River Run Wolf

by Harmony Raines

  “We could always elope, go to a warm beach somewhere and marry with no fuss.” He was ready for her defensive attitude.

  “No! I want my family and friends around me. I’m only ever going to get married once and I…” She pressed her lips together and glared at him. “You were baiting me.”

  “I was, because I wanted you to remember family isn’t just those we are related to by blood.” He looked up at the sun, it was well over the crest of its journey through the sky. “We should find somewhere to eat and then shift. We have a long way to go.”

  “Well, if you didn’t keep stopping and chatting, we’d be there by now.” She gave him a playful nudge in the ribs and looked happier as they searched for a place to sit and eat.

  Eventually, they settled for a small clearing in a wooded valley, that also afforded them a view across the lower slopes. The sun was warm, the food was good, and the company was perfect. In every way.

  After eating, they shifted and ran at a fast pace down the steep slopes that had taken them so long to climb yesterday. They made good time, which allowed them to goof off and splash around in a mountain stream to cool off, before they completed the last part of their journey back to the truck.

  After dumping their packs in the back, they took some cookies and sat under the trees, waiting for Thorn and Emilia to arrive. As twilight covered the mountain, the faint thrum of wings heralded their arrival.

  Sage got up and stood in the open, watching for the dragon and its rider. “There they are,” she said with awe and Patrick got up and joined her, scanning the sky in the direction she pointed.

  Sure enough, the thrum of the dragon was soon accompanied by a large shadow against the gathering dusk. Only when they were very close did the shadow gain the features of a dragon.

  Emilia landed smoothly, and Thorn immediately slid off her back and landed softly on the ground in a well-practiced dismount. The air crackled with electricity as the dragon gave way to the human form of Emilia. They had returned safely, and next to him, Sage gave a sigh of relief.

  “What happened?” Sage went to meet Emilia, who looked tired, as if she hadn’t slept.

  “We found the place Magnus and I were born.” Her voice broke as she spoke, and Thorn stepped forward, putting a comforting arm around her before he picked up the story.

  “We reached the caves after sunset, it has an eerie feel to it, as if there’s something there, watching and waiting.” He glanced at Emilia before continuing. “The bones of Emilia’s father are buried there.”

  She put her head down and sobbed, covering her mouth with her hand and turning to Thorn, burying her face in his chest. He soothed her, telling her it was okay, as Sage and Patrick waited for the rest of the story.

  When Emilia had recovered enough to talk, she said, “We went inside the caves, there are notches on the wall where my parents measured our height. Our names are written beside each mark on the wall. There was even one that showed my father, Jared’s height. His name was there, along with ours.” She shook her head as she spoke her father’s name with reverence. “I don’t remember any of it. And I’m sure Magnus doesn’t either. To us, our lives began in Bear Creek.”

  “You were young, it’s easy to forget, especially when the memories are filled with pain,” Sage spoke from the heart.

  “What about you?” Emilia asked, shifting the conversation away from her own pain.

  “I have a video of the drawings. We’re going to look at them properly when we get back.” Sage swung her head around to look at Patrick for a moment and then said, “We’re going to try to find the Stone Claw Clan. Why don’t we all do it together? They might have some of the answers you need.”

  Emilia didn’t say a word as she stood pale in the gathering gloom. But then she nodded. “My family is connected to the Stone Claws. You saw the drawing of the two small dragons?”

  “I did. Which makes me think the Stone Claws might have stories of their own passed down from parent to child, stories that might shed some light on what happened.” Sage reached out and touched Emilia’s arm. “Are you sure they are the bones of your father?”

  Emilia looked down at the ground and shuffled her feet. “There was a dragon tooth buried with the bones of a man.” She put her hand in her pocket and withdrew it.

  Sage looked at Emilia’s outstretched hand. The tooth was massive, too big for any animal that walked the planet today. Of course, it could have belonged to a dinosaur, but Thorn soon dismissed that theory.

  He pointed to the inside edge of the tooth. “We compared it to Emilia’s incisor, and it’s the same size and shape.”

