The Golden Claw

by K A Faul

  The sheer presence of the collection of elders did something Thomas could never manage: shut Mina’s mouth. She almost snorted at how happy Thomas must have been at her complete and utter silence.

  See, I can control myself, Thomas, when something’s important.

  All the months of training and the anticipation led to her in front of the elders, prepared to make her transition from just another girl to a full-fledged member of her clan.

  The Rite had always seemed distant, like a train heard far off in the distance, but now she stood in the middle of those tracks, staring at the train barreling right down at her.

  Her heart thundered in her chest, but she did her best to keep her face impassive. To her great surprise, she gave a damn. She’d thought she would be able to blow through the whole ritual with her standard-issue ironic detachment. Mina hoped no one could see any concern creeping on her face.

  No reason to be afraid. It’s not a big deal. Just my Rite of Passage. It’s not like some manticore’s going to tear my throat out, or I’m going to fail and humiliate my father and weaken his position over the thousand wolves he rules. No, no. Not a big deal at all.

  Mina swallowed and kept her hands on the ground, as per the ritual protocol. She kept her gaze on her father. No, not just her father, her king.

  Her father stared down at her for a second before letting his gaze roam to the next Initiate. With his dark bushy beard, robe, and stern gaze, he resembled some old-school god about to pass judgment on the pathetic wolf cubs kneeling before him.

  “The dawn of the summer solstice has come,” he began, his voice booming. “And so, we begin the Rite of Passage for these four pups who would be wolves: Mina Golden Claw, Jorge Ramirez, Ryan Summer, and Anna Colby. They will be guided by Thomas Grant, beta to Carl Storm.” He turned to John. “Do you recognize these wolves, Keeper?”

  “I recognize these wolves as you have named them, my king. Their journey will take them between worlds. They are pups who would become wolves by embracing their dual natures and risking their lives on the world forsaken by Rogan’s Blessing, Esper.”

  The king turned back to the Initiates. “The Rite can be failed. The Rite can maim. The Rite can kill. Do you four accept these risks? Remember that you can wait until the next Rite.”

  As far as Mina knew, no one ever took the offer to wait.

  “We accept these risks, my king,” the Initiates said in unison.

  “Do you accept your dual nature as both wolf and human?”

  “We accept our dual nature, my king.”

  “Do you accept Thomas Grant as your alpha for this Rite? Will you obey him as a pack in all matters of life and death?”

  “We accept Thomas Grant as our alpha, my king. We will obey him.”

  The king gave them a curt nod and then turned to John. “Do you accept what you have heard, Keeper?”

  “I accept these wolves will risk death, know their nature, and will follow Thomas Grant as their alpha. If none return, we will mourn but accept that the weak may perish when challenged by nature, as such is life.”

  For the first time since the start of the ritual, Mina let her face twitch. They didn’t have enough wolves left to get too stuck on natural selection, but she kept her mouth shut.

  I won’t let any of my pack die. Screw nature’s challenge. We’re damn werewolves. We’re beyond nature.

  “In the ancient times,” the king said, “our ancestors were nothing more than animals. The First Shifter Rogan, in his grand wisdom, decided to bless our ancestors to make them into something more. Something special. Neither animal nor human but possessing the best traits of both. Our kind prospered, and we wolves became the greatest and most numerous of the shifters, a position we maintain to this day.”

  The other elders all nodded their agreement but didn’t say anything.

  “Years followed years and flowed into the centuries, and our kind spread all over the world. But that world has changed. Both animals and humans have changed. So we have adapted, but that doesn’t mean we will or should ever forget our nature: both animal and human. You Initiates have accepted your dual nature and how it gives you strength.”

  Mina considered that, not sure if she’d come to terms with it, despite what she’d just chanted. She’d participated in several hunting exercises, but she had a hard time imagining that after the Rite, she would want to wander into the woods in wolf form and chase down a deer when she felt hungry. Then again, it wasn’t like her dad was doing so all that often either.

