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Thursday, 31 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Selene Hunter
It was a celebration for the New Year tonight and I've gone and ruined it. Turned up at the chateaux without a bottle of wine. I was the rudest guest in the world. Luckily for them, it wasn't a full moon but something triggered off my blood cravings.
At the party, all the ladies and gents were in their finest. I wore a tacky sequinned number from a charity shop. My dyed hair was unbrushed and I whipped it up and stuck grips in place. I was messy putting on my make-up, and my long unmanicured fingernails were also chapped! I covered it up with my baby sister's gold varnish. The feathers in my hair and dress fell out on the way to the party.
Balloons were everywhere. I couldn't find my best friends. It had to be a set up.
Then a bunch of well dressed ladies approached me all smelling of expensive chanel.
"Hello Sally!!!" all three of them said. Their make-up, dresses, nails and shoes were so rich and perfect. I looked like a ragged Cinderella at the ball. And other faces gawped disapprovingly at me. None of the pretty flowery waitress girls offered me a flute of champagne.
It smelled bad in the party. Despite all the glitz and glamour, I could tell some had farted, wet themselves, who was menstruating, in pain, who was hungry and who was drunk. I could smell that all three sarcastic ladies before me were desperate for the bathroom, one of them needed to be sick.
I excused myself and went to a man on his own, handsome and smelling only of pleasant fruits and winter pine air. He was well built, with strong facial features. He had very long black hair, and his eyes were the palest blue. The eyes of a snow hound.
"Are you having a good time?" I smiled and asked him.
He smirked and glanced at the crowd in full swing at the melody of a live jazz band. I could tell he was feeling out of place. I wonder what he was doing here.
"It could be better," he said.
"Oh?" I looked at the players and partygoers. Besides lack of a drink, I was somewhat liking the colourful and happy atmosphere. Perhaps he did not.
"I'm Sally Hunter," I extended my hand. Wished I put my white gloves on now.
He took my hand into his large strong hand and gripped firm. I sensed a deep hotness from him. Oh my! He was like me. A child of the night. A werewolf!
"Hello Sally. It's a pleasure to meet you," he stared into my eyes. He knew I knew what he was. He knew what I was too. "My name is Prince Reginald Gang."
"You're a prince?" I must admit, despite how gorgeous he was, he didn't dress like one. He was more like someone from a Black Metal band.
"Yes," he smiled. "Son of King Ganger Asgard."
When he said that, I realised what else he was. He was the son of the alpha male wolf from Sweden. No one such as yourself would've heard of him but we werewolves know who the alphas are. Fireworks were beginning to go off in the city below.
"Come," the prince alpha took my hand and led me onto the balcony. The night air was very cold but the party was oozing warmth. He wrapped a jacket round me and gave me a glass of sherry. I sipped it and my head swam. He felt so powerful and I was protected by him.
The New Year was announced with a massive cheer, poppers and explosive fireworks. Then he wanted me to look up and look at several people on a higher balcony. Their eyes glowed like fire and I knew instantly they were werewolves. These were seperated from all the party guests downstairs. I sensed a chill in my body and the prince kissed me better.
It was here that I met an alpha werewolf for the first time, close up.
I'm 30 years old, a city girl working for a bank, and I'm also a werewolf and a member of Fenrir's Daughters. If you don't know who the Fenrir's Daughters are, it's a club full of all the werewolf females such as myself. There is a Fenrir's Sons for the male werewolves too. I wonder if the prince werewolf will be in touch with me soon.
((The Fenrir's Daughters fiction stories belong to author Rayne))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Wednesday, 30 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Cherie Ironpaws
The stormy wind howled. It must be the ghosts of giants tonight. I stayed indoors and drank cups of tea. There was no moon and no stars. No wolf changing for me. I felt so vulnerable on nights like these. My children live hundreds of miles away and I hardly see them anymore. I miss my grandchildren. I miss my pet dogs who have all passed away now. I miss my husband. I'm a lonely widow.
It's just me, the ageing werewolf lady with toothache and brittle joints. I sit for hours in my rocking chair in front of a dying fire with just a flickering TV. I lost my knitting needles again and I can't bend down to get them from under the sofa.
I got myself a plate of cookies and another cup of tea. Walking to the kitchen hurts. Atleast when I become a wolf, I feel stronger, but I'm told that I'm "slow" by other werewolves. My werewolf friends don't live near here. I only see them during a full moon. If only I knew their human phone numbers, which I don't. I could do with their company right now.
I'm 96 years old and my hair is like a bundle of white snow. I wear my half moon specs to do a crossword that I enjoy so much. I jump now at the stormy sounds outside. There is a light knocking at the door. I hope it isn't the big tree bending over.
It knocked again. Then a voice, that sounds like a person. It's midnight. I'm not going to get up and answer that. Not at this hour! Goodness no! I resume my tea and biscuits as I concentrate on my crossword puzzle. Knocking again at the front door.
"Who is it?" I called out.
A muffled voice from behind the door speaks but I can't understand it.
"Speak up!" I said.
The voice spoke again slightly louder but oh! it's the voice of a child! What child would be out at this dreadful time?
I have to answer the door right now.
So I eased out of the chair and grabbed my walking stick. I picked up my candle and hobbled to the front door, I have to remind the child that I'm on my way so they don't give up. I can't have children outside at night.
Then I opened the door. No one was there. Perhaps they went away.
"Where are you?" I asked, feelingworried that a child is on their own in the dark with such terrible winds. Nothing answers me. I waited. I watched the leaves getting scooped up. The trees opposite waved their branches in the rough wind. I heard rattling and banging as neighbouring houses are affected by the wind, and someone's gate crashing open and shut.
I felt so very cold. It's winter afterall. I went back inside and shut the door, bolting it up instinctively. I slowly turned and looked forward to my rest in the chair, when a knock at the front door made me jump.
"Is that you?" I asked.
"Please let me in," replied the voice of a small child. I didn't hesitate to unbolt the door and open it.
What I saw totally baffled me. There was a kitten on the front doorstep. It looked wet and hungry. I can't understand why a kitten should approach me anyway as I am a werewolf and cats never liked me. But this one was at my door and I know a child must have left it there.
"Oh," I said. I can't bend down to pick it up. The kitten darted passed me into the house, and ran straight into my living room. It jumped up onto my rocking chair and pawed at my cookies!
"No, stop that!" I said to it. Kitten knocked over the plate of my cookies, and tore at my lovely crossword puzzle. I became annoyed with it. I close the door two, just to stop tleaves blowing into my house. Kitten stared at me with wide green eyes, and as I got near it, the kitten leapt over the chair and ran off into the kitchen. I'm too tired for this. I sigh in despair at my cookies on the floor and my torn crossword.
"Come here you naughty cat!"
I tried hard to go and find the kitten in my kitchen, but it had gone. Strange. It just simply vanished. I started to look for it in case it was hiding. Then I simply gave up looking for it. There was nowhere for it to go. The back door is locked. The windows are shut tight. Kitten had to be clever, causing me trouble like this.
Then there was a mighty loud crash. I had to go and see. I went into the living room saw something very distressing. A huge branch of a tree was sent through the window and damaged the room, lying right over where my rocking chair had been. Now my rocking chair was all broken.
I screamed. Then neighbours were out banging on my door to find out if I was okay.
Now I know why the kitten appeared at my door. If it hadn't done, then I would still be sat on the rocking chair with my crossword and tea, and that tree would've come through the window anyway and killed me! The kitten was a spirit! It saved my life.
Such an incident shocked me so much that I wanted to tell you this story. I'm in Fenrir's Daughters and one of the oldest members in the club.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Zircona Troix
This happened a long time ago when I was just eleven years old. It was a moment in time when I discovered that I was no ordinary girl.
First of all, I lived in a cottage in a small village with my parents and my brother, Garm. He was fourteen years old at that time. Our dad always had to go away for work, a lumberjack he was, and sometimes he spent camping trips with men. Our mom was indoors cooking and knitting. She made beautiful crotchets and sold them at the market we had visit each month.
It was those days when my brother Garm and I took a regular trip to the phonebox up a steep hill and made calls to granny when she was alive. We asked her if she wanted anything like food or medicine. Mom would put things in a basket for granny.
Garm and I went to the phonebox. We spoke to granny and all she wanted was mom's homemade jam. We left the phonebox and that was when I saw it.
"Hey Garm!" I pointed at the shining light in the trees of the woods.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I've not seen that light before!"
"Neither have I. Let's go and take a look!"
We ran down the hill and took the path leading through the woods and we saw the twinkling light through the trees further up ahead. When we got there, we found it was a car. It smelled bad. It was very odd since there wasn't any roads passing through the woods.
"I don't like this," I said.
"We must get out of here!" Garm suggested.
As we turned to leave, a voice behind us shouted "Kids! Stop!"
We saw a fat man with a knife. He came at us brandishing the knife and we started to run, but he was quick. He grabbed us both. He swore at us as he dragged both of us into the car. He slammed the doors shut. Garm was growling but I was crying. Soon I felt something take over me and I jumped towards the man and bit him on the hand. He screamed.
I wasn't sure what happened. Garm leapt on the fat man biting and snarling. Garm was no longer a boy that I knew, he was an adolescent wolf!
That was it. The man was stunned and we ran and left as quickly as we could. I noticed then that I was running on all fours. We went home and mom saw us but she wasn't upset. She knew what we were. Later she told us that both she and dad were able to become wolves. She ran off to to the phonebox and contacted the police.When the police arrived half an hour later, Garm and I were back to ourselves again.
We found out later that the fat man was still alive but he was wanted for robbery and used a get-away car.
I'm now 45 years old with kids of my own. I'm in Fenrir's Daughters and needed to share my experience.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Monday, 28 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Fiona Biter
This happened a few times. As a kid, I searched upstairs in the attic to get a box of decourations to put on the tree. I wanted to help momma. I found an even older box in a corner, covered in cobwebs. Inside were dusty baubles I've never seen before. I was about to take them out when I heard something giggling in the attic. No one was up there with me. I couldn't find it, and I hurried down as quick as I could.
