was armed. The wolf noticed her panicked stare and the glance at his weapons. He slowly reached for the axe and Robin backed up a step, he held up his free paw in a 'pause' motion. She didn't know why but she waited to see what he would do, she wasn't going to fool herself, it wasn't like she'd be able to run anymore in her condition. She watched as he slowly pulled the axe from its place on his belt and tossed it away from him. He did the same with the sword and tossed it in the opposite direction before raising both of his paws up once again.

He slowly took another step towards her, Robin flinched but she didn't move. Seeing that she wasn't going to run the wolf took a few more steps towards her, this time when she flinched, he spoke. "Hey, hey. I'm not going to hurt ya, it's ok." He said gently and soothingly. Robin didn't know what was more surprising, that he could talk or that she understood him. She knew enough about history and other cultures to know that she probably shouldn't have been able to understand him, yet he was speaking to her in perfect English!

"W-where am I?" Robin asked, trying to keep the fear she felt from shaking her voice.

The wolf stepped closer and undid the clasp of his cloak, pulling it from his shoulders. "You don't know?" When Robin shook her head he gave her another surprised look. "This is Eagles crave, it's part of the Torian mountains."

Robin backed up when he was almost in front of her, he was a lot bigger than she'd thought, he was practically a giant! It may have been an exaggeration; she was probably about chest height to him but he still seemed bigger. Robin screwed her eyes shut as he reached for her, she was expecting him to grab her or to do who knows what, but instead of pain or grabbing she felt weight added to her shoulders and a sudden warmth around her body. When she opened her eyes she saw that his paws were adjusting the clasp to the cloak he'd wrapped around her.

"There ya go, is that better? The chill this time of year is pretty awful." He said with a gentle smile that made Robins cheeks burn, although she didn't know why.

"Y-yeah. Thank you."

He finished adjusting the cloak and gave a satisfied nod. "What are you doing so far out? Are you traveling? Are you camped nearby?"

Robin shook her head; how did she even explain this? Should she even explain this? She didn't know this wolf at all, she didn't know what his intentions were... but he'd been nice so far, very gentle and soothing. "I... I don't know where I am. I-I was running away- and I- I got pushed down the hill and-and-and-" She was still shaken from the girl's assault and she struggled to even speak up, tears welled in her eyes as she was reminded of why her body was covered in pains and aches. The wolf gently grabbed her shoulders, an action that shocked her and she tried to push him away, but to no avail as he kept a firm grip on her.

"Easy, easy! It's ok. Take a breath, collect your thoughts. You're ok."

Robin stared up at the wolf, he looked deeply concerned, worried, but his words remained gentle and soothing. There was nothing ok about this situation, her body hurt and she didn't know where she was, but the way he said it, sounding so convinced that she was ok, she wanted to believe it. Maybe that's why when he took in a deep breath she did the same, when he exhaled slowly she did as well, over and over again until she stopped trembling.

"I... I was heading home from school..." Robin started off slowly, taking another deep breath. "There are these... girls. They pick on me. They... They were pushing me around and I... I shoved one of them. They started chasing me and I ran. I thought I could lose them in the hiking trails but... They caught me, they started hitting me... I got them off of me but one of them threw me down a hill. When I finally stopped, I was here... Wherever here is." She finally explained

The wolf calmly nodded along to her explanation, he looked a little confused when she mentioned school and the hiking trails but otherwise, he listened quietly. "That explains your injuries, but where are the girls now?"

"That's the thing, I don't know. This isn't where I was! There wasn't any snow where I was but...Now there is!"

His eyes widened and his mouth opened as he seemed to realize something. To her surprise he pulled the cloak open and stared down at her body, a rush of heat flushed her cheeks and ears until he stared back up at her muzzle, as if he'd figured something out.

"A realm-walker." He breathed out.

"A...A what?" Robin asked weakly.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped short, hesitating, he frowned to himself, as if he didn't know the proper way to continue. "Where... Where you come from. Do you have giant houses and cities of light? Impossibly tall buildings and strange vehicles?"

That... was one way to describe where she'd come from. "I guess, yeah. But umm... Define strange."

"Can a bird of metal fly through the air? Or-or metal carts that don't require a steed?" He seemed to be getting excited for some reason.

Robin blinked as she processed his descriptions, those sounded a lot like... "Do you mean airplanes and cars?"

"Yes! Those!" The wolf shouted excitedly as he grabbed Robin by her shoulders, shaking her in his excitement. "By the God's, a genuine realm-walker!"

"Stop! Stop!" Robin screamed as she pushed his paws off of her, she couldn't handle being shaken so much. "WHAT is a realm-walker?" she demanded.

"You!" He said excitedly, it took one look at Robin's confused expression for him to realize his mistake. He gave her an apologetic and sheepish smile "My apologies, I forgot. With all the stories I should've realized you'd be confused."

"Can you please explain to me what's going on now?"

"Yes! Of course, but let's talk on the way to the pack, it's starting to get dark." He said as he turned around and gathered his weapons before gesturing for her to follow. Robin growled to herself at how frustrating this was, she had one question and he wasn't answering it! Seeing no other choice though and wanting an explanation she followed after him.

"So, are you going to explain or not?" Robin huffed.

"Yes, sorry, it might take some time and I might not be able to explain all of it." He said as he cleared his throat and took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Realm-walkers are people that come from the Realm known as Earth, like you, correct?"

Robin did not like how this conversation was going, she already suspected as much but this was genuine confirmation that she wasn't on Earth anymore, it was... a lot to process. "Y-yeah, that's right."

"According to the story's realm-walkers journey from Earth by unknown means, no one knows how or even why. But we do know that every time one of them shows up they change everything." He explained.

"What do you mean they change everything?" Robin asked, this was sounding bigger by the second.

"They come and they bring new knowledge every time, sometimes they share that knowledge or they use it themselves. Some have become great warriors, respected scholars and incredible magi. Some have created entire organizations or even lead countries!"

"So... so, wait a second." Robin said as she tried to even begin processing this. "So, the reason this is a big deal to you is... you think I'm going to change something?"

"It's very possible!" He said as he gave her an excited grin. "There hasn't been a single one so far that hasn't done something incredible, and the last two have made a very lasting impact. They still are if the rumors are true."

This managed to grab Robin's attention as her ears perked. "There's two of them? They're here?" If there were others like her... Then maybe they knew how to send her home!

"Here in this world... possibly. If they still are then they aren't in these lands." He explained. "They've been known to travel and they were here once, long ago. But no one from these parts has seen or heard from them in a long time."

"Oh." She couldn't help the disappointment in her voice, there wasn't anyone that could help her. Ok, that wasn't exactly true, the wolf leading her was being pretty helpful, just not in the way that she wanted. "Is there any way to find them?"

He shook his head and her disappointment continued to grow. "As I said, it's been a very long time, any trail they'd have left would be gone by now."

"How long?" Robin asked curiously.

The wolf gave it some thought before he answered. "Hmm... I think the story goes that it's been... at least a hundred winters by now? Maybe, give or take a decade."

"A... A hundred?" Robin asked dumbly. "As in a hundred years!?"

"I... Yes, I suppose that's one way to put it, yes." He answered, unsure of where her incredulous tone had come from.

"A hundred years." Robin said to herself as she shook her head. "They'd have to be dead by now!"

The wolf shrugged. "Possibly, but if their battle prowess is anything to go by it's doubtful."

"Battle prow- What does that have anything to do with it!? They'd have to be old by now!"

He looked at her, momentarily confused before it clicked. "Ah, right. I think my mother should be the one to explain that, she'll probably do a better job than I."

