Raven Wolf - 05 - The Abandoned - Chapter 02 by Kurapika < Submission

Keywords male 1116431, female 1005960, fox 233119, wolf 182391, horse 57113, mouse 50331, tiger 37007, skunk 31793, vixen 27242, story 12746, coyote 11307, series 4428, mink 2889, novel 1211, chapter 513, raven wolf 329, ongoing 85, continuous 2, welsh pony 1

Chapter Two

A singing voice echoes off the steal walls of an underground fortress, the long halls that lead to rooms holding military test subjects.

One of the glass rooms within the long hallway holds a grey wolf with dark yellow eyes and a scar over his right eye, the wolf goes by the name of Teddy Conner.

Teddy has a bored look on his face as he lies on his back on the floor of the cell and sings somewhat off key to himself about his surroundings. “It’s another day to drag myself though, I am really bored with nothing to do.”

Zack Magellan, a skunk with the number 1342-26 tattooed on the inside of his right ear, and is currently trapped within cell next to the wolf throws a comment at Teddy’s direction. “That’s because you are trapped.”

The wolf continues singing in his boredom. “I look around, and I can see, that everything thing’s imprisoning me.”

“And that is not a metaphor.”

Fenrir Zephyr, a young guard who has the figure of a True Blood, yet the ears and tail of a wild, sits on a chair outside of the cells with his ears laid back and a cringe on his face. “Stop it… stop it now…”

Zack does the opposite of Fenrir and encourages the wolf. “No keep going Conner, I think you’re starting to get really good at this.”

The grey wolf continues to sing slightly off tune. “Yula how did you last so long, without going nuts and singing dumb songs?”

A deep bang suddenly sounds, Teddy and Zack both jump to their feet as the iron building begins to tremble from the sound. Zack looks over to Teddy questioning what it is he has just heard. “Was that an explosion?”

Teddy nods his head pretty sure of it. “Sounded like one.”

Fenrir fixes a radio that is on his ear as he listens to voices on the other end while speaking to the two of them. “Ignore it, it’s none of your business.”

Teddy and Zack look to one another, it’s clear that the guard isn’t going to tell them anything, the two of them move over to the wall between them so that they can talk. Teddy questions Zack barely above a whisper, knowing that the skunk knows more about this place and the people that lived here more than he does. “All kinds of weird stuff has been going on lately, what do you think is happening out there?”

Zack thinks the information over. “The True Bloods can’t survive on the surface, and have no choice but to live their lives underground, some never even get to see the light of day. Coop anyone up like that and they’re going to start getting hostile.”

“You think the True Bloods are fighting among themselves?”

Zack nods his head yes. “The wilds they have here they keep under strict control and guard, even if they did attempt to rise up against them they would be overtaken and subdued in only a matter of minutes.” He lifts his hand to a metal collar that is tightly attached to his neck. “These things send waves of electricity through the body of its wearer if they are to step foot out of their assigned areas as well as if they get out of hand and need to be subdued.”

Teddy hums to himself having not realized, he lifts his hand to the one he has around his own neck and grab onto it. “I didn’t realize that they did something like that, mine’s never done that to me.”

Zack grins at Teddy. “You’re the Lightning Source, even if it was used you probably won’t even feel it.”

There is another sound of an explosion in the distance followed by a small tremor, Zack returns his attention to that. “A power outage would be perfect right about now you know, we could probably escape if there was one.”

Teddy frowns at the comment, even if he had been responsible for such a thing previously there is not very much that he can do about that now, as the reason the power outage had happened was because the source that his body is playing host to was going out of control and attempting to run rampant. “Believe me, of I knew how to do that I would, I’d like nothing better than to get out of this place and get my claws on Dmitri.”

“You seem to really dislike whoever this Dmitri guy is.”

“Trust me… if you had seen what I saw you would dislike him too.”

Teddy stops for a moment, looking over to Fenrir and remembering vague memories of something strange that had happened between the two of them. “Speaking of when I had caused that power outage… I didn’t remember it at first but I’ve slowly been recalling bits and pieces here and there, and I remember Fenrir saying something strange to me.”

“What did he say?”

“Now is not the time.” He stares back at Zack, not thinking much of that until Zack had mentioned that the True Bloods might be fighting among themselves. “You don’t think he’s somehow involved in this dispute within the True Bloods do you?”