  “You Initiates who kneel before me now have suffered since your first shift,” the king said. “You’ve had to learn what it means to be an animal again, while dealing with the doubts that your human soul has injected into your minds. You’ve had to reconnect with the instincts buried so deeply inside of you. We’ve had you train on four legs and two so that you are ready to serve your future packs and your clan.”

  The Initiates and elders all nodded.

  Service. That was what it all came down to. Whether or not Mina liked every wolf in her clan didn’t matter. A large and hostile world surrounded the Golden Claw, both natural and supernatural. Being the alpha predator in the wild didn’t mean security in a world of technology and magic.

  Sheriff Storm’s words echoed in her mind. She’d known mostly peace in her life, let alone when she was old enough to pay attention. The peace could end at any moment. She’d accepted that, even if the thought made her stomach churn.

  Her father had become king by punishing the wolf who had betrayed his predecessor. Wolves challenged for dominance, that was just what they did, but not in the cowardly way the traitor had, through ambush and misdirection. A clan that gave way to the self-serving politics of humanity was a clan destined to wither and die.

  Mina swallowed, her pulse now pounding in her ears. Someday, a wolf might try something similar with her father. The clan would need to be ready. She needed to be ready to protect everyone she loved and those who’d protected her throughout the years.

  Bile rose in her throat at the thought of killing someone. Yes, she’d killed animals, but only to eat them. Killing another sapient creature, even in self-defense, would be a bridge she hoped to never have to cross. She honestly wasn’t sure at that moment if she could do such a thing.

  So much for coming to terms with my instincts.

  “The human world is foolish,” her father said. “The humans would claim that anyone who reaches a certain age deserves the respect of being treated as responsible, as an adult.” He threw up his hands. “That is the height of stupidity, a sign of the arrogance and decadence of human civilization.” He lowered his arms. “In our world and our clan, if you want to have the respect of being treated as something more than a child, then you must prove it through your actions. You must complete a Rite of Passage, a journey that will take you from our world to another, Esper. A world that is dangerous and alien. You will prove that you are more than coddled children who have spent too many years on two legs. You will prove that you are worthy to be a member of the Golden Claw.”

  I’m not a coddled princess. I haven’t had it easy. My own mom died giving birth to me. I’m going to prove to all those bastards that Mina Golden Claw deserves their damn respect, starting with Thomas.

  “Today is the summer solstice, one of the four times a year that the gate to Esper opens. You will travel, guided by your acting alpha, to Esper and back to prove your worth. Your alpha will show the way, and you will obey him, as subordinating yourself to the pack is also our way. As first alpha among alphas and King of the Golden Claw, I offer you my blessing in this, your transition into full wolves. Please stand, Initiates.”

  They all stood. Mina wanted to see how everyone else was doing but didn’t dare move her head. Instead, she continued to stare straight ahead at her father and the other elders. The ritual wasn’t over.

  John stepped forward. He reached under his robe and pulled out a small jar filled with gold-colored paste.

>   “The Rite does more than prove you are ready for responsibility,” the Keeper said. “It binds everyone in the clan by ensuring we all share a common experience.” He stepped toward Mina, dipped his fingers in the paste, and painted three curved lines on her forehead. “You are the future of our kind and our clan. Take pride in that. We are the blessed of Rogan. May he continue to watch over us.”

  “May he continue to watch over us,” the Initiates chanted.

  Mina stared into John’s dark eyes until he stepped to the side to anoint Anna’s forehead.

  “You will all wear the Mark of the Golden Claw as you begin your Rite,” John intoned. “Think of your clan and your training as you go through your Rite. For soon, you will be full werewolves of the Golden Claw. Each of you will be part of a pack, and your packs form our clan.”

  The Keeper moved down the line, anointing the rest and then stepped back behind the king.

  “Now,” the Keeper said. “Reflect upon what it means to be a Golden Claw.”

