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Calder woke with his fathers words still ringing in his head.

He had opened his eyes to the slithering form of the serpent getting smaller as it went. As he looked around, he found that it was due to the head of Jörmungandr coming closer.

The black glittering scales became small near the end of the serpents tail, and Calder could see the place where the scales were knocked loose by the giants fangs.

Jörmungandr expelled a low grumble and slowed his movements so that Calder could stand in front of him.

The serpents head was huge, and looked like that of a normal snake save for gills and short fins along the side of his head.

Calder smiled softly and reached out to touch the side of Jörmungandr's jaw.

-

You are the one who will raise my father?

Along with my mate and pack, yes.

Please, do right by him. The Aesir have never respected him as he should be.

He will be cared for and loved, along with respected by my pack. I will make sure this is true.

Thank you.

-

Calder nodded and stepped back so that the serpent could continue his movements.

Though, when he stepped back, he bumped his foot against something solid yet light.

When he looked behind himself, he found that it was a large fang most likely from the serpent in front of him.

Calder picked up the large tooth and marveled at the size as he watched Jörmungandr's head slither out of view.

The tooth was as big as his forearm and white save for the bloodstained tip from where it dug into the tail of its owner. The wider end was decayed like a babe who lost their tooth.

Calder clutched the fang to his chest and turned to walk from the ocean, sending smiles and waves to any sea life he saw.

When he reached the shore and popped his head above water, he could see that the sun was rising over the waves and lighting his blond hair as if it was fire.

The pack was already outside and continuing the construction of the roof. Calder squeezed as much water from his hair as possible and pulled his trousers over his legs once he stepped onto dry land.

The fang was held behind his back as he walked up to Hemming and smiled.

"Goodmorning, Wolf." He chirped and stopped in front of where his mate was standing waiting for Calder.

"Goodmorning, my sweet. How was the ocean?" Hemming smiled, walking forward a bit so that he could almost pull Calder into a hug.

Calder stopped him with a hand on Hemming's chest and laughed at the pouty face he made.

"It was fruitful in both knowledge, and gifts. I received this from Jörmungandr, consider it the first of many gifts. Perhaps you might see that he is not as scary as you think; though I suppose maybe a scale would have been better." Calder removed the fang from behind his back and held it up for Hemming to take.

Hemming's eyebrows raised at the tooth and he grabbed it from Calder with a smile.

"Jörmungandr gave you one of his fangs? Would you not prefer to have such a gift yourself?" Hemming asked and examined the tooth closely, focusing on the point of the fang and the way it curved.

"No. I thought it would be a better courting gift than just a baby tooth given by my grandson." Calder paused and blushed. "Not that we know if he will actually be my grandson or not."

"You are closer to him than any of us, I believe you earn the title of grandfather." Hemming chuckled. "It is a perfect gift, thank you."

Calder grinned and nodded, happy that Hemming liked and accepted his gift.

"Come, there is food waiting for you inside." Hemming used his free hand and placed it to the small of Calders bare back, leading him inside the walls of the home and towards the fire.

Calder sat near the warm flames of the cooking fire and took the steaming bowl of stew from Hemming with a smile.

He ate quickly and quietly, with Hemming telling him about the things they would need to finish the house.

Hemming also said that Hale, Lagina, and Padma had agreed to go to the village the next morning in order to trade. Halina needed to stay in order to feed Eira.

Once Calder had finished his stew, both him and Hemming stepped outside in order to begin work once more.

The roof would need multiple large logs, and the amount they had was just a few short, so Calder spent his time chopping trees and bringing them back to the quickly developing structure.

Calder and Hemming would sneak kisses as they both worked, and Calder caught himself thinking that he had never loved someone as much as he did now.

Calder was already thinking of what the second courting gift for Hemming would be.

Would he attempt to build something? Perhaps a comb or pendant. Would he take a female approach and stitch a shirt for Hemming? A shirt would be impractical since he did not have a loom or wool.

A comb might be useful enough, though he would have to carve it while Hemming was not looking.

There would also have to be the material to make it from.

Calder froze in his walking and smiled. He had a beautiful idea.

He was aware that there were reindeer in the woods surrounding the house, and what perfect courting gifts a reindeer and antler comb would be.

Calder's grin stayed until he returned to the house and let the few logs fall down into the growing pile.

Some of the smaller branches, those that weren't big enough to be part of the home, but also might be too big to fit into the fire, were laid into a pile off to the side of the house.

The rest of the pack was working diligently to put up a pointed roof, with Eira stationed outside in case any logs might fall.

