Betrayal (2)

2: By the Moon

Once he was out of decent hearing distance, Jasperain plundered on through the forest on all fours towards a stream he had noted on his way there. He had to wash all sent of the blood drinker from his pelt. It would mean big trouble if he showed up at the pack smelling like the enemy.

Once at the stream, Jasperain plunged into the cold water. It was refreshing. A fish or two passed by him as the bathed. It was tempting to just snap them up in his mussel and gulp down the protein. But he said he was out hunting deer, or some other big prey, so coming back and having fish breath would hint to where he really was.

With all the blood drinker's sent washed off his body, Jasperain got out of the stream and shook the water from his pelt. "Now to actually start hunting..." he mumbled to himself. Hunting was easy for him, though not everybody knew that. So he was safe.

The sent of deer was clear in the spacious forest, and Jasperain was on the sent almost immediately. As he tracked his prey Jasperain went over what VeaxBloodrain, the Vampire had told him. Her views on the war were almost the same his. It was odd, for Jasperain had thought that the Vampires were just selfish savages with no care for anything or anyone else. But Veax had shown him that some of them could be nice, kind. It seemed to Jasperain that he had the same effect on Veax. Hopefully she did not think that of the rest his pack, who would kill her like her kin would have killed him.

Jasperain had the prey in his mussel now. It was easy to find and kill it. It was a large buck. Jasperain let it fall into his paws and hefted it over his back, holding it by its antlers. As he walked back to where the pack was camped, Jasperain thought over the questions he did not ask. "I wonder how old she was....." he wondered aloud. Veax looked a few years younger than Jasperain, and he was almost twenty. But with Vampires, it was hard to look at them and know their age. They had to tell you. "Like that would actually happen anytime soon." Jasperain rolled his eyes at himself. Another question he had floating in his mind was about that new sword of hers. The first time they met on the battlefield she had a dagger and a sword. Why had the changed her weapons? It was dangerous to switch between weapons in the middle of a war, just because it took a little time to integrate the new weapon into your technique. And to Jasperain's sharp eye, the new sword was different. Lighter. Not made of silver.

He was welcomed back into the pack with a round of howls. Everyone was still in their wolven forms, which was not a big surprise. Jasperain rarely saw anyone in their 'Human' forms when their pack was chasing the Vampires. To be in your Human form when hunting the enemy was a disgrace to the pack. You would have looked too much like the enemy.

After the buck was skinned, cooked, and devoured, Jasperain walked to his spot in the pack's camp with the buck's antlers. His friend, Cregan, was laying in the soft grass, looking quite bored. His brown pelt seemed to always be clean. Cregan noticed Jasperain and instantly jumped up. "Hey Jasp!" he smiled. "Hey Cregan." Jasperain smiled back, sitting down on the grass. "I would have come to join everyone in the fest, but I already ate. That was a big buck though!" Cregan said, his tail wagging ever so slightly.

Cregan was like Jasperian's little brother. Yes they were in the same pack. That did not mean that they were related. Wolves from other packs, or loners would join the pack and make it grow. Jasperain wondered if the Vampire clans grew the same way, or if the clans were only family members and a new clan was made when two Vampires married and left their birth clans. Cregan interrupted Jasperain's thoughts. "What took you so long to hunt, eh? I mean, you can hunt really well and really fast. Did you met a female loner in the woods or something?" Cregan nudged Jasperain in the side with his elbow. Jasperain rolled his eyes at the younger wolf. "No, I did not meet a female, Cregan. I just wanted some time to myself. You know how I like the quiet." he lied this time. Jasperain did use hunting as an excuse to get some time alone and to himself, and he hoped that Cregan would be satisfied with that answer.