Now momma forgot about those other decourations and she said they were from her childhood. So we started using them each Yule on our trees. I remember helping her to wipe dust and cobwebs off the old baubles. They looked all silvery with prints of Victorian children in winter furs.
Each Yule, everytime that I went in the attic to get the boxes of decourations, I always heard little laughter inside the attic. And no source of the laughter. Just a creepy feeling.
Now I'm 18 years old and going home for the Yule season to spend time with momma. I once again helped get the decourations of baubles from the attic and heard the same laughter. I thought I would mention it finally to momma.
"Momma, do you keep a laughing toy hidden in the attic?" I asked her downstairs while we decourated the tree.
"No why?"
I told her about the laughter. She went white as a ghost. Then she dropped one of the old baubles as she ran off upstairs. I went after her to ask what's up.
"The laughing you heard is the same laughter I used to hear as a kid," she told me. "Once I saw a tiny creature playing in the tree with the decourations. So I didn't want to see those decourations again. My parents must've put the decourations all in the box so I forgot about it for many years. Since then I put it down to my imagination. Now you've heard it too Fiona."
"What creature did you see?" I wanted to know.
She described a teeny person that smelled of gingerbread. Sorry momma, I couldn't stop laughing.
That night was a full moon and I became a wolf. I do this every full moon, and have been doing this since I was about 10 years old. Momma is like me. She became a wolf already and was gone somewhere. I remember hearing that giggling but now this time it was coming from the tree.
I watched as a little gingerbread entity crawled down from the tree. Then before I was able to react, it turned and danced quickly across the room. I chased it in the direction where it was going, up the stairs and up into the attic. I wasn't able to venture up the ladder in my physical wolf's form, so I stayed below the attic and waited. I waited until dawn, until momma came back home with blood on her mouth. She'd been out hunting and caught some hare. I was waiting patiently for the gingerbread being to come back so I could destroy it.
I resumed human form told momma about what I saw. We went up into the attic and looked everywhere. The gingerbread man was gone. I started to wonder if I dreamt it.
So what momma did was, when Yule holidays was over and we packed away the usual decourations, she put all the old Victorian baubles in the box and donated it to charity. She didn't want it anymore. And I don't know if that will rid the house of the laughing gingerbread until next year, when I venture upstairs to the attic. And if that thing laughs again, I'll try and catch it. Like the wolves in mythology, I am determined to eat this spirit.
That was my story and my name is Fiona. I'm in a huge international club for werewolf girls and we all tell our stories. I hope you enjoyed my story.
((The Fenrir's Daughters fiction stories belong to author Rayne))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Emily Phantom
The moon was not full tonight and it was cloudy anyway. I'm not able to transform into a wolf this time but my senses are acute. My name is Emily and I'm 20 years old. Being in Fenrir's Daughters has made me connect with loads of other female werewolves and now I can pass on my story. This is what happened a year ago.
I met a handsome boy named Duke. Yes, he was a werewolf too, and I could tell that instantly. He was about a year older than me. He was always riding a beautiful motorbike and he was dressed in black leathers. He had very long hair and piercing blue eyes. He always smiled at me when I passed him every morning as I rode on my pushbike to school.
Then after many weeks I decided to talk to him. I just planned it carefully. I stopped my bike, pretending there was something wrong with the wheel and he stopped riding to check on me. We ended up on a few dates and that he always took me to the cinema to watch classic horror films. He loved metal music and he was so interested in bikes and medieval weapons.
He was warm and strong. One full moon night we turned into wolves and ran across the fields.
Then one day he stopped calling me. I called his number and it was switched off. So I got my big sister Amy to help as she works for the local gazette.
She came to me with devastating news about Duke. He was tragically killed in a road accident the day after we were together. I was depressed for a long time so it proves I loved him. Some say werewolves don't have any emotions. Even other werewolves believe in this rubbish. It isn't true. I loved someone and now he's gone.
My sister found Duke's burial place in a werewolf plot just next door to the main cemetary. I visit his grave every weekend when I'm not busy and I lay fresh flowers on his grave. I also found that he lived alone with his ageing werewolf grandfather who was deaf. Once I saw the old man in the form of a grey elderly wolf the night before I heard that he passed away in bed.
Too much death. I light a candle for Duke as I think of him and I wonder why they say werewolves are unfeeling and cruel when I can't help suffer, knowing that the man I loved has died.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Saturday, 26 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Diana Bloodstone
When I looked in the mirror under the brilliant winter moonlight, I'm sure there were two reflections. I must've been mistaken. I was Wolf at the time.
It's been months now that I've caught a glimpse of myself in double. I'm imagining things, or I must be mad. Two of me?
I became a wolf, just last night, and passed the big mirror in the hall. Yes, two of me. My usual dark wolf's appearance, keeping my brilliant green eyes, walking beside a pale second wolf, green eyed and copying everything I did. A white shadow wolf, but it might've been a trick of moonlight.
I wouldn't be concerned if I hadn't observed what I just saw.
In the hand mirror, as a woman putting my mascara on, I observed a second me with white hair. But my own hair is raven coloured. My eyes are green still. The white haired stranger was green-eyed and she had my face. Who was that?
A memory flooded back when a gypsy woman approached me in town when I was a teenager. She scared me, and I guess that she was a werewolf like me because of her wolf scent and her glowing eyes. I could tell she was a killer type. They have a very dense aura. She gave me some a strange bead that looked like a toth, and warned me about a double self.
Now I'm wondering who that other person is that looks like me looking at me in the mirror. And I wondered what happened to that bead. I lost it many years ago.
I try to ignore it as I went on stage and performed my fiery Juliet Capulet. I wanted to make her almost like an incarnation of Brunhilde or Jeanne d'Arc.
There is something spooky about all of Shakespear's plays. It's full of archaic witchcraft. To be on stage helps me to shine as a full moon and express my hidden inner wolf side through articulating words. I got such a great applause and everyone threw roses at us. It was a beautiful evening. I received bunches of flowers in the changing room all coming from fans who adore me.
I'm a star on stage. At night the true me is primitive and canine as the hounds, spaniels and demi-wolves, et al said Macbeth.
Then there is the double of me in the mirror. I don't get that. Doppelganger! Can I cast away my fears and learn to accept my mysterious pale ghostlier side?
I had a dream where my body split into two people, both me, a light and a dark. I was the dark haired me, the natural me. The light haired was a spirit of me and she told me that I am me.
So I meditated and read books on delving into the subconsious. Jung talked about the shadow self but I'm the living proof of shadow. What about the light self? So on stage, again as Juliet Capulet, I discovered my light self's persona. She emerged within me on stage. She was the gentle and frightened timid Juliet who was often weeping and delicate as a flower. Too fragile and sick, I went backstage and tried to get rid of the light self. I emerged dark, my true self, and returned on the next scene with the aggressive tougher Juliet in character. We got a loud encore and lots of roses, with sweets and gold glitter. I delved deep into my light self to be the sweet natured Juliet and then reappeared as a stronger Juliet facing death with a shield maiden's smile.
That night I became white wolf self! Maybe there are two wolves. Perhaps it's true what some of the elder werewolves write about in their big old books, that a double self is a twin self, two people in one, with two spirits and two features. Or like the moon, full and eclipse with a side we see and another we don't see.
Whatever and whoever I am, there is two of me and I love it. As an actress I cherish both of me. Well this is my story and as a member of Fenrir's Daughters, I wanted to tell the world.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Friday, 25 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Crystal North
It's Yule. I just wanted to share my story with you. My name is Crystal and I've got the whitest hair and the strangest ability of all: transformation into a wolf. I can only do this during a full moon in Winter months, but not throughout the rest of the year. I think it's because my parents are normal people but my maternal grandfather was a werewolf. I have the gene because my brother and sister don't transform into wolves. They just get grumpy.
Now it was a year ago, on December 24th night, that I transformed and ran off into the pine forest. I became my wolf self and feel no more cold. Unlike other nights, this was the weirdest night.
I don't know if it's the mysticism of Christmas and Yule. Honestly I didn't take any alcoholic drinks or smoke anything.
There was a lady in the forest all by herself who sat on the snow. She wore only a thin white dress and her long hair was covered in so much snow that it hardened to ice.
I wasn't able to speak to her or I would've done. She turned and looked at me. There was no reaction for a while, and then she spoke in a voice with an echo.
"Wolf girl, there's nothing here for you. Go back home," she said.
Was she trying to commit suicide exposing herself to the freezing cold? I couldn't allow that. I went closer and sat against her so that she could feel warm from my arctic fur.
"No wolf girl," the lady said. "I don't feel the cold. I'm a spirit."
I was quite stunned and I stood up, and looked at her.
As if I didn't notice it before, the lady had two pale almost transparent horns sticking out from her head. I didn't need to know anymore. I didn't want to be near her really after that. Being a werewolf means that I feel more sensitive to energies and I can sense if a person feels angry, sad or scared. I felt this lady was calm, and I just knew she was telling me the truth. I noticed that her eyes were luminous blue as electricity. She stared at me and I sensed a probing into my soul.
Well I was out of there quickly. I ran home.
The following day, the morning of 25th December, I went with my brother into the pine forest and he planned to do some skiing and so we headed to the base of the hill. I was going to sleigh down it, which is amazing.
We passed the exact same spot where I visited as a wolf the night before. I could see the faint pawprints I'd left the other night but a small layer of snow covered most of it. Where the lady had been was nothing. No footprints, no disturbance of snow.
Later after snow fun, we returned home for food and presents.
It was only when I opened a present given to me by my maternal grandmother that I was most shocked. It was a snowglobe and inside it was fake glittering snow, several tiny pine trees to look like a forest, a mini white wolf and a tiny fairy doll with horns. I stared at my gran and she smiled.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yes!" I announced. "Where did you get it?"
"A woman came into my gift shop and insisted that I have it. She wanted me to give it to one of my granddaughters. I know you like the forest."
