The Stranger.
Chapter 25.
The Nothern Mountain Pack: Winter.
The three sat in complete silence for what went on for who knew how long as their time spent in waiting for any sign of his return had only gone unanswered as they continued to waste the day in this damned clearing, with nothing to show for it and still left with only their worry as the short minutes that passed by had quickly become long, agonizing hours, Winter silently contemplating what she would do next if this all ended in the way she feared. If Tyler left the mountains to have escaped them, they'd have no way to follow him any further then they already had, and if he had indeed left, then she doubted the thought he'd ever return would ever cross his mind, leaving for a world he was scarcely prepared to take on when he had not yet conquered this one. Switching one for the other was not a thing done easily. Though in someway, maybe that was the best thing for him. Maybe he'd live a better life far away from here, where he'd face all the horrors the mountains would throw at him to make him strong. Maybe somewhere that could tend to him that he may properly grow up. There were indeed places where he could find safety and shelter in these dark lands, away from all the carnage, but she worried of his ability to find them, as something such as a safe place to call home in this world they lived in was something taken only by ones own fist and sheer determination, and Tyler had not come far enough to earn that yet. Maybe if he could not become strong here, then maybe he'd find his own way out there. Discover a way to unlock his own potential, the greatness that she had once seen in him.
Or maybe he'd choose to uptake a simple life, one not that followed the path of the warrior, one not built upon the blood and heartache that came with it. Though perhaps that would be the most difficult of all possibilities for him, for she knew he could not deny his urge to fight for long, it was in his blood. A fighter to the very end, it being the core of who he was. These instincts were not something he could ever ignore, even if his memory had been shattered permanently. He could not turn away from the heart of battle forever. There would always be innocents preyed upon and injustices that went unanswered; Cries of terror muffled by cruel hands. How long would it be-watching these things unfold right in front of him-before he felt the temptation to pick up a blade, and the need to cut down those that would bring suffering upon others, to right the wrongs of this world.
It was this thought that convinced part of her to still believe that he'd stay or find it in him to return, at the very least for the collection of his weaponry, for that was the sole reason he'd even bothered to have made his way up the mountain in the first place, it having given her some hope that he could still remember something about himself, remember the thrill of overcoming impossible fights, to watch powerful enemies fall before him and destroy every obstacle in front of him, but it was possible he'd come to the conclusion that the twin swords he had formerly wielded were just not worth all the trouble their recovery had caused him this far, and if this was the case then it was very likely he had forgotten even more then she had suspected. Not knowing the power his swords could bring him being a most dangerous thought, for they alone were what would always keep him safe, even if she wasn't there to protect him. His intention could be to travel to the very depths of hell itself to challenge its armies, to slay every demon he happened upon, and he'd still walk away untouched. No matter where he traveled or who he faced, as long as those swords were by his side, there was nothing he could not overcome. They would not only be his sword, but his shield as well. His power to destroy, and to protect.
Maybe he just wasn't the person she had remembered, but she could not fault him in this, for it had been her given task to have kept him out of harms way, and she had failed in that long ago. Even if they wanted to follow him now, they could not, even with Blood there. A look to him told her that not even he was capable of tracking him down at this point, no path left to follow. No scent there to pick up.
His trail had gone cold long ago, leaving them with no to hope to find him again, and no reason in the world was enough for her to take the twins outside the territory, even in their pursuit of Tyler, for that would have to be a journey she took herself, but such a thing was not something she could do just yet, maybe she'd be absent for long periods of time, but not even she dare to ever leave the territory. She'd been lucky enough to have been given another chance to right her wrongs the first time, yet no single pup was enough for her to place the pack in that kind of danger, cursing at herself for having lost him once more.
It was her failures that haunted her still, and in this she'd found her chance for redemption, something thought forever denied to her. But this had only become another reminder of how badly she had been a guardian, something else to keep her awake at night, and she'd never had very many good nights to begin with.
Where ever he traveled her thoughts would go with him, and her hope that he'd survive long into the passage of years, yet without the protection of her pack and Tyler lacking his once great strength and skill, his future was shrouded in uncertainty.
She did know one thing though, something about him that had never changed; When his back was against the wall, and nothing he could do would change the outcome, he pushed on through, pouring everything he had into one last shot, because he couldn't let himself die without giving it his all.
This might just have been the sign that she finally needed to let him go his own way. And she dreaded that very thought. She could only hope that this was for the best, for that was only what she had ever wanted for him.
It was the change in the winds that alerted her that the time for waiting had ended, for it had only blown in the direction Tyler had traveled a few short moments ago, finally pushing back towards the mountain, a sign that their confinement was over. She wondered if that meant Tyler's time in the forest had ended as well, whatever that had been for. And if it had ended, then Tyler's choice was his own to make, without hers or anyone else's input there to influence what the outcome of that choice would be. He could leave the mountains in search of a way to find his own path, or come back to her, and receive the proper training he needed to get back his true strength.
