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Werewolves (RP13.2) Many Decisions: Secrets

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Eleanor went to work as quickly as Saber complied. She checked the rest of his vitals - heartbeat, the sound of his lungs. Then she retrieved a telescoping stand from the duffel bag and sat it upright by his bed, before taking a portable pump and bag of solution from the backpack.

She prepped his arm and tied an elastic at the top of it, before putting in his IV. He was hooked up to the fluids-purely water and sodium to restore his electrolytes - and Eleanor remained present to observe him.

“Can you try to take a bit of plain broth? I have epinephrine with me-I can admnister it through the IV.” 

Ulric took the marker and marked the map as best he could, - pointing out his memories failed in certain areas, and that he could not be sure of its accuracy.
"We were up here last night," he said, pointing to an area near Dead-Man's trail. "Before the storm blew in, and that's where I think the cave was. When it closed up on us we were forced to go deeper in and that's when we found her. We exited on the other side of the mountain, I think... But I don't know where."

****

Kratos lowered his eyes. His thoughts must have mirrored Logan's or perhaps something similar, but there were no better words for it. He looked to consent to the old man's terms, but found the old man was already gone. Kratos ascended to the tallest of the stone slabs and sat down, his clawed fingers curling over the stone's edge. When then he found something of interest... a stone paw print, carved, not clawed into the stone. It was larger than his own.

Kratos lifted his paw and looked at his palm when a sudden sound called his attention to the exit. It was a tumultuous, grinding noise, as if the two stones composing the hall were suddenly sliding apart. Then the light from the hall vanished and the exit closed with a bang!

Bob watched and listened, and when Ulric finished he gave a satisfied nod.

“Good, alright. We’ll do what we can.” He gave Ulric’s shoulder a squeeze with his large hand and descended the stairs. The door was heard opening and closing.

“Mercer,” he handed the map to the man with black paint. “Sir,” Mercer responded and took the maps. Mercer was built tall and lean with a light  complexion. He had short black hair that was spiked upright, and bright green eyes under a dark brow and thick lashes. His nose was slightly crooked at the end.

The scout began to copy the indicated areas onto three other maps.

“Have... Reggie, Tara and Clay lead each group.” Bob said with a low voice, then looked out at the several sets of willing eyes.

“Standard search and rescue-report anything out of the ordinary to Mercer. You may lose the ability to track by scent-make sure everyone has their flares. Mercer will take over from here.”

He dismissed himself and went back into the cabin. Mercer began checking each group and sending them off after verifying they had supplies - first aid kits, flares, lights, a blanket and so on. Then they shifted into their second skins and began into Phantom Mountain, fanning out around the area Ulric had marked.

Bob remained behind. He was no longer nimble enough to climb the mountain range and knew his limits-and he wasn’t going to leave the two young werewolves and his wife with Timothy. Bianca meanwhile, went to her room but kept the door open-she sat at the end of the bed with her gaze downcast and fingers intertwined in thought. 

Logan immediately faced the noise, and froze in disbelief as the exit slammed shut. Even for a few moments afterwards she didn’t move, before beginning to walk, and then run to what was previously the entry.

She began to inspect it and then run her hands over it, looking for a hold. In other places she attempted to shove as if it woud yield a weak point. When that failed, she pounded on the stone with her fist several times, as though someone would hear. And finally she yielded, turning and resting her back against it and scanning the room for anywhere else to go...

No response came to Eleanor's question. Although Saber's eyes remained closed, his breath did not indicate he had fallen asleep, meaning he simply had chosen not to answer.

Ulric stayed at the top of the stairs, listening. It was a quiet cabin, and with excellent hearing ability it wasn't hard to discern the voices outside. He listened until he heard the sound of a dozen paws scatter out into the night. When Bob Chapman came back in, Ulric's amber eyes were glowing from the dark hallway.

"What kind of a pack are you?" He asked quietly.

****

Kratos remained sitting on the great stone in the center of the room, under the only ray of light streaming down from a great crack in the vaulted ceiling.
He watched Logan attempt to negotiate with their stone prison. No expression shown on his face. When she sat down and looked at him, he raised his golden eyes to the light.

His voice, low like thunder answered. "As you so said. Heaven will hear us from here."

