Way of Life
White nothingness.
That's what it looks like to Damon as he opens his eyes.
Where am I? He wonders as he looks around.
Slowly the white begins to fade away, shapes and blinding bright colors soon surround him. Odd horizontal and bulking shadows soon takes shape before him. Slowly color is added to the scene as well as details; thin lines grew to be pine trees, boulders become solid and small particles of snow begins to blow gently in the wind. Blissful silence engulfs him save for the blowing of the wind and the occasional chirp from a hidden bird. The Ghost looks up at the crisp blue sky and watches the clouds as they blow over, the sun is nowhere to be seen.
Am I in heaven? He muses to himself, wondering even if it's possible for a man as violent as he is to end up in the place.
He slowly looks down and is fascinated by his looks. He is stripped of his web gear and weapons, now he is wearing what appear to be fresh camouflage pants and a plain white t-shirt. He is also lying on a makeshift bed made of pine needles and pieces of grass. Grass? Is winter almost over? How long has he been lying here?
His whole body feels numbs, but he forces it to raise his arms and rubs them together to ward off the cold. He then lifts himself up to his elbows and releases a hiss as his body begins to burn in response. Carefully, he folds back his left sleeve and looks at his bicep. It's a flesh wound, nothing serious, but it still hurts. He then pulls up the shirt and is quite surprised to see a well place new bandage over his stomach, slightly red, but still white nevertheless.
So I'm not in heaven, Damon soon figures, you're not supposed to feel any pain in heaven, right?
The Ghost reaches up and feels that his mask is now gone, he suspected as much when he no longer felt the softness of the cloth against his face.
Though it's nice to be in new clothes even if it's chilly and his wounds have been looked after, he starts to grow worried, then anxious before finally feeling confused. Who did this? Was it the wolves? Where are they and where is he for that matter? What happen, how did-
"Damon!" a voice says behind him.
He tries to twist around to see who is speaking when something slams into him and pushes him to the ground. The other body starts to laugh, but Damon begins to gulp in the air like a fish, his wounds still ailing him.
The mysterious person stops laughing as a wolf enter his field of vision. Standing above him is a she-wolf, he squints slightly to see who, a wolf with a brown coat and a white underbelly and chin; Meadow.
"Damon, are you alright?" She asks in concern as she lightly begins to sniff him.
The Ghost could only nod response as he pushes himself back up again. He then begins scratching Meadow's neck, who tilts her head to give him better access to her neck area. He couldn't help but let out a tired chuckle. He feels really happy to see her, a familiar face, he was so sure he wasn't going to make it, and yet here he is.
Meadow pulls away and runs back behind him. Damon is confused by this as he wonders where she has gone when he hears her happy voice shout, "He's awake! Damon's awake!"
He feels a faint vibration in the earth and he is sure he could hear the sound of a hundred footsteps heading his way.
"Oh no," he moans to himself as he tries to stand on his feet, he didn't even get into a kneeling position yet when he was practically ran over.
The wolves stampeded around Damon, all jumping, shouting and laughing like a bunch of merry children. Even the wolves that were weary of the Ghost couldn't help but join in with the others.
Damon's body is screaming now, the agony is just too much, but then he feels two furry bodies position themselves underneath his arms and he is slowly help back up into a kneeling stance. Damon breathes slowly as he finally forces his legs to push until he is standing back up on his own, a small mile lighting his face at this small achievement.
It is then he looks around at the assembled wolves. He sees so many familiar faces, Alphas and Omegas, for once hopping around together in total mirth. However his heart grows heavy when he counts that the pups makes up a bulk of the large party, leaving a small amount of adult wolves absent.
A happy Garth pads up to him and asks, "What's wrong?" when he sees the human's ashen face.
Damon swallows before looking back down at Garth, "Is this everybody?"
Soon the Alpha's face falls, answering the Ghost's question.
Misery and guilt starts to build up in the Ghost. He helped plan the attack and now it looks like over half the pack have been wiped out.
Suddenly a golden wolf bumps into his side and he hears the voice of Kate as she says, "Damon, we won, the soldiers are all gone. If those wolves were here, they would be really happy at what we have accomplished."
Damon smiles at her but he still feels an ounce of guilt.
"Hey Damon," a new voice says and the human looks down and couldn't help but laugh at what he sees.
Humphrey has walked up to him and is trying to wear the human's Ghost mask, but it only went up to his snout.
Damon could only shake his head before pulling the mask off of Humphrey as he says, "What are you doing?"
The grey wolf grins, "Well since you said I'm an honorary Ghost, I figured I needed my own mask."
Damon shakes his head, "Technically you would be a Wet Face first before you can become a Ghost."
"A what?" The wolf questions.
"Wet Face, a Ghost in training; until you earn the mask you have to paint your face," Damon explains.
"Well I think he earn it," Kate says as she leans against her mate, "he took down Oliver all on his own."
"He what?" Damon questions in complete disbelief, Humphrey, probably the goofiest wolf to have ever lived took down a pretty much hostile enemy?
"You sound surprised," teases Humphrey.
"Yeah I am," replies Damon, "I was pretty sure Oliver was going to murder you."
"What!" asks a shell shocked Humphrey.
The Ghost merely laughs again before saying, "Actually, I had complete faith in you." In truth, Damon was sure Humphrey would just run from Oliver and survive; he couldn't believe that the wolf could have actually brought down the rogue Alpha.
At the thought of facing a powerful opponent, Damon asks, "What happen? I don't remember."
Kate just shrugs, "All that we know is that the submarine blew up, Humphrey saw you sinking into the lake so he went in and grab you."
Damon turns to Humphrey who appears embarrassed, "Yeah, well you were pretty heavy, so I had to cut most of your stuff off so I could pull you back to the surface."
The Ghost only smiles, "It's alright, that wasn't even my stuff in the first place." His mood however grows solemn as he wonders for a bit before asking, "Did you say we've won?"
"Yes," shouts an optimistic Meadow "Isn't it great?"
Damon is silent. The wolves don't know it, but to the Ghost this means one thing; this means his mission is over.