Yet even still, it was a hollow promise at best, and she just didn't know how she'd get it done. She'd only ever taught her twins, and with Tyler she knew it would have been vastly different. What point was there to wonder though, the time had come to return whether she wished it or not.
Both Blood and Shadow rose to their paws as soon as they'd felt it, knowing as well as she that they could now leave, and that it no longer mattered whether or not they stayed in the clearing, the twins walking over to her as they pressed their noses into her shoulders, softly comforting her to get her back on her feet. It would be no easy task to walk herself back home with this loss placed upon her, but she had to manage. Her pack needed her to be strong, no matter what tragedy came her way.
It was a hard truth, but she accepted it the best she could, just about ready to push this past her to move on as well as she could. Worrying thoughts filled her as she did not know if she had a will strong enough to come back from this a second time...
But...What was it Tyler always said? Back way back then, when times were at their darkest.
'There will always be hope. No matter how much the world is against you, the one truth you can look too, even to those that have lost their way, is that last endless burning ember of hope, for no amount of darkness or despair can extinguish its flame.' Why of all times did she remember that small bit of wisdom in such a bleak situation?
She stopped dead in her tracks, just a moment before they took to the path that lead back home. Catching something familiar in the air around them. '...It couldn't be...' she thought to herself in disbelief, taking a careful look back with an almost fearful gaze, laying her eyes on the most welcomed sight possible.
He had a strange smile on his face, and something about the scent around him had changed. It wasn't one of fear or anger, but calming, like he was more composed than he had been since she'd first found him.
None of that mattered, for she stared wide eyed in disbelief as she watched him walk through the thick overgrowth of the forest. Having returned to her, unafraid to stand before them.
The Winter Four: Xander.
Blood decorated the ground in place where snow had been, both of us heavily exhausted, it being a wonder either of us could still stand, beaten to the point of near death yet still standing just as strong as when we'd first taken a punch, the skin on our fist having been torn off from the sheer amount of force we'd put into each and every hit we threw, neither one of us willing to give the other even an inch of ground, as it was wildly considered to be a sign of weakness, no matter how badly we beat each other around; no matter how much blood the other took, neither one of us was willing to give anything less then our absolute best.
We went back and forth like this for a while now; Slamming my fist across his head, then he taking his opposite arm into my chest, only to raise my knee into his side to counter his blow, nearly knocking him back off his feet until he recovered enough to launch a swift strike across my own head. Just back and forth like this until it almost became repetitive. Fighting the other back enough to overtake a small amount of ground only to lose it when the other retaliated. We weren't getting anywhere at all, but neither of us was calling it quits yet, so the fight continued, regardless of this fact.
At some point I'd become numb to the pain, only able to feel the sweat and blood drip off my brow. Despite my injures, my only instinct left was to fight. Fight my hardest until either one of us was dead from our injures or exhaustion, yet at this point it didn't even feel like I was punching anything anymore compared to the beginning, where it'd felt like I was hitting a brick wall, having lost all feeling in my fist several minutes prior and the strength necessary to do any more real damage, just wringing out any blood in the open gashes on our bodies. Throwing them the best I could with what little power I still had left.
There were such horror stricken faces on all those there, watching the blood shed with immense worry for their respective combatant as they watched how badly we could hurt the other other, my own team cringing away each time I received another damaging blow to my already broken body. All except for Zag, who watched the gore filled scene taking place before her with anger and contempt, knowing in the heart she acted as though she didn't have that it should be her standing in my place, taking on one of our most dangerous enemies for me; To bleed all that I had lost thus far as she had done so many a times in the past. She'd fought my fights long enough, I'm afraid to tell her.
I did not doubt she could have won this fight had she taken my place, that she could kill Taios with her bare hands just as easily as she could any other man or woman there. She had already proven her talent for slaughter many a times before, having perfected the art of viciously beating a man to death to a terrifying degree. Of course, I didn't doubt Taios couldn't have just killed her just as easily, not knowing which of the two would triumph over the other, but I stood firm on my choice, this was my fight to live or die in, and her watching would only make her stronger for what lay ahead, and I needed that strength of hers to grow, so in this I gave her a reason. Yet at this very moment, I needed Taios more than anything else. I needed to know. I needed to know that I could overcome him. That I could put aside my own feelings and humanity to do what needed to be done. This wasn't something I could put off any longer, and I had for the longest time, even if I hadn't known I was.
With my resolve rekindled, I could feel my energy start to return, and along with it my strength, passion to win this fight having returned in a burst of power as I finally pushed back against his onslaught, grabbing the wrist of his right arm the moment it came at me.
