Split in Time Ch. 12

Nathanael rested a hand on his mates' knee. Claire... Maddie has to be trained, one day she may be a stronger healer than I. Besides, this is another group, you might make new friends. He leant over and kissed her neck.

Claire huffed then straightened as Amy approached with Garnet.

"Okay... ready to go?" Amy asked. The last two weeks had been an adjustment for everyone, adjusting to their new homes, to their new members. There had been a big dislike of Destiny, Vlha and Crystal from those who were currently living at the caves, but it was nothing compared to the dislike of the Da'Vaila. Wolfgang had been firm, laying down the law, if anyone attacked the new members of his pack he would make an example of them. Three people had jumped Sage the second day she was there, they were unlikely to get out of the infirmary any time in the next few weeks, even then they wouldn't be able to walk until all the breaks in their legs had healed. No one dared to piss Wolfgang off any further even if it had been Sage who had beaten the crap out of the three men who jumped her. Wolfgang had, after being thwarted the right to beat the men, turned around and ordered their wounds to heal naturally without pain relief; everyone now knew Wolfgang meant business.

They had organised scouting missions, once Ghan's group had been finally settled, looking for any groups of humans living in their territory. Those groups were now being watched discreetly, looking for anything that could indicate whether they could be approached with an offer of friendship. They were taking things slowly as they didn't want to try to befriend the wrong group and end up losing people. They were also compiling everything that could be given away which wouldn't be missed.

Maddie jumped to her feet and nodded eager to go. Nathanael and Claire stood and nodded.

"Let's go then." Amy said, before they vanished and appeared next to Mayhem who was busy helping to cut a pine down to more manageable pieces, none of the tree was going to waste, the needles and bark would be gathered and dried for tinder, the branches would be used for tools, furniture and more. The main trunk would be split down to make tables, benches, doors and whatever else it could be used for.

"Hi," Mayhem said panting slightly.

"Hi," Amy said with a smile, "where's Electra?"

"She's mapping the inner reaches of the caves, since she doesn't need light to see." Mayhem said fiddling with her own visor, "my eyes are light sensitive but I can't see like Electra does"

"You were exposed to minimal light, Electra had almost none." Amy answered, "She really can see in pitch blackness."

Mayhem nodded. "We've used paint to mark the different tunnels." She explained as she led the way to the caves. "She's mapping the white branch at the moment."

"How have you settled?" Amy asked.

"So far so good." Mayhem answered, she was actually waiting for the other shoe to drop and her people to go off the rails. She had no idea what she was meant to do, all she did know was that she couldn't just sit around and do nothing, so she had joined some of the work parties. Jesse hadn't discouraged her, in fact he wanted the pride to get to know her and this was the only way he knew how.

"Good, Garnet will be staying to help Jesse, you and Electra will be going to the central den to start your training." Amy explained as they finally made it to the cave's entrance. The entrance had been cleared and made to look more orderly even the way people came and went was orderly, people would always keep left depending on whether they were coming or going, which kept them from bumping into each other.

"How is your pride medically?" Nathanael asked.

Mayhem thought for a moment, "they... we haven't had a healer in years, I'm not sure." She told him honestly. Jesse had explained the skills of those in her pride, most of those who were left, if not all, were in the warrior classes, enforcers, investigators and Deltas, which was okay except there wasn't a large skill set. They were all learning new things in order to survive.

"What's your skill set like?" Garnet asked.

"Warriors mainly, a teacher, not much." Mayhem explained.

Garnet nodded and pulled out a pad and started to write, she handed it to Amy. "Can you bring those people here?"

Amy nodded, "what skills do they have?"

"Basic skills... wood work, leather work, food gathering, trapping and more. Some of them have multiple skills." Garnet explained, "Do you have enough food for winter?"

Mayhem glanced around and shook her head very slightly. She made a motion and took a left and went to their food store. Two men stood at the entrance to the dead end cave, they nodded to Mayhem and stood aside. Mayhem grabbed the torch and walked them in. Garnet went to grab the pad again but jerked as the room was suddenly full of food, died meats, grains, cheeses, preserved vegetables and fruits including kegs of cider and pots of honey.

Mayhem glanced around in shock at all the food. "How..."

"Hello... Ancient." Amy said as if that explained everything.

