Sunshine

His Father! He must have gotten tired of waiting in the pass and come to retrieve him. The alpha undoubtedly could smell his son’s blood in the valley and the lingering scent of the feline as well. Lianna looked at him, a silent question as a second howl rang through the air, this one more demanding.

Eris ignored her and stepped to the door, opening it quickly before disappearing into the dark rain. His eyes scanned for his father in the tree line.

The giant wolf that approached would have put his canine form to shame. His father’s silver fur glistened in the wetness of the night. The rain was beginning to slow, and the temperature was quickly dropping, he shivered, missing his fur coat in the icy rain.

“What happened here?” His alpha demanded. He felt his father’s power brush up against his mind in silent demand. His power bowed in response, and he shifted immediately into his canine form to allow his pack leader to access the information he sought firsthand. The bond of the pack was an amazing thing. In their canine forms, they could access each-others thoughts and memories as if they were their own. It had allowed the pack to not only survive but thrive. They were deadly when working as one being with several bodies.

Erin let out a low growl as he contemplated his eldest son’s mind.

“Where is he?” The older male asked, lifting his head to scent the air, not finding a trace of the feline fae in the valley. Eris whined in response and swung his head toward the cabin. He was less concerned about the cat than he was about the female that had attracted so much attention, to begin with.

Lianna had just poked her head out the door and was scanning the tree line for them. He felt his father’s power jump in response to the untamed wildness the emanated from the girl even at this distance. Relief flooded through him as he instantly knew that his reaction to her aura of chaos was not as cowardly as he had first thought.

Erin let out a warning growl at the thought that trickled through the bond. He could even feel Lupin’s curiosity scuttle through his mind, his dark form appearing like a shadow through the trees. His younger cousin fell to his belly in a submissive stance, his head resting between his paws as he too contemplated the young women walking toward them now.

Eris noticed that the mist that rose from the ground in the wake of the rain seemed to part as she came closer, the heat surrounding her evaporating the droplets before they could touch her skin.

“It is not cowardly to be wary of an unknown force, especially one that feels as untamed as hers.” Was the thought that appeared in his mind, his father’s reply to the shame that washed through him and therefore the pack members present as well.

“You are correct, she does not belong on this side of the mountains.” His father scented the air again as she approached. The wave of shock from him slipped through Eris just before his father shifted into his male form.

Lianna gasped and stepped back quickly, her hands coming up with a wall of flame separating her from the three glowing sets of eyes watching her with suspicion. The largest one shifted and the wall had come up unbidden in reaction. The growl that came from him was half man half beast. The man was older than Eris but had the same piercing blue gaze and was now trying to stare her into submission.

She swallowed her fear audibly and lifted her chin as she dropped her hands, the flames instantly disappeared. She would not let them cow her into submission. The smallest wolf, and the darkest of the three, whimpered from the ground behind the two larger males as if he could feel her power swelling into the space around them, feeling them out. Well, if she was going to seek their help, she did not want to offend them, so with a deep breath, she reined in her aura as best she could.

“ I am Lianna.” She introduced herself. “I do not want to hurt anyone. Eris said that you could help me.” She slowly raised her hands again, the flames springing from her fingertips in a merry dance, this time more controlled. The flames disappeared as she met the man’s silver gaze. He looked like Eris, only more subdued. The lines of his face softer, wiser. His sandy hair was more silver than gold, shining in her fires glow like the moon.

“There are other things that I do not understand. Up until yesterday, I had no idea I was capable of such things.” She hesitated, looking to Eris. “I do not want to hurt anyone.”

The man looked to his son, who bowed his head.

“I am Erin, Leader of the Bloodstone Wolf Tribe. I cannot promise that you will receive a warm welcome, but I can offer you some protection until other arrangements can be made. Few can claim your specific gifts, and even fewer, if any, that have the amount of power that radiates from you. You smell of dragons, Lianna Bloodstone, and I know who your father is. ” The shock of his sudden revelation rippled through the night. The temporary stillness made her wonder if she had frozen everyone again. There was no panic in their eyes as they beheld her, and she let out a breath. Lianna was not sure she understood what he had just said. She smelled like Dragons?.

