by Unknown
She looked up at the hunters who had become spectators. “Send someone back for a soft sheepskin, and a bison hide. And a spool of strong twine.” One of the males departed quickly, shifting as he went.
The wolves who had never seen a trigger lighter before watched in fascination as she clicked and fired the end of a needle for sterilization. She poured disinfectant over her hands, then threaded the blackened needle. She used a suture made of bison tendons, which would serve as dissolvable.
She set about cleaning the wounds, getting them ready to be stitched up before they attracted bacteria and infection, something the first colony werewolves knew nothing about. She wiped at her brow with the sleeve of her shift as she was finishing, when she heard her mate’s voice.
“We’ve brought your stretcher and people to carry it, Luna. Tell us what you need.” Grey sounded bereft, no doubt due to having seen Liulf’s condition.
She looked up. “We’re going to need to sit him up so that I can swab the dirt away from his arm and back, where the skin was scraped away. Then we’ll spread one of the clean blankets over that stretcher.” She nodded toward the limb and leather portable bed. “I’ll set his arm before we go back.” She looked down at Liulf. “I forgot to ask for some of that alcohol he was drinking last night.”
“Alcohol?” Grey’s brow wrinkled as he looked around at the other wolves. When his gaze passed over Connuchur, he saw that one of his other three nephews looked too sheepish to be innocent. “Well?”
“Well, a friend of mine knows how to cook the lightnin’. It does no’ taste good, but it does the job.”
“The job?” Grey scowled. He’d never been a fan of drunkenness. “What’s his name?”
“Cairn.” Conn looked miserable.
“Does one of you know where to find this Cairn?”
By that time Ken had arrived. “Aye, Uncle. I know where to find the lad.”
“Go tell him that my wife needs some of this ‘lightning’ for his alpha.”
Ken nodded and started to leave, but when he turned he saw that most of the New Scotia pack had made their way there, having heard about the accident. So he lifted his voice. “Is Cairn among ye?
The spectators looked around, shaking their heads. “Send the fastest wolf to bring Cairn and his special spirit for Liulf.”
“Aye, Cenead.” One of Ken’s boyhood friends responded.
When he turned back, Ken’s eyes met Conn’s and they spoke volumes to each other without saying a word.
On Luna’s signal, Liulf’s brothers raised him up, bending him at the waist into a sitting position so that she could clean his scrapes and abrasions and then helped lay him on the makeshift stretcher. It was covered by a stretch of Mahdral Ahlee hunting tartan which, Luna was assured, was newly washed.
She then called for the sheepskin and twine. She took a sharp knife from her woven bag and handed it to Conn. “I need the sheepskin cut like so and two pieces of the untanned hide about yea so.” She held up her hands forming a rectangular shape to let the patient’s brother know what was required.
Ken and Conn were glad to have something to do for their brother. Cutting skins to Luna’s specifications made them feel a little less helpless. So Ken held while Conn cut with the knife.
Luna was constantly checking Liulf’s heart rate and breathing, not that there was much she could do to improve either. She felt Grey’s hand grasp her shoulder and looked up into his face, grateful for the gesture of support.
They heard some commotion in the crowd. Grey turned and found a sheep’s bladder shoved toward him. It was full and tied at the neck.
“I’m Cairn. This is for Liulf.”
Grey took the vessel and showed it to Luna. “We have it. What do you want us to do with it?”
“Hold on to it for now.” Conn held up the pieces Luna had asked for. She nodded her approval. “Take the two pieces of hide to the river and get them wet.” Conn looked dubious, but wasn’t going to argue.
“Ken, when I lift his arm put the sheepskin underneath, wool side up next to his skin.” Ken nodded. With what was obviously great effort on her part, Luna lifted Liulf’s heavy arm like it was made of glass and gently placed it down on the sheepskin. “I’m going to set his broken arm.”