"But..." Mayhem said confused.

"Don't question it." Nathanael said with a smile, "Just know that your entire pride will be able to have three square meals a day. It will improve their health for starters."

Mayhem nodded pleased. "Is it enough to last the entire winter without rationing?" She knew that most, if not all of her people, had lost a lot of weight and conditioning because they couldn't eat the amount of food they needed to be strong.

Amy shrugged, "if not I'll just make more appear."

"Oh to be Ancient." Claire said as she grabbed a piece of jerky to gnaw on it.

Amy shrugged, turned and left, she was followed out. Jesse found them as they left the tunnel, he looked grim, until he saw Claire gnawing on jerky he knew they didn't have, his look turned puzzled.

We have enough food, the store cavern is full. Mayhem told him silently.

Jesse nodded; I'll send the cooks in and tell them to make a double serving of dinner. He glanced off for a moment before he turned his focus to Maddie. He smiled as he reached for her, she stepped into his arms and he hugged her tightly. His nose pressed to her hair.

"Another? How many is that now?" Garnet asked as she watched the love birds.

"I am not doing this..." Amy argued, it was not her fault people were falling in love left right and centre around her. Okay not entirely true, she had hooked up all the soul mates she knew but there were other matches that were coming to life that she didn't know about, like Susan and Destiny, Robin and Sally, Garnet and Taliesin, and Maddie and Jesse although technically she did have a hand in those as well. Rhun had teased her weeks ago that she was goddess of love and war as he watched people fall in love around her. She had countered with the fact that people fall in love even when she wasn't around, then she told him NEVER to call her that again.

"Right..." Garnet said sarcastically. "So... it just happens when you are around." She teased playfully.

Amy rolled her eyes as Electra joined them with a bucket of paint. "That branch has enough antechambers to set up twelve families in." She said pleased. "Hey ma."

"I'll send those people along and your mate, even if he hasn't finished with that book." Amy told Garnet before she made herself, Mayhem and Electra vanish.

Jesse turned to Maddie and smiled at her, his beast was anxious in his mind, it wanted to take her to the nice little cave he had claimed for himself, it even had a door which would allow them privacy as he claimed her. He stroked her jaw gently as he pressed his body to hers.

A woman raced forward. "Jesse, there is all this food in the store, it wasn't there earlier." She said keeping her voice hushed.

"A gift from our Ancient allies." He explained, "Give them a feast Stephanie, build their strength and encourage them. Full bellies will make them happy, more content."

"Do you want me to invoice what we have?" Stephaney asked.

"If you want, Garnet is bringing in skilled members so we will soon be able to supplement some of our stores with what we can find." Jesse answered his focus not once leaving Maddie.

"In winter?" Stephaney questioned.

"If you can find rotting logs you can grow mushrooms in a warm damp space, some ever greens are edible as well as roots and certain mosses. Some barks can be used for teas, there's not much but food can be found in winter." Maddie said much to the surprise of those around her, she glanced away from Jesse. "I had to learn as a cub, Ghan knows so much about food gathering and plants in general. Like what plants were good for sores, teas to relieve pain and swelling, plants that ward off infection. I learnt plant healing before I learnt that I could heal."

"Will you teach us?" Stephaney asked. It had been a shock for them trying to learn all this without anyone to teach them, they had done their best but they could have done better. A group almost teeming with Warriors, they had almost starved during their first winter when they finally managed to break away from Darrel's madness. They simply didn't have the skills needed to live rough, but they were learning and had taken in people who needed the protection for their skills.

Maddie nodded. "Right after I..." Jesse broke her sentence with a kiss, Maddie felt as if all her joints were turning to mush. Jesse pulled her tight to his body letting her feel his need.

Claire chuckled at the pair and turned to Stephaney, "I know a thing or two about cooking dried meats want a hand."

"Wait first where is the infirmary?" Nathanael asked.

"Yellow line then take the yellow and red branch." Stephaney explained before she and Claire left the kissing pair. Nathanael also left his eyes fixed firmly on the yellow line searching for the yellow and red branch.

Jesse broke the kiss, "let me show you our room." he told her with a seductive smile.

Maddie smiled, "yes please." He smiled and scooped her up. Cat calls and good natured laughter followed them as Jesse walked off down a dark corridor.