Shifters Alliance Read online

  ‘Maybe I should give him water now?’ Sam asked Doc. ‘He didn’t drink on the journey back, and if he passes out with the bones being reset, well, who knows when he’ll next be awake?’

  ‘I’ll make sure he doesn’t pass out, Sam, but maybe best to wait on the water.’

  Sam looked into the eyes of the creature and thought he saw confusion, quickly replaced by fear, as Doc worked again on his leg.

  So very young and very insecure, but he still tries hard to appear brave, thought Sam.

  He stared intently into his eyes, knowing that Doc’s work was nearly finished. CLICK! The sound echoed around the Meeting Place.

  Doc looked down. ‘Job done,’ he said, setting the leg bone back into place.

  Sam smiled to himself as a look of shock flashed in the creatures’ eyes, followed by a look of immense relief.

  ‘He spoke our language this morning,’ said Sam. ‘From watching him now, I think he may still understand if you give him instructions.’

  Sam’s wife, Salli, approached and put her arm through his, holding him tight.

  ‘I think you’ve a lot to tell us, Sam,’ she said, leading him to a seat at the fireside.

  ‘Try not to move the leg tonight,’ Doc said, wondering if the creature did understand. ‘The moss will repair the wound by morning, but the bone will need more time to join again. If I were you, I’d lay quiet. Do you want a drink now?’

  The creature moved his head perceptibly down, and Doc took it as a yes.

  He poured water slowly into the creature’s mouth. ‘Drink it slow, or it’ll all come back up,’ Doc said to the creature. He poured the water slower.

  ‘We should take him to the island for tonight. We can free his arms and leave him food and water. I’ll check him tomorrow.’

  Avi and Ben stepped forward to carry the creature down to the boat pulled up on the bank where the Meeting Place fell gently into a half-moon beach at the river’s edge.

  ‘You should eat,’ said Grandfather, walking amongst the men returning from the levee.

  ‘When the brothers return, maybe Sam will tell us what he knows of this creature?’ he said.

  Sam quietly nodded, needing the time to bring himself back to the warmth and companionship of the clan.

  With the end of the journey, the men’s appetite returned with a rush. They helped themselves to the food prepared over the fire, except for Sam, who sat feeling sick in his stomach, worrying about Lulu.

  ‘You must eat,’ said Salli,. ‘You’ll need your strength if we’re to bring Lulu back.’

  Sam nodded, knowing his wife was right.

  While Sam ate, Salli bathed the cuts and scratches on his arms and legs that he’d suffered in the charge before the tunnel. His wife gently rubbed mosses over his bruised and aching legs.

  ‘You’ll be as good as new by morning,’ Salli said tenderly. Getting up, she kissed his forehead and then took a seat next to him, to feel his warmth and strength.

  The brothers returned and, taking food, they too settled themselves around the fire. The clan fell into an expectant silence, eagerly waiting to hear Sam’s recollection of the day. All eyes turned towards him. He looked deep into the fire, seeing the colours and images appearing and disappearing in the flames of the pine coals.

  ‘With your permission, Grandfather?’ Sam said.

  No one really needed permission from the head of the clan to speak. All were free to pass opinions. But this was a tradition Sam liked to maintain, just as tradition said that one day, Sam would lead the clan.

  Sam stared into the fire as the words came tumbling out.

  ‘The tunnel opened into the side of the northwestern levee. The entrance was in a darkness I’ve never experienced before. The dark seemed to have weight, it seemed heavy.’ Sam grasped for words, trying to describe what had happened.

  ‘I took two steps into the darkness, and a shimmering veil lit the air. As I approached, it got brighter and brighter. I took another step, and then a blinding flash erupted. I only planned to step through and back out, just to see what was on the other side, but as my foot passed through, I felt solid ground, so I took another step. There was a loud BANG as I passed through.

