Chapter 27: Chapter 27

The following day, Calliope awoke on the floor. She was in her study, lying in front of the fireplace. But then she looked down and noticed paws. White paws stained red and brown. She was still in wolf form.

Calliope didn’t care. She was blind in her human form. She felt useless. And deep inside, her heart still hurt. At least Giizis was calm and composed. It was better that she was in control anyway.

Giizis turned her head. Calliope saw her tiny, stuffed wolf. It had been put on a shelf for many years, collecting dust. A quick sniff confirmed Theo’s scent wasn’t on it anymore. Laying against her was Abigail in her human form. She must not have left her all night.

We smell, Calliope says to Giizis. Can we go wash off this filth, please?

Giizis stretches, waking Abigail in the process. She quickly stands.

“Where are you going?” She asked aloud.

Somewhere to clean up. Calliope replied as her wolf stood in front of the closed doors.

Abigail rushed over and opened them so Giizis could fit through. She followed the wolf, making sure all doors were opened for her. Once outside, she shifted and followed.

You don’t have to follow us. Calliope said to her.

I will not leave you alone! Abigail responded. Not ever.

Calliope didn’t even bother arguing. She curled in her wolf’s mind, her heart heavy. Abigail helped to clean off Giizis in a nearby stream until her fur was white again. Once done, Abigail looked into her glowing eyes.

“You should shift,” she says to Calliope. “You need to get a wash and clean clothes. Plus, you haven’t eaten in about a day.”

I will not shift. Let’s go to the war room. There is work to be done.

Giizis turned and headed back to the palace. Once inside, she went to the table with a large map. Calliope studied it. She saw place markers for their fight in the swamp. A few other red markers dotted the nearby regions.

More camps? She asked.

“Uh, yes, I believe so,” Abigail answered as she looked over the map.

You either know or you don't. Calliope snapped.

Abigail looked up to meet Calliope’s gaze, but Giizis never turned her head from the map.

“I don’t know,” Abigail admitted softly. “Beta Lev was here all night with messengers. Let me see if I can find him.”

There was no reply from Calliope. She was too focused on her thoughts. She no longer felt the need for revenge or to let out her rage. But she did want to bring justice against those who killed Theo. She wanted to put an end to this.

But as she looked at the map, she began to remember how the maps used to look nearly 20 years ago. Red markers were always on the west side. Why? Why not the south, east, or north? What was out west that the other regions didn’t have?

The western regions had some rich farmland and excellent hunting grounds. It once had a high human population, but not anymore. There was nothing of value here, just some food resources. She looked around the map, searching for an answer, searching for a thought.

“Forgive me, Great Luna,” Beta Lev said as he entered the room. “I had not realized you were up.”

Tell me about the new markers, she commanded.

“These are from reports of raiding parties,” he answered quickly.

Raiding what?

“Food, weapons, and the sort.” He replied. “All these reports came in through the night and early morning hours.”

Have the Alphas and Lunas in the areas confronted these parties?

“Yes,” he nodded, placing green markers in a few spots. “These packs successfully intercepted and attacked a raiding party. Two packs are holding some in their dungeons.”

Are there any signs of silver? Did they not raid with the intention to kill?

“They don’t seem to be going into these territories to attack. Not these groups. The messengers say there would be no more than 20 wolves in the raiding parties. Silver has been reported, but it’s either impure or broken silver.”

Probably 75 or more wolves ambushed Theo. A lot of them had pure silver. So, where did those wolves go? They ambush, kill him and his scouting party, and flee. Why? She asked over mind link to those in the room. She stared at the map.

“If they are raiding for food resources, maybe they are planning a bigger attack?” Someone suggested.

Theo spent over 20 years searching for where they hid. And he never found a thing. Where do you hide a supposedly large number of sunwolves? And why keep going west? What in Goddess' name is the reason for that!? Why not invade from any other direction?

The Beta looked at the map and scrunched up his face as a thought came to him. He ran across the room towards a stack of books. He tossed some on the floor until he found the one he wanted. When he returned to the map, he began placing white markers.

What are you thinking, Lev? Calliope asks curiously.

