Hammers in the Shadows

Part One: Shadows & Ice - Chapter One

As I pulled out of the gate from Wild Valley I thought about the past two years that Anna and I had spent at the Academy. It had been a challenging two years, but we both knew that it was worth it since we could go back with what we had learned and apply them to our own Pride. Neither Anna, or I doubted how quickly we'd begin applying our new knowledge, since we were well aware that both of her parents were rapidly approaching the age at which they should retire at.

Olaf had once stated to me that he looked forwards to when I came home on breaks because we could deal with more energetic forms of discipline that normally needed to be handled by the Pride Guardian. That and the apparent age of Anna's parents was becoming quite obvious, they'd had Anna very late in their life, which wasn't normal, but it was something that they were glad for since that meant that they could keep the Pride from having a contest of Houses when they retired.

When I'd arrived eleven years ago, I'd found a Pride split down the middle, with the older members stuck in the past, not wanting to move forwards and join the modern era while the younger members were restless and wanted progress and to be able to join the Twenty-First Century.

Now we were headed home to a Pride that we knew was well and truly part of the modern era, though there were still the occasional hold-outs, though most of those sort had gone to join Vladimir Berekov at Shadow Valley Southeast of the city of Prince George BC.

In the two years of being at the academy we'd both learned a lot, and had also made some friends, and one or two enemies, though I hoped those never were position to cause any harm to Blackwater Pride.

When I first arrived, before classes started I made a point to try and familiarize myself with some of the things that Adam had told me over the phone, once we got a stable and secure phone system installed at Blackwater. 

I was walking to the hot springs while Anna was busy trying to get the cubs settled. The hot springs were something that Adam had showed me and I knew that as the training went one there would be days that I'd appreciate a good hot soak to relieve tense muscles.

We'd almost reached the springs when something nudged me in the legs hard and there was a soft woof. I glanced down and groaned before I sent to Adam. *Adam, I think that one of those wolf-dogs has decided to say hi...*

*I guess Altair wants to say hi* Adam replied, and I could feel the amusement in the sending.

*Guess that I don't have much choice on this big guy do I?* I asked while crouching down to properly greet the wolf-dog and let him get a good scent of me.

*You do.  You don't have to accept* I received but I could already feel the dog wanting to get to know me.

*Adam what kind of a person would I be if rejected his interest?* I asked before holding my hand out to Altair at the same time as I let my mental shields down and opened my mind up to him, and he woofed and licked my hand. *I know that this isn't what is expected, since I am a cat and he's a wolf-dog, but you've seen how I've already had to adapt to living with a wolf daughter.* I told him before standing once more and continuing on the way to the hot springs with the wolf-dog following me.

When I arrived at the springs I chuckled at the sight of my friend and his mate, up to his neck in the warm water. "Now Adam, how are we going to explain me picking up a dog?" I asked him as I took off my clothes and laid them down on the towel that I'd brought with me before I slipped into the warm water.

Adam and Brook laughed, "You get to explain it however you wish. I think they are similar to your birds, since they decide not us."

"I guess that I can simply say that to anybody who asks." I told them I felt my cat purring in relaxation in the warm water. "I really need to do something like a hot tub or a pool of warm water like this at home, then again with how relaxed this is making my cat some of my Pridemates would need a crowbar to get them out of the warm water."