  ‘There’s a valley, like you’ve never seen. And mountains of such height, they seemed to be holding up the sky. I felt very, very small. The sun was shining hot, even though it was early morning, and yet there was still snow on the mountain tops. The valley was so beautiful.’ Sam shook his head in wonder at the recollection.

  ‘Then I saw him. He looked a young man. His hair was long and brown, and his skin was light. But his eyes! It’s his eyes I remember. There was a fire there, just so much anger.

  ‘I don’t know if he was angry that his leg was broken, or angry that I’d found him, or angry that his gang of kidnappers had left him. I don’t know. But he’s young, arrogant, and very angry. He tried to rope me. I used it to tie him up.’

  ‘I brought him back through the tunnel, expecting the raiders to stop and try to win him back, but one moment I was dragging a man, the next he’d changed into that ‘thing’ you see.

  ‘That’s when we saw the other creatures coming, the clouds of dust could be seen leagues away. They were in Northern Plains charging at full speed. But it was as if they never saw him. They came on, faster and faster, like their lives depended on it. They ploughed straight through us without stopping and ran into the tunnel. After they passed, the tunnel just disappeared with five loud CRACKS. Just gone.’

  Sam sat with his head low, staring into the flames, reliving the moment again.

  Grandfather said, ‘We need information and we need it quickly, our young ones are still out there. Who knows when these creatures will return?’

  ‘We could feed him the yellow berries, or a mushroom paste,’ said Casey. ‘That’ll work quicker.’

  ‘I think it would be better to put the yellow berries in his food,’ said Doc, ‘We need the truth without the uncertainty of not knowing if he’s imagining things or not. The mushroom paste is too ‘unpredictable.’ We can start tomorrow, crush berries into every meal we give him. If his body’s like ours, then by the end of the day, he’ll be looking for us to talk to, if he can still talk when he’s a creature.’

  There were nods and murmurs of agreement as the people decided on their plan.

  ‘Tell us about the valley, Sam,’ one asked.

  ‘Tell us what he said to you, Sam,’ asked another.

  The talk lasted well into the night; the clan asked again and again for Sam to recount parts of his day. Eventually, with all questions answered and all in agreement, the families moved away to sleep. The fire slowly smouldered down to glowing embers, giving up the last of its heat before morning.

  Ten days previous. Evening at Duma’s House.

  Holly sat alone at end of the long oak table. This must’ve been made for twenty people, she thought.

  The size of the table made her feel very small. The solitary candle, half burnt, did little to throw any light into the dark corners. She felt lost and alone.

  They’d given her food, but she’d spent the last hour pushing it around the plate. There was nothing that she recognised. No fruit, no vegetables. It didn’t look nice and it didn’t smell very nice. She recognised the bread, but the lump in her throat made it impossible to swallow any. So she sat, and waited.

  I hope that angry man doesn’t come back, she thought.

  He’d come into the room, looked at her, and his face turned angry.

  But why’s he upset with me? I don’t want to be here, she thought.

  He’d turned around and walked straight back out. That’s when all the shouting had started. He didn’t like her new red dress for some reason. She could hear him outside, shouting at someone that it was the wrong one.

  It can’t be the wrong one, it’s the only red one I have. Besides, it’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever worn. It was a gift from Kerri and she always looked beautiful in it.

&n
bsp; She felt very upset, and a little afraid that he would shout so much about her dress. Then he started shouting because she was by the river. Her mother told her it was all right to visit Kerri’s house, to say thank you. And she had tried to run back like she was told.

  Anyway, what’s wrong with going to Kerri’s house? Everyone loves Kerri.

  She didn’t like the man. He was always angry about something. He’ll probably be angry now because I haven’t eaten this supper, she thought. It’s not my fault, I just can’t swallow anything. I have tried.

  So she sat waiting in silence, swinging her legs on the oversized chair, every creak of the wood, every scrape on the plate, echoing around the room tenfold.

  I really don’t like this house, she thought. There’s no warmth here, only darkness.

  She heard footsteps approaching the door.

