A trip home and a surprise

My conundrum was easily fixed when I set sight on Zodry, with a big smile I called him over.

"Zodry come here please!"

With hurried steps, the little house elf scrambled over, eager to help.

"Yes, master Fenriúlfr?" He asked with big bright eyes, hands held together looking up at me.

"Zodry, can you pop me and Clio over to my home across the sea? I want to visit my family for a while." I asked and saw the children were eavesdropping into our conversation and they looked visibly conflicted, they must be thinking I was leaving them alone.

"Yes, master! Zodry can but I don't know where masters home is? We need to form a bond for Zodry to feel masters homes" he replied, I honestly hadn't thought about the bond with the elves because they were pleased to serve me without it.

"Okay, Zodry how is this bond formed?" I asked in wonder, I had a familiar bond but I don't think a master/servant bond was formed through a ritual.

"Master has to feed Zodry his magic and claim Zodry as his servant! Just put your hand on my head and magic will do the rest!" He was practically dancing in excitement at this point, I'd never understood why house-elves were so eager to serve someone, they hand powerful magic and could apparatus anywhere they wanted, so it didn't make sense at all to me.

Placing my hand on Zodrys bald head I thought about what he meant about feeding him magic, I could feel his magic was the same as what was in nature it didn't have a signature like wizards and witches, it was like he was part of nature it's self. As I started to focus on his magic and sending my own into him to connect the two together, my magic began to change subtly, it was like it had become his nourishment his body began to fill out slightly looking less malnourished and muscle began to take form on his skinny body, his green eyes became vibrant and hair began to grow on his head.

The changes taking place began to slow down and I could feel Zodry had an abundant amount of life compared to before, I wasn't expecting the little grey-skinned elf to grow, he was a foot taller and stood around 3feet now, his physique changed considerably he stood straighter and looked more like a servant than a slave, he stood tall and proud as my hand left his head.

"Master zodry can feel the masters family and homes, Zodry can pop to them at any time!" He even sounded better, his voice took a healthier tone and sounded vibrant. Looking at him properly I wouldn't have recognised him if I didn't perform the bonding myself.

Zodry had light brown hair that swept behind his ears and down to his shoulder, his skin was less grey and more of a healthy pale hue, his eyes were a pale green but screamed life instead of the half-dead green eyes from before if I didn't know it was my magic and not my life force I would have probably thought he had drained me of it. I don't feel anything apart from a sliver of my magic being used, even if he was using my life force nothing would have happened anyway, my life force just regenerated when it mixed with Toskr and I felt no drain at all I was immortal after all.

I was amazed by his changes, he looked like an elf should not the malnourished hunched form from Harry potter no, a vibrant small creature that lived and breathed nature. I had to help the others now I couldn't leave them in that scraggly form any longer.

"Okay Zodry but wait a moment I'm going to form a bond with the rest as well, so could you fetch them for me please," I told him,

"Yes, Master Fenrisúlfr!" And with a pop he was gone, a few seconds later all 8 house-elves stood in front of me with eager expressions I'm sure they could feel what happened to Zodry.

"Okay Trippy come here so we can form a bond," I told her and she stood out in front of the others as they watched on with shining eyes.

As I placed my hand on her head and began to form the bond the changes that happened to Zodry took place but some additional ones did as well, her ears became shorter as her Golden brown hair began to grown down her back under my hand, he body grew taller and filled out and she looked more female now than before as I took my hand away and moved on to the next one's doing 2 at a time to speed things up.

After a few minutes of setting up the bonds, I could feel all the elves they all stood tall and proud and looked healthy with glossy shades of brown hair and smooth pale skin, they looked well fed and the males are toned slightly, the females all had lithe figures and stood slightly shorter than the males, their ears still drooped slightly and weren't as bat-like, more like a high elf from some RPG I remembered.

"We are going to have to get you some clothes you aren't going to represent my house looking like beggars and slaves!" I voiced out to them and they looked visibly shaken. Ah, yeah clothes meant freeing them didn't it?

"I am not setting you free, but you will wear a uniform to represent me and my house!" I explained and they all seemed to become happier, I could feel it through the bond.

"Yes, master!" They all shouted and I couldn't help but smile.

"Okay Trippy your task is to look after the children and the houses while I'm gone I should only be a day or two, and the rest of you have a different task I want you to go around collecting some animals for Yule I have a plan for them, do not steal them from this town! Get them from the wild" I announced as I turned to the children that had begun to gather when I was bonding with the elves, Clio was with them as well and looking over with fascination.

"Okay children Yule begins in a few days and I'm going to visit my family ill be back by then and we will have a big meal! Clio, will you come with me? I'm sure trippy and the others can look after everyone and the kids will help won't you?" I shouted so they could all hear me, Aileen looked around at everyone and then nodded and turned to me.

