Dire

Dire is the always-present companion to the Summer Queen, Emmylou. His mien is that of a larger than average gray wolf. The tips of his fur are singed and constantly spiral streams of smoke. The smoke, however, smells of timber coals, like a campfire. The black markings on his paws and face look like smeared charcoal, but are in fact part of him.



Emmylou takes her companion into the human side, where he appears as a wolf-dog. While many people find this unnerving, Dire rarely makes a noise above a growl, which carries the undertones of crackling fire, and is very well behaved. Emmylou carries official papers for him to avoid any legal trouble.



While Emmylou has always been good with animals and tends to work with them harmoniously, her and Dire formed a special bond shortly after her arrival to the Freehold. He is a protector of the tree in the hedge Emmylou had decided to make her home and eventually made into a hollow for all of Summer Court. It's said that upon meeting, they wrestled for seven days and seven nights straight until they were both too tired to continue. They fell asleep, still locked in a grapple, and when they awoke, they went hunting together, sealing their unspoken friendship.