Lessons In The Rain

We walked east throughout the night still the rain was relentless. Mud and roots made up the floor we walked on with roots pulling at our feet at every step.

My legs had started to ache from how far I had traveled holding Finn in my arms. My back screamed in pain but still I continued. Finn slept peacefully against my chest warm and safe bundled tightly in his old blanket, the weight of him a constant reminder that I couldn't stop. A soft sigh from Finn caused me to rock him gently and whisper," it's okay, we are fine."

Kira walked beside me, her hair completely saturated, her braids dripping water. "We have to get shelter. We can't go back to the lean-to, now that we have left our position exposed they will easily track us down."

Renn was ahead a few steps, his spear tightly gripped in his hands. "There is an old overhang about a mile up ahead, I used it when I was on the run from my pack. It should provide enough shelter from the rain for a few hours.

Gage shuffled slowly behind me muttering about achy bones and old war injuries, Lena held onto his arm when the path got too treacherous. Marcus carried the largest bag hummed a tune, the scars on his arms flexing with every step he took. Soren flitted in and out in front of me constantly checking the ground for tracks. Elara brought up the rear keeping a sharp eye behind us, her missing finger not slowing her down at all.

Theo and Mia kept quiet a few steps in front of me, though Theo continued to glance at Finn every few seconds a mixture of curiosity and worry filling his eyes, but he didn't dare say a word.

By the time the sky had become a little lighter all of us were cold, damp and utterly exhausted. The rain had lightened to a drizzle, but the ground was still soaking wet and slippery. We finally reached the old overhang that Renn had mentioned, it looked old, and it was a bit small for the amount of people we had, but it would be enough for one night. "Get back I don't want anyone seeing us, who knows what kind of people are staying here."

Before we reached the entrance of the overhang a door swung open revealing an old man, his hair pure white, his clothes soaked, and his ribs sticking out from beneath a torn shirt. He leaned on a wooden cane, his eyes alert and intelligent behind a tired gaze.

"Who are you?" Renn asked keeping his spear ready, his voice low.

"I'm Thorne" he stated, "I used to be of the Hill pack but was exiled years ago. This old house has been empty since then and I've made it habitable. What is it you want?"

Kira stepped forward her hand still resting on the hilt of her dagger. "We need shelter from the rain. We also have a newborn. We won't be staying long if it's a bother."

Thorne's gaze ran over our small pack, ten individuals all cold, damp and utterly spent with a baby nestled against me. His gaze settled on Finn for a few moments but said nothing. "Ten mouths to feed. That's quite a lot for one old man. I can barely feed myself."

"We'll work for our  stay, we won't be of any burden I promise.” Renn immediately said. “We could chop wood, hunt, anything you need us to. We won't be a burden," Marcus said, his voice steady and calm.

"I'm a good tracker," Soren interjected eagerly. "I can look out for any threats."

"We fight if necessary, we are not thieves," Elara stated firmly, crossing her arms.

Thorne studied us for a long moment, his hand tucked into the trouser of his pants. If his white hair and elderly face hadn't betrayed him, he looked like a young wrestler with his well built body. The rain dripped from the roof onto his shoulders. He looked at Finn again, then at me.

“Fine,” he said at last. “You can stay the night. But only until the rain stops. And you have to earn your keep. No exceptions.”

We all nodded our thanks and piled into the house, the inside far more spacious then it had appeared on the outside. There was a large main hall with a roaring fire already burning. There were several other rooms and enough space to spread out comfortably, the air inside smelled of old wood and smoke but was warm and dry.

We got to work quickly. Renn and Marcus immediately started stoking the fire while Kira and Lena set out the soaked hides to dry. The children carried smaller logs into the house for the fire. Gage sat beside the fire, rubbing his leg, whilst I sat by myself in a corner, feeding Finn whenever he woke.

Thorne sat watching us for a long moment before wandering over to the fire and joining us. "So, how do you have a newborn living as a Rogue?" he asked, his voice casual as though it didn't hold immense meaning. I couldn't begin to explain that I realized I was already pregnant just moments after my mate had rejected me, choosing another woman for the sake of power.

“He's a special one, how he ended up with us is a long story and it's for another day. We've had a long trip and we should rest for the night.” Renn immediately came to my rescue which I was grateful for. 

Gage cleared his throat. “Yeah, real special. That shift the boy did right after birth,” Gage said, voice gruff. “I’ve only heard of one other case like that in a thousand years. They say the child became a great seer, saved his whole pack from a war that should’ve wiped them out. But the power marked him. It made him a target his whole life.”

Thorne's gaze sharpened and he looked at me intently. "I knew you two were different," he said in a low voice. " The air around both of you is thick with something, like it is just waiting to awaken. I may not have a strong ability myself but I can always feel it when something's wrong."

I held Finn closer to me. "What do you mean?"

Thorne leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “When I was young, my Sherman dad would always tell me, the first way to grow with a special ability is to first accept it. He taught me that because he had a touch of the old sight himself. Not strong like yours, but enough to know the signs.”

He paused, then added, “I don't have much idea about the seer blood, but the power in you and the pup is already so strong and can be of great risk. It’s dangerous. Other packs will sense it too. So many pack leaders would go to any extent just to have your ability and they'll definitely come for you soon enough. You should leave tomorrow night. I can’t risk attracting that kind of trouble here.”

A shiver went down my spine but I tried to maintain my composure. "I understand."

Thorne looked at Finn sleeping peacefully in my arms. "It's a result of what you went through that the power in him awoke early. That's why you're on the run with him. The surge of power can draw anyone's attention." He then sat back. "Leave tomorrow night, the sooner the better. I already have my own share of trouble and I can't handle anymore than this."

The rain outside had stopped completely, the only sound the faint drip from the leaves of the trees just beyond the window. Finn slept soundly, his breathing steady.

But in my mind the words echoed with an urgent warning.