Hammers in the Shadows

Part One: Shadows And Ice - Chapter Three

During that semester, as part of my training I found myself shadowing Brook, since I was part of a course of study that was known as the Alpha Stream. Likewise Anna, who was also in the same course of study, had to shadow my friend Adam.

One thing that I'd quickly learned to find amusing, almost from the start, was the fact that I would spar with both Adam and Brook, the rest of the instructors at the Academy would shake their heads and instead of being a student in the hand to hand combat classes I found myself leading them.

Even I had to admit the Brook was a dangerous, and in some cases, downright scary wolf with a seriously nasty vicious streak in her. I was glad that, for the most part, she kept it under control and only let it out when she was facing somebody who'd gone and broke the rules rather seriously... or was sparing with me.

When we finally graduated both Anna and I had dropped the cubs on Sergey and went to have some fun with the other graduates, though that did result in a rather nasty headache the next morning. I wasn't one, normally for excessive drinking and normally Weres couldn't really get drunk, but we'd brought a case of Russian Vodka which we'd shared quite readily and Anna taught more than one graduate a few things about how to really celebrate in the Cossack style.

The next morning, after my body dealt with the headache, and we'd taken some responsibility for all of the bottles lying around I got dressed and then made my way to Adam's office where I knocked on the door frame.

"Come in, Mark." Adam greeted.

I came in, and sat down, Altair followed me, sitting down as soon as I did an laid his head on my lap while Caspian rode on my shoulder. I looked at Adam, and I saw how the years had been good to him, you couldn't tell that he'd not been born to this life and only come to it a little more than a decade ago, then again, I was in the same boat. I breathed in and closed my eyes for a second before I pulled out the tablet that I had and brought up a map on it. 

"Adam, I have to be frank with you about the situation back home at Blackwater Pride. I was sent here to learn to lead, to command, and to defend. However, from the most up to date information that I've gotten from my father, and the Guardian I have to admit that the situation that we face isn't good." As I said that Caspian rubbed his head against my ear and crooned softly. "Our problem is that in the Prince George Region we have only two allies, wolf-packs that are a goodly distance from where we are located. While our enemies are located much more closely." I finished, showing him the map and pointing out the issues that we faced.

Adam regarded the map closely, marking the locations of both our allies and enemies with his eyes before finally looking up at me, "I can see that. Your situation isn't great, but it isn't as bad as what Nam Cho faced, and you know what happened in that case."

Indeed, I did as my family had come to regard Nam Cho Pride as a refuge when being around so many wolves got too much for us to handle. It helped that Sergey and his mate, Minali, had family there.

I looked at him and tried, with my gaze, to impart to him the urgency of what I was telling him, "We need allies Adam, even if they aren't in the same region as we are." I said, with that same urgency, "Both Shanna and Olaf have authorized myself and Anna to sign any kind of treaties and alliances that we feel could help us in the coming conflict."

"Surely you don't mean a Pack War?" He asked, Pack Wars were rare, principally because they could cause massive casualties on either side which could end with the destruction of both sides in the conflict.

"I am afraid so Adam, and as I said, we are looking for anybody who could assist in our survival, though there are a few that I won't ask, since I am sure that they'd not only spit in our face, but perhaps even try and kill either Anna or myself." I finished, sighing softly. I hated the current situation, but as far as I could tell we didn't have any resort, other than to fight our way clear. "The most likely scenario that I can think of is that our enemies attacking while Anna and I are still new to our ranks as Matriarch and..."