Inevitable #1 Hunter for Liberty

Heart

I stayed a little while longer on the warmth of the bed still feeling the lingering caress and kiss of my mate. Charles, my mate and beta of the Winter Warrior Pack has left earlier as usual, Always the responsible man I know he should always be up no later than 3 am. He does daily perimeter run to ensure the safety of the people residing this forest with us and also he trains the pack's warriors and trackers alongside the Alpha. 

I am not North-born and although it has been years since I moved here when I met my mate, I'm still not quite used to how people of Winter Warrior Pack doesn't live in a big pack house altogether.

At home, I was used to waking up with the smell of tea and pancakes and sausages wafting through every pack member's bedrooms signaling that breakfast has been served. Instead of that I have to wake up early in the morning at exactly 6am to whip something up that I can put on the common dining area among other females of the different families, in different cabins standing side by side within the pack. 

The cabin differs from a member's position, the size of the actual cabin, the size of the lawn but not the style of it. every house has a singular design on the outside, all with a pointy triangle shape roof made of Dark woods provided by the forest herself. The base is made of cement covered with furry carpets. every house has a second floor where bedrooms are situated, the receiving and dining room is downstairs along with the kitchen. Personalization are only allowed inside each houses, you will only truly know what kind of family each has when you stepped inside. What kind of father leads the household what kind of mother manages and cares for it and what kind of children are produced in a home each has made for their own.

Winter warrior is a very small pack of 25 families, those of the higher ranks included and everybody knew one another. it's a very intimate community with the mix of the both the new and old ways, and it is also ever growing as more offspring are produced. 

At the age of 16 male members are expected to move to the bigger dormitory-styled-cabin where they start their true training to either be a warrior, tracker, forager, farmer, Carpenter and the likes that contributes to the betterment of the entire pack, females who wants to join the group are permitted to train once they acquired their wolf and are expected prove that they are fit to join just like every male by winning the game of capture the flag, quite a dangerous game if you ask me because they do it differently here.

Doesn't mean that if your a warrior or a tracker you are excused in other pack responsibilities though. Not everyday has a need for all warrior or tracker's services, for not everyday is that of chaos and battles, on normal days they are expected to help in the foraging and farming and carpentry department mostly for males, females are mostly assigned to help the Alpha, Beta and Third in command on office matters and business matters.

I looked up at the wall clock opposite our bed and watch lazily as the minute hand turns a few rounds until it reaches the 12th and little hour hand stopped at the 6th, I closed my eyes, breathed deeply and forced myself to smile. Don't get me wrong, I am happy here. It's just that this place is really different from the one I came from, there are no helps to do your chores for you, of course I don't expect get help for everything I do but some on the earliest hours would be lit. You have to get up same time everyday to put something on the common table because if you don't you will be frowned upon. Well, most females do not need to wake up as early as I do but I am just not most girls, I always take my time to savor every taste and enjoy every moment and whatever, guess I am just trying to justify my early morning laziness now.

"Momma?" I heard the sweetest voice that painted the first realest smile on my face today. My daughter Cassidy is outside waiting for me, how does she do it? up and about before me at this early hour? Must have taken it after her ever energetic and strong father.

"I'm coming baby..." I sad in a light sing-song voice. If there is anything I look forward to every morning so early it's both my mate's kiss on my lips and my sweet early bird princess. She's just so full of energy! So opposite from me and her older sister, Avery, who I think is as usual still sleeping prettily, my lucky sweetheart! I got up and fixed myself as fast as I could looking at the clock again I panicked as it's saying now that I just wasted 5 minutes dilly dallying.

"Momma!" Cassidy exclaimed as she threw herself at me when I was finally out my mate and I's bedroom. I laughed lightly and scooped her up. I carried her downstairs, when I reached the last flight of stairs she wriggled out my arms and I set her down. I chuckled when she eagerly dragged a chair backwards from the dining table and looked at me expectantly. 

"Aren't we so eager this early morning?" I asked with a small smile as I walked towards her. I watch her sat her on the chair and then I went and proceeded to open the kitchen backdoor, the air was it's usual cold yet relaxing self. I looked outside and saw the world misty and a little magical as the sun ever so slowly peaks through the mist to light up my day. I always don't have to worry about starting up the fire place since Charles always made sure to fire it up, I moved to the hearth to add a few woods so the fire won't stop and also to give Cassidy and myself more warmth. "So what should we make today Chef Cassidy?" I asked her and she smiled widely at the title.

