"Please take some of these with you, and continue being careful. I'm sure I don't need to remind you; but once the snow begins to melt things will get a whole lot more dangerous for anyone climbing over steep hills, let alone mountains."
I smiled. "You don’t need to remind me, and we'll be extra careful anyway." 'I hadn't even considered that. Has Rufias?'
Donna handed me a medium-sized box as a parting gift, which I gratefully accepted. Inside were an assortment of useful items: a few sturdy-looking hooks and carabiners, along with a length of thin cord, some dried meat and trail mix, and a first aid kit. I beamed at her, impressed with the generosity of this gift.
"Are you sure we can take all this? We're used to roughing
~ Rufias ~'Two days have passed since we left those humans behind and continued moving west across the mountains. Two days since I again took the lead, and as before, Rayla has placed the safety of our Pack into my hands.'To me, that choice was neither flattery nor confidence; I would get the job done to the best of my ability, just like I always had, and if that wasn't enough, the Alpha would find another way. She always did.Sometimes, however... I wondered if she really knew the level of loyalty I had for her, and that I had for the entire Pack.I was getting old. I would happily die protecting that which was mine, or I would live knowing that I'd succeeded. Rayla could surely see
~ Tiefing ~"Alpha?"The voice came from outside of my room, hesitant but demanding. I rolled over in my sheets which covered the floor, sprawled out in the only space that would fit me.'Go away' I thought, 'go and bother somebody else for a change. I'm tired.'But the voice would not be deterred: it came again, even louder this time. "Alpha, are you in there? Please, I need to speak with you, it's important."It's important. Well, I'd hate for someone with something
No great speeches heralded our purpose that night. Nor did any follow early the next morning, when my Pack rose well before the break of dawn and began making our preparations to depart.I spent the night wrapped comfortingly in Cillium's arms, feeling his gentle breath cascading down the back of my neck -- and for a just moment, I could almost forget the gnawing dread that waited just over my shoulder. I was at peace... and yet I slept fitfully. Panic lurked just beneath the surface of my most pleasant dreams.The first task of the morning was getting food into everyone's bellies and shaking the cobwebs from our heads. Thankfully, our supplies still allowed for a hearty breakfast, which I'd attempted to plan for from the beginning. I decided to let us warm up whatever we could by rekindling our small fire from the previous night. At this altitude I wasn't very
The twin boulders toppled from their perch and began rolling down the mountainside, picking up speed and dislodging many other, smaller rocks along the way.*It's started!!!* I called out to my Pack. *Begin your approach, and be careful! We hit them hard, we hit them fast!* And with that, I began to Shift.A wolf would surely have an easier time descending a steep hill with speed, but why limit myself to that? I kicked off my shoes and splayed out my toes, willing them to grow stronger, tougher, and more muscular; my legs tightened like knotted rope as the ligaments bulked and stretched; dire claws formed upon my hands, and my whole body was soon covered in a thin matt of fur to ward off th
Everything happened slowly at first. Then, like the tumbling rocks themselves, things began picking up speed, until they had reached – and even seemed to surpass – their normal pace.For me, anyway. As a Pack, we took off down the mountain like a box of explosives starting to crackle all at once.The result would be loud, chaotic... and with any luck, deadly.*Run! For the Alpha!!!* Surry cried. The chant was quickly taken up by the others."For our HOME" I breathed.Our feet ransacked the snow and gravel in a torrential pounding. Ahead the gr
Rubble. And snow. And blood. How long had I been fighting? Seconds? Minutes? Days?I clenched my teeth. *Surry! What's happening on your end??*There was no reply.*Surry...?*I spun in the circle. Which way was north? Which way to the center of camp? I seemed to have lost my bearings."Cillium!!" Shit!I winced as I yelled. Touching the side of my face, my hand came away covered in blood. No surprises there, though I didn't even remember receiving the injury.
My face hit the snow with tremendous force. For a moment, my world went too dim for sight or sound, but I vaguely heard a ringing in my ears and felt the large mass pressed against my body ease up somewhat, then redouble in its efforts to crush me.But nothing cracked. In neither my face nor in my body, nothing seemed to give way, of that I was fairly sure. Probably.I gasped for breath and struggled to keep my eyes open. Black spots danced across my vision. Instinctively, my hand began reaching out across the earth, hoping to find some kind of purchase – anything – that might serve me.The man above me dug his claws haphazardly into my neck, feeling around clumsily. His movements seemed desperate, hasty. If anything,
Julius squirmed, but I did not relent. Part of me knew I was acting too rough with the boy; and on a battlefield no less! But LUNA. Was he TRYING to get himself killed? When I spoke, it was with a barely contained fury that verged on tears. "Do you even know what I would do, Julius, if you got yourself killed out here? Because I don't. If you threw away all of my efforts to protect you and your friends, just so you could come and play hero for a while?" He'd stopped trying to move, and I released him. Slowly, I rose to my feet. My legs ached. My arms ached. My head felt compressed. I squinted, scanning my surroundings, while the glare threate