I picked up my cell siting on the counter. It was one of the things I’d compromised on when it came to technology. In truth, it had saved our lives many times when one had forgotten their homework, we needed milk, or in case of an emergency, which was rare. I began to dial her number, then stopped. What was I doing? Didn’t I trust my daughter? No, I had this right. I was concerned. Buck up, you’re still the parent I told myself then returned to, dialing.
“Starla,” I said as I heard a click.
It’s mom, she mouthed to Dan.
“Hey mom, I was going to call. Dad and I are at the library. It seems as if we are,” she paused...
“Are you leaving tonight, did something transpire?” I asked, leaning down to pet Fritz on the head. He’d entered the kitchen in search of treats.
“A vision, Cal, and Nuria. They’re being held captive by an evil entity. I’m not sure what kind. I administered a protection spell, but we don’t know if it worked, or how long it will last. We’re departing tonight. I’ve spoken with Jones, and we can retake the test. You need to tell Molly’s folks, she’s with me, or us,” Starla stammered.
“You want me to lie?”
“What will her parents say when you tell her she’s on a mission with a girl whose half fox?” Starla answered.
“OK, you know I dislike lying, it’s why I left the clan,” I replied.
I was in a tight spot. Molly’s parents were already upset about their daughter, revealing her own secret and here I was putting her at risk by not telling them the truth about my offspring. Jenson’s parents let him do what he wanted pretty much. Double standards, damn societal norms!
“I’ll talk to her folks, now please put your father on the phone.”
“Hi there.”
Hastily I interrupted him.”Do me a favor, keep our daughter alive. That’s all I ask, get this mission completed and get her home unharmed. After that, we’ll re-evaluate our status. Presently, Megan is worried about her sister but won’t say so. I’m rather upset about what Molly’s folks will assume, however, I know I need to let this come to pass,” I said.
“Tri...”
“No, one more thing, no matter what, do not let the bandits take our daughter, or that monster,” I insisted sharply.
“I’ll call as soon as it’s over,” he vowed hanging up.
I hit the end button on my phone setting it on the counter. This would be a long night. I’d better brew some Coffee. Perhaps I’d allow Megan to stay home from school tomorrow. That way we could watch films together this evening. I needed to get this off my mind. I never let my kids stay home from school.
(Starla)
We’d left the library and were making our way back to the ranger’s station. The coffee dad had promised long forgotten. It wasn’t far, but it had begun to snow rather rapidly. Jenson held my hand, which was doing little to warm me up. It’s not like we could just stop in the middle of a snow storm to cuddle. Molly, Owl, and my father paraded in front of us.
“I can scarcely make out where we’re going,” I complained to Jenson. The wind blew right through my jacket surpassing layers of clothing. Could it get any colder? It felt as if it was negative two degrees. I was, iced!
“Keep moving, there’s a beam of light further ahead. Mike probably hung a lantern on the post so we’d find our way back,” he said, giving my hand a reassuring tug. Pushing against the wicked wind, I propelled myself onward. Meeting Jenson’s speed, I neared Molly, Owl, and my dad. Once we reached them, I let go of Jenson’s hand to pull my hat down to protect my ears.
“My fingers are frozen,” Molly shouted trudging on.
“Mine too, I sure hope there’s hot coffee,” I said, trying not to slip on the ice. I shuffled my feet to stay upright on the frozen ground beneath me, almost sure I would fall. After a few more steps, my front leg slid out, in front of me and my back leg followed. I tried to stop myself placing my hands out to lessen the impact. Bam! Right on my butt, Jenson and Owl reached down and helped me back up.
“You’ve got to be careful! It might be best if tonight you use your fox form when in battle. Your claws will help you grip the ice. Please be more cautious,” Jenson insisted. We ventured on. I could make out the glow of the lantern that hung from a post above the station. Nayla sat next to it. I noticed her tail twitched.
“She’s on watch. I wonder, what has them spooked,” I asked.
“It’s hard to tell. It could be a number, of things better to find out for ourselves, instead of pondering,” said my father. He gave us a stern look. One that said, don’t jump to conclusions.