  “Wow, you looked inside Emilia’s mouth while she was a dragon?” Patrick asked, stunned at the thought, then his brow creased. “Sorry, you are mates and trust each other implicitly.”

  “We do, but it was still nerve-wracking,” Magnus admitted. “Sorry, it was,” he told Emilia.

  Emilia huffed loudly at him. “I trust you with my life, I would have thought you felt the same way.”

  He smiled and kissed her cheek. “I do. But you have no idea how big your teeth are.”

  “Not making it any better, Thorn,” Patrick said, happier the somber mood had lifted a little. “What do you want to do with your father’s bones?”

  Emilia turned and looked back at the two peaks in the distance. “I don’t know yet. I have to discuss it with Thorn. But I’d like my parents to be reunited. Maybe that will lay his ghost to rest.”

  “Let’s go back to town and get something to eat.” Sage swallowed hard, her eyes bright with tears but she didn’t cry. “You look as if you need a good night’s sleep.”

  “And then we start trying to figure out where the Stone Claw Clan is?” Emilia asked.

  “Wait,” Thorn began, “Are we sure this is a good idea?”

  “Yes, we are,” Emilia told him firmly. “I need to know, so we can tell our children what happened here.”

  Her words silenced Thorn, even though he looked concerned, he conceded this was a thing his mate needed to do. He would support her every step of the way. Just as Patrick would support Sage.

  No matter what.

  Chapter Eleven – Sage

  They arrived back at the village after a journey filled with long stretches of silence. All four shifters were lost in their own thoughts as Patrick drove them down from the mountain that held so many questions, with answers that might prove impossible to find.

  Pulling up outside of Hetty and Lupe’s house, he switched off the engine and opened the truck door. Before he jumped down to the ground, he paused, “We should ask Lupe if he knows any stories that might help. He knows most of the history of the area. Although sometimes he needs his mind jogged.”

  “Do you think he’ll help?” Emilia asked from the rear seat. “He doesn’t hold the Stone Claws in high regard. Sorry, Sage.”

  “No, I understand, the Stone Claws hurt his people. But perhaps he would like some answers, too. Some stories to add to his collection.” Sage opened the door of the truck and got out, she needed fresh air, the truck ride down from the mountain had lulled her into a doze and she felt heavy and her mind full of fluff.

  “Lupe loves a good mystery.” Patrick got out of the truck, too. As he went around to the back to retrieve the backpacks, he asked, “Are you going to tell him about your father’s bones?”

  Emilia’s mouth turned down at the corners. “I believe if we tell him any of this, we have to tell him all of it.”

  “Agreed,” Thorn said. “There is nothing worse than trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together to find someone had hidden the piece that is the key.”

  Patrick handed two packs to Thorn and carried the other two himself. Emilia and Sage followed the men into the house, where they were greeted by a smiling Hetty and the delicious smell of home baking.

  “There you all are.” Hetty was already pouring coffee for her four guests as they entered the kitchen. “Sit down, I’ll get you something to eat and yo
u can tell me how it went.” A glance at Emilia caused concern to spread across Hetty’s face but she didn’t ask any questions yet.

  “Thanks, Grandma.” Patrick hugged Hetty and then sat down. The others did the same, grateful for the hot coffee and meaty meat pie, potatoes, and vegetables Hetty set down in front of them. “Where’s Lupe?”

  “He’ll be in soon. He went over to the river with those old cronies of his. They wanted to see if there are any fish in the river.” She rolled her eyes. “He has some old rods he’s been storing up for years. He can’t wait to bring dinner home on a hook. At least that’s what he says, I just think he wants another reason to get out of doing his chores.”

  “I could go and dam the river back up if you want.” The coffee and food appeared to have revived Emilia’s spirits.

  Hetty chuckled. “I’ll bear that in mind as a last resort.” Then she looked up, her eyes fixed on the door as Lupe came in. “Have you been drinking?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “It’s thirsty work looking at a flowing river,” Lupe said defensively.