“I will take you to him.” She was also unsure how she felt about meeting the father who did not want her. Perhaps he did not even know of her existence Lianna did not know what to say to the older male. Suddenly Eris shifted behind him, his face unreadable as he looked to his father. They were strikingly similar in appearance.

“She is not our responsibility father; we cannot let her walk amongst our people untrained as she is. With her power she could light the forest ablaze without a thought, burning through our villages.” His father lifted a hand and Eris immediately quieted. He had been the one to suggest they offer her protection, to begin with. Had he changed his mind now that he knew dragon blood flowed through her veins?

“Her father is a busy man and may not even claim her.” He directed his words to her even as he answered his son’s swift argument. “Be ready to leave at dawn girl. We will rest out here.” He shifted back into his canine form and turned to disappear into the forest. She watched as Eris’s eyes meet her own, curiosity shining bright before he shifted and followed behind the other two wolves into the darkness.

Lianna folded her arms around her waist, feeling very alone. She was going to leave her home. And she was going to meet her father. Her mother had lied to her and betrayed her all this time. She had dragons’ blood in her veins. Lianna tried not to think about what would happen if her mother returned to find her gone. What would she think? Would she even care? Lianna could not stay here in her valley. Now that her power was unrestrained, she could not hide her true nature from the villagers or her mother. The fire raged with a mind of its own it seemed and Lianna knew that she no longer belonged here.

She turned and walked slowly back into her home. The last night she would spend here. Maybe one day she would come back after she had mastered the monster inside her. The man had said her father was too busy to take on the responsibility of her. What did that mean?

Back in the quiet walls of her home, the silence roared in her ears after the conversation she had with the males. She was used to the quiet routines that filled her days and nights, and just that small bit of noise had disrupted the peace she had come to know and love. How would it feel to travel in the company of others? To leave everything she knew behind? She wasn’t leaving much behind, her honesty answered her silent question. Her solitary existence made her who she was, trusting her instincts more than any other entity. Her instincts told her she could trust Eris, but Erin had an ancient grace and knowledge, his claim that she smelled of dragon’s blood may be true, but she wondered if he did indeed know her father.

Lianna sat by the fire and began brushing the tangles from her hair. Gazing into its familiar depths, the hunger and anticipation churned in her gut like a caged beast. Unlacing her bodice, she pulled down first one sleeve and then the other, before it pooled at her waist. Standing and allowing it to fall to her feet, she stood in only her rabbit skin and breeches. She padded for her bed. One more night was all she had here. Hopefully, sleep would claim her soon. She was tired of holding the beast at bay. Tired of the questions that would not stop begging for answers. She snuggled down under her furs and let oblivion claim her.

The rooster crowed the arrival of morning. Lianna did not bother to open her eyes yet, instead, she stretched her arms above her head feeling her muscles burn down her shoulders. She rolled to her side letting the oxygen flow through her body down her back and into her thighs and calves. Releasing the breath and allowing her body to relax again, she finally opened her eyes. The flames in the hearth flickered to life as she watched. She sat straight up. The cold barely noticeable as her brain remembered the events of the previous day. The fire, the wolves. The lion. Freezing the valley. Dragons blood.

She was to leave today. To seek her father and learn to control the beast flowing through her body. Erin had told her to be ready at dawn. Lianna jumped up, the fire flaring in reaction to her hurried movements. She tugged on her boots and dress, securing it quickly. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she dressed quickly for the day’s journey. There would be no chores today, and that thought alone made her step a little bit lighter.

She grabbed the leather belt with her knife already attached. Next, the satchel that hung near the hearth. She packed some of the dried meat and herbs inside. A few apples and her water skin made from a goat’s bladder. She slung the sack over her shoulder and remembered to grab her bow and quiver. Glancing around she grabbed the oat sack from beneath the table and walked out the door.

The morning was quiet. The goats had not yet awoken as she stalked to the corner of the cabin where they slept. She sat the bag on the ground near the hen that sat on the eggs. The whisper of her skirt was the only sound as she whirled around and headed for the stream to fill her goat bladder with fresh water. The three wolves met her there. The carcass she had left hanging from the poles was nearly gone. Something had gotten to it during the night. Probably the wolves she thought with a mental shrug.

