Sköll and Hati

Sköll and Hati are a matched pair of celestial wolves—relentless chasers of the sun and moon—seen in the sky's margins as streaks of shadow and flame. Sight: enormous, sinewed forms with fur that seems to drink light, eyes like smoldering coals. Smell: a metallic tang of ozone and scorched lichens, with faint smoke and iron beneath it. Sound: a slow, bone-deep howl that rolls like thunder over distant ridges and a constant, pacing pant that quickens with the sky's motion. Temperature: the air near them feels dry and warm, as if standing beside an ember-field, carrying the heat of relentless pursuit. Field notes record an uncanny hush in wildlife and the taste of ash on the wind when they pass.