"Explain what?"

"You'll find out." He said, simply leaving it at that.

They continued to walk in silence, their only noise was the crunching of snow underneath their feet. Robin wanted to whine in agony; her feet were killing her. After all that running and now trudging through the snow, her feet burned and ached, no doubt they were probably covered in blisters. Although it didn't look like they'd have to keep going for much longer, she could see light pillars of smoke not far off and what looked to be houses beyond the trees.

"Nearly there. We'll have to speak with my mother and father when we arrive." He explained quickly.

Robin nodded as they continued forward, a thought occurred to her. "I just realized; I don't know your name."

He paused and looked back at her before smiling. "My name's Den. Den Valderson of the Thoring clan." He said as he extended a paw.

"Robin. Robin Marygold." He grabbed past her extended paw and gripped her forearm, giving it a firm shake before releasing it. It was probably how they shook paws, strange but still not the strangest thing Robin had seen today.

They were out of the forest now and were walking along what appeared to be a dirt road as Den led her towards the... village? Settlement? He'd called it a pack but was that the proper term for a small community or was there another word for it? She'd have to ask him. She wouldn't call it a city at least, all of their buildings looked to be made of wood and stone with straw or hay roofs, they numbered at about twenty or less from what she could see. As they walked they saw many other wolves, like Den they were covered in leather gear, markings of different colors on their fur and carrying weapons, some of them were wearing cloaks like she was but others didn't seem to mind the cold otherwise, some of the she-wolves were even wearing dresses. It really did look like something out of a history novel or a movie. Robin couldn't help but notice that they all stopped what they were doing as the pair continued forward.

"They're staring." Robin whispered.

"Aye, you're a stranger. They're curious." He answered simply.

It wasn't long until they reached their destination, it was a very tall building that looked like a ship had been flipped upside down to act as the roof, she believed this was called a longhouse, or one type of longhouse at least. They approached two older wolves standing near the entrance, both wore what must have been nicer gear than what Den or the other wolves had, she might not be as knowledgeable on something like this but even to her their gear look well crafted, signs of wear showed that they both had seen their fair share of use but had still held up nicely.

The two stared between Den and Robin, a curious look at Den but they seemed... rather cautious as they stared at Robin. Den either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Robin, this is my mother Jarlskona Hilda and my father Valder." Den said as he gestured to his parents. "Mother, father, this is Robin."

His mother stepped forward and Robin froze. She wasn't much taller than Robin herself but the woman in front of her exuded such an aura of authority and power that Robin had to consciously keep her tail from tucking between her legs. The older She-wolf extended her paw as she stared down at her. "Well met, Robin."

"W-well met." Robin said as she repeated the paw shake that she'd just learned from Den, gripping the older She-wolfs forearm.

"Hmm, you're a rather frail looking thing, aren't ya?" Hilda said as she released her grip.

"I... guess?" Robin didn't know how to respond; she didn't know if it was simply an observation or an insult.

"What brings you to our area? We rarely have outsiders visiting us during times like these." Hilda asked, circling around Robin as she did. Robin didn't know why but the act itself made her anxious, it made her feel small.

"Umm- I-"

Before she could answer Den spoke up for her. "It's complicated. I think we need to hold a meeting."

His mother looked between them curiously before nodding her head. "Alright, I'll send word to call for a Thing tonight."

"No. No Thing." Den said seriously, something that obviously surprised his mother if the way she turned to him and raised her brows was anything to suggest. "The four of us here and maybe a few others. Eira for sure, possibly Saga."

Hilda narrowed her eyes at her son. "When did you start giving me orders?"

Den didn't seem fazed as he held his ground, staring right back. "It's not an order, it's a request to settle a very private matter, one that you'll agree needs to stay private for the time being."

They held their glares on one another for what must've felt like an eternity, Robin standing awkwardly between them. Eventually Hilda released an annoyed huff and turned to her husband. "Fetch Eira and Saga, tell them their presence is required immediately." Valder nodded before marching off. Hilda turned to the duo and gestured towards the longhouse. "This had better be as important as you say it is."

Robin watched as the older she-wolf marched off, barking for everyone to leave so she could deal with a private matter. She swallowed the lump in her throat before looking up at Den. "Your mother is really... intense."

An amused chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. "Aye, she is. Although that's not the word most would use to describe her."

Robin could think of some apt words, most she'd never use in polite company, or even in private, so she remained quiet as she followed Den inside. She almost expected the inside to consist of many rooms but that wasn't the case at all, it looked to be one large room. Wooden tables and benches lined up nearly the entire length of the building, in the center were three massive fire pits, equally spaced apart. On Robin's left Hilda sat down on an ornate wooden chair that must've been a throne, it was easy enough to imagine it as such since it overlooked the entirety of the building before them. They stood in front of her while they waited. It didn't take long for Den's father to return with two she-wolves in tow. Both were younger, closer to Robin's age but possibly older by a few years. One wore the same gear she'd seen everyone else wearing, leather armor and furs but the other one was wearing a green dress with a very, very low cut that reached just below her chest, it left nothing to the imagination as Robin tried to avoid staring at the she-wolfs cleavage. Around her neck was a necklace adorned with various trinkets, some were made of silver or a similar metal but it also had feathers, stones and even bones. The only furs she seemed to possess besides her own natural reddish-brown fur was wrapped around her waist like a sash. Every inch of her exposed fur was covered in black or blue runic markings, these were different than the ones Den or his parents had, these looked more... mystical, as weird as the thought was.

As soon as Valder closed the door to the long house the stranger looking of the two she-wolves was on Robin, gripping her head, turning it side to side as if she was trying to look over every inch of her. She tried to back away as the strange she-wolf opened one of her eyes wide and leaned in close until they were almost literally eye to eye.

"I see, I see." She muttered to herself, she repeated this and "Interesting" so often that Robin couldn't help but feel like the strange she-wolf was a cheap carnival fortune teller and that Robin was her unwilling crystal ball. Eventually the she-wolf released Robin before turning to Hilda.

"Your son has found a very interesting one."

"What did you find out, Eira?" Hilda asked. At least Robin knew which one was which now.

The strange she-wolf circled around Robin, unlike Hilda, who walked like a military commander, Eira was very slow, deliberate, graceful in her movements. "I see cities of stone and metal and glass. Buildings like spears that stab the very sky itself. I see carts of metal, moving by themselves but faster than any stead." She spoke as if she was a story teller speaking of mystic land, gesturing with her arms and punctuation certain words randomly. In a sense she kind of was. "Information that can be shared across the world at a moment's notice. Vast histories revealed with a simple touch. I see technology and machinery we could not even begin to fathom or understand. I see these things and so much more."

Hilda and Valder's eyes widened as they shared a look of realization before turning their gazes to Robin. Hilda stood from her wooden throne and slowly approached her. "A realm-walker."

"I... I guess?" Robin said nervously as she felt all eyes on her. "I'm still really confused about all of this."

"I found her while I was out, from what I saw her tracks began only halfway up a hill. She looked very confused and frightened. It's a very safe bet." Den pitched in quickly. "Also, her clothes are strange, not something you'd find here."

Robin figured this was her cue and tried to undo the clasp holding the cloak together, she struggled with it for several moments before giving up, simply throwing it over her shoulders to reveal her slightly torn up plaid skirt and dirtied white sweater.

Hilda raised her brows as she looked the younger she-wolf over. "Indeed, I've never seen clothes as strange as this, how is this meant to protect you or keep you warm?"

