Prologue 3 - Risks

I took a deep breath. Then a second. Surry, I noted, was similarly shaken. She stood at attention with her jaw set and her calves tightened, as though ready to leap at any target I named. But at the same time I noticed that she had placed herself slightly between myself and Rufias. Just by a hair – but the meaning of it was still clear. Instinct, perhaps, was telling her to protect a fellow packmate from underserved harm, whether it be him or I.

I honestly could have sobbed with gratitude. And no small amount of pride. This was, after all, the pack I wanted to build. A family, where loyalty always ran both ways. Tando could never have understood that.

I’d never wished for the role of Alpha… But now, for the first time, I found myself grateful that it had fallen to me. This was a role I could proudly steward for as long as was necessary.

Even if it was the rest of my days. Even if I wasn’t very good at it yet.

Rufias was still pale, and I forced myself not to snivvle as I Shifted fully back to human.

“Uncle Ruff” I said, using my childhood name for him, “I am so sorry. These past few days have given me so much to worry about, so much fear, though I know that is no excuse. I… you do not deserve my anger. You never will. None of it. You stood by the women and children when the other m-males turned on us. You mean so much to this pack, and to m-me.” Now my eyes did fill with tears.

Rufias’ face mirrored my own, his eyes welling up. “Rayla. My sweet Alpha... You will never need to ask for my forgiveness.”

I held up my hand to stall him, wiping the other along my nose in a not exactly dignified maneuver. “No, my pack is one of conscience. That’s how it should be, and that’s what we will take from this.”

Turning to Surry, I added, “thank you. You know I will depend on you, right? Especially in times like this.” I hoped my meaning was clear to her as I stared deeply into her green eyes.

She smiled back, warmly and knowingly, all trace of her earlier anxiety now gone. Although her feet did still have some fur on them.

Letting out a sigh, I couldn’t help but notice how she and Rufias were rather pointedly avoiding looking at one another. It was too dim to see if either one of them were blushing, but I’d bet my hide that they were.

I tried very hard not to smirk. Sort of.

Feeling more myself again, I didn’t forget the reason why we had come here. My gut did a little tumble. “So. Rufias. I think it’s time you told me what’s going on. Did you spot any of of the mal… of our former packmembers?” I realized I wasn’t quite ready to give up on the hope that at least some of the exiles, given proper amends, could one day be seated beneath the moon with us again. Perhaps it was a hope as far out as Luna herself, but that didn’t stop me from having it.

Rufias was now stepping across the dirt floor of the tent. In one corner, there was what appeared to be, in shallow dim light, a small bundle of rags. While he bent down to retrieve it I began wondering over the obvious secrecy. What had he uncovered? The tent’s ceiling was clearly more layered and patched than most of the others; in fact, there were hardly any gaps at all where sunlight could slip in, let alone routes through which water could flow to prevent buildup, and I had seen no guttering outside.

Privacy or no, that simply would not do. I could practically hear Surry making a mental note of it as well. One of us would have to– 

Surry’s sharp intake of breath hissed through the dark space, and all thoughts of proper construction fled from my mind. Rufias had turned around and now stood before us, holding the offending item in his outstretched claws, his face an unreadable mask.

A severed arm. Human, by the looks of it, or at the very least in human form.

Surprisingly, it carried a strong scent that wasn’t at all unpleasant – that was until I leaned in closer, and my sharp nose picked up the stink of decaying meat beneath it. Cedar, it had to be, had been applied liberally to the wrappings in order to mask the smell.

Surry too leaned in for closer inspection, wrinkling her now slightly wolfen nose. “An arm. Human? Or Shifter? I may be able to tell for sure, but not here.”

“No need. It is human” Rufias answered immediately. “We found the rest of it nearby, not even covered, much less buried. It was awful. And messy.”

Now that his secret was shared with us his stoic mask began to crack, showing what he really thought of the gruesome artifact he held, and where it had come from. “Only two others have seen it, and I’ve promised to take their hides if they do not keep it to themselves.”

It was difficult for me to imagine sweet Rufias taking the hide of anyone, but I had no doubt that he would keep his promise if it meant protecting the rest of the pack, or at the very least the children. I made him hold the arm a moment longer while I examined it. Wise of him though it was to hide his discovery here until he could run and fetch me, I wondered what possessed him to bring it back here in the first place. Perhaps he thought I wouldn’t take him at his word? If so, I would have to disabuse him of that notion soon. Kindly.

Regardless, it was too dark in here for us to assume much of anything else about the arm, and it seemed likely that anything else would be of purely academic interest anyway.

I waved to Rufias to bundle the thing back beneath its covering. “We’ll go to wherever you found it. Then, we will bury the poor creature properly, and I will examine the scene in detail. Are you certain that there was only one body?”

Surry and Rufias both looked ready to interject, but I cut them off.

“I know it’s across the river, you two. Therefore, it’s risky. I don’t care. Rufias will assemble a small group of trackers to accompany me, as will you yourself, Uncle Ruff. I’ll leave the necessary precautions up to you, but bring no more than four. Among them will be the others who already know of this, obviously. Surry, you will not be coming with us; I need you here until I return. We’ll leave within the hour.”

Without another moment’s pause I strode out of the tent, giving Rufias no time to argue as he hastily began hiding the evidence once again. Surry was right on my heels as I exited, however. I might expect that of my Beta.

“This is too dangerous, Rayla” she began, effortlessly matching my stride.  Several nearby packmembers looked up at my sudden appearance. “I won’t overstate the obvious, but we don’t know anymore what is out there. And even if we do, we don’t know what they’ll do if we make contact. We must assume it was one of the males who did this, or if not, then something worse. But the odds are too great we’ll run into them at the scene, and…“

“First of all” I cut in, “I trust in Rufias’s skills as a hunter, and of our Pack as a whole, enough to assume they weren’t being observed. Rufias didn’t even mention the possibility, and that means he’s certain. We’ll go with that for now. That means no ambush will be waiting for us.”

We passed old Saro and her clothesline again, along with her adult offspring, Carta. Carta stood to attention as both Beta and Alpha marched past, and nudged his mother, who was still absorbed in her work. He whispered in her ear, and she turned around quickly and nodded to us respectfully. I returned the gesture along with a smile, suggesting that all was well and they could carry on with their business.

“But Ray... Alpha” Surry continued, “what if they’ve since returned to the scene? Or maybe they come upon it, and find evidence of our being there? The scent would still linger for this long.” I unfortunately had to agree with her on that, and I suddenly wished that it had rained.

“Making contact this soon after the events of the other night could set them even more on edge, and that’s assuming Tando isn’t actively stoking their anger and hurt at being cast out – which he most certainly is.”

“Actually, I think this is still the best time for such a risk” I argued. “Knowing Tando, giving him more time only means more time to rally his crowd beneath those feelings. Unless he hasn’t already been deposed by another, equally angry Male hoping to take the reigns, but you and I both know that’s unlikely. Tando is cleverer than he seems, at least when it comes to deceit. And he’s more dangerous than anyone.”

“Except for you, Ray” Surry offered.

“Yes. Except for me. I suppose.”