Myka's Tail Ch. 04

"Is everyone alright," she asked as she ran over to help tend to Cassandra, while my dads made sure the living soldiers were well secured.

"As good as can be expected," dad told her while he was tightening a set of zip-ties.

"So that was Mathias? We won't be having any more problems with him?"

"No Avery," I answered. "Mathias was not anywhere near here. He was just using that man as a shell so that he could talk with us. He will still be a problem."

"No dear Myka," Cassandra coughed as she tried to sit up. "I think we will not have to worry about him for quite some time."

"Why? If he wasn't really here then..."

"Because Myka," Ali interrupted, and I detected a touch of venom in her voice. "When you force yourself into someone's mind like that it takes a toll. And the fact that he died while still connected certainly caused a feedback that will cause him great pain and will drain his abilities for a long time. Mathias has a very long recovery ahead before I gut him like a whining animal."

"Wait a moment. Do you really expect me to believe this," Avery asked with skepticism clear in her eyes.

"It doesn't matter what you believe," Ali spat. "It's what happened. And mom, why didn't you ever tell me my father was a goddess forsaken rapist? I deserved to know!"

"Oh my dearest, I so wanted to tell you, but I was too ashamed, and did not want you ashamed of me."

"Ashamed of you? I never got the fucking chance to be ashamed of you," Ali screamed in both rage and despair. "Now I have to be ashamed of me! When did you plan to tell me, mother? Before or after I killed all of my friends? Maybe when I had betrayed every trust that I had been given perhaps! When the fuck were you going to tell me that I was going to become a monster like my worthless pig of a father?"

Ali's screaming rage was like a slap to the face for Cassandra, and with each sentence she jerked as if she had indeed been struck. For her part, Ali spun and collapsed into the surprised arms of Gina, who had transported out to help us once Mary had told her it was safe. My heart ached at Cassandra's silent weeping and for Ali's sobs of anger and sadness, but I knew that they both needed time to adjust and grieve before beginning the healing process. Avery was helping tend to Cassandra's injuries, still not willing to believe the things she had seen and heard that night. My dads and Mary were also treating what injuries they could for the surviving soldiers, and I could finally take a moment to relax.

It was the drawn out whine that reminded me of the injured wolf that started this last fight in the first place. I ran over to the female to see if there was anything to be done, and what I saw nearly ripped my heart in two. There were three large holes that stippled the side of her body from bullets that had penetrated her chest and gut. There was blood everywhere on the ground and I could tell that her labored pants were shallow and very short. I really didn't know how she was alive at all.

"Can one of you heal this," I cried out in sympathetic misery, my connection to the earth telling me that the female did not have much longer to live. "Kelli, Mary? Anyone?"

"Let me ask Gina," Mary whispered when she came over and saw what had happened. "She is probably the only one able to deal with this if it can be fixed."

Kelli had come back into the clearing and had taken me in her arms as I began to sob over the life of a wolf I did not know. I was supposed to protect her and her kind, and I had failed. I knew there were probably other injured creatures out in the forest as well that I couldn't do anything about, and it was tearing me apart. Even Avery came over to give me some measure of comfort, but she had seen things like this before with poachers, and she didn't mince words.

"Those are bad shots, Myka," she said. "I have seen similar, and it can't end well."

"But she had pups," I cried out, and then came to a sudden realization. "Oh god, the pups."

I jumped up from Kelli's embrace and looked around the clearing, using all of the senses that I had available, and after a moment I heard what I had expected. The soft whining and crying of a litter of puppies was coming from somewhere just outside of the clearing. I ran off into the trees, even with the protests of everyone telling me it was too dangerous, because it was imperative that I get to the pups.

I found them huddled together between the roots of a large tree, and their high pitched cries tugged at something deep inside of me. I was able to gather the four of them in my arms, and make my way back to the clearing where everyone was. I had to be slower on the return because of my burden, but I knew in my heart it was worth it. When I made it back to the female wolf, I set the pups down near her head and then turned to receive Kelli's chastisement.