"Umm, it's... not?" Robin said hesitantly. "We don't really need to protect ourselves and it was spring where I came from, I just wore this because it was comfortable." That and it wasn't revealing or sexy in any way, it was very modest as a proper 'good girl' should always be, at least that's what her parents would say.

The older she-wolf frowned as she listened. "Hm, very strange. Then again, all of you realm-walkers are strange to us."

"You're all strange to me too." Robin muttered, apparently not quietly enough as Hilda let loose a barking laugh, apparently amused by Robin's comment.

"Aye, I suppose that's how it is with different cultures. One man's everyday morning routine looks to be the workings of spirits to another!" She said, still amused.

Robin didn't say anything in response, simply nodding. This seemed to earn her a strange look from the she-wolf. "By the gods girl, who kicked you down? You act like a scared pup, are all of you like this in the other realm?"

Robin flinched and averted her gaze, staring down at the floor, the comment simply hit too close to home as it reminded her of how she'd ended up here in the first place.

"Uhh, mother." Den whispered as he approached her, nudging her arm with his elbow to grab her attention. "She was attacked before she arrived, pretty severely from the looks of it, maybe ease up a little on your wit, yeah?"

"Oh." Was all his mother said as she shifted awkwardly, clearing her throat with her paw. Den winked at Robin and she gave him a small but grateful smile in return.

"Well... That really doesn't help this next part." Hilda said much to both Robin and Den's confusion. "Den set her up in Vallah's place, it hasn't seen much use anyways and some of her gear might fit. But before all of that...'' She grabbed Robin's arm and wrenched her forward. Before any of them could act, Hilda revealed a dagger and quickly sliced it across Robin's arm. She yelped and yanked her arm out of the she-wolf's grasp as she tightly gripped the bleeding wound with her paw.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Robin barked. Den quickly grabbed her arm and was inspecting the wound, he said something to her, that it wasn't that bad, but the words barely registered in her outraged mind.

"A simple test, if you really are what everyone believes you to be then this will prove it." Hilda explained calmly, completely unfazed by Robin's anger. "My apologies Eira, I know you wouldn't lie, but I need to be sure."

Eira simply shrugged. "I know you well enough, words alone will not convince you. I'm not offended."

"Well I am!" Robin shouted. "You cut me! And now you're just going to pretend like it's nothing!?"

"By tomorrow it will be nothing." Hilda said as she wiped the dagger off and sheathed it. "That or you've lied to us and this will prove it."

Robin recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "Lied to you?" She breathed out, unable to contain how incredulous she sounded before her lip curled into a snarl. "I land in the middle of nowhere, I'm told the bare minimum of what's going on, YOU cut my arm, with NO real explanation and you think I could be lying to you?! Do you know how insane that sounds!?" With every word and passing second she became angrier and angrier.

Hilda bore her eyes down at the young she-wolf and her lip slightly curled. "You'd better watch your tone, girl."

Robin didn't know where it came from, in any other situation she'd be cowering in fear, quietly apologizing, but right now the rage boiling in her stomach made her lash out as she punched the older she-wolf square in the muzzle, sending her stumbling back until she fell less then gracefully onto her throne. She blinked and stared up in bewilderment at what had just happened, a thin trickle of blood dripped from her nose. Robin knew she should've apologized, knew that this had probably been the dumbest thing she'd ever done in her life, but after everything that had happened to her today she was done. "Go to hell!" she snapped before marching towards the doors and shoving them open.

The room was deathly silent as everyone tried to process what had just happened, all of them stared in the direction Robin had just taken off with wide eyed shock, Den quickly snapped out of his stupor before following after her. Everyone remaining slowly turned to Hilda nervously, unable to predict how she'd react. The older-she-wolf was stunned, having been completely caught off guard and not expecting the frail looking girl to lash out as she did. She wiped her nose and stared down at the small patch of blood in her fur before a grin curved her muzzle. "Well, I'll be damned. The girl has some thunder in her."

Robin was still gripping her forearm, the wound was absolutely throbbing and burning, showing no signs of subsiding, angry tears welled in her eyes as she marched on. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. The only thing that stopped her was the sudden paw on her shoulder, she swiped it off of her before turning her searing glare at the offending person, who happened to be Den. The wolf raised his arms in surrender and he backed up a step.

"Easy, easy." He said. "I just-"

"I don't care." Robin snapped, cutting him off. "You didn't tell me that she was going to do this!" raising her arm to show him the large cut and the blood seeping through her fur.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that she-"

"That she'd what? Cut me? Refuse to explain anything? Treat me as if I'm some kind of liar even though I have no idea what I'm even lying about!?" Robin shouted as angry tears spilled down her cheeks and she shoved at the wolf. "No, that's it, I'm done! Tell me how I get home."

Den swallowed nervously; ears pinned to the back of his head. "I... I don't know how to do that."

"No, that's not good enough. Tell me how to go home! I WANT TO GO HOME!" Robin screamed as she started smacking at the wolf, more tears running freely as she tried to keep the sobs out of her voice. Without warning he wrapped his arms around her and held her in a tight grip, she shoved at him, tried to push him off but he refused to budge. Eventually she gave up and started crying into his chest, hurt sobs wracked her, she was barely aware of the soothing tone of Den's voice whispering to her. She didn't know how long they stood like that, but he held her until she finally calmed down, her sobs nothing but sniffling and a few hiccups now.

"I'm sorry." Den finally said as he released her, bringing his paws up to cup her muzzle and wiped the tears with his thumbs. "I'm so sorry. I thought she'd explain everything properly but I should've tried to do it myself before. Maybe that could've prepared you."

"Explain what? You told me you couldn't explain it, your mother didn't explain it. Just what is it?" Robin demanded.

Den seemed to hesitate for a moment, finally taking in deep breath as if he needed to calm his nerves. "This is all from the stories I heard as a child, my mother is one of our best story tellers so I thought she'd be more suited to this... Realm-walkers have certain abilities, some are different, unique to the individual. But from what little we know they appear to share a few. All of them, and most likely you, share the gift of longevity and healing."

"Which... which means what, exactly?"

"It means that unless you fall in battle or from an extremely fatal injury you'll continue to live on, even beyond a normal lifetime. Even if your injury is fatal if it's treated soon enough and constantly treated there's a good chance of surviving it. The stories tell of some who have lived for centuries, one of the two who visited these lands a century ago is apparently one example yet the stories still speak of him as a young man."

Robin's head reeled at the information and she suddenly felt sick at the thought. If this was true then did that mean... "I'm... I'm immortal?"

Den shook his head. "No, you can still die. Just not from old age or disease. Even infections won't last long or cause permanent damage. Lose your head or suffer anything that would definitely kill an ordinary man and you will die."

"Ok... ok. Wow that's... wow..."

"A lot to take in." Den finished for her.

"Something like that, yeah." Robin finally said. "What does that have to do with your mother cutting me?"

"A simple test I can imagine. We're...Not exactly in the most peaceful of times right now, you never know who's an enemy or a friend, with a stranger you need to be cautious, even more so with one who claims to be a realm-walker. There's a chance they may not try to fight you but they could swindle you, claim they have extraordinary knowledge and try to sell it off to you, only to discover that it's becoming more widespread in other areas and it was only a matter of time before it reached you."

"Has that happened before?" Robin asked curiously.

"Sadly enough. Many have lost good chunks of silver and goods to swindlers like that."

Robin nodded, it made sense that they'd want to take precautions. "But that still doesn't explain why she cut me."

Den frowned at her, looking confused. "Really? I thought that was a good explanation."

"Yeah... I'm not connecting the dots here, bud."