He bends down and picks up a long tree branch. The wolves watch curiously as he strips the limb off its needles and sticks before he places it down as an improvise cane. He hobbles forward slightly and looks down at the wolves before him as he says, "Show me."
Damon stands before the gates of the Federation base, which looks like a complete dump at the moment. The fence has been all but torn down, one of the guard towers is being supported on a busted limb and another lies in ruin. The tents have been blown open and was left to the mercy of the elements, resulting with trash, clothes and other personal belongings being blown across the compound and out over the rest of the land. Meanwhile the occupants are all dead; the wretch awful scent of decay fills the area as the Federation soldiers lay sprawled out in front of the base, all with their throats torn out and soaked in their own puddles of blood. The place has been destroyed while its residence has been massacred.
"How long was I out?" he asks as he looks up into the skies.
"Almost a day, why?" Kate asks as she walks up to the Ghost.
"Because we don't have much time," with that he stumbles into the base as fast as he could, he pauses and says over his shoulder, "and bring the prisoner too."
Humphrey, Garth and Kate all exchange worried glances before walking back into the tree line and growls. The captured Federation soldier they brought from their cave limps forward, his hands raised with a terrified expression on his face. He hobbles lightly from the pain his wounds are causing him.
Damon passes the still smoking remains of the tank and gives the dead Federation soldier a wide girth as he walks to the main building, the last stone structure standing; the Fed's HQ building.
He pauses at the door and looks at the distant cliff. Up there was where he and team Comanche first set up shop. He soon becomes appreciative of Swans scout like instincts; from that point mixed in with the nearby shrubs it was impossible for the Feds to have seen their position. If only his teammates can see him now, standing on the enemy door steps before he opens the door and heads in.
The room is large and spacious with an emergency exit on the opposite side of the building while a single window pointed in the direction of the lake allows a slight beam of sunlight to stream in. The room slightly smells and the stiffening heat suggests that there is a heater left activated somewhere. The Ghost flicks on a small switch he found on the wall, he hears the sound of a generator revving up before the room is illuminated with light. All four walls of the room is covered with computers, while tables with documents and maps takes up the main space in the middle and, to Damon's relief, radios are scattered throughout the place.
The Ghost stumbles forward and begins inspecting radios. He is looking for a certain wireless system that can transmit a strong signal to the states, a radio that's, there! He rushes over to a table full of maps and picks it up, a small device that is shape like a box yet weighs about ten to fifteen pounds. He found it, now he can call home, now he can leave. However he pauses at that thought as he thinks.
The full gravity of the situation has taken hold of him as he thinks. He is going back to the states, back to war. He would leave the beautiful forest, leave the peace loving wolves and exchange it for a world of destruction, misery, starvation and war; the horror of war. Does he want to go back?
He actually plays with the idea. Command probably believes he is dead, so he could stay here with the wolves and…and then what? Strip down and run around like Tarzen? He is a warrior, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like a little bit of peace every so often. This is the first harmony filled place he has ever visited in over ten years, but he isn't meant to be here. His country needed him, not here in Canada doing nothing but twiddle his thumbs; he belongs on the frontlines.
With that final thought, Damon picks up the radio with a grunt and begins to walk out of the building. He pauses however to look out at the lake and is surprise at what he sees.
Two massive chunks or metal are floating in the middle of the lake, both with bulbous shapes and has a jagged opening on one side, each covered in what appears to be black ash. He realizes that it's the sub, ripped cleanly in two with the force of an explosive blast. He shivers when he sees the shapes of human bodies floating in the waters.
The explosion…Estrada must be surely dead now. A blacken hunk of metal, a fitting grave stone for a dangerous man.
Damon turns and is almost out the door but he pauses and inspects a coat hanger. There's a thermal coat with wool stich into the insides hanging on one of the pegs. He puts the radio down and shrugs on the jacket. It's a little snug but it's far better than walking around in just a tee.
With his newly claimed covering, Damon limps out of the building. He sees the soldier has been ordered to sit in the middle of the camp; he looks up fearfully at the approaching Ghost.
"Please, don't kill me," he asks in his broken English accent.
"I won't" Damon says, "but there's no promise that they won't."
The Diablo frowns at this, but before he could question further, Damon throws a powerful fist and knocks the man out cold. Damon hisses as he massages his hand before saying, "let's go."
"We're going to leave him here?" asks a confuse Kate.
"No, you'll see," is all that Damon says as he leads the way out of the base.
They walk out of the compound together, but when they reach the gates the human asks, "Do you guys remember how I taught you to hide your tracks?"
The wolves nod in confirmation, so the Ghost says, "I need you guys to do it now, erase our tracks until we reach the tree line."
The wolves' looks confused by these orders, but they not their heads and begin to work. As they move back to the forest, the wolves would sweep away their tracks with their tails, brushing the snow to the side and destroying all evidence of their presence.
They barely make it to the tree line when they hear a loud buzz fill the air.
"What is that?" Kate asks.
"Let's just say you want to take cover," Damon says as he puts his back against a tree trunk and peeks out at the deserted base. The wolves hunker down behind trees and underneath bushes, all watching and waiting.
Garth turns to Humphrey and asks, "Does that sound familiar to you?"
Humphrey thinks a moment before looking back at the Alpha and nods as they both turn and looks at Damon.
The buzz got louder and louder until finally something large flies overhead. The wolves' looks up in a mystified like trance while the Ghost looks up in familiarity. Flying above them is a Black Hawk helicopter making a sharp turn and begins to circle around the Federation base. Soon another Black Hawk comes into the sky, taking position opposite of the first chopper as they circle the base.
The doors on the helicopters slide open and large coils of rope are thrown out, unrolling as they fall. The wolves are confused by this until they see humans wearing what Damon calls "tactical gear," grab the rope and jumps out of the aircraft. Upon landing, the humans take out rifles, distantly familiar to the weapons of the Federation.
Humphrey lets out a frustrated growl, "Are you kidding me?! More soldiers?!"
"Relax Humphrey," Damon says calmly, "They're not Feds; they're your Canadian soldiers, the LFC I believe."
