Lessons in the Rain 2

The next morning, the house felt different. The rain had stopped sometime in the night and the air was cool and heavy with the smell of wet leaves. The sun shone weakly through the cracks in the windows but there was no joy to be found. We all knew what the clear skies meant, it was time to leave.

I sat in the corner of the hall with Finn nursing on my lap. I was holding him close and rocking him slowly while he fed. My body still ached from the long walk we had all endured, I still wondered how the children were doing. I thought but the pain felt far from my gut. Thorne’s words from last night was still fresh in my mind; “You should leave after tonight. I cannot afford to bring that sort of trouble here.”

He said it so simply, so matter-of-factly that it was almost impossible to argue with. I understood though. But leaving meant going back into the open wilds with a newborn who had already drawn the Shadow Pack once.

Kira was rolling up the dried hides, her movements swift and you could tell she was angry. “We should have left at dawn. If we stay here a day longer it’ll be our doom.”

Renn leaned against the wall, his spear close at hand. ‘Thorne gave us one night, and we took it. The kids need rest, Liora also needs rest.’

Gage sat by the dying fire and rubbed his bad leg. ‘The old man speaks the truth. The pup’s aura is so strong. I’m surprised the Shadow Pack hasn't already broken the door down.’

Lena busied herself making me a hot brew of willow ginger tea. She spared Finn a tender smile. ‘He’s calm this morning, at least.’

Marcus finished stacking the wood we had chopped to pay Thorne and flexed his scarred arms. ‘We leave at dusk. It will give us enough time to get organized.’

The quietest among us, Soren, stood near the door and paced. ‘I’ll go east again to scout the path.’

Elara crossed her arms against her chest. Her one missing finger tapped against her elbow as she spoke. ‘Anyone trying to get to the boy will have to get through me first.’

Theo and Mia sat pressed close together on a bench, sharing the last of the dried meat. Theo kept stealing glances at Finn, his eyes wide with wonder and fear. Mia nudged him. ‘Stop staring; he’s just a baby.’

I looked down at Finn. He had finished nursing and now he stared up at me with his  bright green eyes, full of curiosity and serenity. I reached down and gently stroked his cheek. ‘You are safe now,’ I whispered. ‘We are all safe for now.’

Thorne had sat in the corner observing us packing in silence the entire morning. He stood, supporting his weight on his walking stick, and hobbled over to where Finn and I sat. He looked tired but his eyes were still bright.

‘May I speak with you alone?’ he asked softly.

I nodded and handed Finn to Lena, who took him gently and carried him to the other side of the hall. Thorne led me into the side room off the main hall, the door left half open behind us. It was quiet here and we could hear only the distant murmur of the others packing and the quiet plop of dripping water from the roof.

Thorne sat on an old wooden stool and I remained standing, my arms crossed over my chest.

He studied me for a moment before speaking. ‘How old is the boy?’ he asked.

‘Nearly two weeks,’ I answered.

Thorne nodded slowly. ‘And you…how long have you been traveling with him?’

‘Since the night he was born.’

He leaned forward slightly. ‘And before that? You belong to a pack, I can tell from the scent about you. Voss, isn’t it?’

I didn’t answer immediately. My throat tightened. “Yes.”

He waited. The silence returned between us again until I couldn't hold it any longer.

“I was adopted into the Hale family. They treated me like I didn’t belong once their real daughter came. I thought the ill treatment would stop as time went by but it became worse rather. The alpha… Ronan… we grew up close. I thought there was more. We were soulmates, or so I thought until he chose someone else that night. He chose her in my presence, for the pack, for her power and connections. I found out I was pregnant the same night. I left before anyone could stop me.”

Thorne’s eyes didn’t leave my face. “And the boy’s father?”

“Ronan,” I said, the name which I tried all day and night to forget. “He doesn’t know.”

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. It's even more dangerous if you can't handle it properly which by the look of things, you aren't doing a good job yet.” 

I knew I was guilty of that do I lowered my head an muttered. “I understand.”

Thorne looked at the floor before us for a long moment, rubbing his hands together, and the awkward silence returned again then he finally sighed.

“...But I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “You can stay for a while, on one condition.”

I looked up, my eyes questioning. ‘What condition?’

