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"So, I am assuming you fixed the mess you created, Hemming?"

Calder jumped as Halinas voice echoed through the cave.

His and Hemming's hands were still touching, though Calder had moved them so that Hemming's was resting on Calder's chest instead of his wet leg.

"Yes, Halina." Hemming groaned and shot an annoyed look to his sister, who had the rest of the pack trailing behind her.

Calder only smiled and chuckled at the siblings, the hand cradled to his chest squeezed his own.

"Good. The sun has begun to set, and the rain has moved on; we should be able to start moving again in the morning. We scouted ahead while we waited for you two to talk, and it seems that the sea is closer than we originally thought. We should be there by midday tomorrow." Hale stepped forward and sat down next to the fire, holding the backs of his hands against it for warmth.

Calder felt a thrum if excitement rattle his body.

He would get answers finally. He would know who the voice was and why this is happening now.

But what if it was bad? What if he was a monster and was meant to be evil?

His heart was beating fast at the thoughts racing through his mind, he was positive that Hemming could feel it.

"Is there a clear path to the coast?" Hemming asked towards his pack.

"From what we saw, yes. There is no shore, though. The whole seaboard is a cliff. We imagine we can go south and it will mellow out into a beach." Hale responded and when Padma lowered her, he took Eira with a smile.

Calder made a noise of displeasure in his throat, something that might have been a growl if he held the ability.

"Then we will do that. Get some rest and we will leave at dawn." Hemming called out and pulled his hand gently from Calder's.

Calder frowned slightly but it dissipated when he saw Hemming pick the cloak up and walk back to him.

"You can not sleep in those trousers when they are soaked through like that. We should have bought you more clothes since you have been half naked for the past day." Hemming sighed with a smile and threw the cloak over Calder's shoulders.

Calder just huffed out a laugh and tightened the cloak, standing up to take his pants off.

He grimaced at the wet fabric sticking to his thighs and ass.

Maybe next time he decides to go swim and sit in the bottom of a glacial pool he will make sure he is devoid of any clothes.

Calder finally removed the trousers and held them out to Hemming, who smiled sweetly and took them. Hemming squeezed the extra water out near the edge of the cave and then put them near the fire to dry. Calder yawned and walked to where his blanket and fur was before laying down.

His hair was partly dry now, and Calder used the still rolled up fur to support his head. He hoped that his hair wasn't too messy when he woke up due to it drying weird against the fur.

Though, he supposed it did not matter when he finally closed his eyes and let himself sleep.

He did not care when he felt Hemming lay down next to him, his presence was welcome.

___________

Calder woke to a hand skimming across his face, brushing his hair from his face and rubbing a calloused thumb on his cheek.

Calder hummed and leaned into the touch, knowing that it was Hemming. He could get used to this.

"It is almost day and we are beginning to pack." Hemming said quietly and Calder opened his eyes, peeking out at the man who was squatting beside him.

"Are my trousers dry?" Calder asked and sat up slowly.

"Yes." Hemming laughed lowly and turned to grab the dry trousers that were sitting next to him. "So are your boots and socks."

Calder nodded and grabbed the pants, standing up to slid them up over his bare legs.

He almost did not want to put his boots on, Calder had liked the feeling of snow against his feet; but of course he also tore his soles to shreds against the mountain, so maybe it would be best to keep them on while they take the final hike to the coast.

Calder was happy he would finally be able to see the ocean. But, of course there were doubts and fears that were rattling his mind.

He attempted to reason with his thoughts, try and find a strand of them that made sense enough for him to cling to.

But, in reality he had no clue what he was or what was happening to him. Theories did nothing when he could not find one that could be right.

His first thought that he was some sort of monster or water creature. There was no evidence to suggest that this was false in any way.

His second thought was that he could be a sprite or elf. As he thought of how he was connected to water, this clearly would not be the case.

Calder did not entertain any assumptions after that, not thinking that he could conjure up any more likely scenarios.

At least the pack was on the move again towards the eastern coast. They would reach the cliffs in a few hours at midday, and then continue south until they could find a suitable place to settle.

It all seemed to be happening quickly, even though for Calder it had been almost a week of travel; he could only imagine how long the pack had been traveling before the saved him.

Now they were so close to stopping their travels and making their home next to the sea.

Calder wondered if they would have animals in the spring. They still had a week or two until Eostre, so maybe Calder could plan something for that.

He noticed as they walked, that the snow beneath their feet was thin. Calder would step down and he could feel the grass and pine needles underfoot.

There were areas as they walked, that were melting and creating small puddles in the rocky, uneven land.

Calder had to resist the urge to step in them as they passed; not because of his love of water, but because he was childish at heart.

Though, even as he stopped himself from stomping in puddles, his did occasionally step down on the snow harshly and send the half-melted ice chunks skittering across the ground with a smirk.

