you know i agree with you that arguments are part of relationships, but personally i hate seeing people fight, especially when it gets to shouting point, you see, I was raised by Two drug addicts that claimed to believe in God, while still practicing witchcraft in the backyard, worse still my father was abusive, and at all little details he would yell, and in general lose control of his anger, and because of that im very odd, if i get in a shouting which is rare, i start mimicking him, then when the person shouts back im stuck in limbo between scared little kid and angry redfaced redneck, and my brain quits working and i quit trying to argue, more recently ive noticed that i just dont argue cause i know i will lose if im not thinking clearly and me angry is not a very smart person. have a good rest and im waiting ever patiently for your next post. oh and by the way i know what it is like to regret the loss of a friend who was close once before, but im happy to say i got back in touch and my two friends whom i had not spoken nor seen in person in a year and a half still treated me like a brother, and i gained some new friends when i saw them as well, so it was nice. oh and when you are the one in the wrong it usually helps to just force yourself to admit it out loud, because that way, you seem less like the kind of person who believes tat they are right even when they are wrong, in my short experience i have noticed it just makes me look like an idiot if i try and prove im right when i know im wrong, cause i run out of ways to argue pretty quickly... but yeah so good rest and im waiting for a post, bye!!

I really like the way you narrate. I'd like to write a bit more like you. Very interesting method of story telling. I was sucked in immediately.

Hey SS, welcome back!  Interesting to see Dawn take a bit more active role in story.  I must say that I really do find her character to be very intriguing.  Hope to see more soon and good luck w/the baby!

=] I read most of it and had to post my appreciation.

excellent work silent strider
keep going with it

I'm glad to see you back on the boards, Silent. You have been sorely missed my friend but we know things are rough right now. Take your time.

The moment ended with her reminding them they needed to return to Chris and Sean.  When they finally got back outside they found them right where they had left them and they were sitting around the patio table not saying a word.  As was becoming a habit Chris had her seat directly opposite of where Sean was at the circular table.  Both Tara and Dawn were just grateful to see that the two of them weren’t attacking each other.  For a split second Dawn actually wondered what it might be like if they both got into a fight and who would win.

        “It’s good to see that the two of you remained civil enough while we were gone,â€� Tara commented as they walked back up to the table

        “Of course I was.  I’m not the…â€� Chris started to say.

        “That’s okay,â€� Tara interrupted. “I don’t need to hear it.â€� She knew her friend well enough to be able to anticipate when she was about to say something derisive, and Chris’ lack of objection proved the point.  Dawn took a seat at the table and Tara had it in her mind to sit down as well, but when she looked around the fourth chair wasn’t there.

        “Where’s the other chair?â€� she asked aloud while at the same time scanning the immediate area.

        Chris twisted around in her seat and pointed out into the backyard. “It’s out there somewhere,â€� she said, without offering any further explanation.

        Tara followed the direction she was pointing in and searched the darkness for the missing piece of patio furniture. “What’s it doing out there?â€�

        “I was asking Chris how strong her telekinesis was,â€� Sean answered, “and she was willing to give me a free demonstration on something other than me, of which I’m grateful for.  She tossed it up in the air and it almost went over the barn, but it hit the roof instead and rolled off.  I can see it over there, but I doubt it’d be much good for sitting in again.â€�

        “You threw it all the way over there!â€� Dawn said in amazement as she too looked in the same direction. “What is that, like three hundred yards?!â€�

        Tara noted how Sean was watching Dawn, waiting for her to speak again and hoping her voice didn’t still carry the same hypnotic power it had before.  When his senses didn’t betray him he closed his eyes and breathed out, glad he wasn’t at the mercy of her voice any longer.  Likewise, Dawn also seemed to appreciate him not being possessed with staring at her with disturbing looks of extreme adoration.