“Something’s up.” Owl pointed to the window. Inside elders had gathered around a table in the makeshift room we’d used for training earlier that day.
They seemed a bit agitated, unsure, and restless. I could feel it radiating off them.
“Everyone’s here,” I said nearing Nayla. She trotted up to my father appearing sullen, sad, and worn as if we’d already met defeat.
“It’s best that we all go in. A major event took place while you, were gone,” she softly whispered.
“Did someone die?” I stammered.
She gestured to the lodge window. I moved closer, peering in to get a good look. In the middle, of a table sat a wolf crossed legged with human qualities. Minder? Could it really, be? She was a female, and they had her in cuffs.
“What? Why would you handcuff her?” I asked, freezing my butt off while the snowflakes froze my face.
Molly placed her hand on my back. Jenson on the other side of me reached for my hand, and my dad shot me an ugly glare.
“We should face this, maybe Minder will be able to help,” said Owl impatiently.
“Go,” Nayla ordered. “I must stand watch in case the Bandits or anyone else arrives searching for her.”
“Alright,” I responded. I stepped up to the station’s door with my friends and father in tow. Pushing the wooden door open, a warm rush of air met us as we tiptoed into the lodge. I removed my boots and placed them on the mat, off to the side. Slowly I took off my wet winter coat.
“Here, let me help you with that,” greeted Kaya. She took our coats placing them on hooks near a register. “There, now they should dry before you have to run off again. You’d better sit down. I’ll bring you coffee with cream. Cavin and the crew are interrogating Minder. It hasn’t been good. Mike is out on watch with Lance. They’ll be back soon.”
I grabbed the wall to stop myself from falling, but the room spun even though I stood still.
“We’d better get something to eat too,” Molly said to Kaya eyeing me.
“Yes, we can’t have you passing out. Mike has some cheese and crackers stashed somewhere around here. I’ll make a plate up.”
A few seats were left open side by side. Molly and Jenson helped me to sit beside my father who’d already joined the group in the middle of the chaos. Minder appeared disoriented, tired, and dehydrated. She wouldn’t be any use to us in her current state.
“We’re interrogating her to find out if she’s going to help us, or if she’s lead them here,” Cavin spoke directly to me.
“She isn’t going to be any good to us dehydrated, tired, and disoriented. At least, give her some food, and water,” I demanded.
Cavin huffed, “We tried to get her to talk, but she refused. You’re the only one she wants to address.”
Kaya sauntered in, placing a large plate of cold cuts, cheese and crackers on the table. Then she left to grab the tray with glasses of water for everyone. No coffee? I’d definitely need to get some on the way to Thunderhead Bay, or I’d be sleeping through the battle!
“Sorry, Ranger is out of caffeinated coffee,” Kaya sulked pouring water into our glasses. I pushed mine towards Minder and started fixing her a plate of food while eating cubed sized bites of cheese and bite-sized crackers. I took a large gulp of Jenson’s water. He didn’t say a word. Kaya refilled it and set it back down.
“Can you take the cuffs off so she can eat?”
“Are you mad? She might run!” exclaimed Shellena.
“Do I look like I am in any shape to run,” she hissed.
No gentle lamb, definitely feisty.
“Shellena, you saw the notes, all of you know the clues we received. Why would she come here to hurt us now? What is in it for her?” I badgered.
“You have no clue who, or what you’re up against,” pressed Minder.
“Tell me, I want to know.” I slammed my hand down hard on the table.
“First water, then food, after I’ll tell you,” she replied.
The elders all stared at her. I mean all of them Cavin, the gray fox, and a few whom I’d never seen, Shellena, and Kaya. When would Lance and Mike be back? Would they witness anything?
“OK guys, cuffs off, or I’ll feed her myself,” exploded Kaya.
“Dan, stand guard at the door. Owl, please join him. You’ll both have enough strength if she tries to run.”
Oh please, I thought. You saw the letters. If, anyone was going to come after us, it would be... one of the bandits, wouldn’t it?
