“It sounds like you have a plan then?” Paul asked, noticing more than one large able-bodied man among the women and children.
A broad, toothy smile spread across Aupon’s face. “Of course I do, son. I can see you are long overdue for some fatherly guidance, and I have been too long without a son,” Aupon said, opening his arms to Paul.
Paul looked at him and felt a knot loosen in his stomach. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone wanted to be his father. His dad had died when he was ten, and Andre’s father was a bum. Paul taught himself to be a man because no other man was ever there for him. Aupon stepped forward and gave Paul a big bear hug. Paul reciprocated and ignored the slight prick of tears in his eyes.
“Welcome home, son,” Aupon said patting his back.
Aupon raised Paul’s hand high in the air and turned to face the crowd.
“My friends.My family. Welcome Paul. He is one of us now. He is our blood, our brother, our son!” Aupon yelled and growled loudly. The crowd erupted, and growls resonated off the walls and floor of the cave. Paul growled back, accepting the welcome. He had a taste on the tip of his tongue now. It made him hungry, thirsty. He wanted werewolf blood.
*****
“Okay so the wolves like the lowlands,” said Rolfo, a giant ginger-haired man. Paul learned that about fifty bears from Scotland joined Aupon last year, and Rolfo was spearheading the war plans.
Rolfo spoke passionately about dismembering and slitting the throats of werewolves. His daughter, a shaggy-haired girl of about eighteen, drew a rudimentary map in the dirt, outlining the mountains, rivers, and woods.
“So we need the height of the mountains for a sneak attack?” said Paul, rubbing his chin, “But we would be exhausted from the climb. We need a clearing.”
“He’s right,” Aupon said.
“Let me finish. We need a lure. The wolves hunt by surrounding their prey. They have to expect us so we need something that will surprise them and bring their guard down,” Rolfo said with a jagged tooth smile.
“You found her,” Aupon said, clapping his hands.
“Wait, what?” Paul said, looking around the camp. He didn’t see Andre anywhere.
“Calm down, lad,” Rolfo said, “We only have the girl. Your brother evaded us.”
Paul breathed a sigh of relief. He would trust his life with the werebears, but he didn’t want to force Andre. He wanted him to come willingly. This was, after all, were they belonged.
“We will find him, son. I promise we won’t hurt him,” Aupon said, putting a hand on Paul’s shoulder.
“Where is Amy?” Paul asked, scared to know the answer.
“Asleep so to speak.Just some herbs to keep her calm, until we are ready. And no you can’t see her,” Rolfo said, looking over his daughter’s sketch in the dirt.
Paul started to speak but thought better of it. He just hoped Andre wouldn’t do something stupid. Before Paul could finish his thought, his ears twitched. Not his human ear, but his inner ear. The ear that allowed him to pick up bearspeak.
“Bro, bro, can you hear me? I don’t know how this works, but I’m just going to think as hard as I can, and hope it gets through to you. Don’t try to find me, but if you ever want to see me again, I would listen very closely.”
Andy was speaking telepathically to Paul, and Paul could only hear him because they were blood. Paul tried to look impassive. It was hard because he could feel every tendon in his neck about to pop.
“What the hell are you doing?” Paul said in his mind to his brother.
“Holy crap, I can hear you! This is crazy, man!”
“This is not a game, Andre! Where are you?”
“That’s not important. You won't get to me in time. Let Amy go.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Everything okay, son?”Aupon asked, interrupting Paul’s train of thought.
“Shut up, Andy,” Paul said, turning to face Aupon with a weak smile.
“No, everything is fine. Just worried about my brother,” Paul said, clearing his throat.
“You sure? You seem distracted,” Aupon said, drawing the attention of the rest of the camp.
“Yea? I—we have never spent too much time apart. I’m worried about him. I just want him safe,” Paul said, shrugging his shoulder
“What’s going on, bro? Shit, do they know we’re talking? Say something! Pauly, you there,” Andy said, rattling Paul’s brain. Paul was sure he looked mad, trying to talk to Aupon and block out his brother’s incessant question.
“Shut up, Andy!,” Paul thought as loud as he could.
Aupon narrowed his eyes, and a lopsided grin filled the lower half of his face. Paul felt like those amber eyes could tell he was lying.
“You know, Paul. There is a legend of bears who can hear the thoughts of all bears—not just that of family,” Aupon said, squaring to face Paul.
“Oh?” Paul said, his voice sounding unnaturally high.
“Mmmhmm. It sounded crazy to me but look around you,” Aupon gestured around to the thousands of bears crowding the forest floor.
“I don’t follow,” Paul said.
“I’m saying we trust you so trust us. And I’m saying I wouldn’t want just to be thinking willy-nilly and risk one of these werebears from proving that theory is a fact. After all, we are from all over the earth. Who knows what powers we have? I would hate to have my thoughts on the wrong end of a cub discovering a new ability. After all, everyone here tells me everything, even the seemingly boring stuff,” Aupon said, with a thunderous laugh, “It’s like they can’t help it.”
Paul laughed weakly, understanding. Aupon walked away to the strategy meeting, leaving Paul standing alone by a tree. Paul felt panic pull at his stomach. He felt sick. There was no way to win. No out with all of the bears surrounding him here and the wolves roaming out there.
“Andy, if you can hear me, run now, ask questions later,” Paul said, feeling tears pull at his eyes. He had already lost his father, his step-father, his mother, Amy, and now Andre. It was too much. Yes, Andy would have to run now, and ask questions later. It was the only way.