"The what?" asks Kate.
"Special Forces, the soldiers that are better trained than the average warrior; they're like Alphas of the Alphas, kind of like the Ghosts."
"Yeah, but they're not wearing masks like you," adds in Garth, to which Damon smiles.
The Canadians slowly search the area over, entering each tent and the large concrete building, all with weapons raise at the ready. It isn't long before the soldiers lower their rifles as they begin to search the area. They signal the helicopters to land as they conduct an investigation. Damon couldn't help but chuckle when he sees that they are practically scratching their heads with what happen, especially at the battlefield where it is pretty obvious that the Federation soldiers have been killed by the force of nature.
"Are these Canadians as bad as the Federation?" Kate asks, never taking her eyes off the new humans.
Damon shakes his head, "No, in fact, they are charged with protecting Canada."
"So where were they when all this started?" demands an exasperated Garth.
"I'll ask next time I run into them," Damon jokes, "but I'm pretty sure we caused a lot of noise with the battle yesterday for them to notice, I'm lucky we got here first before they did," he says as he pats the radio by his side.
Kate tilts her head, "Why? Aren't they the good guys?"
The Ghost offers a self-conscious smile, "Well, technically I'm not allowed to be here, so it's best that they don't find me."
"Well that's stupid," interrupts Humphrey, "they should make you a hero for what you've done."
The Ghost looks at the Omega, "Would do you do that for a wolf who trespassed onto your territory?"
Humphrey thinks for a moment before saying, "no."
Damon bobs his head, "Exactly the same situation I'm in at the moment."
Soon the Canadians discovered the Diablo still alive and carry his prone body to a waiting helicopter.
"Won't the Federation soldier tell them you were here?" questions Garth.
"Probably," Damon says with a shrug, "but as long as they don't find any physical evidence that I was in the area, I'll be ok."
Meanwhile, the rest of the forces shift their search to the lake where they start to inspect the destroyed sub. Seeing them move away, the Ghost motions with his hand, "Come on, let's get going."
The wolves walk ahead while Damon walks behind in the rear, burden by his injuries and the radio. Suddenly he feels his skin crawling and knows somebody is watching. Subtly Damon slides behind a tree and peeks out, looking back at the base.
Standing at the gate is a Canadian with a Remington rifle in hand looking into the forest. Damon squints a little and sees the man has a well-kept mustache, side burns and a tough looking face. He appears to be six foot three, age around forty and held his weapon in a resting yet professional way like he was born with it. The soldier squints into the foliage and Damon wonders if he has seen him when another soldier further away calls out. The man continues starring at Damon's position before turning and walks in the direction of the shouting man.
The Ghost lets out a sigh of relief as he wonders what it was that caught the soldier's interest. Shrugging it off for now, he gets a better grip on the radio and hurries after the wolves, grunting as he went.
Back at the Alpha School, which has now been deemed safe, the wolves are in an excited frenzy. They have brought down enough caribou to feed five entire packs as they ready for a celebration. They are even happier when they hear that Tony has authorized a midnight howl to end the day, the very first in four moon cycles to occur. Although they are happy, the wolves are also quite sad, they all lost at least one person in the final battle, families and friends. Pups play in the snow as they usually do, but now they do so with a pain expression on their faces similar to Ann's when she heard of her brother's betrayal. The Omegas however due their best trying to cause merry, but even they were weaken by the war experience. It wounds Damon to see the pack this way, but he knows from his war miserable life that the pain will fade, it will never leave, but they can lock it down inside themselves and numb it as they live their life, whether they want to or not.
The Ghost is nowhere to be seen during the preparations. He is in his old den as he stares at the radio, thinking of his decision. His country needs him, the war here is over. He remembers reading books written by old Navy SEALs; they were just like Damon, thirsty for war, living for the thrills and fighting for their nation to the very end of their careers…or their lives. However Damon has lost that thirst and he believes he knows why; the SEALs had a beautiful and relevantly peaceful world to return to after their tours of duty, but Damon has none. The U.S. is now under siege, he is sure his time in war is a lot longer than all the SEALs deployment tours combine, non-stop action for ten years.
Jasper Park…this is like paradise to the human. No soldier trying to kill you, no constant shelling, no hunger, and no living in pure terror every night, afraid you'll be killed in your sleep. Here there are wolves that are like people; they laugh, they cry and they understand human emotions. They are a fun group to hang out with and after getting to know them, it won't be long before you pick up the rifle to defend them. This could be his home for years to come.
But could he live with himself if he stays? Back home there's probably a scared kid being given a rifle and being told to go fight in a war that Damon could help end. There are few with skills like his, few who have the strength and stamina and truly believe his body has no limits. He is willing to give up everything in a blink of an eye to ensure his people and his nation is kept from danger. His brothers already made that sacrifice, how would they feel looking down at him as he stays and becomes unwilling to follow their brave footsteps into making a more secured world? They had families, what will their kin think if he stays, what if Falkner's daughter goes to war, or Gordon's nephews? He can't allow their memories and sacrifice go unaccounted for.
Jasper is peaceful, but this is no place for a man of action to live, if he is to be honest with himself, his killer prone nature will rob this place of its harmonic beauty. He has done so by making the forest his battleground, teaching the wolves the way of war and exposing its young pups to a violent world. It would be the end of this sanctuary if he stays as well as that of his nation.
Damon breathes as he realizes the truth in his own words as he reaches forward and flips the switch.
The small cave is filled with a familiar buzz as the radio cackles to life. Damon starts to turn the knob on the frequency he was given at the beginning of the mission, but pauses. This will be the airwave that Archangel used; he could still be on the other end. He thinks over his options for a few minutes before twisting the knob, but this time he is going to hook up with an old friend, he just hopes he remembers the right number.
He reaches his targeted frequency and speaks into the hand held mike, "This is Comanche One to Death Stalker, come in Death Stalker."
He wonders if 'Death Stalker' still uses that call sign or even if he is online, but it has become the habit of team leaders to sleep by operating radios, so someone should at least hear.
