Chapter Seventeen

The Friends get an invite from the strangers.

    I took a step back. The strange people watched me out of their strange round eyes.

    I wasn’t sure what to say to them so I just blurted out, “We must be going.”

    “Yeah.” agreed Miss Feather. The relief was evident in her voice.

    “Wait a minute.” Said Quetzal, the irritation in his voice obvious. “I want answers here.”

    “Later Quetzal.” I said, taking several more steps back. Don’t make trouble. I said to him telepathically.

    His only response was a scowl.

    Then the strange Shasta opened her mouth, “What is it you want to know?” She asked Quetzal.

     “Nothing! We want to know nothing!” I grabbed Quetzal’s arm.

    I felt the muscles in it tense, like he was going to jerk it out of my grasp but he didn’t. I was relieved.

     “You were here snooping.” Kyle said, sweeping his brown gaze over us all.

    “So.” I replied. “We’ve been through that already.”

    “What was your real reason?” Kyle asked.

    “Like I already said, you’re in our World. Why shouldn’t we check you out, especially after what you did to Quetzal?” I said this belligerently. I felt my anger rising. This area of the forest felt bad and smelled bad. I didn’t like Kyle asking these questions a second time and I noticed much to my irritation several rats lurking about again.

    “It might be your forest but it’s our forest too.” Shasta said. Her tail jerked when she said this.

    I wondered if that meant something, like was she angry or feeling something else.

    Miss Feather tugged at my arm. “Let’s go. They’re getting rather unfriendly now.”

    “Yeah. I’m for getting out of here.” Mr. Thunder said and kicked at a rat and sent it flying through the air in an arch. It landed on the ground with a thud yet still it got up and hopped ran off, it’s tail straight out behind it.

    I smirked. Then turned my attention back to the strange half wolf half human people.

    “What did you do to me?” Quetzal asked Shasta.

    She looked him up and down but didn’t smile, didn’t really show any emotion. “You got too close so I had to deal with you.”

    Quetzal snorted. “I did no harm!”

    “No, you didn’t.” Shasta said.

    “So, what did you do to me?” Quetzal asked again.

    Shasta looked him over once more then glanced at Kyle.

    “Go ahead Shasta, tell him.” He said with less hostility now.

    She turned back to Quetzal. “I used Magic on you. A kind that I use. I bound you to me, using negative elements instead of positive. I wanted your binding to be unpleasant. I hoped this would keep you and your friends away. Obviously it didn’t go that way. Your People are different than who I’m use to using Magic on. I’ve released you from my Binding Spell. You shouldn’t be feeling the effects anymore.”

    “It was unpleasant and it drove me to be here, not the opposite.” Quetzal snarled.

    I could feel him tensing. I put a hand on his arm. “Satisfied Quetzal? Ready to leave?”

    Quetzal snarled again, a growl rumbling in his chest.

    I saw Shasta and Kyle glance at each other, she looking a bit alarmed.

    Mandie and Joshie stared at Quetzal with utter fascination, their large round grey eyes seeming to become even rounder.

    “We didn’t know who you were, if you were dangerous to us or not.” Shasta said, looking at Quetzal. “I am sorry I caused you harm…Quetzal.”

    Quetzal stopped snarling and growling as soon as she finished speaking. He looked her over then said, “Okay. I accept your sorry.”

     The strange pointed ear people all visibly relaxed. I felt like some important moment in our mutual relationship had just happened.

    “We were just curious about your odd building; we’d never seen anything like it in the forest before.” I said to them.

    “That’s understandable.” Kyle said. “We’ve been here awhile but not really that long.”

    “Are you all a family?” Miss Feather asked.

    “No. Kyle and I are siblings, Mandie and Joshie we adopted, sort of. Their parents are unable to care for them.” Shasta said.

    There was one big question I wanted an answer to so I asked it now, “Are there more of your people living in the forest?”

   “Yes. A small amount, at least we consider their numbers small.” said Shasta. “Would you like to meet our people, all four of you?”

    A surprise question and offer. I was a little taken a back and horribly unprepared to answer it.  A tense silence fell over us and I forced myself to think fast. We were meeting a whole new group of people. We had just become friendly and I didn’t want to destroy that. I would assume the leadership role here and do what I thought was best.

    “Yes, we would very much like to meet your people. Perhaps later you’d like to meet our People.” I said.

    Shasta actually smiled, pleased with my response. So did Kyle and the twins Mandie and Joshie.  I felt I had made the right decision.  I wanted to know more about Shasta’s magic and why they looked half wolf and half human.

    I didn’t glance at Mr. Thunder and Miss Feather to get their reactions to my decision. They’d go along. I knew how Quetzal felt; he was almost in my face and smiling. I had a sudden suspicion that magic wasn’t the only source for the spell Shasta had cast over him.

    “You’re all welcome into our home. Come inside. Let’s chat before we move on to meet the others.” Shasta said. Her smile revealed she had rather sharp looking teeth as well, just not as long as the twins Mandie and Joshie's were.

    It’s okay. I sense nothing malicious. If any of you do say so now. I said to my friends telepathically.

    I’m sensing nothing negative. Miss Feather said.

    All I sense is the deadness and the cold and bad feeling, nothing new. said Mr. Thunder.

    “Come with me.” Shasta said.

    As we headed toward the odd structure I felt a slight thrill. We were going to be going inside. We were meeting a whole new people and I was suddenly considered the Leader by them and I wasn’t even considered mature yet by the Wolf People.

    And I couldn’t wait to find out why the deer and coyotes were absent around here and why the rats acted so bizarre!

 

Reviews

[trish420]

I like that Armand is assuming a leadership role, it feels natural :-)

If these new "people" aren't malicious then why does their area of the forest give off SUCH bad vibes? And what exactly ARE they?? Answered my questions but gave me so many more!! Great chapter, it just keeps getting better!

[Black Cat Fever]

Now I don't think going into the structure is the smartest thing they could do even if learning more about them seems worthwhile!

[Theresa]

I don't know if this is such a good idea. They are entering these half human half wolf people's world and stepping out of their own. I'm kinda thinking along the same lines as Star Wolf that it might be a trap. Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Star Wolf]

Hope getting friendly with these half wolf half human people and going into their home isn't going to end up being a trap. Hope nothing bad comes of this visit.

I don't know why, but the word 'magic' has always given me a bad feeling. I don't like it... Dark Science has never lead to anything good, these half wolf half human creatures should know better. Whatever entity or energy source that gives them power could shut down or turn on them... "Be Warned" I'd tell them. lol.

Fascinating story so far. It's had me turning the pages definitely!