Risking Peace

Chapter 4: Pancakes and Peanut Butter

Adara

Time seemed to be moving slowly today. It was late afternoon by the time I returned home. I drove the truck onto the gravel laneway and came to a stop, looking to see if we still had company. With the coast clear, I hopped out and walked inside. Dad was in the kitchen washing some dishes and unpacking.

"Hey kiddo," Dad said softly, while turning my way and leaning against the counter. I took a few more steps and tossed my keys on the table. "Sorry about earlier Dad, I didn't know they were your clients," I apologized genuinely. "I can go smooth things over tomorrow, I hope I didn't screw things up for you at work."

"No, no smoothing. You've done enough," Dad playfully replied. "I should have called to give you a heads up anyways. Malone was right though, you handled yourself quite well." I knew where this was leading.

"Benefits of having a super soldier Dad," I joked, trying to seem as casual as possible.

"Good thing you missed Conall with that axe, would have been a bit harder to keep my job after that. Although, now that I think of it... you've never missed a target before. Is there something you want to tell me?" Dad asked me, clearly fishing for an answer he seemed to already know - but I didn't. I wasn't really in the mood to talk boys with my father, so I tried to skirt the conversation entirely.

"No Dad, I'm just feeling a bit off since this morning. Probably just jet lag," I tried to tell him convincingly.

"Are you sick? Maybe that airport food is coming back to bite ya," Dad replied, turning back to his dishes in the sink.

"No, I've just been getting a bit lightheaded."

"Did you find a diner ealier? Have you eaten at all today?" Dad asked, confident he had found the cause and curse.

"No I didn't, I haven't had anything since we stopped on our way in yesterday."

"OK, let me finish up here and then we'll go into town for a bite to eat. In the meantime, why don't you tell me about the rest of your day?" Dad encouraged, as he placed a glass of water in front of me.

"Thanks. I just went for a drive, it's a beautiful area. I pulled off at this cliff and spent time just watching the lake and trees. Easy to lose track of time with a view like that," I said, with a touch of serenity to my voice.

"Sounds like a good place to drop a line in the water." Typical dad.

"If you want to go fishing, there's a closer spot just through the woods out the side there," I said, gesturing to the right side of our property. "It's a smaller lake but might be worth a shot."

"Oh ya? Just as nice as this other spot you're tellin' me about?" Dad questioned.

"I don't remember what it looks like actually, I think I blacked out a bit while I was there. I remember sitting on the shore, putting my hand in the water and then, all of a sudden, I kind of just woke up. I guess I was so tired, I took a nap sitting up," I said, half joking, while lifting my glass for a sip.

I felt the room's energy shift and I looked over at Dad. He was still, the water from the sink faucet still running. "Dad, you alright?" I asked. After a minute, he turned to face me, his expression seeming to be a mix of sadness and understanding.

"Ya, I'm fine kiddo. Let's grab some food," He said, with a clearly forced smile. After today, I didn't push him. He turned the water off, dried his hands and we headed out the door. After a short drive into town, we found a small restaurant - possibly the only restaurant. Dad seemed a bit off throughout dinner, as if he was deep in thought, fighting an internal battle. When we got home, Dad said he had a bit of work to get done for Bo and parked himself in front of his laptop on the couch. I took the opporunity to call it a night and try to put this long day to rest. As I laid in bed, my mind couldn't help but wander back to Conall. I drifted off to sleep thinking of those beautiful green eyes.

The next morning, I woke to the sound of light rain tapping against the window. I laid in bed feeling more rested than expected. After a good morning stretch in bed, I went to the bathroom to freshen up and then wandered down the hall, still in my pajamas. Another note awaited me, along side a cup of coffee:

Raincheck on breakfast, be back around noon.

Love ya

- Dad

Something was definitely off with him. During dinner last night, he sidestepped most of my questions about his new job. Now, he seemed to be avoiding me altogether. I let out a sigh, another morning to myself. Feeling oddly energized and realizing Dad had taken the truck, I decided to go for a run. Running always helped clear my head, and I desperately needed some clarity after yesterday. I finished the mug of luke warm coffee and quickly got ready. I pulled my hair back into a high ponytail, threw on my leggings, a grey hoodie, and running shoes, and set off. I couldn't find my headphones, so I would be running to the soundtrack of nature I guess. As my feet hit the damp pavement, my mind wandered back to Conall; I couldn't get him out of my head. There was something about the tall, brooding man that had my inside in knots. I had no idea who this guy was, why was I acting like some lovesick puppy?

Soon enough, I arrived in town, my breathing slightly laboured from the run. I slowed my pace, making my way towards the diner. The door dinged as I entered and the motherly waitress from last night recognized me, welcoming me back.

"Take a seat anywhere darlin', and I'll bring ya some coffee and menu," she nicely offered, while walking by with a tray of empty plates. I gave her a friendly smile and nodded, making my way over to a table. I sat down and pulled 4 sugar packets from the holder, preparing for my coffee.

