Setting up House

HE RAN OUT OF THE CAVE AND INTO THE NIGHT. THE DESTINATION WAS THE RIVER AND HE DUG IN AND SPRINTED THE LAST FEW YARDS. HE LEAPT HIGH AND CHANGED TO CRINOS IN MID-AIR, COMING DOWN IN THE RIVER. THE WATER WAS COLD, BUT IT CLEARED HIS HEAD OF THE RANTINGS OF SELENA

"Can't she see that we are not simply running in circles, chasing our tails? Full of urine?!? Perhaps she need to stay on that rock until her mind clears of the grief of Anj. We'll see. Perhaps she just needs to see what we fight against first hand. Enough of her."

THE BANK WAS DRAWING NEAR AND SHADOWED-HUNTER COULD SEE THE TREES. SOME STILL SHOWED THE ILLNESS AND OTHERS WERE HEALING. HE PULLED UP ONTO THE BANK AND SHIFTED TO CHATRO. THE PERSPECTIVE CHANGED, BUT THE NIGHT CAME ALIVE WITH SIGHTS AND SOUNDS.

"This is a good place to start. My home, our home. None shall take it from me except through death. Seline guide me and all that are of the Pride."

HE REARED UP AND SLASHED THE BARK OF THE NEAREST TREE. MOVING ON TO THE NEXT, SHADOWED-HUNTER TURNED AND LEFT HIS SCENT SPLASHING OVER THE ROOTS. FARTHER AND FARTHER FROM THE BANK HE MOVED, SOME TREES SLASHED, OTHERS SCENTED.

"Taghairm, the first, hopefully, of many. Oh the stories, the secrets. How to start?"

THE PATTERN WAS REPEATED UNTIL A ROUGHLY CIRCULAR AREA WAS TRACED OUT. THE ANIMALS IN THE REGION SENSED SOMETHING AND WERE SUBDUED.

"Water, game trails, cover, open runs. This place is good for ambush, there for sunning. And there for the gatherings."

A SMALL CLEARING, SURROUNDED BY TREES IS WHERE HE STOPPED. THERE WAS KNEE HIGH GRASS FADING INTO SCRUB AT THE TREES AND IN THE CENTER SHADOWED-HUNTER DUG A SHALLOW PIT. HERE HE RELEASED HIS SCAT AND SCENT, THE ODOR OF WHICH FILLED THE CLEARING AND WAFTED INTO THE TREES. COVERING THE HOLE, HE TURNED IN A CIRCLE, FIRST ONE WAY THEN THE OTHER. LIFTING HIS HEAD HIGH, A ROAR SHATTERED THE NIGHT, ECHOING THROUGH THE TREES, BUILDING STRANGELY IN THE CLEARING UNTIL THE AIR VIBRATED.

"Now to hunt. Yes, there she is, and without a fawn. "

THE DOE WENT DOWN QUICKLY AND THE FRESH MEAT RELIEVED NEWLY FOUND ACHES AND INJURIES. THE BITE FROM SELENE CEASED THROBBING AND CLOSED OVER. AFTER EATING, HE DRAGGED THE CARCASS DEEPER INTO THE WOODS AND RETURNED TO THE RIVER.

"Vanessa will be safe here, and so will the rest. None come that I don't know."

WITH A LAST LOOK BACK HE PLUNGED ONCE AGAIN INTO THE RIVER, STROKING FOR THE SHORE AND THE CAERN. THE SUN WAS JUST COMING UP OVER THE TREES AS HE REACHED THE OTHER SIDE AND TROTTED BACK TO THE CAVE.

"Hhhhhmmmm, why not?"

A SLIGHT DETOUR BROUGHT HIM DOWNWIND OF SELENE, SLEEPING ON HER COLD ROCK. CHANGING TO CRINOS AND STEPPING LIKE A WISP OF SMOKE HE MADE HIS WAY TO HER HEAD. EXTENDING TWO FINGERS TOWARDS HER EYES AND RELEASING THEIR CLAWS, HE SAID:

"BOO!!"

AS SHE JUMPED BACK WITH A YELP AND A SMALL BARK HE SHOOK HIS HEAD SLOWLY.

"Now you see why the pack is more important than any of it's members. Prove yourself and become part of something grander than you know now."

"One other thing. If you EVER attack me again without cause , I will open you up and place each of your teeth in your belly, one at a time. That is a promise."

WITH THAT HE TURNED AND STARTED BACK TO THE CAVE, HOPING THAT THE LESSON WAS WELL RECEIVED.