Apologises for the delay! Sorry, dory, lorry -
All review loved and received.
Chapter 12
Cat paused and took a minute to really look around, shading her eyes from the bright sunlight. Wow - it was amazing up here. The air was crisp and clear and the forest stretched forever below her, undulating like a Genie ridden carpet. And if she turned the other way she could see the whole of Wolf Lake laid out below her, all the little tributaries of street flowing into the main creek of the shopping area. Yeah, it was a pretty neat little town. She turned back to the forest. But there - that forest - it just beckoned her, she was itchy to finally flip so she could explore it properly.
"Cat!"
She turned at the call to see her Mom further up the trail, smiling and beckoning her on.
When Sophia had suggested this hike early in the morning her daughter had been uncharacteristically enthusiastic. Admittedly she was an active kid who had been cooped up for two days, and yes hiking with her Mom was something she had plenty of Wolf tracking experience in - but she had been practically hopping. It was only when they had finally cleared the edges of the town and started into the mountains that Sophia noticed a subtle tension slip out of her frame.
"Sweetheart - has something being bothering you?" *Beside the obvious that is * she added silently. Cat shrugged and rotated her shoulders, shifting her pack until it sat more comfortably.
"It's nothing really - Mom. It's just that - "
"Yes?"
"This place." She gestured vaguely to the town below. "It's a lot of pressure you know? And everyone is watching and they all THINK so hard that it makes shielding sort of tiring, and I don't like to sleep - 'cause of the Dreams."
"Ahh. Do you think some more time with Sherman might help?"
Her daughter screwed up her face in thought. "It might. But this, just getting out for a while, this helps more than anything." She favoured her Mom with a grateful smile. "Thanks."
"Not a problem kid. And as I said we have a mission to complete. Onwards and upwards."
"Yeah, yeah," she good naturedly grumbled. "Who lives in a place like this anyway?"
"Someone who doesn't want any visitors. Come on - we should be there in about an hour."
It was actually about 30 minutes when they finally reached the clearing, making a detour around the residual road and the ancient parked pick up. The cabin nestled into the lee of the mountain like it had grown out of the forest, weathered grey green boards and thick beech slates on the roof. But apart from the debris of various projects scattered around the clearing, and the evidence of a freshly pinned deer skin there was no sign of life.
"Don't tell me they're not in? Not after that hike. And I didn't realise they had a road," she turned to mock glare at her mother, "we could have drove!"
Sophia smiled at her. "We could of, but we needed the exercise. Come on."
They moved further into the clearing. The air was still and quiet and Cat had a distinct feeling that something - or someone was watching them. But whoever it was, her Mom didn't seem bothered.
"Hallo the house! Anyone at home?"
To Cat's surprise an answering voice echoed from behind the cabin.
"Just a minute!"
The owner of the voice appeared around the cabin a few minutes later, wiping her hands on a rag, the grease stains on her jeans a mute testament to what she had being doing when interrupted. She frowned at the two of them for a moment, and then her gaze fixed on her Mom, and a smile grew and blossomed until it was nothing less than a full fledged grin. Cat glanced up at her Mom and was reassured to see a similar look on her face.
"Sophia."
"Ruby."
The other woman shook her head in amusement, her eyes dancing.
"God, it's good to see you again. Come here."
The two women hugged, a wealth of warmth and relaxation in the gesture, while Cat regarded the other with renewed interest. So this was the mysterious Ruby, the one person, apart from her Grandpa that her mother had always kept in touch with. The two of them were outright chuckling now, holding each other at arms length, drinking in the changes.
"You know, e-mail is a beautiful thing."
"That it is. Cat, come here. I've someone I'd like you to meet."
Cat sidled up to her mother's side and eyed the older woman curiously.
"Catrina Donner, meet Ruby Cates. Ruby - my daughter, Catrina."
"Pleased to meet you." Cat stuck out her hand, and Ruby took it with an oddly amused and assessing look on her face.
"Likewise. Actually I've got someone I'd like you both to meet as well. He should be somewhere around. James!"
A moment later a lanky form slipped around the side of the cabin, hesitating momentarily as he saw the strangers, before reluctantly approaching the little group.
"Sophia, Catrina - this is my son, James."
