All winter long the question of whether to move or stay divided the tribe. The pros and cons had been beaten to death by the time Otetiani called us to order for the final gathering on the matter. "After much discussion, speaking with the Elders, several Spirit walks, and much deliberation I have decided it is best for us to move our home."

The response was immediate, some sighed others were upset still others just stood there. "When do we leave?" "Where are we going?" "How do we get there?" "What do we take?" After the initial shock of the decision, the questions were fast and furious.

"Quiet now", Otetiani told the crowd. "A spot has been picked out and the tribe will be transported there. No packing required. This will take all of our power but together we can get this done quickly and easily. I will tell you an exact day when I have one." With that, he returned to his lodge.

Turning to Atsadi I was puzzled not to see him. Looking around I located him with a female, strange. Moving closer they stopped speaking and turned to me, "Greetings, I am Bo. This old cat's cub", I say playfully bumping his arm. The female looks stricken and Atsadi looks worried. "What did I say wrong", I ask scared I put my foot in it?

"Nothing, we were just talking", the female says smiling as if in pain. She then walks away. Atsadi stares longingly after her.

"Atsadi ...", I began.

"Bo, I am going to take a run. Back before dinner." He shifts and runs off before I can say anything else.

I headed back toward our den when I see the female at the edge of the wood crying. Making my decision I head in her direction. She sees me coming and attempts to wipe her eyes to get herself together. "I need to apologize to you. I might have given you the wrong impression of my relationship with Atsadi. Please come join me for dinner", I say as I gently take her arm and guide her toward my den. "I don't recall seeing you before, not to say I talk to everyone here all the time or even really look at those here", I knew I was rambling but I didn't want her to have a chance to turn me down or worse yet run-away. "Ah, here we are den sweet den," I say smiling at our cozy home. "Please just sit there and I'll check on the food", I squatted down next to the banked fire. Pulling back the ashes to reveal the cast iron pot, removing the lid to ensure there was no scorching or burning but no it was perfect. Moving the side of the ashes I pulled out a skillet, this was the biscuits, unfortunately, they were a little overdone on the bottom. "Well shoot", I exclaimed, "Now I owe Atsadi an otter pelt".

At my expression, the female began to smile, "Problems with your biscuits"?

"I can not get them right, dough in the middle while hardtack on the outside or they bounce or they are a killing stone or ...", I blabbed on.

"It's an easy fix", she said smiling at me finally sitting down. Not relaxed but not looking as if she would run off at any minute.

"Please I pray to the Goddess you can help it would be nice to enjoy my own biscuits without fear of eeewww", I laughed. "I am so rude. I drug you over here and did not offer you anything, would you like tea? I have fresh honey and chamomile." 'Please say yes', I thought and hoped.

"That would be lovely. Is there anything I could do to help", she said?

"Only one thing, your name would be great", I said sheepishly.

"Oh my, it seems I am the rude one", she says with a blush. "I'm Sarah Schmitt", she sticks out her hand for me to shake it.

Shaking hands is a very European thing and I had not been raised that way. Instead, I leaned in and brushed my cheek to her cheek. She lept back from me and began to blush and squawk, "Um, what was that? That's not how... Please don't..."

"I apologize. I was not aware you were not familiar with our greetings. You are family and that is how we greet our family." I say as gently as possible to calm her down. I held her hands and guided her to sit again.

"Family", she sighed looking at me as if it were a word she thought never to hear again.

"Ye are family", Atsadi said walking up to us.

"Dinners ready, did ya wash up", I asked as if I were not aware that he was mad at me for inviting her to eat with us. "Atsadi, I am not aware if you have been introduced to Ms. Sarah Schmitt. Ms. Sarah Schmitt this is my Uncle Atsadi", I say as if I had not seen them together earlier.

Bending down low Atsadi says, "It is my pleasure, Ms. Sarah Schmitt"

She bloomed, it was obvious that his touch intrigued and scared her and that she was embarrassed by her body's reaction to him. Her mind might be WTF but her body was ready to roll.

After dinner, we sat around discussing the move and I made a huge mistake. "So Sarah what brought you out to our little village", I asked with a careless tone. Sarah jumped up, brushed herself, and with barely a goodbye she was gone. Looking at Atsadi I asked, "What I say"?

He sighed and lit his pipe. "I don't know her story and I wouldn't ask. She's my mate..."

Before he could continue I was up dancing around, singing "I finally got an Aunt and she is great. I finally got an Aunt and she is great..."

Atsadi stuck out his foot and tripped me. When I hit the ground he gave me the stink eye and continued, "But she doesn't understand what that means and the thought of wolves scare her".

"Well it's a good thing yer a cat", I smirk.

He frowned, "No child she donna know about us or what we", he twirled his finger around his head, "are.

My jaw dropped, "What"?

Getting up he walked off into the woods. Leaving me to finish cleaning up and to drag my sorry but to my loft.

The next morning dawned bright and clear, my chores were done and I was on a mission. First things first I needed to see Ms. Sarah Schmitt, then we were going to eat some lunch then go soak in the new spring I had found. Letting my wolf rise I scented her out near the lake. "I just don't know what to do. I know what I said but there.... Ya, ya but... You don't under...." I couldn't see nor scent who she was speaking to.

I purposefully stepped on a stick causing the snap to break the silence. "There's someone coming", she sounded distressed.