"You don't have to worry Mister Fenrisúlfr we will tend to the animals and keep everything in order," she said a good at the front of the group as Clio walked through to my side.

"Okay good, if anything goes wrong ill have Zodry pop me back over as soon as possible, you all take care ill see you soon" I looked at Clio with a smile and held her hand as I looked at zodry and nodded he took my other hand and with a force that felt like my stomach was being dragged through a hole in a needle everything began to swirl and we were apparating away.

After a few moments of being pulled and twisted we popped out in a field and I landed on my back trying to catch my breath, I didn't think apparition felt that horrible but at least we made it in one piece. As I stood up and looked around I couldn't help smiling, I was home after so many years, I could see the farmstead and began walking with Clio by my side as Zodry followed from behind.

As we got closer my smile was getting bigger and Clio giggled at my side, turning to look at her I questioned "what?"

"Oh nothing your just cute when you smile like that, so who am I going to meet?" She asked with her own smile

"The people who brought me up, Astrid and Ubbe and their son Egil" I replied as I thought about them and what could have changed over the years I had been away.

The house was just a short walk from where we landed so it didn't take long to reach the house and I made my way to the door and knocked, it had been too long to just walk in without getting an axe thrown at me. After a brief moment and steps coming from behind the door, it swung open and a small boy stood there looking at me and tilted his head slightly. It was Egil and he was around 9 or 10 now it had been around 5 years since I left and I was 25 the end of this year.

"What do you want?" He asked he looked like Astrid more then ubbe he had her eyes I couldn't help smiling at him as I lifted my hand and poked him in the head

"What forgot me already Egil? Where's Astrid and Ubbe at?" I asked with a chuckle as he looked shocked while he rubbed his forehead and grumbled his reply.

"Come in Fenris they're in the room" turning and walking away I started to laugh as I followed him through the house with Clio and Zodry. I didn't make it far as I heard a thunder of steps and Astrid dived at me wrapping me up in a tight hug.

"Fenris your back!" She shouted and I hugged her back and saying "I'm back Astrid can we get inside, please?"

Astrid stood up and looked around at who I was with when she spotted Zodry she turned to me with rage and started shouting.

"Fenrisúlfr Fjörgynsson! Why is that boy wearing rags! Even if he is a thrall at least clothe the poor thing! I thought we taught you better!" My face paled slightly and I began to sweat. 'I'll never get used to her shouting at me' I thought as Zodry stood forward in between us.

"Master is a good master, Zodry is an elf, not a Thrall or a boy! Leave the master alone!" He was shouting at Astrid defending me, I couldn't be more proud of the elves under my care.

"Eh? An elf?" I heard from behind her as Astrid looked wide-eyed at Zodry, she took more notice of his features this time and I was just glad he had changed before coming here or I would most likely have been shouted at even more.

"Can we get inside and I'll explain what's going on?" I asked and ubbe was my saviour as he grabbed Astrid shoulder and pulled her away announcing "come on in Fenris I'm sure you have a lot to say"

As we made our way inside and sat down Zodry stood by my side as I took a bench across the table from Astrid and Ubbe with Clio,

"Okay, I'm sure you're wondering so ill just tell you what happened over the years" I announced and began to recount the tales of my travels. After an hour or so of just listening to me, Astrid and Ubbe were gobsmacked.

"Okay, okay let me get this straight, you fought a hundred sorcerers and rescued 80 people and are looking after 30 children? And the elves are bonded to you by magic?" Ubbe asked as I nodded and replied "yeah that's what happened" Astrid soon cut us off though, "so this must be Cliodna she's beautiful fenris the gods do look after you don't they" with a big smile on her face Astrid dragged Clio away to talk and she looked at me with worry and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"So anyway fenris how are you looking after 30 kids? Where are their families?" Ubbe asked me, as Egil walked in the room and sat down.

"They were all killed by the sorcerers when they took them as prisoners and I've bought a longhouse in Ireland for them to live in and we're raising some chickens and pigs and growing our own vegetables" I explained, Egil cut in then "ha they must have been weak to die to sorcerers!"

"Egil a sorcerer is more powerful then you think," I told him with a deadpan glare.

"Yeah right! I'd kill a sorcerer before he even got a spell out!" He let out as his chest puffed out trying to look big.

"Do you want to try?" I asked I'd stun the little brat and teach him a lesson, ubbe just sat back and didn't interfere.

"Let's go then! I'll show Father I'm better than a sorcerer!" He said as he stood up and began to walk out the house into the yard.

Shaking my head I stood up as well as Astrid and Clio made their way back in the room giggling with smiles, Astrid looked around and asked Ubbe what was going on as I made my way to the door.

"Egil wants to prove himself against a sorcerer" he explained and began to follow.

When I got outside the house Egil was stood there with a sword and shield in each hand stood across from me, he had a confident look on his face and I just shook my head.