Cat stared up at the newcomer, openly curious while he examined them both in his turn. He was tall and lanky, with the promise of breadth and strength to come. At the moment he was all whipcord muscle and potential, floppy black hair falling over remarkable, slanted, golden eyes. Wolf eyes. He brushed his hair back impatiently from sculptured cheekbones and frowned. Cat felt her mouth go dry. He was a babe. A total and utter studmuffin.
Sophia glanced from James to her daughter. She was standing hipshot, outwardly causal but her mother could see the subtle signs of interest. She looked back at James taking in the curved mouth, the sculptured arrogance of his cheekbones. Oh dear. What was it about these Cates men anyway? Did they give them entrance to the bad boy club at birth?
The two adults had retreated to the far side of the clearing to talk, throwing out the easy parental aside of 'you-two-should-get-to-know-each- other'. Huh. Easier said than done. Cat chewed her lip anxiously. She was crap at all this forced social stuff. Thankfully he seemed almost as bad. They carefully didn't look at each other for a few minutes and then James stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders in resignation.
"Hey - you want a soda?"
She grasped eagerly at this lifeboat of conversation. "Sure. What've you got?"
He moved towards the cabin and she followed him. "Coke I think, and Mountain Dew."
Bleurgghh. "I hate Mountain Dew," she muttered.
He gave her a faintly surprised look. "So do I." He gave her another assessing look.
"What do people call you?"
"Cat. And you?"
He made a face. "Jamie." At her answering smirk he grinned, his body relaxing slightly. "At least it's better than Jim."
"True."
She hovered uncertainly as he made his way to the fridge, checking out the rest of the cabin. She could just see someone's double bed through an opened door, the sheets all piled up in a kind of round nest. Someone sure was a messy sleeper.
"Here".
The coke was icy from the refrigerator and she drank it gratefully, conscious all the time of those assessing eyes. Finally sick of being stared at like a bug she glared at him in return. He seemed faintly surprised that she had the guts to do so.
"What?"
"It's just that I've never met one of us who has lived Outside before. I mean we get visits from the other Packs, but you - you lived in New York - "
She grinned suddenly, flashing bright and he blinked, faintly dazzled. Oh he was getting an idea already that this new addition to the Pack wasn't going to be even faintly predictable. Somehow, he looked forward to the challenge.
"Yeah. New York City, England, Colorado, Boston."
"What was that like? I've always wanted to go."
She hitched herself up onto the kitchen counter. "Well - New York chilli dogs are the best in the whole world - "
Chatting and gesticulating, with the occasional interruption from an increasingly relaxed Jamie, the first threads of a tentative friendship were spun.
At the other end of the clearing the initial reminiscing had finished and the field was clear for serious business. Thankfully Ruby was already up to speed on the Dreams, and tended to agree with Sherman as to their meaning. She winced when Sophia regaled the tale of her unfortunate meeting with Luke.
"That's going to go down well."
Sophia acknowledged her mistake with a rueful shake of the head.
"He just made me so mad - you know? Who does he think he is that he can just pick up as if we never stopped?"
Ruby eyed her friends narrowed eyes and heightened colour in amusement. "Well - it really looks as if you are mortally offended by the whole thing."
Sophia humpphed in reply and changed the subject.
"Vivian will be calling for a Meet. He hasn't prevented that at least."
"Well, my brother generally isn't a complete idiot."
"Hhhmm. I'll withhold judgement on that. Will you come?"
Ruby sighed and looked away. "If you need me too."
Sophia took her hands in hers. "I do. I think I'll need the moral support."
Ruby shot her a shrewd look.
"And do you intend to reveal more than just the threat?"
She smiled back ruefully. "I think so. I think it's time that a few things came out in the open."
"Not all?"
Sophia looked across the clearing where the two teenagers were talking to each other, the body language at once tentative and deeply interested.
"Not yet. But eventually." She grasped her friend's hands harder, looking her in the eyes, noticing the shadows that fifteen years of keeping her own secret had put there.
"Eventually all of our secrets will be revealed."
Ruby closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. Finally there was someone else to share the burden. She opened her eyes and smiled back at her friend, infinitely comforted that her sister, in spirit, if not in blood, was finally back where she belonged.
