Wolf Dance

by Wolfdance(Lit)

  He would never pass as one of them, and even if he could they would scent him out quickly. Justin retraced his steps through the tunnel, returning to the reality which the rest of the world lived in.

  * * * *

  Justin’s stealthy figure came up behind Kenny, giving the younger man a start.

  "Damn! Can’t you make it a point to let us know when you are coming up on us?"

  "Sorry." Justin smiled.

  Justin nodded with his head for Kenny to follow him so they could talk out of earshot of their guide. The Mexican claimed that he didn't understand English, but Justin was taking no chances.

  "I found a way in," he told Kenny.

  "You found the Jaguars?"

  Justin nodded. "But we will have to wait until dark and I will have to go in alone."

  "How many of them are there?" Kenny wanted to know.

  "Thousands," Justin told him.

  Kenny’s mouth dropped open. "Where are they?"

  "They are here, but at the same time, they are not." Justin tried to explain.

  Kenny shook his head. "I’m lost now."

  "I guess you could say they are in a different dimension. They are here, but on a different plane of existence. The Jaguars and their city are as real as you standing here right now. You might even feel their presence, but you must cross the threshold of light to enter their world, and they must do the same to enter this world. And that is something that they do quite often."

  "So you are saying that Laura and Grandpa Busby are here, but we can’t see them because right now they only exist in a different dimension?" Kenny asked the question as if he were talking to someone who had lost touch with reality. But as soon as the words had left his mouth, he realized that he was asking the question of a shape-shifter.

  As if reading Kenny’s mind, Justin smiled. "I have sensed Laura’s presence, but not her grandfather’s, so I do not know if he is here or not."

  "What’s the plan?" Kenny rubbed at his tired eyes.

  "I will have to find a way to cover my scent. They are cats and will catch my scent before I can get halfway to finding her. Even from this side of the doorway, I'm sure many of them can sense me."

  "How will you do that?" Kenny raised a questioning brow.

  "I must spend this night alone and pray. Laura is in the palace, which tells me that they don’t have any immediate plans of harming her."

  "How do you know that, and what’s praying going to do?" Kenny was impatient.

  "I could feel her presence in the palace when we were walking through it. And I must pray to the spirit of the Jaguar to cover my scent with his," Justin told him.

  "And why would the spirit of the Jaguar help you when it is their spirit guide?"

  "I don’t know for sure if I will receive help, but if my hunch is correct, when they were exiled they fell out of favor of all the spirits. They take the shape of the jaguar because it is their environment. It's the same with us; almost never will you find a shifter who can take the shape of an animal that exists outside of their natural environment."

  Justin made preparations to spend the rest of the day and night in the room of the palace where he had felt Laura’s presence. To be in that room was not necessary, but a small part of him hoped that she would feel his presence, as he did hers.

  * * * *

  For many hours Justin prayed to the spirit of the Jaguar and the wolf--pleading with them to come together to devour the scent of the other so that he might become invisible to the keen senses of the Baalam.

  The spirits had listened to his prayer. Justin entered the heart of the city under the cover of darkness without the notice of the Jaguars. The moon rose high in the sky as his wolf’s body moved soundlessly through the streets of Coba’.

  He followed Laura’s scent to the palace gardens. Crouched behind the bushes he could hear voices, Laura’s and someone else’s. His snout pushed through the thorny bushes until his yellow eyes could see the two figures beneath the moonlight. The jaguar held Laura in a lover’s embrace. The wolf growled in pain.

  Its heart burning with anger, the wolf retreated to the temple. His thoughts were a muddle of human emotion and instinctual wolf. As his transformation became complete, he was no longer sure if Laura had been in the other’s arms willingly or not.

  Kenny waited for him at the Temple’s entrance.

  "Where is Laura?" he asked.

  "I didn't bring her back," Justin voice contained a harsh edge.

  "What?" Kenny was confused.

  "She appeared to be happy where she was," Justin told him.