There is silence so he tries again, "Death Stalker this is Comanche One, do you read over."
There is silence once again. The Ghost curses as he mulls over his options, should he go ahead and try to contact any U.S forces he could reach? However he just about had a heart attack when he heard a familiar voice fill the den.
"Comanche One is this really you?" the voice asks, originating from the speakers on the radio.
Damon holds the mike with a death grip as if afraid it would disappear, "Yes, yes this Comanche One, uh, confirmed, over."
He messed up, that's not good, 'Death Stalker' is real cautious when it comes to talking on a radio, you never know if it's friend or foe. That small slip up of talking regularly could mess him up greatly, but could he really be blamed? He hasn't spoken military language in months now.
The airwave is silent before 'Death Stalker' speaks, "9/12, three."
Damon knew those numbers so he answers, "Graduation, third class," the date was when he became a Ghost and he was apart of the third class of men to have done it. That was the day he and 'Death Stalker,' though they were different in age, they still became close as friends before forming the bond of brotherhood.
The radio is quiet before simply saying, "the surfing incident."
"It was all Johnny's fault," Damon answers with a grin, only Ghosts of the third class would know that joke, the reason why there are no more surfers at the beach is because Johnny destroyed the surfing board shop with a misfired rocket.
Damon couldn't believe it when he hears 'Death Stalker' laugh, a real joyous laugh with none of his usual stone reserve within it, "It's great to hear from you brother! Everybody here is saying you guys are dead."
The Ghost's smile diminishes a bit before he says, "Not all of us no."
'Death Stalker' is silent before asking, "whose hit?"
Damon doesn't give his team mate names, instead he just said, "Three quarters."
"Oh no," 'Stalker' replies in a heavy hearted voice, "We've told their families to expect the worse but still…what do you need bro?"
"A ride," Damon says, "Silver Eagle told you about our mission, right?" last Damon check, 'Death Stalker' was Elisa Walker's, call sign Silver Eagle, number two Ghost in the entire program.
Stalker is silent before saying, "Yeah, he told me, Canada right?"
Damon nods, "Right, ask Silver Eagle for specifics."
There is a pause before the voice replies, "Silver Eagle is no longer here," 'Stalker's voice said it all.
Damon suddenly feels numb. Elisa Walker…dead? It can't be, Walker could endure anything, the invasion of a foreign country, a space attack, or even an assassination attempt; the man did and survived it all. He knows he has been gone for a while, but this news is almost too much to take in.
Finally the Ghost sighs as he asks, "Who's the new boss now?"
'Stalker' replies almost immediately, "My call sign was changed, it's no longer Death Stalker, it's Silver Eagle."
Damon is stun again. 'Stalker' is now the CO of the Ghost program?
"The world must be ending," he says into the mike, unsure if he is serious or not.
'Stalker', or 'Eagle' now, laughs, "Tell me about it…I can't do anything at the moment, there's a lot of Canadian activity in your AO, there's report of large blast residues and-" 'Eagle' becomes silent for a few moment before he speaks again, "That was all you wasn't it?"
Damon couldn't help but laugh, "You know me so well."
'Eagle' lets out a sigh before saying, "head back to the place where you were dropped off, that's your new ExFILL."
Damon nods as he feels excitement course through him, "got it."
"Time window will be really tight, get there by midnight, the bird will land for half a mike before taking off again, we may have to get one of those new stealth birds to come and pick you up," 'Eagle' explains.
Damon chuckles again, probably because he is filled with disbelief as he says, "Dude, you can air drop a unicycle for all I care, one way or another, I'm coming home," Damon now knows deep within him that's the absolute truth; he is going to return.
"Nice," 'Eagle' says, "Your call sign is still Comanche One, inbound helo will answer as Red Jay, confirm."
"Copy your last Silver," Damon says, feeling his old military self returning.
"Wilco, I'll be at the LZ myself to welcome you back personally, but remember stay frosty; you're not out yet of the jungle yet."
"Copy Eagle," the Ghost replies in a serious voice, "See you then I guess."
"Roger, Silver out," and with that, the line went dead.
Damon leans back and lets out a puff of air. This is it…he's really going back home, back to war, back to his brothers.
"Damon?"
The human turns and sees Meadow enter. He notices her fur has been freshly groomed; she also appears to be freshly washed since her coat colors are brighter than usual. Her pelt appears to be press down as well while a crimson wild flower rests above her ear. Where in the world she got a flower during the snowing season Damon has no idea.
She eyes the strange piece of technology wearily before saying, "I heard you talking to someone I've never heard before and…I guess I was just curious."
Damon looks down, feeling slightly guilty at the moment. He didn't tell Meadow, one of the best friends he has ever had outside the service, he already feels his heart wrench at the thought of leaving her and possibly never seeing her again.
He takes a deep breath before saying, "I was talking to my friend on that," he motions to the radio.
Meadow is silent before asking, "and?" She knew he was hiding something; they spent so much time together Damon is sure she has near telepathic abilities whenever they talk.
He rubs the back of his neck as he looks away and says, "We've made plans…for my departure."
Meadow is quite before asking, "When?"
Damon gulps as he switches his gaze to the floor as he says, "I'm going to leave…tomorrow."
The den is filled with a stillness that is tense enough to cut with a knife. Damon doesn't want to see the she-wolf's expression, afraid to see it'll mirror his own unease. Finally he hears footsteps and her furry frame enter his downcast view.
She cuddles against his chest and he wraps her in a hug as he bends his head down to feel her fur against his chin.
Meadow sighs, "I'll miss you; you're my best friend."
Damon holds her against him before saying, "I'll miss you as well Meadow."
They stay locked in that position for a moment before Meadow pulls away and walks towards the den's entrance saying, "I was asked to get you, we're ready to start the celebration."
Damon forces a smile as he grabs his improvise cane and says, "You mean you haven't started yet? It already sounds like a party is in process."
Meadow laughs in return but it sounded forced from Damon's perspective. Still he bends over and follows her out. She has already crested the little slope and was in the clearing, so Damon hurries after him; but when he got to the top he froze.