  The Initiates remained standing, their hands folded behind their back as the elders all walked behind them.

  Minutes passed in complete silence until Thomas spoke. “Let’s get going, pack. We have a Rite of Passage to complete.”

  Chapter 14

  The pack padded along in wolf form for about a half-hour until Mina realized a tremendous possibility now walked alongside of her. She finally had a friendly pack, and it was time for a little experiment.

  Every time Mina asked about singing in wolf form before, other wolves acted like they should lock her up in a cave and seal it with golden boulders. The Initiates, in contrast, had been training side by side with her for weeks now. They had formed a pack bond, and it was time to put it to the test with a task of vital importance.

  We should be singing, she sent.

  Singing? they all sent back at the same time.

  Why am I not surprised you’d say that? Thomas sent. I knew it was coming at some point.

  Mina despaired at the inability to hear a sarcastic tone through wolf thought.

  What do you have against singing, Thomas?

  I’d thought you had started taking this seriously, and now we’ve barely started and you’re back to jokes.

  Mina shook her head and let out a low growl. You can take something seriously and still crack a few jokes. It’s called lightening the mood, but I get it. There’s still a log or two up your ass. Good luck with the next round of surgeries.

  Thomas offered a growl of his own. The other wolves exchanged glances.

  Keep up the pace and you can sing all you want, Thomas sent. I don’t care otherwise.

  Good. Thank you.

  I don’t get why you want to sing, Ryan sent. You never talked about singing before.

  Yeah, singing, Mina sent. We’re off on a quest to recover magical plants, and we should be singing some epic tale about how we’re going to slay a manticore and what not.

  Mushrooms aren’t plants, Jorge sent. They are fungi.

  Thanks, Botany King. We still should be singing.

  The problem with wolf thought was there was no tone, no sound. Mina could feel the texture differences in the thoughts of the others, but it didn’t provide her any way to sing.

  But wolves can’t sing, Ryan sent. I mean, I haven’t heard any singing wolves. Maybe some coyotes could teach us? Not that they are much better from what I’ve heard from a few of my coyote friends.

  Mina gave a snort-growl and glanced over at Anna. Taking advantage of a little hero worship wasn’t beyond the pale. The light-colored wolf glanced back at Mina but didn’t send a thought.

  She wondered how trying to get werewolves to sing in wolf form fit into the Prophecy of Rogan. Excellent harmonies in four-legged form would be a very impressive special power indeed.

  Yeah, I know wolves can’t sing. We can at least try, Mina sent. I’ve tried before and failed, but I didn’t have a whole pack with me willing to try. We’re Initiates on our Rite of Passage. We don’t need some coyotes to teach us to sing.

  You’re right, Ryan sent. We’re wolves. We can conquer any challenge.

  Show us what you got then, Jorge offered. Lead us, oh great, Mina, Singer of Songs. Show us what we should be trying to do.

  If he’d been in human form, Mina was sure he would have been smirking.

  Okay, here goes nothing.

  A strangled mix of growling and howling escaped Mina’s mouth. Ryan and Jorge tried to join her. Anna even tried her hand at growling harmony. Thomas remained silent, both mentally and verbally as the great crime against music proceeded.

  Yeah, this is going about as well as I thought, Mina thought to herself. No special musical power.

  Their alpha’s continued silence might have been for the best, given the painful wolf song continuing to unfold. Maybe a very generous person might have tried to call it singing. Most others would likely suspect they overheard rabid wolves stroking out and run for safety.

  It was worth a shot, Mina sent. Thanks for trying, guys.

  Are you all done being stupid? Thomas sent. You don’t have to be an elder to know that crap wasn’t going to happen.

  Well, done singing, anyway. Not sure if we’re done being stupid, the day is young, and the Rite’s just started.

  Thomas let out a low growl. If you have that much energy, maybe we should work on catching some food. I’m guessing most of you are hungry.