I let out the loudest cry of war I'd ever sung, stunning Taios the moment it hit his ears, many almost mistaking it for the roar of distant thunder, frightening even my siblings and snapping him out of the combat trance we'd both entered as I ran my free fist across his face. Feeling every ounce of pain I'd accumulated since the battle began in an amplified amount, that fighting hypnosis having prevented me from feeling it. I'd take it all on if it meant I'd understand him and myself, every strike coming closer to that. I just had too before the end.
I unleashed a flurry of strikes upon him the moment he fell back, these my most devastating ones yet, creating all new wounds on his scarred body as I forced him back. That connection between us finally began to take root the longer the fight raged on, and for a single everlasting moment, it was just us, standing there alone together, and at last I had my chance.
"Why?" I asked him my simplest question; at the same time my most burning one.
He could only form the weakest of smiles as I watched the light bleed out from his sad gaze, his death fast approaching, though it could still very well be my own if I didn't finish him now as I could still feel my own life force fade. But I needed my answers first before it came to that. Neither of us could die before that moment.
Taios at last found his footing, anchoring himself enough that I could no longer capitalize on my renewed source to fight, swiping his forearm across the air and slapping my arms to the side, quickly launching his knee straight into my abdomen as I fell forward, following it up with a bash to the bridge of my nose from his forehead, finally having begun to fight me off, capitalizing on his greater strength to cause even more damaging blows than I'd been able to muster up so far.
"Did you not know?" He asked as our bond strengthened itself, finding the words we needed to hear through our fist, as neither of us could say them aloud without others overhearing them. They could never know as we did. It didn't matter I suppose. It could only ever end in one way. And if not now then later. We'd only be prolonging the inevitable if it wasn't finished here.
He knocked me around for a solid minute with my body sustaining even more increasingly life threatening amounts of injures, throwing his arm straight into my sternum with such a devastating amount of force that blood was spit onto his arm, having almost broken through it, and he would have had I not grabbed onto his arm before the damage could be done, pushing forward on his arm to reduce the strength of his strike, having only cushioned a small amount of it, as it felt like so much of it had still passed. Only enough to have avoided the entire killing blow.
He ripped his arm out from my grasp the second my weakness became apparent, whipping both arms out to his sides as he aimed for the sides of my heads once more, as he had done already.
Only I was prepared for it this time around, quickly throwing my arms up before his wrist could collided with my skull, stopping his attack dead in its tracks, almost having my guard broken through, but it was quickly becoming apparent that he was slowing down just as much as I was, the fight having taken a heavy toll on the both of us.
We both gazed into the others eyes for the final time, both of us standing there in front of the other with bloodied and broken bodies, practically corpses as our final bout commenced, knocking him back with a well placed kick to his chest, taking a step back to catch our breath.
With nothing left but our reserves to go on, we both knew this was to be our last clash, taking in our final moment together while we still could.
"Did you ever know?" He spoke his final proclamation before the world around us became dark as shadows covered the land before us, one of us close to entering the Darklands, threatingily whipping into a frenzy as they separated us. I desperately tried to reach out for him, to hold on for a bit longer, but he didn't reach back for me, until it was too late, and the dark abyss carried us further a part.
"I know!" I screamed out in fear of losing him, terrified to stand in the dark alone, the bond having come full circle as I realized too late how to understand his feelings. How I might return them.
The last thing I saw was the warmth of his smile disappear before the demonic mask of his tribes chief appeared before him to cover his face, and he disappearing into the darkness, leaving me for the destiny in store for him.
What was I left without him? The knowledge of why he'd treasured that scar. Of why he'd spoken to me as a friend instead of his enemy. Of why one of us had to die for the other to move their life forward.
While he had donned the great mask of the chief, marking him as the leader of the Golden Tongues before his departure, I was left with the golden crown of winter placed carefully upon my ahead, and the silver shroud of kings past wrapped my body. These were what fates awaited us after this tale came to its conclusion, yet in each of them, neither of us was there to be seen.
A Chief or a King would be set upon the world to become its master, yet it was a Chief or a King that had to die. A life for a life.
We both looked towards our waiting fates, everything we could ever want and more, yet for dreams to become reality we had to end the others, so that we could live to reach them. But just for a few moments, we took the time to rest, if only for a little while before the bloodshed continued.
A Stranger's journey.
The walk back wasn't as unpleasant as I'd assumed it was to be, strolling along side Winter through the fresh piles of snow gathered around us in abundance as heavy storm clouds rolled in on the mountain range, her twins standing rather close enough that I could just barley brush the sides of their fur, almost like they were stranding guard over me. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out that they were there in the event I realized what a horrible mistake going back with them was and tried to book it again, Winter obviously never going to give me that chance ever again so long as she still had breath to draw on.
She needn't worry though, as I was there to stay until I had the strength I needed to go out and discover more of this world, to make sure I was never again afraid to face it, to make sure that I was never weak or defenseless ever again. This was the challenge I faced; to earn my right to once again be able to walk down the mountain to leave without her standing in my way, and that would only happen when she couldn't stop me from taking those swords back. When I had surpassed her in strength and power.
