Chapter 4

"So what do you want me to do?" I asked. 

"Follow your heart without fear. You can do it."

I knew what he was talking about. My wishes were that rogue wolves who became a threat to their packs would find redemption, and lone wolves to find a home where they would stay free and secure. 

I began to see those wishes come true. I wasn't alone, I had Tyrion's help, and the support of other pack members like Adolph, Sabrina, Basten, Magnus, and Ophelia. These are some notable persons in our community who joined me in reaching out to lone wolves in the wilderness and bringing them into our community. 

We had withstood unrepentant rogue wolves and rescued the intimidated lone wolves. One of the mischievous rogue wolves that would never accept our plan was the group organized by a rogue beta, Osiris. A very wicked lycan, who hadn't shown mercy to anyone at all. Forgiveness and sympathy were taboo to him. 

I haven't seen him before, but I have heard rumors about him. I strongly believed it was his people who attacked me in the wilderness before Tyrion's rescue. 

Because of Osiris, we were slow in our expansion. We planned on bringing into our community as many rogue and lone wolves as possible. It was meant to be done in months, but Osiris and his lycans were a thorn in our side, making it extend into years, getting close to a decade. 

"We are tired of this. Why don't we let it be and stay with the ones we have gotten already?" Magnus said. "You know we have been living our lives in this community without any trouble or fight. Why do you have to change?" 

"Other lycans need a home, we are giving them the help they need," I replied. 

"I don't see it as being wise. Why not mind our own business and live our lives without risking our lives and putting the lives of our family in danger?"

"Why are you being selfish, Magnus? Are you forgetting we were once like them?" 

Tyrion, who was seated silently, spoke out for the first time in conversation. "Let him speak his mind, Ophelia. Let him speak," he said looking at Magnus with a disdainful look. "If I had acted like the way you speak, do you think you would be here? There wouldn't be a community like this for you to raise your kids." 

Magnus pulled his back to his chair and raised his hands. "I was just saying for our safety. Our ladies are threatened every single day, and our kids are afraid to go to the brook. Even our hunters can't hunt freely anymore. And we are starving!" 

"I know what you are saying, Magnus, and I am not completely against it," I said. "The fact is that there is no real fight without an injury. This is only a test of our patience. We have to stay strong if we must succeed." 

"How can we succeed, Ryanna? How?" Adolph, who wasn't saying anything, burst out. "This is reality, and motivation cannot protect our wives and kids..." Magnus quickly lifted his shoulder and raised his hands, wearing a fulfilled expression on his face. 

"Take a look at us!" Adolph swept his hands over our direction. "Doing this for over eight years now is enough to be strong." He turned to Magnus, "I'm not saying we are going to back out or every Lycan bears his burden..." Magnus's excited expression went down. 

"What are you talking about then?" Tyrion asked.

"We cannot succeed without a fight. It is high time we stop relying on dialogues and sympathetic gestures; those are for the lone wolves. But there are rogue wolves that still have in them the monstrous Lycan nature. We can't help them, and we can't avoid them..."

"We have to start raising soldiers. Our hunters should be trained as fighters. We should start developing weapons, using the resources we can get."

"That is violence, Adolph. You know violence is against what we stand for in this community," Basten said. 

"Don't say that, we know that's a fallacy! What kept our Lycan princess alive?" I felt a tick as Adolph mentioned "Lycan princess" and swiftly pointed his head in my direction. 

"Please answer me, Tyrion. Did we shake hands with Osiris' men and give them a life-changing speech and did they let her go? We bloody fought with them to save her!" 

"That was different," Tyrion said and Adolph chuckled. "Look, we fought them off and took her away, and that's the same thing we are doing to some lycans. We rescue them and leave. We don't go out to war with Lycans that disagree with us. We have a mandate of peace..."

"Cut that crap, Tyrion!" Adolph cried out, slapping the table.  "Where are we? In the afterlife? This is the real world, Tyrion!"

He stood up wearing an austere look on his face, his chest was out, and his brow furrowed. "The way you two are going with this..." He pointed at Tyrion and me, "We will all be dead before we realize we have been joking all along. Mark my words, this war you all are running away from will come knocking at your door, and then you can't run away from it." 

He pushed his seat away and walked out of the table. "Adolph!" Tyrion called out. 

"Damn you, Tyrion! Whenever you all get serious you know where to find me," Adolph said leaving the room without looking back. 

Leaving the tent where we had agreed I was walking around the camp and I heard some loud voices. It was like a fierce banter, but then I heard screams. I wanted to go my way, but I held myself back and walked up to the scene. 

As I got there, the noise came from a few people gathered at a spot.  I saw blood on the face of a boy, lying weakly on a man's body.