"What was the woman like?" I asked.
"Oh she wore a long grey coat with the hood up. She had the most electric blue eyes I've ever seen."
When she said that I felt a chill. Was that the same woman I encountered the night before? That is something I've not been able to answer.
I'm happy to tell you this story. Being in Fenrir's Daughters has helped me learn so much about who I am and how others like me experience different things in their lives.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Thursday, 24 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Ophira Shadow
After I returned home at 4 a.m. covered in dirt, I sneaked upstairs as quietly as I could. I had a nice warm shower and afterwards I went straight to bed. Then my sleep was cut short by my idiot mother shouting at me.
"What have you done Ophira?!"
I felt sore and rubbed my eyes.
"What?" I asked dazed and confused.
She thrust a letter at me. I took it from her and my eyes blurred.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Read it!"
I noticed the words jumping and fusing together. It was no use.
"I can't focus on it. What does it say?" I asked pleading with her.
She snatched it and turned away.
"Get up Ophira! Read it downstairs!" she snarled.
I put on my dressing gown and went down to the kitchen where my parents and kid brothers were sat round the table eating fried bacon and liver.
Mother stared angrily at me, and pointed to the edge of the table where the letter was rested in front of my chair. I sat down, and opened the letter.
I still couldn't focus on it.
"Sorry, my eyes are wet," I said.
Mother got up and passed me the envelope. I recognised the crown but I couldn't read the title.
"It's from the government!" she shouted. Her voice hurt my ears. "You're due in court next week!"
I stood up in absolute alarm. "Excuse me?"
"Ophira, " dad said. "Your antics have come to the attention of the local MP. "
Then mum spoke. "She wants you on trial!"
"Why? What have I done?" I asked.
Well I knew really, sort of, what I might've done. But how did the local MP know and how did my parents know? The only people who knew was me and my friends, who swore to secrecy.
"The MP is Marielle Ice!" mum raged with tears swelling in her eyes. She was angry but I could see that she was scared. Why did this particular Marieille Ice woman frighten the ordinary werewolves like my mum?
"I haven't done anything wrong!" I protested.
"Well you have because thre is evidence!" mother screamed.
All I did was frighten a boy on a bike. Me and my werewolf friends didn't want to hurt him, and we ended up tormenting a cat, then devouring a couple of squirrels. Now this boy that we scared off managed to film us, apparantly as the letter stated.
Friends and I will appear be at court.
So what. We're hunters of the night and we're werewolves. Anyway I'm not afraid. Don't worry about me.
My name is Ophira and I'm 18 years old. I'm a werewolf and hang out with my small gang of werewolf who I met at school. I'm happy to share you this because being in Fenrir's Daughters makes me feel confident to talk about these things. I just don't want to see mum worried.
((The Fenrir's Daughters fiction stories belong to author Rayne))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Honey Cicatrice
It was like butter, and tasted just similar. I spread it over the slice of bread and ate it with ease. It didn't go well with black tea. I laughed when I did this because it was a sign of rite of passage to drink or eat blood. I'm a 25 year old housewife and a werewolf. I'm part of a secret club called Fenrir's Daughters filled with lady werewolves like me.
"It's only pig blood, not human," I told myself.That is what my friends said. I believed them.
After finishing my blood sandwiches, I became a wolf and went out into the field. The moon was strong. I hunted and killed a wild rabbit.
By morning I was home, and craving more blood sandwiches. I went into the butchers shop and bought 2 litres of blood. I returned home and stored it in the cooling fridge. Later I mixed some with my stew and ate that for dinner. I mixed a spoonful of the blood into melted cooking chocolate for cupcakes I was baking. I put on my prettiest ruffled dress with a waist bow, and sprayed my hair to keep it firm. I put on make-up. Yes I was sparkly and bright as a pristine housewife.
When my normal human husband came home from work, I presented him with chocolate blooded cupcakes and blood mixed stew with vegetables and chicken. He knew no better.
He said it was "nice Honey".
So I started writing recipes to do my own cookery book and I had to include blood in everything from dinners to desserts.
When my friends came over and had some of my blood filled food, I was so pleased. I worked magic.
It's true that blood itself can induce some sort of mystical feeling of the dark kind, if treated badly it can lead to disaster. I wasn't interested in making magic or having control over people eating my food.
I was just pleased with what I made. Some insist I'm a vampire instead of a werewolf but what we have in common is that we're monsters. I am not undead and I'm not immortal. I can't turn into a bat. Yet I turn into a wolf, and I am physically stronger than most people because of this family trait.
The problem is, the only unsatisified person who doesn't understand is my older sister who thinks I'm pushing it too far giving blood hidden inside food to innocent people. She warned me about other werewolves who tricked people into eating stuff and they were cursed. She also told me about the alpha she-werewolf politician Marielle Ice, who would punish me if I was caught out.
I didn't want to lose my friends. I don't want my husband to be disappointed in me. He used to always say my cooking was "bland" and "boring" until I sneaked blood in it. I visited my paranoid sister, named Caramel. She started at me over coffee and said:
"Honey, if you keep spiking food with blood, you're going to get into big trouble."
"Okay, okay. You keep telling me sis'. So what shall I do?"
"Just stop it! Have the blood only for yourself," Caramel advised me.
She was telling me what I can do as an alternative. I wonder if that would work?
So the following day I stopped using the blood and instead I added sea salt and alcohol into the food. Disgusting, I thought. I didn't want to eat it. Amazingly, my husband and our friends really liked it.
I just eat blood food by myself and hope that no one takes any or I will be in deep trouble with the alpha lady. The last thing I want is her fangs tearing my throat out.
So please shh for me.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Jewel Helva
It was bitter cold and I found the sun was a blood red colour in the grim sky. I've never known a day like it. Such dark endless clouds, almost like the dreaded nuclear winter has come upon the world. It wasn't though. It was something I can't explain.
There have been numerous lights over the hills for hours. Soundless falling stars without smoke. Nothing to show there had been fireworks or aircraft shows at all. Besides that, it was just vast wilderness across that way.
Not very wise of me, but being curious and explorative, I went out to have a look. I walked miles over the dry grass that was frosted and damp. My boots were soaking and I was beaten. I turned back home and returned to the village.
There wasn't anymore mysterious lights. Then I journeyed across the fields in my dark wolf's shape, feeling much more fitter and capable. It wasn't of interest to me anymore but I wanted to know what was causing last night's silent ghostly display.
Finally, I came to a steep valley. Below were some tents, and a small group of people messing with bonfires. I went further down the slope to get closer. Surely these people were responsible for the silent fireworks, I wondered. I kept low and hid behind shrubs. Then I could hear their voices, and I pricked my ears to listen to what they were saying.
"I told you!" "Yes!" "You keep saying it, man!" "They won't come back!"
I heard them say those things clearly. So I inched closer towards them.
"Hey, perhaps they will come back the same time as they appeared yesterday?" said one of the men.
"No, it's too cold tonight."
I don't know what they were talking about. I layed down and waited. And waited. Then I closed my eyes and I was soon drifting off to sleep. The bonfires were gone out and the men were snoring away in their tents.
Flickering lights woke me from the gentle sway towards sleep. I opened my eyes, and I could smell something weird that reminded me of burnt biscuits. I could see glittering shapes in the air and they all looked like animals. I made out a horse, a cow, a hare, antelope, an eagle, lemur, a small cat, a large tiger, elephant, giraffe, rhino, tiny birds, a gorilla, chimp, snake coiling and uncoiling, fish! I stood up and stared! What are they?
The animals were dancing several feet off the ground, in silence, and all in harmony.
I've never seen anything like it before. So scared, I went back up the slope as fast as I could. I didn't want to look back. I headed straight home and once I got into my house, I didn't come out until morning.
I was too scared to talk about it to anyone. I didn't talk to my elderly grandmother who is cheerful and happy. I didn't want to frighten her. I didn't want to talk to my busy dad, a werewolf at night but an engineer in the day. I couldn't mention it anyway because I was shaking from what I had witnessed.
I plan to read books and find out what it was that I saw. Could the animals of the earth be in trouble? Were their spirits trying to communicate? I have to know.
My name is Jewel and I'm 21 years old. The story I shared is in confidence for I'm too scared to talk to anyone outside Fenrir's Daughters about it. Maybe someone in the club knows and can help me figure this out.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Monday, 21 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Chandra Stripe
It was really strange being on my own for the night. I could've phoned my three friends, who are also werewolves. They were out as usual.
I have no way of knowing what to do on my own.
My parents were away on a romantic lunar dinner.
Then I was disturbed by the sounds of the clocks, and I wonder why they still have those annoying things. I listened to the bats in the loft. I could hear distant cars. Someone's loud TV in the street. I could even smell spices coming from doors away. It's all too much. If I were human right now, none of this would bother me.
I went downstairs and curcled up under the stairs as it blocks out the noise and smells. Then I suddenly sensed a cold. I didn't like it and I moved away, hoping for comfort. I went into the dining room and crawled under the big oak table. It was even colder there. I went back upstairs and into my room where it was fine, and yet the noises and smells of spice came back. I didn't mind this anymore, as long as I wasn't cold.
I wondered how I was able to feel so cold having thick fur as I do in my wolf's shape. I twitched my pointed ears, and sniffed the air with my wet nose. I could smell frost but twinged with gnger. I wasn't able to understand what it was.
I growled.
The door opened, and in came this shiny floating ball of light. The light floated towards me and I felt my fur stand up on end. I was baring my teeth. Then in an instant I saw a tiny girl with fluttering wings on her back. She had a bizarre giggle.
"Hello beast!" she said. I thought in human words how rude she was. "I'm your fairy godmother!"
I must've growled at her. She laughed.
"I can grant you a wish but you need to speak first," she went. She flicked her hands and I was totally back to my human girl's shape. She laughed.
I got under the covers and wouldn't come out. I fell asleep. Next morning I had a cooked breakfast, then put on my outdoor clothes. I went out for the weekend was sunny and snowy. I felt amazed by the experience of last night.