Zack crosses his arms as he looks back to him. “I’ve heard rumours among the guards and scientists, that some kind of a resistance has been formed.”

“A resistance?”

Zack is careful with his words, knowing that the two of them are constantly being monitored by cameras and the like, making a very subtle motion towards one of the cameras to remind Teddy that it is there, and that what he is saying is in fact the opposite of what he wants to say. “I don’t know how true that is, and if a resistance existed at all I don’t think that your guard would be a part of it, he is Commander General Zephyr’s son and all.”

*******

A young wolf pup with a coat of bright red and white dappled spots on her face lets out a playful growl as she bares her baby teeth and prepares to pounce on her father’s unsuspecting tail, she lets out the best snarl she can manage and leaps forward grabs onto her father’s tail by wrapping both her arms and legs around it and biting into it as best she can.

Hasson, the very large brown wolf who’s tail is the subject of his youngest daughter’s hunt frowns as he lets out an annoyed grunt, he is in the middle of trying to eat his meal at the moment, Kitchi, a wolf that shares his younger sister’s red and white dappled coat picks her up and pulls her off Hasson’s tail. “Alawa… father’s tail is not for eating.”

Alawa lets out a cute laugh as she looks fondly at her older brother reaching towards him and grabs onto his muzzle, Kitchi lets out a squeal of delight as he grins holding Alawa up against him and hugging her. “You are so adorable!!!”

Kitchi’s mother lets out a laugh as she looks back to them. “She’s already practicing her hunting skills, why she’ll grow up to be a strong and proud warrior just like the rest of her family.”

A female skunk with the number 1342-11 tattooed on the inside of her right ear, also sits within the house looks over to Kitchi, she is much less in tune with family matters than she would like to be and instead is much more focused on jobs and responsibilities that must be done within the tribe. “You should start your patrol soon.”

Kitchi lets out a sigh as he nods his head putting Alawa down and getting to his feet, the tone Eleven carries in her voice when says things has a way of making his tasks sound like cumbersome chores instead of the proud tasks of a warrior. “Of course, I’ll get right to that.” He takes hold of a spear and a large masked that looks to resemble the skull of a bird that are resting by the entrance of the home and leaves to start his patrol.

Alawa sits still for only a moment before her attention is caught by something else, she lets out a excited gasp as she slinks across the ground on all fours toward a long and thin bright orange tail with black stripes, she lets out a growl as she leaps to pounce on it, only to have it move out of her way, Alawa soon leaps at it a second time only to miss it again, her third attempt though meets with success as she grabs onto the tail and bites as hard as she can into it.

A very large tiger with the number 0031-74 on the inside of his ear, who had previously been taking a nap, opens his eyes and lets out a growl of displeasure, he sits up and puls his tail from the young child, this is not the first time she has done something like this to him. “If you bite my tail one more time I’m going to-”

Before the tiger could finish talking Alawa leaps at his tail and bites into it again, the large tiger lets out a threatening snarl as he tries to ward her off, Alawa pays his warning no notice, Alawa’s mother has to pick her up and pry her off of him, she looks back to the large tiger with a sheepish grin. “Your tail is so brightly coloured and striped compared to anyone else’s in the village, she can’t help but want to leap at it every time she sees it.”

Kane, the large tiger whom the pup is bothering, is not amused in the least, though he wants very badly to take a swing at her to drive the pup away or at the least raise his voice to her, he doesn’t think that it would reflect well upon him, as Kane is right now in the process of trying to gain the trust of the members of Raven Wolf so that he would be able to join their ranks, Kane is now in the middle of what the tribe’s shaman refers to as a spiritual journey, the tiger who is raised and trained as a super soldier all his life is unable to engage in any fighting or other warrior like activities until he ‘finds himself’ whatever that can possibly mean.

Another wolf, who is large and has the same brilliant coat of red as the others watches Kane with a frown, he is known as Maigan, the oldest of the children in the family and the most overprotective when it came to his younger siblings. Though the tiger had now been staying with him and his family for several weeks Maigan still does not trust Kane with the rest of his family, especially his young brother and sister, he still clearly remembers how Kane and the others had attacked Iuana’s suitor trials and taken not only their chieftain Shiya, but Tahki their first warrior and Iuana’s suitor Teddy away.

