Bear Coast Read online

  Katya shouted in an attempt to snap her gang out of the initial shock.

  “The psycho’s lost it! Focus!” she shouted confidently.

  Sara lunged forward wildly and without control, Katya was able to easily out-manoeuvre her and land a few hits, including a blow that stunned Sara out of her emotional overflow.

  Panting and sweating as she came out of her daze, Sara was no longer fit for fighting, crippled by her loss of control despite still being on her feet.

  “Now we make her pay,” said Lixt darkly, getting up after having been thrown onto the dirt.

  “Not today,” came a commanding voice from the other side of the courtyard.

  All turned to see Sara’s mother Sallice as she rode towards them across the courtyard. A relieved Jammet and Jameen followed behind her on foot.

  Sallice dismounted and walked up to the girls.

  Sara was still disorientated and the four girls regrouped between Sallice and her daughter. Still in a fighting frame of mind the four girls were reluctant to back down.

  “She’s had this coming for some time,” said Katya as a reflex, still aggressive.

  “Possibly true,” said Sallice calmly, walking up to the group confidently.

  The four girls were still projecting hostility, despite being confronted by an adult.

  “Honestly thinking of fighting an adult?” said Sallice with a shrewd smile, her long brown hair playing in the wind.

  Sara had regained enough of her composure to realise what was happening around her, though she was still too shaken-up to act.

  “No one cares about what happens to a Kelgorn,” said Katya arrogantly, though it was more posing then anything else.

  “If you think it is that easy,” challenge the older Anthro wolf, throwing her hands open to the side as an invitation.

  Before the girls could react, Sallice calmly stepped forward, her voice suddenly taking on a seductive tone.

  “I’d relish the opportunity to tangle with you four,” she almost whispered, her hand raising to lightly tough the tip of Katya’s chin. The older wolf’s tail swished back and forth playfully.

  The physical act was enough to unsettle the concentration of the four girls. Sallice instantly turned her emotional projection up overwhelmingly, though not with hostility, but first seduction, quickly and skilfully followed by revulsion.

  The four girls reeled back, Sallice also let out a wave of aggression, to show just how powerful she could be, before switching her projection once again to empathy. The emotional manipulation was even more imposing due to the complete lack of an obvious visible change to Sallice’s expression, despite the diverse emotional projections she was sending.

  The four girls were in complete disarray, taking an uncertain step back.

  “You’re sick,” said Katya backing away, her voice uncertain and a little bit shaky.

  “Pass on my regards to your mother for me” said Sallice sweetly, then her facial expression turned serious, her piercing glare staring right through the four girls.

  The last glare was enough to send the girls packing.

  Jammet and Jameen took a step to the side as the girls ran past to their horses.

  “Wow Mrs. Kelgorn,” said Jameen approvingly as she ran up to Sara’s mother, “you sure showed them!”

  Sallice smiled at the compliment.

  “Where did you learn to switch your projections so quickly?” asked Jameen with genuine interest.

  “Growing up in a Wolf Kingdom orphanage might be tough,” stated Sallice, feeling no shame in referring to her past, “but it does force you to develop a few additional skills quickly.”

  Jammet had made his way over to Sara. He was not in high spirits, seemingly disturbed by the display of emotional power he had just witnessed from the females.

  “Are you ok Sara?” he asked with concern, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

  Sara was leaning forward a bit in an attempt to compose herself.

  “I’ll be fine,” replied Sara.

  Sara’s golden eye’s lifted back up to look at her mother as she moved closer. The young wolf was having trouble figuring out if she was more annoyed at being saved by her mother, or more impressed with the powerful control she had just seen her mother use. Sara was also annoyed with herself for losing control so easily, she had remembered using much higher aggression when fighting with Trex… what had just gone wrong?

  “You know that you shouldn’t turn up your aggression too quickly” Sallice reminded her daughter in a neutral tone.

  “I know that,” snapped back Sara in annoyance.

  Being reminded of her error had helped her decide in which way she wished to react to her mother.

