CHAPTER 1
Cole stood on the front deck watching the moon rising, breathing in the crisp mountain air wishing he could recapture his former life or better yet, go back and re-do the last four years differently. However, wishes wouldn't get him anywhere where as the last few days got him further than the wasted years.
Last night he had ran in his Wolf form, letting the miles fly beneath his paws and after an hour of just blind running, he found himself on a rocky overhang overlooking the entire valley. Sitting on the biggest rock he could find, he raised his head to the sky and let out a howl of jubilation, getting several howls and calls in return. When he heard the last one fade away he felt the old loneliness creep over him replacing his joy. The next howl he let out said it all, low and drawn out, it hung in the air getting no answer. Maybe out of respect, maybe because no one knew how to answer him back.
Today Cole had flown in his Eagle form out of sheer joy because he was chosen to assume the Senior Guardian and Deputy position of the people, like his father and grandfather before him. Being highly thought of by Rick and the Tribunal, that he was considered the best person to be the Peace Chief's deputy was a surprise to Cole.
Later he had listened politely to the new position duties and could barely contain his excitement. Besides himself, there were four other Senior Guardians, two men and two women whom he had known since childhood. They had spent a good part of the day sitting around the main office, swapping stories and getting used to having him as their second in command and ribbing him about the headaches he had inherited.
By mid afternoon, Cole felt totally at ease with his coworkers knowing they all had good spirits, dedicated to the job and well trained. Excusing himself when they brought up old war stories from their youth, he realized he needed some time to himself.
Climbing the mountain to a small meadow he never forgot, he shifted to his Golden Eagle. He stood proudly with his arms held out, palms down, and his head thrown back. He could feel the bones of his arms invert as well as his knees as he took on the structural bone frame of an eagle. He felt the feathers slowly emerge through his skin and cover his entire body, save his legs and feet. As his facial features elongated he opened and closed his mouth experimentally until he heard his beak snap close noisily. He gave a short song of excited peeps until he could let out a screech of joy as he finished his shifting.
With strong swift wings, he climbed higher and higher riding the air currants until he reached the summit and landed. Looking down on the distant community he vowed to protect he knew he had finally found his niche in life and he was finally home, where he belonged.
Screeching out his triumph, again he heard answers of shared joy and acceptance echoing up from the valley back to him. Shaking his feathers as he settled on a deadfall tree, he looked to the east and wondered why he was compelled to search the sky there. Then it all came back to him, she was somewhere out there with out him. Crying out sharply he hoped for a different answer and when none came he tried again, broadcasting louder and longer then he ever had before, hoping to reach her.
The lonely cry surprised him, having never broadcasted the deepest secret in his heart and soul until today. His Wolf, his human and the Eagle yearned for his mates and desperately needed her back to make his life complete.
Again, no answer but then he really didn't expect one since everyone he cared about the most were gone. His brothers were off living their lives outside of the community, his father had passed into the land of the spirits only a few months ago, and Clint was gone forever. Clint would have approved of his return and they would have had one hell of a reunion if he had been here. But then again he would not have left in the first place if Clint hadn't died in that rock climbing accident.
Resting his forearms on the porch rail, he forced himself to remember Clint Red Feather. Cole still felt guilty because he had been late for the climb due to Guardian business. He had been the one to find Clint lying at the bottom of the cliff, his neck broken. There was a broken pinion and clamp lying beside him, the rope still attached to his climbing belt.
He had let out such a cry, loud enough to rouse the entire town as it bounced off the cliff and echoed across the valley. His grief made him inconsolable and unreasonable, fighting the medics when they tried to take Clint's body. Once he had been subdued and sedated he began blaming himself for everything, including things that had happened right afterwards. After two days of either beating himself up or simply locking himself in his room refusing to talk about it, he left. He couldn't face Clint's family, his own or the people of the town, knowing they all had blamed him.
He spent four years long years wondering the country taking small jobs when he needed and keeping to himself, slowly working through his pain. Clint had been more then just his best friend; he had been his blood brother since they were eight. His own father swore that they were tighter then true brothers, each knowing what the other was going to do or say at any given moment. Hell, he had seriously dated Clint's little sister and considered part of the Red Wolf family.
It took a long time for him to accept it was just a freak accident that had taken Clint from them. Coming home was the second to last step in his grieving process; the last step was facing Clint's sister, Becca.
He had expected to run into her when he came home but he had learned through the grapevine that she had left half a year after he did, swearing that she would never come back unless she had to. In a small way, it was a relief not having to face her when he first came back but he knew when they eventually did meet again, it was going to be hell.
Pushing away from the rail he sighed sadly, he just hoped the hell was his alone because she didn't need him anymore. He knew he had done the wrong thing by leaving and it had hurt her badly. Some in the community took great pleasure in telling him just how badly while others either ignored him or turned their backs to him. Walking into the house, he just hoped she would give him a chance someday to explain why he had done what he did.
Rebecca dreamed again of her valley but this time she saw it through her human eyes, wearing her ceremonial dress she stood in the center of the soft swaying grass, singing. Suddenly all the light and beauty was gone and she found herself standing in darkness, facing a set of angrily glowing red eyes. The eyes never blinked or looked away, slowly coming towards her, growing larger then life, filling her with an un-named fear and dread.
Hearing the rustling of dried leaves around her, she watched a pitch-black form move behind the eyes though it never took full shape, it was more like a mist hovering, spreading fear and destruction around it.
She stood where she was proudly, refused to move or stop singing, driving the evil back as her voice grew stronger, more determined. Raising her hands to the sky the apparition faded and the meadow slowly returned to its normal beauty.
Seeing another more benevolent mist forming before her, she lowered her hands until they were reaching out to a slowly forming Spirit wolf. It was a great...
