Chapter 8
Saturday Night, January 8th
Cole had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, as he usually did each night. His dreams were jumbled at first and had the lack of clarity and shifting quality that was typical of all dreams. But after a while they shifted into something clearer. His subconscious recognized instantly that this was no typical dream. Everything was as clear as if he was physically there and wide awake. The gray, twilight quality of most dreams was absent, but the light wasn’t the brightness of daylight. It was nighttime and the greyish darkness was similar to what Cole’s eyes saw at night.
Shapes moved quickly past him as his mind tried to resolve what he was seeing. The smell of pine and of wintry air hit his nostrils and he realized that the rushing shapes were trees. He was moving through a forest. The lighter gray along the ground resolved itself into snow and the shapes moving ahead of him into the forms of running wolves. The perspective seemed wrong, until Cole realized that it was what another wolf running behind would have seen. He was experiencing everything – sight, sound, smell, even taste – through the eyes of one of the running wolves.
His mind was assaulted by a series of images that didn’t make sense at first, but that he eventually realized were the thoughts of the wolf. The images were at first difficult to understand, like watching a foreign movie without the subtitles. But eventually he began to decipher what the images meant. They were the actual pictures of what the wolves were saying to each other. Instead of using words to communicate, the wolves sent each other images to communicate. It was through these images that Cole realized that the wolf pack was on the hunt.
He also realized that he was not actually the wolf in the dream. He was just an observer, watching everything through the wolf’s eyes as he experienced it. He had no control over what was happening, though he sensed from the wolf’s thoughts that it knew Cole was there, but didn’t seem to care. The male wolf was focused on the hunt, which was going to be a dangerous one. The pack had detected an intruder in the area they were protecting and were moving to intercept it. Each member of the pack hoped that the intruder was a human that had lost its way, in which case the wolves would not bother it, or even an animal that could be brought down to feed the pack. The third option was the one that each of them feared to be true, but would face anyway.
Cole felt his mind merge completely with the animal until he believed that it was him hunting in the woods with his pack. He smelled something suddenly and nearly stumbled as the potency of it assaulted him. He could tell from the shift in direction of the mating pair that led the pack that they had smelled it too. As one, they turned and continued to run in the direction of the smell.
Cole tried to identify the smell, but it was nothing that he had encountered before. It smelled dirty and greasy, like the loud metal boxes that the humans rode around in on the black patches of earth, but fouler. It reminded him of the chaotic thoughts of their pack-mate that had gotten the foaming sickness. He had wandered off to die alone, which was the only thing he could have done to protect the pack. This smell was like that scent. It was unnatural.
In spite of the foreignness of the smell, a part of him recognized it instantly. The collective thoughts and memories that were passed down to each of them at the time they were born knew what it was. It was an ancient enemy against whom they had been fighting since the humans had first started to build their closely-packed many-houses of stone. It filled him with anger and he could sense the same feelings coming from the rest of the pack. He wanted to sink his teeth into this enemy and shake it until it no longer moved.
They continued to run toward where the smell had originated, toward the large den of the humans they were protecting. Inside that den was a treasure greater than the lives of the entire pack. It was something that had to be protected at all costs and the ancient enemy now threatened it. They would chase the enemy down and attack it as one. And then it would be dead and could no longer threaten the treasure.
As they closed on the enemy, the pack sensed that it had come to a stop just ahead. They slowed to a trot and entered a clearing in the middle of the trees. The pack fanned out to face the enemy, each of them taking a place instinctively based on their individual strength or speed. He had received images of the enemy from the collective thoughts of all wolves, but those images had been hazy and tinged with anger, fear and suffering. What he saw in front of him now was even more terrifying than all of those images combined.
The enemy resembled wolves in the most basic of ways only. It was crouched on all fours in front of a tree, though he knew that the creature could run on two legs almost as easily as four, though not as quickly. It was covered in shiny, thick fur the color of the complete darkness at the back of a cave. The sheen that covered the fur wasn’t the same that covered the fur of his kind during summers when the pack was well-fed. This was the greasy sheen that was left when a living creature had been consumed by a forest fire. Its eyes were a glowing yellow that held an unhealthy light and its huge teeth gleamed whitely in its open mouth.
Where a wolf’s body was lean and built for speed, this creature was covered in huge muscles that could only have one purpose – to rend and tear other living beings for no purpose other than to take the life from them. He could understand killing for food. It was the way of things that some animals died to feed the lives of the ones who had killed them. But to kill for no other purpose than to end a life was the worst kind of evil.