All review loved and received.
Chapter 12
Cat paused and took a minute to really look around, shading her eyes from the bright sunlight. Wow - it was amazing up here. The air was crisp and clear and the forest stretched forever below her, undulating like a Genie ridden carpet. And if she turned the other way she could see the whole of Wolf Lake laid out below her, all the little tributaries of street flowing into the main creek of the shopping area. Yeah, it was a pretty neat little town. She turned back to the forest. But there - that forest - it just beckoned her, she was itchy to finally flip so she could explore it properly.
"Cat!"
She turned at the call to see her Mom further up the trail, smiling and beckoning her on.
When Sophia had suggested this hike early in the morning her daughter had been uncharacteristically enthusiastic. Admittedly she was an active kid who had been cooped up for two days, and yes hiking with her Mom was something she had plenty of Wolf tracking experience in - but she had been practically hopping. It was only when they had finally cleared the edges of the town and started into the mountains that Sophia noticed a subtle tension slip out of her frame.
"Sweetheart - has something being bothering you?" *Beside the obvious that is * she added silently. Cat shrugged and rotated her shoulders, shifting her pack until it sat more comfortably.
"It's nothing really - Mom. It's just that - "
"Yes?"
"This place." She gestured vaguely to the town below. "It's a lot of pressure you know? And everyone is watching and they all THINK so hard that it makes shielding sort of tiring, and I don't like to sleep - 'cause of the Dreams."
"Ahh. Do you think some more time with Sherman might help?"
Her daughter screwed up her face in thought. "It might. But this, just getting out for a while, this helps more than anything." She favoured her Mom with a grateful smile. "Thanks."
"Not a problem kid. And as I said we have a mission to complete. Onwards and upwards."
"Yeah, yeah," she good naturedly grumbled. "Who lives in a place like this anyway?"
"Someone who doesn't want any visitors. Come on - we should be there in about an hour."
It was actually about 30 minutes when they finally reached the clearing, making a detour around the residual road and the ancient parked pick up. The cabin nestled into the lee of the mountain like it had grown out of the forest, weathered grey green boards and thick beech slates on the roof. But apart from the debris of various projects scattered around the clearing, and the evidence of a freshly pinned deer skin there was no sign of life.
"Don't tell me they're not in? Not after that hike. And I didn't realise they had a road," she turned to mock glare at her mother, "we could have drove!"
Sophia smiled at her. "We could of, but we needed the exercise. Come on."
They moved further into the clearing. The air was still and quiet and Cat had a distinct feeling that something - or someone was watching them. But whoever it was, her Mom didn't seem bothered.
"Hallo the house! Anyone at home?"
To Cat's surprise an answering voice echoed from behind the cabin.
"Just a minute!"
The owner of the voice appeared around the cabin a few minutes later, wiping her hands on a rag, the grease stains on her jeans a mute testament to what she had being doing when interrupted. She frowned at the two of them for a moment, and then her gaze fixed on her Mom, and a smile grew and blossomed until it was nothing less than a full fledged grin. Cat glanced up at her Mom and was reassured to see a similar look on her face.
"Sophia."
"Ruby."
The other woman shook her head in amusement, her eyes dancing.
"God, it's good to see you again. Come here."
The two women hugged, a wealth of warmth and relaxation in the gesture, while Cat regarded the other with renewed interest. So this was the mysterious Ruby, the one person, apart from her Grandpa that her mother had always kept in touch with. The two of them were outright chuckling now, holding each other at arms length, drinking in the changes.
"You know, e-mail is a beautiful thing."
"That it is. Cat, come here. I've someone I'd like you to meet."
Cat sidled up to her mother's side and eyed the older woman curiously.
"Catrina Donner, meet Ruby Cates. Ruby - my daughter, Catrina."
"Pleased to meet you." Cat stuck out her hand, and Ruby took it with an oddly amused and assessing look on her face.
"Likewise. Actually I've got someone I'd like you both to meet as well. He should be somewhere around. James!"
A moment later a lanky form slipped around the side of the cabin, hesitating momentarily as he saw the strangers, before reluctantly approaching the little group.
"Sophia, Catrina - this is my son, James."
