We soar high above the clouds, hidden by the blackness of predawn.

The stars twinkle above my soaring dragon, the moon ending his journey across the night sky as we ascend into the depths of the endless night. I smirk as I watch the grey highlighted shifters aboard twitch and mumble amongst themselves. Half of my pack are staring in stark terror. A few begged to be forcibly knocked out as soon as we left the ground.

But it’s the joy encompassing the faces of a few youngsters that makes a smile cross my face. You can smell their excitement and hear the breathless laughter. Their faces contain the happiness of youth and joy of what is to come. I sigh. It’s been too long since I was able to look at life with such excitement. Such innocence. I will do my best to preserve it in them for as long as possible.

I look back out at the pack before me. Young and old alike, all united to bring me out of bondage and help to restore me to my father’s throne. My pack. Those two small words still cause a chill to race up my spine. The responsibility. The pressure.

I shake my head, a frown creasing my features even as I spin around to see mountains covered in snow ahead of us. It won’t be long now. I shift uncomfortably on Nova’s warm back, still feeling the uncomfortable aches from riding Ilena. One would think my Shifter body would be immune to soreness.

Nope. No such luck.

I take a deep breath as the Valley Of The Dragon comes into view. I don’t know what reception I’ll have when I bring a large pack of wolves to a cat’s domain. I need to move the rest of the pack here if the Imperial is alright with it as from what Sir Rey has said, the Mages are closing in on the rest of the pack.

I sigh. One thing at a time. Let's hope the cats and dogs don't kill each other first.

Cynic snorts. Right fine chance of that.

My lips compress into a thin line. That's what I'm afraid of.

~~~

Nova lands with a soft thump on the rocky crag where I first saw the valley. Since I’ve been gone, a few homes have been moved up here. I call them homes—they are more tents but with round tops made from bleached white hides. A few Were come out, holding up hands to shield themselves from the forceful whirlwinds Nova's wings create.

Behind me lies the door that leads into the caverns where the little dragons make their homes.

I slip down my dragon’s wing as she holds it out, much like a slippery slope I would've loved to ride in my youth.

Speaking of... one of the younger kids whoop as he comes down the wing. Jonas, if I remember his name correctly. The other kids have an especially fun time, even as the adults stumble off with a bad case of air-sickness.

Jed and Barry burst from the trees, racing up the incline. Barry trips half-way up, rolling before popping back up and pumping his arms to catch up with his older brother. Jed slowed to make sure he was alright, then raced the last few steps.

I crouch down. He crashes into me like a battering ram, almost knocking me over despite my Shifter strength.

Barry slams into his brother, and I wrap my arms around the both of them, not flinching even when Jed’s sheathed dagger presses against my ribs. It makes me proud to see him wearing it here.

The little guy needs training, Roland. He needs to be able to protect himself.

I’d almost think you were worried about someone else for once, I tease.

Only invested in our best interests. Were something else to happen to these two, I’d have to take over for us. Disgust curdles my stomach, but it is not my disgust.

I—why?

Driving a body not my own is… strange.

You have a body? I almost say it aloud, but bite my tongue just in time. No need for anyone to think me insane for speaking to another entity inside… me.

Once, a long time ago… his voice grows wistful, and a bittersweetness seeps from the dagger hidden between my shoulder blades and the mark on my chest grows colder for a split second.

Did you not think to tell me this before?

What was I supposed to say? Hey, wolfie, I may be a voice inside you, but I’m actually just someone cursed by a Mage a long time ago.

Later, we need to talk, I reply at last, returning my attention to the two boys before they think something is wrong.

Jed is already looking at me strangely, but Barry only shakes uncontrollably, his face buried in my overcoat that is now steaming me inside it in the abrupt change from freezing winter gales to almost blistering summer heat.

Barry pulls back, his face scrunched in anger. He squints up at me before cocking his fist back and socking me right in the nose.

I fall back, holding my nose and looking at him with wide, surprised eyes. I knew he was going to punch me… what surprised me was that he did not pull it—at all. He’s madder than an old wet hen.

“Don’t you dare do that again,” he says, shaking with anger and nerves, before jumping back on me and wrapping his little arms so tight around my neck he almost squeezes my air off.

I twitch my nose, feeling something warm dribbling from the inside and staining the top of my lip. I lick it and taste the metallic tang of blood.

Warm pride batters against the guilt curdling my stomach as I realize my little brother threw one heck of a punch.

Jed grins from over Barry’s head, his eyes twinkling and saying he’d love to do the same thing given half the chance. I give him an exaggerated roll of my eyes, feeling the burning sensation up my nose of a bruise while my body sends an extra dose of healing to it, making it itch and burn all at the same time.

I get up, cradling Barry, and wrap Jed in a headlock. He laughs, trying to throw me off.

“I’m glad to see you both, too,” I say, my voice a touch too dry to be anything but sarcastic.

Barry huffs out a disgruntled breath, and I wince, knowing he’s still mad.

Guilt tries to worm its way inside my heart, making my chest feel tight, but I combat that by trying to tell it that I had no choice and no way to know what would happen. The guilt responds that I shouldn’t have taken the two in the first place and then they wouldn’t have gotten their hopes up only for them to be dashed as they waited with bated breath for me to come back.

I sigh, accepting the guilt and letting it tell me how I can move forward better.

But then, I need to move past it so I can let it go. And that means begging for forgiveness.

I set Barry down, crouching so I am eye level with the little guy. He wipes the salty tears from his eyes with angry swipes of his fists, not meeting my eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put either of you in that situation.”

“I-i-is Pa ok?” Jed asks, his voice so soft and strained even I barely hear it.

“He’s fine, as far as I know. The Allfather has protected him, and I believe he will continue to do so.”

Jed nods, his eyebrows pulling in concentration as he thinks. “W-w-will we s-see—“ His voice chokes off, and he looks away, but not before I see the sheen of tears he's trying to push back.

My heart hurts. “It’s not safe for either of you or Pa—” Their faces fall. “Hold up. I wasn’t finished. It’s not safe, but I will work on making a way for you to see him, even if just for a moment, alright?”

Jed nods, trying to smile.

Barry scrunches his face up, and I hope he’s not going to punch me again. I’d let as many land as he wants to throw, but my nose may not survive a second blow.

Instead of punching me, he looks away, stomping off. “I thought you died, kino,” he says softly enough I’m unsure if it was meant for my ears, but it hurts worse than a stiletto to the kidney.

Jed sits a hand on my shoulder. I jump. Forget he was there for a moment.

“I’ll talk to him, kino. He’ll b-be fine.”

I nod, my throat too tight for words. He jogs after his brother, disappearing from view even as I can still hear the angry stomps of Barry and the lighter, quicker footfalls of Jed.

I sigh. That went a lot worse than I’d hoped. I suppose they’ve been through a lot… and his anger is better than the numb fear I got from Jed after he learned who I was.

I want to shield them from the world and keep what little innocence they have left… but I’m unsure I can do such a thing. It’s looking less and less possible, and that brings a tingling behind my eyes that I don’t expect.