AN*
41 parts. can you believe it, i certainly can't. :)
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xx
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**Seb**
Tonight we become part of the pack, my body tingles as the thought rushes into my head. Tomorrow we will be a part of the East Forest Pack, Erin’s Pack. I look over at Erin as we walk further into one of the deepest parts of the forest; she turns her head to look at me her green eyes gleaming with excitement. Does she feel the same way I do? Is the same excitement pulsing through her as it is me? I continue to look at her as I am lost in my thoughts, she nods her head slightly. I guess she is.
I turn back to face the Forest in front of me shifting my pack to balance it more comfortably on my shoulders. The trees around us are getting closer together and the sky is getting darker as we continue to walk quickly through the middle of our territory. Our territory is so big that it’s impossible for one wolf to have seen all of it especially if they’re not in the pack. So I have no freaking idea where we’re going. I had a feeling it might be to their secret meadow but I’m pretty sure that’s in the opposite direction to where we’re heading now.
“It’s down here” Erin tells us stopping up ahead next to a fallen tree. Down? We walk up to where she’s standing and find ourselves looking down into a deep gully which I’ve never laid eyes on before. Where is she taking us? I watch as Erin looks over at the guys who are already in the pack, a small grin on her face. Oh crap. “Come on.” She eggs us forward as she starts the decent into the dark gully. I watch her walk for a few moments before following closely behind her. The sounds of us all making our way down the steep, shrub covered slope echoes around us breaking the now eyrie silence.
We walk on and on, down the slope for what seems like an eternity… where are we going? Finally I can see the bottom a few hundred metres up ahead. We all pick up the pace in unison; we must be getting close to our destination by now. As my feet land in the gully my body begins to tingle sending shivers up my spine. I look around taking in the thick, dark trees and the ferns which leave me with a somewhat claustrophobic feeling. There is no obvious path from this point as everything is shadowed by the closed in canopy above us and covered by creeping vines and plants. There are no other colours but green and brown and black, which gives the place a mysterious edge making my skin, tingle even more. My nose is filled with the scent of the others leaving a wolfy aroma, but also with the damp forest and something I can’t quite indentify.
What is this place?
No one is speaking but Erin looks like she is in deep thought. Are we lost? A snigger escapes Erin’s lips in what I assume is the answer to my question. Erin suddenly begins walking again straight into the trees and ferns without looking back to check if we’re following. I rush forward to follow her slipping through the cool ferns. I continue to rush until I’m directly behind her and then drop to her pace. I can hear the rustling of leaves behind me as well as the crashing sound of parts of the forest being broken indicating that the rest of the guys are also following.
After what seems like another good hour we arrive at the edge of this part of the gully. Ahead the trees have thinned out and rays of light are flooding into the forest. We continue to walk stepping out into the bright light into what looks like an ancient forest. The trees are large and hollow, the grass tall, swaying in the breeze, the rocks gleaming in the sunlight. Looking around me it seems like an ancient paradise, untouched by the outside world.
We walk into this paradise slower than before now following what seems to be a carefully cut out path. New scents of unfamiliar plants swell around me. All of a sudden there are stones beneath my feet that line the path we are walking. What the hell, how is that possible? Man made tiles of stone this deep into the Forest. I gasp as my eyes take in the ancient stone structure in front of me. A large stone arc stretches across the forest as a gateway for the hidden place beyond. Past that is a large stone circle perfect for a fire. Then all around are beautiful inscriptions and carvings on the circular rock room’s walls. The roof is non existent leaving it completely open to the elements and allowing for the fire.
One inscription and carving catches my eyes; it is of a large wolf howling up at the moon, next to it are the words “To which we are joined”. Those words which I would have said meant nothing to me if asked a few days ago seem to flow into my soul itself warming my body and intensifying my inner wolf. I feel the overall sense of truth swell into me though I don’t know what the words mean, somehow I do.
I look over at Calum who is examining an inscription on the other side of the room similar to the way I just did. His eyes meet mine as he turns away from it, glistening with excitement just as mine probably are.
“Welcome to the Tarhbeish.” Erin’s voice echoes off the walls in the room. Tarhbeish? “This is an ancient place of great power made thousands of years ago by powerful werewolves as a place of ceremony and power. It is described in the history books as ‘a place with a soul, untouched by man’ Many werewolves have searched for it but come up empty as there is no recorded location of it. There are only two in the world; this one and another on the opposite side of the world.” Erin tells us her voice passionate and serious.
“I stumbled across this place when I made my first transformation and never told a soul. Not even my farther. When I joined the pack I brought them here and we figures out what it is. No one knows about it; no one who isn’t here at this very moment. Not the council, not my dad, not any other pack. You must take the secret to your graves.”