Chapman came to stand across from Ulric, popping his neck and shoulders with a quiet groan.

“I guess you could call it that,” he spoke evenly, albeit quietly out of respect for those resting-or supposing they were. Even so, his voice was deep by nature.

Curiously and with his dark grey eyebrows raised, he glanced into Bianca’s room, where she sat slumped at the end of the bed, all but asleep.

“Although”, he continued, glancing at Timothys door before meeting Ulrics eyes again, “I don’t particularly see it that way. I prefer to think of the men and women as they are on a level that is to us, very human and personal.. they are officers, they aim to protect and serve. They also happen to be werewolf, so they have a primary and sensitive duty within that rite; to protect their kind and others from them. They have seen the good and bad of humanity, of mans fallen nature, regardless of race-that includes us. Each of them is an authority in their own right, and in that, they they answer to the One Authority first and the law second. I just call the assembly.”

He waved his hand as if shooing a fly from his face. “Anyway, forgive me, I ramble, more with each passing hour. Let’s talk about you son. How are you holding up?”

—-

Logan said nothing in response. She instead inclined her head in understanding and approached the Alpha, with every step becoming less man and more beast. Upon reaching the stone slab, she wait only for him to call first, and would join thereafter.

There was silence in the great vaulted hall. Kratos' form seemed magnified by the deep dark shadows all around him. He sat on the tallest stone, black against black, if not for the radiant beam of light raining down on him. It was a peculiar thing that the sun should be shining so brightly when outside there were clouds rolling through the valley. Yet, bright it was, and Kratos' crimson-dusted coat shimmered while his yellow eyes sparkled.

Then a shadow passed in front of the light and the Alpha was gone, consumed by the darkness. From where he sat, Kratos could look up and see a shadow pass in front of the crack in the ceiling. Its size and shape were distinctive - it was a large head with horns and ears like trowels. It appeared to be wild ox, and then it was gone.

Kratos raised his nose as the light came back down on him. He could smell the scent of the beast as it came down to meet him, but for the size of the room it lingered only briefly before being lost. It was the scent of old cowhide, the Phantom Herb, and something perplexing hidden underneath it all.

Just then, the awful grinding that had sealed them in began to grind again. Kratos looked toward the exit, or what now must be assumed a door. The grinding lasted longer the second time, as great weights were shifted by unseen mechanisms unaided by gravity. At last, the light in the entranceway returned, finding that Kratos had never gone from his spot.

A man, not the one from before, stood outside the door. Kratos leveled his eyes at him. The Alpha leapt from the great stone and landed soundly on his feet and hands. He walked as an animal up to him.

"We do not appreciate being caged, regardless the size of the cage." Kratos said. His voice rolled like a growl.

"Please," The man said, putting up his hands to stop Kratos. "Our brother did not mean it."

It could easily be seen that Kratos' approach had been passive, but the man regarded his movements with great fear.

"It is open," The man said, motioning about him. "It is open."

"Yes," Kratos replied. "And now we shall wait outside. Stand out of the way."

"Our brother did not mean it." The man repeated. "You must stay."

"No. I will wait outside or go as I please, now get out of the way."

"Amadahy," The voice of the old man came suddenly from the entrance. He appeared presently and motioned to the other man. "Let them come out."

Ulric still stood with his back guarding his own door. The room wherein Timothy resided was quiet.

"I'm alright, I guess." Ulric answered with a sigh, willing to let go of his questions at the moment, and put aside his thoughts. He glanced down at his arm and rotated it to look at the scrape on his elbow briefly.
"I fell on my head last night and got a concussion, I think." He said. "I'm still seeing red, and my head hurts... Timothy threw up a lot of the meat we had. But Bianca made some stew for everybody. I had a little."

Logan waited as the Alpha moved up to the men. There was something unsettling in the brief interaction between the strangers and Alpha. She remained near the pillar, observing on the one hand the fear of the first man who spoke and on the other the countenance of the second.

The door was open and the walls that contained them were no longer as intimidating as they were a moment ago. But something else had changed and a feeling in Logan’s gut inclined her to stay, while another told her to come to Kratos’ side.

“Kratos...” Logan spoke in a low tone.

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