The Hunt for Freedom

Chapter Eleven

As he spoke I looked around the room. Every eye was on him and some quietly cried tears of fear. I rose and went to his side, "I will be training every day this summer. If any of you want to join me, be at the training grounds at sunrise."

I had plans for a long leisurely summer working on my tan and planning Dalya's demise. I now saw the bigger picture a little clearer. I had a responsibility to these people, they were counting on me to save them. It was time I grew up a little.

I turned to the group and joined in a group hug. This felt like family now. One by one people stared leaving with their parents until just my immediate family remained. Grandmother walked me to my room singing a lullaby in Egyptian I had never heard before. Her voice reminded me of the songs used to stun others in battle. The Nazzari family had first shown this to me at their interview so many years before. It was a secret weapon of the werecat, similar to the siren song of the Mer folks. By the time we reached my room, I felt I could sleep for weeks.

The next morning I was astonished at the number of people outside at sunrise. I would not be surprised if every family on the island was represented by at least one. The call for action had been heard and I was proud to be from a Pride that was willing to fight for their freedom.

Mom decided that we needed a training schedule as nothing productive would be accomplished with this many present. As I always preferred sleeping in the day I took the midnight shift happily. It was decided that we would switch the groups in a month's time so we could learn each other's strengths and help with any weaknesses.

My group was mostly male. To my fourteen year old eyes all that muscle was intimidating. I recognized a few in our group. Dalya's older brother Abrax was here, the same surly look that he wore in school back home plastered to his face. I also saw Dakari, Maggie's oldest brother up near the front organizing the equipment. The rest were new faces, handsome beyond belief, but here for training, not flirting. Or so I thought.

"Abe'' someone shouted. "Get over here and work with those youngsters. They need basic coordination before they kill themselves with these weapons." Mr. Kalb was here too, he would be our leader.

Abrax moved immediately, knowing his father did not tolerate one second of laziness. He set up an obstacle course and before long had even the youngest werecats sweating. Mr. Kalb helped him conjure low walls and cement blocks, rope climbing stations and crawl spaces set over mud. It reminded me of the commercials I had seen for joining the military. It looked fun, I sauntered over to give it a try.

Not too many here know about my gymnastic training. The all male crowd eyed me with skepticism. I played to their arrogance. "Anyone want to race?"

A few hands shot up, Abe sat back, smirking. He knew very well what I was capable of. I chose two of the strongest looking youngsters and we assembled near the starting line.

"No offense Princess," one of the challengers scoffed. "But aren't girls better at cooking and cleaning up after the men in a battle?"

My eyes bugged, did boys actually think they were the stronger gender?

I winked at him, "I am about to clean the floor with you."

The whistle blew. I climbed the rope without legs in a piked position in under 6 seconds. From there I catapulted myself to the top of a nearby wall, and performed a backflip on the ledge. I smiled down at him as we was still struggling on the rope.

"Don't ever underestimate your opponents" I laughed as I army crawled through the mud.

The group laughed and teased as I beat both boys by minutes. They were humiliated, but I saw worshipful looks from the less boisterous one.

"You've just started a fan club" Abe laughed, "That was quite a show" He was looking at me funny too. I wandered back to the main area.

All those who could shift were called to do so. I had never done anything but run in my feline form, apparently it was time to change that. We had an assignment, we were to dominate our partner, by any means necessary, short of a lethal blow.

I had never seen so many wildcats in one place. From the very little bobcats to extremely large lions and everything in between. I was matched with a male tiger who seemed intent on bringing me one step from death. As I struggled to stay upright I figured out how to use my bulk and agile back legs. Soon as he would come at me I would spring upward and out of reach to his utter frustration. He let out a roar of rage that was drowned out in all the other gutteral roars beside me. I got a little cocky, and glanced around to see if any of my admirers were watching. I was winking at the young one from the earlier race when one swoop from his giant front paw connected with my lower back and laid me out flat. I heard cheering from the obstacle course area.

He shifted immediately. It was Abe, or course it was, their hatred of me must run in the family.

"And with that Princess, you would be dead and the war would be over." He didn't look so appealing now.

He stalked away to report to his father. I imagined him telling Mr. Kalb what a disappointment I was. I shifted back too. I knew I was going to feel that last blow for some time to come. Mentally and physically.

This pattern continued night after night. During the day we practiced all the supernatural gifts we were blessed with. I had practice in mental telepathy, telekinesis, and spell making. It seemed that Abe was always there to show me up. I gloated anytime I could out-do him. Apparently we were fated to be together in all our training and I became accustomed to his quiet, melancholy behavior. After a harsh workout we would sit together and just not speak. When he wasn't there I could feel his presence missing. I wondered if I would be doomed to have him for a mate. Thank the goddesses that was years away.

One afternoon, after a class on how to throw fire, I sat back under a palm tree with Maggie.

"You are so good at that." I praised. "I can make fire but I'm not very good at anything but lighting candles. Not sure how that will help in a battle."

"It sure helped at the memorial." She said.

I remembered back to that morning on the beach. The cloudless blue sky showcased the calm sea. Off in the distance a little sailboat could be seen barely moving in the windless day. It was the perfect setting for a ceremony to honor the fallen. One of the guards had passed away a day later from his wounds and his family was here also. We stood in silence while I mentally lit three large candles and hundreds of little ones symbolizing the loss of the three fallen and all those who would no longer come from them.

"Well, hopefully I will be able to light the battleground for the real warriors then." I mumbled. I was disgusted at my progress in this area. I had to do more. "Maybe your brother could teach me? He seems to be an expert."

"Dak?" She looked at me quizzically. "What made you think of him?"

"He is in my classes and no one holds a candle to his fire throwing skills." I smirked.

Maggie groaned at my horrible pun. It was nice to be silly for a few minutes.

'He's never mentioned you, that's strange," she said. "But I will ask him at dinner tonight."

Maggie's mother had passed away earlier this year, and the family pulled together tightly. They shared all meals with one another and rarely went anywhere without the others in tow.

"Thanks," I jumped up suddenly. Thinking of Maggie's mom triggered thoughts of my own. "I just remembered I have a video call with Mom in ten minutes. You know how she worries." Truth of the matter was, I couldn't wait to see her, if only on a screen. I shifted and ran as fast as I could.

Mom had a really hard time leaving me behind at the end of that first week. Many of the kids that were supposed to go back to California opted to stay and train for the summer, including Abe and Dalya. Grandfather had finally convinced her that I was safest on the island training with other warriors and practicing my skills. I had to admit, I wish she could have stayed. I wasn't as ready to grow up as I wanted to believe.