Luckily for Maigan, Iuana, Shiya’s daughter and the leader of the Raven Wolf tribe in his absence, gave the task of keeping an eye on Kane while he is here to Maigan and Eleven, so he is able to keep a very close eye on him at all times.

Kane gets to his feet making his way toward the entrance of the hut to leave it, Maigan and Eleven also get to their feet and follow him out, keeping close to him as the large tiger makes his way through the village.

Kane grins as he looks back to the two of them. “I feel like a celebrity, having my own two personal guards at either side of me at all times.”

Eleven frowns at the comment, not amused by it. “Your situation is nothing to joke about, you have a serious task to complete.”

Kane lets out a deep laugh. “Meeting the whims of a crazy shaman and going on a spiritual journey is a serious task? You must be joking, either that or you’ve spent so much time among these deluded wilds that that they’re starting to rub off on you.”

Maigan speaks up with an annoyed tone in his voice. “You are the one that wanted to join us aren’t you? You could at least pretend to have some sort of respect toward us.”

Kane looks past the village out to the forest that surrounds it, a deer among the trees grazes upon the small shoots of grass upon the ground, it reminds Kane of just how far from civilized society he happens to be. “I wouldn’t have such a problem if your Shaman would not have stuck me with such an air headed order.”

Eleven explains, Achak is not as foolish as he often displays himself to be. “Achak may be incompetent when it comes to healing and medicines, but when it comes to things concerning the spirits and spiritual guidance there is no one wiser. You should listen to his words instead of look down on them.”

Kane turns toward a grey scruffy wolf who is on all fours spinning circles in front of his hut as he looks for his walking staff until he finds it, picking it up and carrying it around in his mouth instead of actually using it to help him walk. “The fact that you can refer to him as wise in any way shape or form is frightening.”

He falls silent as he watches Achak approach a two figures, one a wolf who’s coat is as black as night and has very distinctive white eyes, the other beautiful white wolf with fawn coloured eyes, the shaman begins to speak to the brother and sister.

The black wolf goes by the name of Yula, and is Shiya’s son and the oracle of the village. The other, whom Kane can’t help but keep his eyes fixed on, is Shiya’s daughter Iuana, the one currently leading the Raven Wolf tribe. Though not thinking much of her when first approaching the Raven Wolf tribe with the intent to ask to stay he finds himself unable to take his eyes from her every time she was in his sights.

Maigan notices that Kane has his eyes on Iuana, the warrior steps within the tiger’s line of vision and speaks up with a frown. “Iuana is taken by Teddy, the victor of her suitor’s trials. So keep your wandering eyes off of her.”

Kane lets out a low chuckle. “Her suitor is missing, so what does that mean for her?”

“Teddy is missing thanks to you!”

Kane shrugs his shoulders, he had nothing to do with Teddy’s disappearance. “How many times do I have to tell you, the Domestic Military and I had nothing to do with his disappearance, that was the work of the other party that was there. You know the weird looking ones without fur that tried to load you all into trucks and take you away.”

Maigan lets out a threatening growl, even if that is so their situation against that unknown group may not have fared so poorly if it were not for Kane and the rest of his squad attacking them in the first place.

Kane walks past Maigan as he looks out towards Iuana. “Out of curiosity, what is she going to do if her suitor does not return? Will she hold another round of trials?”

Maigan frowns, though he knows the facts of what would happen he is rather uncertain of how Iuana would react to her situation if Teddy did not return. “If the suitor is killed before any decedents are born than the suitor’s parents are to appoint her another mate, if her mother and father are unable to do that then that task falls upon the elders of the village.”

Eleven looks back out to Iuana. “Iuana is very much in love with Teddy, she is already suffering after losing him so shortly after being promised a life with him, she will be devastated if she has to live her life alongside anyone else.”

Maigan crosses his arms. “It is Iuana’s duty as leader of this tribe, she knows what it is that may or may not happen to her and has accepted it long ago.”

Eleven frowns at the remark. “Only because she was the only one in her family that could! Yula is an oracle, and therefore cannot take the position of Chieftain, while both of Iuana’s older brothers were killed when they were very young. Iuana has no other siblings that can fill this task in her place.”