Cat stared up at the newcomer, openly curious while he examined them both in his turn. He was tall and lanky, with the promise of breadth and strength to come. At the moment he was all whipcord muscle and potential, floppy black hair falling over remarkable, slanted, golden eyes. Wolf eyes. He brushed his hair back impatiently from sculptured cheekbones and frowned. Cat felt her mouth go dry. He was a babe. A total and utter studmuffin.
Sophia glanced from James to her daughter. She was standing hipshot, outwardly causal but her mother could see the subtle signs of interest. She looked back at James taking in the curved mouth, the sculptured arrogance of his cheekbones. Oh dear. What was it about these Cates men anyway? Did they give them entrance to the bad boy club at birth?
The two adults had retreated to the far side of the clearing to talk, throwing out the easy parental aside of 'you-two-should-get-to-know-each- other'. Huh. Easier said than done. Cat chewed her lip anxiously. She was crap at all this forced social stuff. Thankfully he seemed almost as bad. They carefully didn't look at each other for a few minutes and then James stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders in resignation.
"Hey - you want a soda?"
She grasped eagerly at this lifeboat of conversation. "Sure. What've you got?"
He moved towards the cabin and she followed him. "Coke I think, and Mountain Dew."
Bleurgghh. "I hate Mountain Dew," she muttered.
He gave her a faintly surprised look. "So do I." He gave her another assessing look.
"What do people call you?"
"Cat. And you?"
He made a face. "Jamie." At her answering smirk he grinned, his body relaxing slightly. "At least it's better than Jim."
"True."
She hovered uncertainly as he made his way to the fridge, checking out the rest of the cabin. She could just see someone's double bed through an opened door, the sheets all piled up in a kind of round nest. Someone sure was a messy sleeper.
"Here".
The coke was icy from the refrigerator and she drank it gratefully, conscious all the time of those assessing eyes. Finally sick of being stared at like a bug she glared at him in return. He seemed faintly surprised that she had the guts to do so.
"What?"
"It's just that I've never met one of us who has lived Outside before. I mean we get visits from the other Packs, but you - you lived in New York - "
She grinned suddenly, flashing bright and he blinked, faintly dazzled. Oh he was getting an idea already that this new addition to the Pack wasn't going to be even faintly predictable. Somehow, he looked forward to the challenge.
"Yeah. New York City, England, Colorado, Boston."
"What was that like? I've always wanted to go."
She hitched herself up onto the kitchen counter. "Well - New York chilli dogs are the best in the whole world - "
Chatting and gesticulating, with the occasional interruption from an increasingly relaxed Jamie, the first threads of a tentative friendship were spun.
At the other end of the clearing the initial reminiscing had finished and the field was clear for serious business. Thankfully Ruby was already up to speed on the Dreams, and tended to agree with Sherman as to their meaning. She winced when Sophia regaled the tale of her unfortunate meeting with Luke.
"That's going to go down well."
Sophia acknowledged her mistake with a rueful shake of the head.
"He just made me so mad - you know? Who does he think he is that he can just pick up as if we never stopped?"
Ruby eyed her friends narrowed eyes and heightened colour in amusement. "Well - it really looks as if you are mortally offended by the whole thing."
Sophia humpphed in reply and changed the subject.
"Vivian will be calling for a Meet. He hasn't prevented that at least."
"Well, my brother generally isn't a complete idiot."
"Hhhmm. I'll withhold judgement on that. Will you come?"
Ruby sighed and looked away. "If you need me too."
Sophia took her hands in hers. "I do. I think I'll need the moral support."
Ruby shot her a shrewd look.
"And do you intend to reveal more than just the threat?"
She smiled back ruefully. "I think so. I think it's time that a few things came out in the open."
"Not all?"
Sophia looked across the clearing where the two teenagers were talking to each other, the body language at once tentative and deeply interested.
"Not yet. But eventually." She grasped her friend's hands harder, looking her in the eyes, noticing the shadows that fifteen years of keeping her own secret had put there.
"Eventually all of our secrets will be revealed."
Ruby closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. Finally there was someone else to share the burden. She opened her eyes and smiled back at her friend, infinitely comforted that her sister, in spirit, if not in blood, was finally back where she belonged.