River Run Wolf

by Harmony Raines

  They were tight on time since in two days’ time George and Nan were due to arrive and Sage had decided not to tell her family about the trip. Partly because Emilia didn’t want her family to know. She was worried her brother might fly over to the Stone Claw Clan’s village and demand answers in a way which might alienate the dragons in the eyes of the clan.

  “Yes, I can carry the three of you as long as we travel light.” Emilia paced the clearing, anxious to leave. “What?”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to tell your mom and the rest of your family?” Thorn asked his mate gently.

  “No.” That was the end of the discussion as far as Emilia was concerned. Although when she saw Thorn’s concern, she softened. “I don’t want them to worry. And more importantly, I don’t want to tell Magnus about our father’s bones over the telephone.”

  “What if something happens, and we need backup?” Thorn asked.

  “I didn’t think an adventurer like you ever needed backup,” Emilia teased Thorn, and he cracked a grin. “Neither did I until I found my mate.”

  “You’ve gone soft, Thorn.” Patrick slapped his friend on the back. “Come on, let’s go. I’ve told Hetty we will be back before nightfall tomorrow. If we don’t return and she doesn’t hear from us, then she’s to explain everything when the others arrive the next morning.”

  “She gonna tell my mom on me?” Sage asked with a grin, trying to enter the spirit of the adventure they were about to embark on.

  “She is.” There was an underlying sense that they were four friends about to skip school. “So we’d better get going and get back before she has to spill the news we went off without telling anyone.”

  “Yes, since Magnus is due to fly here with Nana and George. I want to tell him the whole story and then decide on what we do with our father’s bones. If we’re not back, he will be flying over the ocean to find me instead. That will not be a pretty sight.” Emilia took two long strides away from the others and then shifted into her dragon.

  Almost before she had fully formed, Thorn was clambering up onto her back. Then he leaned down and held his arm out for Sage, who got on next. Patrick hesitated for a moment and then climbed on board.

  “Ready?” Thorn called.

  “Yes!” Sage called out, and then the mighty dragon crouched down, before leaping into the air like a coiled spring.

  Her wings beat the air, rising higher, although she seemed to strain under the weight of her three passengers. But Patrick was confident that once they reached their desired altitude, it would be easier for the dragon. At least that was his hope since they had to travel over the ocean and he did not like the idea of having to swim for land if they went down.

  He was reminded of the Stone Claw Clan and how they had once been shipwrecked and left to find land, sparking off a whole chain of events that had affected so many people on the River Run Mountains. Nothing like that would happen to them. This trip was about setting the past right. If that was possible.

  What would they find when they reached the Stone Claw Clan? Patrick hoped they at least found something. Both Emilia and Sage would be terribly disappointed to find nothing. But there was a chance that even if they found the clan, the people there didn’t know of the history of their ancestors. The stories might not have been told, or they could have been altered so the truth didn’t shine through.

  As Emilia flew on and the dawn chased them across the ocean, Patrick acknowledged he had no control over what they found. None of them did. This might be a completely wild goose chase. Or wild dragon chase.

  And what a chase it was, over a vast ocean where waves rose and fell, the motion as comforting as the thrum of Emilia’s wings. On and on, until it felt as if they would never see land again. Then they did. In the distance, like a shadow on the sea. But this shadow didn’t move, instead, it grew bigger, filing up more of the horizon.

  In the first light of dawn, a beach appeared like a white stripe, with trees and bushes bordering it. The occasional house reminded them of the pressure time exerted on their journey. If they didn’t make it to the mountains soon, they would be forced to land and wait out the day, only traveling on once the darkness returned.

  Emilia pushed herself harder, racing the sun’s rays, which a quick glance over his shoulder told Patrick they were about to lose. Harder, higher, Emilia flew on, drawing on reserves of strength until at last the mountain loomed in the distance.