"Here you go dear. Whatcha fixin' for?" the waitress asked. I took a quick look at the menu in front of me and knew exactly what I was in the mood for.

"Can I get a stack of pancakes with a side of bacon? Please and thanks."

She smiled, "Comin' right up."

"Oh! And a little bit of peanut butter, if you have any, please?" I quickly asked before she left. She raised her eyebrow at my odd ask, then gave me a quick wink and continued on her way.

I poured my sugar packets into the coffee mug and began to stir. I heard the door ding behind me as the regulars came and went. The last ding seemed a bit louder to my ears for some reason. A heavy tension began to build in the air around me, that I tried to ignore with a sip of coffee. Could I just have one morning of peace in this town?

"Hi Addie," Logan called out from behind me. Following him a few steps back was Conall, looking like he had just woken from a restless sleep.

"Hi Logan, nice to see you," I replied, with a small smile. "Conall," I said, with a small nod in his direction.

"Adara," he replied. I shot him a quick glare, knowing he fully knew I preferred Addie.

"Morning, Maggie. Can we get the usual?" Logan asked the waitress, as he walked my way. She just waved the guys off, as if it was a waste of breath to even ask her such a silly question. Logan approached my table, with a bit of hesitation, "I just wanted to apologize again for yesterday morning."

"Water under the bridge," I replied. I looked towards Conall, who seemed to be staring at me with a mix of contempt and admiration.

"Mind if we join you?" Logan asked. I gestured to the empty chairs across from me, signaling my approval. "I didn't see your truck in the parking lot," Logan said, as if he meant it to be a question.

"My Dad was gone when I woke up, so I decided to go for a run," I explained, while taking another sip of coffee.

"In the rain?" Conall quickly asked, finally chiming in.

"In the mist, actually. It was refreshing," I replied with a shrug, trying to downplay my unusual activity. Conall's piercing gaze intesified for a moment, as if he were trying to analyze my response. Before he could reply though, he seemed to lose focus and just stare off into the distance. Logan, clearly realizing this interaction, jumped in quickly to ask what I had ordered. That was odd.

"Pancakes," I replied, just as Maggie the waitress brought out my order.

"Your plates will be out in a minute boys," Maggie told the guys.

"So I have to know, who was Turner and who was Hooch?" Logan asked, as he snagged a piece of bacon from my plate. I smiled and slyly eyed Conall. He rolled his eyes, knowing the answer without needing to hear it out loud. Logan, taking in our interaction, barked out a laugh, "Ya, he's definitely Hooch."

Maggie brought their breakfast and they immediately started to dig in like wild animals as I spread my side of peanut butter across my pancakes. Conall stared at me, with a fun mix of disgust and disbelief. "Why are you ruining your breakfast? Is this some sort of self punishment?" Conall quipped.

I scowled at him. "No, and you've got egg on your face, Hooch." Logan chuckled as Conall returned my scowl and reached for his napkin. "So, you guys both work for your dad?" I asked Conall, trying to get a bit of information out of them. If Dad wanted to shut me out, I'd find another way in. I watched their reactions closely as I filled my fork with pancakes; Logan seemed to be hiding another smirk by shoveling his food into his mouth, whereas Conall seemed to still at the question, carefully thinking out his reply.

"Yes, we do," he replied, not revealing more. This was going to be trickier than I thought. "Well, what kind of business are you guys in?" I pressed on.

"Logging and construction."

Well, this was going no where. I just nodded and continued eating.

"Actually, Con will be taking over for his old man soon. Top dog." Ah, Logan. Always coming through. Conall shot him a look that was hard to miss.

"That's great, though you seem a bit young to be running a company, no? What are you, 20?" I inquired playfully, but genuinely curious.

"21," they replied in unison, to which I laughed at.

"So, do you like it?" I ask, turning back to Conall. He seemed taken aback by my question.

"What?" He said, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Your job. Do you enjoy it?" I tried to put it simply. He seemed to take a minute, thinking about his answer.

"Yes, I do. Sorry, no one has ever really asked me that before," he explained, showing a brief look of vulnerability, before returning to his haughty demeanor. Then, again, Conall seemed to lose focus, blankly looking down. All of a sudden, he stood up, gave Logan a telling look, and placed his keys on the table, along with enough cash to cover all 3 meals. "I have to go, Logan will drive you home," he said very matter-of-factly. Logan nodded, seeming to already be fully aware of this plan.

I wanted to ask Conall where he was going but I stopped myself. "I can run home, and you don't have to pay for me. Thank you, though," I said alternatively.

"Logan will drive you," he said again, with a bit more of an edge this time, not even bothering to address my other comment. Before I could respond, he was gone. Ugh, he was getting on my nerves.

"Don't worry about it, you're on my way" Logan replied. We finished up and thanked Maggie before walking out towards his black truck together. The rain had subsided but it was still overcast. As we drove through the winding road, I looked out the window, quietly thinking to myself. What had Conall so hot and cold? As if he was reading me like a book, Logan said "He's just a bit wary of outsiders. He's not always so..."