"Dear goddess, don't ever do that to me again," she cried while pulling me into her side. "I can't lose you, so please don't be so reckless."

"I will try, but I can't guarantee it," I chuckled, and she gave me a kiss anyway.

"What happened Myka," Gina asked me, after leaving a still crying Ali in her sister's arms.

"Come see," I answered. "She's been shot, and someone has to heal her. She has pups and... And I failed to protect her."

"You didn't fail her Myka," Gina whispered as she knelt down to see what she could do.

I could see the concentration on her face as Gina moved her hands over the body of the wolf, and I could barely make out the mutterings she was saying under her breath. It seemed to take forever for her to do anything, when in reality it was probably only a few minutes, but the look she finally gave me was a bleak one indeed.

"This is beyond my power to heal Myka. There is just too much damage for one of my ability. Millicent maybe, or even Penelope might accomplish it. I am sorry."

"There has to be something you can do," I cried out as I collapsed over the injured wolf, again weeping that I could not do what the earth demanded. "I was supposed to protect her, she is supposed to live. I feel that in my very soul."

"Then she has but one hope," Gina said to me as she placed her hand on my shoulder. "You will have to heal her."

"What are you talking about," I gasped as I looked back at her. "I don't have magical power. I can't heal."

"Nonsense," she argued. "In fact, those who practice the magical arts and are the most gifted healers use both the elements of water and earth in the working of their spells. This then is a test for you Myka. A test from the very earth you are bound to serve. You must trust it, and let it instruct you, let it guide your hands and your heart. If you can do this, then you may save another life tonight. But you must trust."

I looked Gina in the eye, and saw nothing but sympathy and understanding there. This was my trial apparently, and only I could see it through. The problem was that I had no idea where to start, and time was running short. I had the comfort of Kelli at my side, and Gina's confidence that I could manage this, but I still felt unequal to the task. I knew that failure was not an option, but that it was also my only option and I could not stop the tears of sadness from flowing down my face.

"Little girl," my dad's warm and comforting voice spoke from behind me, and I felt both of his strong and confident hands grip my shoulders like they did when I was younger. "If you try, and give it your very best, and still fail, then you have no need to be disappointed in yourself. If you don't try because you might fail, I guarantee you will regret it for the rest of your life."

My dad's words sank deep into my heart at that moment, and I could feel his confidence in me covering me like a warm blanket. I realized that I really did have to do this, and that with Kelli, Gina, and dad with me I might just be able to pull off a miracle.

"Thanks dad," I said, and then looked to Gina. "What do I need to do?"

"You need to make physical contact with her," she replied. "And then do what we have trained to do. Listen. Listen to the earth and water, and let the elements guide your thoughts. And you must believe completely in yourself."

I had to believe completely in myself, that was what Gina said, and it rang true as probably the most important part of this process. God I was scared. But I felt dad's grip on my shoulders again, and Kelli's hand on my thigh gave a comforting squeeze. It was now or never, and I certainly didn't want it to be never, so I reached out and placed both hands on the mother wolf. She whined in pain at the initial contact, and it almost made me jump back, wondering if I had done something wrong. But I stayed where I was.

"I am here sweetie, and I know you can do this," Kelli whispered in my ear just before giving me the gentlest kiss on the temple.

"And I'm here too little girl," my dad added, and he left his kiss on the top of my head. "No matter what, I will stand by you, but you don't have much time"

He was right, time was running out, so I opened my heart and soul to the world around me. I felt the burning love and passion that Kelli held in her heart for me flow over my body as it warmed me from the inside out. I felt the towering strength and love coming from my dad, the kind of confidence that only a father can have for his daughter. I felt the endless curiosity and hope that Gina held for my future and what I could become. And, amazingly, I felt the endless wonder and want to believe in something beyond herself coming from Avery.