Kane finds himself a little confused by this. “Why doesn’t she have siblings? If the military records are correct her and her brother are over three hundred years old, their father even older. You would think the chieftain would have had ample opportunity to make his lineage grow.”

Achak’s voice speaks up to answer the tiger, having made his way over to them once he had finished his conversation with Iuana and Yula, having come just as Kane’s question had been asked. “Shiya and Kanti were soul mates, and more in love with one another than most couples I have seen. When Kanti was murdered Shiya’s heart was shattered, it was already harsh enough that he had lost his first two children to the fighting between out tribe and the Domestics, but to lose her, and then Yula his youngest son. He could not bear to face that pain again, as a result he never sought out another mate to take Kanti’s place.”

Kane laughs at the information. “What a fool, who would chose to be alone for over three hundred years. No girl is worth that kind of trouble, especially if she’s dead. Hopefully his daughter is not so stupid. It’s a waste for something as fine looking as her not to belong to someone.”

Achak frowns at the comment, shaking his head as he turns away from the group heads on his way. “You still have a long journey ahead of you.”

Kane turns to Eleven, a Super Solider and not a wild like the others in the tribe, hoping so that she would have more sense than the others. “What is your opinion on all of this?”

Eleven doesn’t look back to him as she answers him. “I have no opinion on the matter. I am not like Tahki, I am still learning and do not truly understand such feelings or why people act in such ways because of them.”

“Then how are you considered to be a warrior while I am not?”

“Though I do not understand it I acknowledge that is it a driving force, and it is what is needed to protect everyone here.” She looks back to him. “You do not need to fully understand love to feel it for someone else.”

Kane stares at her for a moment before letting out a grunt and turning away, not getting it.

*******

Four military soldiers stand in front of Mr. Cadrey, Eve and Fitz are in the cafeteria of the museum as they explain the situation, two of them are from the Avian Fleet while the other two are from the Aquatic Navy, a male crow of the group explains the situation to the old fox. “No one well be harmed, we are only looking for a thief and a murderer that have taken refuge within this city.”

Eve points over to Fitz. “Well Fitz here is a thief if you want one so badly, but he’s no murderer.”

Fitz growls at the comment not finding it to be funny. “Treasure hunter!! Not thief!!”

The soldiers continue to explain. “We have little to go off concerning the identity of the individual. All we know is that they are of fox decent and over the age of fifteen, so anyone that falls under that category is to be brought in and questioned, possibly not released until the criminal is found.”

Fitz doesn’t look to happy with this information. “Are you kidding? You can’t just lock up a bunch of innocent people like that.”

“The individual we’re looking for is very dangerous, they’ve killed countless amounts of soldiers and innocents alike, and stole from the military a very powerful and unstable project that was used within this city several weeks ago, causing the destruction of several city blocks.”

Eve nods her head recalling such an incident. “The person you’re looking for is the one responsible for that?”

“Yes, so you understand then why it’s imperative that they are cornered and brought in.”

Fitz frowns remembering that ordeal, having been there to see it happen, two strange figures whom he could not make out the appearance of having attacked Dmitri enough to allow him, Shiya, Chase and Dolly to escape, Fitz later found out that these two figures were the Water and Wind Source.

One of the other soldiers speaks up. “Records say there are three members that fall within our search guidelines here. We’ll need then to come with us.” He looks to Mr. Cadrey. “We will also need to search your museum to make sure that no others that may fall under the guidelines are hiding here avoiding us.”

Eve and Fitz both look to one another, not sure how a search like that will play out with the group they are currently hiding away here, Mr. Cadrey nods his head to agree, unaware that the people he is currently housing are hiding from the military at the moment. “That’s fine, you can search anywhere you like. I wouldn’t want to be hiding criminals under my roof.”

Fitz speaks up there’s an additional issue that he is concerned about. “Um… you said that there were three individuals here that fell within your search guidelines. You don’t mean Gracie too do you?”

“You are correct, Gracie Cadrey is on the list.”

Fitz tries to explain, there’s a problem with that. “Gracie has been bed ridden for almost ten years, there’s no way that she’s the murderer you’re looking for.”

The soldiers all look to one another, one of them speaking up. “We’ll need her medical records to confirm this but I’m sure that we can make an exception.”