  Mina’s stomach answered with a gurgle. She hated it when Thomas was right. Getting up at the crack of dawn to head to the ritual meant she’d skipped breakfast. Probably most of them had.

  When she awoke that morning, she’d been so spun up about the ritual, hunger didn’t even register in her brain.

  Mina stared at Thomas. He walked ahead of her, his tail swishing. He didn’t look at all uncomfortable. The arrogant bastard probably already made sure he filled his stomach before showing up at the ritual.

  What’s the plan, alpha? Mina sent. I’m guessing there’s no Gold Burger nearby, and we can’t have a drone drop off a refrigerator?

  Same as always, Thomas sent. Spread out, find a deer, and we’ll take it down as a pack.

  Yeah, that’s what I figured.

  Thomas glanced back at her. Unless you want to go after rabbits individually.

  The Initiates all shook their heads.

  We’ve done this plenty of times together these last few weeks, Thomas said. Lesson one of the rite: you want to eat, find something and kill it. Like the man said, dual nature.

  Could collect berries, Mina sent.

  Very funny.

  What about our dual natures?

  Ryan let out a low whine. But I want meat.

  Yeah, yeah. Let’s hunt, then gather for flavor later. Mina padded ahead. I’ll take this direction. Is that all right, Thomas?

  Thomas let out a growl of approval. Everyone else fan out like we’ve practiced.

  The other pack members spread out, disappearing into the undergrowth. Five huge wolves now prowled the forest, padding between the trees and bushes, sniffing at the air for a sign of something to eat, like some sort of nightmare in an old-fashioned German fairy tale.

  Mina wondered what would happen if the pack ran into some orange-vested deer hunter out looking for his own venison. Though the clan owned all the forests around them, it didn’t mean that some idiot might decide he wanted to trespass and go find some game in a less crowded spot. A man with a conventional rifle would have a hard time killing a werewolf, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t get lucky.

  Protecting the secret of the werewolves’ existence was paramount, but that didn’t always justify unnecessary killing.

  If they ran into human trouble, the smart move would be to flee, shift, and approach the man in human form. They could then explain why the poacher had to leave without bloody violence.

  Mina hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with that scenario. For some reason, she didn’t think it would end well. There was a reason that wolv
es liked to avoid large concentrations of humans, after all.

  In the distant past, Mina’s ancestors, along with many other shifters, preyed on humanity, giving birth to all manners of legends about monstrous beings who could take the form of both animal and human, but in the following millennia, humanity had done their best to demonstrate their own brutality.

  Violence, if anything, might be more endemic in human society than werewolf society. At least, the wolves had mostly learned their lesson.

  As Mina continued walking through the forest, searching for some poor Bambi to take down, the less concern about running into a random person weighed on her heart. Of all the concerns raised during her training, no one seemed to worry all that much about running into humans who didn’t know their secret. They’d all been given preservation amulets, yes, but no one had outlined how they should deal with such an intrusion.

  The young werewolf could only assume if it’d happened within the last few decades, her dad or the Keeper would have established some sort of policy for the Rite. Every major problem or failure she’d heard about involved the Initiates running into problems on Esper, not Earth.

  Considering that even Thomas, Captain Worry himself, saw fit to mention running into a manticore as a possibility but not a deer hunter, Mina could only think that meant the chance of running into some stray idiot with a gun was lower than running into a manticore. Or so she hoped.

  Maybe I’ll run into a manticore with a gun. She let out a small wolf snort.

  Still, Mina wondered which would be easier to handle. At least with a manticore, they wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time worrying about his relatives sending state troopers into the forest to look for him.

  Mina froze as a familiar scent filled her nostrils: deer.

  Anyone hear me? Mina sent.

  No one responded.

  She let out a low growl. Wolf thought needed more range. Great for coordinating packs, awful for organizing sneak attacks from across the forest. She wondered if Rogan had set it up that way on purpose. Balance in all things, maybe.