Tales of a Shifter (P5) The White Mountain

Chapter 117 - The Rite

Chapter 117 –The Rite

Night 5

Starlight and moon light peaked out from the east as the sun feel from the heavens into the western horizon. It was a beautiful night. A night that felt more and more significant as he trailed out into the grass, and followed Walters quite shadow out across the shifting fields, and deep into the pine forest at the rear of the Mansion.

Until the silent sentry of pine trees surrounded Brandon and Walter as they walked side by side along a path of hard packed earth. Through the many gaps in the tress around them in the deep wood Brandon glimpsed a roaring flame, deep into the center of the forest, and it seemed that this was where Walter was taking him.

A sharp crack to the left of the path shrouded in darkness made Brandon startle in panic and start to open his Druid senses to the world but Walter grabbed his arm and steadied him with a soft snarl. "You are safe Brandon. It is simply the men my father asked to patrol the forest around us. Fear not, you are surrounded in the safety of the Clan this night."

Brandon swallowed, nodded and peered into the darkness, surprised to see flashes of glimmering leopard eyes watching him as he walked past. There were more eyes gazing at him then he wanted to count, shimmering like flashes of glittering rocks in moon light. Brandon knew all he had to do was reach out with his senses and he would be able to feel the number of bodies around him, but he was still not completely comfortable relying on his Druid sense if he had no real need, so he ignored the urge.

In silence Brandon and Walter continued, until the firelight blazing just beyond the tree line could be seen, and the air became scented with the smell of smoky meat and firewood.

Walter cast him a small smile which swiftly died as he bowed to Brandon at this point, gestured ahead, and turned to leave saying. "Just keep walking the path. Ezekiel is waiting for you ahead."

Then he was gone, the eldest brother melting into the tree line like a ghost. Brandon took a breath, shook his head, hefted the meat and walked the rest of the path alone. He walked out of the narrow forest minutes later and came to a crest in the pathway, that leveled down into a clear opening in a grassy glen bathed in flickering flames light.

The space was wide and ovular in nature, but not large, it perhaps spanned a full ten or fifteen feet in either direction, but even the small area that it did cover was very beautiful and serene.

A somewhat large flame was built to the far left edge of the glen, and a smoking leg of meat was roasting over a small wooden grill at the apex of the flames. The flesh sizzling and dripping as the aromatic smell of deer fat roasted atop the kindling. The wooden grill was supported by a bunch of long strong branches and twigs tied and twisted to fashion a sturdy pallet that the meat could cook on without burning to a crisp. It was a unique contraption that Brandon had never seen before, but instantly appreciated the simple craftsmanship of. Like woven basket being used to smoke the meat to its finish.

All while a large blanket of sheets was laid out invitingly beside the fires warmth. It was cozy in sense, and very reminiscent to Brandon of all the nights he had spent camped beneath the stars. Days when all he had was silence, wind and cold earth to call home and a fire roasted bunny leg to eat.

He took in the rest of the space his eyes coming to a large pond sat to the lower middle of the glen. Its waters rumbling and rumbling quietly, while a blanket of large Lilly pads fluttered at the edges of the pool intertwined with green vines, spouting blossoms and flowers the color of lilac. And sitting in the middle of the waters bathing was Ezekiel, his broad back had been to Brandon when he had first arrived, but now the Shifter had turned around and with his hair, sopping wet and plastered to his head and nape