Then I forgot about the fairy godmother until I was back home and trying to untie these difficult knots in my boot lace, when I shouted "I wish all of these knots would go away!"
Then a few tiny lights appeared around the boot laces, untying the knots for me.
I know it sounds silly but what happened upset me.
The fairy godmother appeared.
"That was your one and only wish," she said, laughing. "I will all your knots go away now."
She disappeared. I was stunned and couldn't believe it.
Later on something bad happened to the house. It was as if a tornado struck it. There wasn't a tornado, only our house collapsed! I was in my room when the curtains fell off, the shelves and portraits all down on the floor. Downstairs the fridge had defrosted and left a puddle. The tables and chairs all broken.
Then I was upset to notice all of my clothes were damaged, as the stitches were out. The books all torn out of the pages. The binding of every book was cut. The carpet was unfolded and unsecured. Nuts, screws, nails and bolts all scattered on the floor. The TV was smashed and every circuit fell out. The whole house was broken up and every brick was falling. Each window fell out of its wooden double glazed frame. The front door lock broke and off its hinges. The garden was under water from a burst pipe. The taps were all loose and running water. The shelves in the kitchen were all down and food released from bags. The oven broke. Gas poured out, and the electrics stopped working.
We had to leave and go into B and B.
I remember it took ages for the repairs to sort it out but when it was sorted, my parents wanted to divorce each other! I had to stay with my aunt and uncle because both my parents were fighting.
Everything that secured my life, home and family was in tatters. I blame that fairy godmother.
"How could you do this to me!" I cried one day in my new room. "I wanted the knots on my boots to go away. Not have everything I love to go away!"
She appeared right then in a small bubble of light.
"The wish can be undone, if you do one thing for me," she said, giggling.
"What?" I asked.
"Undo your wish and everything you loved will be back again."
So I said "I wish to have knots come back."
Then she said "That is the wish undone." She vanished.
A year has passed since I first saw her. It's winter again and I sit here in my old room, as a werewolf. My parents renewed their vows and have gone out for second honeymoon.
I feel satisfied and will rest here. Maybe I should contact my three werewolf friend?.
The only problem I have now is that I can't get the tangles out of my hair, and I can't untie all the knots in my boots. The buttons, laces and zippers on my clothes are stuck. My bed has merged into the floor. The new drain pipes have knotted by themselves and we've got twisted trees in the garden, attracting creepy crawlies.
I'm Chandra and 18 years old. I'm proud to be a member of Fenrir's Daughters. Yes and I had to share my weird story to release it from my system.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Sunday, 20 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Scarlet Rose
It happened. Oh no! I made my kill, as a wolf. It was out of my control. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I was full of anger. I had to defend myself. It was me against a dozen. I fled the scene and raced through the forest as fast as I could go.
I felt the pack running after me. I saw the red light of the dawn breaking along the horizon and night was coming to an end. There were small lights in the village now.
I managed to leap through the open window of my house, and resumed my human shape. I closed the window and locked it. I locked my bedroom door, just in case.
It all started when I was exploring the forest in my wolf's shape, and I was ganged up on by other werewolves who I didn't know. They were going to kill me. I backed away and often attempted to run, but they cornered me and bit at me.
I was a lone female werewolf and these were males looking for prey.
I knew the scent would trace back here. I put my parents and siblings at risk, but they're like me also. I had one way to defend myself, and that was to kill the ring leader. I bit him hard, and we rolled around snarling, baring teeth. He didn't seem to want to kill me. The others were very angry.
The following day I was on edge. As soon as I left the house with my basket, to get mother bread and vegetables, I instantly felt paranoid. I was always looking over my shoulder.
The only thing I could do was give myself in and hope to be protected from the gang.
I bought mother the groceries, and went back outside. On my way to the police station, a sinister man confronted me. He was one of them. I could tell. I could smell it. He had piercing eyes, foul breath and messy unwashed hair.
"You evil bitch!" he snarled at me. He pinned me against the wall.
I was too scared to speak. He blurted out foul words and called me vulgar names. He groped me and tore my long skirts. I kicked him off, and threw a bottle at him. He shouted abuse, and I ran away. I ran to the police station.
There, this is my statement and I've been honest. It upsets me just to think about it, officer.
I'm telling you the truth, and I'll repeat myself over and over again. Yes, I killed that man in the forest, but only when I was a werewolf. Keep me in jail, I understand. Please don't let those men harm my family. I would kill myself if anything happens to them.
My name is Scarlet Rose and I'm nineteen years old. I'm part of the Fenrir's Daughters, an international club for werewolf women and girls. Yes it's against the law to kill, even in werewolf shape.
By Rayne
((The Fenrir's Daughters fiction stories belong to author Rayne))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Saturday, 19 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Marielle Ice
The streets were dingy. I walked from the train station to the hotel, then back outside to get my bearings. A freezing air, full super moon, a perfect night to do an inspection.
The town was one of the most obscure in my constituency. It was quaint and isolated between valleys and dense forests.
I became my wolf self, and knew that there was a curfew that night as I ordered it to be. Only a station guard was on duty, and he saw my shadow against the walls that night. I knew he was frightened because he didn't come out of the ticket booth.
I noticed trails of old blood, from many years ago, leading around the streets like filthy ghosts. Weather couldn't diminish it from me.
The town was full of mysteries, including cold cases like these. People disappeared then found in terrible conditions days after they were reported missing. Their bodies were somewhat covered in "animal marks," according to forensics but it doesn't explain the knife wounds or the missing jewellery. One victim had his watch removed. It was more than just animals.
I'm not a police detective but I am a shapeshifter and my wolf side is clever. I know that the traces of old blood carry the whiff of other creatures like me.
It was then that I returned to my hotel. I passed the station guard along the way and he was cowering in the small booth, and so I said "Good evening sir."
He relaxed when he saw me, for I was now transformed back to my human form. He was trembling, and he stuttered: "h hello m ma'am".
Back in my office, I pieced together documents and located the source of the killings. There was a gang of thuggish werewolves living in the town, often in trouble with the police. They had a lot to do with the mysterious killings and so they were arrested shortly after I notified the police with all the evidence.
It was then that I sought about passing through legislation. We now have our own laws within the law. Even if we werewolves don't exist in the eyes of the public, there is an official system in place for us as a community.
I set about ensuring that no werewolf attacks go unpunished. The law should come down on them and there are people like us who want to do more about it.
We werewolves need to let the world know that we don't stand for savage brutality. Gone are the days when werewolves just roamed the night, kidnapping and eating people. I say "Enough!"
We will police ourselves.
My name is Marielle and I'm thirtyone years old. I'm in Fenrirs Daughters, a secret club for female werewolves and I'm also a member of parliament. I've been responsible for introducing new laws to curb violence from other werewolves.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Thursday, 17 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Masika Rage
One night it was a new moon and I was the only person who could see. The lights had gone during a power cut. Everyone was in dark, the children screamed, men shouted. I took my chance to escape through a window and no one noticed. It was fortunate for me that the power grid stopped tonight, because I escaped from the evil.
I ran across a field, and it was then that I became aware of my other self. I noticed a pain, and then I dropped down on all fours.
It's hard to explain but I didn't know what was going on. I felt a different urge to head back and rescue the other children. So I did. I leapt through the window withathletic skill and I bit the assailant closest to me. He yelled as I drew blood. Then the lights all switched back on.
In total shock, I was caught out in the warehouse with the twenty children and a gang of our kidnappers. The men wore masks, and stared at me with wide eyes, but they had guns. I wanted to scream but it came out as a growl. The children screamed at me!
"A bloody wolf!" a man shouted.
The children ran, and went towards the main door but a less frightened man got in their way with gun held out. He pushed them back away from the door.
I jumped onto the man who fired at me, and I bit his throat. The kids all escaped. Shots were fired, and only my victim was catching the bullets. Somehow, I was able to dodge them. I went outside and needed to call for help. Instead, my voice was a howl.
The kidnappers got into a van to go after all the children. Luck was definately on the children's side, because the tyres were all flat and police showed up.
This was how I discovered that I'm also a wolf. I was just a kid, and living with my mother and two brothers when I was snatched from the street where I played. Now I'm twentythree years old and a member of Fenrir's Daughters, a private club for werewolf women and girls.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Larissa Blue
It was a very cold night. The snow settled and I journeyed, in search. It was fruitless because I couldn't find it anywhere. I lost a ring. My wedding ring, full of ice diamonds.
I retraced my steps and returned to the house, with lights glowing and the fire keeping it warm. No one home, good. It was possible my ring can be indoors.
I found it! The ring was on the bottom of the stairs, perfect. Now I can slip it back on my finger and husband will be pleased. He wouldn't know a thing.
For five years, I've hidden my true self from him. He doesn't know what I am. Every full moon I become a wolf. It's during last night that I transformed and lost my wedding ring. I couldn't find it and when I became a woman, I had to wear lace gloves to hide the missing ring from my finger.
Husband didn't notice.
He arrived an hour after finding my ring. He carried some chopped wood and an axe.
"Why do you cut wood so late?" I asked him.
"I haven't," he replied. "The wood is from yesterday. I was searching for the creature thatkilled my sheep."
I feel numb. That was me. I can't help what I am. My instincts take over as wolf, and I'm sorry to say that I'm to blame for killing the animals.
"I need to sell the farm," husband said.
"The demonic beast slaughtered my animals and I'm losing money."
"Sell this wedding ring!" I showed him the glittering ring on my finger.
Husband kept the farm, and I sold the wedding ring. We got a fortune and husband replaced the dead animals with new livestock. Yet life on the farm has no success with a werewolf present.
Every full moon the wolf side of kills the poor livestock. One night he caught me as a wolf on his land. Husband lifted his axe ready to kill me, and I noticed a complete change in him. Gone was the loving husband, and there was a monster who was far worse than I ever will be.
