Chapter 10: Hide (Alex)

The path of soft dirt mixed with sand stretches and twists. It has been three days since their escape. Alex kept having horrific hallucinations of the entire clan just jumping out of the bushes to kill them for their betrayal. He knows Ranji would've just reported that to Bruce. Another voice in him says he won't care less. He just cares for his butt in the throne and his claws upon the throat of every wolf in the Alakapines to serve him and serve them the vengeance he wanted to everyone that wronged him. He turned his attention to Lorr, wondering if he feels the same. His unexpected speech right after made it otherwise. "Pablo, man, where are we going?"

The cat seems to care less as well. Alex slowly turns to him. The black cat with a leather quiver filled with the same purple tipped arrows didn't respond now. But that's probably because Alex and Lorr are with them, so he understood why he had to be cautious. The blacksmith just strays in front of Pablo. Alex guesses he's suspicious of them as well. He spoke, with a deep growling voice. "If I were you, I'd shut up before you can end up like your friends back there." He only turns so his voice directs at Lorr, who made a sideways glance like "alright, alright geez just asking."

Alex couldn't block another thought in his head. His parents, what would happen to them? The land of Rinagrad, where he was raised. Was a monstrosity the last time he was there. Alex would always stay at his bland, poorly built home (most of the time all the wolves would've joined in the clan so they rarely spend time at home), just studying and inventing all kinds of useless things that to his parents, Tunyal and Ciria, sees as "waste of time" asking him why he wasn't destroying the target dummy that was outside for him to use and sever. Tunyal would expect to have a budget to spend for the rest of Alex's childhood to spend on target dummies until he was old enough to join the clan, follow on his footsteps.

He remembers the time he argued once to his father, but he didn't feel like he regrets doing so. But that forced him to join the clan, regardless of where the argument ends, but the last word his father said to Alex is etched to his memories. "If you don't shape up and realize your place, you will be the death to all of us."

Was father just saying that to scare me? I know I joined but so that he can leave me alone. But is that going to be a reality? Now that I betrayed my clan.

He feels a tug behind him, he didn't realize the amount of time passed and now the land seemed to stretch. The foreground of more of the pointed, tall trees all surrounded with sharp thorns. The group was up higher and the path wiggles down like a snake. Farther was a large cylindrical wall of gray stones but it didn't look like a castle, that blocked the rays of the setting sun. Looking like the sun was a bit in its lower parts. The wall was surrounded with a thin, blue stream that encircles it. Making it look like a small island. Other things surrounded are more paths that spread away from the building. Large houses scatter outside next to the forest on the right, not in a pattern but surrounding those houses are a lot of cut down trees, with figures collecting the wood. Smokes rise above the wall, looking like the wall was a bowl of soup with the spoon sticking out, leaning to the left. Lorr lightly tugs on Pablo, suddenly grabbing on to his crossbow with a sturdy, serious look on his face at Lorr.

"Dude, just a question," Lorr assures him, "Is that where we're going?"

Paulo's hands slowly inches away from the trigger. "I'm risking a lot to keep you guys alive, but now you've seen the Bastion. I have to keep an eye on you two." Lorr sighs with disgust. "Dude, you didn't even answer my question."

Alex glances back at the Bastion, Pablo and the Blacksmith already continuing from the path, Alex grabs Lorrs shoulders, just as soon as he follows them. "Lorr, maybe it's better if you stop asking about things from them." Alex says, "Clearly they both don't trust us."

"Dude," Lorr sweeps Alex's hands off him, "I want to make sure we know where we're going, what if they're going to put us into another cage? That's no different than at Silabad."

Lorr made a good point. Unsure of the troubles they will cause once they make it to the Bastion. Alex sees behind him that Pablo and the Blacksmith watch them, Alex pushes Lorr to decrease their suspicions, he thinks that they suspect them of planning something once they make it to the Bastion. "Lorr, we aren't any safer back at Silabad. We need to let them know we're not one of them."

Lorr didn't turn to him, with a small gesture of disagreement. Alex knows they are risking a lot just to hide from the Alakapines. It makes it seem easy when he says it. But how will they execute it?

The four rejoins, the forest flourishes with sounds of critters and the tweets of birds. Alex doesn't reminisce the times he heard the sound of peace. It made a small smile to carve out on his face until the huge shadow in front of them grows bigger.