He took a moment to think before starting again. "Ok... it's like this. For an ordinary man that cut will take a week or two before it heals or shows signs of healing, right? With you... it'll be mostly healed by tomorrow."

Robin finally understood as she nodded her head. "So, if it's more or less healed by tomorrow then she'll believe I'm the real deal and not a fraud?"

"Exactly, yes." Den confirmed.

That explained it, she didn't like it but at least the situation was starting to make more sense now. Den opened a pouch on his hip and pulled out a roll of fabric, it almost looked like gauze, it was probably the equivalent as he started wrapping it around the cut on her forearm. "How's that?"

"It's... better. Thank you." Robin said as she traced her fingers over the cloth, it felt a little rough, almost itchy, but it helped ease the pain.

"I think we should get you settled in, get you some food before you sleep. I'll take you to Vallah's."

He started leading her through the settlement, surprisingly there wasn't much activity going on. It appeared that most of the residents had retired or were preparing for dinner. They were nearly at the very edge of the settlement where the distance between houses was greater. Tucked away closer to the forest was a modest looking house, or was it a shack? it was built the same as the others but it looked like it needed a bit of work done on it, like it hadn't been inhabited in quite some time.

"So... Vallah, will they be ok with me staying here?" Robin asked curiously, wanting as much information about her soon-to-be roommate as possible.

"I doubt she'll mind. Not like she'd be able to complain much, anyways."

"Oh? Is she out or something?"

Den grimaced as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well... More like she passed a few winters back."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine, no need to apologize." Den said with a dismissive wave of his paw. "Yeah, three winters now. We try to keep the place in decent shape out of respect, but sometimes it escapes us. We've been busy."

"I'm sure she'd understand." Robin offered, earning her a small smile from Den.

"Aye, she would. She was a good wolf. Kind, loving, funny, strong and definitely had a soul full of thunder." He smiled fondly as he talked, even to Robin it was obvious that he was remembering someone he deeply cared about.

"Were you close?" Robin asked.

Den nodded his head. "Very much so, she was my mother's sword sister, that made her as close as blood as far as we cared."

"Sword sister?" Robin asked.

"Her battle companion, or second in command. They watch your back and you watch theirs, you train together, eat together, plan together, fight together, sometimes you slept together, and if you're lucky enough you die together." Den explained.

Robin frowned as she shook her head. "I can't imagine that being lucky."

Den shrugged in response. "It's different for everyone, I suppose. For us It's... Your sword brother or sister is like another part of you, they aren't just a partner you go into battle with, they're family. To lose them it's like..." He couldn't seem to find the words to explain it, but Robin was getting the idea.

"It's like losing a part of yourself, like your heart."

Den nodded slowly. "That's right. As a result it's not something to be taken, or swear yourself into, lightly. You decide it after many years and many battles together, after you know for certain that this is someone you can trust with your life."

"Sounds a little like marriage."

Den let out a small laugh as he nodded. "It's happened before."

It made sense, if you were that close with someone then the possibility of marriage didn't seem too far-fetched. It also gave Robin an idea of how important this place really was, although it brought up one small issue. "Is it still a good idea for me to stay here then?"

Den frowned as he cocked his head at her. "Where did this come from? Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well... this belonged to someone important to your mother... your mother, who I just punched in the nose." Robin explained as the guilt and horror rushed through her, oh god, she'd punched her in the face!

"That... is a very good point." Den said slowly, there was a moment of tense silence before he exhaled and shook his head. "Well, not much to be done about it now. I'll settle you in and grab you some food, hopefully my mother isn't too peeved."

Hopefully. If she was angry, which she probably had every right to be... Then Robin was in some deep shit. Although, no one had come chasing after them, and it wasn't like they had made it that far to begin with, so maybe that was a good sign? As she thought this over Den entered the house first while Robin waited at the door, it was too dark to see much but he appeared to know what he was searching for as she heard him looking around. Suddenly a dull glow filled the room before it brightened quickly. Robin peeked inside and found that Den had set up a lamp. She was honestly surprised at how much light it gave off; it illuminated the entire room!

"Alright, that should do it. I'll be right back with your dinner and drink." Den said before exiting the house and making his way back towards the settlement.

"Hey... Den?" Robin called nervously, causing the wolf to pause and turn back to her. "About how I reacted... Hitting you and yelling at you like that... I'm-I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that."

He looked surprised by this, at first, but then his surprise slowly shifted to an understanding smile as he shook his head and gave a dismissive wave of his paw. "No need for apologies... But thank you."

With that he started off towards the settlement again, leaving Robin to stand alone in the doorway of the house. She couldn't help but smile as she saw Den walking off, despite all the crazy things that had happened in the short time that she'd been here she was glad that she'd met him, he was sweet and very kind, very understanding, it didn't hurt that he was handsome either.

Robin shook her head at that last thought, she had no idea where that had come from or why she would even think that. He was far from the image of respectable and handsome that had been ingrained into her since she was young, if her parents ever met him they'd throw a fit! The thought actually amused her a little, imagining Den in her home, covered in full gear and pelts, the shocked, horrified expressions on her parent's muzzles. While the thought did amuse her for a moment it also filled her with a sense of dread as she thought of how the rest of the interaction would go, especially how her father would react once he'd overcome his initial shock- No, she wasn't going to dwell on that, she'd been through too much today to even want to entertain that horrifying thought.

Now that her mood had taken a bitter turn she decided to retreat back into the house, seeing no point in being left alone to her thoughts and freezing her tail off at the same time. Deciding to distract herself she took a look at the modest home that she'd been lent for the time being. It was fairly simple, there was a dresser, a simple bed with a pillow and what looked to be a fur blanket, a wooden round table and some wood chairs, the walls weren't heavily decorated but there was an odd trinket or two, probably the most noticeable decoration was a round shield and two axes crossed underneath it. They didn't appear to be merely decoration as both axes as well as the shield showed signs of use, knicks on the blades, dents in the shields metal parts, chipped wood, various scratches on all three, had Vallah used these in battle? It was very possible. Or maybe she'd retired them in favor of better equipment, keeping them for sentimental reasons, she'd have to ask Den.

The thought of the handsome wolf made her cheeks and ears burn again, what was wrong with her? This wasn't the time or place! Even if it was the time or place to entertain any of those... ideas, she shouldn't, he was... Well, he wasn't like the wolves back home, the members of her community were respectable, neatly dressed and raised to be good Christian men, Den wasn't any of those things. He wasn't dirty but he was completely rugged, his pelts and gear weren't proper clothing at all, but they didn't look mixed and matched or out of place either... Ignoring that. They were all soft spoken and polite while in company and, yes, Den was still very polite, but... Actually, not very loud either, choosing when to be soothing when needed... Also compared to some of the harmless looking members of her community he was big, almost intimidating and... Very strong looking, she wondered how easy it would be for him to pick her up and simply throw her over his shoulder, she probably weighed next to nothing as far as he was concerned. No doubt that he could've done anything he'd wanted with her, probably still could if he decided to. The thought didn't really scare her, it actually excited her a little bit.

Shit, she was thinking about this too much, she was NOT supposed to be thinking these kinds of thoughts! It wasn't the first time she'd ever thought of a boy like this, but that had been more modest, more innocent, she'd thought of what it would be like to kiss someone and how she'd feel pressed up against him as he held her... Maybe that wasn't actually true, she'd thought of much more than that, but she wasn't going to ever admit that to anyone else.

The door opening behind her scared Robin out of her thoughts as she quickly turned around to find the she-wolf from the small meeting, Saga was it? Behind her was Den, both wolves carrying plates of food in their paws and what appeared to be a small barrel underneath Saga's arm. Saga set the food and the barrel down at the table while Den hovered in the doorway, why was he hesitating?