Assembled before him are the remaining thirty to forty wolves of the pack, all looking in what the Ghost assumes to be their Sunday best.
All the males have their coats freshly pressed, showing off their figures beneath, many of the Alphas seem to have lean muscles rippling beneath their pelts, but Damon notices almost all of them has scars that looks brand new, a lump forms in his throat when he sees Humphrey covered in scratches and marks made by claws or teeth, some still red, but the Omega is grinning like crazy at the moment.
Meanwhile the females have their coats pressed, and bore wounds that have been obtained on the battlefield as well, but unlike their counterparts the she-wolves are much leaner and they all have different color flowers hanging from their ears.
He has never seen the wolves look like this before, but what makes the man nervous is that they are all looking at him with bright smiles on their faces. He feels horribly exposed and self-conscious that he is the only human among the pack, is that why they are staring? And why are they smiling? He remembers Eve would smile before attacking with a brutal like nature. He shivers at the memory, but before he could think more on it, two wolves step forward, Tony and the other is grey and limping a bit with unfamiliar scars running down his back legs, but the Ghost recognizes him instantly.
"Winston!" he says with a smile, "I didn't even know you were feeling better, how've you been?"
The old wolf releases a chuckle, "I've been better, Nana told me I'm not supposed to be walking, but when I heard what happen, I figured I might as well be here, it's only proper."
Damon tilts his head in confusion, "Proper for what?"
Tony lets out a small agitated noise in the back of his throat, "We've taken a vote, and most of the pack all agrees to one thing," here Tony looks up at Damon, "we've agreed to honor your actions by making you apart of the pack."
The Ghost feels every last bit of air gets sucked out of his body. He gazes at the wolves before him, unable to believe what he has just heard. He looks at the two pack leaders, Tony looks annoyed but Winston gives the human a smile. He then turns his observation to the other wolves. Humphrey, Garth, Kate and what looks like a newly arrived Lilly, grins at him cheekily. The pups all look excited, Devan and Talia looks a little hesitant and Ann offers a cool quite stare while Meadow and Max looks happy.
Damon turns back to the leaders and asks, "Are you serious?"
Winston laughs, "Of course, it's the least we can do, and you fought, bled and sacrificed much in order to ensure the safety of my wolves. As a pack member, you will be trusted without hesitation, you may live among us, find safety among us, and if you so choose to, you may be buried among our dead."
The full sincerity of the wolf's words begins to take effect, do these wolves really think so highly of him?
However Damon swallows before looking down and says, "I'm honored Winston, but…I've just made contact with my own pack, they're coming to pick me up tomorrow," he looks up at them sadly, "And…I'm not so sure I'll be able to return."
The joyful atmosphere slowly begins to fade away as the wolves look on in shock. None of them really realized it, but the human has become a part of their lives, just the sight of him brings a familiar sense among the pack, not to have him here is strange. Talia and Devan look at each other, as they think about the Ghost, about the human who played with them and not the deadly warrior they remember seeing him as. Ann's deep anger disappears temporarily as she too remembers what kind of person Damon is, the one who risked life and limb to save her friends…her family. Meadow merely lowers her head in sadness, still unable to believe what she is hearing.
Winston is quite before saying, "Well…you can still become a pack member, and besides, life is full of surprises Damon, maybe you will return, but at the moment, please accept this invitation as a way of thanking and honoring you, as well as that as your fallen comrades," he says with a gentle smile.
Damon is quite before returning the gesture, "Than I accept, I'll become a part of this united pack."
The wolves' release a small cheer, but it's slightly disheartened before an awkward silence falls over them. Surprisingly it is Humphrey who breaks the quiet, "Well, let's get this party started than!"
The pack party is unlike any other party Damon has ever attended, than again it has been ten years since he last been a part of a celebration on this scale and he was a kid at the time so who was he to judge?
The wolves mostly mingled and talk to one another while feasting upon caribou and drinking pure mountain water brought back from the streams in giant leaves. Damon had to sip about twenty of them just to quench his thirst. On the other side of the field though things are more interesting. The Omegas are providing the pack with entertainment by acting out stories, telling jokes, or organizing large scale games of Wolf & Caribou or Hide & Seek. Damon is still injured and unable to participate in the motion activates. However he did sit and listen as the Omegas tell stories and jokes for hours on end, some he didn't understand while others pushed over into hysteria. Yet Damon spent most of his time walking around along the edge of the wolf festival in an attempt to strengthen his leg muscles for the coming journey.
As he walks he is greeted by almost every wolf in attendance as they congratulate him for becoming a part of the pack, a rare opportunity for most and formally thought of as off limits to humans. Every once in a while he would bump into Humphrey, Kate, Garth, Lilly, Winston, Eve and everyone else he has considered a friend. The Ghost admits that each meeting he has shed a single tear as he talks to the wolves; his friends who he may never see again, he may even miss Tony. They would always say something to pick each other up though and they would laugh, rising the spirit and morale for a bit.
However he still gazes around noting how much the mass number of wolves has shrunk critically. He begins to ask around and gain the names of the wolves who have pasted on; a total of twenty nine wolves have been counted as the final number of casualties. Every so often the Ghost would see a wolf shuffle off and whine miserably in the corner, pups, Alphas, Omegas, males and females, all grieving for the lost. Damon understands the pain, first with his parents, then his Ranger comrades until finally the falling of his Ghost brothers; it's an aching pain that never goes away, like a scar it will remain, it will fade but now, after so much blood has been spilled, Damon feels that pain increased tenfold as he thinks about his missing loved ones.
His chest is full of the pain, whether from the emotions or from his injuries the Ghost doesn't know, Damon finally just sits back against a nearby tree and watches the proceeding of the wolves with heavy burden eyes. He notes the sky has turned purple; a few more hours till it'll be dark, a couple more than it will be morning; a total of seventeen hours will have to go by before midnight, before he leaves.
"Hi," Damon turns and smiles. The group of pups has come up on him and now sits around him, save for Meadow who sits next to him and nuzzles him lightly. He responds by stroking her fur as he looks at the assembled pups.