  Please, don’t let it be the angry man, please don’t let it be the angry man, please...

  The door opened to reveal a dark shape in a dark doorway.

  Oh no, it’s him again. Now she was afraid.

  Please don’t shout at me, I’m not really as strong as I look and...

  ‘I want you to do something for me, little girl, and if you promise to help me, then I’ll give you the most wondrous present you could ever imagine.’

  He sat down at the table beside her, his bulk dominating the room. But it was his smell that shocked her. His breath smells like ox dung, she decided.

  He placed a pretty golden box on the table and slid it in front of her.

  ‘No, thank you,’ she said. ‘I don’t know you, and my mummy always says...’

  ‘It’s all right. I know your mother and I know she’ll be so happy when you bring this gift home to show her.’

  Maybe he’s not always angry, she thought, and he does have a nice voice sometimes, it sounds... silky.

  ‘Open it and look,’ he said.

  Not silky, his voice sounds sugary, she decided.

  She reached across and pulled the lovely box towards her. It felt very heavy.

  She looked at it and thought, This must be the prettiest box in the world, and it feels so warm.

  Just a quick look, she decided. It can’t do any harm to just look.

  The lid opened easily, a warm glow filled her smiling face. Holly sat staring at the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, and the angry man promised he would give it to me and I can show my mummy and all I have to do is help him...

  Chapter 3

  The creature drifted in and out of consciousness with the swaying of the boat. The gentle movement from side to side calmed him. It seemed that he could still feel the hands of the Doc upon his leg, vaguely aware of a pressure there.

  Must be the moss they’ve placed over the wound, he thought. It’s as if hands were still there, massaging the break.

  He felt himself drifting and floating over himself. In his lucid moments he thought, It’s probably the boat and the waves.

  He was aware of the brothers rowing, the slow steady draws on the oars, the gentle lapping and a rush and glide forward. The water dripping from the oar blades when they were lifted high from the return stroke. It made him aware of the immensely slow passage of time, getting to the island. Drifting in and out of reality, images of his life became palpable. He could touch them, still hear the words of his family. He turned his head to listen, hearing his mother call to him.

  ‘Sonny, Sonny come quick, the Border Pride is here.’

  He could see them coming over the hill, five members, walking tall and confident as they approached.

  ‘Sonny,’ one called, ‘we’ve had word from your father in the High Lands. We need help to cross the southern border. Your father says you’re ready.’

  He drifted through the dark waters, through the still night air, through his past and his memories. Remembering the trek south, accepted for the first time as a member of the Border Pride. The excitement of talking with the elders, who were so calm and confident of their task ahead.

  Then the terrible error of judgement. His face burned with shame remembering how he acted like a child, jumping over rocks and crevices, trying to impress the senior members of the Pride. Then the slip and the SNAP! The noise was still in his ears. He knew immediately his leg was broken, but there was a delay before the searing pain shot through his leg, up his back, to his brain.

  His mind screaming, What have you done!

  The others were stunned. They knew the rules, the task came before all else, before any individual. But Sonny was so young. They all felt enormous respect, and fear, for his father, who even at this moment was battling in the High Passes to protect the northern border of their land. And they all felt responsible for Sonny.

  Dray was the recognised leader of the team of six. He looked down at Sonny, desperately trying to make the right decision.

  ‘The leg can’t be fixed here,’ he said with resignation. ‘We’ll carry him to the gateway and leave him there with supplies till we return. It’s too dangerous to leave him here. Their scouts have been tracked to this area before.’

  ‘Our time is limited,’ said another. ‘Carrying him will only slow us up.’

  ‘Do you think I’m not aware of that?’ said Dray, angry that he was now forced to make a decision between Sonny’s safety or the success of the task. ‘If we leave him, he may not be here when we come back.’

  ‘His father will understand that we had to leave him.’

  ‘I don’t think I could ever look his father in the eye again, knowing that I’d abandoned his son. If we take only one of the children instead of two, it’ll be worth it, to have the full Pride return. He will heal and he’ll learn, and he’ll be of great value in the future.’