  Kenny was startled by the hard glint in the Sungmanitu’s eyes.

  "I don’t believe that is true."

  "It's true." Justin handed Kenny his crystal necklace. "But if you don’t believe me, you are welcome to go see for yourself. She's with her lover."

  Kenny’s eyes widened, and for the briefest moment he considered telling Justin of Laura’s pregnancy, but bit the words back. If Laura wanted the brute to know, she would tell him herself.

  "Fine ... I will go in and get her then." Kenny held out his hand for the crystal.

  Justin pulled back the crystal. "I cannot let you go in there, you would be committing suicide."

  Justin ran his fingers through his long hair. The exhaustion of the past few days was beginning to play havoc on his judgment. "I will return when enough time has passed that her lover is no longer with her." Justin’s words were bitter and confusing to the younger man.

  As if just realizing that the other man wore no clothing, Kenny averted his gaze. "Why do you think she has a lover in there?"

  "Because I saw them."

  "Laura still believes you to be dead," Kenny informed him.

  The only answer he received was a grunt. Kenny was sure that Justin’s jealousy was not only clouding his heart, but his head as well.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Laura returned to her room. She felt an overwhelming need to wash all traces of Dark Claw from her body, but her need to escape this prison was even more intense. Not until Laura was sure that the inhabitants of the palace were deep in slumber did she slip out of her room.

  Guided by moonlight, Laura made her way through the streets of Coba’ until she came to the old slaughterhouse which Blanca had spoken of. The building appeared as if it hadn't been used in years, but still the rancid scent of old blood caused her to retch. With a picture of Blanca’s map in her head, Laura felt her way through the dark until she came to the door which she was certain would open to the tunnel.

  Pulling the heavy door open was no easy task, but finally it gave way. Its rusty hinges squeaked in protest. In Laura’s anxious state the noise could as well have been a clap of thunder. She held her breath--frantic someone had heard from outside. Moments passed and there was no other sound but her own breathing. Laura peered into the inky darkness of the tunnel, cursing herself for not thinking of bringing a candle.

  With no alternative but to push forward, Laura started to step into the darkness, but stopped abruptly. The tunnel had to be underground, therefore there would be stairs, Laura reasoned. Feeling her way she found some handrails. Laura breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't just plunged ahead. She surely would have been sent tumbling to the bottom.

  She took the stairs slowly, testing each step before putting her full weight on it. With immense relief, Laura finally reached the bottom and in the distance she could make out a faint glow of light. Laura followed its source, her progress sluggish at first until the glow of the torch had succeeded in pushing back the darkness of the tunnel.

  Laura was reassured to see that torches would light the remaining length of the tunnel. Here the scent of blood was replaced by the smell of damp earth and mold, but the stench didn't do to her stomach what the blood of the slaughterhouse had done.

  The tunnel went on for several hundred feet before she came to what appeared to be a guard post. She found the post unoccupied and was extremely grateful of Blanc
a’s wisdom. Here the tunnel was blocked by a set of large double doors. Laura tried the handle, praying that it wouldn't be locked. The handle turned easily and the door swung opened silently.

  Beyond the doors, the tunnels split off in several different directions. Again Laura envisioned the map. She knew that the tunnel to her right should lead to the room which contained the master key. She was not disappointed--the tunnel opened up into a large chamber.

  The room appeared to have been some sort of command post long ago. From what she could see, there were four different corridors leading from this main chamber, and through the corridors she could make out cells. Everything was covered with dust and cobwebs and Laura doubted that this part of the palace’s dungeons had been used in a very long time.

  It made more sense for them to keep her grandfather closer to the entrance that would lead into the palace. He was their only prisoner and certainly not a threat in their eyes. Laura found the key exactly where Blanca said it would be and quickly retraced her steps to the main tunnel.