"Let's go then boy," I announced as everyone stood at the door and Egil charged at me sword at the ready, I raised my hand and transfigured it into a flower mid-swing, it hit my chest and the petals burst off and fell to the ground, Egil was left in a daze as he stared at what his sword and I pointed my finger and vines burst through the ground and wrapped him up.

"Your confidence doesn't win fights Egil, I could have killed you with each wave of my hand but seen as your my little brother ill let you off, don't become complacent with the little training you have, every warrior is on edge in every battle, your fear hones your senses and makes you stronger, your pride dulls those senses and makes you weak.

A true warrior never looks down on his opponent and gives it his all, a wolf uses its full strength to kill a rabbit you best remember that" I announced as I pointed at him again as the vines loosed and he dropped to the floor sweating, I turned around and began to walk back to the others as I heard hurried steps, a swish in the air as I saw Ubbes face become distorted in anger, Astrid and Clio looked shocked.

I quickly spun around and grabbed at the swish I heard and caught Egils shield and crushed it in my palm, with my other I lightly backhanded him to the floor pointed my finger and froze him, knelt on his chest as the air left his body.

"Anger blinds men far greater than you boy! your too young to go against me, I wouldn't even need a sword to kill you!" I shouted in his face, he began to pale and sweat heavily.

"Just 'cause you've been trained to use a weapon doesn't make you a warrior, the experiences you collect are your best friend in battle and a warrior carries it like trees carry leaves," I said getting up and walking away again releasing his body bind.

"You cheated!" I heard Egil shout through ragged breaths, and I turned around to look at him, he gritted his teeth as I glared at him,

"And how did I cheat Egil?" I asked in a flat tone

"You turned my sword into a flower!" He shouted with rage in his eyes, I was about to reply when I saw ubbe rush to his side and slap him across the face seething with rage.

"You stupid boy! Do you think a sorcerer would just let your sword get near them? You said you wanted to try and Fenris fought you as a sorcerer would! I've told you time and time again to use your head! Think, plan and execute until it becomes engrained in your body and spirit!" He shouted as Egil held his cheek and stared at his father with confusion.

"Egil if I was one of those sorcerers that slaughtered those children's families you would have been dead even before you took a step, those men and women who slaughter with spells wouldn't have let you even move when they saw you ready for a battle you would have been frozen and died before you even knew what happened" I explained as I walked up to Clio, she looked at me with concern and asked

"Did you need to go that far?" I looked at her and chuckled "I would rather him learn it now and remember then when he is against anyone who would kill him"

"Fenris I understand what you mean but he's just a boy," she said and I shook my head and continued

"Clio I was beaten black and blue by Ubbe and Ivar, I ingrained everything into my bones and it became second nature because they never held back! If they did I would have died when the town was raided alongside my friends, if I fought him with everything I had he would be blood mist by now"

"Come on inside Cliodna, Fenris I'm sure Ubbe has a lot to say to Egil," Astrid said as she walked in shaking her head.

As we walked back in I could hear Ubbes voice lower as his anger dissipated but he was continuing to teach him a lesson.

"Astrid what did you call me at the door anyway?" I asked as I sat back down at the table.

"What do you mean Fenrisúlfr Fjörgynsson?" She replied with her own question

"Yeah, why Fjörgynsson?" I asked still confused where it came from.

"Well your not our child so you won't be known as Fenriúlfr son of Ubbe will you? The seer said you were the son of Fjörgyn so Fjörgynsson" she explained and I liked it, it went along with the founders of Hogwarts alliterated names. Thinking of the founders and their houses that was named after them would my house be Fjörgynsson? If so my crest would be the Yggdrasil.

"I like it, anyway Astrid what's been going on around here?" I asked I was going to ask Astrid to make the elves clothes but if taught the kids textile work so they could do it, the elves would keep them clean and I could enchant them somewhat.

"Oh, not much it's settled down a lot, although Egil and the young are eager to raid. Anyway, tell me about you two?" She told me and asked I couldn't help but shake my head at the kids in Birka, I know it's a small place but raiding wasn't really needed it was rich in resources and was a trading town, they didn't need to raid and the jarl knew it.

"What about us?" I asked not knowing what to say,

"Oh shush you when am I going to see my grandkids? I'm getting old you know, hurry up" Astrid commented and I saw Cliodna blush heavily, I was at a loss for words, I and Clio had been having sex and with there being no protection and I never bothered pulling out I'm sure it would happen eventually, but I didn't know what to say honestly.

"Ermm I don't know?" I mumbled as I scratched the back of my head when I saw Clio put her hand to her belly and glance at me from the corner of her eye. I was lost for words, time seemed to stop as I contemplated the meaning behind her actions and looked at the fierce grin on Astrids face, it clicked. I was going to be a father.