I ran away and didn't go back. He was not able to chase me. And as I keep running from my axe welding husband, I shall always think of my precious ring that saved his work. I can't be kept as a farmer's wife, or a nun. I am a werewolf and a free spirit.
I'm Larissa and a member of Fenrir's Daughters. I needed to tell you this story because it happened centuries ago. Other members of Fenrir's Daughters will tell you their tales.
By Rayne
((The Fenrir's Daughters fiction stories belong to author Rayne))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Monday, 14 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Snow-White Winterborn
My name is Snow-White. I'm 12 years old and spent most of my life growing up in a children's orphanage.
My true parents are dead.
I'm not a favourite to people because of my white hair and ice coloured eyes. They sense I'm a monster. Every full moon I become a white wolf with perfect vision and sense of smell. I can feel free and not be contained here in the orphanage. Then I become human and imprisoned.
One day they arrived and looked at me. For the first time, I was wanted by a childless couple who needed me. They took me back to their house and smothered me for days. My foster parents are rich, and they gave me a big room in the attic so I can play with all these toys. My new toys are a rocking horse, great big dolls house, puppets, dolls, teddies, board games, books, colourings and tiny robots. I feel there is something quite off about my foster parents.
Then one morning after breakfast, I was allowed to play in their massive garden. It was full of trees. Then something shocked me. At the back of the garden, behind the shed, were headstones. So I asked my foster parents why they have headstones in their garden.
"It's the graves of our former pets," they said. "We always bury them." They had to be kidding me!
Later that afternoon, I explored and went down the basement. I saw a headstone leaning against a wall, engraved with "Here lies Snow-White Winterborn" on there.
I asked them about that after tea!
"It's there ready until you die," my foster parents said smiling sweetly at me. I was scared. I knew there was something not right about them. So that night, as planned, I escaped into the wilderness and vanished from the horrible world of humans.
I'm now a member of Fenrir's Daughters and shared my story with you. I hope you like it? Other members of the club will tell you their life stories too.
By Rayne
((The Fenrir's Daughters fiction stories belong to author Rayne))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Friday, 11 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Kat Howlite
My name is Kat, short for Katrina and I'm a member of the Fenrir's Daughters club. I live in a village on top of a hill. This year is my final year at school, and then I'll be free.
On the way to school, I met some friends. We planned to trip in the woods down the hill and look for the stone people. These are ancient megaliths in the shape of humans, no one knows who put them there. Legend says the statues come to life every full moon. I don't believe it.
One night, we all shape shifted and set out as a pack of wolves. We ran down the moist grassy hill, leaving the village behind. Soon we located the group of small stout stones in the shape of smiling people. None of them moved. Typical local legends!
Next weekend, I ventured to the woods on my own to explore and pick wild berries, bringing a basket and umbrella. Yes I'm able to predict the weather I might add.
I sat down on a rock, and a lone wolf in the woods appeared. Not a werewolf, but a regular wild wolf, seeking for shelter and possible mate. The wolf was looking at me.
"Hello dear friend," I said cheerfully.
The wolf didn't come near and yet it seemed quite nervous. All of a sudden the wolf looked around and fled away into the woods. After it was gone, there was laughter all around in the woods. I got up and saw a dozen strange looking children playing through the trees. They were all very white as ghosts, including their eyes. I felt very cold inside and knew that I had to get away from here. So I ran away, returning up hill towards my village.
When I got home, my parents saw how scared I looked. They asked me what was wrong.
"I saw a wolf, and then there were ghost children!" I blurted out.
Mum and dad laughed.
"What's so funny?" I asked them.
"The children!" dad answered. "They're the stones that come to life."
When he said this, I told mysef never to go into the woods on my own ever again.
I wanted to share this with you.
((The Fenrir's Daughters fiction stories belong to author Rayne))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Thursday, 10 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Poppy Darkmoon
It was the first snow of December. I live with my aunt in a cottage, overlooking the valley that drops down to the silver river. There we catch fish and sometimes ducks.
I'm Poppy Darkmoon and 15 years old. My parents died in a fire when I was small. I don't really remember them. Aunt is a widow and her only son is grown up and left to join the army. So it's me and her.
Now this cold morning I looked out the window and saw a fleet of colourful tiny boats moving along the river. There were loads of them. I put my coat and boots on, went outside and ran down the hill to the river bank. There were many many boats and they were all made of paper. I went back home to tell my aunt what I saw.
"Poppy, those are rememberance boats made by children of the village," she said. "Each boat is for a soldier who died in war," she replied sadly. I know she was thinking of my cousin. He son in the army.
I went upstairs to my room and opened my trunk full of toys and books. I found an empty scrap book with a different coloured pages so I tore out two sheets, one blue and the other pink. I folded them into boats, and went downstairs to show aunt.
"The blue boat is for dad. The pink is for mum. I'm going to the river and let them go."
Aunt smiled, but her eyes were still sad.
I went down the hill and placed each boat on the river. The water was gentle today and the tide was slow moving. I watched the two boats drift along, among the other boats for the dead soldiers.
That night I became a wolf and went out, enjoying a run and howling in the night. But as wolf I noticed there was still paper boats drifting along the river. There must've been millions of them. So many soldiers who lost their lives. And each boat would journey to the spirit world.
I'm a member of Fenrir's Daughters, a club full of werewolf girls and ladies. I hope that you enjoyed this story as it's the one I want to share the most. Others from Fenrir's Daughters will tell you their stories soon.
(((Fiction stories of Fenrir's Daughters written by Rayne)))
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Zareen Tehrani
Hello. I'm Zareen and I'm 17 years old. For many years I've always wanted to have this beautiful doll that always sat in a toy shop window. It had white ringlets, blue eyes and wore a pretty blue silk dress. My parents always promised to buy it for me. They never did. I waited each year but they said "Maybe it will come for your next birthday" and it didn't!
Then one day the doll wasn't sitting in the window. I went in the toy shop and asked where the doll was.
"We sold it to a lady", the shop assistant said. It was heart-breaking news.
Then after celebrating my seventeenth birthday, I was out under the moonlit sky. I just changed into my wolf's shape and prowled the village and the woods. I soon came upon an object on the floor. It was a filthy doll covered in mud. I picked it up with my canine jaws and carried it back to the house. This doll had white ringlets, big blue eyes, and dressed in a silky dress. It was my doll! The same doll that used to be sitting in the toy shop window! I found her at last! I was so happy.
So the next morning when I was human again, I washed this doll and placed her outside in the garden to dry. Later on that evening, the doll was dried and I took it upstairs to my bedroom.
Then to my utter shock, the doll spoke to me.
"Can you help me?"
I stared at it for ages, and I lost my voice. Was it fear? Probably. I didn't know it could talk.
"Find the toy shop and burn it down!" the doll shrieked.
That was disturbing.
"No I can't do that," I replied, feeling so scared now.
The doll's eyes blinked. The it said something very chilling to me: "If you won't do that for me Zareen, I will burn your house down and kill you!"
I didn't hesitate to pick it up and throw it out the window. Before it landed, it burst into a ball of flames. The burning doll landed on the grass and turned into smouldering ash.
This happened a few months ago. As I think of the doll I feel cold inside. I once loved it but then it tried to kill me. Perhaps mother and father were right not to get me that doll?
I belong to a secret club called Fenrir's Daughters. You heard my story and others will tell you their stories.
((Written by Rayne, part of the "Fenrir's Daughters" compilation stories)).
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Tara Blaze
(A story by Rayne)~
Nothing was awake in the village tonight. It seemed nothing was living. Just the rustling of dead autumn leaves, and moaning of branches in the wind. That's all. And I'm cursed here.
Once, I spitefully stirred a pot mixed with beans and spices with added spiders, beetles and Psilocybe semilanceata magic mushroom. I was being very naughty. It was my darling's special meal for his birthday. My fiance, Tavish Hunter, is 25 now. He wasn't aware that I put some pieces of dead rabbit ash in his birthday cake earlier. I did it as a joke. He won't know about the spiders, beetles and mushroom! This will be a laugh.
I poured the soup in the bowl when it was ready. As I was ready to carry it inside, a voice startled me. Standing behind the garden fence was a strange woman in white.
"Don't you dare!" she hissed at me.
"What? Who are you?" I asked her.
"I'm the deceased mother of Tavish!." She pointed at the food and said "if you give him that poisonous muck, you'll be lost forever!"
This was not funny.
"Get away or I'll call the police!" I shouted.
Then she disappeared. I thought little of her threat, and considered that the stranger was mad or drunk. I didn't care either way. My mistake. I carried the soup indoors, and laid it on the table. Tavish came into the room and hugged me. He smiled when he saw the soup. I started to giggle.
"Thank you so much for the food, my lovely Tara" he said.
"I made you some birthday soup," I grinned. "Hurry up and eat it before it goes cold!"
Tavish sat down to eat.I watched him eating it up and then he started screaming. "Tara!" "Tara!" He was starting to see things. I burst out laughing. Tavish jumped around trying to escape furniture that he imagined was walking. Haha!
I couldn't stop laughing. Then Tavish ran outside screaming. It was so funny!
But then I felt a lot of pain. Suddenly I was screaming in agony and writhing on the floor. I never felt so much pain in my life. It was a horrible pain, as if I was being burned alive.
Then quickly I felt alright, pain was all gone, except I was not me anymore. I was a wolf! It was the first time that I became my new self. But my human self was gone forever. I never returned to my old self again.
Days later, when Tavish came back well, he didn't recognise me. He tried to shoot me dead with a rifle. I couldn't stay. Men came after me and drove me out of the village. I couldn't speak in my normal human voice anymore. I couldn't tell them I'm really Tara.
This was my punishment for tormenting the one who loved me.
I'm Tara Blaze and that was my story. Sometimes when I look in a reflection, I can see my human Tara self looking back at me but she's always laughing. The joke was all on me in the end.
Now I belong to a club named Fenrir's Daughters, the only place where I'm accepted. You should hear of their stories soon as you've heard mine.