  “I bet it is.” Hetty pointed to the table and Lupe sat down. After she’d placed two more plates of food on the table, one for Lupe and one for herself, Hetty, at last, sat down.

  “Thanks, Hetty, this is wonderful,” Sage told Patrick’s grandma.

  “You are welcome, it’s nice to have a full table.” She looked at each of them in turn. “So who is going to go first and tell us what’s caused all these long faces?”

  Thorn looked at Emilia who gave a brief nod. “We found the caves where Emilia and Magnus lived before they moved to Bear Creek.”

  Lupe looked instantly sober and alert. “You did? I’ve been up to those caves several times over the years but never saw a sign they were inhabited.”

  “I suppose we were looking more closely. Their names were etched into the stone next to markers for their height.” Thorn sighed, he sounded weary. “We also found what we believe to be the remains of their father.”

  Lupe’s fork clattered down onto his plate and he sat with his mouth open, which was thankfully empty, staring at Thorn. “His bones.”

  “My dragon could smell them,” Emilia admitted then she lowered her eyes to stare at her plate.

  Sage reached out and took her hand. “Oh, honey, I didn’t know that’s how you found them.”

  Emilia gave a sad smile but didn’t cry. Instead, she seemed to turn inward, and Sage was certain she was comforting her dragon, just as Sage would comfort her bear. “At least we know where he is.”

  “But not what happened to him,” Patrick said pointedly. “Do you have any idea, Granddad?”

  “About the dragons, no.” Lupe shook his head solemnly. “I had no idea at all.”

  “What about the Stone Claws?” Sage asked. “Do you know where they went to when they left the River Run Mountains? We know they were heading home and I have a photograph of the drawing inside the caves, but we can’t figure out the where it means.”

  “We think the Stone Claws might have the answers Emilia needs about her father,” Patrick explained.

  Lupe picked up his fork and began to eat. He didn’t speak for several minutes as he chewed thoughtfully. “I don’t know. And that is the honest truth. We could search on the internet. And we could also visit the old archives here in River Wolf, but I don’t know if that’s the kind of thing they would document. After the amulet was stolen, the people here had to fight to survive. They wouldn’t have thought to make a map of where the Stone Claws were going. Not unless they intended to follow them one day and exact their revenge.” He looked at Sage apologetically.

  “I don’t blame them for wanting revenge. What Chin Shan did was inexcusable.” Sage gave a sympathetic smile to Emilia and Lupe.

  “It’s not your fault,” Emilia said. “And if the Stone Claws do have answers and they’ll help me, I’ll reconsider the acts of revenge I’d plotted against them.”

  Thorn chuckled. “I’m glad you still have your sense of humor.”

  Emilia smiled wryly. “No one can take that from me.”

  “I know a story,” Hetty said, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange.

  “You do?” Lupe asked in surprise.

  “You aren’t the only one who has an interest in these things. Just because I didn’t man one of those damn dragon crossbows doesn’t mean I was never interested in our history.”

  “Will you tell it us, Hetty, please?” Sage asked.

  “Yes.” She ate her dinner slowly, as if putting her thoughts in order. Sage wondered if there were pieces of the story she planned to keep to herself. But when she began, it was obvious, the story had been amended for Lupe’s sake. “When I was younger, before I met Lupe, I dated a man whose father was into local history.”

  Lupe ground his teeth together at the thought of his wife, his mate, dating another man. But Hetty ignored him.

  “He collected all the handwritten accounts of local history. He’d spend hours scouring sales and auctions containing this stuff.” She paused. “One of these books was about a ship that sank off the shore. I believe the people on the ship were the Stone Claw Clan.”

  “We know all this,” Lupe grumbled.

  “I know,” Hetty told him firmly. “What you don’t know is this story fascinated Maurice’s father.”

  “Maurice. Maurice Henshaw?” Lupe questioned.

  “It doesn’t matter, it’s all in the past,” Hetty said forcefully and shut Lupe down. “What matters is that he did some research and tracked their journey to the River Run Mountains. I visited them with Maurice and his father. We went into the cave and he saw the drawings. Including the map.”

