CHAPTER 1
Cole stood on the front deck watching the moon rising, breathing in the crisp mountain air wishing he could recapture his former life or better yet, go back and re-do the last four years differently. However, wishes wouldn't get him anywhere where as the last few days got him further than the wasted years.
Last night he had ran in his Wolf form, letting the miles fly beneath his paws and after an hour of just blind running, he found himself on a rocky overhang overlooking the entire valley. Sitting on the biggest rock he could find, he raised his head to the sky and let out a howl of jubilation, getting several howls and calls in return. When he heard the last one fade away he felt the old loneliness creep over him replacing his joy. The next howl he let out said it all, low and drawn out, it hung in the air getting no answer. Maybe out of respect, maybe because no one knew how to answer him back.
Today Cole had flown in his Eagle form out of sheer joy because he was chosen to assume the Senior Guardian and Deputy position of the people, like his father and grandfather before him. Being highly thought of by Rick and the Tribunal, that he was considered the best person to be the Peace Chief's deputy was a surprise to Cole.
Later he had listened politely to the new position duties and could barely contain his excitement. Besides himself, there were four other Senior Guardians, two men and two women whom he had known since childhood. They had spent a good part of the day sitting around the main office, swapping stories and getting used to having him as their second in command and ribbing him about the headaches he had inherited.
By mid afternoon, Cole felt totally at ease with his coworkers knowing they all had good spirits, dedicated to the job and well trained. Excusing himself when they brought up old war stories from their youth, he realized he needed some time to himself.
Climbing the mountain to a small meadow he never forgot, he shifted to his Golden Eagle. He stood proudly with his arms held out, palms down, and his head thrown back. He could feel the bones of his arms invert as well as his knees as he took on the structural bone frame of an eagle. He felt the feathers slowly emerge through his skin and cover his entire body, save his legs and feet. As his facial features elongated he opened and closed his mouth experimentally until he heard his beak snap close noisily. He gave a short song of excited peeps until he could let out a screech of joy as he finished his shifting.
With strong swift wings, he climbed higher and higher riding the air currants until he reached the summit and landed. Looking down on the distant community he vowed to protect he knew he had finally found his niche in life and he was finally home, where he belonged.
Screeching out his triumph, again he heard answers of shared joy and acceptance echoing up from the valley back to him. Shaking his feathers as he settled on a deadfall tree, he looked to the east and wondered why he was compelled to search the sky there. Then it all came back to him, she was somewhere out there with out him. Crying out sharply he hoped for a different answer and when none came he tried again, broadcasting louder and longer then he ever had before, hoping to reach her.
The lonely cry surprised him, having never broadcasted the deepest secret in his heart and soul until today. His Wolf, his human and the Eagle yearned for his mates and desperately needed her back to make his life complete.
Again, no answer but then he really didn't expect one since everyone he cared about the most were gone. His brothers were off living their lives outside of the community, his father had passed into the land of the spirits only a few months ago, and Clint was gone forever. Clint would have approved of his return and they would have had one hell of a reunion if he had been here. But then again he would not have left in the first place if Clint hadn't died in that rock climbing accident.
Resting his forearms on the porch rail, he forced himself to remember Clint Red Feather. Cole still felt guilty because he had been late for the climb due to Guardian business. He had been the one to find Clint lying at the bottom of the cliff, his neck broken. There was a broken pinion and clamp lying beside him, the rope still attached to his climbing belt.
He had let out such a cry, loud enough to rouse the entire town as it bounced off the cliff and echoed across the valley. His grief made him inconsolable and unreasonable, fighting the medics when they tried to take Clint's body. Once he had been subdued and sedated he began blaming himself for everything, including things that had happened right afterwards. After two days of either beating himself up or simply locking himself in his room refusing to talk about it, he left. He couldn't face Clint's family, his own or the people of the town, knowing they all had blamed him.
He spent four years long years wondering the country taking small jobs when he needed and keeping to himself, slowly working through his pain. Clint had been more then just his best friend; he had been his blood brother since they were eight. His own father swore that they were tighter then true brothers, each knowing what the other was going to do or say at any given moment. Hell, he had seriously dated Clint's little sister and considered part of the Red Wolf family.