        “Chris I think it’s great that you have such an impressive ability,â€� Tara said, readdressing her, “but do you think in the future you can be a little more discrete?â€�

        “Here.  You can have my seat,â€� Sean offered as he stood up. “I feel like taking a walk anyway.â€�

        “No need, I’ll walk with you,â€� Tara quickly changed her mind. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.â€�

        “Uhh, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,â€� he said with a look of concern straining his face.  Tara noticed what appeared to be a bead of sweat forming above his brow despite the cooler temperature.  It further supported her theory that he was resisting a transformation and his body was heating up in preparation.

        “Will you guys please stop trying to hide things,â€� Dawn protested. “No more secrets.  I kind of thought that’s what tonight was all about.â€�

        “Dawn’s right,â€� Tara agreed giving her friend a nod before she turned back to Sean. “I think I’m to blame for how you’re feeling right now.  I think the wolfsbane may have inadvertently agitated a transformation out of you.  Am I right?â€�

        Sean didn’t look anywhere else but directly at Tara’s face.  He didn’t bother trying to disguise anymore the internal battle he was waging against man and beast, and Tara felt like she was able to catch a brief glimpse of the feral strength Sean was temporarily keeping at bay.

        “You’re going to change?â€� Chris and Dawn shouted simultaneously, but the way they expressed themselves was quite different.  Dawn’s eyes lit up in excitement and it was easy to tell that she was thrilled with the possibility of actually getting to witness Sean’s transformation.  On the other end of the spectrum Chris’ eyes widened and her jaw went slack as the shocking realization hit her.  For a brief instant Tara was able to catch a glimpse of the underlining fear she felt toward him, and how horrified she felt with being around Sean’s alter ego.   

        “I can’t hold this back,â€� he explained. “I’ve got to change tonight, but I also know this area isn’t safe.  I’m not familiar with this place,â€� Sean gestured with his hand, “plus there’s a community of spellcasters not too far away.  Not exactly great for me to be risking this, but I don’t really have a choice now.  Do I?â€�

        Tara looked at him fully understanding and accepting responsibility for the situation she had placed him in. “I can help you,â€� she said with confidence.

        “How?  Are you going to keep me from changing?â€�

        “No, but I can point you in the right direction so that you don’t parade yourself in front of my elders.  You’ll be safe enough, plus I’ll also keep an eye out for you this way when you wake up you won’t be lost.â€�

        “Where are you going to do this?â€� Dawn asked in anticipation. “Can we watch?â€�

        Both Sean and Tara gave her a stern “Noâ€�.  She was taken aback by the double response, and it wiped the eagerness from her face.

        “You can’t count on us being safe around him when he’s a werewolf, Dawn,â€� Tara explained to her.

        “But he won’t hurt us though.â€�

        “How can you be so sure?â€� Tara challenged her.

        “Because, he was protecting Chris.â€�

        “That’s different.  He was acting purely on instinct,â€� Tara attempted to clarify. “When he detected those demonspawn he was drawn to them and it was their presence that forced him to turn into a werewolf.  He would’ve done that regardless if Chris was there or not.â€�

        “That’s not what I mean.  Didn’t you see how he practically stood over her as he fought, and then later when he wasn’t sure if the danger had completely gone he hovered over her protecting her with his own body?  And on top of all that why did he pick her up and carry her off the way he did?â€�

        No one said anything as they all considered What Dawn was telling them.  Each of them thought about it from their own perspective, but none of them could come up with an answer to satisfy her question.
   
        “I’m telling you he was protecting her,â€� Dawn reiterated her conclusion.

