Chapters of a Life: Trainee (Complete)

10

"Did we really have to leave before sunrise?" I gripped too my wolf. "Did you want to face our loved ones saying goodbye again and again?" She returned. UGH, she was right. That didn't mean I was happy about it. We had been running East since we left Atsadi had drilled the compass points into my bones. Oh, Goddess, I missed him. He had told me that my lessons with him were done but when I needed him he would return for our journey was not done. Up until now, I had not appreciated his lessons, but running toward the East with the sun rising in my face I got the impression his lessons would be upmost in keeping me alive.

We had left our territory and the land felt weird. No long did it hold the scents of our family and the lack made my wolf and I uncomfortable. Comfortable or not we had to press on. The sun had gained some purchase in the sky when we stopped for a rabbit and a drink in the nearby stream. Pausing to admire the beauty surrounding us, it became clear we were not alone. Stepping from the undergrowth were Ewan, Gorm, Knud. All I could do is grin, the time out here had done them no good as were still as full of themselves and mangy as before.

"Lookie lookie what we have here a Lone little she-wolf", says Ewan after his long and slow shift.

"Looks like this is our lucky day boys", Gorm says with a rotten toothed grin.

My wolf and I are disgusted but still remain still and watchful.

"She smells familiar", Knud says.

"Huh, who would have thought he would be the thinker of the group", my wolf says. My wolf has been with me since my spirit walk resting peacefully in the back of my mind learning as I learned and experiencing everything I experienced. So she had a clear understanding of these males.

"Naw, it's just that rabbit she stole from us", Gorm says leering at us.

"Shift", Ewan says at me as if he is my Alpha.

"No way, no how", my wolf says to me. Just as we are about to run for it Seumas and his mini pack enter the situation.

"Well, damn. He told the truth the runt did shift into the Blue. This is going to be better than we ever planned", he smiled that evil smile that made my skin crawl. "Get her."

Before I realized it a rope was around my neck and I was hogtied. Grom leaned over picked me up and said "Canna wait for my turn with ya, gonna plant my pups in yer belly", his fetid breath stole over me making me gag.

"Look Grom's already making her sick", Knud laughed causing Grom to shake me roughly.

"Shut it, get movin' we need to be back at the den before the blizzard hit or someone comes lookin' for her", Seumas yelled at them.

The rest of the trip to their den was quiet except for how loud they walked and their huffing and puffing. For my part, I was pissed at myself for failing to follow the most important rule--Be aware of your environment at all times. Now instead of being miles from here, I was stuck with these gibfaced meaters and it was my own fault. I had already untied my hands and feet as well as cut the rope to my neck. I just needed to wait to get to a place where I could get away 1,2,3 go.

Why did my head hurt? Why did my mouth feel like it was full of sand? Did I fall down a mountain? "Why are you so loud", asked my wolf?

"Why do we feel this way", I asked her back?

"Sssshhh, easy now", a voice said off to my right somewhere.

I want to say I jumped up and defended myself, that my wolf leaped to my rescue. But neither of those happened, instead, I rolled over and hit my head on a rock. From off to my right I heard a sigh and someone moving toward me. As they got closer a scent I had longed for enveloped me. "Your back", I sighed out. Releasing a breath I was not aware I had been holding.

"What did I tell you? When you needed me I would come. Granted I did not expect it to be so soon." He said with a smile in his voice.

"Where are we and what happened", I questioned him?

"First things first. Eat, drink, clean up, and then answers", he said firmly.

Rising I followed his orders. "Wow, just like old times", I tried to joke in the dim light of the fire. I received not look nor any response so I moved over to where he had set the food and drink. Quietly I completed his orders and when I returned from cleaning up he stood up from the fire and looked down at me.

"My apologies at failing you", I said keeping my head bowed. "You are a great teacher and I am a poor pupil. Forgive me for wasting yer time."

"Tish tosh, hush child. We all make mistakes and it from them we learn." He said rubbing the top my head. "What do you remember"?

"A lot more since I ate drank and cleaned up", I said smartly. At his frown, I knew I was on thin ice so I decided to stick to the facts. "I remember leaving the den and heading East. I stopped and ate a ribbit washing it down at a creek just outside of our territory. Ewan and his males stopped me and just as I was going to make a run for it Seumas and his males showed up. I was paying too much attention to what was going on in front of me and one of the males snuck up behind me and put a rope around my neck and hogtied me. Grom picked me up and told me how much he was looking forward to putting a pup in my belly." At this my whole body did a shiver, eewww just eewww.

"Uh, what then", he encouraged me to continue as he stared at the fire.

"Well as we neared moved to the North East Seumas was hollering about getting to their den before another blizzard hit or someone came looking for me. I had used the rope tricks that ya taught me and untied myself. Just as I was about to make my move, nothing after that." My story was done, I hoped he could fill in my blanks.

"That was more than a fortnight ago".

My head popped up and my jaw dropped. Where had I been what had happened to me? Before I could speak he continued.

"They were planning on trading you to the pack to the North for access to their lands for hunting. It is a good thing you didn't shift back into your skin." He didn't need to elaborate as to why. "Yer wolf called out to my cat. I had been headed back so I could be there for yer 13-year celebration but the blizzard delayed me."

I bowed my head in that moment and thanked the Goddess for her small mercies.

"My cat kept pulling me to ya, he was so adamant that I had no choice but to let him lead. I heard some of the males talking about a small female in wolf form they found and how she was their ticket to making an alliance with the pack to the North. My cat and I knew it was you so we waited till dark and they were out greeting the Northen pack we took ya." He made it sound so simple yet.

"Thank you. But was I with them all this time?"

"No, you had been beaten badly and I kept you under to allow you and your wolf to heal. This is not the first time you have been awake. Just the first time I allowed you to get up and move around."

"Atsadi, you are my own protector. Please don't leave me again." I say with a smile and a heart full of love.

"Stop that mush. Ya better get some sleep tomorrow we continue on to Otetiani's."

With a yawn so large it looked like I could swallow my own head I lay down and curl up. Atsadi finishes up whatever he is doing and comes to lay behind me.

"Good night my cub"

"Good night my cat"