Devan and Talia appears to be at ease, more or less. Max is happily busying himself by chewing on a caribou bone. Ann sits close to Damon, but keeps away at a good distance. His train eyes go over the pups and he realizes that they are about the size of full grown wolves.
Did that much time really go by, Damon wonders to himself before a small voice interrupts his thinking.
"I'm sorry Damon."
The Ghost stops stroking Meadow and looks at Ann who now looks down at the ground in a dishearten manner. Damon is glad the silence has finally been broken, but he didn't expect to hear an apology, especially from fiery Ann.
"Sorry?" Damon asks in return, truly curious with the scenario.
Ann doesn't look up as she says, "I haven't been talking to you lately because…because I thought humans were all the same, it look like it when we saw you fight the Federation soldiers."
Damon sighs as he looks down at the ground between his legs, "When in combat I've to do whatever is necessary to complete the mission and to protect my brothers…sometimes even I'm surprised with some of the things I do."
Ann releases a puff of air, "I know…Meadow explain it to us, but I still must apologize for ignoring you, for thinking that you might be worse than the soldiers."
Damon reaches out and rubs the top of Ann's head, "It's alright Ann, it's all understandable."
Devan has an anxious look on his face as he says, "Damon, we…we are sorry, we just-"
The human holds up his hand, "It's alright, I understand," and smiles at him and Talia who grins back once more.
Meadow has remain silent throughout the confession before she says, "I've never apologize either-"
"Oh for the love of-" Damon mutters a few well choice words before speaking, "I forgive all of you alright, no need for anymore apologies, ok?"
The pups giggle at this before looking back at the partying wolves as the evening melts away into night and the moon starts begin to come out.
Max pauses from chewing his bone to look up the Ghost and asks, "Can you tell us another story Damon?"
The Ghost glances back at the wolf before thinking, what tale would be appropriate enough to tell these young ones? He then remembers the last mission he performed with Comanche team; it isn't as violent, short and has a happy ending.
Damon clears his voice before saying, "The last place my team and I traveled to before coming here is a part of the U.S under Federation control." He can tell ha has the pups full attention as they look up at him and makes themselves comfortable.
"The mission was a basic recovery mission, a U.S soldier was taken as a prisoner and we had to go in and retrieve him. It wasn't easy, but we pulled it off. First I led Faulkner into the target building and together we eliminated the enemy contacts and rescued the hostage. However things went downhill after that."
"Swans and Gordon were watching from outside and reported seeing Federation troops moving in. We had no choice; we clutched our rifles, aimed at the walls and open fire. We did this in an attempt to confuse and maim some of the Feds, not really attempting to kill them, just send them into a panic. Then came the hard part; running like a maniac with an injured man hanging onto me for dear life while trained killers shot at our retreating rear ends."
"More than once we had to stop and return fire. Swans and Gordon covered us, but that want enough, it was as if an entire army was on our tail. We ran probably a few feet before ducking behind cover, shoot back, run, duck and shoot back; that's what we had to do survive."
"Finally we made it to the LZ, the landing zone, where the helicopter, our flying machine, is supposed to pick us up. In that brief moment of time, Gordon and Swans consolidated with us and together we held off the Feds." Damon's eyes start to glaze over as he remembers with pride at how well and how hard his boys fought to the bitter end. "No one could fight like us, we took slow controlled shots, more focus on injuring rather than killing and taking them down, one by one. However enemy reinforcement arrived and I thought we were done, but that was when the helicopter came in and saved us."
"We covered each other back's-"
"In what?" Asks a confused Max.
Damon shakes his head, "I mean, we fired at the enemy while running to the chopper, I almost didn't make it when an explosion knocked me out. I was dazed and confused, but my buddies never left me," he pauses as he looks up at the stars thinking, they still haven't left me.
He looks back down and finishes, "I was pulled onto the chopper, we took off and we made I back alive."
"Wow," mutters Talia.
"Did the man you rescued survived?" asks Meadow.
Damon nods his head, "Yeah, he made a quick recovery, he is working in intelligence at the moment and can you believe it? He actually got his hand on a letter written by a Federation officer that told us about their involvement here in Cana-" The Ghost's voice suddenly died as he realizes what he has just said.
His mind flows back to his few moments on the sub, to the small comment that Estrada made about the American traitor.
Months of planning, everything was thought out well, the men, the informant, the letter, all went according to plan,the voice echoes into the Ghosts mind.
Could it be? He can't be sure for certain, but still…this is a lead that he can trace, a lead that can lead him to Archangel.
"Damon," Meadow asks uncertainly, "Are you ok?"
Damon shakes his head before replying, "Yeah, I'm alright…just thinking…" he suddenly looks up and becomes aware of the mass movement happening around him and asks, "Where's everyone going?"
Talia giggles as she stands up, "To Howl Rock to perform the moon night howl, it's where we gather and howl for one another, it's almost like singing."
Damon smirks, "Sounds fun," he leans himself against a tree trunk and says, "Well I'll be here and listening to you guys, have fun."
Meadow laughs and shakes her head before walking up to Damon and says, "No Damon, since you are now a part of the pack, that means you have to come with us and sing as well."
"What!" Damon shoots up to a sitting position with a crazed look in his eyes, "No! I'm a Ghost, a soldier, a hardcore warfighter, I don't sing."
Now Devan joins in, "Ah come on, if you can jump over the moon and breathe fire, than surely you can sing."
"Firstly, stop listening to Max," Damon says sternly, "Secondly, I'm not going."
Ann then lets out a bark of a laugh, "Well if you're not coming, than I guess we just have to drag you."
The Ghost eyes her wearily, "You wouldn't."
Ann and Meadow both grabs his boots in their jaws in answer.
"Ok! Ok!" Damon shouts, "I'll come."
Max starts laughing hysterically as he bounces around the Ghost, "This is going to be fun," he teases.
This is going to be humiliating, Damon thinks to himself.
Damon was never good in crowds, but now he feels like bolting, or more like crawling considering his busted leg and all.