Calder figured that he should start on building a pen for the pigs that would be brought back in a couple days.

The hens would likely stay in the area as long as there was food and somewhere to lay eggs. Calder would work on a henhouse later.

The pen was situated a good distance away from the house; Hemming had said that the threat of predators was low since the pack had scented the area the night of the full moon a fortnight ago.

Calder found this good to know, since when he lived with his false mother, the chickens and smaller goats would always be picked off by a brave lynx or even sometimes a lone bear.

The pen that he set to making was as good as a pen could be; the branches were shoved into the ground with some extra strength, and Calder had taken only eight nails to fasten another branch horizontally in the middle of the row of staked branches.

When he finished, there was only a small gap for a gate, which he could easily make. The pen would likely not be used much in the summer, only a place for the pigs to return to for the night.

The roof had come along greatly while he built the pen, with nearly half of it completed and being held together at the point by tight knots.

Padma was on the roof, which sent a shock of panic through his heart even though he knew they would not fall.

They were making sure that the logs, once slid up, were stable and attached to the neighbor next to it.

There was no support beam in place across the peak, only a small log at the ends to make sure that the whole roof didn't tilt.

Calder could also see that Padma was shoving a mixture of mud and clay, which he had seen Hale make and laugh as he smeared some onto Halinas cheek, and was covering the still wet mixture with smaller twigs since they did not have any straw or hay yet.

Calder watched carefully as he came to stand next to Hemming, both of them staring with the sense that if anything happens, it would be easy for them to help where they were standing.

"It will be finished by dusk. After the roof there is only the matter of placing supports and filling cracks." Hemming supplied, still with a watchful eye towards Padma, his arms crossed but taut.

"You and the pack seem to know a decent amount about building houses." Calder offered, his own eyes at the same place Hemming's were.

"Nadir used to help build houses in his previous life. His pack was large, and had nearly seven long houses by the time I arrived."

"Why did he come with you?" Calder questioned lightly, to make sure that his mate did not think it was a mock.

"His leader was not a good one." Hemming shrugged. "Nadir naturally thought of me as better. His wolf knew he was my pack and not the others. His previous leader did not fight this. He knew he could not help what out wolves naturally feel."

Calder hummed and nodded; it was a believable story. Nadir was loyal to Hemming almost to a fault, and Calder could see why.

Hemming was a good leader. A good alpha. He listened to input and made sure the pack was safe at all times. There were no strict rules, or a clear canine hierarchy. There was only everybody as a pack, and the guidance of a good man.

"Your second courting gift. I want it to be the house; and though I know it was not just me who built it, I believe it shows that our relationship will never just be you and me. Our pack will always be a part of our lives, even if we are together." Hemming stated and kept his eyes still on the house, though Calder could see them nervously flitting around.

Calder smiled and stepped closer, wrapping both his arms around Hemmings middle and shoving his head up underneath the taller mans crossed arms.

Hemming smiled back and kept his arms semi folded around Calder's shoulders.

"I love it. It is perfect, Hemming. I could not wish for a better mate and family." Calder hummed sweetly and placed his forehead onto Hemming's collarbone.

Hemming's arms tightened as he brought Calder closer to him and shoved a cold nose into blonde hair.

"You are just as beautiful and magnificent as I thought you would be, my sweet. I am glad that you are in my life." Hemming mumbled, bringing up a hand to take through Calder's sea salted hair.

"I do not know what my life would be without you. You have saved me in more ways than one. I love you, Hemming." Calder placed a kiss onto Hemming's collarbone and then worked himself up to the last stretch of throat that did not have beard stretching down it.

Calder felt Hemmings growl tickle across his lips and tongue and smirked, he knew that was a growl that meant Hemming was getting riled up but could do nothing about it since they were surrounded by the pack.

"Calder, I love you more than I thought I ever could love somebody." Hemming stared before using the hand in Calder's hair to gently pull him back and capture his lips.

Calder hummed pleasantly into the kiss and let Hemming's tongue work its way into his mouth in order to rub against his own.

Hemming smiled against his lips and pulled back, Calder whined and followed after the lips until they were too far for him to follow any further.

"The pack is staring." Hemming murmured to a disgruntled Calder, who whipped around to see that the pack was, indeed, staring at the mates and smiling.

Calder blushed and awkwardly looked at them with a small smile.

He honestly did not mind all that much if the pack saw them kiss, but Calder might have taken it further than just kissing if they continued.

Now he was not the only one who was hoping for a bed and some privacy soon.

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