Gareth was a very cautious wolf. His spirit shield formed lightly around him as he stepped forward to explore. It wouldn't have been visible except that it pushed past the lower branches and the overhanging leaves were momentarily brushed to the side for him to pass through.
He was also a very dutiful wolf, and got permission from Harvey to investigate before proceeding.
In turn, Harvey reported it to Ben who gave the greenlight and a very obvious hint, {Heh, heh, who knows, maybe that's the lost healer?}
If Harvey picked it up, he didn't show it. I caught his mindlink to Gareth, {Yeah, alright. Proceed with caution, Gary.}
As I listened, I was half expecting the "telephone line" to break down, but it didn't. I don't know if I should take it as a testament to my betas' faithful reporting or well practiced deceit.
Anyway, the plot continued as if "Gary" was the one who just happened to stumble upon the old woman by the roadside all on his own.
Wait, why were my betas already on nickname basis with the OP Colored Mountain Prince?
Anyway, Gareth proceeded exactly as instructed - with utmost caution. I guess from his POV, this would only be necessary given the circumstances that he found himself, but from our POV...
{What the hell is he doing?} Ben was annoyed because instead of approaching the old woman we had artfully arranged by the roadside for him to find, Gareth stopped to survey the surroundings for traps or ambush.
He almost found us too. Luckily, Grandma Wanda stirred and moaned at the right moment. Gareth turned his attention back to the ditch. The darkness + our scentlessness + our good hiding spot + the way the headlights from his truck cast shadows in all the right places… we were very lucky.
I let out the breath I was holding as Gareth's back as his foot steps lightly crunched on the fallen leaves and twigs, but only very silently behind my hand. That was way too close.
Ki and Ben were still motionless on either side of me. It was like they couldn't believe our narrow escape. Why we were "escaping" my own wolf, I don't know - let's just pin this on Ben's "genius" Plan B. At least Ben was supposed to be a genius, but in my experience, even geniuses think up exceptionally stoopid ideas at times. And Ben had also ever had the occasional surprisingly mediocre ones. I guess it happens to the best of us. The problem with being a dumb wolf like me, was that I was never successful at discerning how the tree would fall.
Even now, I couldn't say for certain if Ben's Plan B was a genius one or a stupid one. I was still holding my breath in the shadow of our thicket, just waiting to see what Gareth would do next.
Maybe our first mistake was assuming that Gareth would have been quicker about the entire episode.
After checking and finding no sign of fighting or danger in the vicinity - Gareth actually made a quick check of the radius, he returned to check on the old woman. When he was ascertained that her breathing was steady, he moved one to check the basket next to Grandma Wanda and found her arm. Unfortunately, we couldn't see his expression, but he froze with it in his hand for a very obvious moment. And then I guess my Vanguard was made of sterner stuff. He shrugged and went back on mindlink to report.
I was sure I would have freaked out. In fact, I couldn't think of anything else in my gang who would have taken it so silently, or reported the matter so impassively. His report of the basket's contents was almost like he was reporting a grocery list.
Harvey very reluctantly instructed him to ice the arm in the cooler.... The same cooler transporting the men's beer.
It took a while, Gareth was very thorough with his investigation. The old woman had no ID, seemed to have survived a recent and severe wound, and was not in possession of wolfbane or weapons, although he could not be sure of the medical liquids and herbs in the basket and he had found a case of what he presumed were surgical instruments at the bottom of the basket. He could not be sure, but he wanted to make sure that he would not accidentally bring in anything that might threaten the safety of the Night Forest Pack House.
Harvey ran through a list of security checks with Gareth over the mindlink. He was very firm and patient, and accepted Gareth's every reported observation as if it was possibly very important detail.
{Arugghhh....} Ben was really at the end of his patience, {Just take her and go already!} But he only mindlinked that to me and Ki. Not Harvey, and absolutely not Gareth. I sighed behind my hand again. It wasn't that I didn't empathize, but if impatience had a smell, Ben would be a source of air pollution.
Eventually, Gareth did pick up the old woman, severed arm, and basket... And got them all into his truck one by one, in that order. Each exactly into the right place in his truck. The old lady into the passenger side of the truck cab, the basket in back, and the severed arm into the large cooler.
{Finally!} Ben grumbled at the departing truck. We were crouched and controlling our breathing. Like I said, Gareth had been very thorough, and none of us needed to say it to know that if we were even the tiniest bit careless, we would have given our presence away.
{He took at least 10 minutes!} Ben was still complaining. We were still waiting for the sound of the truck to fade away.
I was quite surprised. It had felt a lot longer. I released my own sigh into the cold night air once the truck engine faded completely, "That was too close."
"It's not always the most excellent wolves who are the most useful." Ki noted sanguinely.
"Should've used Jax." Ben muttered.
But Jax would've just dumped everything into the back of the truck!
Ki smiled like a flower to the sun and Ben realized, "So that's why you keep those two idiots around!"
Ki shrugged, a very Lorent shrug, "I never said anything like that beta."
Ben chuffed, his initial annoyance was replaced by cocky amusement. He was that sure he knew better. I wanted to say something - anything to wipe that smirk off his face, I even opened my mouth before the words came to mind…
And then we woke up. I hadn't meant to so I was as surprised as everyone else in the room when we found ourselves back in my family's suite at the Night Forest Pack House. I shot up from the coffee table my mouth still hanging open. Ki and Ben were stirring from either side of me.
"We're awake?" I asked, blinking in confusion. Wolfgang stopped in mid lecture to check his watch, "It's almost dawn."
"What are you doing here?" Ben asked accusingly. I turned to find Oscar. Poor Oscar, who had been sent by his Luna to sit in with us. Poor Oscar who was the only one awake all this while to bear the brunt of the economics lecture. Poor Oscar who was now being shaken roughly by the collar by his barbarian cousin, Ben.
"My luna said it was a learning opportunity I should not miss out on…" Oscar managed to choke out.
"Let him go, Ben." I said. Ben could be such a boar sometimes.
Ben responded by grunting. He dropped Oscar on the ground and growled savagely, "Dammit!"
Oscar shrank away from his furious cousin.
Meanwhile, Ki had all but ignored Ben's outburst and had taken to cleaning up the plates and books with his usual gentle smile. He was obviously rooting for Ben. I bet the two of them were probably up in arms about my privacy and sovereignty and whatnot being infringed upon or whatever. I mean, didn't they WANT my Aunt Jade and Oscar to be our alibi? Wasn't Oscar sitting through class with us EXACTLY PERFECT?
Wolfgang decided to officially end his class, "Well, we'll stop here for now…"
What did he mean, "for now"?
"I'll leave you with this last thought: What Is the Microeconomic Foundation of Inflation?"
I reverted to blinking again. What was what now?
"Just forget it Sam." Ben muttered under his breath, "It's a chicken and egg thing."
Oh, one of those. Yeah, the great teacher often extolled the virtues rhetorical questions. Unfortunately, Ben the genius forgot that Wolfgang was not the kind of teacher who would overlook a smart aleck.
"An interesting thought, beta." Wolfgang folded his arms, even though the words sounded like praise, his expression grim, "Please write an essay explaining how you came to such a conclusion."
"What the…" Ben cut himself off sharply, "Yes sir."
I guess Ben's genius mind must have realize he wouldn't win.
Wolfgang VS Ben = 1:0.