Chapter Ten – In Touch With The Ground
So. I'm late, again. Significantly, this time. But I'm still writing!
Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled. It took everything in him for Ze'ev not to join in.
"So this is what Earth is like," José Lobo said thoughtfully, ducking around a branch. "I've always wanted to see it. And not just because I'm scared of the alternative."
Ran gently reached up and pulled a leaf off the nearest tree. He held it up to his eyes, and then slowly pulled the edges just to see what it felt like. "It's so much greener than I thought it'd be."
"The photos don't give it justice," Vanya Volkov agreed.
Ze'ev took a deep breath of the rich air, so thick it felt like he was drinking instead of breathing. He smiled, looking around the forest.
After a moment he realised Orbit Troya was watching him, the side of her lip curled up slightly to show off fangs.
Without entirely meaning to, Ze'ev made eye-contact. Then she darted forward, and he had about a second to prepare before Beta Troya crashed into him.
Ze'ev kicked up sharply, his boot sinking into the soft area in Orbit's stomach. She flinched sharply, and he took the chance to step back and put some distance between them.
Unprovoked attacks from packmates were undoubtedly the worst part of being alpha.
The brawl didn't get much attention compared to previous ones, but even with the rest of the pack distracted by being on Earth several heads turned to watch the fight.
Ze'ev smiled at Troya, bouncing on the heels of his feet.
She growled. Before she moved, Ze'ev recognised the way her shoulder clenched and knew she was about to charge. He dodged her gracefully.
Beta Troya reacted fast, swinging her elbow around to try and catch his nose. Ze'ev stepped back, and then grabbed her outstretched arm and pushed. Beta Troya swivelled around, off-balance.
It would have been easy enough to get in a few blows while she was distracted, but Ze'ev held back, wanting to savour it. "Is that all you got?" he asked cheerfully.
Beta Troya snarled, and lunged forward. Her sharpened nails grazed against his arm that he threw out to block her. Ze'ev didn't let her know that it stung, and kicked her shin. Troya hissed in pain and scrambled away.
He could have tripped her instead of letting her gain breathing room, but he didn't want to. The huge power margin was addictive; he enjoyed playing with the fights too much.
The moment he realised he'd turned it into a game, Ze'ev stopped playing. He feinted a palm swipe, and when Beta Troya moved to block it he swung around, a roundhouse kick connecting with her hips.
She fell to the ground. Before she even began to move, Ze'ev rested his foot on her neck – barely touching her, but enough pressure to make the threat clear.
"Are you finished?" Ze'ev asked, trying to keep his voice casual. He wanted to sound like fighting her was a nuisance instead of a threat, but he also wanted to avoid blatant hostility. Then again, Alpha Brock always used blatant hostility, and it had worked well enough for him.
Orbit growled, but didn't struggle.
Ze'ev slowly let her up, and stayed on alert. Beta Troya was one of the pack members who should be watched after a battle: someone who might just keep the fight going when her opponent thought it was over. Still, other than an irritated look, she didn't try anything.
"Anyone have any suggestions about which direction?" Ze'ev asked after a moment, turning to the pack.
He received a couple of surprised looks, and realised that an alpha would just pick. Or at least Alpha Brock would; Ze'ev had never paid attention to how other alphas acted.
He didn't much care, either. He was able to beat any of them in a fight, and that was all it took to be alpha. Asking his pack's opinion from time to time just made him feel better and didn't actually destabilise him.
"There's water that way," Eclipse Garson suggested, glancing over his shoulder. "I think that might be an interesting trip, Alpha Kesley."
"Sounds like as good an idea as any," Ze'ev said, his eyes following Eclipse's gaze. Now that he mentioned it, there was a definite smell of water on the air.
It was an easy track. Ze'ev led the way through the forest, pausing occasionally to admire the surroundings. Every time someone found something new – nuts growing on trees, footprints from animals, spider webs – the pack crowded around and tried to work out what it was from their Earthen lessons.
After about fifteen minutes to go a little under three hundred metres, they emerged from the trees to find the lake. It was smaller than the one they glimpsed in Artemisia, and glimmered in the moonlight.
Huang Liu knelt next to it. He cupped his hands in the water to admire how it trickled out between his fingers, before sipping it.
"Are we sure the water's safe to drink?" Ran asked.
It was a valid concern, in Ze'ev's opinion. They had a three hours lecture on how much of Earth's native resources could kill humans, Lunar, Earthen and operative alike.
"Shut up," Huang said, taking another handful defiantly. "Omegas don't get opinions."
Ran bared his teeth. Huang didn't so much as look at him.
"Those animals up there were drinking from it," Eclipse said, gesturing to the other side of the lake where a squirrel was scrambling up a tree. "It should be fine."
