The Shaman's Revenge

Days

The promise of seeing Thorn was left behind for a few days, instead I taught Creature about my forest and Crow needed some settling in time with him around too. Creature put off the horrid sent of death, but I couldn't change that, I had brought him back with dark magic, some would even call him evil if they saw him the way Richard had.  To me, he would give his life to protect what's mine.

A month or so went by, and we all got used to Creature's smell, well as much as we could, Crow started taking him around the forest, which was slowly getting it's wildlife back, so far though we were missing the meat we used to enjoy, if we killed off the parents of the animals now, we'd just get inbreed animals instead of new family animals coming back.  I'd spend the time in my garden sorting the plants and leaving a good amount in various parts of the forest so various new families would come in, rabbits, deer, bears and the like. Wild birds were never a problem and since rabbits were fast breeders, that's what our meat was for the moment.

Crow started taking Creature on rounds through the forest, and Creature watched as crow would settle in on a window or in a tall tree as he listened in on conversations. Creature would try and stay still, overlooking everyone around, when someone thought they saw something odd, he would swiftly move, we had been working on his movements and how to keep himself hidden unless he had to be seen.

Today was a very special day they were observing several special cars with a variety of food. Crow took off back to my shack as Creature followed. Once they came to the door crow showed me everything.

"Ah it looks like Thorn is getting married finally," i added with a frown, "and we weren't invited, how sad." Creature let out a noise that sounded like garbled laughter. "We should still send the lovely couple a gift right?" Sarcasm dripped off every word. Mentally I was about to forgive Thorn for the part he played in destroying me eyes, but now, not even the common decency to send the person who FOUND his mate a notice they would be getting married was seething my blood. Just the amount of disrespect I felt was giving off enough anger to have both Crow and Creature backing off me.

After a moment of smoking my hookah and calming down, i grabbed a piece of old parchment paper that my Master had used to write his guided spells and meditations down. I smelled it and it still smelled like vanilla bean. I took my dagger and slicked across my hand and put it on the paper, to make a sort of diagonal blood mark, the cut healed quickly, and after the blood dried out, I folded the parchment and just let Crow carry it. "Drop it in front of Thorn when you get a chance." I sent them on their way, while I went the other way around to spy as well.

I got to the edge of Thorn's territory just in time to hear one on my most favorite songs, I listened for a while to the party going on and I only sensed Thorn's pack celebrating and some members of another pack doing the food services, I couldn't tell which pack it was, clearly not one that I've dealt with and they weren't from the Council. I figured it was a smaller local pack that was wanting to gain Thorn's pack's protection. Everything smelled lovely and as much as I wished to wander through and intimidate the new couple, I just stood in the tree line. I could tell by the cooler breeze it was getting to be night, and headed back to my cottage, leaving Crow and Creature to do what they needed to do.

I doubted along my walk that Thorn would figure out what that blood meant, i did it in anger and this was the first step to my revenge, at least on Thorn. I don't forget easily and I don't seem to forgive very well either. I purposely made the mark to look like a strike, as the saying goes "three strikes and youre out." However, all members on the Council got one that night, and one is all I can afford to had out, If i were to go around forgiving, then I would have forgiven James too, like everyone had wanted me to. No, I deal my own punishments, I'm the protector of these rules and agreements that have been made and i will keep them upheld the best way I know how.

The curse wouldn't be activated until I needed it to be, I know he didn't partake in many of the "Richard attacks" of my forest and he seemed to want to be left out of all of these, even talk of remorse for what they all did, but I'm not interested in any of that, though my first victim would be Richard, I'd have to get some of his affairs in order though so that a new Alpha in that pack will rise, but I have eight Alphas to plan out before I'm done carrying out my plans. 

I get to my cottage and grab my staff, cloak and small bag with various herbs and vials that I would need for "just in case" measures. As soon as I was done, Crow CAW'd through the door and was flying around casually, Creature made some sort of noise I couldn't quite understand, as he handed me what felt like a heavy basket, I eventually had to use Crow to link with me so I could see it, he showed me it was from Thorn and Grace. I sighed and put the basket down, letting them go through and eat what they wanted, as I took some butter and bread with an apple.

"I have to go for a while, you two behave." I said to them, Crow ignored me as he pecked on something, making holes in my table no doubt and Creature put his hand on my shoulder, letting out a gargled "behave" noise. I started walking the old familiar path, using my staff to "see" where I was going, added that I no longer wore shoes and it was a bit easier for me to feel where I was and where I needed to go. This was a familiar route though, I was walking to Thorn's territory.