Howl Rock is a huge hill made of stone, climbing up to about a hundred feet at least. Stone platforms are protruding from the massive structure, giving enough space for wolves to sit and howl. Many of the wolves, save for the younger pups, are now claiming spots, Damon notices that they are trying to get to the highest rock possible, but the main center piece that rises higher than most remains unoccupied.
Damon stares up at the structure in wonder and fear. He never sang before, not in public or at the very least out loud any way. And what is he supposed to sing? Hard Rock & Roll and sometimes Techno is all that he listen to, save for the classical CDs that his parent forced him to listen to during his years as an adolescent.
While he thinks this situation through he hears a nervous cough and looks to see who made the sound, but sees it wasn't meant for him.
Devan gives Talia a nervous smile before asking, "Uh Talia…um…would you like to howl…with…me?"
Damon covers his mouth and looks away, trying not to let the pup see he is laughing. He is witnessing a young wolf asking a girl out, that's a first.
Talia merely laughs before bumping into his shoulder and says, "Sure."
Devan still looks embarrassed, but he puffs his chest out as if it was full of pride and leads the way up to the rock while Talia follows. She looks back briefly and says, "See you guys later," before turning and catching up to her date.
Damon is about ready to release his laughter when Max bounces in front of Ann and asks, "Do you want to howl?"
Ann regards him with a critical eye before asking, "With whom?"
Max's demeanor slowly drops as he now looks nervous and before glancing down and begins to drawing circles in the snow before saying, "Uh, with…me?" he asks timidly before looking up.
For a moment Damon thought Ann is going to turn him down, but she just sighs, "Oh very well," but then he notices her mouth quirking up in a sly grin.
Max must have seen it too because he quickly starts to bounce again and says, "Well lets go," and with that he turns and bolts up the rock. Ann shakes her head before falling, but now with a broad smile on her face.
This is too much for the human. He feels like one of his ribs is going to crack if he doesn't laugh, but just then, Winston limps next to the Ghost with Eve next to him.
"Damon," the old wolf greets, "I trust you are ready to start?"
The laughter suddenly dies in the Ghost's throat as he coughs nervously before saying, "Well…uh, is this mandatory?"
Winston chuckles, "Of course, it shows that you have bonded with the pack, now, are you singing on your own or with someone."
Damon feels his jaw drop. With someone? Does that mean he needs a date? A wolf date?!
Before he could muster an answer, Meadow steps forward and says, "He'll be singing with someone."
The grey wolf chuckles again, "Very well," he looks back to Damon, "If you really feel uncomfortable Damon, you can just sing one song and be done with it."
"I, uh, well…ok" The Ghost finally stutters.
Winston and Eve share a laugh before he says, "have a good time than Damon," before walking up the rock with Eve helping him every so often.
Damon and Meadow are standing together in silence before she asks, "Well?"
"Uh," Damon looks around trying to see a single wolf but sees none fore coming, "who should I ask?"
Meadow lightly head butt Damon's leg, causing him to stumble before she growls, "Me caribou brain, I'll be your partner."
"Really?" Damon asks as he regains his balance, "You'd do that for me?"
"Absolutely," she says as she begins to climb upwards, "I can't stand to see a dumb animal suffer."
"Wait what!" Damon questions but the she-wolf only laughs. With no other options, Damon sighs and begins to climb after her.
As they climb, Damon starts to hear the wolves beginning to howl and he couldn't help but stop and listen. He expected regular howls like the wolves he has heard in No Man's Land; this…this is no regular howl. Within each call there is something within them, like a low mumbled word woven within the howl, it sounds like they are actually singing low moaning tones like opera singers only with more emotion. Now he understand why the wolves are so excited for this event, it's so beautiful only an ignorant fool wouldn't understand.
He suddenly realizes he is lagging behind and hurries after Meadow. As he climbs he notices his friends singing to one another. There's Humphrey and Kate, Garth and Lilly, Devan and Talia and Max and Ann. All of them have their heads pointing skywards as they howl to one another in a tight duo sequence that seems unbroken.
He looks to one side and finds an empty platform and calls to Meadow, "Want to stop here?" He doesn't want to admit it, but he's actually feeling pretty tired from the hike.
Meadow looks down ad shakes her head, "No, we're going to howl up there," and she points with her head at the very top of Howl Rock where the most visible platform is displayed.
Damon feels his stomach drop, "Why there?" he asks in a near panic stricken voice.
Meadow rolls her eyes before saying, "You're the guest of honor; it's traditional."
"Why don't we break tradition and howl down here?" suggests a nervous Ghost.
She shakes her head and continues on, forcing Damon to follow.
Finally, after what felt like minutes to Damon, they have reached the top of the rock. Damon is breathing slowly to get oxygen into his system while also trying in vain to calm his shot nerves. The platform is decent is enough, but when Damon looks down he finally realizes how long of a drop it is. He also notes that some of the wolves have stopped singing and are now looking up at him. Damon looks back at Meadow who sits opposite of him, he copies her and sits as well.
They stare at each other in awkward silence before Meadow clears her throat and asks, "Do you want to go first?"
Me? I don't want to go at all!? Damon feels he rather go through the Ghost obstacle course again rather than sing in public, but then he notices the soft pleading in Meadow eyes. It suddenly occurs to Damon that she might be in a similar situation like him; she doesn't want to be embarrassed either and this is her first howl, which must mean she must want it to go perfectly.
Comprehending what is at stake here, Damon thinks hard and desperately for a song that he could sing, anything, anyone. He then thinks of this one song he once heard on a busted up radio as he patrolled the border of No Man's Land. An old Rock like song that he liked, the tune, music, and lyrics, but he can't remember all the words, but those that he does recall makes his heart ache. If he thinks about it, the song details what he went through and what he was forced to do in his violent life. It's not going to be a one hit wonder, but he should at least attempt it and get out of the spot light as soon as possible.
As if hearing his thoughts, the nightly sky's cloud cover parted and allows a beam of moonshine to fall onto Damon's position, making him and Meadow all the more visible.