Saga turned around and gave him an unamused look. "Really, Den?"

"What? I'm a wolf of etiquette, regardless of the situation." He responded defensively.

Saga rolled her eyes before turning to Robin. "Invite him in."

Robin gave her a confused look in response. "I'm sorry?"

Saga huffed as she shook his head. "Den here is following one of our most basic etiquettes, although it really doesn't matter, especially considering that she probably doesn't even know about it." She said with a pointed glare at the wolf who simply shrugged. "He's an unmarried man, you are an unmarried woman, it's both impolite and improper of him to enter your home without first receiving your express permission. Despite the fact that this isn't really your house, therefore it doesn't really apply."

"That's not how I see it, it's still her residence for the time being." Den countered.

Saga rolled her eyes again before turning to Robin. "Just invite this idiot in before the food gets cold, tell him he has permission to enter your household."

"Uh... Ok?" Robin said before turning to Den. "You have permission to enter my household."

Den appeared to be satisfied with this and entered the modest house. He placed a plate of food down before smiling at Robin. "Sorry that it took so long, I thought I'd be in and out before anyone noticed but my mother and I had some words."

Robin inhaled sharply as she winced. "Sorry."

The two wolves exchanged amused grins before Den gave a dismissive wave of his paw. "Not those kinds of words, well, not much of them, anyways, she told me to make sure you had plenty to eat and to give you this." Den said as he tapped the top of the small barrel. "As a way of apology for her behavior."

This definitely surprised Robin, the older she-wolf was offering HER an apology? "But...I... I hit her."

"Aye, and she was very impressed, it's not often that someone humbles her the way that you did. It made her see that she might have been a little too harsh." Saga said with her own look that said she was just as impressed. "Also said you've got some thunder in you."

Den's jaw went slack as he turned to Saga, staring at her in open disbelief. "She actually said that?"

"I was just as surprised as you, not every day she gives just anyone that level of praise." Saga answered.

Robin looked between the two wolves, growing more and more confused with every word that came out of their muzzles. "Can someone explain this to me? I'm confused about this... thing about thunder? Or something?"

"Would it be fine if I explained another day?" Den asked as he sat down. "It's not really important at the moment and it's a bit of a long explanation, I'm not going to be able to explain all of it properly over the time it takes to eat. Just know that it is some very high praise."

It wasn't what Robin wanted to hear, the few explanations she'd been given had already been skimmed and attempted to pass over to someone else to explain, which had partly led to the very unpleasant injury on her arm. But she supposed she could wait, if he said it wasn't important then she'd trust him. In the meantime she knew there was something far more important to deal with, food, she was absolutely starving! It wasn't really surprising, considering all the running and walking she'd done today, the physical and mental toll it had on her body made her especially hungry. She sat done at one of the chairs and finally saw what they were having for dinner, one of the plates was filled with chicken breasts and another type of cutlets, too dark to be chicken, maybe beef or pork? On the other plate was an assortment of roasted or steamed vegetables, including potatoes, her favorite! They had also brought some bread rolls, freshly baked from the smell.

There was one problem, they didn't have any plates. Fortunately Saga had noticed before Robin and was grabbing them from a shelf along with three wooden mugs and cutlery. She placed a set in front of Robin, Den and then on the table in front of the last seat where she would sit.

"Shouldn't we wash these? How long have they been sitting here and collecting dust?" Den asked.

"I washed them a few days ago, they're fine." Saga answered as she began filling her plate. Deciding that was good enough for the both of them Robin and Den started filling their own plates, she didn't have as much as the other two wolves but it was still a little more than she'd usually eat.

Robin started with the roasted potatoes and had to keep herself from groaning, they were amazing! The skin was crispy, the inside was fluffy and it tasted like it had been tossed with herbs and spices. The chicken was just as good, nice and juicy, perfectly cooked with plenty of flavor. However she froze when she took her first bite of the mystery cutlet. It wasn't beef or pork like she'd originally thought.

Lamb, it was lamb.

Den was the first to notice her sudden shift in body language, not that it would've been difficult as she had to resist the urge to spit the meat out of her mouth. He gave her a concerned look. "Something wrong?"

Robin grimaced as she looked down at her plate. "I don't really... eat lamb."

Saga snorted as she swallowed her food. "Well, that explains why you're so small. Eat up! It's good, it'll help ya grow."

"I... It's..." Robin hesitated as she looked down at her plate. How did she explain this? It wasn't for a religious or a cultural reason, it was more personal than anything. One of her closest friends, Bethany, was a sheep. Despite the meat coming from the four-legged variety it still upset the ewe whenever she saw someone eating it, or any other four legged meat. Out of love and respect for her friend, Robin had sworn off those kinds of meats entirely.

"It isn't gonna bite ya!" Saga said with a laugh before she became a little more serious. "We don't waste food here, you put it on your plate, therefore you finish it."

Robin gulped as she looked down at the plate again, she really didn't want to go against her own moral code on this, as silly as it seemed for something so small, however she realized that this was probably going to be the first in a very long list of compromises she'd have to make while she stayed here, however long that would be. She swallowed the lump in her throat before picking the cutlet up again and took another bite. The worst part, it felt like, is that it was absolutely delicious. Maybe it was just her hunger or maybe it was just that damn good, before she realized it she'd devoured the entirety of her plate, lamb included. Robin let out a defeated sigh as she pushed her plate away, she was still hungry, hungrier than she'd realized, but she didn't know if she could handle another serving, at least emotionally.

"What's wrong? Is there an issue?" Den asked, now he looked more concerned.

"No, it's... It's nothing, it's silly."

"If it bothers you I don't think it's that silly."

Robin bit her lip and figured he had a point. "My friend is a sheep, so... I avoid eating lamb and other types of meat so she doesn't get upset. I know, it's dumb, but it makes her happy."

"That's... not dumb at all." Den said slowly before shaking his head. "Shit, I'm sorry, if I'd known-"

"You would've served it to her anyways or I'd make you." Saga interrupted as she crossed her arms and stared at Robin, ignoring Den's outraged look. "I understand the value of a promise, especially one between friends, but if that promise meant my body had to suffer as a result then I'd refuse it."

"That's- She didn't ask me! I decided it myself for her!" Robin countered defensively.

"All the same. You aren't eating right, even I can tell that much just from looking at you. You think it's fine as long as you eat chicken, birds and fish, right? That you can sustain yourself with only that because it's still meat."

Robin nodded slowly, surprised that she'd figured out that much so quickly. Saga gave an irritable growl as she shook her head again. "Doesn't work like that. You're a wolf. You need meat, real meat. That's not something to be guilty about or to feel shame over. Your body knows what it needs, not what it wants, NEEDS, and you're denying it the bare essentials."

There was an awkward silence that followed, Saga having made her point and Robin simply not having a good enough response. It was eventually broken as Den cleared his throat and gave Saga a pointed glare. No words were exchanged but she seemed to know what he was saying. "Oh, don't give me that! If I didn't say it then no one would've."

"I'm just saying that it could've been done with a little more tact and consideration."

Saga let out an annoyed huff as she crossed her arms. "I'm not apologizing."

Den leaned towards Robin and covered one side of his muzzle with his paw in a classic stage whisper. "Sorry bout her, I bashed her on the head with my shield when we were kids, hasn't been the same since."

This got a barking laugh from the she-wolf. "I seem to recall you were the one on the receiving end of all those shield bashings."