In front of them is the Bastion, guarded by the townspeople and those that have suffered in Silabad, seeing other villages that had burns and scratches upon their poorly made clothing. The fences stretch far and wide that follows the river. It looked like a stream from the high hills, but it is rough, it is huge. A think bridge connects the walls to the outside world. With people surrounding the bridge. He didn't take long to realize they are guards, but they look like anyone else and they don't share the same clothing. They only share the same weapon which are white pointed spears and crossbows that matches Pablo's. He steps forward, with the sudden charge of the guards running to Alex and Lorr, getting ready for a fight until Pablo stops them with his hands out. "Don't!"

"What are they doing here?" One of the guards questions him. "Are you out of your mind bringing them in?" The guard is intimidatingly big, spouting a one-pointed beard that both dangles swiftly with the gliding wind. He wears a look of a ragged shirt that had a small V-shaped rip below the waistline, wearing brown gloves with tatters of scars in his thigh, looks like it was damage from wolves. His eyes meet Alex, clearly disgusted with their presence, his glare shoots back to Pablo, giving him the same look.

"Are you questioning me, Henry?" Pablo says with a threatening voice; he adjusts his eyes to lock onto Henry's. "These—two," Pablo shoots his hand to them, "has already seen this place, they said they don't work for those arrogant fools they call a clan." Henry takes a step forward, then he and Pablo shot a glance at both wolves. Lorr looking as if he's ready for a fight. "But that doesn't matter Henry, these two are stuck with me and my eyes will never escape them." Henry's face changes.

"We should execute them, give the Alakapines a warning and a view to their fate when they mess with us." Henry turns to Pablo. Alex already feels reluctant to stay any longer and to run away already. The other guards' surrounding them cheers for that idea.

"No," Pablo utters, "I have a better idea in mind for these two if what they say is true."

Henry grunts as if fire would've shot out of his nose. Alex thinks that he would've liked a public execution. Lorr quietly leans his head next to Alex. "Perhaps it's better if we get out of here don't ya think? They are literally no different than Bruce." Lorr whispers.

"Lorr, we need to show them that we can be trusted." Alex replies, "Doing that and they are sure to never trusts us. We need to find a place to hide, and I think this is a great place to hide."

Alex sees in his peripheral that Lorr realizes he's right. Lorr didn't respond and stands back.

"You two," Pablo stands in front of them, catching both their attention. "Prove me your loss of loyalty to your pack. I have a job for you."

"They walk inside, the large walls hide a large town. A refuge from the people that have survived and lost their homes to the strength of the Alakapines. Small, poorly built houses as a temporary home for many of the people around. Children scatter playing, Along the wall were more of the guards equipped with crossbows Huddle Alex sees in front a large building of study wood and ceramic tiled roof. Guards posted in each of the corners that made it look like they are guarding a castle. A large mahogany door stands in the way as Henry opens the door, inside looked like royalty would live in. Scented candles light up inside, outside was a mess of sounds while inside mutes it. Turning toward a doorway to the right lands a room filled with couches and the view of the main path that overlooks the entrance where anyone could see who comes in.

Henry sits down to feel comfortable. He gestures Alex and Lorr an offer to sit as well.

"I really want to trust you two." Pablo says in a calming matter, "Of all the people and places that I saved throughout, turning your back to your clan? That's something you don't see every day."

Alex feels that this plan to make Pablo trust them might work. He didn't want to lose this chance. "Well, honestly it was Alex's idea."

Alex gestures him with his hand to be silent. "Lorr, I know you feel the same way."

"R-right, that's true," Lorr replies. Pablo and Alex glance upon each other, with Pablo's curious posture. "I'm—we not blind to the reality of my clans doing." Alex's chest tightens with the dead eyes of Pablo as if he can see through his own soul. Alex continues, but in his voice, he can hear himself struggling to form the words. "We know it isn't right, even if it's in our nature to take things. Whatever you want us to do to prove our change in the alliance, we will do it without question."

Pablo's ears twitches, getting up to gather two swords from a hanging viewer and throws it to Alex and Lorr, catching it. Pablo heads out from the front door to a stair that leads to the second floor. Alex follows looking at Lorr, nudging his head to follow suit. Eventually, Lorr nods.

They climb up to where Pablo was looking at, standing next to him as he points out in the wall. "There, that direction." Pablo says, "There is a large patrol of the clan camping too close from here." He lifts his head to lock eyes with Alex who has the hunch of what he wants them to do.

"Eliminate them or make them leave."