A Shifting Land

Chapter 36

"Shadow."

She stretched, pulling herself from the half veiled portion of the nest she'd allowed herself to slip into. A sleepy whine slipped unbidden into her thoughts, Loki protesting her sudden departure from his world.

She hopped free, flattening her fur with a few careful strokes of her tongue, cursing Firestorm for her unexpected wakeup call. "Alpha." She dipped her head, hating how sour that word seemed on her tongue.

Firestorm inhaled deeply, her eyes narrowing. She leaned forward, her muzzle almost brushing Swift's shoulders. "Your kit's scent clings to you."

"I keep a momento of him in my nest, it carries his scent quite well." She lies. "What do you need from me, it seems quite early."

Firestorm glared disapprovingly at her, her fur rising along her spine. "There is an issue by the edge of pack lands, thought you may care to join me. It's not too far, and we'll have a decent patrol with us."

Swift shook out her coat, leaning back to groom a sticky spot on her shoulder. "Sure! What's the threat?"

Firestorm flicked a piece of grass from Swift's shoulder, "Insane Dukari. A bit of a nest of them, or so I've heard."

Sokol bounced up, decked out in his new armour. He head butted Firestorm, nearly tripping over his own feet with excitement as he flattened himself to fit under her belly. "Can you believe it! I finally get to go on a mission Shadow!"

She spun, catching the exuberant leopard as he tackled her to the floor. "Are you even done training yet? I thought you just upgraded to getting this," She clanged her claws off the metal, "Yesterday for the upgrade in training!"

"As I said, we are going to have quite the numbers to go out with, there won't be much danger. Just a chance to get some hands on training with the feral nature of ourselves."

Swift reached out as quietly as she could, her mind barely humming along her own communication lines.

Sokol tilted his head, "Who're you talking to? Can I talk too? I love to talk to new friends!"

Swift flattened her ears, her gaze flicking up at Firestorm as she smirked. Waiting.

"Just habit. I keep trying to reach my old pack. Sorry Kol," Swift drops her ears, forcing her mood to drop.

"Bladen, do you have the same bad feeling?" She whispered.

He nodded, holding his movements as still as possible.

"Can you-" He slaps his tail across her mouth, staring out her eyes at Firestorm's cocked head.

"She can hear. She's using his abilities." He whispered, his voice quaking.

"Come on Shadow," She called, trotting to the entrance, "You're the last to be woken. I knew you got in late last night so I made sure you could sleep the longest."

She took a deep breath, each step placed with deliberation, forcing herself not to flinch. She froze, one foot inches from the floor as she stared at the war party.

50 strong, each one clad in armour. Her gaze darted across each face. Each one seasoned in battles. Trainers. Murderers.

A suit dropped at her feet, Firestorm nudging it again. "Should be a perfect fit. Don't look so scared, we won't lose anyone. Pack protects its own, especially against a threat like this." She purred.

"Alpha, I can't. I've had no training in it. I-"

Firestorm flicks her tail across her muzzle, silencing her protests, "You will, or you stay here. These creatures are too dangerous for you to go near without one." She leaned down, her lips nearly touching Swift's ear. "Put it on little alpha, and come see how a proper threat should be dealt with." She whispered, too soft to be heard by the others.