LORDOSIS (BOOK 1) (COMPLETE)

LORDOSIS Chapter 23

Several months passed. Kaylan remained alone and in wolf form. He ignored the Moon and slept throughout the night in an underground den.

His punishment would come soon enough for he had not paid homage to the moon god as he had been taught to do all his life. He did not phase out of his wolf form and when he caught small prey for his own consumption and never offered up thanks.

He heard a noise above his den, his ears pricking up as he felt the vibrations and listened to the padding of paws and snuffling of the ground. He sniffed the air and stifled a growl as he heard the cry of a baby getting nearer. He shot out of the den and immediately took the upper ground for a better view. Nothing prepared him for what he was about to see.

A young wolf, barely a pup hurrying along with his nose to the ground. The cries of a baby echoed throughout the woods again getting louder. Kaylan moved his head trying to get a better look and sniffed the air. He did not recognise the scent but the young wolfs whimpering along with the baby crying had Kaylan frozen to the spot and unable to take his eyes of them.

The wolf stopped as the baby's cries grew hysterical. Kaylan watched as it lay on its side to reveal a tiny baby strapped to its underbelly in a carrying device. The wolf licked the baby in an attempt to sooth it but with its own whimpers Kaylan was unsure who was the most upset the wolf or the baby.

He tried to pull his mind together to try to work out what he was witnessing having spent too long alone and in wolf form. He watched the baby screaming as the wolf began to shimmer and with that his mind clicked back into place. It was Caolan his nephew with... his mind tried to remember things, important things... his brothers wife had been pregnant last time they had met. How long ago was that?

Caolan sat up having phased back in the form of a young boy and attempted to climb a tree barely able to get a grip with the baby on his front and his hands and feet to small for the tree he chose. Kaylan smelt blood was the boy injured? He watched as the boy who he knew now was his four years old nephew sat on the floor by the tree and tried to comfort the baby with tiny pats to its back and rocking motions but the baby just screamed louder.

When the boy started to cry louder than the baby Kaylan huffed reluctantly as his connection to the boy renewed itself. He had no choice. He was duty bound to care for them until his brother arrived. He tried to get his muddled mind to work as he padded forward trying not to be intimidating to a young wolf or scary to a boy. He sniffing the air trying to remember Caolans scent as a boy so he could link it to his wolf form. In the midst of that thought he caught another scent... a predator. He watched Caolan the boy did not sense it. Stupid boy!

Kaylan ran, pushing his sense out wider and only then did he realise Caolan didn't sense it because he wasn't in danger. He flipped around growling into the dark wanting to rush off in the direction he was drawn to but knew he could not leave the children. He raced ahead and in his haste he forgot his wolf form and rushed forward at full speed charging at Caolan and the baby. It was too late he had terrified the poor boy who screamed and turned his back trying to protect the baby from the huge wolf that stood over him. Kaylan had not time to waste, he phased grabbing the boy and the baby. His body felt so numb as he was unaccustomed to this form now. He shoved the boy and baby into the branches of a tree and raced off dropping back into form.

He threw his senses out again like a fishing net and heard the terrified screams as a boy was being attacked and cried for his father to save him. Kaylan forced his sight ahead using his gift to see the smallest of his brothers children in a tree and underneath stood a bear in full attack mode. Hungry, tired and angry.

He gauged the size of the bear and hurried to find the scent he needed. The childs terrified screams distracting him as he tried to focus and not let the boys panic consume him. He had to be clever about it, drop the emotions but as the boy screamed for his father and scrambled trying to get higher in the tree he nearly fell twice and Kaylan became frantic. Finally he found the scent he was looking for and made light work of the hunt. He ran as fast as he could to enter the area where the bear was attacking the tree his nephew was using for protection.

Kaylan phased into a bear, a form he rarely used as he found it to bulky and had only ever used it when his brother had wanted to wrestle as children. No he made himself into a bigger bear than the one in front of him.

The bear turned at his approach and roared ready to charge. Kaylan communicated with it using his gift of empathy. He placed the rabbit on the floor offering it in place of the child and explained it was his cub. The bear lost its anger in confusion as it tried to work out what Kaylan was as he phased into a human, threw the rabbit to the bear and coaxed the boy from the tree. The boy climbed reluctantly onto his shoulders and held on so tight that he was not only choking Kaylan but had managed his eyes too. Kaylan walked away quietly as the bear got caught up consuming the rabbit. He phased back into bear to continue to appear imposing should the other bear look to follow and though the boy was terrified he held on he as Kaylan hurried back to where he had left the others.

He knew something terrible had happened. His brother would never leave his children in harms way and not answer his sons cries. Kaylans solitude was over he had to get the children to safety.

The boy struggled to hold on in Bear form so as soon as he got far enough away Kaylan phased back to wolf. He signalled to Caolans mind that he was approaching and felt the boys anxiety so he phased back to human. As he approached the tree he lifted his smallest nephew Gaer off his shoulders in an attempt to put his down but the boy clung on terrified of the ground and his surroundings. He let the boy cling to his back and he reached up into the tree to retrieve Caolan and the baby. He knew from his own senses and the memory of Ulfs wolf form scent that he was not with his brothers and neither was their parents. There was no time for questions; he didn't say a word as he phased into horse form and carried them off on his back into the woods. The children were injured, Caolan was naked, Gear was in thin play clothes and they would all need feeding. He had no choice but to call on an old friend.

As the cold night air whipped at the children and he felt them struggling to stay on his back he phased into wolf in the hope his fur would keep them warm. Caolan copied him and ran along side with the baby asleep underneath him as Gaer held on exhausted and shivering as they finally made it over the ridge and paused waiting on the invite to come forward from his friend. He howled signalling his presence until a scout spotted him. He watched the scout rush off and a few minutes later several men on horses appeared.

He watched as his friend raced to meet him and escort him into his territory. Caolan got scared and phased back scrambling onto his uncles back with his brother.

"Hello my brother wolf," his friend said with a smile for the children but in truth he and Kaylan were sharing what had just passed.

His friend signalled behind him. Two more men rode forward. Each man reached over taking one of the boys onto their own horse, wrapping them in a blanket as they turned and rode ahead. Kaylan phased into a man and felt exhausted.

"We have a lot to discuss but first let me clear your trail," the man said as he raised his arm and a strong wind blew away all traces of his journey. Kaylan took the blanket offered from off his horse and tied it around his waist to hide his nakedness before being helped onto the back and heading into the village.