The moon glowed brightly overhead and spilled its light across the clearing, but where the creature stood, its rays were absent. Though he could clearly make out every detail of it, the creature seemed to pull at the light around it and create darkness in its place.
He heard the growl coming from his throat before he knew he had made it. It was quickly joined by matching growls from the rest of the pack as they crouched down slightly and began to slowly move forward. Each member of the pack knew what the creature had to have known – it was no match for the pack’s ability to hunt as one. Death had closed on it and was about to take it.
A slight breeze blew up from behind him and he smelled the greasy smell of the enemy again. He paused in confusion as he realized that this could not be. The enemy was in front of him and the pack, and yet the breeze had come from behind him. There was no way that its smell could have come from behind him, unless… A slight movement above him drew his eyes to the trees on either side of the pack and what he saw filled him with dismay. Several of the enemy were crouched among the tree branches above them and were moving behind them as the pack moved forward. It was an ambush.
He frantically sent the images of the creatures in the trees to the rest of the pack, but he knew it was too late. The lone creature that they had first caught charged forward and the pack responded by surging toward it as one. If they broke off the attack to take on the creatures individually, they wouldn’t stand a chance. The creatures were stronger than they were and would pick them off one at a time. Only by attacking as one would they stand a chance. But he also knew that the pack stood no chance at all if the creatures behind them attacked while their attention was on the creature in front of them.
He made the decision to attack the creatures behind them, knowing that it would mean his death. But the fact that the pack might be able to live because of it made the choice an easy one. He spun to face the other creatures, quickly counting five of them. As they stalked forward, he charged toward the largest of the creatures. He was the fastest member of the pack, so he closed the distance quickly. The other four creatures ignored him, but the creature he had targeted rose on two legs to meet him.
At the last second, he dove between the large creature’s legs and sunk his teeth into its ankle as he flew past. A large chunk of its flesh tore loose in his mouth, which he quickly spit out in disgust. The taste was so nauseating that he was nearly overcome and swooned for a split-second
. He shook his head to clear it, ignoring the howl of pain from the creature he had attacked. A cry of pain from one of his pack mates was quickly followed by a second howl from one of the creatures. The pack had begun its attack and had seen its first casualty among its own.
He sprinted forward toward the reinforcing creatures and past the one that he had hamstrung, which hobbled off to the side in obvious pain. He felt a brief moment of satisfaction knowing that it was removed from the fight, even if temporarily. But that moment was pushed aside as he picked his next target and charged toward it. The creatures had ignored him as he had passed them the first time, so he had the element of surprise. He ran up behind the creature furthest on the right and leaped on its back, digging his claws into its fur for a second before sinking his teeth into the back of its neck.
The creature screamed in pain and rose on two legs as he kicked his hind legs repeatedly to scratch the flesh from its back. The creature’s arms reached behind it and he released his jaws to dodge them as they waved wildly, trying to get a hold of him. He bit down in the same spot and heard the creature howl in agony as he pulled at the flesh between his teeth. His mouth filled with a foul fluid that he guessed to be the creature’s blood. Just as he thought that he would retch from the taste, a chunk of the creature broke free in his mouth. He spit the vileness from his mouth as he retracted his claws to jump from the creatures’ back. He sprung with his front legs just as a searing pain erupted from his side. He landed on the ground and nearly collapsed as a fire consumed the side of his body. He knew before he looked at it that its claws had found their purchase as he had jumped free.
He looked back at the creature and saw it collapse as blood poured down its back. He had taken another one out of the fight, which was a fair trade for the wound he had taken. The sound of the creature hitting the ground was louder than he expected and drew the attention of the other creatures and it was this sound that finally accomplished his goal. They turned as one and began to advance toward him, ignoring the rest of the pack and giving them the chance they needed to survive.
He looked behind the advancing creatures and saw the crumpled form of the first one that the pack had cornered lying motionless on the ground. The pack had eliminated it, but not without cost. His litter-mate and sister was dead on the ground not far from it and he knew that she had given her life to destroy it. Sorrow filled him at the loss of his sister, but he pushed it aside to the same place that he had pushed the pain in his side. He couldn’t waste the opportunity that he had been given, so he stepped forward slowly and growled loudly as he tried to make himself look as large and intimidating as possible.