It took a long time for him to accept it was just a freak accident that had taken Clint from them. Coming home was the second to last step in his grieving process; the last step was facing Clint's sister, Becca.
He had expected to run into her when he came home but he had learned through the grapevine that she had left half a year after he did, swearing that she would never come back unless she had to. In a small way, it was a relief not having to face her when he first came back but he knew when they eventually did meet again, it was going to be hell.
Pushing away from the rail he sighed sadly, he just hoped the hell was his alone because she didn't need him anymore. He knew he had done the wrong thing by leaving and it had hurt her badly. Some in the community took great pleasure in telling him just how badly while others either ignored him or turned their backs to him. Walking into the house, he just hoped she would give him a chance someday to explain why he had done what he did.
Rebecca dreamed again of her valley but this time she saw it through her human eyes, wearing her ceremonial dress she stood in the center of the soft swaying grass, singing. Suddenly all the light and beauty was gone and she found herself standing in darkness, facing a set of angrily glowing red eyes. The eyes never blinked or looked away, slowly coming towards her, growing larger then life, filling her with an un-named fear and dread.
Hearing the rustling of dried leaves around her, she watched a pitch-black form move behind the eyes though it never took full shape, it was more like a mist hovering, spreading fear and destruction around it.
She stood where she was proudly, refused to move or stop singing, driving the evil back as her voice grew stronger, more determined. Raising her hands to the sky the apparition faded and the meadow slowly returned to its normal beauty.
Seeing another more benevolent mist forming before her, she lowered her hands until they were reaching out to a slowly forming Spirit wolf. It was a great shimmering silver wolf and she felt no fear of it, standing before it singing. Letting the song softly fade she watched as the wolf advanced towards her recognizing it.
As he walked towards her, he looked deep in to her tear filled eyes and blinked his own golden eyes. "Don't cry anymore Becca. I'm finally free and you should be too." It spoke to her heart, smiling gently. "I'll always be with you but you have to move on and stop mourning me." Stopping beside her it turned it's head to look over the valley then back at her sadly. "You have to go home now little sister. There is evil building there and you're the one who has to find it. You are the catalyst of new change and now's the time for it to begin." Turning to leave it looked over his shoulder and nodded his great head whispering gently, "Go home Becca, before it's too late."
Waking with a gasp, tears running down her face she out towards his fading image, whispering. "Don't go Clint."
Cole tossed and turned as the dream washed over him. He found himself sitting precariously on a rock on the highest peak, looking down on the peaceful valley. Feeling a presence beside him he looked to his left and watched as a Wolf stepped out of a misty cloud. He didn't dare move fearing either he would fall off his rock or the wolf would disappear.
The wolf sat beside him staring up at him with knowing eyes. "You can't keep blaming yourself, blood brother and it's time you got over it. You're home now man, and it's time you started living again."
Cole instantly recognized the voice and turned his head to face his friend's Spirit. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he shook his head sadly. "I should have been there."
"It wouldn't have changed a thing except you would be here, like me. The equipment failed through no fault of ours so stop thinking it's you're fault and don't let it blind you to the truth." Putting a large paw on Cole's tense leg, he rose until he was face to face with Cole and nodded. "I'm free but you're not, so just let it go and look ahead. However, look behind too because everything is not as it should be. You have an important job here now and I know you'll help fix the wrongs." Dropping its paw to the ground and backed away. "You'll do what's right and when all is said and done you'll win what's rightfully yours." Before it turned it grinned then ran into the mist not looking back.
"Wait Clint!" Cole yelled as he sat up awake and sweating. "Wait."
Rebecca drove up the mountain's winding road feeling anxious and bone tired. She had left North Dakota early, days early thanks to her insistent dreams. Taking only two days in Arizona when she had agreed to spend at least a week going through old legends, she had left with little to show for it. She had found an obscure word in the story she was translating that was a mix of two languages, both meaning wolf. It was a puzzling story that would take a long time to figure out, when she had the time.
Slipping a disk in to the player, she cranked the volume up to an indecent level and sang with her favorite song, tapping her fingers on the wheel. She loved to listen to the song repeatedly and set the player to loop play. It made her feel as if it was speaking of her heart and how it felt.