She looked at Gray. “You need to sit by his head. The pain may wake him. If it does, give him some of that.” Her eyes indicated the bladder of Cairn’s recipe. Gray nodded and got into position
After gingerly feeling around Liulf’s arm for what seemed like a long time, she grabbed on, her fingers digging into the flesh, and used her weight to push at an angle. Liulf’s eyes flew open and he yelled out, but as soon as he did Conn was holding his head with one hand, trying to give him liquid pain relief with the other. Liulf was thrashing about and nothing was being accomplished except for spilling the alcohol, which ran down into the stitches and added burning and stinging to Liulf’s misery.
“Rain,” Luna said, sounding irritated, “tell him you’re here and everything is going to be alright”
Rain’s red-rimmed eyes flew to Luna and her lips parted. She was surprised to be acknowledged by the human she’d never met before, but after a moment’s hesitation, she dropped down beside Grey. “I’m here, Liulf. I’m here.” She took his good hand and he immediately quieted, his wild eyes frantically seeking then finding hers. “The Elk Mountain queen is caring for you and everything is going to be well. You are going to be well.” She squeezed his hand and his body relaxed. Within seconds he had fallen once again into a comatose state.
While Ken held Liulf’s sheepskin-covered arm immobile, Luna wrapped the two pieces of wet hide around the sheepskin, allowing some overlap, and gave Conn instructions on securing them with twine. When she finished, she sat back on her knees and once again wiped her brow with her sleeve.
Looking at Liulf’s brothers, she said, “ When the bison hide dries it will be stiff as a board, and depending on how it was tanned, it may shrink as well. If it does, we’ll have to apply new twine to keep the two pieces securely in place.
Grey offered his hand and pulled her to her feet. Putting his mouth next to her ear he said, “You were amazing, Luna.”
She buried her face in Grey’s neck and said, “I don’t know if he can make it, Wolf. We may not know for a while.”
“Whatever happens, we’re all lucky that you’re my mate.” He tightened his arms around her and she gave herself permission to relax into his shoulder for a moment.
“We need to pick out some strong guys to carry him back. He’s got to be steady. No jostling around.”
Grey looked at Liulf’s brothers. “I know who three of us will be.”
The New Scotia blacksmith, son of one of the pack elders, came forward and asked for the privilege of being the fourth to carry the alpha back to camp.
CHAPTER 5
Rain surprised everyone by insisting that the bear cubs be caught and brought back to the encampment. They were put in a wooden crate and hauled back in a wagon, braying for their mother the entire way. Luna walked right up to the crate, opened it, gathered up one of the cubs and put him over her shoulder. He snuggled into her comfort for a minute, then promptly nipped her earlobe. She slapped his nose and told him, “No!” He whined, but put his neck over her shoulder and settled down, exhausted, letting his baby eyes slowly drift closes.
That night there was a great argument between the Elk Mountain alpha and his mate about whether or not they would be adopting bear cubs. Grey insisted that, in the very near future, it would not be safe for their girls or the pack. Luna promised that, as soon as the cubs were big enough to survive on their own, she would release them. Grey won the debate, but acquiesced in the end because he found himself utterly incapable of saying no to Luna when she really wanted something.
Rain had been in charge of organizing the Gatherings for a decade. In the past few years they had begun erecting a few permanent buildings dedicated to various Gathering functions. She claimed one such bu
ilding and announced that it would be a temporary infirmary for the recovery of the New Scotia alpha until further notice.
They had brought in a long table, then placed a thick straw bed on top of it so that Liulf would be higher off the ground. That made it easier for the caregivers to tend him and, when the day came that he managed to stand, it would be easier for him to do from that height.
The mattress was covered with two layers of clean blankets, which Luna insisted would be changed every day, and his body was covered with a third.
The day after Liulf was brought to the cabin turned hospital, the Gathering was officially ended. Silver Ruff made a parting speech congratulating everyone on the fact that all three packs were represented when the hunters had rushed to defend Liulf. The New Gaul alpha said that meant the union was working, functioning at its best, and that they were all the stronger for it. She talked about pride and the ideals of her vision of packs living harmoniously, but the celebratory mood had turned somber and couldn’t be recaptured as long as one of the alphas was in critical condition.