“All of these white markers are places that were attacked or raided 18-21 years ago. As a boy, I remember my father and mother being upset that they couldn’t predict where in the West they would raid, where they would enter or leave from.” Lev began to explain as he placed the last of the markers. All the white markers were scattered across the West, with a few to the southwest and northwest. “But we always searched the West, outer territories, and within. Why keep attacking that area if we are watching?”

Everyone in the room was silent. No one could answer him. Finally, Lev looked up to Giizis.

“Because why attack the area you’re hiding in?”

But Theo even went around the entire border several times. Yes, he focused on the West, but he looked elsewhere in the outer territories, too.

“What if they aren’t in the outer territories at all?” Lev asked. “What if, this whole time, they were one step ahead because they were here, listening to our plans, learning from us.”

Giizis gave a low growl.

Don’t you think we would have noticed sun wolves or rogues that snuck into our meetings or trainings? Calliope snapped at Lev.

“My Great Luna,” Abigail said as she placed a hand on Giizis. “I don't think he means here within the palace. What if they are hidden by an Alpha or Luna somewhere else?”

Calliope’s head snapped back to the map. She looked at all the markers that were scattered to the West. She thought back to her memories. Why hadn’t she seen it before? When Theo was out looking elsewhere, they would come back, taunting him back to the West. That’s what they did; they taunted him into keeping his eyes there.

She was so worried about being trapped in her prison. Theo was concerned about keeping her alive. Neither of them could see it. Neither of them noticed.

So you think hundreds, if not thousands, of sun wolves, are just, what, hiding in plain sight?

“Well, think about it,” Lev said as he shrugged his shoulders. “Would you and the Great Alpha stop looking where you’ve seen the sun wolves and instead look in the territories of loyal wolves?”

“Why would no one notice before?” Someone questioned.

Because Theo was too hyper-focused on them being in the West.

Calliope sighed heavily. She remembered when this all started, Theo would get agitated in this very room. She now understands he was trying to be protective of her, but what it did was silence everyone. Anyone with thoughts or ideas not backed with proof, everything they would say would fall on deaf ears.

If another pack is hiding them, we must figure out where quietly. She said to those in the room. Let’s start south. If no additional raiding happens, we move east, then North.

“How do you suppose we quietly do it?” Lev asked curiously.

“We travel under the guise of Calliope wanting to survey the borders and warriors,” Abigail answered as she leaned against the table. “We will travel light, only a few warriors. Once more raids begin, we will tell you what pack we are in. You can call reinforcements to us.”

“You think that will be enough to bait them to send out more raiders?” Someone else inquired.

We need to, at the very least, do something different. We can’t keep waiting in the West for nothing. Calliope replied.

“Then it’s settled,” Abigail said as she looked around the table. “Lev, get me three warriors. We leave in an hour.”

Everyone agreed to the plan that they had. After a few minutes, only Lev and Abigail were left the room. He looked at her with worry.

“Do you not fear another ambush?” He asked.

“If there is an ambush, I hope Giizis is smart enough to shift so Calliope can freeze them. They can’t hurt us if they are frozen in place.”

“I sometimes forget she can do that,” Lev nodded as he ran his hands through his hair. “I’ve been alive nearly 30 years; I don’t think I’ve ever seen her use that gift.”

“It is not a gift she uses often. She never really has needed it,” Abigail shrugged as she walked to the door. “But, many people forget how dangerous she can be. That was until last night.”

Abigail walked outside and stopped. She saw her 14-year-old daughter, Ginny, sitting on the ground by Giizis. Ginny was her eldest daughter, the next companion for Calliope. She walked up and gave her daughter’s head a gentle pat.

“What are you doing out here?” Abigail asked.

“I saw my Great Luna sitting alone, so I wanted to keep her company.”

Calliope gave a small smile as she listened to them talk. My Great Luna was what her companions called her. A name she loved. She outlived everyone she has ever known, but the word they added to her title made her feel loved and wanted when she felt there was nothing left.

Giizis leaned over and licked Ginny’s face, much to her disgust. For a moment, Calliope laughed, forgetting everything that had happened, ignoring all of her emotions just for a second.

After a while, three warriors approached the women. Abigail gave Ginny a quick embrace before shifting.

South? She asked Calliope.

South. Calliope confirmed.

