#8 The Archer and her Wolf

Thea

“Where’s Xaiver?” I asked and Lion cocked an eyebrow just as a voice called out through the trees,

“Thea! Logan?”

“Daddy!” Logan yelled and suddenly Xaiver had him in his arms.

“Oh, buddy, you’re okay. I’m so sorry!” Xaiver was clinging to Logan and his eyes found mine.

“Are you okay?” He stepped up to me and wrapped an arm around my waist. He buried his face in my neck for a moment.

“I’m fine.”

“You have a baby.” He observed, pulling away and eyeing Milly.

“Milly and Natalie. Their father died.” I whispered, nodding towards Natalie who was playing with Lion, “They were crying. I couldn’t just leave them there.”

“Of course not.” Xaiver smiled, looking down on Milly.

“I’m sorry about Summer.” I mumbled and Xaiver’s smile vanished.

“I saw her in the tent.” He said and I frowned.

“She had a knife to Logan’s throat. I didn’t have a choice”

“It’s okay. I knew you wouldn’t have done it for no good reason.” Xaiver said, pressing the palm of his hand against my cheek for a second before looking up to speak to the group,

“Frankie will handle the clean up here. All survivors will be brought back to the packhouse for questioning. We found a couple more children hiding in a tent.”

“They’re innocent.” I said and Xaiver nodded quickly.

“Yes, they are. We have an orphanage at the packhouse where they’ll be cared for.”

Back to the packhouse we went. Slower this time than before. It took us almost an hour to make it back with the children in tow. Dean had lied to us, not so shockingly. There was no second attack on the packhouse so the others were just waiting for us to return. I was not at all surprised to see that Alpha Sal had kept his word. He, the tributes, and all of the judges had traveled down the east coast to support Valor Moon.

“Thank you all for coming.” Xaiver greeted them while I quickly took the children inside.

“Yasmine, Shay?” I called out for them.

“Thea, thank the Goddess you all are okay.” Shay ran up to me but came to a skidding stop when she saw the baby, “Man, you and X work fast.” She teased and I rolled my eyes at her.

“Natalie and Milly are survivors. More children will be coming. Can you two make sure the orphanage is ready.” I said, handing off Milly to Shay.

“Yaya!” Logan ran off to hug Yasmine.

“Hey, buddy, I’m so glad to see you.” Yasmine smiled, picking him up.

“We’ll take care of the kids, don’t worry.” Shay nodded, taking Natalie’s hand as well.

“Everyone okay?” I asked the room filled with women, children, and elderly.

“Yes, Luna.”

“Thank you, Luna.”

A chorus of voices replied.

“Anyone who can help with the children in the orphanage or the injured in the hospital, please do so. The pack grounds also need to be cleaned up. Everyone else, feel free to stay here or head back to your homes. Rest assured, the rogues are defeated and our pack is safe.” I addressed them.

“Thank you!”

“So kind, Luna.”

“Gracious, Luna.”

They all started moving around me. I greeted a few and offered some smiles before I returned to Xaiver on the front lawn. He had given similar orders to the rest of the pack. Even the visiting legacy families and tributes were helping to clean up the grounds and tend to the wounded.

“What about the other survivors, Alpha?” Lion asked Xaiver as the three of us and Frankie huddled off to the side in a makeshift meeting.

“The children will go to the orphanage. The women and elderly will be secured in a comfortable room for questioning until we’re sure we can trust them. The few men who surrendered will go to the cells for questioning. Anyone who is deemed innocent will be given sanctuary here or the freedom to leave.” Xaiver said, looking to me for confirmation.

“Let me send for some Archer integrators to help. We have people who specialize in questioning women and children.” I said and Xaiver nodded, squeezing my hand.

“Thank you, my Luna.”

I went off to find Black, Sapphire, and Rose. I asked them to head back to Base and give Effie an update as well as to request the integrators. Violet, Gray, and Dinah stayed behind with the other wolves to handle the rogue camp clean up.

“Thanks again, you three.” I said sincerely.

“Of course, we’ll follow you anywhere, Crimson.” Sapphire winked.

“What I said before, about your mate and your future….” Black said in a low voice, just for me to hear, “It seems like you’ve given it some thought.”

“I have and, as much as it pains me to say, you were right.” I mumbled and Black grinned,

“That’s music to my ears.” He stepped back and the three of them were transported back to Base.

A few hours later, the others returned from the rogue camp and we sorted out the survivors. Violet and Gray went back to Base while Dinah stayed with me. The pack came together to prepare the orphanage for a dozen or so children from the rogue camp along with a few from our pack who’s parents fell in battle.

Quickly, the bodies of the rogues were burned disgracefully in the middle of the woods. Our fallen pack members were laid carefully under blankets in a tent to be ceremoniously burned at an altar later, as was tradition. The grounds were cleaned of arrows, knives, other weapons, blood, fires, and bodies so swiftly that it almost appeared like no battle had ever happened.

But, it did happen and people did die.