Mr. Cadrey goes along with them, of course not wanting to cause any trouble, Eve looks back to Fitz before following after him, though she does not want to leave she does not want to make a scene either. “Take care of things while we’re away, hopefully this won’t take too long.”

Fitz nods to Eve and Mr. Cadrey before looking back to the classes of children that had come to the museum, they are watching the scene in confusion, some of them a are little scared of the soldiers, it’s not often you see militaries like that in this city. Fitz puts a smile on his face as he attempts to lighten their moods. “It looks like Ms. Cadrey has to leave with her friends but don’t fret, me and Purple are still here to keep you all company, and we’ll have someone to fill in for Ms. Cadrey by the time your lunch is over.”

Shiya speaks up with an annoyed response, still in the cafeteria looking after the children that have come to visit. “It’s Snow not Purple.”

Fitz looks over to the teachers, talking to them lowly under his breath. “The Military is doing a city wide search. Some of the parents might be a little late picking up the kids, you may want to make start making some kind of plan for that.”

He looks over to Shiya. “Watch everyone here for me while I go find someone to take Eve’s place.”

Fitz makes his way over towards the kitchen, approaching Eighteen who is watching the scene from there and motioning for the mink to follow him, Eighteen turns away from the scene and leaves with Fitz, heading down the hall and towards the security room, where several members of his group have already gathered.

Among the figures in the room is a young girl with both true blood and domestic features known as Lumia Masters, she sits in front of a row of monitors that show different areas of the museum, she almost always located in this room. She likes to keep an eye on her surroundings at all times, having such vigilance is one of the few things that make her comfortable.

Another figure that had collected in this room is a brown mouse with a white left ear and the number 1217-49 tattooed on the inside of her right ear, she is currently suffering from a broken arm that is being held up in a sling, the mouse has been stuck like this for a while now, she’s a very slow healer. She watches the monitors while leaned against the back wall of the room, this new development rather concerning to her.

Dolly Conner, who has come up from the gift shop to get more information on what is going on is also there, she too looks over the monitors from the back of the small security room as to not get in Lumia’s way.

Eighteen looks towards a small robot like device that wheels about from one computer in the room to another. “Any idea why they’re here collecting foxes?”

Fitz speaks up having an idea of what it is they are looking from the information the solider had given him. “I think they’re looking for the Wind Source.”

Dolly looks over towards him, though she knows that Shiya, the Ice Source is currently being pursued this is the first she has heard of any others being sought out. “The military is after more than just Ice?”

The strange looking device that Eighteen has spoken to aims its camera toward Eighteen while responding. “-Their military orders are just as they say, they have received knowledge that a dangerous murderer they are after is hiding out in this city-”

Dolly frowns at the information. “What knowledge?”

“-Photos to be exact-”

Eighteen is confused. “Photos? If they know what their target looks like then why is their guidelines in the search so vague.”

“-Hold on, I’m pulling up the photos for you now-”

The little robot wheels to the center of the room, a holographic screen raises in front of him as the photos in question display in front of him, Dolly letts out a gasp of recognition when she sees them, they are of the two cloaked figures fighting Dmitri when an area of the city had been near destroyed by an all out battle between three of the six sources. “Fitz is right, they really have come looking for one of the other sources.”

Fitz nods his head as he points to himself. “See I’m right! Don’t ignore me just because I’m not an ex member of any military like the rest of you guys are! Come on!”

Dolly looks over to Eighteen remembering something. “Snow said that he knows one of the sources, an assassin named Aither. They must be looking for him.”

A look of realization fills Fitz’s face. “Oh that’s right! That annoying fox with the accent! The one that wouldn’t leave me alone and kept trying to drive me off when I was following Mort around trying to get information on Shiya.”

Lumia turns away from the computer monitors she is focusing on. “It would make sense that they would come here looking for Wind, the Avians are the ones that won the bid for the Wind Source, while the Aquatics are the ones that won the bid for the Water Source. Since they’re both here they must be looking for both of them, but like us only have a lead on Wind.”

Dolly is both surprised and confused that the small girl knows all of this, Lumia recognizes the look on Dolly’s face and explaining a little bit further. “If you would have read the information on that card I gave you, you would know all about that.”

Dolly looks to the side, some time ago Lumia had tried to gain her trust by giving her a USB card filled with all kinds of files and information concerning both the Domestic Military and the True Blood Military, though she had wanted read the files over she has been unable to find the time to do so and then eventually forgot about it.