  From what he remembered of the map Hetty had shown them, they needed to keep going for another fifty miles or so. That was exactly what Emilia planned to do. Not stopping for anything. Her grim determination was incredible, although the concern etched in Thorn’s face when he glanced over his shoulder and saw the dawn approaching reminded Patrick of the danger Emilia was putting herself in. Both from anyone watching below, and the sheer exhaustion of the trip.

  He leaned forward and spoke to the dragon who was his mate, but his words were torn from his lips by the wind, or else simply ignored by Emilia. Thorn’s shoulders heaved as he sighed in frustration, and Patrick tightened his hold on Sage, hoping to keep her safe if anything happened to them.

  What good is a wolf if we fall from the sky? his wolf asked.

  Let’s hope we don’t get to find out. Patrick looked ahead, focusing on the mountain peaks in the distance. One wingbeat at a time they were getting closer to their destination. They would make it, he was sure.

  They had to make it. But Patrick feared Emilia would overexert herself and harm the baby.

  Emilia adjusted her course to hug the mountain range that resembled a spine, much like the River Run Mountains. If she fell from the sky, it wouldn’t be far to fall, but it was still potentially too far. Her sides heaved, each beat of her wings a laborious act as she fought to keep going.

  The dawn broke behind them. But he recognized the place where they were heading, a small village nestled in the mountains, in a green valley. Emilia banked and flew toward it, aiming for a belt of trees about a mile away from the village. They could walk the rest of the way on foot, once Emilia had rested.

  But just as they were skimming the trees, preparing to land, something whistled through the air and sent Emilia spinning over and over. Thorn could not hold on to her horny spine, and as his hands slipped away, the dragon’s three passengers slid off her back.

  They landed in the branches of the trees, which broke their fall enough that when they eventually landed with a thump on the ground below, they were merely winded.

  Thorn was first to his feet, looking around for Emilia. She wasn’t with them, either in dragon or human form. “What happened?” He barked his question as he dragged air into his lungs.

  Patrick’s breath was harsh as he gulped in a deep breath of air and let it go, before inhaling deeply once more. “I don’t know. I think we were attacked.”

  The word attacked made Thorn wild with worry, and the air crackled as his bear fought to burst free, so he could find their mate and seek revenge on whoever might wish her harm.

  “Are you sure?” Sage asked as Patrick pulled her to her feet. She leaned forward with her hands on her knees as she sucked in air to inflate her lungs fully. “Man, that hurts.”

  Patrick placed his hand on her back, rubbing it in an attempt to soothe her while he took stock of their situation. “Something came from the ground, I didn’t see what it was. A net perhaps.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Thorn replied, coming to join them. “I’m going to take a look.”

  “We go together,” Sage said firmly, avoiding Patrick’s eyes. She knew he’d want her to stay here, stay out of danger. But she was right, they were better off sticking together until they knew what was out there in the jungle.

  Thorn nodded, took a water bottle out of his pack and took a long drink before passing it to the others. “The sun is almost fully up. It can’t be too hard to find a dragon in broad daylight.”

  “She might have shifted back to her human form,” Patrick suggested. />
  “She might have.” He put the water bottle in his pack and took a couple of steps in the direction Emilia was most likely to be found. Thorn turned his head from side to side, then closed his eyes and repeated the action. “I can sense her. It’s faint, but I can sense her.”

  With no further words, Thorn strode off into the jungle.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Patrick asked Sage as she straightened up and put her hand on her side as if in pain.

  “Aside from feeling like I’ve been kicked by a horse, yeah, I’m peachy.” She gave him a mocking smile and patted him on the shoulder. “How about you?”

  Patrick looked at Thorn’s disappearing back. “I’ll be a hell of a lot better once I know what happened.”

  “Do you really think it was a net? Like they were expecting a dragon to one day fly over their village?” Sage asked as she took her first hesitant step forward.

  “Déjà vu.” Patrick shrugged as Sage half turned to look at him. “That’s what Lupe and his friends did when the dragons came to town.”

  “So these people had some kind of warning signal, too?” Sage turned away from him and continued after Thorn.