Most of all, however, I felt that thundering pulse that was the heartbeat of the earth. That endless thrum that marked the passage of eons rather than millennia. It washed over me, and through me, and into those around me, causing startled gasps from those who had never truly felt the power of the element of earth. I also felt the gentle yet unrelenting pressure of the element of water weave itself through the strength and power that had just filled my body, and at that moment I lost myself completely in the swirl of two great forces working in tandem.

That great pulse, augmented by the smooth and never ceasing flow of water, began to beat its rhythm through my hands, and the power itself washed over the body of the mother wolf. She yelped in great pain as earth and water suffused her body, but my hands on her side kept her still. It may have been minutes or hours, but I eventually felt three small tugs and was now aware of the movement of the lead slugs in her body. The element of earth called that which was already a part of itself to come forth from the mother wolf's side, and I watched as the three spent bullets appeared and then floated off to hang suspended in the air a few feet away.

Now that the bullets had been removed I could feel even more of the mother wolf's life blood flowing out of her body, and the element of water suddenly took command. I felt the flow coming from her body slow, then cease, then reverse, as the power conferred by water worked its will. I was also aware that the element of earth was assisting in this endeavor, replenishing the necessary components and minerals so that sufficient blood was returned to her body.

Finally, after all of that had been accomplished, the two elements raging inside of, and through me went to work kitting the flesh that still gaped open together. I felt the wounds in her side close from the inside out, and within another indiscernible period of time I watched as the skin finally closed over and the wolf's fur returned, as if the injuries to her body had never happened. I had done it, with the heaviest lifting being done by the elements themselves, but I had accomplished the task that had been asked of me.

With that final realization of completion, the powers that were raging through my body suddenly disappeared, and I collapsed back against my dad and Kelli in exhaustion. I felt as if I had run all day and all night, and still had another day of running to do. I was breathing like a world record sprinter at the end of their run, and I could only grasp Kelli's hand with a childlike grip.

"It's done," I gasped, and I looked to see the mother wolf on her feet, dutifully checking on her pups. "Does anyone have anything to drink?"

"Here, I've got you," Gina replied as she used her magic to form a cup made of some sort of stone which she filled in our pond. "Drink this and you should feel better in a while. I have never felt that much of a power flow anywhere. You will probably need to rest for a few days before you fully feel like yourself."

I drank the water that Gina had provided, sighing at the feel of the cool flow down the back of my throat. Kelli was using some sort of cloth to wipe the sweat on my forehead, and my dad was still a pillar that I could lean against for his strength.

"I... I just don't believe it," breathed Avery, as she followed the movements of the wolf who was tending to her litter. "How is it possible?"

"There is a lot you need to learn now," Kelli replied. "And things will never be the same for you again. Do you think you can handle it?"

"To be honest, I don't really know. But I am damn well willing to give it a try, though."

"I think that is all that we could ask then," Kelli answered and then returned her attention to me.

"Woah! Would you look at that," dad gasped and we all turned to look where he was pointing. "Do you think they felt it too?"

There at the edge of the clearing was perhaps fifteen or so wolves. I really couldn't count them because some would get up and move and others would take their place, but it was a pretty big pack sitting there. Looking over at the mother wolf, I saw that she was still protective of her cubs, but she had also turned her attention to her pack mates.

"Uhh, wow," Avery exclaimed in surprise. "Everyone please just stay still and don't make any sudden movements. They should go once the mother leaves with them."

"No they won't," I replied, as I stood up on very wobbly legs, taking a few seconds to regain my balance. "And they won't hurt anyone. That's not why they're here."

I walked forward a few steps towards the pack, and then collapsed back to my knees. Gina was certainly right that I would probably need a few days to recover. Once I had a little distance from the rest of the group, the pack started to move into the clearing. I had to reassure everyone that we were all safe, and that the wolves were there to meet me.

Once the pack was settled, and they were sure that it was safe, I watched as one large wolf, with a grizzled face and some scars of past battles on his body, made his way through the others to come and sit right in front of me. I could feel the respect from the others towards this wolf, and I rightly surmised that he must be the alpha of the pack.

