by Cloe Cullen
To get the past out of his mind, he shook himself like a rabid dog and pretend to be cold, clutching his arms and shaking. “All I want is some hot food right about now, to quench the angry beast known as hunger, within me!”
Rolling his eyes, Finn finished his meal and threw the remaining, massive bone into the fire. “There he goes again, pretending to be a poet.”
Jorah didn’t get a chance to make a retort, as a giant presence behind him made him straighten and look over his shoulder. Keanu shoved a dripping hunk of meat plastered onto a bone into Jorah’s face. “Here,” he simply said. After, Keanu walked around to the opposite side of the fire and let himself fall onto the log, his weight nearly cracking the thing in two.
Jorah smiled and raised the meat to Keanu in thanks. “Thank you, Keanu! Honestly, what would we do without you?”
The big man smiled, showing his ragged teeth beneath a neatly trimmed beard, but didn’t say another word. Taking that as his chance to finally put some grub in his belly, Jorah bit down into the meat, letting the hot juices flow down his throat, the salty tough meat setting his taste buds on fire. Keanu’s cooking was so good that while the others continued to tell tales and banter, Jorah focused entirely on mowing through his meal. By the end he patted his belly, the cozy full feeling warming his body and soul.
“So, what now?” Nyx asked, as Jorah focused back on the conversation. “We still have plenty of daylight left. Any ideas on how we should spend the rest of our time today?” She glanced around. As usual Keanu didn’t say anything, but instead shrugged and chugged the soup from his now cooled metal pot. Finn’s eyes narrowed, and he stroked his chin, swaying left and right to think of something. But it was Jorah who spoke up.
“Why don’t we travel down the mountain?”
Chapter Four: Nyssa
“ You know, they say that the Bear Clan is still alive somewhere,” Lowell said out of the blue.
Nyssa raised an eyebrow at her friend as they trekked out of Gray Creek. They dipped into and out of foliage, up and over tiny hills that hid small roots that tripped up Lowell more than once. The trip to meet her brother and the others going out to search for Changelings in the Oldwood was proving to be frustrating, and Nyssa made a mental note to berate her brother for placing the meeting point for volunteers so far from the main hub of Gray Creek. “That old rumor? It’s been circulating for years, even before we were born, Lowell. Don’t tell me you just found out about it.”
“Not at all! I’ve heard those baseless rumors just as anyone of the clans have. Even those cat shifters from the Pride have the same oral tradition of sharing the tale about how a few remnants of the Bear Clan survived the destruction of their homeland.” Lowell glanced off into the distance, squinting at nothing in particular. “The thought just crossed my mind. You think any of it’s true?”
“If the Bear Clan was still alive somewhere, we would have made contact with them by now. It’s been over fifty years since the Vampires arrived from the sea.” Yeah, that was right. Surely either the Pack or the Pride would have gotten wind of something like an entire people somehow surviving somewhere between the Blackwood and the Northern Mountains.
Her comment didn’t seem to dissuade Lowell from speculating, though. “But I’ve heard some say that the Bear Clan actually moved up to the Northern Mountains, or even beyond the mountains to whatever’s on the other side. No one alive today has ever made the trip up and over and ever come back.”
The Northern Mountains, a snowy region that rested in the skies. Clouds always covered its peaks, and Nyssa had looked up to them in wonder ever since she was a child. What Lowell was suggesting was nothing more than a child’s fantasy, Nyssa knew, a way to get her mind back into the present and off of Darius and Amara. His ploy was so easy to pick through it was almost laughable. “Tales from those who never made the journey.”
“But it’s true that everyone who’s tried has never been seen again,” Lowell continued. “What do you think happened to them? Did they get captured and eaten by monsters hiding atop the mountains? Did they meet the Bear Clan and decide to live with them? Or did they find something so wondrous on the other side that they simply couldn’t bring themselves to ever come back to the Oldwood? Or did every single traveler simply perish from the harsh trek?”