"Pigheaded." I said, finishing Logan's sentence. He chuckled.

"Outsiders, eh? Sounds like a pretty tight-knit town," I continued on. Logan became rather quiet at my comment.

"Ya, I guess you could say that," he said, not wanting to continue to topic any further.

We pulled into the laneway of my house and Logan brought the pickup to a stop. "Give me your phone, I'll pop our numbers in there," he said, placing his hand out. I handed the phone over and he began typing. "There, you can give Conall or myself a call if you need anything. Welcome to town, outsider," Logan said with a wink. I thanked him for the ride and made my way inside.

Dad still wasn't home so I decided to go online and search for college programs. Dad and I had talked a bit about what I wanted to do next, over dinner last night. He's yet to come around to the idea of me enlisting, so I decided to humour him with a little academic research. After 5 minutes, I could already feel my eyelids getting heavy. This is unbareable, the thought of sitting through online lectures had me yawning. I found myself looking out towards the forest again; a continuous pull to its enchantment. The memory of the lakeshore tugged at me. I set the laptop aside and put my shoes back on, deciding to go back. Maybe it really was just jet lag that had me out of sorts yesterday, but I wanted to know for sure.

I set off, forging through the trees. The scent of moss and damp earth filled my nose. I continued my hike, thinking it seemed a bit longer this time around. The trees weren't thinning, no shimmering reflections; I must have gone the wrong direction. As I stood there paused for a moment, trying to figure out my next move, an ominous feeling crept over me. I heard the light crunching of leaves. I looked around, checking my surroundings. Nothing, but continued footsteps growing closer and slower.

Suddenly, a low growl rumbled from the large Evergreens directly in front of me. A massive and monstrous grey wolf emerged. It bared its teeth in a sinister snarl, its eyes fixated on me with a look of feral hunger. I stood paralyzed with fear. What were my options? Dad's training never prepared me for a wild animal, let alone one of this size. I slowly reached behind my back to grab my knife, hoping it would give me any type of advantage. Who was I kidding? I was hopelessly outmatched.

Just as I settled on my strategy, a thunderous roar came rolling through the air and a large black blur soared over me, taking the grey wolf head on. It was another wolf, maybe the biggest animal I'd ever seen. Its black fur was darker than the night sky and it stood taller than my 5'6 height on all 4 legs, with paws the size of my head. The beasts crashed into the forest floor, their snarls blending into a primal fury. Wide-eyed and breathless, I watched as they both rose on their paws, intensely eyeing each other. The black wolf, never letting his opponent get between him and I, let out a final warning growl that held enough power, I could even feel its command.

His opponent didn't seem to heed the warning, instead offering a deafening howl in return. Just then, the sound of more steps began to cruch across the fallen leaves. Three more wolves came into view, flanking the grey one. My protector looked back at me briefly, almost as if he was pleading for me to run. A sense familiarity flash in those eyes; something I couldn't make sense of in the moment. The challenging wolves advanced, giving the large black wolf almost no time to react. In the midst of their intense battle, I could hardly comprehend the surreal reality before me. It was as if the forest had transformed into a realm where creatures of myth and legend came alive.

The black wolf fought vialantly, his every move calculated and precise. His agility and strength were astonishing, but he was still outnumbered. As I watched the battle unfold, my fear transformed into adrenaline. Without hesitation, I knew I couldn't stand idly by any longer. I scanned my surroundings for my knife, having dropped it in shock. As I shuffled my hands through the dirty leaves, looking for the handle, a haunting yelp pierced my ears. I turned to see the black wolf struggling to free itself from the assult, taking bite after bite to his form. I panicked, I had to do something.

In that moment, it was as if everything clicked into place. A cool confidence washed over my body as I felt a surge of icy power run through my veins. The air grew cold and a thin layer of frost began to flood outward, covering the ground around me. The sweat on my hands began to crystalize within my palms, shaping into dangerously sharp daggers. Here we go.

Without fully understanding what was happening, I launched my icy weapons toward the pack of feral wolves with unwavering determination. My first throw took out the wolf on top with deadly accuracy, giving the black wolf a chance to kick the others away. As they wrestled, the original grey wolf turned its attention to me, its eyes gleaming with rage. It began advancing and I threw my remaining daggers, with only one making contact with the wolf's flank. I began to backstep as I found myself faltering. I summoned every ounce of strength I had, but nothing was coming to hand anymore. My legs began to tremble as exhaustion took over. The wolf made his final advance, and a surge of power rushed through me as I closed my eyes.

I waited for an attack that never came. I opened my eyes to see the grey wolf paused in front of me, almost as if suspended in motion, with a long icy spear plunged into his chest. The wolf's lifeless body dropped, and I followed shortly after. My surroundings seemed to fade away, with a pair of beautiful green eyes being the last thing I saw before succumbing to the darkness.