Cavin undid her handcuffs and allowed her to sit across from me next to him. She ate mouthfuls of food ravenously along with large gulps of water. Once done a loud burp escaped her lips.
“Excuse me,” she said. Hiccupped, and then proceeded to address me. ”Be prepared for them. I wasn’t. I tried to defend your alliances. I assumed we’d be safe at the old shack, but they discovered us last night. I managed to get away, except that entity got Nuria and Cal,” Minder shuddered.
“What is that thing? How do we fight it?” I asked.
“It’s frightened of fire, but it will try to leap over it, you cannot touch it. I saw it sideswipe some trees turning them to ash as I ran into the woods. I’m surprised it didn’t threaten to do the same to Nuria and Cal.”
“Why did you wait so long to come to us?”
“Wait? I’ve been wandering in the woods for hours. I was coming to warn you. Thunderhead Bay will be swarming with Bandits in a few hours. They’ve picked up a few new members since I’d abandoned them. That’s what they called it. I left with Cal in the middle of the night. I had managed to keep them at bay for years til now.”
“Do you know anything about these scientists. The ones who experimented on you?”
“We never saw their faces. They wore masks,” she said, shrugging her big furry shoulders. “I can change if you like, so I’m more appealing?”
“What is your true form,” spoke up Cavin bravely.
“True form, I lost that a long time ago when the experiments started. Now I can either be a makeshift human or a hybrid wolf with great strength. I’m able to move large objects and run twice as fast as your clan members. I can see from one city to another, pinpoint them actually and people. It’s quite frightening when you first realize it,” she said shaking. “I recognize you must think me odd to feel this way. I was one of them, very vengeful til I understood that it would never end as long as we fought each other.”
“We should be fighting the scientists,” Molly interjected.
Minder pawed at the table digging in her claws leaving marks. “Smart girl,” she said.
“Nuria and Cal are our first priority,” Kaya said, joining the conversation. “That’s what we need to focus on. Will you assist us?”
“If you trust me, no cuffs or I won’t be able to defend you. I was once a part of the Bandits. I know how they fight and their weakness. Let me tell you about them,” she said.
Chapter 32
“So, what you’re saying is they have no magical capabilities,” spoke Kaya refilling Minder’s, coffee, mug. I smiled, watching her do so. Mike and Lance had returned about an hour ago. Lucky for us they brought coffee.
Kaya turned to me, “More Coffee Araina?”
“Yes, please!” Around me, my friends and a new kind of family chuckled.
“Thought your name was Starla kid,” said Minder roughly.
“When I found out I was an, ahh sort of human fox. I was asked to choose a surname.”
“Well, you might want to go with Starla Araina it’s a little less confusing. As I was saying all of your magical training will give you the upper hand. The best bet is to combine magic and Kali sticks. Are any of you yet familiar with that?”
“Shellena and I, are,” Lance spoke up. “I’m sure it won’t be a problem intermixing them. I just have to put spells in place for Molly and Jenson. Starla, Cavin and I already discussed this, you and Nayla’s job will be to get to the cave.”
“Good idea, the enemy will be spread out in the woods guarding it if they know we’re coming. That is if it’s a trap,” said Minder.
“That thing told me the Bandits want Nuria and Cal alive. Have you taken it into account they may have experimented on them? Perhaps they have joined the scientists, after all, to make us all hybrids?”
Minder’s Coffee she’d been sipping sprayed out of her nose as she tried to hold back a laugh. She picked up her napkin and wiped her face. “No way would they do that! I mean, after all, they’ve been through to keep everyone separate who wasn’t a full bred mythical creature yet they, themselves were altered by, mad scientist humans! In a way I find it quite hypocritical as well as ironic,” she said, drumming her fingers on her coffee mug.
Cavin turned up his arm, glancing at his watch, “It’s almost nine p.m. We need to start heading out if we’re leaving tonight. Mike, did you drive the two vans over from the garage?”
“Sure did,” he replied.
“Aren’t Star and Eva coming with us? They put a lot of elbow grease into our preparations. Where are they, Kaya?” I pondered.
