The girl asked quietly in a high-pitched voice, “Where are we going?”
“Some place that will help you stay alive for the next year or two of your life.” Ansuya replied with a small smile. She turned to the rest of the group, “You all know what I expect of you. We will enter the Whyte Plain running. It will be impossible for us to escape notice this time,” she glanced at the stripper as she said this but continued, “We will move as fast as we can.” She looked at Alexiares, “Take the rear guard.” The golden brown wolf nodded his head. Ansuya looked around the group, “Everyone hold hands, William?” The elder was looking at him as she spoke, “Look after our guest. I place her in your care. Don’t disappoint me.” The request was spoken quietly but there was steel lining her words. William understood and nodded his head. Ansuya took one last look over the group and nodded.
The darkness that had bathed them all was immediately washed out by muted white. The stripper was completely disoriented. She let go of the people holding her hands and she turned around and around and around. She was whipping her head around so fast her shoulder length hair was flying all over her face; it was a wonder that she could see anything at all. She was breathing so hard she couldn’t scream although it was apparent from her expression that is exactly what she wanted to do.
Nicolas jumped away from the distraught girl. Looking over at William he gestured back to her, “She’s your problem.” The scout immediately shifted into werewolf form and walked to where Ansuya, who had also taken werewolf form, was standing.
The girl breathlessly pointed at the two monsters who had sprang up out of nowhere. She was keyed up to the point of bursting. William watched helplessly as her eyes rolled back up into her skull and she collapsed into the thick mist that hugged the floor of this place.
A small burst of laughter escaped from Nicolas who immediately silenced himself. Katherine shot a look over at the scout and she herself changed into werewolf form. She looked down at the girl and shook her head. She glanced over at William with a sympathetic glance.
William heaved a short sigh and changed into his own werewolf form. He gathered the girl up into his arms and threw her dead weight body over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He knew he was doing something wrong but right then in this place, he didn’t care.
Once the girl was situated on his massive fur covered shoulders, he looked to see that the entire group had transformed and were ready to move. Without a word Ansuya darted off into the mist of the Whyte Plain.
Even with the extra weight of the girl on his shoulders he was able to keep pace with the rest of his pack. Ansuya moved with a languid fluidity that made Aceso’s wolf born grace look almost awkward. The eight of them cut a direct and swift path through the Whyte Plain. If their last visit had taught him anything, he knew that their presence would not go long unnoticed. He was proven right a few moments later.
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That familiar buzzing rang deep in his ear. The intelligence of whatever it was that had taken residence in this place was persistent. But it was a little slow this time around. William mentally clocked them having already run about fifteen minutes. He wasn’t quite sure how long they had to go, but he was sure that they couldn’t be in here too much longer than they had been on their visit earlier. Ansuya didn’t bend or struggle. Her figure remained strong and true, increasing their pace as they raced the shadows of this place. With their passenger they would be less than fully effective in a fight. Depending on how many shadows showed themselves, they could be in real trouble.
Suddenly William heard a howl from behind him, it was Alexiares. William immediately stopped, jarring his passenger hard against his head and neck. He knew that they couldn’t stay hidden from these things twice in one day. He looked over at Nicolas, “Take her.” Nicolas nodded and grabbed the girl as William let her slip from his grip.
He met the eyes of Charles and Katherine. The three of them moved to stand side by side with the elder enforcer. Alexiares, looked at the three of them and said, “You should leave.”
William looked out at the swirling white mist. He could smell them now too. Their scent wasn’t over powering but strong enough, even with Alexiares and Ansuya they may not win this fight. “I didn’t train all this time to let you face the enemy by yourself.” William replied.
Alexiares looked at the shorter, younger enforcer as Ansuya joined the line. “I told you they were willful.” William looked over at the elder Tracker.
Alexiares glanced at her too, “You were right Ansuya, as usual.” He turned his attention back to the slowly darkening mist in front of him.
William looked out at the coming enemy. He knew that Nicolas would be keeping out of danger, as much as he could, but the safety of the girl was foremost on his mind.
Suddenly two things happened simultaneously. The mist in front of him shredded off to the sides as a half dozen shadows came tearing toward them in a roiling mass of darkness, not quite having form. They showed themselves at about thirty feet away from their line. At the same moment William heard, coming directly from his right, “Do I finally get to see what kind of enforcer you have become, William?”
William looked up to see a steel faced Ares standing next to him. His former teacher’s eyes were locked on to the oncoming shadows as the things closed the distance between them.
William’s face split into a huge smile and even with the danger facing him he couldn’t stop the stream of questions from spilling out of his mouth, “Ares! How did you know we were here? What are you doing here?”
The massive enforcer didn’t reply, but instead took a step toward the oncoming enemy. William became aware of five other shape shifters on the other side of Ares. He almost missed one, her brilliant white coat of fur blended in perfectly with the mist surrounding them. William watched as they all stepped off the line to meet the approaching shadows and he found himself turning to face to enemy as well.