Miles of Clouded Hell

Chapter 2

It was around 5:30 am and the forest was blissfully quiet. Just the way Lennon enjoyed it. She revealed in the utter serenity of the woods, it was a mystical place that encased secrets over hundreds of years without even a whisper or hint as to what they were. The lightest breeze pushed the wisps of hair that had fallen from her ponytail back into her face, no matter how many attempts to tuck them behind her ears. She sat upon a log that overlooked a slight decent in the hills and focused on all her senses.

Breathe.

Smell.

Listen.

Her eyes flew open at the slightest sound of a breath behind her and she jumped from the log, wistfully turning and entering her fighter's stance.

Senick stood there in front of her, hands in his pockets with the same smirk he seems to have glued to his face.

"You're a prick," Lennon stated, standing up properly. She lifted her gaze to his eyes, which was hard enough with the height difference let alone the descent of the hill.

"It's 5:30, why are you out? Shouldn't you be enjoying a good sleep-in with your stupid cat?" He asked, taking her place on the log.

"I do this every morning, not that you would notice." She said blankly and lent against the nearest tree. Their bickering was a constant thing for years until finally, Lennon had learned to deal with it emotionless.

"Well, I do notice, because I can hear the stinking cat meow all the way from my cabin when you get up to leave, 5:20 on the dot every day. But my question is what are you doing now. Because I usually hear you stomp on past my cabin but instead today you went the other way." He said cracking his fingers.

"I'm off to see Lyana." She stated, she pushed herself off the tree and began on her way to Lyana's cabin, the moment of peace had passed.

"I know." He said, his famous smirk returning.

"Then why ask?" She responded.

"Make conversation on the walk I suppose." He chuckled to himself and easily caught up to her. The crisp air pricked at the pair's skin and the distant twisting and winding of Marrylong river hummed. The late autumn leaves crunched quietly beneath their feet and the pair remained unnoticed by a rabbit hopping close by. It had seemed the world was in balance, Lennon was unaware of any troubles between the packs and no rouges had happened to wander into the border recently. Her cabin could use a bit of a tidy and perhaps a slight addition to the absence of Senick would be appreciated but otherwise, she felt in a state of peace and tranquility. It could be said that the world had finally paid her back for the loss of her parents, but Lennon had not considered that a great life loss. Perhaps it had just felt the time was right to reward her with her little pleasantries. What better time to pay a visit to Lyana than a time so calm, of course before she would find herself tracking another rouge or on a mission from the Alpha. Just this one day as composed as this she could share a steaming cup of hot chocolate with her elder, unfortunately, Senick would be there too, not that she could do anything about it.

"Hey, you know that man you were with yesterday?" Senick piped up.

"I have met him but I wouldn't say I knew him," Lennon said, continuing along the overgrown path.

"It was a simple yes or no question but anyway," he paused, "after you left I was doing my perimeter runs and as I ran past Lyana's, it seemed they were sitting and talking over hot chocolate."

"Yes, and?" Lennon questioned.

"Well, who was he?" He asked, seeming a bit frustrated at her lack of curiosity.

"I wouldn't know, he spoke to me on the walk back from the circle and I left him to get taken care of at the tent. It was only a 5-minute talk."

"Well it's rare that Lyana invites strangers to her cabin, the only people that go there are the two of us and the Alpha and Beta, she doesn't even invite the other elders for hot chocolate." He stated. He was correct of course, it was odd for Lyana to share her home with strangers. Perhaps he was an old friend, he sure seemed nice enough.

"Maybe they are old friends." She piped up. There was a worn-down fork in the overgrown path and Lennon decided to take the right trail around the clearing so as not to wake anyone up at such an unruly hour. Though Senick and Lennon were almost inaudible when walking due to the stealth training they had endured since the age of 4, it seems respectful to leave the beautiful clearing at peace with the slight morning fog.

"If they were old friends I'd think we'd know him," Senick said, following Lennon over slight puddles and overgrown shrubbery.

"There was a good 40 years Lyana lived without our presence Senick, I believe that's a good enough time to make friends." She stopped and glanced at him, "Maybe he was an old love of hers." Senick grunted and looked off to the side in among the pines. "What? Is Lyana not allowed to love any man but you?" Lennon asked with a laugh.

"It's hard enough sharing your manly ass with her," he snickered back.

"This manly ass would outdo your saggy lady butt any day," she pointed at him and turned to where Lyana's cabin could be seen through the trees. Instinctively Lennon listened to see if Lyana was home but instead heard the slight breaking of twigs from the back of the greenhouse. It was evident that Senick had indeed heard the snapping as well as he headed that way, Lennon following in his tracks. As the two got closer, numerous voices could be heard, an odd occasion to happen at Lyana's cabin. The voices had not heard the two approaching, or if they had they had not made it very clear that they had by a hitch in-breath or higher heart rate. The two rounded the greenhouse and looked over to Lyana's garden table where Calvin the mystery man was sitting, cackling with the pack Alpha. Just as the two had rounded the greenhouse Lyana exited her cabin, balancing 5 hot chocolates on an old grey tray. She glanced up and the two and glowed.