The three colonies of wolves began packing up to return to their respective homes and resume normalcy. Liulf’s brothers insisted that the New Scotia pack go without them and hold things together for their alpha. Luna insisted that she would stay until Liulf was either better or…
Grey finally insisted that she get some rest. She was so tired she could barely stand, but managed to give Rain some instructions.
“Come and get me if he wakes. Come and get me if he should start running a fever.” She could see that Rain didn’t know what she meant by that. “If his skin becomes very hot. Can you do that?”
Rain nodded.
Luna noticed she looked lost. “Are you too tired, Rain? Would you like me to get somebody else?”
Rain shook her head emphatically no. “I’m not too tired to take care of Liulf. I will come and get you if he wakes. I’ll come and get you if he feels hot.”
Luna looked her over thinking Rain was unsure and on the shy side, perhaps not yet mature enough for a responsibility of that magnitude. She decided to override her own misgivings because she knew that’s what Liulf would want if he could speak for himself.
“Good. I’m counting on you. Keep these stitched lacerations open to the air and, if I’m gone for longer than four hours, clean them very gently with this solution.” Luna held a small bottle toward Rain, but before she could take it, another hand shot in between them and grabbed it.
“I’ll be doin’ that,” Mave said as she shoved Rain out of the way.
Luna’s brows drew together. She hadn’t been raised in werewolf culture and knew that many things were different, but really bad manners look the same everywhere. “Who are you?”
“I’m Liulf’s mate and I’ll be the one carin’ for him.”
“If Liulf could speak, is that what he’d say? That you’re his mate?” Luna asked.
Mave straightened and glared at Luna. “I’m his true mate.” She looked at Rain and motioned toward the door with her head. “You can go.”
Luna had started to reach for the bottle, but her whole body jerked in surprise when she heard the ferocity of the snarl that erupted from Rain, who was in mid shift. She tore the dress over her head as her body was reshaping. Rain was beautiful in wolf form – silver and gray with dark blue eyes. Her upper lip was pulled back from her fangs, her intent so fierce that her eyes seemed to glow. As Rain circled around Mave, she emitted a constant low growl. When she began advancing, her shoulders hunched in stalk posture, Luna could see that she was herding Mave toward the door.
Mave still held the bottle she’d snatched and looked caught in fight or flight indecision, like she hadn’t considered the possibility of resistance. Seeing Mave’s uncertainty, Luna stepped forward and recaptured the bottle of precious antiseptic, before scurrying back out of the way. She’d been around werewolves long enough to know there was no faster path to self-destruction than getting in the middle of an altercation.
Rain took a threatening lunge toward Mave, backing her toward the door. That was when Mave made the decision to shift. Her face went hard as she tore her own dress down the middle, going to all fours in a blur. She returned Rain’s growl with a viciousness fueled by her sense of righteous indignation, however misplaced.
Rain cut the posturing short. She charged the usurper with enough force to push them both through the doorway onto the grassy clearing beyond.
Hearing the unmistakable sounds of a death battle, the wolves, who hadn’t yet left, dropped what they were doing and ran to spectate, forming a circle around the combatants. Wolf fights are often over within minutes. One either establishes dominance over the other and it is accepted, or one is disemboweled by a well-placed slash of fang, or powerful jaws clamp and rip out the throat of an enemy. But the fight between contenders for the position of Liulf’s mate did not end quickly.
Mave had centuries of experience on her side. She had observed countless challenges between wolves and had been in a few fights for various reasons, usually because she was unable to read signals from other wolves. Rain, on the other hand, had become an adult wolf only that morning and had never come close to fighting herself, which is why she didn’t know she had inherited her parents’ alpha traits.
Both Rain’s mother and father were alphas, but her mother led the pack. In a contest of wills between alphas, victory does not typically go to the one who is biggest and strongest. It most often goes to the one who wants it most and is willing to commit everything to winning.
Until Mave verbally challenged her acceptance of Liulf, Rain had never before felt aggression rise like a beast with its own mind. But the idea of a rival for Liulf sent her into a feverish fury.
