Saved By The Enemy?

Chapter 6 - Johann

Apologies for the late update. I'm in my final year at school and between projects, preparing for exams and everything else it was diffucult to find time for this.

CHAPTER 6 – Johann

It’s been several hours since they arrived back to the caves. It was the place they lived in but it could never be called a home. It wasn’t because it was a cave and not a house, in reality the cave was better suited to holding so many people then any pack house ever could. It took a lot of work to make it habitable for so many but they were now able to reap the rewards. Large hall ways were hallowed out as well as a large number of rooms to fit the weres, pipes were installed to create bathrooms and they even had electricity. There were several levels to their cave house some high up the mountain while others were far below. As in a house stairways led to the different levels, the walls were smooth but not painted and the only annoyance came from the lack of natural light. Most of the rooms were well within the mountain so there were no places to hallow out windows from. Even if it were possible they would not do so, it would just result in more areas to defend. There were four entrances to their cave house, each under twenty four hour surveillance. Training was held within the very depth of the cave. The large area of almost the entire mountain’s base was dedicated to it. What separated the cave from a home was the inevitability of their departure. This place was not permanent, once they have accomplished Kuro’s aim in this area they would have to leave the cave they worked so hard to make liveable. It was for this reason that no room had any more furniture than was absolutely essential and why no personal belongings were displayed.

Johann walked the smooth path towards Kuro’s room in silence, moving unawares of the stealth that accompanied years of intense training, recalling the events that transpired when they had gotten back. The she-wolf was taken to a cave cell outside their cave to prevent any tracking devices in or on her to transmit her location and thereby the location of their hideout. This would be the cell’s first time holding a prisoner. With everything else here the cell was relatively new. It had never been needed before as Kuro was adamant that all threats should be taken care of as far from the cave as possible and the fact that they never took prisoners also played a part. It was this that made Johann uneasy as he quickened his pace on the verge of running. It was impossible for Kuro to have anything in mind other than torturing and killing the young she-wolf. However this was the one action that Johann could not permit Kuro to do. They needed the girl’s help and she needed theirs whether she knew it or not. Johann slowed as he reached a dark brown wooden door like so many others he passed by before and taking his hand out from his black jean pocket he knocked with a firmness he didn’t feel inside. For the first time he would challenge Kuro’s decision something he hoped he would never be forced to do and yet knew with certainty that it was as inevitable as their forsaking of the caves, for which the time loomed over them, intimidating and threatening as it waited in the corner of their minds coming nearer and nearer with each passing moment.

“Enter,”

Johann heard Kuro’s usual toneless voice and was snapped out of his reverie by it. He clenched the bronze knob in his hand, his fingers rough and course from years of hard work felt the shock of his warmth pierced by the metal’s cold. He entered and closed the door silently behind him. Kuro ‘s room was like every other member’s, barren, filled with nothing more than a small bed, wooden desk and chair, his clothes lying in a dark navy duffel bag ready to be flung over Kuro’s wide shoulder’s when it was time to abandon the cave. The polished desk with sheets of paper immaculately organised contained nothing more. Kuro sat behind the desk placing the sheet in his hand neatly down with the rest of its perfectly piled comrades; he did not speak, instead laid back into his chair, with his hands clenched loosely together at the top of the table portraying an image of one at ease. Oh how Johann wished that it was true and not the same fake attempt at control he illustrated with his own confident stance, arms hanging relaxed by his side. The challenge had begun and by the end of the conversation they would have a clear winner. Looking into Kuro’s eyes Johann spoke first.

“I’ll say it again. Do not harm the girl. She can still be useful to us, it should be simple enough to get her to join us looking at the state she’s in she would be glad for some friends she could relate to.”

Like Johann thought his words had no impact on Kuro, not even a twitch of uncertainty showed through his eyes.

“We’re not here to help a kid make friends, have you already forgotten our actual goal? And like I said before she knew she was going to be attacked which means she was aware of our presence, if we get found out because of your sentimentality more will suffer the same fate as she. We cannot save everyone you must accept that.”

Johann ran his hand through his short brown hair in a show of agitation. He understood Kuro’s words but he couldn’t accept them. He agreed to follow Kuro so that he could save kids like her, so that he would never have to watch such young children fall into the darkness that stood at the threshold of death.

“So you will kill her? But what if you’re wrong and she’s not a threat to us, will you accept her then?”

“That is not possible. We do have neither the time nor the people to train the child to fight and trying to protect her will endanger the lives of the others. But if it pleases you, if she knows nothing I will let her go.”

“That’s as bad as a death sentence, she’s far too inexperienced to survive on her own.”

“That is not our concern. We have much higher goals than babysitting. There is nothing we can do. Accept it.”

Kuro lifted another piece of paper off his desk and took his eyes off Johann, a clear sign of dismissal. Kuro spoke the truth but Johann would loathe to admit it. There was nothing more he could do, Kuro was right they couldn’t sacrifice so many for one. He let out a sigh trying to lift the heavy feeling in his chest as he turned his back on Kuro and opened the door. Then a thought occurred to him and he turned to face Kuro again.

“You’re problem comes from having no one to look after her, right?”

“Yes. We cannot afford to waste our men on her.”

“You’re right but what if I train her?”

Kuro slowly lifted his head from the paper he was looking at, to stare at Johann. Johann was a splendid fighter, one that could have rivalled even Kuro if he didn’t have the advantage of being a black wolf. Before Kuro could voice his opposition to the idea Johann continued,

“I have time. It would give me something to do. Something productive like you always tell me I need to do.”

 Kuro was about to speak when he heard a wolf mind-link him.

“We will talk about this no more. She has escaped.”