She felt the now familiar pull in her gut that was her fire reacting to the canine’s presence as she bent toward the water. She stood and let her gaze roam over her beloved valley one last time before letting it settle on the oldest male. Lianna inclined her head, the only gesture she felt capable of rendering without falling to pieces. The wolf turned toward the North, following the stream into the still darkened woods. The sun had barely begun to brighten the Eastern sky when she squared her shoulders and made to follow. Eris kept her slow pace, and the smaller black wolf brought up the rear.

By mid-afternoon, Lianna was drenched in sweat and trying to catch her breath. The terrain became steeper and the air colder the farther north they traveled. When she finally allowed her knees to buckle beneath her she was on a ledge jutting out from the side of a cliff. Her breath tore from her in broken pants, her thighs, and abdomen burning with each movement. She looked out on the view before her in awe. The cliff fell away and she could see the canyon below that opened into her valley. She was higher up than she had anticipated, and her vision swam in response to the sensation of looking down so far.

The path had become unclear once they left the stream to find its way through the rocks. The earth went straight up in places, walls of deep red rock that seemed to touch the clouds. The wolves picked their way up the ridge carefully making their path. Lianna had barely managed to keep up with them and their extra set of legs that she was beginning to resent. The smaller black wolf caught up with her and sat a few yards away. He whined softly, and his silver eyes searched hers. She pulled the goat bladder out and drank deeply before holding it out to her companion. He only stared at her warily.

Lianna put it away with a negligent shrug and stood up. She sighed in resignation, not quite ready to resume her climb to the top of the ridge, but also not wanting to slow them down. The killer pace they set distracted her from the flickering power deep in her gut. She had no time to think about the life she left behind if it could be called life. The mundane routine was broken only by the thrill of the hunt, or brief conversations with Jesielle and her father, sometimes a quick lunch as she listened to Penny ramble on. A scowl lit her face at the thought, Penny had poisoned her, offering her friendship that was a lie. What would they think when she did not show up for more supplies? Would they wonder what had happened to her? Perhaps maybe even look for her? She doubted it.

Scoffing out loud at the thought, she turned away from her valley and her past, looking instead at the steep path ahead. It disappeared around a turn into the rocks. A small pine tree clung to the gravel at the base of one such rock and then the small fragments began to blend together as she kept moving; pebbles crunching under her feet.

Once, Eris had turned around and came back to check on her. He walked beside her silently for a while, nose down, tail wagging. He shifted midstride, startling a flare from her fingertips. He jumped back but she reined it in before it got out of control. His tight smile was his only answer. So, she offered him some water and an apple. He took both with a polite grin that turned genuine after he took that first bite. They walked at a slower pace almost a stroll as they both enjoyed the bright red fruit.

Lianna stole glances at him often, she was not often in the company of anyone, let alone a male of such… well ..beauty. She could not think of the word to describe the way his aura brushed against her own. She could feel his presence in a way that unnerved her. He slid his gaze to hers as if he could feel her curious presence too.

“Does it feel like this with everyone?” She asked him out loud.

He nodded. “Yes, everyone has their unique scent and aura, even if some share the same elemental abilities. No two gifts are ever exactly alike, however. You for instance have more than one unique gift. Few can summon flames like yours, and I have never even heard of one who can wrest control of a person’s body.” He shuddered and his gaze fell to the path before him.

“I am sorry, I did not know.” She grabbed his arm and made him stop to look at her.

“I truly did not know. I just reacted and it happened. I did not want you to fight. To get hurt.” She let her hand fall, and it was her turn to look away. Lianna continued walking, leaving him no choice but to follow.

“I do not have people. My mother first left me when I was eight years old to ‘procure her position’ she said. She came back long enough to teach me to hunt and the herbs I needed to heal myself. She left a year later, making no promises to come back, and she hasn’t. All I have is my valley. The birds, the deer, the goats. ..the wolves, they are my family and friends. I could not let him hurt you.” Lianna swallowed as the admission made a sadness well within her, a nostalgia for what she was leaving behind for something unknown.