Hemming noticed this and would let out small puffed out chuckles, Calder bumping a shoulder against the others in retaliation for his laughter.

The mood was light as they carried on; Halina was feeding Eira, Padma and Hale were talking quietly like always, Lagina was shifted and making wolf tracks in the snow as she walked, and Nadir was doing the same.

This was the first time Calder had seen Nadirs wolf and was not surprised to see a cream and brown colored wolf in his place. The sled was still attached, but to his chest this time as a harness.

Calder wanted to see everyone else's now that he knew; He had already seen three out of the six, and seeing as how the others coats looked, he had no clue what Halina, Hale, and Padmas would look like.

He assumed he had plenty of time to see, and instead directed his mind to the distinct smell of salt in the air.

There were gulls calling from a distance away, and Calder laughed when two ravens screeches were heard trying to overpower them.

"Can you smell it?" Calder turned and asked Hemming, curious of how an evolved Ulfhednar nose worked.

"Can you?" Hemming replied with a confused look.

"Yes? Am I not supposed to? We are close, are we not?" Calder asked in a hurry. Was this another mysterious thing added to the ever-growing list of monster characteristics?

"We are at least a few miles away yet. Humans normally would not be able to smell the difference. Do you usually smell this far?"

So, it was another ailment.

"No, just the ocean. Always the ocean."

Calder frowned as he mirrored what the voice had said to him in the pool. Hemming seemed to notice this and brushed his shoulder against Calder's.

"Do not worry. We will find out the truth. For now, describe what you are smelling to me. Can you hear it as well?"

"I can hear gulls, that is all. I can smell the salt. The water and the scent of fish." Calder closed his eyes, focusing on the smell that was invading his senses. "Driftwood... lichen on the cliff face... algae and seaweed."

"You can almost see it in your mind, can't you?"

Calder smiled and opened his eyes, looking to Hemming sweetly. He nodded and stared ahead, seeing nothing but the forest as it sloped upwards slightly.

Hemming smiled back and also stared ahead, both men not saying anything just because they did not have to. The scent of the sea grew stronger as they got closer, and Calder could feel his pace pick up as he spotted the opening of the forest.

Calder could hear everything now; the waves, the birds, the ice from the north clinking as the chunks hit each other. When the land finally flattened off into a clear snow covered ridge, Calder felt his heart stutter at the sight.

It was beautiful.

The water was deep and choppy, but the color was so brilliant that it had him walking forward without any care that he was on a cliff.

It was not until he felt an arm wrap around his middle and yank him from the edge that he realized the situation.

"Gods, Calder. You can not walk off a cliff." Hemming sighed and Calder gasped softly.

"Fuck. Sorry. Just..." Calder drifted off again and stared blearily out into the waves, his eyes were brimmed with tears just from how beautiful he found the sight.

Hemming's arms were around him again in an instant, dragging him back further until there was only a thin line of water in sight over the cliff.

"Wait a little longer, my sweet. We will get you in the water, just a little while longer." Hemming said and kept a firm grasp on Calder's hand.

Calder blinked a few times and nodded slowly. Just hold on longer.

They remained further back in the forest after that, with Calder on the side of the forest and his hand clenched in Hemming's.

Calder tried to ignore the urge, but every time he would hone in on the waves and the smell of cold water, Hemming would have to pause in their walking and pull Calder back beside him.

When the ground started to decline sharply and sink out into a flatter woodland, Calder made it his task to stare at the lightly forested snowy clearing that was up ahead.

The ocean was in sight and Calder could tell that this was a beautiful spot for a farm or settlement.

The clearing was large and surrounded by sparse spottings of trees, the land breaking off into sand and then blue cerulean water.

Calder was pulling at Hemming's hand harshly as he walked forward out into the clearing. He only got as far as a few meters in before the hand made him stop.

"We will be here for when you return. You should leave your clothes here so they do not get wet." Hemming said with a stern eye.

Calder opened his mouth to breathe better as he nodded and began yanking off his boots and socks.

Hemming chuckled and turned when he shucked off his trousers hastily and without thought. The cloak and his tunic followed soon after.

Calder did not say goodbye as he turned and started off towards the water.

He could feel how close it was, and all he wanted was to be in it. His feet ran as quickly as they could.

When he felt wet sand he closed his eyes and kicked up the silt as he raced into the water.

The second his feet hit the water he was calm.

He stopped once he was waist deep, his breath coming in short gasps. It was his dream.

Calder did not feel his feet move, and only knew he was going further out by the way the waves lapped at his chest, and then neck, and then over the top of his head.

He let the breath escape. He did not fight the urge to inhale this time; Allowing the water to fill his lungs as he sunk.

Just the ocean. Always the ocean.

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