Well that's bloody convenient, he thinks bitterly.
Feeling somewhat like a fool, Damon looks at Meadow and nods at her and she nods back, smiling reassuringly at him.
Damon breaths slowly before opening his mouth and allow the words to flow.
"Well I woke up to the sound of silence
And cars were cutting like knives in a fist fight
And I found you with a bottle of wine,
Your head in the curtains
And heart like the fourth of July."
Damon sees Meadow's head tilted in confusion, but she nods for him to continue.
"You swore and said
"We are not,
We are not shining stars."
This I know.
I never said we are."
As the Ghost sings his voice starts to change. Feeling more and more confident, his low tone begins to build until its flowing out like the wolves while they are howling.
"Though I've never been through hell like that
I've closed enough windows
To know you can never look back"
As he sings Damon is partially aware of what he is doing, but at these words his mind flows back to the day he lost his parents, when he watch his Ghost team fall before his eyes and the pain as he lost his eye and becomes partially blind. Yet he continues on.
"If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone,
Carry on.
May your path be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground,
Carry on."
"So I met up with some friends
At the edge of the night
At a bar off 75
And we talked and talked
About how our parents will die,
All our neighbors and wives."
He remembers thinking about his own death and the death of others and he shivers this thought before muttering the next phase of words.
"But I like to think
I can cheat it all
To make up for the times I've been cheated on
And it's nice to know
When I was left for dead
I was found and now I don't roam these streets.
I am not the ghost you want of me."
He couldn't help but grin at this part.
"If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone.
Carry on.
May your path be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground,
Carry on."
Damon leans his head back and releases his own howl as he says the next word, "Woah!"
"My head is on fire
But my legs are fine,
'Cause, after all. they are mine.
Close the door,
Hold the phone.
Show me how.
No one's ever gonna stop us now."
"Cause we are,
We are shining stars,
We are invincible,
We are who we are.
On our darkest day
When we're miles away
Sun will come,
We will find our way home."
He leans his head back and made the word 'home' into a howl as well.
"If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone,
Carry on.
May your path be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground,
Carry on."
He leans his head all the way back as he howls the final portion of the song.
"Carry on, carry on"
He slowly opens his eyes and allows a single tear to streak down. He misses his brothers, his parents and all of his friends; but he needs to take his own advice, lock the feeling down and don't let it stop you from living, because time isn't going to stop just because you feel miserable for yourself.
The Ghost looks back up and feels himself stiffen. Meadow is staring at him with wide eyes; he completely forgot he had an audience. Hesitantly Damon looks back down and it looks like almost every other wolf has stopped singing and are now staining up at Damon in wonder. He jerks away from the ledge looks back at Meadow before giving a nervous shrug and releases a light chuckle.
Meadow slowly regains her sense before saying, "That…that was amazing."
Damon rubs the back of his neck and looks away, "Well…I didn't really know what I was doing, I just got lost in it," he says in what sounds almost like an apologetic voice.
Meadow just laughs before saying, "It was still amazing."
Damon feels his cheeks starting to flush horribly before he looks up and says, "You're turn."
She suddenly looks self-conscious before saying, "I don't think my voice can match yours."
Damon laughs and shakes his head, "Just go for it," he says, "I'm sure you'll put my pitiful song to shame."
Meadow laughs before thinking and says, "This is probably the only song that us wolves know, I hope you like it."
Damon smiles back in an encouraged way, "I'm sure I will."
Meadow grins nervously before clearing her throat, takes a deep breath and lets out a low hum. The hum starts out small but it soon begins to build until she opens her mouth and releases a song in an almost mythical and enchanting voice.
"I hear your voice on the wind
And I hear you call out my name"
"Listen, my child," you say to me
"I am the voice of your history
Be not afraid, come follow me
Answer my call, and I'll set you free"
She leans her head back and points her nose towards the moon as the final word comes out as a howl.
"I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice, I will remain"
Again at the final word it came out as a howl, Damon sits, enraptured by Meadow's performace so far, he actually feels like he can't look away.
"I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow"
"I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace
Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal"
"I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice"
Once more she howls.
"I am the voice of the past that will always be
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice of the future"
"I am the voice
I am the voice
I am the voice
I am the voice."
Her head goes all the way back as she howls the final word long and true into the nightly sky. Damon feels like he is watching a professional performer as he listens. He notices that the moon is right behind her, adding a nice background for the singing she-wolf. Finally the last word rings off and Meadow looks back at Damon looking rather bashful.
The Ghost grins widely at her as he laughs, "I've never heard anything like it before that was incredible."
She smiles back and dips her head as she says, "Thank you."
Damon continues smiling at her, unsure what else to say or what else to do. Meadow returns it, but after a while she slowly leans back and begins to howl like the other wolves again; howling in the same mystifying and entangling voice. Damon has no idea what is happening to him, but suddenly he raises his head back up, cups his hands to his mouth and starts to howl as well. Meadow pauses in mid-call to stare at Damon before smiling and resumes howling. They howl long and softly with each other, allowing their emotions of hurt, pain but also of happiness and hope to soar through the skies.
After what feels like hours, Damon lowers his hands, he feels his body sway slightly before he lowers himself to the floor and makes himself comfortable as he continues to listen to the wolves beautiful howls. He is starting to wonder if he made the right choice of going back to America, but he remembers his responsibilities. He shakes these thoughts away as he decides just to relax and enjoy the moment.
The gentle howls are starting to lull the Ghost asleep when he notices that a very specific voice has stopped singing. He then feels something warm lay down next to him and something snuggling gently against his body. Damon smiles sleepily as he raises an arm and brings Meadow closer to him, cuddling her as they both slowly fall asleep.
Damon's last thought is at least my final night here was a good one.
Special thanks to Sabere Commander who helped me find the song for Damon to sing.
I do not own the songs: "Carry On," belongs to FUN and "I am the Voice," belongs to the Celtic Woman; both have videos on YouTube; feel free to check it out. Also a good music video for "I am the Voice," is a video called "Wolf Song," feel free to check it out.