Sure enough, Huang wasn't showing any ill effects. Alex Rafe knelt down to take his own sip.
Vanya Volkov slipped off his boots and stepped into the water. He hissed in surprise at the feeling, and then took another step. His formal pants swirled around his leg.
"How deep does it go?" Masaru Tsukino asked, frowning at the darker area of the water. Without a pool in the training facility, there was no frame of reference.
"Dare you to find out," José said slyly, his eyes flicking to Beta Tristan Wynn.
Immediately Tristan frowned thoughtfully at the water. "Alright," he said after a second, moving forwards. He stepped into water without taking his shoes off.
The rest of the pack watched as he moved past Vanya, water steadily rising up to his shirt.
Abruptly, Tristan dropped from view.
"Fairly deep, then," Huang said simply as Tristan's red hair disappeared from view.
"Is he okay?" Eclipse Garson asked, wading into the water. He paused as the ripples lapped at his shoes.
"I'm sure he's fine," Orbit Troya said.
"He's not coming up," Masaru Tsukino said.
Ze'ev's first instinct was to look around for Alpha Brock and see what their next move should be. But of course, Brock wasn't there, Brock was dead.
It took Ze'ev a moment for him to realise that the rest of the pack was looking at him. His throat tightened, unsure what to do.
"We need to get him out without anyone else going in," Beta Wane Becke muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Still, enhanced hearing meant that any mutter would be heard by the rest of the pack.
"Beta Becke's right," Ze'ev said, seizing on the plan. "Get a branch to pull him out with."
The pack immediately scrambled to obey.
Masaru Tsukino was tallest, and ran to the nearest tree. He caught the lowest-hanging branch, and tugged it down with considerable might. It splintered.
Without waiting for Ze'ev, Masaru darted into the water. He stopped as the water lapped his ankles, and pushed the branch towards Tristan. The rest of the pack crowded around as he poked.
"He's not taking hold," Masaru said, a hint of panic in his voice.
Ze'ev's mind skipped ahead, trying to come up with a solution like an alpha should.
"Beta Sherazi, you're smallest," he said "If you go in holding the branch, you should stay above water until you can grab him."
"Yes, Alpha Kesley," Aziz said immediately, heading to deeper waters without hesitating. He shimmied along the branch, letting out a slight yelp as he reached the drop off Tristan had tripped on.
"Still holding?" Vanya asked.
Aziz didn't answer, clutching onto the branch so tight his knuckles went white. He swung against the water, reaching his free hand down deep.
After a moment he yanked up, clearly holding something heavy. Tristan Wynn came to the surface, gasping.
"Get them out!" Ze'ev shouted, already reaching for the branch. Emil Katona, Rille Baines, and Orbit Troya copied him immediately, wrapping their arms around Masaru.
Aziz and Tristan were dragged out of the water so quickly that they skimmed the lake floor. The moment they were in reach, Alex Rafe, Vanya Volkov, and Eclipse Garson pulled them up to the shore while the rest of the pack crowded around them.
"Are you okay?"
"Can you breathe?"
"Is he supposed to be coughing up water?"
"I think so; it means it's not in him anymore."
"Come on, Tristan, it's okay."
Eclipse Garson helped Aziz Sherazi stand up. Aziz pushed him away once he was on his feet, indicating that he was fine.
Ze'ev pushed through the crowd to see Tristan, although he wasn't sure how much he could help.
At least he was breathing. Tristan was rolled onto his front, supporting himself with his arms and coughing.
"Beta Wynn?" Eclipse Garson asked, kneeling next to him. "Are you okay?"
Tristan nodded, still coughing.
Finally, he sat up and wiped his mouth. "Thanks," he said.
There were slight smiles all around.
Vanya Volkov clapped his hands once. "Well, now that we know he's alright," he said, "Water we going to do now?"
"I think we should head back—" Ze'ev stopped mid-sentence to frown. "Was that a pun?"
"I was wade-ing for you to get it."
It took a moment for Ze'ev to work out what 'wade' meant, but Vanya's emphasis left little doubt as to which word was a pun.
"Sorry, is it a little shallow for me to joke about this?" Vanya asked, grinning. "I sea how it might be."
"Did you have these planned?" José asked incredulously.
"Maybe."
"Stop it," Orbit grumbled, unimpressed.
"Okay, I'll succumb to pier pressure."
Orbit punched him in the shoulder, and it quickly turned into a brawl.
"I don't know how long ago we left," Ze'ev said, trying to sound confident anyway. He stepped aside easily as Vanya's leg swung wildly in his direction during the fight. "I think we should head back soon. I'd rather not keep Master Jael waiting."
There was a murmur of assent.
Ze'ev took a deep breath, enjoying the taste of Earthen air. Then he walked forward, following the scent trail back to Jael.
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