He heard a strange chuffing sound come from the creatures that he at first mistook for them speaking to each other. But then he realized that they were laughing at his display. They knew as well as he did that he stood no chance against three of them.
A long howl of pain followed by a loud snap behind him and to his right told him that the pack had eliminated the creature that he had hamstrung. The odds were now better, but the strength of the creatures still made three of them a difficult battle. He had to do what he could to cripple at least one more and then he knew they could win. The creature on his right turned his head at the sound of its comrade’s death and he became the next target.
He charged toward it and it crouched to meet him in response. Expecting this move, he instead jumped over it and twisted his body to leap off the tree behind it. Before it could turn, he landed on its back, digging in his claws and reaching to bite its neck. But this creature was smarter than the last one. As soon as his claws had met its back, it hunched its shoulders, protecting the back of its neck. His teeth closed on hard, solid muscle on its shoulder instead, but didn’t penetrate very deeply. Just as a piece of its flesh tore free, the creature rolled to its right, carrying him with it. He tried to spring loose, but he wasn’t fast enough. The creature rolled over him and its weight was unbearable. The wind was knocked from his lungs and he heard a sickening, wet crack as it rolled away from him.
He stumbled to his feet briefly, but this time the explosion of pain was too much for him to bear. He collapsed to the ground as consciousness threatened to slip away. He used what little strength he had left to seize it at its edges and to force his broken body to its feet. He looked back at his other side and could see the white of bone sticking out of his flesh. He had seen such wounds before and knew that they meant his death was not far away. He turned his head back to face the creatures. His death would not sneak up behind him. It would have to face him and whatever strength that he had left.
The intelligent creature that had caused his death faced him for a moment before stumbling. It got back to its feet, but with confusion obvious on its face. His own confusion matched the creature’s until he saw the blood pouring from the wound on its shoulder. He stuck his tongue out in a wolfish grin as he realized that he had struck an artery with his missed bite. The creature had killed him, but it wouldn’t live much longer than he did with such a wound.
The rest of the pack came up behind him, facing the three remaining creatures. As they spread out on either side of him, he could see that all but two of them had suffered some kind of injury, but none were life-threatening. They each cried in distress as they saw what they knew to be the mortal wound on his side, but they quickly refocused on the enemies before them. With only three remaining and one mortally wounded, they were sure to win, in spite of the great cost to the pack.
And then he saw the movement in the trees behind the creatures and the pack’s sudden surge of confidence was dashed. More of the creatures were coming in to view. They were outnumbered again. The single thought that was sent by each member of the pack made it clear to him that it didn’t matter. They would fight to the last to defend the treasure that they protected. And they would take as many of the creatures with them as they could.
The shapes continued to materialize and it was then that their final hopes died. Twelve of the hideous creatures loped casually into view. With the death of his sister, eleven of the pack remained. It was a large pack that had handled every challenge that he could ever remember them facing. But this was a battle that they could not win. They would be destroyed to the last wolf, and the treasure would be taken from its den.
Cole woke to a strange wetness swiping repeatedly across his face. He finally shook off the last of his sleep and looked up to see Cody staring down at him. He pushed Cody off of him and sat up in bed, looking around in confusion at his bedroom. The dream had been so real that he had expected to awaken in the forest. He wondered what could have caused such a strange dream.
Cody jumped back on the bed, whining loudly before leaping from the bed and running to the bedroom door. He scratched wildly at it for several seconds before turning back around, whining and staring at Cole. The noise of his scratching at the door seemed thunderous in the silence. Cole looked briefly over at his nightstand and saw the digital clock there. It was three o’clock in the morning.
“Be quiet, boy,” he whispered loudly at Cody. “You’re going to wake everyone up!”
Cody ignored him and scratched at the door again. Cole jumped out of bed and shooed him away from the door and though he jumped back a few feet, he continued to whine. Cole had never seen him so distressed.
“What is the matter with you?” he asked with exasperation.
An image hit his mind so forcefully that he fell back against the bed and sat on it. A pack of wolves stood in a forest clearing, facing the black demon-like creatures from his dream. One of the wolves was gravely injured along its side and could barely stand. He was confused for a moment before he realized that this was the same wolf from his dreams. He wondered how it was possible for Cody to have sent him such an image, for he knew Cody to be its source. And then he recognized something from the image that sent a chill down his spine. A dead tree stood off to one side of the clearing. Its s
hape was the same as one that stood on the edge of a clearing two hundred yards from the house. The battle in his dream had taken place a small distance from his home.
