Page 35 of Polar Fates
She growls and lifts herself up on her hind feet, towering above them all. Torben is doing the same, showing them his strength, while the other three are baring theirfangs.
We must look formidable, but the ferals don’t care, they just keep running atus.
Alis, do the dominance thing! I shout, not sure how exactly it’sworking.
On it, she replies with irritation and I decide to keep quiet from now on. She knows what we need to do a lot better than Ido.
She lets herself drop on all fours and stares at the approaching horde. That’s all she does, staring at them withintent.
Suddenly, they stop. First, they just look at her in confusion, before the first one lowers his head, crossing his front paws in deference. Others follow suit until they’re all cowering in front ofher.
She never breaks eye contact, staying in the sameposition.
Torben gently bumps his head against her flank to signal that they’re going to go after Van Deen now. Alis doesn’t respond, too caught up in keeping them all undercontrol.
I can feel her struggling; there are more of them than she anticipated. She can feel at least another thirty inside the main building behind us, and some more in the smaller structures. All in all, there must be at least a hundred ferals here. Van Deen has been busy. Even though they’re smaller and weaker than Alis and my guys, they’re still strong enough to kill humans with ease. If they were let loose on the local population – if there are still people living here – they’d surelywin.
My bears run into the building, but Alis can’t turn around to watch what they’re doing; she has to stay focussed on the ferals cowering in front of her. Some of them are growling in protest, but her hold is too strong for them toresist.
After all, she’s the mother of the first bear shifter, and while she’s not a shifter herself – not really, anyway – she has power they could only dream of. She was turned into a bear by Gods; that must meansomething.
Now it’s all just a waiting game. We need to keep the ferals in check while Torben and the guys look for VanDeen.
What if he’s not here? I hadn’t thought of that possibility before. He could be away from his compound. What then? This mission is looking more and more foolish with every drop of doubt seeping into mymind.
It will be fine, Alis says. I can smell someone else, someone different from these puny bears. It has to be VanDeen.
Good. At least that won’t be an issue then. But will my bears be strong enough to capture him? He’ll defend himself, ready to kill them, but they won’t be able to harm him, not without hurting Arcas. I’m on the proverbial edge of my seat, tense with worry. I can’t lose any of my men. The feeling when I thought I’d lost Húnn… I never want to experience that again. Even now, it’s painful, despite knowing that he didn’t die. That he’s stillalive.
Stop worrying, it’s distracting, Alis admonishes me and I strengthen the barrier between us, trying to keep my thoughts more to myself. I can’t have her lose focus on theferals.
I can feel how she’s burning through her energy. Please hurry up,boys.
I don’t have a watch– that would have to be a rather large one to fit around Alis’s front paw – but I guess it takes almost half an hour until the guys exit the building. Alis’s ears perk up. Five pairs of footsteps. Four of them barefoot, onebooted.
Alis still can’t turn her head to check on what’s happening, so we’re stuck waiting for them to come into our field ofview.
We’ve got him, Torben says in Alis’s mind.But there’s aproblem.
What is it? Alis asks, panic raging through her body. She’s afraid there’s something wrong with herson.
Torben must notice that as well.Don’t worry, Arcas is fine. We’ll deal with it once we’re through the Portal. Do you still have them undercontrol.
Yes, she sighs.But not for much longer. Betterrun.
Finally, they reach us and I can see my men. They’re all naked and in their midst is an old man, wrinkled and bent by age. If that is Van Deen, he doesn’t look like much of a threat. In fact, I bet a slight gust of wind could blow him over. I’m amazed he’s managing to walkunaided.
He won’t be able to run, that much is clear. But the guys have a solution already. Ràn shifts and the other three heave the man onto his broad back. Húnn and Fin stay on either side of Ràn, making sure the man doesn’t fall off, while Torben shifts as well to protect them ifnecessary.
By now, Alis’s legs are quivering from thestrain.
Run! She tells them and Ràn breaks into a fast walk, careful that his rider stays inplace.
At Alis’s command, the ferals shrink back, creating an opening in their ranks for us to pass through. My men run down the hill, slithering occasionally, but they’re aware of Alis’s waningstrength.
She is moving slowly, walking rather than running, and even so she’s close to collapsing fromexhaustion.
You can do it, Alis!I cheer her on.Think ofArcas!