  “Did he ever find out where it was or if the Stone Claws made it back to their homeland?” Sage asked excitedly.

  “He did.”

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Lupe asked, his tone more hurt than angry.

  “Because you never asked.” Hetty’s eyes blazed. “And because you were so caught up in those stories that I didn’t put it past you going to find the Stone Claws and getting yourself killed.” Lupe opened and closed his mouth but said nothing. Instead, he reached across the table and took hold of his wife’s hand. Hetty’s face softened. “I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

  “I was hotheaded when we first met,” Lupe admitted gruffly.

  “So where are they? Where are the Stone Claws?” Patrick asked Hetty.

  “I can show you on a map,” Hetty offered.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t look.” Lupe held his hands up as if in surrender.

  Patrick glanced across the table to Sage, whose heart beat so rapidly she thought it might explode. She was finally one step closer to finding the answers she thought she needed. But listening to Hetty and Lupe, she realized that the only thing she did need was sitting next to her, his thigh pressed against hers.

  Yet as she shifted her attention to Emilia, Sage realized it wasn’t just about her and the Chance family. This was about the Emilia and Magnus, two dragon children who needed answers about their parents. Sage knew if her own parents’ death was shrouded in mystery, she would not rest either. Not until she knew the all the details of who was to blame.

  When the meal was finished, Lupe washed the dishes while the others went to the sitting room. Hetty opened up her laptop and searched Google, then clicked on maps. “There.”

  It was as if she didn’t want to even speak the name in case Lupe heard. The four younger people crowded in, looking at the screen.

  “So they did originate from China,” Patrick said quietly.

  “They did. And that’s where they returned to. But it seemed the mountains here cast a spell on the Stone Claw Clan and instead of returning to their old villages, they went high into the mountains.” Hetty typed Stone Claw Clan into Google. There were not may search results, but they did show images of a village in the mountains. Then Hetty clicked on another image.

  “It’s my tattoo!” Sage pulled her sleeve up
to show them her tattoo, which exactly matched that of the person in the picture. “Wow. I mean, I knew it was a family tradition, but part of me never believed it went further than that. But this shows it is a Stone Claw Clan tradition.”

  “So when do we leave?” Emilia asked, her voice flat.

  “Hey. Don’t tell me I have to do a Hetty and ban you from going,” Thorn said, his voice light but his meaning clear. “These people are the ancestors of the people who may or may not have sent your mother away. They are not to blame.”

  “I know.” Emilia nodded but sounded unconvinced. “I really just need answers.”

  “Not at whatever cost,” Thorn told her firmly. “We have a good life. Don’t let death taint it.”

  Emilia considered his words for a moment. “I’ll behave.”

  “It’s not you that worries me. It’s that dragon of yours.” Thorn raised one eyebrow as if to emphasize his fears.

  “We both promise to behave,” Emilia conceded.

  “In that case, let’s leave tomorrow.” Thorn looked at Patrick and Sage. “If you want to come. If not, no hard feelings.”

  “We leave tomorrow,” Sage agreed without consulting Patrick because she knew his answer already.

  “We leave tomorrow.” Patrick’s confirmation was met with a small nod from Hetty.

  “Just promise me, no matter what that husband of mine says, you won’t take him with you.”

  “We promise, Hetty,” Emilia answered. “And since we’re flying by dragon, you can be assured he won’t make it on board.”

  Hetty looked relieved, but only for an instant as she focused on her grandson. “Take care of yourself and the others.”

  “I will.” Patrick hugged Hetty tightly. “I promise I’ll bring them all home safely.”

  And Hetty smiled because he was a man of his word, and Sage loved him for it.

  Chapter Twelve – Patrick

  “Are you sure you can carry us all?” Patrick asked Emilia as they stood in the clearing once more, with sunrise only hours away. They had gone to bed early but barely slept, rising before dawn ready to fly to the home of the Stone Claw Clan.