Iron Heart

Chapter 3 - Cain / Balkin

Cain     “Alpha, Beta Ironflayer, and the Nihildum still haven’t returned.” I didn’t know the subordinate that was kneeling in front of me, his head bowed low, I could feel my lady’s nails digging into my own in anger. But her face was impassive, she was on the more delicate side of Ironflayer’s family but distantly related nonetheless. For Ironflayer to bring dishonor would place it on their whole family.

    It was worse only because of how honorable Ironflayer’s service has been her whole life, the pack will feel that something had to have pushed the beast to do such a thing. I can’t have this, not now.

    “Fetch the Delta,”  The subordinate left the room without once turning his back on us, or lifting his head. Good boy, though my lady did seem disappointed she couldn’t scold him.

    The Luna and I sat in our audience chamber, much like the human throne rooms I remembered. Though my pack had no idea I had ever been acquainted with humans, I had taught them that they were below us in all ways.

    Soon Delta Balkin arrived, he was getting a little too cocky for my liking, he only bent at the waist then returned to the resting military position. He should be kneeling, the guards at the flanks of the podium looked to me to see what I would do.

    I nodded, and they hit the inside of his knees, forcing the young male to kneel, “You called for me Alpha?” Balkin dared to look us in the eyes, my Luna’s nails dug back into my palm. Lovely.

    “You must fetch Ironflayer, learn where that Beast is. If it won’t come back alive, I want its head. You understand?” Balkin at least knew better than to look scared, but I could see a darkening behind his eyes.

    “May ask about the Nihildum,” He was now finally looking down, good behavior wouldn’t save him now.

    I scoffed, releasing my Luna’s hand before she broke my skin, waving it to accentuate my words. “They are mine, tell them I want them home.” I pondered something for a moment, “Remind them that their families are here, and I’m not afraid to harm them.” Balkin nodded, that was the price any deserter usually paid. Sending them off to become Rogues is the best they could really hope for. “Now leave us, you have work to do.”

Balkin     ‘What were you thinking, Cersy?’ I could only picture Cersy’s rugged smile, and laughter, as I tried to reconcile the fiercest warrior in Ironfang with the image of a traitor. It just didn’t fit, she had always been such a good leader. Most of us in the pack were more loyal to her than Cain or that b***h Sarina. Sarina wasn’t even Cain’s mate, just low blood that managed to crawl her way up into Cain’s pants.

    Many thought the moon goddess had purposefully left Cain without a mate, as punishment. She was loving and compassionate after all, and those who use her name falsely are punished. But I didn’t know much about that, I didn’t have a mate myself,  but I was still young in those terms. A rocking 19 yrs old, you can only find your mate after 18. I still had time, Cain was 32 an age unheard of in terms of being mateless.

    I made my way to my family home first, they had to know what was going on in the pack. I knew my parents wouldn’t stay with Cain if they were given another honorable choice, and I had an inkling that Cersy maybe that other choice soon.

    I’m not sure what was telling me to trust Cersy in this, for all I knew she was driven mad and was making completely unreasonable decisions. But I had known her for too long to believe that, Cersy had trained me after all. Only a few years older, and already a master when I was a new trainee.

    I made sure I wasn’t seen when I slipped into the Kuon home, Cain will expect me to leave immediately. I mind-linked my parents to meet me in the spare room, I made my way there only to find my parents sealing the room from prying magics.

    “What is it, son? You know we only use this room for emergencies.” My father was pulling a chair from the table, one for me and my mother as well. I sighed as I took a seat.

    “You have to promise me that even if you don’t believe me, you will say nothing to anyone.” They both nodded understandingly, I was lucky to have such good parents. As soon as I was old enough, they started treating me equally, only supporting me as much as needed. “ Beta Cersy and the Nihildum haven’t returned from Paleclaw or sent word. Alpha Cain is now sending me to bring them home or bring back Cersy’s head for him. He’s threatening all of our families.”

    They grew silent, then my mother took my hand, “When you go to Paleclaw, because you must to find out what happened, you must ask for safe harbor, and to speak with Cersy Gythor. It is then you will find out if she is alive, imprisoned, or killed. Let her, and the Nihildum know what’s going on if you have the chance to see them.”

    My mother looked to my father next, “We will both put our mana’s towards keeping our mind-link with you reachable, I need you to let us know what you find out. If Cersy and the Nihildum are rebelling from Cain, we will gather the families here and get them to safety out of Cain’s hands. Do you think you can do that?”

    I nodded, standing and going to grab one of the emergency bags but my mother stopped me. “That’s only really useful for traveling in human form, but you will need your wolf’s speed to guide you,” She grabbed what looked like a clump of leather at first, “Shift, my baby boy.” I scoffed at her colding terms and stripped off my cloak, and other clothing, shifting into my wolf form.

    Rurmis woke in my head, ‘I was sleeping still y’know,’ I mentally rolled my eyes.

    ‘You’re always sleeping, Rury.’ My wolf huffed as if to say fair enough. Rurmis and I had a little bit different of a dynamic than most werewolves. He not only allowed me to be conscious during our wolf form but preferred we copiloted.

    I usually chalked it up to him being rather lazy, looked back to my mother, she and my father had always seen through Rury and knew I was still very much there. She revealed that it was a harness and started buckling it around my chest and back. The strapped a bag to it as well, my clothes being packed away inside, as well as food and water.

    I marveled at it, I hadn’t seen any wolf wear these before. “Something we were designing for Cersy, her Birds in particular.” I nodded my, that made sense. They were always crafting new tools for the pack. “Now leave, you need to hurry, it’s a week's journey to Paleclaw.”

    They walked me out the back door where I could run into the woods, and off I went, no one stopped the Delta on my way out. One of the perks of Cersy being missing I guessed, as little as it was. I was now the highest-ranked wolf under the Alpha and Luna.

I couldn’t wait to see Cersy, I was not meant for high rankings, Delta or Gamma was fine with me thanks.