Maybe I still didn't have any memory outside of that first battle during that dark night, which meant nothing about those blades was known to me, yet I felt like they were special to me on feeling alone, instinctively knowing they were mine, to be the sole person in this world that could wield them, and that my path to reclaiming them was to be forged through her. That was why I had returned, to take back a forgotten past still waiting for me atop that mountain.
I couldn't get a feel for what any of them were thinking exactly, but I could see a mixture of calm and anger emanating from Winter's expression, like a mother that had just found her child that had wandered off away from her, relieved but still very furious, almost making me snicker some though I refrained from doing so as this would possibly have washed away any relief over having found me with pure outrage, and I'd already seen first hand how well Blood and Shadow fought, I didn't need to see her in action when it was me she was fighting against, not stupid enough to push my already poor luck anymore than I had already.
Speaking of which, I had to take note that I hadn't been attacked on sight for my absence, having only had Winter bark to get my attention as she lead us back after the shock of my resurgence had passed, having surprised me greatly as I'd expected some cruel and terrible form of punishment awaiting me the moment I strolled into that clearing. Though I still kept my eyes on all three of them just in case, having learned to never again let my guard down, especially around the twins, having already caught me when I hadn't been prepared for a fight, and even though I was more sure if my ability to handle them, I knew that I still had a ways to go before I could take them both down, but I had already been given the tools I'd needed to build my road to that goal, and I was eager to start paving the way.
I knew though, that a fight with the two was coming, just waiting for the moment that Winter gave them the command, I could see it, where as I had not before when they'd first attacked.
I could see other things too. Winter's lack of malice for one, only worried care in her gaze. I'd been so scared of her and her wolves up until this point that I hadn't noticed it before, or didn't want too, maybe it being an easier thing to do in my mind to rebel against those that had saved me when I held the belief that I was their prisoner, and they my enemies, having kept me alive thus far for some kind of in between meal snack later on. But there wasn't any murderous intent in any of them, and I hadn't really questioned that, weirdly enough. Not that I wasn't thankful that I wasn't under threat of constant death, but still I found it strange that they'd take me into the heart of their own territory; To let a possible threat roam near their family with unrestricted access, and look at me no different then they did each other. What wasn't I being told?
Was that what kinship felt like? To know without a doubt that there were others there to look after you? I didn't know enough to be certain. But in someway I did. Maybe that was why Winter had put up with me this long, and why her twins hadn't killed me yet. Some strange sentimental feeling of family.
I had plenty of time to think about this as we made our back to the protection of the Wolf home, the stone paths of ancients carved out nicely enough to provide us a clear road, taking in breaths of the crisp mountain air, feeling my aches and pains just leave my body the moment I stepped on the path up, feeling more relaxed then I had in a while, almost feeling comfortable enough to let my guard down, if only for a split second. But I wasn't that big of a fool.
Yet some part of me began to tense the moment I took notice of Blood and Shadow's mannerisms, taking darting glances all around me, trying to avert their eyes discreetly enough that I wouldn't notice their looking to me more and more, until finally Winter took a seat upon the dirt path, not even bothering to hide where her gaze was, looking directly at me with a look of commandment, her alpha personality breaking through any worry she might have had. And I had quickly come to understand the meaning behind this.
I'd passed her moments after she took her place, stopping in my tracks as I looked back to her, seeing how intensely she was staring at me, like when she she'd first kept me from leaving the clearing. Behind those dangerous looking sky blue eyes of hers was the caring motherly gaze I'd learned of, that's why I wasn't afraid of her anymore.
She had the same look when she sat with me, caring for me after my first battle with the twins, having saved me once more from death. There certainly was a large debt owed to her that I was intent on repaying, but there would be time for life debts after this.
I smiled some as I stretched out my arms and the rest of my body, the twins lowering their heads with an aggressive growl, they seeing me starting to prepare myself for combat. "So soon?" I asked as I turned back to face her. "Well, alright. Let's stop beating around the bush then." I was surprised some with myself; this time around I wasn't even mad that she'd set the twins loose on me, thinking of this more as training then anything else. And that was clear to see.
Winter actually started to show some form of admiration over my words, lowering her snout and shuffling it at me with a quick order barked to the two. Each twin started to advance towards me with a careful step, more cautious then previous encounters. Could they feel what I did now? Because with them standing there, I felt how much more dangerous they really were, how much they had held back against me.
How much of their strength were they using, now that my own power had drastically increased to beyond what I'd been capable of before. Hell, not even I was entirely sure myself, but I'd been very eager to find out. "You two beat me once already. Left me almost dead," I said challengingly as I raised both of my arms up, my palms open and my arms relaxed, keeping my body from becoming tense. "and that's one time too many."
