Gale's Storm

CHAPTER 13

James was thrilled to be on this journey with Lillian, Gale and Rock, time was really going fast; it was already day three. The borders were going to fall and he was going to travel across Nemus with his newly made friends. This was an adventure a soldier like him couldn't even imagine to happen, let alone be a part of.

His mind was buzzing as he fell asleep. Images of dark skinned people in caves greeting him and the group, all speaking with odd accents. Most of them in animal form and speaking to the shapeshifters in his group in their odd animal language. He imagined large wolves and gentle rabbits among the crowd when his mind finally drifted into sleep.

He didn't dream at all that night and woke up to Gale shaking him awake. He shifted around a bit before sitting up. There were pine needles scattered everywhere and blanketing the ground, getting into his sleeping bag and poking him. James slipped on his armor before coming over to the campfire where everyone else was.

They were talking about what they might find when they find a member of Pine Colony. "If they find us before we reach their camp we need to be as non-threatening as possible and not act like an attack party or a group of spies. That also goes for if we find them, I won't use any magic, you guys should try your best to not be tense or in a fighting stance and James will keep his sword sheathed at all times in their home and when talking to them," Gale told them as James sat down with them.

Rock passed him a plate with a couple of roasted mice on them. James thanked him and ate them as he listened to what Gale was saying. Everyone nodded when she finished speaking. She started staring off into the distance behind Lillian before she shook herself back into focus.

Lillian's head shot up a moment later and she said; "We're being watched." Everyone twisted to look where she was looking to find dark orange eyes gleaming from the tree right behind Gale.

"Hello...?" James called out.

The eyes blinked at him and a bat-like creature flew out and landed sprawled out on the ground in front of Gale. "Are... You a shapeshifter?" she asked awkwardly.

The creature blinked and flicked its triangular ears at her, squeaking. "I'll take that as a yes..." she said to herself.

Lillian got up and walked past Gale to crouch in front of the creature. She tentatively held out a hand to it and the creature took one of its finger-like wings and pulled her hand toward itself. Lillian started petting it and it squeaked at her and hugged her hand.

"Hello. Don't be scared to shift into human form. We come in peace and seek alliance," Lillian said gently to it.

The thing let go of Lillian's hand and she backed up from it. Immediately it shifted into a small boy with wide eyes and short brunette hair. "Hi!" He said friendly to them.

"What's your name? I'm Lillian and these are my friends, Gale, Rock and James," Lillian said kindly to him. His big-eyed gaze fell on each of them as he spoke; "I'm Melon, I'm lost and need help finding my mom."

"I think we can help you, where did you last see your mom?" Lillian asked him as she crouched down to his level. He pointed behind Gale and said; "This way, I lost her when we were looking for food."

"Alright, we'll help you look," Lillian said as she headed off with his small hand in hers.

James admired her gentleness considering her shapeshift. He got up and looked for Melon's mom with everyone else. He said his mom's name was Needle, so they started shouting her name and looking around in the direction Melon had pointed. He was surprisingly very calm considering they were strangers to him and he was lost.

"Over here! Gale shouted from James's left.

He came over with Lillian, Melon and Rock to find Gale talking to a woodpecker who was on a tree. The woodpecker flew off the tree and onto Melon's arm and started twittering at him when they came. Melon put her down and she shifted into human form to thank them.

"I'm so sorry, he's never wandered off before. Thank you so much for helping him find me. You don't seem to be from around here, what brings you to the pine forest anyway?" Needle apologized, speaking quickly.

"We're looking for Pine Colony. I'm assuming you're a member of Treetop Colony?" Gale told her.

"Indeed we are, why are you looking for Pine Colony? Are you lost? He looks like he's human. Did you get attacked by something?" Needle said rather fastly.

"Slow down, Needle. One question at a time. We're trying to find Pine Colony to ask them to join our alliance of shapeshifters, to make it so we're not separate in different colonies, and to convince the humans to join when all of the shapeshifters have. So we aren't lost, but would Treetop Colony like to join this alliance since you are already mingling around everywhere?" Gale asked her before continuing.

"I'm sure Commander Acorn would love that! I'll go send him a message telling him and I'll come back to Pine Colony to find you guys. Later though," Needle said, clearly thrilled.

"Great! I'll be waiting there for you. Anyway, James is human. He's the one human who wanted to join this prior to all the shapeshifters aligning. We did get attacked, James's old commander attacked us when he said he wanted to travel with us instead of being a soldier," Gale concluded.

They said their farewells to Needle and Melon before they returned to clean up camp and continue on to Pine Colony.

"You were really gentle with Melon. You did really well," Rock said to Lillian when they started walking again. She said with embarrassment to be called out in her voice, "oh it's nothing, I used to help my friend Kelp with her little brother a lot. It's just something I've learned."

"I don't do very well with little kids, so thanks for taking control of that situation for me, Lillian," Gale said to her from in front of the group. Lillian shrugged as she held her cut arm.

"How's your arm doing?" James asked her as he noticed her fidgeting with it. She let go of her arm before answering; "Fine. It still hurts a bit, but it's not nearly as bad. I don't know if I still need the bandage, but it's probably best to keep it on for a few more days."

James nodded and told her; "Yeah, Pine Colony should have healers who can help you more than I can."

"Thanks again, for helping to mend my cut. It wouldn't have healed so quickly and would probably be infected already if it weren't for you. Although, I wouldn't have gotten it if we never met you," Lillian said with her blue eyes boring into his.

A loud howl sounded from behind them and Gale whipped around, shapeshifting at the same time. She made loud high pitched howling sounds in response to the call. A very large wolf emerged from the trees, its sharp yellow eyes staring at everyone intently.

Gale shapeshifted again with a shocked look on her face. She turned to look at everyone. James expected it was at the great beast's size, it was taller than James's hips at its shoulders. James watched as the great beast barked at Gale.

She and the other shapeshifters of the group all dipped their heads to the wolf before Rock and Gale shapeshifted.

"I'm sorry, great one, I cannot shapeshift here. I am from Reef Colony and my shapeshift is strictly aquatic," Lillian said apologetically.

The wolf dipped its head and made a soft bark at Rock and Gale. Gale made a high pitched howling bark noise at it and the wolf took a few paces forward until it was standing right in front of James. It growled softly at him and a shiver went down his spine, though he stood his ground. Gale made another bark noise and it walked right past him and Lillian.

Rock started to walk after it and Gale followed. Lillian came behind them and James followed in last. It guided them through the trees for the rest of the day, and rested with them in the night.

By nightfall James saw a tall wall of woven and bent trees came into view. Gale gave out a bark when she saw it. The wolf growled back at her and she wagged her fluffy tail in response. The wolf guided them around the wall of growing and healthy trees to where an entrance was. It had no guards but the wolf let out a howl as it entered.

An elk greeted them when they walked through. James heard something up above and looked up to find two archers perched high up in the pine trees. The wolf shapeshifted into a tall, dark skinned man.

The man said to them; "Welcome uniters, to Pine Colony."