        “Maybe he was,â€� Tara admitted, “but there’s no reason for us to risk otherwise.  Besides I don’t think he’s going to be pleased to se me after he changes.  I tried helping him through a transformation this afternoon which didn’t go so well, and I’m pretty sure the werewolf part of him blames me for what I put him through.â€�

        “What’d you do?â€� Chris asked

        “I’ll tell you guys the details of it later as long as Sean doesn’t mind.â€� Tara paused and looked at Sean giving him a chance to show her how he felt about it.  He shook his head, indicating he didn’t mind, and she acknowledged it before continuing on. “But, right now I want to help him while I still have the time.â€�

        “It’s going to be a long night,â€� Tara said regretting the lack of sleep she’d been getting the past couple of days.  Now that the hard part of confessing to her friends was over the anxiety that had been keeping her awake was gone and exhaustion was setting in.  She resisted a yawn before it could stretch across her face and forced herself to start moving back toward the kitchen door. “The first thing I’m doing is going inside to get a jacket and then I’ve got to get something for Sean in order to track him later.â€�

         Tara led the way and all but Sean followed.  Dawn was the last one to head in, but when she realized he wasn’t joining them she stopped and looked back.  He had taken up a position leaning against the deck railing and was looking out into the dark landscape of the backyard.

        “Don’t you want to get a jacket too?â€� She asked him.

        Sean smiled at Dawn’s innocence and gently shook his head. “I won’t be needing one soon, so it doesn’t make much sense for me to wear one.â€�

        “Oh,â€� she replied, not completely grasping what he meant.

        “In fact I normally strip down to nothing before I change.  You know, clothes can get pretty expensive after a while.â€�

        “Oh!â€� This time Dawn got the picture and Sean didn’t have to look to tell she was mortified with the idea of him removing all of his clothes before changing and how she wanted to watch.  She shamefully hurried inside so she wouldn’t have to suffer him seeing her embarrassment.

        Sean didn’t have long to wait before they all came back out wearing jackets and looking more appropriate for the colder weather.  He was eager to get going and was ready as soon as the girls stepped outside, but Tara didn’t hesitate in walking right up to him prepared to address something so he waited to hear what she had to say.  Tara reached into her pocket and pulled out a white swath of silk and a pair of scissors which she opened and closed a couple of times so t hat the sound of its metal blades could be heard scraping against one another.
   
        “I require some of your hair.â€�

        “What for?â€� he asked looking warily at the tool she brandished in front of him.

        “So I can keep track of you and so you don’t wind up lost after you change back.  Don’t worry, I’m sure after you return to normal it’ll be like it was never missing.â€�

        Sean raised his eyebrows with reservation, but after a few seconds he shrugged accepting the idea.

        “If it’ll work then go ahead.â€� Before he could reconsider he leaned forward so Tara could have an easier time of reaching the top of his head and she snipped off some hair behind his left ear.  She collected it onto the white silk she held in her other hand.

        “That ought to do it,â€� Tara smiled with the amount she had.  She folded the piece of cloth around the white hair Sean donated and was very careful not to lose a single strand.  She tucked it away into her jacket pocket as she turned to Chris and Dawn telling them how’d she rather they stay at the house out of harms way while she escorted Sean to a relative safe location.

        “Absolutely not,â€� Chris answered in a sharp and decisive tone.

        “Excuse me, but that wasn’t a request.â€�

        “We’re coming with you,â€� Dawn joined in and Tara got the distinct feeling the two of them had a quick private discussion about what they were going to do during Sean’s transformation.

        “I thought I already told you both it’s not safe.â€�

        “Yea you did,â€� Chris agreed, “but you also said that you did something to piss off his werewolf side, and like Dawn pointed out he was trying to protect me.  If whatever you’ve got in mind doesn’t work then it might be better if I’m in between you two.  I figure he’ll be less likely to go through me to get to you.â€�

        “But there’s no telling for sure how he’ll behave or how dangerous he might be.  I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to protect you.â€�

        “Tara,â€� Chris used her name in a very obvious tone as she pointed in the direction of the barn where she had thrown the patio chair earlier. “Chair.  Hello?  I think I can hold my own if need be.â€�

        Tara stared back at her considering Chris’ words and she knew she wasn’t going to budge from her decision.  She had valid points and if the situation did turn dangerous then her telekinesis could indeed come in very handy.

        “Do I get a say in this?â€� Sean asked pointedly reminding everyone he was present and the subject of their conversation

        “Nope,â€� Chris responded without glancing at him and keeping her gaze firmly fixed on Tara.