"Senick, Lennon! It was wonderful you could make it, though you are a bit later than I had anticipated. Good thing I kept the hot chocolate pot warm inside." She smiled up at them as she passed on her way to the table. The Alpha and Calvin sat smiling up at the two from the table then turned their attention to Lyana. Senick turned to Lennon with a confused look.

"This is weird, isn't it? It's not just me?" He asked. Lennon looked forward to the table and hushed her voice, "They are smiling too much."

"Lennon Hunny, come take a seat, you too Senick," Lyana called from the garden table. With a confused glance shared between the two, they walked over to the table and in the conveniently only other two chairs there. Lennon had a sneaking suspicion that her tranquil time was about to be slightly...

rearranged.

It was evident that this was planned, though Lennon had no clue and by the look on Senicks face and confused glances he keeps sending her he had no idea either. The smiles were too happy to be that of a casual conversation and Lennon's stomach began to sink.

"Lennon, Senick, this is Calvin," the Alpha stated, "Calvin works at the palace." The Alpha smiled over at Calvin though Calvin stayed smiling at Lennon and Senick.

"Calvin tell them why you're here," Lyana pressed, smiling at him. It was all a bit awkward for Lennon and Senick, social meetings weren't commonly attended by the two, as they usually had jobs to do or were uninterested. This certainly wasn't what Lennon had thought they would be like, the Alpha was usually quite busy and she doubted he had time to sit down for a hot chocolate, as for Lyana she rarely had people over. Overall the smiles were putting her on edge and her gut told her to prepare herself.

"I work as a scout for his majesty, I scour the packs looking for all sorts of wolves the King requires. If he wishes to find a suitable damsel for the prince, I will find him one. If the King wishes for more army recruits, I send out word and look for plausible candidates." Calvin explained. If Calvin was here to request Lennon to act damsel-like for the prince, he had surely misjudged her. Or if he believed she or Senick wished to join the Royal army, he would be very wrong, the two were not trained to work in a group. They were purely trained to work together or alone.

"This time though, his majesty, with the encouragement of the queen, has sent me to look for a well-trained warrior to protect the young prince. The warrior is to be paid heavily and will live in the High Quarters with the royal family, just down the hall to be exact." He continued, "At first I thought it was wise to ask the Alpha for his opinion, he then directed me to the lovely Lyana to which she gave me a slight problem to work with."

"Lennon, Senick, my loves, you were not exactly trained to fight for our pack. In fact no other night wolfs were trained to work as a pair, and you two proved to be the first. Not only was the pairing a great success, but it showed true potential. At a young age the elders and I decided your destiny for you, even before our wonderful Alpha came to power," she smiled over at the Alpha who seemed very intrigued by the whole story. "Though a bond can only be made between two wolves, it can be, how do you say, lent a hand." She paused and took a sip from her cup, leaving us all puzzled. "We moved you both to the other side of the woods in hopes that you would potentially fall for one another. Unfortunately, that had not happened and our plan had slightly failed. But either way you both are part of a rare set that cannot be split, you both are great warriors but together you are impeccable. The bond would truly heighten your strength as a pair but alas we cannot control it. Upon hearing this, Calvin decided to speak with his majesty, and worked out our situation."

"I then spoke with Greg, and we decided it would work out best for the both of you to take part. In return, Greg is giving us new pack members as well as helping to build electricity lines, and of course, strengthening our alliance." The Alpha, Matt, explained, "Tomorrow you both with be transported to the Palace where you live and work for the royal family, it is a great honor for the both of you, and for our pack."

Lennon was a bit taken aback, where was her input? Had Lyana really planned for Senick and her to bond? Her present peace was not only rearranged but rather flipped, turned, and thrown down a cliff. What would happen to her beloved cabin? Would Lyana's next 'experiment' couple be placed there? Lennon knew never to settle in case she was moved but after spending 20 years there with constant reassurance that she was to permanently protect the pack she may have found herself getting comfortable and settling down. It was unfair to throw her away to some rich family after twenty years of protecting the pack. And oh what a great honor it is to protect a 14-year-old kid in a palace surrounded by guards. Lyana could do that, Lennon is a fighter, born and raised in the woods with every instinct of the outdoors. She did not understand how to take care of a kid indoors, nor did she understand politics or the hierarchy of royals, that's not what she was trained to know!

In fact, it was the one thing she didn't know.