Eighteen kneels down next to the small robot as he quickly reads over the files that he begins to display for them. “Looks like General Dmitri has giving them the permission they need to do this, but not lending any efforts in the search. He wants to keep his military force focused on finding us and the Ice Source. So unless something big happens to make Dmitri and the city’s military get involved we can’t even use this situation to our advantage to escape.”

Dolly stares at Eighteen. “We couldn’t use this situation to escape even if we could, our friends are involved in this round up of theirs.”

Eighteen looks back to Dolly. “Neither Eve or her father are part of the team hoping to go against the True Bloods to get your brother back, nor would either of them be any use to us if they were.”

“That doesn’t mean that we don’t look out for them! They’re the ones letting us stay here in this museum and are keeping us from being found! Honestly Chase, what has gotten into you lately?”

The mouse with the broken arm speaks up. “From what I gather these militaries are working separate from Dmitri and his men, they’re not looking for us so if they stop to speak with you try to act natural.” She is right now staring at a monitor watching as one of the soldiers questions Shiya about seeing anyone that may fall into the description they are looking for. “We could use this to our advantage, Shiya lost his crystal that holds his memories and thinks the Wind Source to have found and taken it, if the Wind Source is gathered among the rest of the citizens then perhaps Eve can track him down and get that back, maybe even relay the message Lumia has about the True Blood’s plot in concerns to the Six Sources.”

Eighteen looks over to her. “That’s assuming that the military manages to catch the Wind Source in their net with this search.”

Tahki looks toward Eighteen. “It will be hard for them not to with the city on lock down as it is. We’re barely able to keep from being found and that’s only due to the combined efforts of several individuals.”

Dolly places her hand on Eighteen’s shoulder. “I know you hate hiding and want to get out of this city, but we have to wait for the right opening, we can’t just jump at the first possibility we get, especially if the lives of our friends are in question.”

Eighteen looks back to Dolly, placing his hand on hers as he stares at her leaning towards her. “I apologize. Next time I will be more considerate of your friends.”

Fitz grabs onto Dolly as he forcefully pulls her along with him. “Alright, I need someone to replace Eve and you’re going to have to do.”

Eighteen looks annoyed with being interrupted, looking to Fitz and yelling at him to get his attention. “Raccoon!”

“Not now overly forward and pushy mink, I’ve got kids to get back to, and unless you want to deal with them in my place you’re just gonna have to call me out on this later.”

Eighteen lets out an annoyed growl, he of course does not want to deal with bratty children anymore than he already has to.

Tahki clears her throat to get Eighteen’s attention, the mink looks back to her as she speaks up. “Keep that up and you’re going to regret it. She’s been tolerant of your advances up to this point but pretty soon you’re going to find yourself bitten.”

“I don’t need your advice Forty Nine.” He turns away from her leaving the room and heading back toward his position in the cafeteria, the mouse simply shrugs her shoulders as she watches him leave, clearly not understanding the complexity of such a situation.

*******

Aither is pacing behind a very pretty white filly with a blond mane and tail, he speaks with a panicked tone in his voice as she went through a collection of several very flashy outfits, these are new costumes that have just come in for her future performances, she wants to go through them before being seen by the public in them.

The woman that Aither speaks to is known as Naida Kelpie, a popular actress from a very critically acclaimed children’s show, also known to Aither as the Water Source and the love of his life.

Aither continues to speak, his words start to sound very much like babble at the rate that he is going at. “There has to be something you can do, these visiting militaries are gathering up anyone who’s a fox at every corner of the city, it’s only a matter of time before they come here to get me. Use your influence or whatever to get them to leave me alone! You can do that can’t you?”

Naida looks back to him, there’s really nothing she could do about any of that. “I’m a star of a children’s series not a political figure. I don’t have any influence over the military of all things.”

“I’m very likely to get caught here! Don’t you care!?”

“Of course I care.” She lets out a sigh, even if she is worried for him fretting over it or showing it isn’t going to do anything about it, and could in fact just make his situation worse. The only thing they can do is to act smart about the ordeal and prevent making any kind of a scene that would give them away. “And no one said that you were going to get caught. Just keep a cool head and don’t do anything stupid. They can only hold you in custody for a set amount of time, get through that and you’ll be just fine, you’ve been in tighter situations than this I’m sure of it.”