Shadow was the first to lunge towards me with a snarl, claws outstretched and aimed for my body, the dark wolf having been the one who'd made the same strike before, and yet this time around, I was actually prepared, seeing his movements to a much greater degree, like somehow time was grinding to a halt for all but me.
And for about the very first time since I'd awoken to the world, I didn't feel powerless.
The apprentices: Xander.
I treaded carefully throughout the snowbound mountain, taking careful measures to avoid being seen to the best of my abilities, stalking past the frost covered trees as silently as I could possibly be in my attempt to bypass the inhabitants that called this place their home without paying their toll of blood, while at the same time searching for my younger brother as fast as I was able without giving ourselves away. A fight here would only waste what little time we had, and I wasn't exactly looking to pick one with the creatures of this mountain. If we came running into them and were forced to engage we would only be overwhelmed, and we would need all our strength for the Tongues party still ahead of us in the event our two groups came into open conflict, so I could not allow any more fights to waste our time and energy, if I could help it. Yet walking through this territory as I did, not asking for a fight may have been a little too much. So many places creature could be lying in wait, always hiding in the shadows, ready to spring their trap and take me back to be eaten alive. It unnerved me immensely, though I wasn't sure what it was exactly I was afraid of, the creatures of the dark or the wolves themselves.
Rising Wolf Mountain wasn't named so for shits and giggles, or for its spectacular L'ocean view. Its name was terrifyingly accurate, and no less dangerous to be caught alone in, so if one feared and cared for ones own life, they would avoid here all together, being no real reason to ever set foot on this place. Yet my intruding just couldn't be helped. This place was particularly dangerous to be in, and in this land of eternal wintry hell, that was really saying something. For it was the things that lived here that should be feared the most, and the freezing cold to those not children of the snow, already feeling its death like touch crawling down my throat the higher I climbed, almost making it difficult to breath, even for me. For even though I was Iceborn, my body still needed time before it could fully adjust to the harsh winter that made Snowfall famous. These creatures had no such problem though.
I didn't know how many there were, but various packs of wolves were reported to roam this territory, always on the hunt and never taking prisoners. Which is why no man or woman that had ever lived to walk away from this place had walked away unscathed, and not without a paralyzing fear of the great wolves, though no others held greater respect for the ferocious beast then they that had survived and failed the mountain's deadly trials.
Yet, even with the few that could tell you stories of this place, no one had ever gotten close enough to confirm just how many wolves lived here, or of the packs themselves, but from what I'd heard from those same men and women, the wolves here grew larger then in most areas, and were that much stronger. Though there was was one wolf in particular I'd heard rumors of, spoken of like a legend that still rang true, one said to be more dangerous than even the creatures of the Darklands, and one of the only living beings that could drive fear into their blackened hearts. They called this one many things; All manor of titles all ranging from monster to demon, but always a name most commonly spoken, and always in fear and respect. 'Mother of Wolves.' A wolf said to be so monstrous in size that she dwarfed even the most mountain of men. Whether these be the claims of men driven to madness and hunger because they'd become lost in the snow and hopelessly stumbled throughout the mountain was not known to me, yet living in the world that I did, I wasn't too quick to pass judgment on the more outrageous folks that filled the halls of Winter-Moor with stories of unbelievable wonder, or to dismiss the idea of great monsters that roamed the country. Yet, while many carried scarred bodies that told the stories of what happened here, no one had a scar from this mother wolf herself, those that had seen her having caught only passing glances as she lead her pack through the shadowy night on the hunt. There was one man though, and old and gruff veteran, whom made many claims to have actually fought the beast herself when his war party had accidentally found itself here without realization of what mountain they'd intruded upon after chasing down a few enemy battalions.
Many of us simply assumed he'd ran into few large wolves rather than the great wolf that had claimed this mountain as her own, but the look in his eyes when he remembered the tale of his encounter had told me that this man spoke only the purest truth. His scars were greater than any before him that had survived this place; four long claw marks ran down his chest, where the beast had first taken him by surprise, knocking his sword straight out of his strong grasp and sending him straight into the ground, the wounds deeper than any man-made blade could cut, having torn through his steel armor like it was paper, and still somehow damaged him greatly.
Missing flesh from his left eye where a scar twisted down his face, which was now pale and unable to be used for sight, where she had latched her mighty jaws down onto his head, shaking the life and breath from him, having nearly snapped his neck from the sheer force of it before she'd thrown him across the bloody snow covered forest floor, her strength monstrous and beyond him, greater then any man or woman.
Maybe there was some truth to these tales, and of course, maybe not, but a beast as fierce as the one described was not one I wished to discover, which is way I had continued alone.
Just before entering the mountain itself I'd command the others to move on ahead of us and set up a temporary camp until I'd recovered Zero, telling them we'd meet them along shortly, preferring to travel by myself up through this place to minimize the chance of being discovered, as I was a little more familiar with the area than anyone else in the party. Not that I'd been here before, but Aiden had me study all manner of maps of all of Snowfall extensively until I knew all of the land by heart. It's landmarks, its cities, its towns, and even where the hearts of its most dangerous places were, including how to find its safe havens.
