25

Jessica stood trying not to scold as the youth picked himself up and touched his head to feel if he was bleeding.

"Suck it up, I didn't split ya skull" she scoffed, the scold unable to be contained. She hefted the long staff and took a step back, "Right, come at me again. This time, remember I can swing the bottom of it as well ya dweeb."

Laughter broke out and the young man poked his tongue at the others before taking a fighting stance and he began to circle her, making her turn slowly to watch as he placed each foot beside the other like a weird dance. When Stan calmly slapped the back of his head he squealed like a child caught rummaging in the cookie jar.

"And that's the second thing ya forgot" Stan scolded with more amusement in his voice "There might be more than one Z at once."

"Bugger!"

"Look…you are not all going to be experts overnight, some will never have a warrior's skill. Others… others might be better with knife play. Those wanting to learn more about that can move to Pip's area. This is the time to switch if you are bored or uncomfortable." Jessica said and she watched a few peel off, even as some approached from the other sparring areas.

Patsy was with Ianto's group, learning the art of silence and Jessice kept glancing over with delight as Ianto beamed at the girl and assured her she was stealthy alright. Kev usually taught this but today he was held up with a hand full of boys who had started the day with a tussle, so he was making them do hand to hand combat. Over and over again.

Jack (of course) had the shooting range.

Kathy was teaching bullet making with Andy and over on the far side was Owen and Ifan, teaching field dressings and other medical things you can do in the heat of battle.

Ianto was teaching map reading… as well as building as the land has changed over time, landmarks no longer exist and the roads might as well have never been laid in some areas. They had drones up to map out some things and Ianto felt something weird happening, looking over at Rosie who was staring at her remote screen with intensity that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"Rosie love?"

"Hmmmm?"

Ianto walked over and looked at the screen over her shoulder and made a noise of alarm.

Zs.

Five to be exact, walking confidently along the ridgeline heading for the hunting path that would lead them though the pass into the valley. She looked back at Ianto and he motioned her to continue flying the drone, sending out an alert via the bond.

Soon his children were all there crowding their sister as they looked at the screen. Ianto internally scolded as they could clearly see through the bond, but they were too excited to concentrate.

Ianto did not speak, watching his husband send a second drone to see from another angle and soon they saw the five interlopers pause, look around as if checking they were still unseen.

"They can't feel us? Taddy?" Tum asked softly, stepping back for the screen.

"No. Maybe they hear the drone? Or they are just scenting us from the last time we were there. Was months ago bit still… we do linger when in Wolfling form" Ianto assured them all, then falling silent as the kids had some sort of conversation.

Jack and he had discussed this. Stepping back. This was time to see if their Sweet Queen had her head on straight and Ianto knew as soon as Hope turned to look at the Not Twins that she had a plan.

Soon they were gone, running across the snow with such featherweight foot falls that there were little to no tracks left behind. Those left behind watching on the big screens, one for each drone, were gaping as Hope swung into view, almost at large as her Tad and her gorgeous dark fur had red tips, undulating as she ran.

Then they slowed and finally stopped. Ianto and Jack listened in the bond as she warned the others that this might be a trap, others might be hidden, flanking… trying to lure them.

Pip took the lead, his white fur making him invisible as he crawled along the rocks with his shoulder blades poking up, like a predator, to look down at the Zs below. They were chasing something. One of the Others. A youngling, maybe twelve… thirteen was running for his life.

Fuck.

Well, we have to save him.

They moved like liquid, the Not Twins sinking down even as Jackson and Johnson changed colour to become the same white as their big brother, sliding around in a pincer movement to scout for anyone else.

The boy was terrified, his breaths laboured and loud in the stillness of the snow filled area. He slowed and turned to see the five behind him, his breath becoming a sob as he swung back to find a snowbank that had now bene there before.

"Move."

Only when Jackson opened his mouth to speak did he change to Wolfling form from the solid mass and the child squealed, turning back towards the Zs, then back again, not sure if he was going to head for the fire or the fry pan.

"This way" Rosie called out in the treeline, in human form with her hair flowing in the breeze "RUN YA FUCKING IDIOT"

"Language" Pip muttered and the others tittered as their Grandy scolded.

Burn and Tum now rose from the snow they had bene concealed under, their red stark against the white like splashes of blood and the Zs swung at the motion beside them, two of them losing their heads in vicious swipes that were so synchronized it was like they had practiced…. Which they had.

The Not Twins were next, taking out the back two Zs who had not even caught on to others around them.

The Boy? Removed a rusty knife from his belt and swing at the remaining Z with a snarl, clearly deciding this was the most dangerous thing.

Pip swiped the Z out of the way and it flew through the air to slam in the trees and Rose walked over to rip it's head from it's body with her bare hands, flinging it back for the Not Twins to whoop and holler at, kicking it at one another as they yelled that the first one bit loses.

Ianto and Jack let out breaths they did not know they had been holding.

Owen's drone flew past them to check the way they had come, ensuring no followers and soon the Not Twins and Pip were in white camouflage pushing snow off the upper ridges to fill the gap it he rocks and destroy the messy tracks left.

And the boy?

Now stood with that rusty knife held out to ward off the monsters.

While a gorgeous girl walked towards him in what looked like a summer dress of all things, her hair in ponytails and the ribbons flowing back in the breeze. Below zero and she was not even shivering.

He wondered if he was dead and this was heaven.

Hounds of hell coming to claim his soul before an angel could?