Cody whined again and Cole realized that he wanted to go to the place in the image. He wanted to go to the wolves. He realized that it hadn’t been a dream at all. He had been witnessing the battle as it took place. He thought for a moment about what he should do. The wolves were protecting something, and he tried to remember from his dream what it was. There was something about a den of humans and a treasure within. He thought for a second before finally translating the thoughts of the wolf to what a human would think. They were protecting Cole’s house and his family within it.
We’ve got to help them, Cole!
The voice in his head stunned him. He knew it was Cody the moment he heard it, but he had never before heard Cody’s voice in his head. They had always communicated through the use of imagery, never by actual words. He looked over at his bed and saw Aidan sitting there, staring at him. She seemed calm, but alert.
Please, Cole. They won’t stand a chance if we don’t help them!
The distress from Cody came through clearly in the words that he sent to Cole’s mind. But it wasn’t the frantic pleading from his friend that made up his mind. The animals in the woods were giving their lives to protect him and his family. If he and Cody could help in any way, they had to do it.
He ran to his closet and pulled his aluminum baseball bat, his snow boots and a heavy sweater out. He threw on a pair of jeans and then quickly put on the boots and sweater. He opened the door and quickly, but quietly walked from the room and out the sliding glass door near the dining room. Cody bolted as soon as the door had opened and sprinted from the trees. As Cole moved through the door, he jumped as something brushed against his leg. He looked down to see Aidan staring up at him expectantly.
“Alright, then,” he told her. “I guess three’s better than two.”
He ran down the stairs at the end of the deck and then started to jog through the deep snow leading to the trees. He could barely see Cody ahead of him as he plowed his way through the same snow. Aidan hopped along behind him, using his footprints to make her way. The snow started to thin near the trees and his pace quickened. He could no longer see Cody, but his eyes quickly grew accustomed to the darkness as he entered the forest. He knew the clearing was a hundred yards ahead. He ran toward it with Aidan at his side, hoping that they could get there in time to help the wolves, though he wasn’t sure what help he could offer against such creatures. He thought that he should have been terrified of such an encounter, but all he felt was rage at the creatures who had invaded his family’s home.
He slowed his pace as the sound of snarling reached his ears. The fight was just ahead. He came to a stop and decided that he would come up behind them, if he could. He crept around the edge of the clearing, but couldn’t see inside. A group of low-growing evergreen trees blocked his view of the clearing. As he snuck around the other side of the small copse, he saw into the clearing for the first time.
The wolves that he had seen in his dream faced him, though a quick count made it clear that there were now less of them. Cody stood in front of them and Cole had never seen him look so frightening. His teeth were bared in a snarl that promised death and he looked to be twice his normal size. Between him and them, the creatures from his dream crouched in the light snow. They were even more terrifying in person, but he felt no fear when he saw them. Instead, the rage inside of him grew. A small gray shape on the ground near him moved slightly and drew his eyes. He cried in dismay as he recognized the wolf from his dream.
He ran from the trees and to its side, carefully crouching in the snow. He realized his mistake too late as the creatures turned as one to look at him. They turned to face him, ignoring Cody and the wolves. But Cody and the pack moved quickly around the clearing to move between him and the creatures, creating a barrier of teeth and fur. He saw Aidan run up to his side and her growling was nearly as terrifying as the wolves.
The creatures stopped when they saw Cody and stared at him intently, ignoring the wolves. Cole couldn’t be sure, but he thought that they appeared to be almost afraid of his dog, whose silvery fur glowed faintly in the moonlight. He wondered why they would be so wary of Cody, when a pack of wolves didn’t faze them.
He heard a soft whine next to him and realized that the injured wolf was still alive. Aidan whined once in response and then looked up at him. Her eyes looked very sad and tears had formed at their edges. She looked like she was crying, even though he knew dogs didn’t cry as humans did. He saw the injured wolf move its head and look up at him. He could feel the pain and fear coming from it and it wrenched at his heart. He kneeled down, ignoring everything else around him and reached for the wolf that had given its life to save him and his family.
“Cole, no!” Uncle Harper’s voice boomed across the clearing. “It’s too dangerous when it’s injured!”