Story by Rayne
Part of the Fenrir's Daughters fiction that I'm making.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Monday, 7 December 2015
Fenrir's Daughters: Abigail Star
(A story by Rayne)
It was Winter, the icy leaves were crystalline and glittered in the faint red sun. A few hours earlier, I was feasting on breakfast in a warm kitchen. Now I was feeling so cold.
A scream turned the air so frostier. It came from within the forest of pine. I didn't want to go in there, not on my own without a weapon. Anything could get me in there. As it got someone else. No, I retreated. Maybe I would skip the journey to the river and go without fish for later on. Vegetables can do well for today.
The long journey home suddenly felt closer as I ran on all fours. The screams faded behind me and I was desperate to go home.
I saw the wooden cabin peering through the trees up a slope and it made me smile. I went into the house and shook my fur. I would have to sweep it up later. Returned to my human form, I locked the front door. I opened the cupboards to grab some cake but it was just crumbs. I looked in the larder, and it was just a scrawny carrot and an onion. Was that all that was left? I could make a soup with that, I suppose.
Then suddenly outside was a frightening scream.
I looked out of the window. I felt so alone. What was that? It might've been the same scream that I heard in the forest. I can't be sure. I closed the curtains. I went to the kitchen and boiled some water. I started to chop up the carrot. There it was again! I jumped and nearly cut my finger on the knife. The scream!
I peered through the curtain and saw a dark shadow hovering near the window. I was filled with panic. A shadow spectre! I can't believe this was here! Why me?
Then I had an idea. It might not work.
I started to chop at the onion, and felt my eyes sting. No one likes onions. I put some of the chopped onion in a small bowl and carefully unlocked the door. I opened it very slowly and made the gap wide enough for me to put the bowl of onion outside onto the step. Then I quickly slammed the door shut and locked it. I was panting and trembling.
Then screams from outside made me jump with fright until I was not my human self. I was a wolf. I wasn't afraid now but it was wise to keep indoors. The shadow spectres live in the forest and kill anyone and anything that goes near them. This one followed me as it was determined to get me. They kill werewolves.
I looked out of the window with my wolf's shape, and saw that the shadow spectre was dissolving into smoke. Haha! Got it! Onions are poison to shadow spectres.
I waited for a while, and returned to my human shape. Once back into my human form, I grabbed some more chopped onions. I opened the front door and flung it at the shadowy smoke. Little bursts of violet coloured lights broke out, and with a loud Pop, the shadow and smoke was gone.
I went back inside, picked up the pot of boiling water and threw it across the front door step right where the shadow spectre once hovered. I went indoors and locked the door again. Was I too afraid to go out? Would I ever be free to take a trip down to the river? Will I be safe to venture into the village and buy goods? Yay. Now I know how to dispose of the shadow spectres, I always arm myself with a string of onions and a basket of spring onions at the ready.
My name is Abigail Star and that was my story. I'm a werewolf girl and 17 years old. I used to live with my mamma, who's now in hospital fighting cancer, and now I look after the house. Sometimes my aunt, uncle and cousins visit me. I study in school in the village every Monday (Moon Day) and I work making clothes for werewolf children of the village.
Some call me Star because of a diadem on my forehead that I;ve always had since I was small. This diadem lights up when I'm in my wolf's shape. It was a gift from my late grandmother. She said that I was a carrier of magic. There's still much to learn.
I belong to an exclusive club called Fenrir's Daughters, and I'm certain other members will tell their stories to you in the following days, weeks and months ahead.
So remember this, if you want to protect yourself from nasty entities and shadow creatures, use onions. It works for me, and I'm sure you could try it too.
(((By Rayne)))
This is of the Fenrir's Daughters fictional stories I made.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 Rayne Herbert.
Saturday, 14 November 2015
Cosmic serpent or space transport?
So far my blog has been delving into ancient astronauts, ancient atomic war and it's mutations on wildlife that appear as monsters in mythology. Another ongoing topic of the same subject is touching on human origins. First of all there is no hard evidence or proof that humanity evolved from apes onj earth. None at all. The idea of human evolution is a theory, one that's become almost a religion that people cling onto with anger.
It's not so much how humans came to be physically, but how we got here on earth.
For instance, in the Americas there are many different tribes, different peoples and different cultures. Different places from deep in the jungles in South America to the chilly north. We're told that the early Americans arrived there via boats across water, or on foot (or on the backs of animals like horses, elk, elephants, mammoths or even auroch). The region of interest for most people is the land bridge Bering Strait, the most popular way of thinking. Yet there is no hard evidence that all Native Americans arrived across the Bering Strait. The time it took for them to reach the southern tip, build societies, close links with the environment in rainforests, mountains, prairies and hills throughout the vast continent would've been sudden, not to mention the sudden appearance of cities, pyramids and incredible structures high up. That makes no sense. It's better to think that they were already living there, or arrived there from above.
I conclude that humans originated from space, fully formed as humans. In ancient myths, tales of winged serpents and dragons carrying the gods as a mode of transport. Initially humans landed on Mars, because earth might've been too hostile with dangerous activity.
Some people who believe in the idea of ancient astronauts think dragons and winged serpents might be just technological. However, could they be biological and space travelling too? Such an idea could be possible.
Now the unusual features on planet Mars, which holds secrets and reveals anomolies in photographs taken by the Martian rovers and space satelites. People nickname these oddities "worm tunnels" and they do resemble gigantic spinal vertebrea of snakelike fossils. Could those be the remains of an extinct creature that helped ancient astronauts travel throughout space?
Mars photos of fossilised cosmic serpents?
In ancient myths, winged serpents or airborne serpents were worshipped as deities. Consider the following deities: Quetzalcoatl and Mixcoatl; Rainbow god of the Ashanti; Cosmic Serpent, Shesha, Jormungandr, Rainbow Serpent, Danballah, Hydra, Ladon, Nidhog Nagar, Naga and the Dragons.
Ancient people on earth reverred snakes and associated them with the cosmos, outer space, aerial travel, the sky and of course the gods.
A connection between gods, who always lived on mountains tops, in the heavens or on other worlds, and the mortals on earth was the visitation of winged serpents. Often throughout myths, gods either appear to change into flying snakes or ride on them. This is like a throwback to humanity's beginnings on earth, when people first reached the planet on earth via gigantic space travelling "serpents". It's likely that humans had lived on Mars before coming here to earth.
Another subject one day for my blog, about planet Mars, the idea of Atlantis and alien DNA.
Above painting "Cosmic Serpent" by Wind Kitty
The photos here taken by MGS (Mars Global Surveyor)
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Monsters or mutants?
This is a subject I've never discussed before on my blog. It touches on ancient astronaut theories and also ancient atomic warfare. It's something that I always found incredibly interesting. I've felt like posting about it although this topic is controversial and fringe belief, that everyone laughs at.
I have many interests including helping Chernobyl's children, of which I'm a member of a charity, and studying wildlife at Chernobyl as well as Fukushima. As you may be aware, I'm a heathen and pagan.
As we all know there are monsters of gigantic proportions throughout ancient myths and legends. Let's focus on Sleipnir, the eight legged horse ridden by Odin. Sleipnir, of Norse mythology, was an offspring of the unusual Loki character. The name Sleipnir means "slippery". Ancient stones feature carvings of eight legged horses.
Many scholars believe the eight legged horse is symbolic of the shamanic journey. Eight legged horses appear in Norse as well as Hindu myths. In India is the eight legged Bagri Maro horse associated with death and funerals. These eight legged horses carry souls of the dead to the afterlife. It's suggested also that the horse with eight legs is both the physical horse and it's spirit horse, and even astral with earth. Body and shadow. Perhaps it's a pair of horses, but maybe some other possible theory I've come up with.
Since the disasters at nuclear facilities at Chernobyl and Fukushima, it caused mutations among plants and animals. Many animals, people and plants were deformed in the exclusion zone of Chernobyl. Animals with missing limbs or multi limbs were born. While deformities occur elsewhere amongst all creatures, and have always happened, could this be an after effect of an ancient radioactive fallout? Or is it just a mistake in the genes?
|Irradiated animal of Chernobyl
While some take on the myths literally, I wonder if there's some element of historic truth or forgotten event. I wonder if the eight legged horse(s) could've been severe mutant beasts born from an irradiated event of sophisticated war. As the eight legged horse is common in Norse and Hindu myths, stretching out that far, where so-called ancient atomic war took place. A quote from The Mahabharata (6500 BCE).
"A single projectile with all the power in the universe... An irridescent column of smoke and flame as bright as a thousand suns, rose in all its splendour, a perpendicular explosion with its billowing smoke clouds... rising after its first explosion formed into expanding round circles like the opening of giant parasols. It was an unknown weapon, an iron thunderbolt, a gigantic messenger of death which reduced to ashes an entire race of the Vrishnis and Andhakas." "The corpses were so burned as to be unrecognisable. Their hair and nails fell out, pottery broke without any apparant cause, and the birds turned white." "After a few hours, all foodstuffs were infected. To escape from this fire, the soldiers threw themselves into streams to wash themselves."
The places of Rajasthanin India, and Harappa and Mohenjo daru in Pakistan are sites with evidence of ancient atomic disasters. For now I'll leave it with you. I intend to do more about this subject in the near future.
Saturday, 7 November 2015
Review of "Omen IV: The Awakening"
The film "Omen IV: The Awakening" (1991) is the fourth of the Omen series. The previous three films were made by Twentieth Century Fox and its main character was Damien Thorn, son of Satan. The first film, "Omen" (1976), centred around a small child Damien Thorn with supernatural powers and then "Damien: Omen II" (1978) as an adolescent. "Omen III: The Final Conflict" (1981) starring Sam Neil as the adult Damien Thorn. Ten years later a television production made the fourth "Omen IV: The Awakening".
This is about a girl named Delia, who's the daughter of Damien Thorn.