“I’m telling you love I have a bad feeling about this one. I know there have been plenty of close calls but there’s just something about this one that making me uneasy.”

Naida looks to the side, knowing that it will just end up worse if he tries to avoid going. “If you don’t go you’re going to raise suspicions and things will be even worse for you.”

She puts the outfit she has been looking at back on the rack before making her way out of the room, Aither follows her out. “I suppose you’re right, but still what am I to do if they manage to find out that it’s me? I’ll be surrounded by the military with no way to escape.”

Naida lowers her head really not knowing what would happen if things were to turn bad. She looks toward a figure standing near the door of the dressing room greeting him with her usual smile despite the troubling situation. “I hope you’re not getting too bored keeping an eye on me all the time Captain, I know there must be plenty of places you would rather be.”

Mort looks over towards her, though he does agree with her believing that he would be more useful in more meaningful or important assignments he isn’t about to let that show through to her. “It’s a privilege to have this assignment.”

Alistair laughs at the response Mort had given her. “He’s lying. I’ve heard him complain about how he doesn’t want to be doing this assignment more often that I can count.”

Mort looks to Alistair to a frown. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“No not right now.”

Naida chuckles to herself. “Well, hopefully Mrs. Fina will stop worrying so much about me and send you off… though I don’t think that’s honestly going to happen any time soon with all the commotion going on in this city. Cordella sure is an exciting place with so many things happening at once, why it even seems that the Avian fleet has decided to pay this city a visit. You don’t suppose that has anything to do with the recent terrorist attack that destroyed several blocks of the city do you?”

Mort closes his eyes, no longer involved with any assignments of that sort. “Unfortunately I don’t know anything about that.”

Alistair speaks up telling her the little he knows about all that. “I hear that they’ve come looking for a murdering thief that they believe is hiding out in the city. They say the terrorist attack was his handy work and that’s why they suspect him to be here involved with the group responsible.” He shrugs his shoulders really not believing all that. “If you ask me it wasn’t a group of terrorists, no terrorist can cause the kind of damage I saw there that night. I think we’re looking for something else.”

Aither nervously glances to the side while Alistair looks back to Naida as he continues to explain to explain. “I don’t know any more than that on it, but the most recent orders given to me were to continue on with my search for my targets and not get in the visiting militaries way.”

Naida seems concerned. “Oh my, it sounds serious, this city really is a dangerous place after all.”

Alistair motions towards Mort. “I wouldn’t worry about your safety when you got him looking after you, aside from me of course the military doesn’t have anyone better to send you.”

A doe who seems to have no shortage of lists and schedules to go through comes into the room, looking to Aither and speaking to him quickly before moving to her next task. “Mr. Youko, there are some military officers here to see you.”

Aither lets out an uneasy sigh as he looks back to Naida kissing her on the cheek before leaving to see the military officers that had come for him. “Here’s hoping that I come back love.”

“You’re over reacting I’m sure.”

He takes his leave, Naida sighes as she watches him go. “This whole ordeal seems really troublesome for everyone involved.”

The doe nods her head in agreement, her scheduling is in a complete mess because of this incident. “You’d be surprised just how many foxes I had on staff! Now we’re short on man power and if I don’t find enough people able to fill in last minute for our show tonight it’s going to be a disaster!” She hurries off doing the best that she can to try and put things back in order.

Alistair turns away from Mort and Naida. “Looks like you and Miss. Kelpie are in for a hectic day, have fun with that.” He turns around heading out the door. “I suppose that I have been on break long enough, it’s time for me to resume my search for that ice wolf and that group of traitors.”

Mort watches him leave, then looking back to Naida and questioning her. “Your boyfriend seems nervous about having to go with the military, is there any reason for that?”

Naida looks to Mort with a smile. “Oh let’s just say he’s been in his fair share of trouble in the past that he doesn’t want them to find out about. He wasn’t exactly the straight arrow guy growing up.”

“I see.”

Naida begins to question Mort. “What do you think of this whole situation?”

Mort shrugs his shoulders. “It’s not my business so I do not dwell on it. My only task right now it to make sure no harm falls to you.”

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Raven Wolf - 05 - The Abandoned - Chapter 02

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