“Eva is too great a risk, and Star lost her whole family to these monsters. Literally, putting her in the middle of this doesn’t seem fair,” Kaya stated.
“Yes, but she is part of the clan. You did tell her what was going on, right?”
Kaya sighed.
“Right?”
Molly, Jenson, and Owl tried to calm me. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of Star or Eva. They were both at my training sessions. They knew we were going to fight. How could they stand back and do nothing to help us?
“Wait a Sec. Cavin, who’s protecting, the kits and juveniles when we’re gone?” Kaya asked.
“Not sure, why?”
“The bandits could be leading us away from our home base, making the rest of our group susceptible to an attack.”
Kaya glanced up to address the issue. “I could stay behind. I’ll appoint the oldest male and female youth to monitor the area during your absence. Star and Eva can help guard the park. It is a risk, but far less of one than if they go. Cavin, please, warm up the vans, and grab the coolers just in case we end up stuck somewhere. I don’t want to even, think about the last excursion we took without provisions just in case.”
He nodded, stood, and the Ranger handed him his keys as he whispered directions. Jenson, Molly, and Owl put on their winter wear and exited the lodge.
“Nerved up are we?” asked Cavin.
“A bit, I’d like to consider that I’ll kick some major bandit butt. However, my role will be getting to the cave without being attacked.”
“Minder and Nayla will assist you. If, for some reason you end up in there alone, heaven forbid just go with your gut instincts. They are usually never wrong.”
I nodded to him turning away to put on my coat and gloves. I wasn’t going to wait for them to make any more decisions. I was about to head out the door when Kaya stopped me.
“Here, take this pack. It has some first aid stuff in it, food, a blanket, a notebook, and a pen. It may seem extreme, but you might need it.”
“Thanks, it could come in handy,” I said, throwing the pack on my back. She opened the door. The others were already in the van. Nayla trotted up to me, “Ready to go?”
“As ready as I can be,” I replied.
Molly held the van door open for me. Nayla and I jumped in.
“Put o
n your seatbelt, this is certainly going to be a slippery ride,” my dad said, looking back at us.
“Is everyone here?” I asked.
“Yes, Cavin, Shellena, Lance, and Minder are taking the other van. Owl, Jenson, and Nayla, can I see some hands?”
They raised them, and Nayla her paw.
“Alright then,” Dan smirked. He started up the engine. “I’ll be tailing them. If there are, any problems Lance will blink his lights twice, and motion for me to pull over. Sit tight, discuss the plan if you must, but most of all, do not distract me,” he sternly ordered.
“OK, dad, how long is it going to take to get there?”
To this, my dad sighed deep and long, a sigh that said a hell of a long time. I spotted a pack of cards lying halfway underneath the seat. Reaching down, I picked them up.
“Cards anyone?”
“Good idea, now who wants to play 52 pick-up,” asked Owl.
“No! No! No! Not in the van when I’m driving. I don’t know what, you kids are thinking. You should play poker, Rum, or even that B.S game I hear kids talking about!” exclaimed my father.
“B.S. It is,” hollered Jenson.
I shook my head, here we were about to go after bad guys, and we were going to spend what might be the last hours of our lives playing bullshit! Thanks, dad, I thought. Jenson grabbed the cards out of my hands shuffling them. He passed us around seven each placing the rest of the pile in the middle console.
“Now let’s hope they don’t go flying everywhere when I hit a curve,” noted Dan, eyeing us while he maintained the wheel.
“No worries, we have it under control,” Owl replied.
“Nayla, did you want to play?” Molly asked.
“With these paws, no thanks. I’ll watch and laugh. I’ve heard about this game!”
... After three rounds of B.S., we’d grown tired, and my stomach screamed for food.
“Did we bring anything to eat besides what Kaya gave me in my emergency pack?” I asked Nayla who sat on the floor.
“There’s a cooler in the back. Ranger Mike, packed it with soda and energy bars. There should be enough for each of you to have one can and one bar. We’re taking precautions. Don’t go overboard,” she demanded.
Myth (Book 1) Page 25