        “Fine,â€� Sean said impatiently as he pushed himself away from the railing and headed down the deck steps. “I’ll let you guys work out whatever details you want, but I need to start moving.â€�

        It was evident to Tara how he had been trying to put off the inevitable change she imagined was clawing at his insides.  Time was running out for him and it was going to happen regardless of what anyone else did.  He didn’t have the luxury to wait for whatever they decided and she certainly wasn’t going to let him leave on his own.

        “Okay, come along then,â€� Tara conceded to the others, and they all followed after Sean.

        He walked at brisk pace across the wide open field toward the woods and was eager to put as much distance between him and the house.  The girls had trouble matching his stride and had to jog every now and then to keep from falling too far behind.  As they drew nearer to the line of trees Tara did her best to ask discreetly if the other two would be kind enough to give him a bit of distance for the sake of decency.

        Naturally, Chris couldn’t resist asking, “Why do you get the free peep show, and we don’t?â€�

        “Bah,â€� Tara responded waving Chris away and giving her a discouraging look. “Just do it,â€� she said and ran after Sean catching up to him while the others maintained their current speed allowing themselves to fall back about fifty feet.

        “It’s okay,â€� Chris shouted after her, “I didn’t really want to see him naked anyway.â€�

        “Chris!â€� Dawn said aloud, more than a little embarrassed for what she was suggesting.  Her reaction only served to make Chris snicker softly while they both stood there watching the darkened silhouette of Tara talking to Sean from a short distance away.  They could make out the sounds of their quiet voices but they weren’t able to hear anything clearly enough to understand what was being said.

        Tara came walking back to them soon enough carrying with her Sean’s clothes neatly folded and tucked under one arm and his sneakers in her other hand.

        “Ooo, Tara’s working her womanly wiles,â€� Chris openly teased.

        “Chris, stop it,â€� Dawn protested while at the same time trying to tuck her chin down lower and hide her smile so as not to undermine herself.

        “Wow, Dawn,â€� Chris continued, “if you turn anymore red your face is going to start glowing brighter than Rudolph’s nose.â€�

        Tara seemed immune to her humor and she stood in front of Chris directly addressing her. “I’m going to need your assistance after Sean is done transforming.â€�

        She took note of Tara’s serious disposition and waited to hear what else she had to say.

        “I want you to see if you can create a telepathic link between me and Sean’s werewolf self so that I can try to warn him which direction is safe for him to roam in.â€�

        “I thought you had some other plan for this,â€� Chris said, uncomfortable with the unexpected suggestion.

        “I do, but this would work better and it’ll make tonight go along a lot smoother if he’s willing to listen.  Look I realize that you’re afraid of him…â€�

        “I’m not afraid of him!â€� Chris snapped.  Her abrupt reaction shocked Dawn, but Tara kept her bearings and was unaffected by her sudden aggressive response.

        “Chris, I’m not arguing with you nor do we have the time.  I know you well enough to recognize what you’re feeling, and you don’t have anything to prove in front of me to validate your courage, but please don’t just listen to me, but hear what I’m saying.

        “It’s really important that when his werewolf persona first becomes aware of us that he doesn’t sense fear.  If we stay calm and don’t act frightened then he’ll be more likely to accept a mental link with you.  It might also make him willing to trust us in the future too.â€�

        Chris processed everything Tara told her and looked inside herself gauging if she could do what was being asked.  She was never one to back down from a challenge if for no other reason than pure stubbornness, and she wasn’t about to do so now either.  She steeled herself and gave Tara an affirmative nod as well as promising herself she wouldn’t let them down.  No sooner had she given her answer did they hear the first cry of pain from Sean.