Nyssa couldn’t stop herself from grinning at Lowell’s words. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to lend an ear to these tales after all, despite how universally the rumors were disregarded as nothing but tall tales from the elderly with nothing else to do but scare children.
Their conversation ended quickly as they finally came upon a female shifter walking ahead of them in the woods. If there was a shifter this far out, then Remus had to be nearby. Catching up to the shifter, she confirmed her thoughts and followed a thin path carved out of the trees. Soon enough they stepped into a clearing overflowing with shifters, both wolf and cat alike. At the head of the group stood none other than Remus himself.
Tall, and filling out his clothes nicely, her brother was just as handsome as ever. Radiant blonde hair swept over his head in thick locks, allowing his ocean blue eyes to glare out at the crowd before him. Usually every other morning Remus shaved off the stubble of hair that grew from his jaw and chin, but today she saw he hadn’t, giving himself a gruff look. Lowell nudged Nyssa and pointed to a group of female shifters just off to their right. They were quietly whispering amongst themselves about her brother.
“Isn’t he just gorgeous?” One said.
“Ah, what I wouldn’t give to be his mate,” a second said.
“Just imagine what he would like without that stuffy jerkin covering his body!” The third said.
Rolling her eyes at Lowell’s grin, she turned away from the group of women. It must have been nice to have his pick of the litter...not that Nyssa could really complain. There were plenty of male shifters who regularly sought Nyssa out. Luckily, there hadn’t been many recently, other than Lowell, who’d follow her to the moon and back if he could.
Lowell leaned into her ear, his breath tickling her skin. “Just imagine how Remus must feel to so many options, and then be bugged by that thing standing next to him.”
To her surprise, Nyssa hadn’t noticed who was standing right beside Remus until Lowell had pointed her out. Bronwen the Vampire, pale and tall and lanky as ever, her blood red eyes watching Remus, clutching her arms behind her back and smiling sweetly. Her dark brown hair cascaded down behind in curls, growing lighter as they reached the small of her back. Clad in a strange, dark dress, Bronwen certainly stood out like a thorny rose among a bed of lilacs. When she had first met Bronwen, Nyssa had reacted rather fearfully, hiding behind Remus, unable to stop trembling at the sight of a Vampire. But now she didn’t tremble in the slightest, her mind calm, even going so far as to feel relieved that Bronwen was still around.
Over the past few years, Bronwen had been working her way up to destroying Nyssa’ fear of her and Vampire-kind. First Bronwen would just stand within sight of Nyssa, allowing her to get used to the idea of staring at a Vampire; then she would remain in the same room as Nyssa; then she would make small talk; finally, they began to talk regularly. Whenever Bronwen was back in Gray Creek, the two sought each out to chat, mostly about their love lives. Nyssa knew Bronwen was simply doing it to gain better favor with Remus at first, but she liked to think now they spoke because they genuinely liked each other.
“Don’t call her a ‘thing’, Lowell,” Nyssa growled. “She’s a friend to our people.”
Crossing his arms, Lowell tapped his foot. “I was just saying...she follows Remus around like a pet, like-”
“Like you follow me? I guess owning pets runs in the family.”
“Ouch, okay, maybe I deserved that one,” Lowell said woefully.
But Nyssa knew he’s reaction wasn’t unique. Others in the Pack and Pride have voiced similar concerns, even after two years of peace. Should Vampires really be able to just waltz into their land whenever they wanted? It w
as a topic widely discussed these days. Even some of the shifters in front of Nyssa whispered about Bronwen. It took everything in Nyssa’ power not to pummel them right then and there.
“Alright, alright!” Remus’ booming voice shouted over the buzz of the group, causing everyone to snap to attention instantly. Despite not being the Alpha, Remus still commanded much more respect than shifters gave him credit for. Even as the simple son of the previous Alpha, Remus had learned much in the way of leading, a trait Nyssa was proud of. “Let’s get started already, we’ve waited long enough. As you all know, there are still Changelings that come up from the Blackwood and wander the forest, even after everything that has happened. These Changelings are of unknown origin, and for some reason don’t rush to attack people, but stay at a distance, watching us.” He glanced at Bronwen, who nodded her go-ahead. “My friend here has been in talks with the other Vampire Lords of the Blackwood, and is trying to figure out who these Changelings belong to. It can’t be Orpheus, since he’s dead. But while we wait on news from the Vampire’s end, we’ll chase them away from our homes in the meantime.”