I helped the kitchen staff prepare mass quantities of food to serve our members and guests. Tents were erected outside to provide extra room for eating, resting, and grieving. The hospital staff were like a well oiled machine with the extra help provided by some of the women and elderly. Everyone who went in was treated and stabilized, not a single soul was lost once they made it to the hospital.

Like morning fog over a still and murky lake, Effie and the integrators strolled across the pack grounds, heading straight for me. Not a single wolf stopped them, knowing perfectly well whose authority our visitors served under. Xaiver planted himself next to me, not that he wandered far over these last few hours anyway.

“Thea, we’re here to help.” Effie didn’t bother with my Archer name, knowing perfectly well that my pack knew my real name.

“Thank you for coming, Effie.” I smiled and gave her a brief hug.

“Marco, Pete, and Lucas. Your favorite integrators.” Effie smiled and I laughed, greeting the boys, “Plus, Poppins and Wally for the delicates.” She added, motioning towards our experts on interviewing delicate witnesses, namely the women and children and elderly.

“I’ll show them the way.” I said to Xaiver who gave me a kiss before agreeing to send me off with Lion in tow.

“The children are in the orphanage, the women and elderly are secured in the library, and the men are in the cells.” I explained as we walked towards the orphanage first.

The orphanage was tucked just inside the thicket of trees, off to the side of the packhouse. Close enough in case of emergencies but far enough away not to be bothered by the pack’s politics. It was a modest sized brick building that usually only held a few children.

Orphans weren’t common within packs. Usually a plan was in place, people assigned to take care over the guardianship of the children should their parents die. It was rare that kids were left without any guardians. The orphanage was overwhelmed presently, but the extra staff were helping to keep things calm and safe.

“Nanny Ellen,” Logan’s nanny was here with Shay, helping to care for the children while looking over Logan, Natalie, and Milly as well, “This is Poppins, she’s going to be questioning some of the children. Don’t worry, she’s very good.” I smiled, motioning for Poppin to come forward.

I took a few minutes to check in on the children and the needs of the orphanage. I found that Logan seemed to be untraumatized by the events of the past few hours and was playing happily with Natalie and the other children.

“Next up, the library.” I said, waving everyone onward.

Back across the pack grounds and inside the packhouse, I led the group through the long corridor that took us to the library. It was a grand room, huge, bigger than any public library I’d ever been to. It had a set of huge, oak double doors that were intricately designed and carved with leaves from the realm’s Golden Woods.

More than a thousand books were tucked away inside, the bookcases rising all the way up to the cathedral ceiling; a ceiling that was made of nothing but glass and bronze support beans. Three huge, stone covered fireplaces were in the library for warmth and to add to the atmosphere of the cozy room. The floors were uneven and as old as the packhouse, made from gigantic gray gothic stones. Worn leather couches and chairs colored red, black, green, and blue were scattered all around the library along with tables and wooden chairs.

Today, the library was crowded with more than twenty women and elderly members of the now destroyed rogue pack. Yasmine was overseeing their security and care at the moment.

“Wally and Lucas will be interviewing this lot.” I told Yasmine, introducing the two integrators.

“Just a warning, some of these women are real spitfires.” Yaya said, looking a little irritated. Wally chuckled,

“They usually are. Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ve had lots of practice.” He said before wandering off through the library. Lucas shrugged and followed after him.

“Good luck.” I laughed at Yaya who rolled her eyes at me.

“Last stop, the basement.” I said to Marco and Pete. Lion was trotting wordlessly behind us.

“How many are there?” Marco asked, coming up to walk beside me.

“Only eight.” I said.

We walked to the other side of the house, where the offices and entrance to the basement dungeon were located. Lion waved his hand in front of the doorknob and it turned gold before clicking open. The lights automatically switched on, revealing a winding set of concrete steps and a metal handrail. Lion led the way down. At the bottom of the steps was another door and another magical door knob that only opened for the ranked members.

Inside the dungeon was a dozen or so cells and a small interrogation room. Nothing quite like what the Archers were used to, but it would do.

“Did we ever find out how Toby escaped?” I asked Lion.

“During the battle some of the rogues snuck in here,” Lion pointed towards a grate that was dangling open from the ceiling, “And must’ve taken Toby out.”

“Well, make sure that can’t happen again.” I ordered.

“Already on it.” Lion nodded, “The prisoners are in the last eight cells.” He said to Marco and Pete.

“I’m going to head back up. Find me when you’re done.” I said and the boys nodded, heading off down the hall.

“You’re just going to leave them here?” Lion asked curiously.

“Best to let them work in peace. It’s not usually pretty, anyway.” I chuckled and started heading back towards the steps.

“We don’t usually leave strangers down here unintended.” He mumbled, looking uncomfortable.

“They’re Archers, Lion, don’t be ridiculous.” I huffed but his expression remained unchanged, “Fine, stay down here if you’d like.” I sighed before bounding back up the steps.

At the top, I looked back to see that Lion wasn’t behind me. I shrugged and went back through the packhouse. Honestly, I was glad to have a few moments without my wolfy shadow, anyway.