From Here to Paradise

Chapter 3 - Dojo

Justice and I were having a great time listening to music and heading to Colorado. Yes, I finally picked a place to rest for awhile.

I wanted to find a dojo so that I could keep up with my martial arts. I needed to spar with someone to keep up with my hand to hand combat skills and any training I received would only benefit me, but I would have to remember to pull back and not hit someone with the force of a freight train.

I have a black belt in muay thia, aikido, jujitsu, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts but I wanted to learn more. If I can't find a dojo then my next step was to find a underground fight club. I knew there was one here but finding it is going to take some time. They don't exactly advertise where the fights were going to be, but a sensei would know where they are. But, you would have to show the sensei that you were ready for the cage, and I was ready. Plus, I could make a lot of money by betting on myself.

So, dojo it is.

I found a gas station and asked if I borrow their phone book. I figured it would be the easiest way to find the dojo and find a place to stay for awhile. I was tired of motel rooms. I wanted something like a cabin to stay in for awhile. I wanted to be able to cook my meals and at least a cabin would be in the woods so Justice can run some. I just had to make sure we cover our scent up.

"I can cover my scent without the spray," Justice said in a snooty voice.

"What? Since when? I basically yelled at her.

"I have always been able to cover my scent. Why didn't you know this? You are part witch and part werewolf, a hybrid, so we can do spells to help us," she said.

"No way. Shut the front door. Are you serious? I don't understand why mom and dad never told me. I guess I will have to learn how to control everything. I just don't know where to ask for help. I don't know who to trust to help me," I said.

"You will learn. Don't worry, Summer. Everything will come together."

"I hope so, Justice. I wish mom and dad were around to help me," I said, trying hard not to cry but it wasn't working.

I walked outside. I needed to get away from other people and have a good cry. I miss my parents so bad. I miss my mothers strawberry blonde hair, her smile, and just having her around. I miss my dad. I miss his sarcastic come backs, his smile, his leadership. I feel as if I'm on a boat that will either sink or stay on the turbulent sea. I wish I knew ahead of time who was going to be my lifeboat, because boy do I need help.

I sat on the side of the gas station and had a good cry. I knew I was going to break, I just didn't know how much until now. My heart was breaking. I would never see them again until I passed. I miss them so much. They were my rock, my heart, and my Alpha and Luna. Why did the bastard kill them? What did he want so bad that he had to kill the Alpha pair, my parents? That is the only thing I didn't understand.

After my cry I got up and went to the restroom to splash my face with cold water. I took the phone book back up to the attendant after writing down the address for the dojo and cabins. I wanted to get moving, to keep my mind busy, to keep myself safe from falling apart. I didn't have time for a pity party. After I killed the bastard, my uncle, I will have a good cry, find my parents bodies, and have a burial service for them.

I could hear Justice howling from the loss of our parents, our pack. I wanted to join her. I knew I couldn't even think about letting loose with a howl. Their were too many humans around and I didn't know if any of them were hunters. That would be all I needed to deal with. I had enough problems from the rogues and the bastard. I refuse to call him anything else. He quit being my uncle when raided out pack and killed my parents and pack members.

Goddess I miss them.

I called the relator to get one of the cabins for two to three weeks. I didn't think it would be a problem, but with ski season already starting it was hard to find one. I forgot all about snow season.

I was getting back on my bike to go check out the dojo's around this town. I wanted to go to the two places and see if they knew what they were doing. I didn't want to go to a dojo that was lax on their martial art forms.

Right when I went to start my bike the phone rang.

"Hello?" I said.

"Is this Winter?" The relator asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I just had a cabin come available. The people were going to stay for three weeks, but they had to go home because of an emergency. They left food there and said they weren't coming back for at least three months. If you have anything to do for about an hour I will have the cabin cleaned up and ready to go. So, do you still want it?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes. Thank you. You just made my day. I need to get a few things from town. I'm checking out the dojo's so an hour is fine. Where do you want me to meet you and fill out the rest of the paperwork? I also need to pay you and get the keys," I said quickly.

"The cabin is yours for two weeks for free. The folks who were in the cabin and left had already paid for a month but were only there for two weeks. How about I meet you at the diner by the cabin? Do you know which one I'm talking about?"

"Uh, oh, yes I know where it is. I'll even buy you lunch," I said.

"I can pay--"

"-I got it. Come on, give in please. If I'm getting a cabin for two weeks for free then you're getting taken out to lunch. Meet you there in about an hour and a half?"

"Works for me. I'll meet you there at two-fifteen, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

I started the GPS on my phone, started my bike and headed to the first dojo. It was a nice drive but kinda dangerous too. There was a lot of snow. The city was doing a great job of keeping the town cleared of snow, thank goddess.

"Hey, Summer, can we go run and play in the snow later? I've never ran in the snow. Please, please, please?" Justice begged.

"We can but not for long. I don't want to run into any rogues and give our position away to the bastard, okay?" I explained.

"Woo-hoo! Thank you. I'm so excited," she said while jumping around.

Crazy wolf.