Cole turned in surprise at the sound of his uncle’s voice and saw him jog into the clearing, moving near the wolves and Cody, who continued to form a line between him and the creatures. But a soft whine drew his attention back to the injured wolf. Ignoring his uncle’s warning, he gently kneeled next to it and lifted its head to place in his lap. His vision swam as tears filled his eyes. He was overcome with gratitude for its sacrifice and his sadness deepened when he realized that the sacrifice of the pack had grown. The wolf had lost another sister and one brother in the fight before they had arrived.
The wolf looked up at him and one thought was clearer than all of the images of pain and fear – it didn’t want to die alone. Cole held the animal closer, knowing from its thoughts that it could no longer feel the pain of its injuries. He felt recognition from the animal and then gratitude as he leaned in and buried his face in the fur of its neck. He sobbed softly as the animal’s thoughts started to fade. He still didn’t know why the wolves had given their lives to protect the Ambrose family, but he was grateful for their sacrifice.
Cole finally pulled his head away from the wolf and looked from a few inches into its eyes. It stared quietly for a moment and then licked Cole’s face once with just the tip of its tongue. And then it closed its eyes and Cole could hear its thoughts no longer.
He was numb with grief for a moment as the realization that the wolf had died sunk in. But his grief quickly turned to anger. It built inside him as he thought of these creatures that had come to his home and violated it. They had come to the woods through which he walked during the summer and killed four animals that had chosen to protect his family. It wasn’t only his home that had been violated. His feeling of security in his own home had been taken from him, as well. And now he was angry.
A thought came unbidden to his mind. It was irrational and completely unlike him, but it felt right for some reason. He wanted to sink his teeth into the necks of each of the creatures and tear their throats out. He wanted their thick, black blood to pour from them until their lives poured out with it. He wanted them dead and he wasn’t satisfied with the thought of them merely dying. He wanted to kill them all himself, one at a time.
What had started as a vibration of anger in his body quickly became a tingling along his skin as he gently lowered the dead wolf and stood up. It traveled down his arms and his legs and across his entire body until he was sure that he could hear it humming. He felt powerful, as if nothing could stop him from exacting vengeance on these invaders. A bright light began to fill the clearing, but he ignored it as he walked toward the creatures, the tingling of his body continuing to grow.
One of the creatures stepped forward as Cole slowly walked toward them. It watched him intently for a moment before its grotesque features moved into what Cole knew was a smile. This only made Cole angrier. He was going to rip this creature to pieces while its companions watched. As he stepped forward, the lead creature stood on its hind legs and th
en it seemed to shift in the strangest way. It looked like it was melting into something smaller and Cole at first couldn’t figure out what it was becoming. But then the shifting stopped and his Uncle Harper faced him.
Cole stopped dead in his tracks. He was certain that this was some kind of trick from the creature, but he couldn’t make himself move to attack even something that merely had the shape of his uncle. But then Cole looked closely and could see that the man only resembled his uncle, though the resemblance was strong. It was like looking at a twin brother of his uncle. Even twins that were nearly identical had minor differences in their features, and the man in front of him had such differences. Cole’s anger was renewed and he stepped forward to meet the man. It was time to exact payment from him for what he had done. Taking the form of his uncle was just another thing for which he would pay. As he moved forward another step, something moved in front of him.
“Stop, creature!” Uncle Harper shouted as he blocked Cole’s path, facing the man who looked so much like him. His voice was booming and the trees surrounding the clearing rattled with its force. He turned back to look at Cole. “Stay back, Cole. Please.”
His uncle was glowing with a light that seemed to be coming from his entire body. Even his clothing shone with it. Cole thought that this was where the light he had seen had been coming from. He looked over at Cody and saw that he was glowing with a light just as strong, but with a more silvery cast to it.
The man who looked like Uncle Harper smiled at him as he said, “I would think that you would find this form pleasing, son of Nuada. Is it no longer dear to you, cousin?” Even the voice was similar.
Uncle Harper’s shoulders slumped for a moment but then straightened. “Taking his form does nothing but honor him, dog. I’m sure he made you pay for your encounter dearly.”
Cole heard the biting sarcasm in his uncle’s voice that had so frequently infuriated his father. It seemed to have the same effect on the man as his face twisted into an expression of anger. He stepped forward and the darkness around him seemed to grow in strength. It pulled at the light from his uncle as if trying to devour it.
But instead of shrinking from the darkness, the light emanating from his uncle intensified to the point that Cole had to look away. It shone brightly for what seemed like several minutes before diminishing slightly. When it finally dimmed, Cole looked through the spots in his vision to see that the man-creature had backed several feet away from his uncle.
