Seeds of Autumn

by HB Lyne

  Chapter Thirteen

  19th November

  Fortune tucked the necklace into the pocket of his jeans. Ariana watched him carefully, studying his hard-to-read face.

  'Teri will be wanting it back.' His voice was barely a whisper and Ariana was sure she was the only one who heard.

  'Thank you, Shadow-of-Moonlit-Leaves,' Stone spoke, her voice steady as a rock. 'We will ensure we keep up our end of the bargain. You may leave us.'

  The demon swirled and folded in on itself, disappearing back across the veil, whipping up a small flurry of dry leaves in its wake.

  'Fortune?' Stone turned to the Alpha, her face no longer a mask now that the demon had left. 'Can it be true?'

  'No,' he replied with absolute certainty.

  'What are we going to do?' Ariana asked, unable to hide the urgency in her voice. Fortune took a deep breath and thought for a moment.

  'Flames, Eyes and Wind Talker, I want the three of you patrolling from here to the southern border. Stone, you come with me to Crossway. We're going to bang on the front door. Ariana, go with Shadow to the back door. Slip up into Fenwick Forest and find Teri. We'll draw their attention while you two slip in and fetch her. If she has been turned by them we will turn her back. She is our sister.' Fortune's voice was fierce and Ariana's pulse raced with the fire that had been ignited in all of them.

  Fortune and Eyes embraced briefly in farewell, Ariana found Stone's hand and gave it a squeeze and the pack went its separate ways.

  Shadow's Step led her east, out of the park and towards Fenwick. He spoke hurriedly as they walked.

  'Focus on Teri, on her feelings. She's still one of us, still connected to us. She can't have been turned. Use that telepathy to help locate her. We can do this.' He gave her shoulder a squeeze before dropping to the all fours as he shifted and running ahead as a fox. Ariana shifted form and followed him.

  Ariana felt much more connected to her supernatural side as a fox, she could feel her own heartbeat, her senses were heightened and she was more attuned to her body. She was also vastly more attuned to the rest of the pack and she could feel Teri was still a part of her. She put her nose to the ground and began tracking Teri's very faint smell.

  She had been driven north into Runmead, where they couldn't follow, so Ariana knew she would have to pick up the trail again one they reached Fenwick.

  They reached the border in minutes and paused. Ariana smelled the Blue Moon's border markings and waited for Shadow to cross over first, he sniffed the border cautiously and led her to a narrow path along the side of a row of shops. He looked around before slipping around the side of the terrace and over into Witch territory. Ariana followed him slowly, and as they slipped through the darkness she could feel the presence of Grins-Too-Widely. She made a silent plea to him, asking for his protection from prying eyes, she had a feeling he could grant them that.

  As she and Shadow reached the end of the alley they turned out onto a main road, swiftly crossed it and darted down a side street and into the deep shadows of the back gardens of Fenwick. Silently they slipped through the darkness, stalking their way past wheelie bins and garages, keeping to the shadows and away from the main road. Ariana hoped and prayed that the Witches didn't routinely patrol this route.

  They took their time, working their way slowly through the area, coming in a wide arch north around Fenwick, towards the woods. Eventually Ariana caught the scent of the Witches, she paused and let out a low whimper to let Shadow know what she had found. He picked up the trail too and let her lead the way. She tracked it very carefully into the woods. She was starting to feel out of her element as she left the city behind, and trepidation threatened to overwhelm her. The trees were tightly packed, the darkness was oppressive and there was no hint of wind in this sheltered place.

  She could feel Teri, she wasn't as scared as she had been, there was hope there and with the distance closed Ariana could pick up much more detail of her pack mate's thoughts and feelings, but she still couldn't tell exactly where she was. She could feel the physical pain and exhaustion from Teri, Ariana knew now without a shadow of a doubt that her pack mate had been tortured.

  She got a mental image of the Witches from Teri's eyes and confusion filled her. Had Teri really been broken? It made no sense. She saw some sort of a ritual being prepared, possibly an initiation. Ariana came to a halt, something was very wrong. Shadow sensed it too.

  They carefully picked their way onwards and the trees began to thin out as they approached a clearing. They could hear voices, and Ariana saw movement ahead. Teri was very close, but Ariana couldn't see her.

  There was a crash a few hundred meters away, a tree branch falling, followed by shouts and yells and the unmistakable cacophony of a handful of people shifting into beasts too big for these closely packed woods. Shadow stood perfectly still, listening carefully and Ariana slowly inched her way through the under-brush, trying to pick up Teri's scent, but found nothing. She reached the edge of the clearing and saw a ritual set up, shimmering dust and coloured stones littered the floor, but the clearing was deserted.