I'd be the last person to admit to him that I always hated those lessons immensely, but actually being out here in the field on my lonesome, it was almost relieving to have an idea where I was walking, then again, traveling in the kingdom was vastly different from simply reading it on a map.
It was all nearly enough for me to want to be back with Aiden and have our mentors by our sides again. Back during the days when we ran all our missions together. I'd never had to worry before, because I knew he was always standing close by, ready to jump into a fight for me, or stop and pull me aside to explain what I was doing wrong, so that I might better myself if I was wise enough to heed his words. And while I normally was, there were times when I just didn't want to listen, or talked back, just like earlier today.
I wished he was there now, traveling these mountains with me, just to ease any doubts I might have felt; To stop me from questioning my leadership.
Maybe I'd become a little too dependent on his guidance, too sure of myself and my abilities. Over estimation had a bad habit of getting people killed after all.
Maybe that's why I was here now, away from the great battle and not fighting along side him. A way to break my dependency of him perhaps. He wasn't gonna be around forever after all, I couldn't always be looking to him to bail me out of a tough situation, eventually I'd have to accept my responsibilities, and all the weight that came with them. And he had to ensure I was strong enough to handle it on my own when it came time to step down and hand me control of Alpha.
Only, I wasn't alone, and he wasn't here, as much as I refused to admit that that's what I wanted. He was off leading his team through hell and back, as he had done thousands of times before. He wasn't here, but I was, and I didn't just have his words and teachings to guide me through this; I had my friends, and their own experiences to look too when I needed it most. Maybe I wasn't the leader Aiden was, but I was still their leader, and they looked to me just as much as I did they. Being Aiden's apprentice didn't have to define who I was, and neither did Alpha, or even Winter-Moor. I was who I am. And who I am was something I was only beginning to discover, and it was up to me to forge my life into something beyond even him. Something I could be proud of at the end of each day.
And what I'd soon learn by the end of this day, was that these were things I'd find out very quickly, and I wouldn't have Aiden there to guide me down this path.
Something finally broke me free of my thoughts, catching my attention as soon as the sounds of a struggle rang out over the silence of the forest, hearing the cries of several men and a young boy, and that of heavy fighting.
I knew instantly that these sounds were surely those of my brother having finally caught up to the Tongues he'd been hunting, having taken on who knew how many just to keep the rest of the Warband hidden and safe from harm, knowing that could likely be his death. Zero was brave indeed. And I would not allow something like death to fall upon him, or anyone else under my command, breaking out into a quick run as I chased after them. At that moment I stopped giving a damn what attention I called to myself; One of my own was in danger.
The Northern Mountain pack: Winter.
She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that gnawed at her all the way back home, looking towards the returned boy with a bewildered expression that just froze itself on her face. He didn't seem the same as before. He wasn't. So much about him was different, down to the way he walked, the way he smiled. The way he stood there when he took his fighting stance.
What had happened to him exactly, while he went stalking around in the depths of the forest? What brought about this change in his scent? The different feeling of strength he now had. He looked so much more like a proper warrior. Nothing like he'd shown days ago.
It was...It...It was just so much more like before. Like how he use to be. Before he fell into the icy waters of the lake. Before his memory became a broken thing and he himself became scared of the world around him. Of creatures he used to slay without a second thought.
She had to see how much of him there was still left. He couldn't remember who he was, that was evident to see by his having forgotten her, but part if him still remained. It had just been buried under all his fear and insecurities, and underneath all of that was the Tyler she remembered. And right now he was fighting his way out, trying to reclaim himself, or at least bring out what remained.
Each time he seemed to be pushed to his edge in a serious fight the more of the real Tyler resurfaced. Maybe this was the way. Maybe she'd found her teaching method.
Maybe she could bring out whatever was still there, and if not, she would force it out.
It was so suddenly clear to her. She'd wondered how in the world she was going to train him, having only ever been a teacher to her two twins. When the answer to that very question was right in front of her.
Tyler had come back to them, after everything they had done. The borderline torture he'd been subjected too. And why? Why would someone return to a place where they had been put through so much?
It was his memory. However broken it might have been, she could tell bits and pieces if it were starting to put themselves back into place. Nothing major yet, but it seemed as if on a subconscious level, his memories were guiding him. Where they would take him she did not know, but now she now knew how to lead him there. She knew how to become his mentor, to be what he needed her to be. And what she needed him to be.
There could be nothing held back if he was to become the strongest he could be. No matter what. She need only train him as she did his brothers. Yet it would need to be that much more rigorous and challenging to prepare him for what was coming, and she did not know if all the time in the world was enough. There was a rising darkness fast approaching, and it had a hunger that could not be sated until Tyler was dragged to the depths of the Darklands.