  “Wouldn’t you? If you were attacked by dragons and forced to leave the home you built, wouldn’t you make sure you were never caught unawares again? If my people set up an early warning device, I’m sure the technology must be out there for others to use.” He didn’t like the sound of that. What if they had monstrous harpoons, too, that could penetrate a dragon’s hide?

  “We should hurry.” Sage surged forward, not fully recovered from their fall from the sky.

  “Anything?” Patrick asked as they caught up with Thorn who was fighting his way through the thick undergrowth.

  “She’s close. I can’t tell if she’s still in dragon form. I can’t tell if she’s been captured.” His voice hitched with emotion. Sage and Patrick both understood how he must feel. His mate was in peril and he needed to help her. Whatever it took.

  “Thorn, you need to slow down,” Patrick told the bear shifter.

  “No. What I need to do is find Emilia and make sure she’s safe.”

  “But alerting everyone in a mile’s radius to our presence is not going to help.” Patrick placed his hand on Thorn’s shoulder. Instantly Thorn swung around to face Patrick, his shoulders squared. “Think about it.”

  Thorn took a breath and then ran his hand through his hair, which was damp with sweat. “Sorry, you’re right, I just can’t bear the thought of anything happening to her. I swore I’d protect her.”

  “We’ll get her back, but we need to go slow and assess the situation,” Patrick’s soothing tone had the desired effect on Thorn and he nodded and took a deep, steadying breath.

  “I’m the person who is supposed to be experienced in this,” he said sardonically. “Jungles and treasures are my thing.”

  “This is the most valuable thing you’ve ever had to find,” Sage told him. “It’s understandable you want to get to her fast. But Emilia knows you’re coming for her.”

  “Unless she thinks I’m dead.” Thorn looked into the distance, an agonizing expression on his face.

  “You can sense her. She can sense you.” Patrick pushed past Thorn and blocked his path. “Let’s go get her back. But with stealth.”

  “Do you think we should shift?” Sage asked. “That way we will be ready to defend ourselves if we are attacked. Plus, I don’t know about you, Mr. Wolf, but my bear senses are a lot better than my human senses.”

  “Okay. Let’s go full on stealth mode.” With that the three shifters let their animals take over and resumed the hunt for their fallen compatriot.

  He would not like to be in the shoes of the people who had ambushed her in the air. Especially if they had harmed Emilia or her baby. If the look on Thorn’s bear’s face, as he resumed tracking his mate, told Patrick anything, it was that he was out for blood.

  Chapter Thirteen – Sage

  Her back hurt from where she’d landed on the ground, but nothing would stop her from going to Emilia’s aid.

  And clawing out someone’s eyes, her bear added.

  If we must, Sage agreed. Her temper was frayed, both with fatigue from the long flight and with worry for her friend.

  Who must be exhausted, her bear said with concern.

  Sage increased her pace, keeping close to Patrick, urging him on even though she was aware her mate only traveled slowly because he wanted to gain the element of surprise on those who might want to harm them.

  The Stone Claw Clan, her bear said with vehemence.

  We don’t know that, Sage answered. But it was too much of a coincidence to believe it might be anyone else. They had come here seeking the Stone Claws and they had found them.

  They found us, her bear pointed out.

  They might wish they hadn’t. Sage fought to calm her temper, to quell the hot rage that welled up inside her.

  Patrick stopped and swung his head around to look at his mate. His wolf cocked his head to one side and whined softly. Could he sense her change in mood? It seemed bears were the hotheads of the shifter world. While Patrick’s wolf favored stealth and cunning, the bear shifters wanted to attack, teeth snapping and claws ready to pull the flesh off anyone who threatened them.

  A little overdramatic, Sage told her bear.

  Her bear ignored Sage and refocused, letting go of her temper. Then she said, maybe going all wolf might be the best way. We are, no doubt, outnumbered. We also don’t want to push someone into making a rash decision they might regret.