You help me with the house. Chop wood, fix the leaking roof, hunt for food. I’m old and alone here. I can barely feed myself. In return, I’ll provide you some shelter and even teach you what I can about that power inside you and the boy. I'm not as good as my father but I'll try, enough to help you control the visions before they control you. So you don’t attract more bad people than you already have.”

I stared at him, surprised. “Why the change of heart?”

Thorne met my eyes. “Because I see how the others look at you. I love what you guys share, you’re not just running. You’re like a real family, leading each other in their own way. And that boy… he’s going to need guidance. My dad taught me that much. If I send you away now, I’ll be no better than the packs that hunted my own family.”

I took a long, slow breath. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “The power in you is strong. It will bring trouble. But if you stay, we should start training tonight. We start with simple breathing first. Then we see what the visions show.”

I nodded, my throat burning. ‘We’ll stay, and we will work.’

Thorne slowly stood, even in his old age, he could still move himself freely. “Good. Now inform the others before they finish packing.”

I returned to the hall and the group turned as I entered the room. Kira dropped the hide she was rolling, Renn released his spear from his grip.

“We’re staying for a while,” I said. “Thorne changed his mind. He said we'll help with the house chores, the wood chopping, repairs, hunting. In return, he’ll let us stay and even teach me about… the power in me and Finn.”

Kira raised her eyebrows. ‘Do you trust him?’

“I think we can,” I replied. “He is alone here, and he understands somethings about the power” It could provide Finn with protection.’

Renn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “We will have to keep a close eye on him.”

Gage grunted in response. “As long as he does not bring more problems than he is worth.”

Lena smiled. ‘It is better than walking in the rain with a newborn, is it not?’

The kids looked relieved. Theo grinned. “We can help chop wood!”

I took Finn, who had fallen asleep in Lena's arms, and sat back down. I held Finn in my arms and stared at him. The decision felt right, I'm doing this to protect my own Child and the little family I managed to build over time. We had a roof, a fire, a chance to rest. But Thorne’s warning was still clear in my head. The power was already awake. And it was calling things we might not be ready for.

That night, after the others had gone to bed, Thorne found me in the small side room again. The house was eerily silent, with only the gentle crackling of the fire in the main hal and the distant drip of water from the trees outside.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

I nodded. He sat down on the stool across from me, holding his stick and guided me through the breathing exercise. “Slowly inhale… slowly exhale… Let the rain dictate the pace, even if the rain stops.” 

I attempted it. The world grew silent around me for a brief moment…

Then I saw something… 

Finn was older now and he wastanding on a ridge. Light pouring from his hands. Black wolves retreating… I also saw Isolde smiling at me as if she had finally won. Again.

I gasped and pulled back, my heart pounding.

Thorne placed a gentle hand on my shoulder to steady me. ‘That is the gift, and the burden.’

I looked at the others resting in the fire light and realized how they were all here because of the decisions I had made for us.

‘I will not let this power consume him,’ I whispered. ‘Or us.’

Thorne nodded. “Then we start actual training tomorrow, also how often do you shift?” he asked me.

I paused. I hadn’t really shifted after giving birth to Finn except the one time when I saved Theo from some sort of danger during the hunt. ‘Not often,’ I replied.

“You'll have to shift a little more often from now on, since you managed to awaken your power you can easily connect with your power in your wolf form.” Thorne said.

‘Ooh, I see,’ I said with a new understanding in my mind. “I will keep that in mind.”

The house was quiet that night. The house wasn't that big but it was way bigger to our old Lean-to if compared. The house had two rooms, a kitchen, a big place I supposed was the parlor, and a nice balcony out. Finn and I had the other room since it had a mattress where Finn and I could sleep. While Thorne had the other room. The rest of us used the big Palor, laying on the hides we brought with us from the lean-to.

That night, the house was quiet and still. While it was not particularly big, it was considerably larger than our previous lean-to. There were two bedrooms; the kitchen and what I presumed to be the main hall, and the balcony. Finn and I had one room since it had a mattress where Finn and I could sleep. While Thorne had the other room. The rest of us used the big Palor, laying on the hides (blankets) we brought with us from the lean-to.

I looked at Finn who slept peacefully against me but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but be bothered about the vision I just saw. And I knew if I couldn't master to hide and control this power soon enough, it'll be nothing but more trouble to all of us which I didn't want.