The film starts off when a childless couple adopt a baby girl from an orphanage managed by nuns. Things start to go wrong when a crucifix falls upside down, witnessed by a scared nun. The baby scratches her adopted mother's face, infecting her with poison and cries hysterically during the church baptism.
A few years later, Delia grows into a small toddler playing with her adopted mum in the woods. When they play hide-n-seek, Delia runs off and is almost killed by a truck when a large dog saves her life. The dog soon becomes Delia's close friend and the adopted parents agree to take it in.
A few more years when Delia reaches 8 years old, developes a violent trait and has no friends with other children. She starts menstruating already, with the signs showing on horseback, which threw her off. Delia is introduced to a psychic crystal healer but things turn very dark. Delia doesn't like crystals. She doesn't like being photographed in order to check her aura. The incident at a psychic fair disturbs Delia and a fire breaks out. Her adopted mother finds out she's expecting a baby and her love for Delia fades. She already doesn't like her adopted daughter anymore. When the psychic is killed, Delia becomes more dangerous and her adopted mother is frightened of her. She is no longer considered a loner child with a violent streak, but something sinister, and her adopted mother doesn't want her near the new baby.
I don't want to spoil the rest of the film but there is a few twists and the ending is tragic, also frightening. In some ways the viewer could sympathise with Delia for getting bullied by a boy in school and when Delia fights back, oh she's the mean one, according to the adults. It plays on past childhood memories and those who were bullied in school might think it's unfair to punish Delia for getting her own back.
Then you could also understand Delia for not liking New Age "crap"! The psychic (there was more than one) conspiring against Delia and harassing the girl into exposing her aura without her consent. In a way the psychics came across as very pushy and unlikeable. Delia was protected by her loyal dog from the psychic anyway who barked and growled when she persued Delia in the house.
Apart from Delia is the attitude of her adopted mother. She started off as very loving, but years later she turned cold and unloving towards Delia. The mother didn't have much knowledge of children or babies, as she reacted surprised whenever the baby was in a big tantrum. Later as things go even darker and darker, you could almost interprate the adopted mother as experiencing Post Natal Psychosis.
The real father of Delia was Damien Thorn, son of Satan and Maria Sciana who was a female jackal. Jackals have been associated with the afterlife. The Serer believe the Jackal is the first animal of creation. One of the most famous jackal gods is Anubis, Egyptian god of the dead. According to the Bible, the jackal is a sign of evil. Some ancient writers considered them the wild dog or wolf of the desert. Ancient Indians regarded jackals as good companions to their mates.
The story of the Omen was remade in 2006.
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
Sisters of the Valkyrie? (part x) Pleiades
There are Valkyrie-like goddesses and demi goddesses in other belief systems, who resemble the characteristics of the Northern Valkyries. It makes you wonder if they belong to the same species or come from the same root legend. I've written entries about the subject, starting with individuals and then perhaps go onto research different aspects of the Valkyrie. The tenth entry on the "Sisters of the Valkyrie" is about the Pleiades.
The Peiades are known as a star cluster but named after the stellar group of celestial nymphs, the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters. Pleiades the stars and nymphs are associated with the cold season as they appear as frosted lights in the northern hemisphere. They appear in the sky strongest and brightest during late autumn and over the winter season.The stars Pleiades is commonly associated with late October and November, corresponding with Winter Nights harvest festivities.
The Winter Nights holidays include sacrifical rites as the most favourite Disablot, to honour the female spirits, disir and the Valkyries. It was very important to ancient Germanic peoples that the rite was performed by women, priestesses and elder mothers. Most people in modern times are sickened by the term of sacrifices but this doesn't always mean butchering people against their will. For instance, the death of a king who fell off his horse and was killed was considered a form of sacrifice so that his own passing meant a better harvest. The sacrifice of a healthy animal was a sacrifice in itself to feed a starving village and provde warm clothes and medicine. Various Scandinavian countries celebrated disblot in late winter and early spring, although the Anglo Saxons celebrated it during autumn. This was called Mothers Night or "blot monath".
But mostly during Winter Nights season is Alfablot, blood sacrifice to the elves. This is linked with the home and paranormal realms, and the dark elves who were spirits of the departed. Light elves were also considered a higher form of spirit that were almost godlike and immortal. Read up on the Old Norse Samhain here.
The term Pleiades means "sailing" and the most highest point of the star cluster visible in the sky is during the time when the veil is the most thinnest, that spirits walk the earth. Celebrations like Disablot and Alfablot honouring the dead, spirits and feminine including valkyries occur around this time but most of all so does the famous Samhain, or better called Halloween. The mysterious opening of the dead, highlighted when the star nymphs fly through the night sky on horseback with glittering armour goes to show that the Plaeides and valkyries are somewhat similar. The valkyries enter bettlefields to take the souls of dead warriors across the bridge to Valhalla. The Pleiades shine at the highest point in the sky during the seasons and celebrations of the dead. The Celts considered the star cluster a vision of the dead and mourning.
The Pleiades were recognised throughout the world. In Greek mythology, they resemble seven beautiful maidens who were daughters of the titan Atlas. These celestial girls include Electra, Sterope, Merope, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone and Celaeno. It was a sad legend that their father was punished to carry the world on his back, and Orion transformed the girls into birds, who then turned to stars. However, some believe that the Pleiades represent Freyja's hens. These hens were once supposedly princesses who died and returned as bright feathered hens or golden chicks. Saying this, the hens were not really birds. They were nicknames of the smaller winged ladybirds and butterflies, because it was believed that the seven maidens had such fantastic wings as these critters. Identical to the fae, these seven spirits granted peoples wishes and protected children from the dead. They were considered shining inhabitants of the night sky.
Art "Pleiades" by Kagaya
Friday, 16 October 2015
Ash Maidens
There are many obscure elementals, beings, giants, gods and heroes that don't get a wide enough recognition. It depends on the audience. Some of these include the Ash Maidens of Norse and other Germanic mythology. Ash Maidens, also named Askafroer, are a type of northern dryad.
They're female spirits who resemble women but they can make themselves invisible and transparent, sometimes visualised as coloured lights. They dwell in woodlands and forests, disappearing inside trees and giving the energy of trees supernatura; strength for regrowth and immortality. They're very similar to the Yakshi nymphs and the hamadryads of Hindu and Greek mythologies.
The Ash Maidens got their name because it's believed they are the main guardians of Ygdrasil the World Tree of life, a gigantic ash tree containing worlds including the earth.
Some people feared the Ash Maidens, as they believed that the spirits of the trees were spiteful and caused much famine, forest fires and disease. So there were sacrifices to the Ash Maidens done on Ash Wednesday. Originally this was a day of fasting, in respect of the Ash Maidens. On the early frost morning of Ash Wednesday, the elders covered the roots of an ash tree in water and said:
"Now I sacrifice to you so you do us no harm".
Ash trees have always been considered one of the most sacred trees and if anyone cut it or broke it, they would be punished by the Ash Maidens. Little else is known about them as the stories have been lost in time.
The Ash Tree in Norse myth
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Divine Canines: Fenrir
This is the fifth of a series of posts about divine canines, gods and goddesses who are dogs, spirits in dog form and other magical canines. Years ago I did a few posts about wolf goddesses but found in my research too many male canine gods and beasts, or non-wolf canid goddesses that I couldn't include. So I promised to do something on the wider subject of myth and canid species linked to ancient legends, spirits, deities and folklore.
The last time I posted about Divine Canines was to do with Geri and Freki. This one is from Norse and Germanic mythology but of a different nature. Fenrir, knowned as a huge monstrous wolf that was bound by chains and would break free at Ragnarok (apocalypse or the end of the world) and this huge wolf would ultimately destroy everything. Fenrir is also said to eat the sun at ragnarok. Also other versions claim that the two sons of Fenrir, Hati and Skoll would both destroy the sun and the moon as Fenrir rampages over the earth killing everything. The purpose of Fenrir and his evil sons are believed by many to wipe out humanity and destroy worlds. So for this they both remain chained until that dreaded time comes.
So why is this monster on my subject of "divine" canines? Fenrir, Hati and Skoll are the opposite of divinity and so you're wondering why discuss them, right? Maybe Fenrir is NOT an evil wolf but had been misinterprated that way. I've got a different view.
The wolf
First of all much of these legends come from Snorri Sturluson, a medieval monk and an academic writer. He got his research from folktales and other legends gained from the Eddas. An ancient poem "Grimnismal" is composed of 54 stanzas and dates from around the 10th Century CE. In it one stanza includes this:
"Skoll is the name of the wolf
Who follows the shining priest
Into the desolate forest,
And the other is Hati
Hrodvitnir's son
Who chases the bright bride of the sky."
Hati's father here is said to be Hrodvitnir the "Famous Wolf", a nickname of Fenrir. Fenrir is the child of Loki, a trickster god with changing forms in myth. Ultimately bound to the earth to stop his chaos, it's interesting to mention that this father of Fenrir and other monstrous children might've been misrepresented and altered since the establishment of Christianity in Europe. In pre-Christian Scandinavia and Iceland and Germanic countries, there was no recorded evidence of worship of Loki. It might be better understood if Loki used to be a different type of character in mythology with traits that Odin has, or what everyday mortal humans have. It could also explain that Loki's name sounds like "Luke" or "Luc" the Latin for light. I believe that in mythology are different types of gods. The giants (planets, earth, moon, sun) and the humanlike gods (Aesir and Vanir). What of Fenrir? He was a giant wolf that bit off the war god's arm and will consume the earth with life inside it. Really?
Fenrir is a divine wolf god it's a vital part of nature. All of Loki's offspring are in another way a significant guardians of the earth. The siblings of Fenrir include Jormungand, Hella and Sleipnir. All of them are considered "dark", "evil", "monsters", "frightening" and "enemy of the gods". But they play an important function in stabilising the world. In popular myth:
1. Jormungand is the world serpent.
2. Hella is goddess of the underworld.
3. Sleipnir is a freakish horse.
However, consider that Jormungand sustains the spin of the world, keeping the earth alive and moving and changing. He controls the flow of tides and movements of the tectonic plates. His hot breath blows across Ireland, Britain, Scandinavia and the rest of Europe to stop bleak mini ice ages. This breath of Jormungand is also called the Gulf Stream. In "Irminsul" by Varg Vikernes, Jormangund is considered to be the equator. Jormungand is a type of comic serpent, healer and a guardian of the sea.