To be honest, it was quite an unnerving experience to have such a large alpha wolf sit and stare at you, but I could still feel that odd sense that they were somehow speaking to me and I just couldn't quite understand them. All he did was observe me for three or four minutes before he stood and approached close enough to touch. Then he proceeded to sniff me, and just like a dog he sniffed everywhere. It was somewhat embarrassing when he sniffed my naughty bits, as I was still naked, but once that was done he looked me in the eyes once again.

Then to everyone's amazement that grizzled alpha wolf placed his head over my shoulder and rested himself against me in a sign of welcome. The moment that had happened, the other wolves moved forward and also took their turns sniffing and rubbing against my body, and laying their heads in my lap. I was so filled with wonderment at this occurrence, and I reached out and ran my fingers through the fur of as many as I could reach. I just sat there basking in the warmth and acceptance that they gave me, with tears of joy streaming down my face.

Eventually the mother wolf came over, and in a sign of great trust she also let her pups approach. Once she had taken the opportunity to sniff like all of the others had, she nearly bowled me over with her desire to lick my face from one side to the other. I was giggling like a little girl at this and I noticed that some of the wolves had been bold enough to greet some of the others in my group, but most stayed with me. I was allowed to play with the pups too, which had me laughing with delight at their playful antics.

All of this couldn't have taken more than ten or fifteen minutes, but to me it felt like I had spent hours with the pack. It did have to come to an end though, and I was sure the wolves had hunting and other things that they felt compelled to do. One by one the pack turned to follow the alpha from the clearing, and the last to go was the mother and her pups. One of the little ones, however, kept turning back to look at me even though the rest were leaving.

During one of the times that pup turned to look, it seemed to make a decision and came trotting back to sit in my lap, and the mother wolf followed to retrieve her wayward child. They didn't get any further away before the little pup did the same thing again, and it whined and put up a major fuss when the mother picked it up by the scruff to walk away. When the little wolf returned to me the third time, the mother wolf came back and gave a gentle growl in its direction.

She was exerting her dominance over the little one, and eventually her dominance won out and the pup made a reluctant move back towards the pack. Once they were both several feet from me, the young wolf turned to look at me as it sat down and started to wail with a cry so sad that it made me want to cry forever. The mother wolf was doing her best, using her nose and growls to get the little one to move along, but all it did was sit and cry, unwavering and unmoving. Then the mother looked back at me.

She returned to me with the tiny ball of fur toddling along behind, and stopped to look into my eyes. If I thought the alpha's stare was intense, it was nothing next to what I was felling from this look. I could do nothing but gaze back into those liquid eyes, and struggle to understand what she was trying to tell me. And then the feeling I had changed slightly and I was able to gaze into this mother's eyes with new found respect and admiration.

"I will protect her with my life," I whispered to the wolf, and I rubbed my head against hers to let her know how I felt, and I realized that the wolf had somehow told me to take care of her little girl.

I could only guess that I had said the right thing. The mother wolf eventually licked my nose in response and walked back to the young pup that I had just agreed to care for. Using her nose, the mother nudged the female pup towards me, and in moments I had a jumping and yipping little wolf making a bed in my lap. Her mother gave me one last look and lick on the face before turning around and disappearing into the trees with her other pups and the rest of the pack. I realized that in a small way, I had just become something of a mother too.

"Well, shit," Avery exclaimed once the rest of the wolves had gone. "I don't think that I could live a thousand years and see that again."

"No, I don't think you could," Gina replied, and we all laughed at the absurdity of the moment.

"So, um... What do we do now," Kelli asked the group.

"I have a lot of things to think about, and right now I am pissed as hell," Ali answered before turning to Mary and Gina, while blatantly ignoring her mother. "I think the rest of the Circle needs to know what happened tonight. Could you two take care of that?"

Gina and Mary both nodded yes as they helped Cassandra to her feet, and Ali transported away without another word. Mary, Gina, and Cassandra followed right after, and I hoped that it wouldn't take too long to get Ali and her mother talking again.