"At least I properly blocked them, not a single one cacked my head."

"That's because your skull is too thick. Not even a falling tree could crack that." Saga countered.

Their bickering helped to lighten the mood and Robin couldn't help but giggle at their banter. Saga also noticed this change in atmosphere and smiled. "Now that we're back in high spirits it's time to get started on this." She said as she opened up the barrel, releasing a thick, heady scent into the air.

"What IS that?" Robin asked, covering her poor nose, although it did little to protect it from the vicious assault.

"Oh, this is something very special." Saga said as she began filling up the wooden mugs and passed them around, pushing one in front of Robin much to her dismay. "THIS is Jarlskona Hilda's personal batch of mead. She only ever takes it out on special occasions. With this as an exception since she gifted it to you, as an apology."

Robin stared down at the mug that had been passed to her and cringed, she did not like alcohol at all and despite the sweet scent it smelled very strong. It was almost as terrible as her father's favorite brand of whiskey. However, this had been a gift and as she'd learned so far protesting probably wouldn't do her any good. So, when Saga raised her mug in a toast she reluctantly joined in before drinking from her mug. She barely managed to get the first mouthful down, it was stronger than she'd expected and she couldn't help but let out a horrid cough in response. It still wasn't as bad as her father's whiskey; she wasn't ever going to forget the day she mistook his half empty glass for juice and had chugged the contents.

This experience was still a very close second.

"Wow, that's strong." Robin finally breathed out, clearing her throat. It wasn't entirely awful. There was no denying the taste of alcohol but it was also very sweet and fruity. Maybe that was why it was tolerable enough so that she wouldn't complain further.

The two wolves laughed as they watched Robin, apparently amused by her attempt at recovering. "Aye, maybe we should've started you off with something a little easier, it's good though." Den said before drinking deeply from his own mug.

"I guess, I don't really drink." Robin said, despite taking another drink, it wasn't as bad that time. She figured it would go down easier as she drank more. That, or her taste buds were too numb to care. "While it isn't outright banned, it's still heavily frowned upon in my religion and I'm not old enough to drink yet."

"Oh, you're a spiritual woman. What's the name of your religion?"

"Christianity, I'm a Christian."

The two wolves frowned at her in confusion, they turned to each other and Saga shrugged as if she didn't know what Robin was saying. "Wait, is Christianity not a thing here?"

"Not that I'm aware of." Den said, shaking his head.

"I've never heard of it, and I've heard many things." Saga added.

The revelation shocked Robin, her religion didn't exist here? At all? As she took a moment to process this it became less of a shock, she was in a different world so of course there would be many major differences, religion included. Still part of her was unnerved by the revelation, everything she'd been taught since her childhood didn't matter here. It was terrifying to think about.

But there was no denying that she felt something else, she felt... Relief? Why did she feel relieved by this? Maybe because she'd never joined the church willingly, it had been forced onto her and expected of her, just like everything else her parents had decided. They'd made every major decision in her life up until this point, using those teachings as a way to reinforce the point that they knew best. That made her realize something else, her parents, they weren't here to decide anything for her. Every choice she made from now on would be up to her and her alone. It was an even more terrifying thought, she'd always kept her head down, nodded along to whatever they said and just did as she was told, she'd never decided anything completely for herself. But as scary as it was she couldn't help the thrilling, giddy feeling bubbling in her stomach, they weren't here to tell her what to do, she could decide whatever she wanted!

"Uh... Robin?" She was broken from her thoughts as she looked up at Den, her face and ears burned as she realized she'd been so lost in her thoughts that she'd tuned both wolves out completely.

"Huh?"

"I was asking if you're alright, you got pretty quiet there." No doubt he was concerned now.

"O-oh! Yeah! I'm fine, really, promise!" Robin said as she smiled at him and oddly enough she was fine.

He must have been convinced as he simply smiled in response. The rest of the night was uneventful, they had a few more drinks, with Robin insisting that two was enough for her, she didn't have much experience drinking and could already feel the alcohol taking effect, but welcomed them to finish off whatever remained, an offer that Saga gladly accepted. Den was more reserved but even he drank more than Robin had. They talked about their lives, what they did most of the time, how they survived, it was all very interesting for her to learn. They mainly worked and trained for combat, they made their money by offering their services for whoever offered the most silver, but weren't averse to the idea of relaxing, even making sure that everyone had time off to pursue their own wants, interests and goals. They knew agriculture and grew their own food during the right seasons, saving grain and such to be used through winter, during winter they would mostly hunt, scavenge and fish for their food. Whatever they couldn't produce themselves they would trade with others, apparently there were cities and trading hubs all over where one could travel to gather all sorts of materials and supplies or even trade their own.

Eventually it became late and the two wolves decided they should excuse themselves for the night, another thing she'd learned, they started their days early, something she wasn't looking forward to at all. As they were about to leave Robin remembered that she was still wearing Den's cloak. She fumbled to unclasp it and growled when it refused to budge.

"Here, like this." Den said as he grabbed the clasp with his paws and showed her how to undo it.

She gave him an appreciative smile before pulling the cloak off and offering it to him, surprisingly he waved his paw in dismissal and smiled at her. "Keep it, my fur is thicker and the nights get cold. It'll suit you better."

There was the blush again, every time he smiled like that at her or talked soothingly it made itself known, just how did he do that? She thanked him and watched as they left. She continued staring as the two wolves walked and bantered the whole way. Eventually Robin closed the door and was finally left alone. She kicked off her shoes before dropping herself onto the bed and let out a tired huff, this had been a very long day.

Now that she was alone with her thoughts Robin couldn't help but dwell on everything she'd learned in this short time. The more she learned the more Robin understood just how different their cultures really were, much of what she'd learned on earth would either help her or prove to be detrimental, depending on how she used it. Not only that she couldn't just learn about what they did, she had to learn how to do it as well, she knew that even if the other two hadn't said it. She couldn't fish or hunt or even knew where to start, if she wanted to survive then she'd have to learn everything she possibly could. Some of it she was fine with learning, growing vegetables and herbs would probably be a good pass time, but combat and hunting... she was hesitant to even think about that. She wasn't a fighter in any sense of the word and the idea of taking an innocent animals' life just to sustain herself... It didn't sit easy with her.

But she knew that it wasn't a matter of if she wanted to do it but when she'd have to do it, again, she'd have to make a lot of compromises to her own moral code. The thought struck her as odd, not that it was illogical or unreasonable but more the fact that she'd come to the conclusion herself without any prompting. Any normal person in this situation would be freaking out, absolutely hysterical, they wouldn't be thinking about survival like this, they'd be losing their damn mind. Admittedly she'd had a few moments like that since she'd been here, but overall, Robin realized she'd been unsettlingly calm about her situation. Maybe this was a realm-walker thing? A kind of survival mechanism that allowed her to stay calm and rational despite the absurdity of her situation, considering that she could potentially live for centuries and would heal faster than the average person it didn't seem completely unreasonable by comparison.

Or maybe the shock of everything happening in such a short amount of time had been too much for her brain to handle all at once and she'd go into a panic induced breakdown the first chance she had, that was another possibility. Wait, why was she even thinking about this as if it was long term? She wasn't planning on staying here for long, if everything worked out tomorrow they could possibly figure out how to send her home soon enough, maybe even in a couple of days if she was lucky. She decided to leave her thoughts at that, she was too tired to think about it any longer. Her eyes were heavy, she felt drowsy, now that she was relaxed she could feel herself drifting off to sleep. no doubt a combination of the days events and the alcohol taking their toll on her all at once. Before she knew it Robin had slipped into a deep sleep.