I still could not hear or scent anyone else there and now that I was almost upon her I could not see anyone but both my wolf and I were sure that a presence was here.

"Hey wanna grab something to eat", I asked? Hoping to not give away that I had heard her speaking to someone who was not really here.

"Uh, sure. Just give me a minute." She said with a nervous smile.

"Yeah, I'll meet you at my den in a few minutes. Ya?"

Still smiling she nodded for me to go and I did.

After lunch, I asked her to join me for a soak in the hot springs. After telling me she had never seen a hot spring, I nearly dragged her there. One there she seemed rather shy about removing her clothing so I stripped and jumped in, making a show of swimming to the other side of the pool and checking it out. Upon hearing her enter I moved back closer to her. "So I know last night ended because of my big mouth and I'm sorry. I dinna mean to embarrass ya." I had to apologize again. I hoped we would get past this quickly.

"No, it's fine. You meant no harm", she tried to brush it off.

"Just want you to know if ya wanna talk...." I trailed off.

"This is wonderful", she said abruptly changing the subject. "However did you find it"?

"This is my gift", I tell her about finding these springs and how the Cold Wolf Pack -- I dinna call them that-- thought I was drowning and nearly killed me saving me.

She laughed so hard she lost her breath. "Oh, oh, stop. Ya killin' me", she gasped.

I smiled at seeing her so relaxed and unguarded. "I hate to break this up but we need..."

"Lookie here boys, we got ourselves some of them water ladies", a voice said out of the darkness.

"An purty ones too", another but squeaker one followed.

Lastly, the darkest one said, "Let's have some fun".

I could scent that these were human men and I had no fear of them but with Sarah here the question was how much do I show. I decided to err on the side of caution and move us back to the deeper end of the pool. "Take a deep breath", I told her. Yanking her down below the surface into one of the shallow caves. The cave was only a few feet long and within a moment or two, we were again in the open air.

"How did you... Those men... Oh, my..." Sarah floundered.

"Do you speak in complete sentences when yer scared", I asked as only a teen can?

Her jaws flapped but no words emerged. Then she huffed at me, "Fine then ya fussock..."

I burst out laughing, "Fussock, that's all ya got"?

With pique, she stared then continued, "How do we get out of here"?

"That's easy, come on", I pulled myself out of the water and moved to leave. I had gone a few feet when I realized that she had not followed. "Ya coming", I asked? Not turning around.

"What about clothing", she sounded slightly panicked.

"It's you and me in a dark cave, who do you think is gonna see ya? It's dark outside too so hurry up and come on", I told her.

Moving again to the exit. I had not told her that as a wolf I have excellent night vision, well I didn't want to alarm her. So imagine my surprise when we exited the cave and I turned to see her covered in runes. They looked like tattoos but I could see how they moved like a living creature on her skin. Forcing myself to ignore them, "Come on we aren't far from the lake and we have some extra clothing stashed there. Someone is always falling in and getting soaked." I gave her an explanation she would be comfortable with and quick enough she didn't have to ask. A short silent walk found us at the lake and we raided the clothes bin. Moving quickly back to the village, I walked Sarah to her lodge and bid her goodnight before heading to Emily's to talk to her about the runes I had seen on Sarah's skin. As I moved my wolf alerted me that we were being watched, I did not alter my pace or my footing but let my wolf out so she could check out the situation. She can't seem to lock down on anything and all we feel is confused. I thank the Goddess that we have arrived at Emily's. As we enter the area immediately surrounding Emily's cabin the presence is gone and I realize that I feel lighter. Now I'm scared.

"Emily are you here", I ask hopefully. I really don't want to go back out there right now.

"Bo? What are you doing", she asked rather perplexed at my showing up so late.

Looking her in the eye, "I heard you had lemons", I tell her.

"Lemons", she looks alarmed. "Yea, yea come in and pick ya some."

Once in she marked the door and then dropped the cloths over the windows again making rune signs. When she was done she came over and sat on the rocker in front of the fire. "What is this about?"

"Sarah Schmitt is Uncle Atsadi mate", I began.

"Oh, I am so happy for him. He has waited so long for her. He deserves..." she interrupted.

I cleared my voice, "I took her to the hot springs after lunch today to apologize for asking her about how she got here." Emily wanted to ask what I was talking about, I could see it in her face. I took a deep breath and told her about how last night I had seen Sarah and Atsadi talking and stuck my foot in it. How in hope of fixing it I had virtually kidnapped her and how she had eaten dinner with us and how it had been good until I asked about how she came to our village. I explained how Sarah had jumped up and left in a hurry and how Atsadi had also fled, only going in the opposite direction. Then I told her about having lunch with her and taking her to the new spring I found. At this point, Emily was about to burst with questions. "Please let me finish and I will do my very best to answer them all", I begged. Finally getting to finish with how the men came in and we got out and how I saw the runes that moved like creatures on her skin. How I took her to her cabin while feeling watched and as if something wanted into my skin. My wolf shook herself as if she could remove the feeling from both of us.

"I need to think, you can sleep in the loft. Goodnight."

With no control of my body, I climbed up into Emily's loft and lay down on the sleeping mat there. My last thought was how comfortable it was and how lucky I was to have Emily in my life. With a huge yawn and a stretch was I out like a windblown candle.