        The sound of it split through the night air silencing all the background noise they hadn’t realized was there until now.  The crickets stopped their chirping, the nightingales went silent, and even the current in the air seemed to cease moving making everything around them stand with an unnatural stillness.  It affected Chris the most and for a second her resolve was shaken, but she compensated by forcing herself to think about her friends.  She needed to protect them and she adjusted her attitude accordingly taking a couple of steps forward to be between them and Sean.  Her attention was focused on the spot where he was now on his hands and knees dealing with the pains of his transformation.

        They could see his shadowy shape alternating between moments of stiffness and grotesque spasms that stretched his current form.  The eerie quiet that had settled around them served to amplify every sound Sean’s transformation made, and they could hear his joints popping and realigning themselves while his bones remade themselves to support a much larger from.  In between his screams his shape continued to grow in a somewhat disproportional manner becoming larger and heavier with increasing muscle mass.  It was hard to see clearly the finer aspects of his change since the moon was barely a sliver in the sky which amplified the affects of the darkness, but during all the disturbing sounds he made thick hair was replacing the smooth surface of his skin and the fresh coat of white fur appeared to make it slightly easier to see his new massive form.

        At one point he actually managed to rise straight up standing several feet taller on legs that hadn’t completely changed into a wolf’s digitigrade foot, and he arched his back throwing his arms out wide while screaming into the night air.  In the midst of his nightmarish display his face cracked and stretched pushing outward to form the muzzle and head of a wolf.  The agonizing yell he had started with became a frighteningly powerful roar that trailed off into an eerie howl as the last of the air was pushed out of his lungs.  The creature Sean had become managed to take a couple of steps toward the woods, furthering his distance from his unwanted spectators before his misshapen legs caused him to stumble back to the ground where he writhed some more in the midst of the final stages of his torturous transformation.

        The girls were riveted to their spots unable to turn away as they watched and listened in horrified fascination while the unbelievable happened right before their eyes.  Even though Tara had seen a couple of transformations before, it was quite different seeing it happen to someone she personally knew, and it left her as speechless and paralyzed as the other two girls.

        Gradually the beast Sean had become stopped thrashing about and laid still in a massive heap on the ground.  None of them spoke and they all watched, frozen, waiting to see what the werewolf would do and how it would react to their presence.  The mound of fur rapidly rose and fell with each breath while the exhausted creature laid there recovering from the physical strain.  Finally the monstrous shape rolled to his feet in a fluid motion right where he was so that he faced the girls. 

        He stayed in a crouching position with his hands on the ground staring straight at the three of them.  His golden feral eyes captured what little light was present and reflected it back at them with an intense unblinking stare, evaluating his present company to determine if they were a threat or not.  Slowly he rose to his full height in an intimidating fashion and expressed himself as a dominant presence.

        Softly Tara whispered, “Okay Chris, let’s see if he’s willing to listen.â€�

        Chris heard her, but she wasn’t able to follow through.  She knew she was supposed to use her telepathy to contact the mind of the monster in front of her, but she couldn’t process anything other than her fight or flight instinct.  She wanted to run back to the house and lock the doors behind her despite how unpractical the idea was, but since she knew that was hopeless the only other thing she could think of doing was lashing out offensively and telekinetically shoving the thing as hard and far away from her as she possibly could.  She had enough awareness of the situation to know neither of the two options were what was being asked of her, but she couldn’t clear her head well enough to act accordingly.  She wanted to be anywhere else other than there and she closed her eyes unable to cope. 

        She knew her emotions weren’t allowing her to act rationally so she employed a similar trick to what she had done for Sean earlier and detached herself from her feelings, shoving them to a distant part of her mind so she was no longer at their mercy.  When she opened her eyes again she was calmer and more in control, and understood clearly what was expected of her.  With a purely neutral mind she extended her awareness toward the werewolf in front of her and tuned into its thoughts.  For a brief moment she felt a cautious resistance on his part, but sensing no apparent aggression from her he allowed her to make mental contact with him and waited to see what the strangers wanted to communicate.  She felt like his mental presence was the equivalent to an avalanche hanging over her head held at bay by his will alone.  He was strong and sure of himself and had the strength of mind to more than just kick her out if he so desired.  He made sure Chris understood that if she provoked him he’d have no problems severing his side of their connection and likely hurting her in the process.