"Uh..." she mouthed looking up thinking. I chuckled and walked towards the kitchen door to grab two matching aprons from the hook attached on the back of it. there are four aprons in total two adult sizes mine and Charles' and then there's two more which are made both for Avery and Cassidy. I don't really hate cooking, I just hate that I have to get up this early to cook.

"French toast Momma!" she finally said when I came back in-front of her. I nodded at her then moved to the kitchen sink, on top of it is a hanging cabinet where our pantry supplies are stored. I checked if we have enough eggs and yes, we do. Next I opened the cabinet beside it to check if we have enough loaf bread and yes, we've got 5 plastics full fresh from the grocery yesterday, there are people assigned that task.

My children loves French-toast, grilled cheese and the likes especially made by yours truly. The reason why I never failed to jot them down on the grocery list form delivered to every house every Saturday morning so that each finally does inventory of their supplies and list down those that needs replenishing. The party in-charge will then collect the forms and we give it to them along with the money and after two days they come back with our goods.

"French toast it is." I said grabbing the ingredients from the cabinets. I carried them to the table where Cassidy is seated and I saw her struggling to tie her apron as I turned to get  milk and butter in the "fridge". If there is one thing I did not miss back home, it was the normal electric-powered Refrigerator. Refrigerators here in the Winterfield Forest are big chests or boxes out of either wood or metal  made by every man on each houses which are left outside to be filled and get surrounded by snow, how penny saving and awesome is that?. l think I even saw some just burry their goods as it is which is unlikely to happen in this household just because I don't feel like it. 

I saw five bottles of fresh cow's milk inside amongst other things like meat and some fruits and vegetables provided by the elders' farm, I placed the empty bottles of milk last night on the bottle rack hanging on the wall, a few inches to the left from the door outside and it was replenished immediately early today as always. 

The efficiency of Pack members assigned to a certain duty to his people is what I admired the most in this pack and the Alpha who leads it with pride and most certainly the Beta who has and will always captivate me, the reason why I still saw my self living here with my family despite the many different ways from where I was brought up to. I also found three tubs of butter, I took three bottles of milk and a tub of butter and quickly walked back to the warmth inside , I placed them on the table and helped my little princess to tie her apron for her. I slid the ponytail off my wrist and handed it to her saying "Tie your hair up princess" and she took it fom me happily. "What toppings do you think they'll like?" I asked a little bit louder for her to hear me as I moved back to the "fridge" and scanned the container of fresh fruits.

"Strawberries and Cream cheese!" I heard Cassidy shouted with glee and I grabbed a pack of strawberries. I was about to close the Chest when I heard Avery clearing her throat, I looked up to her and smiled thankfully as she handed me a cup of hot chocolate as she gestured to take the strawberies. See? what's not to love with the life I was given here?

"Nuttela-Banana tastes so much better..." she said smugly and I chuckled grabbing the cream cheese. I went inside and stood at the end of the table close to the hearth, opposite Cassidy. I sipped on my Hot choco as I watch Avery cracking the eggs on a big bowl and thanked her silently as I saw Cassidy sipping her hot choco. Avery is really such a responsible and sweet sister even when they both disagree which each other on most occasions. I sipped on my hot Choco again and looked up at the clock and saw that it was already 6:30 am, I walked fast to the table and said "Chop-chop!" with the clap on my hands that made my daughters laugh. The Breakfast is not until 7:30 when the males finish training.

I took the sugar container from the cup board and gave it to Avery, she scooped the amount she needed and mixed it in with the egg and milk. "Here honey, let me do that. Why don't you two grab a tray and start taking the breads out for toasting?" I offered and she did what I asked her to do. I added cinnamon to the mixture and I set it aside. I went to the gas range and fired the two front burners and set the heat to the lowest temperature then placed the thickest baking tray I have on top of it to accommodate more space on toasting the breads. While that was slowly heating up I took the tray of bread they prepared, the bowl with milk-egg mixture and the butter.

I instructed Avery to wash the strawberries and strain them then grabbed myself a serving plate where I'll put the cooked toasts after wards and proceeded on cooking. I know that 25 families is a lot of mouth to feed and I only have French-toast to serve but I am not the only one serving food, every female with in a family will put their own dish on that long table even the Luna is no exception so I know our breakfast will be as always, generous and full of cheerful chatter.