Adrenalin pulsed through her body, tensing every muscle, bringing her to a state of readiness that only crisis or calamity can bring forth. Yet alongside that rage was a strange, oddly paired, sense of inner peace and calm telling her that she could win. That she would win. That no other outcome was possible. She was the essence of triumph in creature form. She was victory. She was conquest. She was alpha.
And though her body was prepared to move faster than the eye could track, it seemed to Rain that everything had slowed. She allowed the instincts of her ancestors to flow through her, taking control of her mind and body in an ancient ritual of claiming. She was focused on every change in her opponent’s stance, expression, and behavior – no matter how small. She was aware of the tiniest flick of an ear, the barest hint of tail going up or down, the suggestion that a shoulder was leaning one way or the other. It was almost as if she could see the breath Mave inhaled and exhaled.
Again and again Mave ran in, but each time Rain protected her vital areas while repelling Mave with a slash to withers or flank.
The werewolves who had formed a circle around the battling females were so excited by the spectacle, that many of them had involuntarily shifted and were howling or barking. The two females charged each other and clashed, both standing on their back legs, jaws snapping toward each other’s necks. Rain pulled a paw free and slashed at Mave’s face, slicing through her left eye with rigid black claws. With tail drawn so far between her legs it clung to her belly, Mave gave an ear-splitting shriek then ducked away a few yards and repeatedly rubbed her paw over her torn and bleeding eye.
When she raised her head again, Rain saw such hatred that she knew the fight would likely end in the death of one of them. And it wasn’t going to be her.
Mave snarled and ran at Rain, clearly intending to end the fight once and for all. Rain ducked away at the last minute, then turned and knocked Mave off her feet. Before Mave could scramble up, Rain had sunk her jaws into Mave’s hind quarters, then shook her head back and forth violently, severing one of the other’s wolf’s hamstrings. Mave howled long and hard before stumbling and falling into a series of whines and whimpers.
If Rain was a wild wolf, she might have killed Mave, but even in wolf form she carried another side to he
r nature – a side that was satisfied with half-blinding and crippling. Rain grew completely calm as she stared at Mave on the ground. She sneezed once like it was a statement of disgust and trotted off toward Liulf’s temporary quarters with her tail high as a flag at full mast.
Grey and Silver Ruff encouraged the onlookers to disperse, while Luna told some of the New Scotia wolves to bring Mave to her tent.
When Luna was finished patching Mave up as best she could, she returned to finish giving Rain instructions on how to care for Liulf. When she arrived she found another female sitting by Liulf, one Luna had not met.
“Hello.”
The girl stood. “I’m Rain’s friend. I brought her some things from her house that her mother gave me. She went to the stream to get clean before she put on clothes.” Luna nodded, which was all the encouragement the girl needed. She stepped forward excitedly. “Wasn’t she magnificent? Who would have guessed that Rain is such a fighter? I don’t know what started it, but it must have been important because Rain doesn’t get mad easily. Or even ever.”
“Yes,” Luna began, “I imagine it was about something very important to Rain. I’m Luna. From New Elk Mountain.”
“I know,” she said. “Everybody knows who you are. Well, first you’re, um, human of course and, second, you make people better when they’re not well. Rain asked me to sit with Liulf while she was gone and be sure that, well, you know, that nobody bothers him.”
Luna smiled. “What’s your name?”
“I forgot! I’m Littleberry. Rain and my other friends call me Berry.”
“Nice to meet you. Any idea how long Rain will be?”
The girl raised her head, looked toward the door, sniffed and gave Luna a big smile. “She’s here now.”
Luna looked toward the door. “Where?”
“Just outside.”
Luna stepped to the door and saw that Rain was walking toward the temporary infirmary amid nods of affirmation. It seemed she had raised her profile to celebrity status. It also seemed that she was still a good twenty-five yards away. Luna shook her head, marveling at the werewolves’ miraculous sense of smell. As Rain drew closer, Luna could see that there were scratches on her face, neck and chest – some deep, still welling blood, and that one of her own eyes was swelling.