Uncle Harper stood with his feet spread, facing the creatures, with Cody and the wolves spread in a line behind him. “These woods and the house nearby are under my protection,” he said to the creatures. He hadn’t spoken loudly, but his voice now seemed to be tinged with a power that made it seem bigger. “Come near this area again and you shall face me.”
The man-creature seemed to hesitate for a moment. It looked back at its companions, obviously looking for support, but they had begun to shrink back into the trees in obvious fear of Harper. Cole suspected that the man-creature had no desire to face his uncle alone, but was unwilling to concede. He seemed to find some courage and stepped forward to meet his uncle.
Seemingly from nowhere, a large silver spear appeared in Harper’s hand. It was taller than he was by nearly two feet and glowed with the same inner light that he did. Cody and the wolves each took another step forward and Cole sensed Aidan move to stand beside him. The man-creature hesitated for just a second more before finally bowing his head once to Harper.
“Very well,” he said softly with a half-smile. “We shall leave for now. But you know as well as I do that this is only the beginning.” He began to back away slowly as the darkness between the trees flowed out and around him. The other creatures melted into the shadows of the trees, as well and within seconds all of them had disappeared. Cole looked over at the bodies of the slain creatures and saw them melt into piles of greasy ash.
Cole felt the tingling of his skin diminish with his anger and it was quickly replaced with exhaustion. The wolves around him visibly relaxed and the injured ones began to lick their own wounds. He saw Uncle Harper move around the clearing and pick up the bodies of the slain wolves one at a time and move them to the center of the clearing. Uncle Harper didn’t touch the last wolf, the one that had died in Cole’s arms and he knew what his uncle was asking him to do.
He sank to the ground as his exhaustion fed the grief that he already felt for the animals. The low whining from many of the wolves reminded him that he wasn’t the only one who was grieving. Several of the wolves lied on the ground with their heads on their paws, staring with sad eyes at the bodies of their pack mates. He gently picked up the body of the brave animal and carried it to where the rest of its family laid. Tears flowed freely down his face as he placed him next to the others and then leaned in to kiss its muzzle one last time before standing. The surviving wolves, Cody and Aidan moved to form a ring around the fallen and stared quietly for a second. The two largest wolves, which Cole recognized as the pack leaders, raised their heads and let out a mournful howl that was quickly joined by the rest of the back. Cody and Aidan joined in a second later and Cole felt an uncontrollable impulse build inside of him. He threw back his head and joined in the howling, letting it carry away the pain and anger that were left inside him.
He saw his uncle crouch down and place his hand on one of the wolves as he whispered something that Cole couldn’t understand. The wolf glowed briefly for a moment before it disappeared. The only thing left was the imprint that its body had made in the snow. Uncle Harper moved to each of the wolves in turn and repeated what he had done, with each wolf disappearing after glowing briefly. The last wolf to disappear was the one to which Cole had been briefly connected.
When he had finished, Uncle Harper stood up and put his hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Come on, Cole. Let’s go home.”
Cole nodded numbly in response. He looked over at the wolves, who were watching him intently. “Good-bye,” he said to them softly. “And thank you.”
None of them moved or responded in any way, but a series of images flashed through his mind. At first, he didn’t understand them, but then he realized that they were thanking him for bringing help when he did. And then they turned around and melted into the trees, a few of them limping slightly as they moved.
Cole watched them until they had all disappeared and then turned and headed toward the house next to his uncle, with Cody and Aidan beside them. They reached the house and once inside, Cole headed straight for his bedroom with Aidan at his side. He had never been so exhausted in his life and his only thought was of collapsing on his bed. He kicked his boots off before lying down with his clothes still on, but was surprised that sleep wouldn’t come. His mind was spinning with everything that had happened and he finally accepted that he had to speak with Uncle Harper about what had happened if there was any hope that he would sleep.
He stumbled from his bedroom and down the hall. His sensitive hearing picked up the sound of voices coming from the deck along the back of the house. He couldn’t make out the words, but recognized his uncle’s voice having a conversation with someone. His uncle sounded agitated or upset, but the other voice, which was not familiar to Cole, was calm as it responded. Cole moved closer to the sliding glass door, which was closed tightly. He could see through the curtain, but was sure that he couldn’t be seen by the two people outside.
Uncle Harper was standing in the snow, still wearing only a t-shirt, sneakers and jeans. It was freezing outside, but as Cole had frequently noticed, it didn’t seem to bother him. When Cole saw who his uncle was speaking with, he nearly gasped in surprise.