  I see being the mate of a wolf has rubbed off on you, Sage told her bear.

  And maybe I will rub off on him, her bear huffed but kept a cool head as she followed her wolf mate through the trees.

  Ahead of them, Thorn stopped, his bear’s snout lifted as he scented the air. Sage did the same, sorting through the scents of damp undergrowth and warm sap as the sun heated the forest around them.

  There was a scent of something else mingled in with it. Sulfur. Had Emilia’s dragon spewed fire as she fought her attackers? Yet there was no smell of burning. No smell of singed leaves. Or flesh. Sage shuddered inwardly at that thought. This was supposed to be an information-gathering mission. One that was supposed to heal old wounds, not inflict fresh ones.

  Voices, her bear interjected.

  Sure enough, not too far away, voices could be heard. Excited chatter, and then above that the sound of chanting.

  A look of horror crossed Thorn’s face and he rushed forward.

  So much for stealth, her bear said as she dug her massive paws into the ground and propelled herself forward.

  Branches whipped at her face, twigs snagged at her thick coat, but she ignored it all. Emilia was in trouble. At least that’s what Thorn believed and that was good enough for her. She plowed after him, and behind her, she sensed Patrick on her heels.

  So wolves were able to throw their caution to the wind and act in haste if necessary. Sage admitted she was relieved. There was a time for stealth and a time for haste.

  The chanting grew louder, but the other voices faded, replaced by the snarl of bears intent on a fight. They were the same snarls Sage and her brothers used when they were play fighting, but this was not a play fight, this was real.

  Ahead of them, the forest gave way to a clearing, where Emilia lay, still in her dragon form. She looked unconscious, not moving except for the rise and fall of her sides as she took breaths. Anger boiled inside Sage, what right did these people have to hurt her friend before even asking why she was here?

  The Stone Claws live in fear of dragons still, her bear told her.

  The three friends rushed to the edge of the clearing, but before they broke cover they saw a line of maybe ten bears making a perimeter around the dragon. In the center of the protected clearing was a man, he was speaking in an ancient language, speaking in chant, sending the dragon into Ancient Slumber!

  Of course! The thought hit Sage in the solar ple
xus and she struggled for breath as if she were once more lying winded on the ground. Just as the stories of the dragon attacks and the Stone Claw’s betrayal had been passed down from parent to child, so too had the spell that Chin Shan had once used on Emilia and Magnus.

  Thorn threw his head back and roared out a challenge and burst forward, head down, attempting to butt the bears out of his way and reach his mate before it was too late.

  His presence stirred the dragon on the ground, her great scaly tail twitched, and she thrashed it at two of the bears, knocking them out of the clearing. Thorn saw his opening and headed for the man, who was dark-haired and had the features of the region of China the Stone Claws came from.

  As she joined Thorn in the foray, Sage noticed all the other bears had black tips to their bear fur.

  Just like me, her bear marveled. But the knowledge that these were her people did nothing to stop her from defending her friends.

  Something brushed her side and she recognized the touch of her mate as he joined her in pushing back three of the bears, while the others advanced on Thorn. As if sensing her mate was in danger, Emilia lifted her head and breathed in, the breath rumbling in her chest as she brewed the deadly dragon fire that could end this in a heartbeat.

  Distracted for a moment as teeth snapped at her legs, Sage took her eyes off Emilia as she dealt with a bear intent on harming her. Sage lunged forward, she was bigger than these bears, heavier, and knocked the bear to the ground. She then pivoted to do the same to another bear who was bearing down on Patrick. But her mate had it under control. What he lacked in strength he made up for in speed.

  The wolf ducked out of the way, and then sprang up, feet in front of him like something out of a kung fu movie, and slammed his feet into the bear’s face, sending him reeling.

  Impressive, her bear said as she rounded on the next bear. But Patrick nudged her out of the way, sending her toward the drama that was about to unfold. The four remaining bears and the chanting man were about to be incinerated. Patrick wanted her to stop it. But how?