        Chris thought it wise to make her intentions clear and shared with him using her mind that the short Wizard wanted to convey information with the intentions of keeping him safe and out of harms way.  She could feel a strong dislike from the werewolf directed at Tara, but he took no aggressive action nor did he reject Chris’ presence.  He was simply letting her know Tara was not someone he welcomed, but he would remain long enough to hear what she had to say.

        Satisfied with the response she told Tara, “He doesn’t like you but he’s willing to listen to you.â€�

        Tara nodded her head accepting his mood without blaming him.  It was understandable in light of recent events, and she considered herself fortunate enough he was agreeable to hear her out and not attack her.

        While maintaining her connection to Sean’s werewolf persona Chris reached her mind out to Tara, who was already prepared, and included her into the telepathic link.  Tara’s mind flowed evenly and smooth as a steady stream of cool water and she projected confidence without making any challenging overtures toward the werewolf.

        She knew she was less than welcomed and wanted to get her point across to Sean’s alter ego as quickly as possible before he decided to bolt.  She raised one of her arms and pointed to her left nearly following the borderline of the forest.  As she did she projected images of her elders and warned him that there were many spellcasters in that direction making it a dangerous place for him to wander.  She then raised her other hand and pointed it toward the thick of the forest angling it to the right and she let him know that area was relatively safe and no one would bother him there.  She held her pose for a short while letting him evaluate her honesty and the message she presented before she lowered them, and all he did was watch.

        Tara fully expected him to take off running either before she was able to finish what she wanted to say or immediately afterwards, but instead he continued to stand where he was, remaining very neutral and keeping his intentions a mystery.  Eventually he seemed to relax and he slowly lowered himself down to the ground and into a crouch.  Gently he tipped his head back, angling it up in the direction of the moon and emitted a howl that started off with a very low pitch.  Gradually the sound increased steadily in loudness and force, but never to a point where it became irritating to the ears.  It was as though the werewolf was expressing itself in a deep mournful cry to the moon and his voice sang with an ethereal quality that for some reason tugged on her heart with the faintest hint of sadness.  Never before had she heard anything like it, and she found herself captivated by the wild beauty of it.

        Faster than her eyes could process what she was seeing, the white beast disappeared into the forest without a trace of where he had entered it.  Not a single leaf or branch swayed to indicate it was disturbed by his passing.  The only thing he left behind was the ghostly echo of his howl as it faded away into the night.

        “Where’d he go?â€� Chris asked suddenly, glancing to her left and right and even behind her.

        Tara reached into her pocket and dug her fingers through the swath of silk until she felt the hair she had taken from Sean just minutes ago.  She held it between her fingers and concentrated on what she knew Sean’s aura to be like and within a few seconds she was able to intuitively sense his direction and approximately how far he was.  She couldn’t help but to feel shocked when she realized he had already made it more than a mile away from them and he was still making distance.  Tara assured Chris of his location and they were all more than a little impressed by it, but Tara was also disappointed.  If he could make it that far in such a short period of time it wasn’t going to make her job any easier of having to go and collect Sean from wherever he finally ended up.  She feared she had a long night ahead of her and a sleepless morning.  With that dreadful thought in mind she started to head back to the house fully intending on drinking several cups of coffee to ensure she kept her promise to Sean.

Last edited by SilentStrider (2010-10-12 13:41:48)

haha nice segment!! It was good, i liked the way you descibed the mind of the werewolf almost as if the training that sean had also affected his werewolf persona making it above average in mental capacity D

:DDDDDD thats awesome man, whatever you can post whenever its all cool, we all have a lot of things to deal with in life, its completely fine if you can't always post immediately :DDD

Never lost a one

Great ...just awesome, i love it, keep it going mate

The Cole Trains Back Baby!!!