Slowing for the sharp hairpin turn just ahead, she caught a flash of dark brown out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the flash suddenly dodge onto the road directly into her path, she slammed on the brakes with both feet, sliding the truck sideways, blocking both narrow lanes.
A lone wolf with matted fur sat no more then ten feet away from the truck, staring coldly at her. She rolled the window down and returned the stare not blinking, unafraid. The wolf slowly stood and took several steps closer looking at her intently with its hackles raised, as it challenged her for the right of way.
Leaning out the window, she curled her lip back, answering the challenge before whispering. "I belong to the clans of Red Wolf and Red Feather. I am Wolf Eagle. Let me pass."
The wolf lowered its eyes before stepping back quickly at hearing her linage, turned and ran towards the trees, tail tucked between its legs.
Rebecca yelled after it before it could have a chance to announce her arrival. "Don't go telling every one I'm home you jackass!" Watching it lower its head in understanding before slipping in to the underbrush she swore under her breath wondering what was up with it.
Taking several minutes to straightening out her truck, she saw that she had stopped only a mere inch from the edge of the cliff and the shale shelf below. Mumbling to herself, she swore to get that idiot's name and personally have a word or two with him for guarding the territory at such a dangerous spot, not to mention pulling such a dangerous stunt. Anyone else would have driven right over the side if they didn't know the road well enough. Maneuvering until she turned in the right direction she blew out a breath of relief, thankful she had only a few more miles before she was home.
Seeing the brown wolf reappear in her rear mirror, she caught its snarling lips and waved a finger out the window at him as she spun her tires sending gravel shooting back at him. Hearing a surprised yelp when it didn't dodge fast enough she laughed at the sense of justice she had inflicted.
Stopping her truck at the side of the road under the huge leaning pine just above the town, she stepped out to get her first look of her home in four years. Breathing in the clean air deep in to her lungs, she raised her hands above her head stretching her stiff back muscles. Seeing the town spread out beneath her lead her thoughts to the people who lived here.
The people called themselves the Shifting Mountain People, a tribe that was believed to have settled in this valley around the same time as the first people came over the frozen tundra of the Eastern continent. Even then, the people had the unique ability to change or shift into the animals of the totem clans.
Almost everyone here had the gift of a totem spirit residing inside him or her, if not two. The ability to change from her human form to that of either a wolf or eagle was a precious gift from the spirits. Few of her people could do two spirits and there was the rare instance of someone being able to change into a third spirit form. However, it was common that a person who did have three spirits had great difficulty in changing in to that third spirit though they had the senses and strength of that spirit. One spirit residing in a person was considered normal in their community.
She suddenly had the urge to change but hesitated knowing she wouldn't get to her grandfathers until late. As it was, she could see the shadows stretching across the valley signaling evening was fast approaching. Later when she was settled and had time to herself, she would try to feel the air around her but now she had better finish the last leg of her long journey.
Easing the truck back on to the road she didn't notice the recently widened side lane, the soft lights illuminating the log A-frame house or the man standing on the deck watching her as he leaned over the porch rail. Her mind was on the long overdue homecoming and her family's reaction when she knocked on the door.
Finally pulling into the circular driveway, she sighed happy to see nothing drastic had changed; it was as if time had stopped. Leaning back and closing her eyes warily, she let the peace of home recharge her as it soaked in before going on. Hearing a loud piercing whistle, she almost jumped out of her skin and turned to see her grandfather coming around the house pointing his long walking stick at her.
"Looks like you succeeded in sneak in again Child." He growled as he tossed his stick into the bed of the truck before yanking the door open and pulled her out as he looked down at her frowning. "You look tired."
Looking up at him, she wrinkled her nose. "And you haven't changed at all." Giving him a hug, she sighed deeply closing her eyes and leaned in closer. She had always felt safe in his arms, as if nothing could harm her and he could chase away all the evils in the world. "I'm glad to be home finally."
"So am I." Tightening his arms around her shoulders, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "The house doesn't feel the same without your spirits stirring things up around here."
Stepping back, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm only here for a visit and the ceremony next week Grandda and don't start laying that old guilt trip on me.
I'm wise to your ways, you old wolf." She knew he could charm the spots off a leopard if he put his mind to it and he was bringing up the old argument about her staying this time around.
