Chapter 51 Chapter notes
We last heard from Brady and Victoria in Chapter 46, Blood and Roses, where she attacked Henry Upchurch and suffered from the experience. Brady, in Wolf form, swallowed a piece of Victoria's vampire flesh and has similarly sickened.
We pick up the chapter with Brady, in Wolf form, high on the mountain near the little cabin.
The chapter title belongs to Arlo Guthrie
Chapter 51 When a Soldier Makes it Home Wednesday, November 1st
The Wolf staggers away from the manmade structure and from the pungent smell of a cold one that hangs over it. Falling into a crossing stream, he plunges his muzzle into the freezing water and drinks, feeling no relief. Turning his face aside, he vomits partially masticated chunks of something he ate, but he cannot recall what it might have been.
He sleeps and dreams of a tall, handsome man, walking upright on two feet; of holding a handled tool with sharp points meant to spear food. Cooked food. And instead of running, being transported in a rolling machine that sputters out a noxious gas as it trundles along.
The fantastical dreams morph into something he can understand, of the wind rushing through his fur, of the pleasure that running brings. Of the sharp tingle he feels in his muzzle as he dips his head to drink in a trickling mountain stream, of waking to a sky without clouds and looking up into the endless bowl of night to see thousands of twinkling lights. Of the feel of rain on his coat and the way his legs tremble as he jumps high and lands hard.
When he wakes, he still feels unwell. He tries to stand but his legs won't bear his weight and after repeated attempts, he is forced to crawl along the marshy ground. He's inexplicably drawn by an unknown force that pulls him down the mountain. The sky lightens and the sun tries, but fails to make an appearance. A cold, freezing mist creeps along the ground and he shivers, glad for his shaggy coat.
He slinks into a shelter formed by a fallen tree and sleeps. When he wakes, he is terribly thirsty and hungry. He cannot walk, and creeps along the ground on his belly to a nearby stream.
He hears howling. Brother wolves? It dies away and he is alone once more. Managing a few shaky steps, he comes across a meandering path. He can smell many humans, the food they cook, the places they dwell, and something on the edge of rotten. His ears prick as he hears the booming sound of water, as if smashing upon the land.
He approaches this place of humans from a broad, cleared decline, and after crossing a muddy lane, falls exhausted. A young one runs up to him and screams, and soon, other humans hover around him, but he cannot smell danger, only worry and fear.
His head feels too heavy to lift, but he opens his eyes to see them peering down at him. Men with anxious faces rush forward and babble at him, their expressions grave. He closes his eyes and sleeps, wanting water. And silence.
Sam Uley is the manager of the small grocery store on the reservation. He's in his office, doing payroll, when a Pack member named Robert rushes in, panting. "Somebody says a huge Wolf wandered down the mountain. It's got to be Brady."
Slamming his laptop shut, Sam follows Robert, running up the aisles, out the door, and down the road until he spots the Wolf, lying on his side, a few blocks away. A few people mill around on the other side of the street.
"Brady," Sam whispers. "Brady, can you hear me?" He looks around. "What happened?"
A man named Stewart steps forward. "It just stumbled down the hill and across the road. Fell right there."
Sam waves Robert over to him. In a low voice he says, "Tell the council that Brady has come home. They better send Doc Pierce."
As Robert dashes away, Sam walks over to the small knot of onlookers. "This animal is either injured or ill. I suggest that for your safety, you all leave the area." They mutter amongst themselves for a minute, but when they see Sam standing in that intimidating posture of legs spread and arms crossed, they walk away, glancing behind themselves repeatedly.
Sam kneels on the ground and speaks to Brady, but the Wolf doesn't respond. In minutes, he's relieved to see the old Chief lumbering down the road, followed by several Elders and Pack members. They all stand around Brady, who lies motionless. His breathing is so shallow, he could be mistaken for dead. Chief Littlefoot says, "Dr. Pierce will be here soon. Has he opened his eyes?"
Sam shakes his head. He wants to try and speak to Brady, if he's conscious. The Chief asks him to wait until the doctor arrives. The old men of the Council are wanting someplace to sit down by the time Dr. Pierce finally appears. As the circle parts, he tosses away his cigarette and kneels next to the animal.
After a brief examination, the doctor stands. "I see no obvious trauma. His respirations are slow but even, he's got a strong heartbeat, and I can't feel any broken bones. His belly is tender, though. He needs water and rest. I'd like a Pack member to phase so we can communicate with him."
Sam holds up a hand. "Give me a sec." He trots behind a nearby building, sheds his clothes and phases on the spot. He pads back to the group and tries to hear Brady's thoughts but gets nothing. He prods the animal with his paw and it opens its eyes, looking up warily. A slow growl builds its throat.
Chief Littlefoot stares at the brown Wolf and then to the doctor. "What's wrong with him?"
Dr. Pierce shakes his head, frowning. "He doesn't seem to be injured. I don't know—"
Sam the Wolf darts behind the building and in moments is walking back toward them, fully dressed, his expression grave. "We have a problem."
Paul dials Brady's cousin, Mollie, and tells her the story. She says that she has somewhere Brady can stay while he recuperates. When they arrive, Mollie is waiting in the empty garage, where she's thrown down a warm quilt and put out a pan of water. "Should I leave the door open?" she wonders.
They all look at Sam. "Leave it closed until he's conscious. Jacob lives a couple houses down. He can check on him often and bring him something to eat. If there's a change, call me."
A disheartened Council convenes. The Pack, as always, stands in the back. Sam is beckoned forward and gives his full report. "I don't know why, or if it's permanent, but Brady is now a wolf, not a Wolf-Protector. Not a shapeshifter, but an actual wolf. I could not hear his thoughts."
Dr. Pierce gives his report to the full Council. These old men have never sat so quietly. They, like the Pack, are stunned. What's worse, they don't know what has caused this change, nor how to care for the animal once it recuperates. If it recuperates. Will it suddenly phase back into Brady? Or will it stay in its animal form and leave them, go into the wild and find its own pack?
Is Brady gone forever? And if he phases back, will he remember his life before this?
The spell that Chief Littlefoot cast, way back during the snow of September, still hovers over the area, indiscriminately causing demise and destruction.
And the trouble isn't over yet.
Not by a long shot.