  Continuing in the direction that she was sure would lead her closer to the palace entry, Laura stopped every few seconds to listen for the guard’s return. Luck was with her--all was quiet. Before long she came to a large stone staircase leading up to what she assumed was the palace, but she knew her grandfather wouldn't be up there. He was here in the tunnels and close.

  Laura first took the tunnel to the right, but it lead to a storage area for food and wine. Backtracking she entered the tunnel to the left of the staircase. It was here she found the cells. At the far end of the tunnel she could see the cell that held her grandfather. His still form rested on the floor with nothing but a thin blanket to ward off the chill. Laura hastily opened the cell and knelt down to touch him softly.

  Startled, his eyes flew open. "Laura!" he croaked in a scratchy voice.

  Laura put a finger up to her lips to signal silence. Helping Busby to his feet, Laura motioned to him that he should follow her. Now that she knew her way, it took no time at all for them to reach the guard post. Laura could only hope that he hadn't returned from his lover yet--there would be no escape for them if he had. She hadn't even thought to bring some kind of weapon.

  The post was still empty. Laura closed her eyes in a silent prayer of thanks. No doubt the unsuspecting guard was too caught up in the passion of the moment to give a second thought to his post. Laura felt a twinge of guilt when she thought of what might happen to the guard when their escape was discovered. Pushing her thoughts aside, she led her grandfather through the double doors and into the outer tunnels.

  Not until they were well away from the guard post did Laura risk speaking.

  "It will get very dark, grandpa. You will have to hold my hand and follow me."

  Busby did as she asked without saying a word. He was too old and wise to question a girl that had shown as much courage as his granddaughter had on this night. Though lost in the thick darkness, Busby glowed with pride. His granddaughter could rival any warrior of his people.

  With an extra sense born of desperation, Laura quickly found her way out of the tunnels and into the slaughterhouse. Here, she felt her stomach churn, but she ignored it as she looked out onto the street to see that no one would observe their departure.

  The street was empty and they left the building. Laura drank in the fresh air as if it were her first taste of oxygen. They started north, silently making their way through back alleys until they were within site of the temple. The large terraced structure seemed to emanate a light of its own. Laura gasped when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Someone was standing near the temple’s entrance.

  Laura pushed on, hoping it was Blanca who waited there for them and not Dark Claw. The old woman was upon them as soon as they reached the top of the terrace.

  "You must go now and waste no more time," she hissed as she thrust at them two sculptured jaguar crystals.

  "You will need these to pass through the doorway," Blanca quickly explained.

  Laura held the small crystal in her hand and was slightly surprised at how warm it was to the touch.

  "I don’t know how to thank you," Laura whispered to the old woman.

  "No need, just do not let your son forget that he also carries the blood of the Jaguars in his veins." Blanca was herding them to the temple’s entrance.

  Inside, Laura stopped suddenly to stare at the temple’s walls in awe. The walls were carved with gold inlaid words that reflected the moonlight.

  "These words tell of your child," Blanca whispered, "but my grandson will destroy all that is to be if you do not escape his evil." Her voice urged Laura to move.

  They followed the old woman to a steep staircase. Here she stopped. "Below is a tunnel. You must keep a hold of the crystals to reach the other side. You will come out in the ruins of Coba’. From there you will have to go south through the jungle for several miles until you find a village. They will be sure to help you."

  Laura cringed when she thought of traipsing through the jungle in the dark, but she knew nothing could be worse that losing her grandfather and child to Dark Claw.

  At the last moment, Laura turned back to give Blanca a quick hug, hoping that the woman knew how grateful she was for her help.

  Holding the crystal tightly in her hand, Laura descended the stairs and was surprised to see a blinding white light at the end of the tunnel. Instinctively she knew this was the doorway back to her own world and she pushed on at a faster pace, slowing only when she noticed her grandfather struggling to keep up.

  For just a fraction of a moment they seemed to be surrounded by the brilliant light before it dimmed suddenly. The differences were noticeable immediately. The tunnel no longer appeared well kept, but was laced with age and decay. Knowing that the differences meant that they had made it to the other side, Laura felt some of the tension melt away.