Winter took her seat on the rock pathway, staring at her new charge with a determined look, motioning for the twins to come to a halt at once. Both looked at her questioningly, looking to and from their mother and brother, in between the approaching storm that was the fight.
Tyler took several steps forward before he noticed they weren't walking beside him any longer, letting out a deep sigh with a shake of his head the moment he realized what was happening, turning back to the three of them with an unafraid look of determination. "So soon?" He asked with a quick pop of both of his wrist. "Well, alright. Let's not beat around the bush then."
When he took to his combat stance, the twins entered theirs in response to the aggressive gesture, lowering their heads with a deep growl, Tyler staring challengingly at the two with his fist raised, his palms opened up and his arms relaxed, not tense in the slightest, even when faced against the twins, knowing already how strong they were. He no longer just held his fist up to protect himself, having had no idea how to properly protect himself or fight in general. All he had done was throw his punches around in the hope of hitting something and covering up his body when he came under assault, never on the move and always standing in one place. And when the time came to make his move he'd take to defending a single point, letting the twins go to him instead of taking the fight to them.
She wondered how differently things would go now. It was one thing to have a more dangerous feel about him, but to actually be dangerous was another thing entirely. She wanted him to show them how he could stand now.
"You two beat me once before. Left me nearly dead," he said as both of them moved in to engage him. "and that's one time too many." With these words spoken, the fight had begun, Shadow lunging at Tyler with a vicious snarl, jaws opened and ready to snap shut around his neck, Tyler standing his ground for the few brief moments it had taken Shadow to reach him.
Just as it looked as if her wolf would end up barreling into him, Tyler immediately fell back as Shadow snapped his fangs where Tyler's neck had been only a second ago.
Winter cringed some over Shadow having gone for such a dangerous blow, yet kept her tongue when Tyler's foot found its way straight into Shadow's abdomen, pushing him up into the air long enough for Tyler to rise up onto his hands.
With a quick spin, Tyler knocked Shadow away with the heel of his foot, pushing off of the ground to get himself back onto his feet, instantly rushing the dark wolf the second he saw he saw his advantage, on Shadow before he'd even touched the ground, tackling him into the snow and making the impact that much harder, gripping his fur as the two went tumbling together.
Shadow had the one chance to nip at him, Tyler just narrowly avoiding his teeth as he rolled back onto his feet, pulling Shadow behind his back as he stood and threw him off into the bushes of nearby trees, the twin wolf letting out a bark in pain as he landed somewhere unseen.
With Shadow out of site, Tyler quickly turned to face Blood as the younger twin nervously barked at him in an attempt to intimidate him, not yet having charged in once he'd seen Shadow fail to bring Tyler down to the ground, trying to play it safe long enough for Shadow to recover.
Tyler was not to be fooled though, and the two began to circle around the other, growling threats as they did, yet Winter could see the uncertainty in Blood, while Tyler moved about with none to be found.
Blood was strong in his own right, but Winter could see the twin's flaw. He relied too heavily on his older sibling to engage a target first, giving him ample opportunity to strike, yet seemed lost fighting by himself. It wasn't just him though. They both could fight as one in the best circumstances, usually when the fight was more in their favor, but separate they became messy and disorganized, having spent so long fighting together that alone their fighting suffered immensely, Shadow just happened to be better suited against this weakness but not by much, and Tyler was starting to see that himself. This was as much their test as it was Tyler's.
With warning growls given long enough, the two stopped their battle circle and stood, charging forward with loud snarls just before they lunged at the other with claws and fangs bared.
Tyler had done surprisingly well in his quick clash against Shadow, but in this instance Blood had managed to catch him off guard enough to bounce into his chest, shoving him into the ground before jumping off of his chest and whipping back around, rushing forward with lethal intent.
Tyler had but just moments to get himself back into fighting position by the time Blood had covered enough distance in between them to clamp down on his arm, only able to grab onto his upper and lower jaws, holding them open as his teeth dug into Tyler's hands, doing all he could just to avoid being bitten.
He held onto his teeth with everything he had, hissing in pain as they were only shoved in further, starting to cause bleeding as Blood pushed him back, Tyler digging his feet into the ground to put a stop to it, planting himself into the stone of the mountain enough to keep himself stationery.
It was a momentary shoving match between the two to test their strength before Tyler began to overpower Blood, picking him up onto his back legs and dragging him through the snow, Blood only able to shake his muzzle in an attempt to free himself. Tyler would not allow it though, holding him in place with a strong enough grip so the red furred wolf could not attempt to attack him again.
With Blood unable to escape, Tyler saw no reason to keep him there any further, leaning back with a kick straight into his brother, sending him flying back with the great amount of force delivered to him, throwing him towards their mothers paws with a satisfied look on his face.