No one, this information washes into my brain overpowering all other thoughts. We must keep this sacred place safe from the outside world.
“Up on the walls are thousands of inscriptions and carvings. These were made thousands of years ago and each tell different answers even if you are not sure of what you are asking. There are also stories of historic events and legends as well as ceremonial passages.”
Answers event if you don’t know the question…. “To which we are joined,” what is this place telling me?
“We come here to strengthen pack bonds as well as connecting new pack members to the link and our souls. If you are ever in desperate need of answers this is where you should come if no one has them for you. In the legends this place is meant to be a connection with our ancestors who will help any werewolf in need.” Erin continues as if following my train of thoughts.
“Right now we’ve got the serious historical stuff down who's for lighting a fire?” Jack asks openly.
“HELL YES!” Jordan exclaims rushing off into the forest.
They others all do the same leaving Erin, Calum and I alone in The Tarhbeish. Erin smiles at us both as she walks over to where we are standing. Her woodsy scent envelopes us as she reaches us. “How’s it going?” She asks playfully but with a serious hint.
“Fine.” Both Calum and I reply at once.
“Ready to join the most badass pack for miles?”
“Hell yes!” Calum grins.
“Seconded.” I agree a smile breaking out on my own face.
“Good.” Erin smirks, “the good thing about doing this alone is that it’s also a party before the official party.”
“Fuck yes!”
“I’ve got to carve the fire out, go get some fire wood” She demands happily before turning to face the stone circle. Carve the fire out?
**Erin**
As Seb and Calum walk away I turn around to face the circle: Time to carve out the pit for the ceremony. Every ceremony we have as a pack one of us has to carve out the symbol of Tarhbeish in the remains of the last fire. This symbol somehow makes the magic of this place work, without it, this would all just be a usual fire and a usual ceremony. I grab a large stick and trail it into the ash creating the first sketch before I dig into the ground. Without thinking I trail the stick across the ground making the arcs and connecting lines of the symbol. Stepping back there is now a faint sketch of the symbol stretched across the inside of the large circle of stones.
I can never get over how incredible it looks and the fact that I just drew it with my own hands. I get to work digging away until there is a deep imprint of the symbol in the ground. Perfect.
Right on cue the guys come marching back into the circle laden with sticks and logs for the fire. “Got enough?” I ask with my eyebrows raised. They must have the whole forest when you combine it all among them.
“Nah, I think there are still too many trees in this part of the forest,” Matt calls hauling a huge pile of dry bark and wood into the corner.
“I’m sure all the animals, love you lot.” I sigh rolling my eyes at the; typical show off, moronic teenage boys. Peachy. A few seconds later Seb, Calum and Jack come strolling into the room. “Ahh here’s the rest of the forest.”
Jack grins chucking his pile next to Matts before looking over at the circle. “Symbol looks good.” Of course this draws Seb and Calum’s attention as they gape at the massive thing. I can’t help but laugh at the look on their faces.
“Catching flies guys?” I ask a smirk on my face giving them a pointed look.
“When did that get there?” Calum asks his mouth still gaping open.
“I just finished it about three seconds ago.”
“You did that?” Seb asks in shock and confusion.
“Yeah we all know how to do it, well except you two.” Chase comes strolling over with a bemused look on his face.
“Dude, that is awesome.” Calum grins his mouth finally closing.
“How many times have I told you I prefer the term ‘badass’” I grin flicking my hair dramatically back over my shoulder in a fake impression of the slut herd. The guys all double over laughing and I find myself joining in.
“How could we forget?!” Sam asks grinning like a mad man.
“Now that’s done we have some lessons that will begin as of right now in the forest.”
“Forgetting something?” Jack calls out as I turn to walk away. I turn back to look at his face taking in his smirk and devious eyes. He’s up to something…. Again.
“What?”
“I think we need to put the tents up and then ourlesson is first up on the list,” Sam inputs smirking along with Jack. I had forgotten about the tents.
“Okay tents then lessons.” I agree walking over to where I dumped my bag before. “Who has the tents in their pack?” I ask looking over my shoulder at them all.
“Me,” both Jack and Matt declare at the same time. Two tents eight guys… and me. Why did I agree to this? Matt and Jack rush over to get the tents out of their massive packs. Once they both had the tents out of their packs I grab my bag of the ground and lead the way to the clearing. Both Jack and Matt chuck their tents on the ground and we begin to put them up, after twenty minutes there are two massive tents filling up the once empty clearing. We also put up a large fly with a table at one end and a massive space up the other for if we end up in wolf form and if it rains too much.
Now I have to ask the question worthy of starting world war three – werewolf edition.
“Who’s sleeping where?”