Lonewolf: The Hell You Say

CHAPTER 18

 CHAPTER 18

The weekend over, Marissa chattered excitedly about the racing events they saw and experienced as they cleaned up their area and the surrounding areas. They finished packing up and slowly rolled out of the camping area and to the meeting point that was given to them. They rolled into a medium sized warehouse parking lot in a small town outside Fort Meyers, Florida.

They were met by a mixture of Indian and American Were. "Mr. Walker, Miss Smithfield, you can park anywhere. Please, make your preparations and follow us." they were told.

Dan parked out of the way and unloaded the Jeep. Grabbing their packs and tossing them in the back. Rosebud hopped in and stood with her front paws on the center console so she could see where they were going, occasionally popping her nose up through the open roof for a smell since Dan had removed the 'Freedom Top'.

Dan drove, following a Pride member who led the way. Reading the signs on the way over, they saw that they were on the edge of several wildlife preserves. Dan thought that was a smart idea to have their Pride so close to such natural areas. If they had members as a part of the scientific groups monitoring the areas, they would be in a good position to catch any of the videos that may have exposed their kind. Also, such areas would hide their true nature fairly decently.

Shortly, they drove up in front of a sprawling mansion that had an Indian flavor to the design, with tiger statues guarding the gate. The escort paused at the gate and then led off to park in front of the building, Dan and Marissa being waved through to follow.

The Matriarch and Pride Protector met them out front. "Welcome Knight Errant and Squire. We extend you Guest Rights and hospitality. Please, come and be welcome in our humble abode." Matriarch Anaisha said.

Dan looked at Marissa and quirked a small smile. Marissa looked a little confused and asked, "Squire?"

The two leaders laughed and the Matriarch stated, "Well, even our Elders received the dreams from Selene, and since you are traveling with Knight Walker and he is instructing you, we thought it an appropriate title for you. Please, join us and we will have some refreshment before going to the training grounds." Anaisha turned and gestured for them to enter the Pride House.

Dan started walking to enter and the Matriarch slipped to his side to escort them to a sitting room. "Matriarch, I thank you for the invitation. Some juice would be appreciated. While I appreciate your efforts of diplomacy, I do not need such formalities. I am just a Wolf enjoying his freedom to explore. I understand that I may be a little different that the normal Lonewolf, I do not need, nor require such things. I am sure that Marissa is thrilled with the title you have bestowed upon her, but she will be returning to her parents to return to school in a few weeks. I am merely teaching her what I can to ensure that she is able to defend herself in most situations, as all Were should be able to do."

Marissa had rather liked being given the title of Squire, but would need to look it up later to confirm that she understood its meaning. In the mean time, she stayed quiet. She was only a pup, and Dan was her guardian. But she watched and listened to everything intently, soaking up the learning experience.

The Protector, Aarush, spoke up, "I am sure that she will be a fine warrior some day. If, as you say, she has only been learning from you for such a short time, she is surely talented." Marissa blushed at this praise, and lowered her head. Aarush continued, "I am looking forward to sparring with you, and also seeing how you conduct training. Wolves and Tigers fight differently. It should be an interesting session. Do you have your gear, or will you be borrowing?"

"We did bring our things, Protector, thank you for asking. Marissa has not yet chosen a weapon, so she may choose to try different weapons to see if she finds anything to her liking. I am currently showing her many different styles and weapons. But my personal weapons cache is limited to what I use. And they are all live weapons, I do not have any training weapons. I am also curious to see what you have available here. What all did you bring from your old country?"