Taking a quick breath, he glanced around the crowd, his gaze finding Nyssa, and frowning slightly.
She knew that look, it meant he’d probably lecture her about coming to volunteer to chase Changelings. Not that Nyssa would listen; it wasn’t that she didn’t care about her brother’s worries, but rather the worries were pointless. Changelings appeared more frequently than anyone would like, and they could appear anywhere. There was no point in lecturing her about Changeling encounters that happened by chance.
“We’ll all split up into packs of at least five. For you cat shifters who are graciously joining us today, that means groups. We at Gray Creek hunt together, for safety, strength, and strategy. I’m not going to pick your groups for you, so you can find others and spread out through the forest. Just be sure to cover as much ground around Gray Creek as possible.”
A rumble rolled through the crowd as groups began to form and disperse into the trees. The clearing finally began to open up enough for Nyssa and Lowell to squeeze through. But as she walked forward, so did her brother, and they met somewhere in the middle.
“I don’t remember saying I wanted you to volunteer,” Remus’ scalding voice said as they embraced in greeting, his thick arms making her feel safe and cozy.
Releasing each other, she glared at him. “I’m a grown woman, Remus. I do what I please now.”
Remus clicked his tongue, a smile growing on his face. “It’s incredible how much bolder you’ve become. It’s almost like you’re an entirely different person. Not that I mind either way; you’re still my kid sister.”
“Is this where you lecture me on coming here?”
“No... not this time. I’m getting tired of trying to pretend to be father.” He nodded at them both, gesturing to follow. “Come on, if you want to help so badly, then let’s go already.”
Remus led them both back the way he came, gesturing for Bronwen to follow as well. Bronwen waved gently at Nyssa as they approached, and Nyssa returned the gesture. Lowell kept his head low, the hairs on his body prickling as Bronwen joined their tiny group.
“My, my,” Bronwen said. “Did you miscount, Remus? We only have four for our lonely group. If I’m not mistaken, you said we should be hunting in groups of five or more.”
Remus shrugged. “Oops.”
“It’s good to see you, Bronwen,” Nyssa interjected.
“Likewise, child,” Bronwen said. “How have you fared since I’ve been away? Is this Lowell fellow still giving you trouble? I could scare him off if necessary.”
Nervously chuckling, Nyssa pointed behind her at her friend. “Well, actually, this is the guy I mentioned...this is Lowell.”
Bronwen raised her eyebrows at him, causing Lowell to break out in sweat. She laughed at his reaction, clearly enjoying the sight of another scared wolf. “Aw, what’s the matter, you big bad wolf? You’re not frightened that a woman is taller than you, are you?”
Lowell tried to speak, but his voice faltered.
“Enough of the teasing,” Remus said from the front. “Come on, let’s just focus for now. Go comb through the woods, and then maybe rest and take a break.”
“Sure thing!” Bronwen said immediately, humming a tune as they walked.
“We found a Changeling earlier, but it slipped from our grasp,” Nyssa found herself saying. Remus eyed her. “I know what you’re thinking. We didn’t fight it, but instead it ran away and dove into this hole. The Changeling was small, too, and probably still out there. Somewhere to the west.” Nyssa pointed with one of her slender fingers, a breeze chilling the bones in her hand.
Her brother nodded. “Alright, then we go west.”
Everyone nodded, ready to focus on their new task. Nyssa was certainly thankful for the change of pace, forcing her mind to settle on something other than the past or the future. But as they ran into the vast wild of the Oldwood, her mind drifted back to her conversation with Lowell just before they arrived at the clearing.
The Bear Clan...she wondered if they really were still alive, wandering the world in secret. For a moment she wanted to believe the rumors were true, that bear shifters roamed the world.