The group headed southwest to the first pack. This pack had just a few raids in the past. Once there, they were greeted warmly by the Alpha and Luna. They took them on a quick patrol of the border. Everything was quiet; nothing seemed out of the ordinary for them. Calliope got a head count on the warriors there: nearly 100 wolves. With no news from Lev, Calliope continued to the next pack.

It took several weeks to travel through all the southern and Eastern packs. Nothing stood out; no one hesitated to talk to her, and no new raids started. Calliope felt disheartened. She felt like perhaps she was wrong; no one was harboring sun wolves in their packs.

The last leg of their journey was the northern packs. The first two went the same: a warm welcome, border patrol, and warrior numbers. And still nothing from Lev.

Calliope and her group had five more packs left to visit. The next one was the Guide Stone Pack. These pack lands were extensive, filled mostly with unhabitable mountains. The main town for the pack was near its southern border, bordering the interior.

Calliope was greeted by the Alpha, a man named Alan. Calliope knew him very well. Before Theo’s 200th birthday, they had come out to the Guide Stone Pack for his Alpha ceremony. He was a young alpha, barely 19, when he took over. He has also been accommodating these last 20-odd years. He was always quick to volunteer resources or support. He even came out for several years to help with the training camps. She had nothing but nice things to say about him and his pack.

“Great Luna!” Alan said with a quick bow. “Welcome to my home. What do we owe the pleasure?”

“The Great Luna would like you to show us your borders and do a head count on your warriors,” Abigail said as she shifted to her human form.

“Of course, but why does the Great Luna not shift?” He inquired.

“With the death of the Great Alpha, she didn’t want to take a chance of being attacked herself.”

“Yes, I heard the news. I’m sorry about that,” Alan said as he nodded sadly. “My sincerest apologies. I only wish my pack was closer. We could have lent him more aid.”

“The Great Luna appreciates it,” Abigail said, giving Giizis’ neck a quick pat. “Now, about that border patrol?”

Alan looked up at the sky. It was getting dark.

“My pack lands have a lot of mountain terrain. It can get dicey when it’s dark out. How about you rest for the night? Get fresh clothes, a bath, and food?”

Abigail looked to Calliope as they mind-linked one another. After a moment, Abigail nodded.

“At dawn, we need to get a look at the borders. We have more packs to visit.”

“Are you visiting all the packs?” Alan asked as he led the way into his pack house. It was simple, not too extravagant. Large, but not grand.

“Yes,” Abigail nodded as they followed. “Making sure the borders are being defended well and that we have the numbers to fight with.”

“Fight? Do you know where the sun wolves are?”

“That is the question,” Abigail said with a feigned sigh. “We aren’t any closer to tracking them down.”

Alan gave a nod as he poured everyone some drinks. He paused when he noticed Calliope still hadn’t shifted.

“So, will she not shift back? Not even to sleep?”

“No,” Abigail whispered as she leaned in toward Alan. “It’s harder for her in human form, you know? Emotions and all.”

“I understand,” Alan said sympathetically. “Well, I only have a few spare guest rooms if you want to follow me-”

“It’s alright. We will sleep down here. The Great Luna will probably rest outside. It looks like it’ll be a nice night out. Perhaps the rest of us will join her.”

Alan shrugged and nodded. “Suit yourself.”

He brought them food, and once it got late, he went to bed. Calliope and her group rested outside in their wolf forms. She relaxed as she lay on the soft grass. But she couldn’t find sleep. She lay there, looking up at the stars. The Moon was just a thin sliver in the sky. Part of her wished she was home, on the Great Hill, lying under the full Moon. She wanted the Godess’ embrace.

Raids! Lev yelled over mind link to them.

Giizis’ head raised from the ground. She sniffed the air. The air smelled different and felt different. And it was too quiet.

We are the Guide Stone Pack! Calliope replied as Giizis stood. Abigail and the other warriors awoke but were groggy from their sleepy state. We need to leave, now!

Everyone rose to their feet quickly, and they darted off. Giizis ran until they were past the borders of the Guide Stone Pack. She turned and looked back. It looked as if she saw red eyes for a second, but once she blinked, they were gone.

Lev! We are going to the Blood Stone Pack to the south of us. Have backup meet us there. We found them!