Cregan did not push the subject any further and returned to his spot on the grass. Jasperain had to stifle a sigh of relief and he to sat down on the grass. He looked at the antlers in his hands. The packs tried to carry a little as possible when they traveled and intended on returning to the main land. Maybe she...... Jasperain pondered the prospect of carving and giving the antlers to Veax. A show of trust perhaps? Jasperain did not want to waist the antlers, but had no idea what to use them for in the pack. "What you gonna do with those?" Cregan asked Jasperain, almost reading his thoughts. Jasperian held the antlers up to the pale moonlight. "I dunno. What would you do with 'em?" he asked. "Can I see them?" Cregan asked, holding out his hands. Jasperain nodded and handed the younger wolf. Cregan inspected the antlers, he had a more artistic eye and than anyone else in the pack. "There are beautiful Jasp." he said in his trance-like voice that showed he was preoccupied. Cregan turned the antlers over in his hands, allowing the moon to shine on them. "Hey Jasp," Cregan's voice was curious. "What?" Jasperain asked, unsure on what caught Cregan's eye. "These shine in the moonlight. Ever so slightly, but shine they do." Cregan noted. Jasperain looked closer at the antlers. they did shine! "This buck must have had some connection to the Moon." Cregan noted. Jasperain nodded. Though he could not fathom what the Moon would want with a buck, but anything was possible. "Jasp, I think you should use these for your Lune ceremony." Cregan's voice was more serious now. Jasperain pondered one the thought. The Lune ceremony was a ceremony that showed that a wolf was of full maturity and was allowed to use his or her wolven form and human form at his or her digression, unless one of higher rank, like the Alpha, said otherwise or if it was a time of war where you had to be in wolven form most of the time if you could control the power of transformation. Jasperain's Lune ceremony was supposed to happen a few weeks ago, but one: he did not have an item that was naturally connected to the Moon like these antlers at the time. And two: the Quicksilver pack was chosen to chase the group of Vampire clans which gave them no time to do the ceremony.

Jasperain took the antlers back from Cregan. "I think I'll do that. I'll go ask Kacima about the ceremony. Thanks Cregan." he smiled at the younger wolf. "Anything for my pack mate." Cregan waved as Jasperain heading the direction of the pack shaman.

Kacima, the Quicksilver pack shaman was an elderly wolf with a silver-gray pelt. His wise eyes were a pale blue and always made Jasperain calm when he looked into them. "Ah, Jasperain cub. What brings you here?" the old wolf asked in a low, soft, voice. Kacima was old enough to call Alarik, the Alpha, 'cub'. Jasperain sat down and held out the antlers. "Cregan said that these shone in the moonlight and said I could use these for my Lune ceremony." he said as Kacima examined the antlers. "Cregan is correct. These antlers belonged to a buck of the Moon and you can use these for your Lune." Kacima handed the antlers back to Jasperain, who took them gently in his paws.

Kacima's pale eyes locked into Jasperain's when he handed the antlers back. Jasperain was frozen in place. What did the old shaman see in his eyes? Did Kacima see where Jasperain had really been? But the shaman looked away seemingly uninterested in Jasperain's previous whereabouts.

Jeasperain departed from the shaman's space respectfully and returned to where Cregan stood. "Y'know Cregan," Jasperain started as he sat down next to his pack brother. "Wha?" Cregan asked, his ears pricked up. "You should see if Kacima would take you in as an apprentice." Jasperain said, placing the antlers gently beside him. Cregan looked at Jasperain like he was a genius. "Jasp you are the best. Why didn't I think of that?" Cregan said, a huge smile spreading over his mussel. Jasperain chuckled. "I'll ask him in the morning." Cregan said, looking up at the clear night sky.

Where was he? Jasperain couldn't see anything. He was in wolven form crouching on all fours. He could smell Vampires all around him, but the sent was stale in some way. The grass beneath his paws was wet. Was it dew? No. The liquid was to thick to be water. Slowly his sight returned and Jasperain was taken aback by what he saw. He was crouching in a forest clearing that was drenched in the blood of Vampires. "Jasperain!" yelled a fammiliar voice. "Why?! You siad you would stay away! Said you wouldn't hurt us! Why Jasperain?! Why?!" a female voice called. It sounded like she had been crying before she spoke. Jasperain looked up. It was Veax! Her pale skin was drenched in crimson tears and her voice cracked when she talked. Jasperain looked up, clouds covered the moon. "Jasperain....." Veax was now on her knees, crimson tears flowing freely down her face. "Why'd you break your promise? I thought you-" she was cut off by a crack of thunder. "I thougt-" again she was cut off by the thunder. Jasperain wanted to go to her. To go and comfort her but the clouds moved away from the moon. Jasperain was overwhelmed by a power he could not control. The moon was full and he lost grip on his sanity now and lunged at Veax, the compassion gone from his eyes. Veax's scream was lost in the rolling thunder and the fear and sadness in her eyes shone clearly as the lighting flashed across the sky.