But then, where were they?
Chapter Five: Jorah
“ You want to go back down the mountain, again?” Nyx asked quizzically. “Are you sure that’s the best idea?”
Jorah nodded. It was definitely what he wanted, and pretty much the best and only way to remove any excess stress that hounded him. While he was fine right now, he was sure to feel so much more alive further away from the peaks. “Of course, it is. All I do is travel down the mountain. I’m an explorer, through and through, and nothing else will satisfy the urge I have.”
Clenching her fists, Nyx eyed Jorah. He stared back, unable to rip his gaze away from the dark pits of her eyes. “That urge is what keeps getting you in trouble with the Seers, Jorah. It’s only because Dallan raised you that the Seers let you off the hook all the time, but that won’t last forever. The farther you go from the mountains-”
“The more likely I’ll be thrown to the wolves, right?” He knew Nyx well enough to finish her thoughts, even now.
“I, for one, think it is a fantastic idea!” Finn said gleefully, a wide smile adorning his slender expression once again. He bounced up from his seat and started to run in place. “Come on, let’s go already!”
A sly smile crossed Jorah’s lips. “Two to one.”
Frowning, she leveled a pleading look at Keanu across the fire. “And you? Please tell me all the men in this little outfit aren’t idiots.”
Slouching in his seat and dropping his metal pot in the fresh snow, Keanu yawned loudly, his heavy breath clouding the air in front of him. He glanced at Nyx and gave his classic shrug then placing his hands on his knees he rose to his lumbering feet, his shadow stretching as far back as the cave mouth. Sighing, Nyx rose as well, prompting Jorah to laugh and follow suit. Nyx may have been increasingly averse to defying the laws of the Seers over the years, but for Jorah the desire only grew and widened, like a fissure in the earth.
“Alright then, it appears everyone is in agreement,” Jorah commented as he kicked snow over the fire, putting out the flames that threatened to lick him. Turning from the now covered charred sticks of wood, Jorah took off into the trees without looking back. The others would follow whether or not he waited.
“I’m certainly not in agreement,” Nyx shouted as she raced to match Jorah’s gait, ending up marching by his side. “I have concerns...the Seers have grown more restless recently. Something has spooked them, Jorah. If they somehow catch any of us even so much as simply gazing down at the Oldwood forest, there could be hell to pay.”
“You worry too much,” Finn said, arms behind his head as he followed. After catching Nyx’s narrowed eyes, he quickly changed his wording. “I mean, it’s a very attractive trait...worrying. It’s what I like about you.”
Keanu emerged beside Nyx, clasping her shoulder with his huge hand and smiling. “It’ll be fine.” With a voice as thick and impressive as his, anyone would give up debating right then and there. But no one stopped Nyx.
Throwing off Keanu’s hand, Nyx fixed her gaze on Jorah once again, leaning forward to make sure he didn’t look away despite his efforts to avoid that pressuring look. “If this goes wrong, I’m blaming you one hundred percent.”
“Then blame me,” Jorah said, trying not to show her the fear getting to him. As much as Nyx worried, she had the right idea; Jorah and the others would be screwed if it was found that they disobeyed clan law. He wasn’t sure what would happen first, be thrown off the mountain for good or be tried before the Seers and then thrown into a prison cave. Either way, it wouldn’t be ideal. As much as Jorah wanted to explore, he couldn’t be sure being thrown off the Northern Mountains was the best choice, being abandoned for the second time. And yet he still couldn’t help himself. “It’s my choice, so let me make it, okay?”
Nyx pressed her lips together in response, causing Jorah to think she’d be quiet for good, but then she spoke once more. “We’ll only stay a short while. There’s no point in staying halfway down the mountain longer than we need to.”
“Works for me,” Jorah replied happily, glad to have Nyx off his back.
***
The trail Jorah followed was one he used hundreds, if not thousands of times. One that launched him on a long and narrow zigzag path that was only wide enough for the group to walk in single file.