  "We made it...." Her words were cut off by a low, threatening growl.

  The predator moved toward them with slow, deliberate movements. Its glowing yellow eyes devoured them. In a state of near panic, Laura turned back toward the doorway of Coba’, but her grandfather placed a firm hand on her arm in an attempt to stop her.

  "It must be a Sungmanitu," he whispered.

  Laura’s eyes darted back to the wolf. It was slowly closing in on them. Sungmanitu or not, the animal appeared to have every intention of attacking them.

  "We should go back." Laura’s whispers were laced with urgency.

  She took hold of her grandfather’s arm and started back the way they had come--thinking that if they made it back through they could hide at Blanca’s cottage if need be, though she would hate putting the old woman in danger.

  "Laura!" The harsh guttural voice came from behind them.

  She felt a vague sense of familiarity at the sound of the voice. Somewhere beneath the layers of her conscious mind she recognized Justin’s voice, but her rational thought erected a solid wall that denied the possibility.

  It couldn’t be him! Justin was dead!

  She had seen it with her own eyes! Why couldn’t her heart accept that reality?

  Busby tugged at Laura’s arm and she was suddenly pulled back to reality and realized that she had been frozen in place, but for how long she had no idea. Laura was torn between the intense need to see who had called her name and the terror of finding it to be just another illusion.

  Taking every once of strength she possessed, Laura turned to face her pursuer. A scream caught in her throat at the sight of him and the look of utter hostility in his eyes.

  "Justin." The word was no more than an escape of breath.

  He just stood there, staring at her as if he hadn't quite decided whether he would rescue her or kill her. His obvious loathing sent Laura’s already shocked mind reeling.

  "Let’s get out of here while we have the chance," he told them as he was turning to leave, and then adding over his shoulder. "Unless of course you prefer to stay?" His words were directed at
Laura.

  Laura moved forward, realizing this was no time to ponder the fact that he was alive, or his odd reaction to her. Within moments they had left the temple and were in the dark, humid jungle.

  Without a word Justin disappeared but was back quickly and fully dressed. It was not until then that Laura understood that he had been completely devoid of clothing in that dark tunnel. Her emotions had been in such turmoil that she hadn't even noticed.

  Laura and her grandfather followed Justin into a thicket of trees. Here they were greeted by Kenny’s enthusiastic welcome. Without words, he took Laura into his arms and gave her a tight hug, and then he was clasping Busby’s shoulders in a gesture of welcome. It dawned on her that Kenny and Justin had worked together in an effort to rescue them and she was completely stunned.

  Tears of gratitude slipped from her eyes and she took Kenny’s hand in hers and squeezed tightly. She then encircled Justin in her arms in an effort to show him how happy she was that he was alive and how grateful she was for his help, but he stood stiff and unyielding in her embrace.

  Confused, Laura pulled away and pretended not to notice his indifference. There were many questions that would remain unanswered and many words that should be spoken between them that would go unsaid.

  They all knew that if they were anywhere near Coba’ when Laura was discovered missing, they could not hope to escape the wrath of Dark Claw. They could delay their departure no longer. The five people crowded into the jeep and wasted no time leaving the ruins of Coba’ behind them.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Laura gazed down from her balcony, and again she was full of wonder at the beauty of Coyopa’. She could truly believe that the legends were true and this was indeed the Garden of Eden. Laura had been given a room in what she could only describe as a castle which stood at the top of a plateau overlooking Coyopa’.

  A crisp morning breeze caressed her skin, bringing with it the scent of flowers and pine. Laura was sure she had never seen a sight as stunning as Coyopa’ bathed in the golden morning sunlight. Everywhere her eyes fell was the sight of colorful flowers, and lush vegetation, crystal clear waterfalls and creeks that glittered with the gold dust that was so abundant here.