A young man that couldn’t have been much older than Vaughan stood across from his uncle. His skin was extremely pale and seemed to glow slightly in the moonlight and his face was handsome in an angular sort of way. A long mane of silvery-white hair spilled past his shoulders. But what had surprised Cole was
that he was completely naked. He wasn’t even wearing shoes as he stood in the snow. He was much shorter than Uncle Harper, and slighter of build, but managed to somehow seem larger.
“You had no right putting his life at risk like that,” Uncle Harper whispered fiercely. “You agreed to protect all of them and that doesn’t mean taking Cole out to face them!”
The naked young man was silent for a moment before he responded in a raspy voice with a strange accent, “I do not need to be reminded of our agreement, son of Nuada. The pack needed me and I did not take him out with me. He merely followed me and I chose not to stop him. I don’t think I need to remind you of my obligations to the others who have agreed to protect the Solas.” He looked out into the woods then, and his voice sounded distant. “Without their help, you and I alone will fail. You know this to be true.”
Harper’s voice sounded slightly calmer as he responded, “I mean no offense by what I say, but he could have been killed.”
The young man turned his head to look at Uncle Harper again. “We all could have been killed. But we weren’t.” He shrugged his shoulders as he added, “We were stronger and those foul invaders knew this. Besides, I believe Cole was in much less danger than you believe. From what he showed tonight, he’s at least as dangerous as you or I are, if not more so.”
“You’re probably right about that,” Uncle Harper conceded as he glanced out into the woods. “But we can’t take such chances. He is not ready to face them. And because of tonight, it is likely that they know what we’re protecting.”
“That may be true, but he will never be ready to face them if he is sheltered constantly by you,” the young man said. There was no accusation in his voice. It sounded like he was simply stating a fact. “You cannot teach the pup to hunt by keeping him in the den. He must face his enemies to learn how to fight them.”
Harper shook his head in frustration, but didn’t say anything in response.
The young man looked at the house and Cole froze for a second, hoping that he couldn’t be seen through the blinds. “Do you think he is the one, then?”
Harper sighed before answering, “I don’t know. He’s the first one to show any signs, but what we saw tonight doesn’t say for certain that he’s the Solas.” This time it was Harper whose voice sounded distant as he added, “I don’t want it to be any of them, but if it has to be, Cole’s certainly the strongest. He could handle the responsibility better than the others.”
The young man nodded slightly. “He is certainly strong, but don’t underestimate the other children. The strength of their mother is in each of them, if in different ways. And don’t forget the strength of their father. It is slower to build in his race, but it is there nonetheless.”
Something brushed against Cole’s leg and he jumped in fright, his hand brushing against the blinds and rattling them loudly. He looked down to see Aidan standing at his side, looking up at him. He held his fingers to his lips and sent her a mental request to stay quiet. In response, she walked over to the glass door and looked outside.
Cole looked through the blinds and knew that it no longer mattered if Aidan was quiet or not. His uncle was looking right at him and he didn’t look happy. The young man was nowhere to be seen and Cody, who hadn’t been there a minute before, was now standing next to Uncle Harper. Cole looked around in confusion, wondering how the young man could have disappeared so quickly, but could see no sign of him. Cole reached out with his mind to Cody, asking him if he had seen a naked young man, but the only response he received from his dog was something that Cole could only identify as amusement.
Uncle Harper was definitely not amused. “Get to bed, Cole. Now.”
Cole turned around and headed back to his room. The exhaustion that he had kept pushing aside was back again and he stumbled down the hallway before collapsing on his bed. He had forgotten to close his bedroom door, but he didn’t care. Aidan curled up at the foot of the bed and looked at him with those familiar eyes. Before long he felt Cody jump up on the bed and when he opened his eyes, Cole saw that he had curled up next to Aidan. He thought it odd that they were suddenly so comfortable, but guessed that it had had something to do with the encounter in the woods. They were both asleep in minutes and Cole fell asleep not long after.
The rest of the night, his dreams had a normal quality to them, unlike the dream through the eyes of the wolf. But the wolf was there in his dreams nonetheless. Cole could see him running through a forest in spring, the trees covered in green leaves, with patches of wildflowers littered throughout. At his side ran his brother and sisters who had also given their lives to protect Cole’s family, and the thoughts he could hear from them were joyous.