*****
It had begun. The werewolves and were bears faced off in the blinding white snow. The stronger werebears were holding back on the perimeter, but many large polar bears were on the front lines. The werewolves looked menacing, rich coats of white, black, and gray. All Paul could focus on was the enormous wolf in the dead center of the pack, with blue-black fur and a white patch of fur between his ears. He must be Corion. He was almost as large as a bear.
Aupon walked out front, changing into a man. He squared his shoulders howling loudly, mocking the wolves. The other bears laughed, but it sounded like growls and snarls. Paul was in his black bear form on the front line, his eyes scanning the trees and the snow for any sign of his brother.
Corion, rose on his hind legs, and pale white human skin cut through the fur, and he was a man. He had the same shaggy auburn hair as his sister with a small patch of white hair gleaming through the red.
“I want no trouble, Aupon. I just want my sister,” Corion said, his voice low and silvery like he was trying to cast a spell. The wolves flanked to his left and right. About a hundred wolves growled, their heads dipped low. They looked like they could strike at any moment.
“I’m afraid, your guard dogs don’t share your sentiment,” Aupon said with a sneer, “If you want no trouble then leave our land. You know the law.”
“You know I can’t do that,” Corion growled.
“Oh, right. Forgive my manners,” Aupon said, waving some grizzlies forward. Paul watched them lead a tied up Amy forward. The ropes were in their mouths, and in a blink, they were men again. Amy looked near death. Her face was swollen, and her knees wobbled as they shoved her forward. Paul had heard her shrieks cut through the night last night as the werebears tried to get her to give up the location of her brother’s den. He hung his head, ashamed for letting them do this to her.
“Amelia!” Corion yelled, stepping forward. Two of the wolves next to him blocked his path. Corion bared his teeth but froze.
“You have much indignation for one who’s breath still smells of the blood of werebear cubs,” Aupon yelled, and a chorus of angry werebear growls followed. Bears stomped their front legs, and the ground shook. They were ready for blood. Paul concentrated, still trying to hear his brother. There was nothing.
“And you are innocent, Aupon? You, the Ravager of the North! The self-proclaimed King of the Forest! Who gave you that right?” Corion asked, pointing a finger.
“Nature,” Aupon hissed.
Aupon raised his hand to give the signal to attack. The bears were primed, ready to jump. Paul strained every corner of his mind to hear Andy.
“Andy, are you there?”
Before Aupon’s long, black arm could cut through the air, a whoosh of brown cut into the middle of the standoff. Andy rose on his hind legs and transformed for all of the wolves to see.
Paul gasped, and transformed in a whirl.
“Andy!” Paul yelled, panicked. He broke the flank to get to him, but two large polar bears blocked him.
“Take me!” Andy yelled at Corion.
Corion tilted his head, appraising him.
“Ido, Amos, grab him. What game are you playing?” Corion asked as two gray wolves, rose into human forms and grabbed Andy roughly.
“Stop! That’s my brother. Let me go!” Paul yelled, his voice a hoarse cry.
“Oh, really?” asked Corion, a wicked smile spreading across his lips.
“Silence!”Aupon commanded, “Do you think I won’t kill half of your men, or your sister right now, try me?’
Corion stroked Andy’s throat. His right hand alone transformed into an enormous clawed paw. Corion looked at Paul and lightly ran a claw along Andy’s bare chest. Blood slowly trickling down.
“Enough!” Paul yelled.
“Your brother is a bleeder,” Corion said with a chuckle.
“It’s alright!” Andy said, his shoulders shaking. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it still looked painful.
“So is your sister,” Rolf said, pushing a weak Amy forward.
Andy’s eyes widened at the battered sight of the woman before him.
“Amy. Oh, my god,” Andy said, fighting to free himself.
Amy collapsed face down in the snow, at Rolf’s feet.
“Give her to me, or I paint the snow with his blood!” Corion said, staring at Amy’s body.
Aupon clenched his first looking down at Amy and then up at Corion.
“Aupon, please!” Paul said, pulling to free himself.
Aupon nodded to Rolf. Rolf picked up Amy. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She was alive, but barely.
“Trade,” Rolf said to Corion’s men.
Corion nodded at his men. In a moment, Amy’s body was tossed to the werewolf side, and Amy collapsed into Corion’s arms. He smoothed her hair, and quickly untied her. Amy coughed up blood, and buried her face in her brother’s neck, weeping loudly.
“Amy,” Andy said, reaching out his hand to touch her. Paul pulled his hand back before two black wolves could bite him.
“Will she be alright?” Paul asked.
“Like you care. I remember you, Pauly. I knew you would only bring her harm,” Corion said, handing his sister to some other wolves. She climbed on the back of a great gray wolf, and he ran off in the dense snow, disappearing in seconds.
“So we are all good?” Andy asked, looking from Aupon to Corion.
Aupon and Corion sneered at each other, neither saying anything. Paul pulled Andy back. Andy looked confused, but Paul could feel the electricity in the air. Ancient magic.Ancient anger dancing between the two creatures.
“Andy, your brother has a saying that I think you should heed, run now ask questions later,” Aupon said, his giant arm whipping through the arm.
Aupon transformed into his grizzly form, lunging at Corion who darted out of the way just in time. Corion was a wolf in seconds, and lunged at Andy, but Paul pulled him out of the way. The brothers darted into a full sprint. There was no time to transform. They would be able to move faster in human form through the chaos. The bears were too large to get around any other way. Paul pulled Andy, who seemed to be in a daze until he seemed to find his footing.