***

Robin groaned as she felt herself being forcefully pulled from her sleep, an insistent banging that was too loud to ignore. She cracked an eye open and searched for the source of the offending noise. The room was barely illuminated by a dull blue glow, the lantern had died out while she slept. She blinked several times and rubbed her eyes to help clear her vision before finally sitting up. She stared out the window and saw that it was a dull morning blue outside as well, the sun wasn't even up! She jumped as the banging made itself known once again. Grumbling, she reluctantly removed herself from the warm confines of the bed and walked the short, freezing distance to the door. She opened it and was greeted by Saga, who appeared to be mid swing as she was about to bang the door again, stopping when she saw Robin.

"Good, you're awake. How'd you sleep?"

Robin shrugged. "I could go for five more minutes."

The she-wolf shook her head as an amused grin curled her muzzle. "Yeah, I feel that every morning. But you have some business to take care of today. Get dressed and we'll be off, yeah?"

Robin nodded tiredly as she rubbed her eyes once more, closing the door so she could change in peace. One problem, she didn't know what she could wear, or if anything would fit her. She had a guess as to where everything was, the large wardrobe being a dead giveaway. Opening it she saw clothes and gear that she frankly didn't even know where to begin starting with. There were a few dresses but they were no good, they were a few sizes too big for her and she'd be tripping all over the place if she wore one.

"Uhh..." Robin called, hesitating as she momentarily forgot the she-wolf's name, Saga, right? "Saga, I have a problem."

She opened the door and peered inside. "The problem being?"

"I don't know what to wear." Robin said as she gestured to the clothes and gear. "I don't know what's going to fit me... or how to put any of this on." She explained as she lifted one of the leather pieces.

"Alright let me check." Saga said as she entered the house and searched through the wardrobe, she muttered to herself as she searched and tossed clothes past Robin. "Too big... Dresses are too long... something easy." Eventually she pulled out some clothes and placed them on the table, they looked to be a very large shirt that she initially mistook for a dress, some simple pants and fur lined leather boots. Robin didn't know what either the shirt or pants were made of, cotton? Maybe wool? She'd have to ask later.

"Alright put these on and I'll help you with everything else." Saga said, turning around before Robin even thought to ask her to.

Quickly stripping out of her sweater and skirt Robin started with the pants, they were a little baggy and pooled around her feet but at least the boots would cover that up. Luckily there was a thick string stitched into the waist that she could tie, so at least they wouldn't be falling off of her. The shirt was no better, the sleeves went well past her wrists and she had to bunch them up to keep them from slipping, the hem of the shirt made it all the way past her knees, really reinforcing the idea that it looked more like a dress. The boots were probably the most comfortable, the insides were soft and they would definitely keep her warm if she was walking in the snow, they weren't too big either. She wasn't entirely pleased with how she looked but it would have to do for now.

"Alright, done."

Saga turned around and looked Robin over, she bit down on her lower lip and it was obvious that she was trying her hardest not to smile. Robin rolled her eyes and huffed. "Yeah, I know, I look silly."

"No, no- pfft- you look fine!" Saga said as she tried to keep a straight face but there was no denying the smile and terrible attempt at holding her amused snickering in. It took a moment but she eventually collected herself before clearing her throat. "Alright, now let's get everything else on."

From there Saga started with a black pelt that she wrapped around Robins waist like a sash, using a clasp to hold them in place, next she took out a thick leather belt and wrapped it around her waist over the pelt, luckily it held tight and Robin knew she wouldn't have to worry about anything falling off. Saga wrapped another pelt around Robin's shoulders, another metal clasp kept it from coming undone or falling off, surprisingly it fit almost perfectly. Finally, Saga handed her a pair of leather vambraces and helped fit them onto Robin's forearms. She was almost worried that they would be too loose but Saga explained and showed her that they could be tightened until they fit properly. Once she was fully dressed the she-wolf gave Robin a once over, seeing if anything looked too out of place.

Saga eventually shrugged and said "It'll do, for now. We'll have to get you your own gear and clothes." She grabbed Dens cloak off of the bed and tossed it to Robin. "We need to be going now."

With that they finally left the house. Robin shuddered as she stepped out and the brisk morning air hit her. She thought the inside of the house had been chilly but it was nothing in comparison to how cold it was outside.

"So, how's your body feeling?" Saga asked curiously.

"It's... Good, actually." Robin said, surprised she hadn't noticed until Saga had brought it up. After everything that had happened the other day her body should've been screaming in agony from overexertion and from the girls' assault, instead she felt fine, better than fine, actually. Robin hadn't felt this good in ages, nothing hurt, nothing was sore, it was almost as if yesterday had never happened. She didn't even need to feel or see her forearm to know that the cut Hilda had inflicted was mostly healed. At the very least this would confirm she was telling the truth, allowing her mind a little peace.

"So... Where are we going?" Robin asked.

"Jarlskona Hilda wants to speak with you. About yesterday's events and what her plans are from here, I'd imagine."

Robin nodded as she listened to the brief explanation, it made sense. Although, she couldn't help but wonder what the older she-wolf had planned for her, it was only a feeling but it was doubtful that she'd like it very much. She was sure she'd find out soon enough as she looked over at the long house. She was surprised by how much activity there was. Everyone was waking up and starting their days or had been up for a while now. She still received wary looks but she pushed it out of her mind.

The only good thing about the morning so far was the sight of a familiar wolf leaning against the entrance to the longhouse with his arms crossed. His ears perked as they approached and he smiled when he saw the two she-wolves.

"Morning, how'd you sleep?" Den asked

"Alright, not used to being up this early." She admitted.

"That's fair." Den said as he took a moment to look her over, giving her an approving smile. "Looks like you found some decent gear. You look good."

Robin smiled as she tried not to blush. "Thanks, but Saga was the one who picked everything out."

"Even still, it suits you well."

"Eh, I'd say after she grows a few inches it will." Saga said, earning her a smack on the arm and a disapproving glare from Den.

"What? Something for her to work towards." Saga protested.

Den simply shook his head before turning towards Robin. "How's your arm? Has it healed?"

Robin nodded in response. "I think so, I didn't really check on it, but it doesn't hurt. I actually feel good."

Den looked her over, gently cupping her muzzle in his paw as he inspected her face. Robin knew this wasn't meant to be intimate, he was just checking her other injuries from the other day, but that still didn't stop her breath from hitching, her heart pounding in her chest and her tail to start wagging behind her. He was looking at her so intensely with those icy blue eyes it was hard not to imagine it being anything else but intimate.

He nodded in approval as his paw dropped, much to her disappointment. "Aye, you look much better, not a scrape or bump to be found."

"Y-yeah, like I said. All good." Robin said weakly, lowering her gaze. Not low enough as she caught Saga's knowing look and amused grin. "S-so! Were you waiting for us or...?"

"Yeah, I was going to join you." Den clarified. "I figured I'm responsible for all of this, I should be there for you."

Robin smiled as she finally looked back up at the wolf, he was too sweet, much sweeter than any of the boys she knew at school, with one exception of course, although that was still a complicated matter. No one had heard from him or seen him in over half a year- No, she wasn't going to bring that up, not right now, not when she had to focus on herself and what she was currently doing.

Den opened the doors to the longhouse and gestured for them to enter. Hilda was sitting on her wooden throne, her husband by her side. Eira, the strange she-wolf from the other night, was present as well. As soon as the door closed all eyes turned to Robin. As they walked the short distance and stood in front of the three wolves Robin suddenly became very nervous, everything that had happened yesterday rushing back to her. How she'd reacted and... how she punched the more intimidating she-wolf. It helped that Den and Saga were by her side, it definitely took some of the pressure off.