Winter looked down to her son as he whimpered some, shaking off the snow that had covered him as he pushed himself back up, receiving an encouraging gesture as his mother helped him up, pressing her nose into his side.
Seeing that he'd dealt with Blood, Tyler took the free moment to rest, yet like clockwork Shadow reappeared from the depths of the forest, snarling as he lunged at Tyler once more, just as he had done before, only this time Tyler seemed fast enough to dodge the surprise strike, moving aside from his path and sending Shadow skidding through the snow, nearly falling onto his snout before finally recovering enough to regain his balance, only to be knocked off his feet with a quick sweep from Tyler's leg.
Shadow squeaked out in surprise as he was thrown helplessly into the air once more, Tyler pushing off the moment he was free falling, slamming his head down into Shadow's rib cage and sending him crashing over the ground and through the piles of snow, only stopping once he too rested beneath Winter, his body starting to show signs of heavy injuries, all from only a few hits, devastating as they were it should not have been enough to put them down just yet. She knew their limits well and they were no where near them, but Tyler's attacks were enough to break through their current level of defenses.
Even if it didn't seem like it, the two were holding themselves back just enough to feel the full effect, unable to handle it at their current strength. As long as he focused on them one at a time he could fight them back, and the twins were so adjusted to their particular fighting style that when broken, they became confused and fell apart. She had not taught them this as it was their own method, to overpower the enemy with hit and run tactics until they'd worn it down enough to ravage, just like during their first fight.
Only, this wasn't prey they were fighting, and this wasn't the same Tyler from their first fight together. He was reading their moves more clearly and responding to them accordingly, giving them much more trouble than he could have several days ago. In any case, she became all the more curious to see how far he'd come, and if he could handle the twins at their best.
Maybe she didn't want to approve of more lethal fighting techniques, as she did not want this to turn into an outright death match, but felt strongly enough in her belief of Tyler that she knew he could handle whatever came his way. Maybe not their true strength, but more than this. If only to give him a greater challenge. It would be unfair to the twins if she did not permit them to fight with more strength, as she did not expect Tyler to hold himself back to the same degree.
And with a simple nod of her head, the twins rose to their feet, seemingly shaking off their accumulated injures as their bodies tensed for a quick moment as they went through the process of strengthening themselves.
A pale gray energy enveloped the twins as both stretched their bodies out, fur standing on end and claws seemingly becoming sharper and more deathly looking, the stare they shot him intensifying until it bordered on angry daggers. It made Tyler shutter just to look at them, nearly taking a few timid steps back before subconsciously raising his arms up to safeguard his body, flashing back to that nearly fatal clash before, a tinge of fear spreading across his face, feeling its cold touch strongly enough that it started to paralyze him to the spot, unable to lift his arms anymore even if he wanted too. These were the powers granted to all those that followed the Great Wolf; Able to call upon a small fraction of his power for themselves, normally only used when times were at their darkest, but for this she would make an exception. This was something used by all wolves, something Tyler had no experience with.
She almost command the fight to end right then and there after seeing the fear on his face, yet even when it was there he did not back down. He could not let himself become afraid, not now.
As both Blood and Shadow began to move in together, ready for another blood filled scrap, Tyler took in several deep breaths to center himself, a sense of calm washing over him as his body lost its tension, and with it his crippling fear.
With it gone, Tyler was able to fight freely once more, opening his eyes up to the fight as both his hands and feet began to emanate a brightly sunny orange aura, Tyler himself calling upon a power hidden within him, just as the twins did. Just like he did during their first bout. Only instead of being pushed towards his limit this time around, he was seemingly able to bring it out upon his own free will, and appeared to be in much better control over it.
Tyler focused on letting his power grow, and only on his power. He did not worry about the twins, the dangers of the land, the creatures, his fears or even how badly he could become injured. He pushed everything aside and thought of nothing more than the battle ahead, the furious call to a fight filling his blood and excitement coursing through his veins for combat for the very first time.
In only a few moments of gathering power, Tyler's aura unleashed a pillar of light, the sheer amount of force from it nearly knocking the twins back, holding on only because the three were nearly equal. When it died down, Tyler's body was surging with the light of his new strength, a ring of his orange aura having developed around his normally sky blue eyes until it came to a full circle.
When the dust settled, Tyler and the twins stood above the clouds of dirt, moving in only after the three had gathered all the strength they had, and when they had nothing left hidden they each let out a fierce howl that echoed throughout the entire mountain range, charging in head first as the the three leapt towards the other with the intention of fighting at their absolute best. This was how they would bond even further, for if they could fight as equals, than they could truly be brothers.
For the next five chapters, I intend to dedicate four chapters to four characters each, to bring an end to several storylines, then wrap it all up in chapter 30 to move on to the next story arc. I won't give away much information on the next storyline, but it will exclusively feature Tyler as the main point character for sometime, with Alpha and the rest of Winter-Moor generally unseen as their part in the story will have come to a close for now.