Jasperain awoke with a start. Cregan was sleeping peacefully next to him. What had he just dreamed? What was Veax going to tell him? The sun was rising in the east and the Alarik was going around and waking up all the wolves.

Jasperain was up and ready to go by the time the large deep-red Alpha reached him. "Morning Alpha." Jasperain said with a nod of his head, acknowledging Alarik's status above him. Alarik nodded in return. "Sleep well?" the Alpha asked. Jasperain shrugged. "Not as well as I would have in the main land but well enough." Alarik nodded and looked down to Cregan. "I have two things for you to do Jasperain," Alarik said, looking back to Jasperain. "Firstly I need you to wake Cregan for me. And secondly, I want you to go and talk to Kacima and arrange for your Lune ceremony to be when we next camp." with that, Alarik left Jasperain to wake Cregan.

Then they were off. There was not much to pack up, given that the packs carried very little with them. Jasperain fell behind so that he was now walking beside Kacima. "Alarik said that we needed to plan for my Lune ceremony now, so that we would be prepared by the time we camp this evening?" Jasperain asked, unsure if that was what was happening. Kacima nodded. "Now you and I will center ourselves to the Moon and when she rises tonight, I will mount the Moon's antlers upon you and you shalt have the power." Kacima said, his voice thick in an accent that only the oldest wolves knew how to twist their tongues around. "But before we do so, go fetch Cregan. I sensed he wished to tell me something last night, but forgot to when he awoke." the old shaman said, nodded towards Cregan, who padded on all fours not to far off.

Jasperain picked up his pace and walked beside Cregan. "Kacima said that you wanted to tell him something?" Jeasperain said, reminding Cregan of his suggestion the previous night. Cregan shifted up onto two legs. "Oh, thats right!" he said, remembering. Jasperain and Cregan fell back to Kacima's side at the same time. Kacima looked at Cregan expectantly. "Well um..." Cregan scratched his head. Jasperain knew that if Cregan were in his human form, he would be a very deep red right now. "Yes, cub?" Kacima smiled. Cregan took a breath and looked the shaman in the eye. "Well Jasperain said that I might make a good apprentice...." he mumbled, quite embarrassed. Kacima chuckled. Its low rumbling seemed to make Cregan even more uneasy. But Kacima did not seem to be offended in any way. In fact he looked please. "I was wondering if that question would ever come up." he said. Cregan relaxed. "You mean, you'll accept me?" the embarrassment in his eye being replaced my excitement. "Yes. And now is the best time. The three of us will center with the Moon and then you and I will mount the Moon's antlers upon Jasperain." Kacima stated. Then, like the shaman told them to, Cregan and Jasperain begin to center their thoughts on the Moon, the mother of their being.

Jasperain did not noticed the day fly by him. After the first few minutes of centering himself, Jasperain had fallen into a trace-like walk. He could sense that Kacima and Cregan had done the same. It was odd how these things worked. Though Jasperain was sure that Kacima had used some kind of herb to help the process.

By the time the pack had stopped, the sun was just about to fall completely below the horizon. Kacima and Cregan left Jasperain's senses and he was left alone. He couldn't hear, see, or smell. Jasprain felt so vulnerable. But then he felt Kacima and Cregan showing him where to go. Now he could feel the eyes of the entire pack on him. Hopefully everything would go well.

Jasperain could feel the heat of a fire on his mussel and could hear Kacima chanting, though his sight was still out of reach. He felt Cregan taking his bag off his back and could hear him taking the two antlers out with great care. Then Jasperain was overwhelmed with searing heat. He wanted to scream, but his voice would not respond. The heat slowly started to move form all over his body and focused on two points on his forehead. Kacima's chanting got louder and louder. Then out of nowhere, Cregan placed the antlers upon Jasperain's head. Jasperain could feel the antlers welding into his skull. It hurt like nothing had hurt before, but still he cold not scream.

Then it was over. All the pain went away and all of Jasperain's senses came back. Kacima, Cregan, and Alarik stood before him. The Alpha held out his paw. "Welcome back form Lune, our horned warrior."