"Eira, would you mind?" Hilda asked. The strange she-wolf nodded as she approached Robin.

Robin was momentarily confused as Eira held out her paw towards her, but quickly remembered her arm. She held it towards the strange she-wolf before realizing the vambrace needed to come off. "Sorry, let me just-" Eira began undoing the vambrace before Robin could even make the attempt, it was probably for the better as the strange she-wolf probably knew how to undo it better than her. When it did come free Eira pulled Robins sleeve up and unwrapped the bandage to inspect the wound, as Robin had thought it had healed overnight, to a surprising degree, it was closed with absolutely no sign of scabbing. The sight was a little unsettling, but it was also undeniable proof now.

Eira turned back and held Robin's arm out so they could see it for themselves. "As you can see it's healed far too quickly for the average person, I also sense no Ayma so she didn't heal it through spells. She is a genuine realm-walker."

Now this had grabbed her attention, fortunately the three wolves in front of her were conversing among themselves, giving her the chance she needed. "Ayma? Spells?" Robin whispered to Den.

"Simply put; Ayma is the energy we use for spell craft. Spell craft is how we understand and alter the world around us in small ways."

Robin blinked slowly as she processed this and what it meant. "So... Magic?"

Den frowned and it looked like he was thinking it over. "I think that's a word for it... Right?" he asked as he looked over to Saga.

Saga shrugged in response. "Possibly, there's a few words for it, differs from place to place."

Magic. Magic was apparently real in this world. Out of all the crazy things Robin had been expecting this, surprisingly, hadn't been on the list. Never would she have guessed that magic existed beyond movies, tv and books. Although, it did make sense, in a twisted sort of way. How else would she have ended up here? Certainly not through any scientific explanation, that was for sure, so magic seemed like a more plausible answer.

As she was contemplating all of this the three other wolves had apparently finished their private discussion. Hilda stepped forward until she was right in front of Robin. She looked down, eyes drifting to the younger wolf's arm. She grabbed it and inspected it herself, although Robin noticed that she was far gentler this time around, her grip was light and she traced the wound with her fingers.

With a huff Hilda met Robin's curious stare and nodded her head. "I believe I owe you an apology."

"Uh- no, it's fine, really. Den-" She was cut off as Hilda raised her paw to silence her.

"I'm aware that Den has explained why I was cautious, as well as throwing in some rather... strong words about the matter." She briefly made eye contact with her son, who Robin could see was holding a level glare, probably still not pleased with how last night had gone, before returning her attention to Robin. "However, that does not excuse my behavior, I was extremely rude to you without taking into consideration your own circumstances, for that I am truly sorry and hope you will forgive me."

"It's... It's fine, really." Robin said, more shocked that the intimidating she-wolf was actually apologizing. She was still expecting her to be less... understanding and even less apologetic about the matter, sticking to her guns and all of that. Even after the 'gift' she'd offered. Actually, now that it was on her mind, did they even have guns? Maybe that was a question for another time.

"Even still." The older she-wolf continued. "I would like to make amends. You will stay with us, and if Saga is alright with it, we'll allow you to continue staying in her mother's home, if not we'll figure out proper accommodations until we can build you a place of your own. Both Den and Saga will look after you as mentors, as well as an assortment of others who I will personally choose to make your adjustment easier."

"I don't mind, at least the place will stay clean and her gear will be put to use." Saga confirmed.

This came as a small surprise to Robin, finding herself confronted with crazier revelations by the minute, Saga being the daughter of the person whose house she was staying in was probably the tamest by comparison. Wait, what was that about staying here? "That's... That's really nice and all, but what about sending me home?"

Hilda looked over to Eira who shook her head before turning back to Robin. "Unfortunately, we do not have the means to do so. The most we can do is help you to adjust and train."

No. No, this was NOT happening. "B-but, but that's- There has to be a way, right?" There was no hiding the panic in her voice as she desperately looked between the wolves present. "I can't stay here! I was brought here, so there has to be a way to send me back!"

Hilda shook her head. "If I knew the method I would make that my top priority. The only ones who might know would be other realm-walkers."

"Then let me look for them! You have magic, or spell craft or... whatever you call it! You should be able to look for them, right? Or-or-or tell me where they might be and I can start looking."

"No." Hilda said as she crossed her arms. "They haven't been in these lands in a long time, any trace of them that we could use to track them through normal means or by spell craft would be pointless. And I will not allow you to leave until you are good and ready."

"But if I look for them I-"

"Will be dead within days, or sold off, or wind up used by some scum whose only concern is to take as much pleasure from you as they can. As long as those possibilities exist I cannot in a sane mind allow you to venture off on your own and I cannot afford to send anyone with you."

Robin stared off as the reality of the situation settled and her panic reached new heights. She was really stuck here, trapped. They weren't going to let her leave. She couldn't even entertain the possibility of running away, they were definitely much faster and stronger than her, she could tell that much already, not to mention they could probably track her down like it was nothing. Her options- who was she kidding? She didn't HAVE any options.

"How...How long? How long do I have to stay?" Robin asked weakly.

Hilda shrugged. "Until I decide that you're ready." She probably noticed the way Robin seemed to shrink in on herself, not liking the answer. "At the most... Two, maybe three years. Depending on how much effort you put in."

Three years... She was going to be stuck here... for three fucking years. Robin felt dizzy, nauseas, her breathing was too quick, too sharp, this was too much, all of this. She had school to finish, this was her last year. Her parents and siblings would lose their minds. Her city, her home, she wouldn't see any of it again for a long time. She felt weak and suddenly lost her balance, thankfully Den had grabbed her and was keeping her steady, helping her down onto one of the benches behind them.

"Easy, easy." Den said as he knelt beside her and whispered soothing words to her.

"This-I can't- It's not-" Robin gasped out, unable to form a coherent sentence as her mind delved deeper into panic. Three years, that kept going through her head. She was expecting a few days, a couple of weeks, at most, not years!

Hilda noticed this as she grabbed Eira's attention, saying something to her quickly before the strange she-wolf was running off. "She's going to get you something to help calm you down." Hilda said as she knelt in front of Robin. "We'll give you a few days to adjust before we slowly settle you in. I know it isn't much but it's the best we can do for you... I'm sorry."

Robin heard the words but they barely registered in her mind. This wasn't ok, none of this was ok! She didn't want to be here, she wanted to go home. She wanted this to be some twisted and horrible nightmare that she'd eventually wake up from. She'd wake up in her bed, getting ready for breakfast, getting ready for the day and surviving another day of high school, meeting the few friends she had and avoiding her bullies as best as she could.

Something was pressed to her lips, a wooden mug, the contents were hot and bitter, without thinking she drank whatever concoction had been given to her and almost immediately she felt calmer... sleepy even. Someone was talking, who was it?

"Take her back, let her rest for the day... Stay with her and make sure she's alright."

Rest... yeah, that sounded good right about now.

When Robin opened her eyes again she knew right away that she wasn't in her own bed, not the one she was used to. The ceiling wasn't the same one that had greeted her every morning for the past eighteen years. The scenery out the window wasn't the same one that she saw every morning. No cars, no nice houses, nothing that even remotely looked like modern civilization.

As she looked up and saw the two wolves, who quickly noticed that she was awake and were getting up to comfort her, it finally sank in. This wasn't an unpleasant dream or a nightmare like she'd hoped. This was real. All of this was real. This was her life now for the foreseeable future.

And there wasn't anything that could be done about it.