Hella is the goddess of the dead, and mother of the inner earth. She was considered a gentle goddess who embraced those who died.
Sleipnir is an 8 legged horse that Odin rides upon. It travels across worlds, across the earth, sea, sky and other worlds! (This reminds me that I intend to do a subject on ancient astronauts in the near future!).
Fenrir was turned bad in myths because people considered wolves as a predator but earlier in pre-Christian Europe, wolves were the symbol of warriors. The warrior caste was "wolf". In other cultures, people believe that their ancestors were wolves. The warrior trait was ceased to be viewed a noble lineage as times changed, and warriors practising ancient martial art were seen as outlaws. And so was wolves. Strange that one of the most popular household pet today is a cousin of the wolf.
Fenrir is linked in a way to the cosmos, especially with wolf star or dogstar Sirius. Sirius is part of the Canis Major constellation, also called the "Great Dog". In hindu texts, Sirius is "he who awakens the gods of the air and summons them to their office of bringing the rain." As the arrival of Sirius in the sky brought about new waters and created the Nile. The ancient Eguptians considered Sirius to be the doorway to the afterlife so they refused to bury the dead with Sirius visible. Sirius was called "Orion's Dog" by the Greeks and Romans. Some suggest Tyr and Fenris mirror the constellation Orion and Sirius. The Chinese call it "celestial wolf". The world's peoples from Europe, the Far East, Africa, Middle and Near East and the Americas believe Sirius the Canis constellations are divine wolves guarding the sky. Another aspect of the cross cultural wolf star myths is that Sirius brings climate change. Fenrir is regarded as a destroyer but also could account for his powers over weather and geology. The ancient poples studied the stars intensely and included that in mythologies.
How myths alter
Far back in time, when a lost wisdom told stories about nature and space, they symbolised everything with animals, people and adventures. Later, a breakdown in society around the time of the Bronze Age suggests a shift in people's mindsets. They changed the myths to suit their circumstances. Not interested in space anymore, they were concerned only with survival. So the characters that may have been revered once before were looming and terrifying figures of later periods.
The sagas about Fenrir being super bad and totally destructive can explain people's tension over the forces of nature. Peoples attitudes to wolves and wildlife, people's feelings about nature and the old religion, and a combination of oral myths. From the Eddas, to Snorri, to Brothers Grimm and Jung. Now Marvel have twisted Norse mythology to suit popstar loving kids. And that modern idea of the big bad wolf is still a favourite fairytale.
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Hardstaff Barriers Limited08454855104
Hardstaff Barriers are a Nottinghamshire based Private Limited Company and a market leader in the supply and provision of temporary concrete barriers, covering the whole of the UK and Ireland, service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Established in 1993, Hardstaff Barriers design, deliver and install concrete safety and security barriers, fencing solutions and ancillary access equipment for the public and private sectors.
With over 20 years' worth of expertise and experience, and one of the most reliable and capable product portfolios on the market, Hardstaff Barriers deliver the solutions that a range of industries require. Whether it is vehicle restraint systems for the road network or motorsport events, perimeter protection for vacant or vulnerable property, flood defense, or even basic ballast blocks for fencing, hoarding and temporary structures, Hardstaff Barriers have a solution.
The Company offers a nationwide service incorporating the sale and/or rental of barrier units, in addition to a complete transportation and installation service. Hardstaff Barriers employ a highly trained and well versed workforce who utilise the latest equipment including Moffett mounted forklift trucks and Euro 6, DAF CF heavy goods vehicles.
The Company has earned itself a reputation as being a market leader within the road construction industry for the provision of THVCB and TVCB concrete safety barriers, for use on major highway construction projects. The company is also the exclusive UK partner of REBLOC and offers their full range of vehicle restraint systems.
A short breakdown of the services offered are:
• Consultation and organisation of barrier deployments.
• Storage and distribution of a wide range of barrier systems.
• Installation, relocation and removal of temporary barriers.
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A short breakdown of the core products offered are:
• "Minibloc" concrete ballast block. This block weighs just 650kg and is ideal as an anchor.
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Getting in contact with Hardstaff Barriers Limited
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Tel: 08454855104
Hardstaff Barriers Limited Products & Services
- Barriers > Road
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- Street > Furniture > Barriers > Car Park
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- Fall > Arrest > Systems > Barriers > Edge Protection
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- Barriers > Water

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Make Autonomous System (AS) Connections
Interior Gateway Protocols like OSPF and IS-IS enable you to set up networks and exchange routing information within your network. This kind of network has been aptly labeled an autonomous system (AS). An AS is a set of routers and devices, or even a set of networks, controlled by a single entity.
If you have any need to access the Internet, either to grab information or to use it as a transport to other networks, you must be able to connect outside the AS. These connections are established using peering relationships, where one AS connects to another (a peer) using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
To connect ASs to each other and establish a peering relationship, you must configure BGP on both peering routers.
Whereas an IGP like OSPF is easy to configure and works on its own once you enable it, you must explicitly configure BGP. BGP can be rather unwieldy at times, primarily because when you're using BGP, you're connecting to a router outside your control. Therefore, you're likely to want stricter security in terms of the information you make available to your peers as well as what they send to you.
Imagine that you have a simple network with two ASs, each of which has a gateway router. You want to connect the two networks using BGP. To establish a connection, BGP requires a little bit of information:
You must identify the AS to which each of the peering routers belongs. Every AS in the world is uniquely identified by an AS number. These numbers are handed out by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and are used to specify not only the peering router but also the peering AS for each BGP session.
You must decide on a group for the peering session. BGP groups everything so that you can have logical sets of connections that all behave more or less the same way.
Imagine, for example, that you have multiple connections between your network and a neighbor network. You may have all the same configuration on these links except that they are between different routers (to provide a redundant link). To simplify the configuration, you group them and call them collectively "Those guys." All configuration for "Those guys" is employed on each individual session within the group.
You must know the specific IP address of the interface to which you're connecting. This address is the neighbor address because it's the neighboring interface with which you are peering.
The need for the specific IP address is the reason why BGP is an EGP and not an IGP. While you can use BGP to interconnect all of the routers within your network, the fact that you have to explicitly configure each connection can be a pain. It is far simpler to use a lighter-weight protocol like OSPF and save the heavy-duty protocols for the connections outside your network.
As a general rule and best practice, you want your IGP to carry local and interface routes. You want to leave the heavy lifting for BGP. BGP was built to handle large numbers of routes. IGPs, on the other hand, were designed to reconverge as fast as possible in the event of a failure (link, router, or other type of failure).
Keep in mind that the other guy must have all the same information as well. For this session to work, both of you have to explicitly configure BGP to each other.


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New orders for durable goods jumped 2.7 percent in March, boosted by a 31.2 percent surge in nondefense aircraft and a 17.7 percent gain in defense aircraft. Because of the large per-unit price and the tendency for buyers to place orders for multiple aircraft at once, both of these series tend to be extremely volatile. If aircraft are excluded, new orders for durable goods increased 1.1 percent in March, the fourth monthly gain in the past five months. Since June 2016, new orders for durables excluding aircraft have been on a strong uptrend, rising 19.3 percent (see chart).
Within the report on new orders for durable goods are data on new orders for capital equipment, or business investment. This subcategory is particularly important for two reasons. First, business investment can have a major impact on future productivity trends, and productivity is critical for helping offset cost increases as well as raising living standards over the long term. Second, capital-goods orders are important as they tend to be early indicators of turns in the business cycle. Real new orders for core capital goods — that is, real nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft — is one of the indicators in AIER's Leading Indicators index.
On a nominal basis, new orders for core capital goods rose 1.3 percent in March to a new record high (see chart). As with the broader durables-goods category, the trend of new orders for core capital goods has been solidly upward since mid-2016. New orders for core capital goods are up 18.0 percent since May 2016 (see chart again).
The results for other categories of durable goods shown in the report were generally positive in the latest month. Among the industries showing increases, communications equipment rose 9.0 percent for the month and was up 5.7 percent for the first three months of 2019 versus the same period last year; the motor vehicles industry was up 2.1 percent for the month and up 8.3 percent in 2019; machinery orders were up 0.3 percent, pushing the year-to-date gain to 1.6 percent; the catchall "other durables" category rose 0.2 percent in March but was flat versus last year; and electrical-equipment and appliances orders were 0.1 percent higher in March and up 3.0 percent for 2019.
Categories showing declines for March are primary metals, down 1.8 percent, putting the year-to-date gain at 2.7 percent; computers and related equipment, off 1.9 percent in March but up 5.0 percent from 2018; and fabricated metal products, off 0.3 percent in March but up 3.8 percent year to date.
Other data out today include the latest weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance. For the week ending April 20, claims totaled 230,000, up 37,000 from the prior week. The four-week average came in at 206,000 versus 201,500 in the prior week. While claims rose in the latest week, they remain at historically low levels, suggesting the labor market remains very tight.
Today's data are positive overall. The report on durable-goods orders provides additional evidence that the economy may be reaccelerating after a soft patch in late 2018 and early 2019. However, the preponderance of economic data are still mixed, suggesting a degree of caution is warranted.


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First Communion Photo Session | Round Rock, TX
As with many other children over the past few weekends, this little girl celebrated her First Communion on Saturday. This photo session was extra special to me because I worked with her mom this past school year. She and I taught a religious education class together at our church, St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Round Rock, so I got to know her very well. This sweet little girl, just like her mom, is both gorgeous on the inside and outside.
Congratulations to all the children who made their First Communions this past weekend. My son was right along with them, and those photos will be coming soon (fingers crossed, mom, aka me, doesn't forget!).