  There was a sudden rush of movement to Ariana's right, a raging monster charged past, crashing through the trees and sending branches and twigs flying. It was one of the Witches, she recognised the stench. Ariana became disoriented, seeing through Teri's eyes as well as her own, a bizarre double image that frightened and confused her.

  The trees flew past her much faster than was normal. Teri was running and Ariana ran too, swift and silent, leaving Shadow behind. She ran from the woods, back to her original path through the back gardens of Fenwick. She was compelled to run, just as her pack-sister was.

  Ariana picked up feelings of elation mixed with the kind of fear you get when riding a roller coaster. Her own body was filled with adrenaline, but she felt the same sensations from Teri, and as Ariana crossed the border back into her own territory double the fear and confusion overwhelmed her. She kept running but not towards home, she turned north and ran along the border, Teri was coming this way, straight through Runmead, Wrecking Crew turf.

  Hope began to replace the fear as Ariana ran, she saw the stars through her pack mate's eyes and felt a glimmer of understanding. She decided to move deeper into Blue Moon territory and began to feel more secure. The moment Teri came sprinting into Redfield Ariana felt the soaring high, the relief and the victory and made a direct line for her pack-sister. Ariana rounded a corner and almost collided with the sleek cat coming the other way. They both shifted seamlessly into their human forms and embraced each other tightly, cries of relief and excitement exploding from them both.

  'I couldn't believe it when I felt you in the woods!' Teri cried, releasing Ariana but still holding her arm tightly. Ariana was laughing and tears began to pour down her cheeks. 'I was already putting my escape plan into action, but when I felt you nearby I knew the stars were aligned and it gave me the courage I needed.' Teri held out a large, golden yellow stone in her other hand and tossed it into the air, catching it again. It glinted bright orange in the street light.

  'What is that?' Ariana asked as the two of them set off at a brisk walk towards the betting shop.

  'One of the stones from their ritual. I stole it.' Ariana frowned at her, theft didn't seem like Teri. 'As a token, you know, of my cunning escape. It stopped them completing the ritual too. I'll tell you all about it when we get back. We'd better hurry, they'll be after me and I can't guarantee they won't come right on into our territory looking for me.'

  Ariana was confused and curious, but Teri was right, they had to hurry to safety.

  As they were approaching the area where Ariana's dojo was located, Shadow caught up with them, galloping up behind them. He growled as he butted between them and nudged Ariana roughly into the wall of a building. She clung to the wall, afraid for a moment, until she felt the relief pouring from him. He turned on Teri and gave her a more friendly nudge and she dared to laugh a little.

  Shadow's head whipped
around, his nose in the air and he took a few steps away from them.

  'What is it?' Ariana was immediately alert, something had caught his attention.

  Out of the darkness a few meters away Grins-Too-Widely came sprinting, crossing the veil and manifesting before them.

  'Border breech,' he barked as he skidded to a halt beside them. 'They are coming in Hepethia, flee now or cross over to face them.'

  We need the others. Shadow pressed the thought forcefully into Ariana's mind.

  'Grins-Too-Widely, we cannot face anyone without help. Fetch Fortune and the others,' Ariana said hurriedly. The pack elder twisted on the spot and disappeared. Ariana had to trust that he was doing as she asked.

  'What do we do?' Teri asked, fear filling her eyes.

  Cross over. Shadow looked at them and then slipped into the shadows and crossed the veil. Teri and Ariana looked at each other in alarm before running after him. Teri was a step ahead of her and as Ariana's foot buckled Teri grabbed her arm and held her up.

  'Thanks,' Ariana whispered, looking around her. Shadow was a few feet away, looking up and down the street. There were tall hedges on either side of the road, the houses beyond them were dark and close, looming overhead, dark windows watching the street. Parked cars lined the road, casting long, dark shadows. The cars themselves resembled huge, sleeping cats, panthers and the like, but made from metal. The closest opened a sleepy, yellow eye-like headlamp, blinked at them and then settled back to sleep.

  Shadow slipped carefully out into the middle of the road and sniffed the air. Ariana and Teri followed him. He set off up the street, in the corresponding direction that Grins-Too-Widely had approached them from. They had been in Redfield and not far from Runmead, it wasn't the Witches that had breached their border. Ariana realised it at the same time as Teri and they exchanged worried looks.

  Ariana's hand went to one of her dha on her back, checking that it was there. Her hand lingered near the hilt.

  She heard them before she saw them, they were not taking any particular care to conceal themselves, loud footsteps and the occasional jeer between pack-mates carried easily through the eerie quiet of Hepethia.

  Shadow shifted into his human form and held out a hand to halt Ariana and Teri.

  The four familiar faces of the Wrecking Crew rounded the corner and stopped in a line across the street.

  'That's the one,' the skinny female shouted, pointing at Teri.