She dared to look at him, finding him to be staring at her thoughtfully. He looked away quickly.

“You do not have friends in the village?”

Lianna hesitated. “There is a girl. Jesielle is no older than seven summers. She speaks to me. Her father is polite to me. I thought that Penny, the baker was my friend because she was always feeding me and giving me free bread, but obviously, she had ulterior motives. I have seen young men staring at me when they think I do not see. I have also seen the women look at me with disgust and sometimes fear, so I only go into the village when I need supplies the forest does not offer.” She was not ashamed of the fact she cared more for the forest than her people. He must have sensed her emotions somehow. His look of surprise was quickly masked, and he cleared his throat.

“We live in dens and burrows built into the roots of the Great Ash Grove. Most of the burrows are connected through tunnels under the ground. The pack life is very social, and we have bonds that cannot be broken, at least not without paying a great price. My father is the alpha, I am his second in command. My mother and sisters are like royalty. We all know our place and what is expected of us and the pack comes first no matter what.” Lianna had been listening carefully and felt the love and loyalty radiating from him as he spoke about his rather large family. It was hard for her to imagine living with a group of people, relying on them to support her. Keeping her own company and taking care of herself for the last ten years made the concept of family and friends foreign to her. The trepidation rose within her and the flames boiled up…She tried to push it back down, but the thought of her inability to control herself kept the panic near the surface. The tingly sensation started at her fingertips before she knew what was happening.

He stopped walking and watched her fingers as if he too felt her control slipping, she met his eyes, cool silver flecked with deep blue. Lianna had no idea what he saw there that would induce the sympathetic look in his eyes. The pity. Rage swelled up unexpectedly and she watched him step back in fear, sensing the coming confrontation. As the panic faded into anger she found control and lifted her chin in defiance.

“I do not want your pity. I am not ashamed of my life. Once I have learned to control this beast within me, I will return to my valley alone as I have always been. The way I like it.” She snapped.

Eris stopped and looked at her, her hands were fisted at her sides, shoulders back and head high. She was proud and beautifully wild as she defended her simple existence. He had not meant to upset her. He could not stop the pity that welled within him at the thought of being alone all the time. Having no one to talk to or play with.

“I only meant that being alone must be difficult at times. The familial bond of being part of a pack is all I know..”

“You cannot miss what you never knew” she interrupted him tersely. He gave her a frustrated growl and shifted into his canine form full of frustration at her lack of understanding.

“She is right, son; you cannot miss what you never knew. Her life has been isolated and simple. The wildness that clings to her is linked to the forest in the same ways that we are linked to each other. She will prove to be as unpredictable as the land we live in, her blood is also a factor that will make her less than welcome in most places. You young people may not know, but the elders will know her for what she is and remember the chaos and terror that reigned when the dragons still soared the skies.”

Eris sent a grumble of resignation down the bond. He should have kept far away from that blast of power she had sent out two days ago.

“It is a good thing you were so curious. If someone else had found her first.. the girl needs training and discipline. There is no telling the depths of her true power if she has been poisoned all these years to keep it hidden. In the wrong hands, she would be used as a weapon.”

“Is she really a dragon?” Eris wanted to know if she was a true dragon, or only had a strong bloodline, like King Errewyn. He knew his father was right as always but did not feel as if the girl should be their responsibility. She was proud and reckless and had a temper to boot.

“That remains to be seen. Her heritage is strong enough that she was able to control yours and the felines’ minds in the valley. Whether or not she can shift into her beast form remains to be seen. True dragons have been gone for two hundred years. To have one reappear now just as the land and people are being torn into pieces is an omen I’m sure. Whether it bodes ill or not is also yet to be seen.”

The alpha stopped as they neared the edge of the canyon. A small cave offered some shelter and he knew they would spend the night here before continuing in the morning. “Her temper will prove to be an obstacle if she cannot control it around the others. As you said, most will not be as welcoming as us.”

“I have heard tell of redheads and their tempers,” Lupin interjected the silent conversation, sending an image down the bond that had Eris’s canine panting and ice coursing through his veins.

“Don’t you mean fire…” Lupin howled his mirth.