  ‘We’ve no time for discussions, we need to go.’

  ‘It’s my decision. Bind his leg, two of you make a frame to carry him, I’ll scout ahead. We’ve already spent too much time here,’ said Dray.

  The shame of being carried by the Pride still burned his face when he remembered it. He knew time was short. The stone would disintegrate, taking the gateway with it, and their way home. They knew the exact hour it would close, and he was causing delays that could turn fatal for the task.

  He was alone and undercover, hidden from anyone observing the valley. How his heart had jumped when he heard the humming sound, meaning someone was approaching the gateway. He saw the light shimmering and someone pass through.

  Why didn’t I stay hidden when the Southerner emerged?

  He’d been told of how they hid in their homes at night, that they were afraid of the dark.

  He’ll be afraid of me, he told himself.

  Taunting the intruder, as he’d seen the elders do, he felt a slight unease when the stranger held his ground. Then the stranger seemed to laugh at this broken leg, which made his anger rise even more.

  I should have stayed hidden, I should have thrown the rope without warning. The things he should have done now unsettled him further. He’d tried to frighten the stranger with the threat of his Pride’s return, anything to make the stranger back off, but he’d still held his ground.

  With a massive effort to rise without showing pain, he committed himself. But the stranger wasn’t there. He’d moved with a speed he could not follow. It was at that moment he realised this was a conflict he was not going to win.

  He remembered being bound and gagged, of thinking, What will the Pride think of me if they return and see me like this?

  He thought he might have one last chance. He’d never been through a gateway before, but he’d been instructed. He knew what to expect and how to change to his other self. He’d been overjoyed to be given the chance to feel the Lion emerge from the depths of his soul, to feel the surge of power and the exhilaration of freedom, to be a master in the Southern Lands, to be a Mountain Lion and a member of the Border Pride.

  As he’d stepped through the gateway, he’d remembered the instructions and the warnings. Stay focused, do not drift away, and pu
ll all your thoughts in to concentrate on the heart. Feel each beat, each pulse. See it grow larger and stronger. See it as the heart of a lion.

  Sonny did as he’d practised hundreds of times in the valley, waiting for his time to use the change. He became aware of his heart filling his chest, of his ribs moving out to allow his heart to expand. He sensed his hands becoming wider and stronger, his palms becoming pads and his nails becoming claws. He was at last a Mountain Lion in the Southern Lands.

  But he was also bound and gagged. Enraged to be held down when he had such strength, he twisted, clawed, and lashed out.

  There were more of the strangers here, but they were still no match for the Mountain Lions of the Border Pride.

  I must warn them, he remembered thinking. It’s an ambush.

  But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t break his bonds. He roared, trying to alert the approaching Pride. There’s so little time, he thought.

  He could feel the tension in the strangers around him, except for one. The one who had stepped through the gateway, the one they called Sam. He had a calmness around him. Sonny could hear Sam’s deep breaths, and a deep silence settling in the air around him. He understood then that he’d underestimated this stranger. The Pride has underestimated the Southerners’ strength and must be warned. He had to escape.

  The Pride approached, running faster as they got closer. Sonny knew they were not going to stop for him. The task was to bring back the young ones. That was the only thing of importance. He knew the gateway would be closing very soon, and the Pride would not stop to pick up a straggler who’d delayed them through his own stupidity and inexperience. He’d been given a second chance, but he knew he wouldn’t be given a third.

  When the leader, Dray, hit them with the charge, he caught Dray’s eyes and saw the anger. Anger that he’d now have to face Sonny’s father and tell him that his son had been left on the other side. Why hadn’t Sonny stayed hidden? Why hadn’t he left Sonny in the valley to take his chances. Why? Why? Why?

  Sonny felt himself being lifted from the boat and gently lowered to the sands, and the staff removed from his arms. The brothers turned him to cut his bindings and then quickly stepped back.