  'Your kitten crossed our territory again, Shadow, she needs to be taught a lesson,' Rust called down the street.

  'She was fleeing the Witches, Rust,' Shadow replied calmly. 'She needed to make a direct line for safety.'

  'That is no excuse,' Rust called out and the Wrecking Crew began walking towards them down the middle of the street. Rust was wielding a pipe with a jagged end, one of the other males had a flick knife.

  Ariana's hand tightened on the hilt of her sword, she felt the adrenaline pumping in her veins and could feel waves of it rolling off the shifters striding towards them. Shadow growled, a warning to back down. Somehow he was still fox-like even in his human form.

  'Give us the kitten, Shadow,' Rust snarled as he drew close. 'It'll be easier all around. It's only just, given the repeat offences. You know the traditions.'

  Shadow reached over and gently tugged Teri closer to him, tucking her behind him. He lifted his chest and spat in Rust's face. Ariana sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. Rust blinked and for a moment Ariana thought he was going to back down, but he brought back his head and swiftly thrust it forward, head-butting Shadow hard.

  Shadow staggered backward, paused for only a moment and then pounced. Ariana didn't have a spare second to watch him fight though, one of the grease monkeys was on her. He landed a punch to her face, sending her reeling backwards. He had looked wiry, but his strength was phenomenal.

  She steadied herself and dodged a follow up blow, spinning behind him and turning him around. Her fist found the side of his head and sent him stumbling sideways for the briefest of seconds before he was on her again. She dodged two more blows before he managed to land an elbow to her back and she went flying forwards. Her eyes landed on Teri, she'd bloodied the face of the skinny female quite badly but was now being grappled by the guy with the flick knife and couldn't get free.

  Ariana wheeled around, drawing her sword as she span. Adeptly, she ducked under her assailant and sliced right through his heavy boot and through his Achilles tendon, blood sprayed out onto the tarmac and he let out a strangled cry as he staggered sideways and dropped to his knees. Ariana drew back her blade and made to strike him with the hilt but a shout stopped her.

  'No!' Fortune barked, racing up the street, his hammer in hand, Grins-Too-Widely and the rest of the Blue Moon with him.

  Ariana stepped back and cast her eyes over the scene. Shadow and Rust were locked eye to eye, the pipe between them with all four of their hands on it. Neither of them let go or broke eye contact at the sound of Fortune's shout. Teri was limp, the knife to her throat, blood on her face.

  Anger flared up in Ariana's chest and she felt her body shaking, she was going to shift. Her dha fell to the floor and she looked at her shaking hands as they curled into talons. But then there were arms around her, warm, strong arms and a soft voice at her ear.

  'Ariana, listen to my voice. Ariana.' Stone had hold of her, her voice was calm, her steady energy reached into Ariana and slowed her heart rate. She took deep breaths and let her body go limp. The shaking stopped and the rage passed.

  'Release her,' Fortune ordered, pointing at Teri. The flick knife guy looked to his Alpha before doing anything. Rust and Shadow had broken apart but were still eye balling each other warily. Rust nodded to his pack-mate, who reluctantly released Teri.

  Teri stumbled away from him and Wind Talker rushed forward to catch her, the pair of them ending up on the ground.

  'Fine,' Rust snarled. He looked at Teri and let out a bark of laughter. 'She's learned her lesson.' He strolled lazily over to where Teri was slumped and he leaned right over her, his nose millimetres from hers. 'You won't be rampaging through our territory ever again. Will you, bitch?'

  Teri spat blood in his face. He flinched, but wiped it away calmly.

  'Leave,' Fortune barked, the threat clear in his voice. 'You have had your justice, she will honour the boundaries to the best of her abilities. Let that be the end of it. If you linger on our turf, or initiate violence against any of us again you will feel the full force of our wrath.'

  Rust straightened up and stalked away without a word, his pack falling into step behind him, injuries already beginning to heal.

  Fortune saw them off while the pack gathered together. Shadow was at Ariana's side, Stone still held her, ensuring she was fully in control again.

  'You did well,' Shadow told her gently.

  'Thank you,' she smiled. 'Teri? Is she okay?'

  'I'm fine,' Teri croaked. Wind Talker was helping her to her feet and Flames-First-Guardian passed her a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her face. 'I think I have a broken rib, but that'll heal soon enough.'

  'Chew this,' Flames said softly, passing her a pinch of some herb from his bag. 'It'll help speed the healing.'

  'We need to get back to safety, now.' Fortune said quietly, but firmly. The pack quickly pulled together and set off at a swift, quiet jog back to the betting shop. Ariana felt something stalking them on the way back, a demon just out of sight, not quite strong enough to take on a pack of eight shifters, but strong enough to consider it. She was glad to reach the safety of home.