  Sallice recognised that she was already on the wrong foot with her daughter, but that was nothing new. The older woman frowned.

  The temporary silence compelled Sara to add another comment.

  “I’ve beaten three of them before. I just misjudged it, that’s all…”

  The edge to Sara’s tone lessened and she stood up straight, a deep breath getting her composure back.

  “So this happens more often then, does it?” asked Sara’s mother, obviously referring to the fighting.

  Sara didn’t immediately reply, and the way Jammet and Jameen avoided the gaze of Sallice confirmed the matter.

  Sara recognised that her friends had divulged the answer with their body language. Frowning, she felt it necessary to clarify the situation.

  “Why should the kids here treat a Kelgorn any differently then the rest of the wolves do?”

  The comment stung Sara’s mother, who knew very well that social stigma often hit children the hardest.

  “It has gotten a lot better,” offered Sallice.

  “Not everywhere,” replied Sara.

  Sara had not had the time to sit back and wait for things to get better for her at school. With the help of her grandfather she had fought back, and although things were still tough for her now, they were still considerably better than they had been. And at least this way, she had some semblance of control.

  There was a moments silence as Sallice was lost in her thoughts. The sound of rustling leaves in the light breeze was the only thing audible. Sallice suddenly seemed to make up her mind.

  “I’m going to have a talk with Mrs. Fintlick,” said Sara’s mother, “tie Zars up for me would you.”

  Sallice was referring to her horse Zars who was standing in the middle of the courtyard. Without another word said, she then walking towards the schoolhouse.

  “You had better not talk about the fighting,” half demanded, half pleaded Sara to her mother on the way past.

  Sallice stopped for a second to reply.

  “I wouldn’t do that,” she said before moving on.

  Sara looked on in a mixture of confusion and concern.

  A few minutes later Sara found herself sitting on a small retaining wall next to the stables in the shade of a large old tree. Either side of her sat her friends to keep her company. Their horses milled around in front of them near the trough.

  “You have to admit that you’re mother was pretty cool,” said Jameen, leaning back with one leg up on the wall, the other dangling over the edge.

  “Yeah, I know,” said Sara in a defeated tone, she had obviously made some type of peace internally, and her expression was much more relaxed.

  “I bet that’s the first time Katya had anyone show attraction towards her, even if it was only staged,” continued Jameen in a jovial manner.

  “No wonder she was so shocked,” said Jammet with a chuckle, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

  Despite his jovial voices, his posture clearly showed something was on his mind.

  Jameen laughed at her brother’s jibe.

  “It’s still embarrassing though,” said Sara quietly.

  She couldn’t help but slight smile herself, remembering Katya’s expression. She sighed to herself, before looking at her two friends.


  “Thanks for coming over to help by the way, even if I did then send you away,” Sara said honestly.

  “Sure,” said Jammet, though not positively.

  Jameen hesitated to reply, as she had really been dragged into the situation by her brother. But she was sure she would have stepped forward had the situation gotten too out of hand.

  Now not caught up in herself anymore Sara examined Jammet more closely, he was far from his more enthusiastic self.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked the young light brown furred wolf, his sandy blond fringe falling in front of his eyes.

  “Yeah, it’s just…” started Jammet as he composed his words.

  Given the close bond between the three it was not unusual for them to share their inner feelings.

  “I just felt so useless, I wouldn’t have stood much of a chance against any of them,” he lamented openly.

  Sara frowned, unsure of how to console him.

  “I think the days of being able to mix it up with the girls in the playground are long over,” said Jameen honestly, less concerned with protecting the brothers pride.

  “Thanks,” said Jammet with huff, not consoled at all.

  Sara looked from Jameen’s honest, goofy smile over to her dejected brother, trying to figure out how to cheer him up.

  “You haven’t really ever faced emotional projection before have you?” she asked the young male.

  “Not like that,” admitted Jammet, “only what you get normally from adults and some older girls on the street, or from mum or Mrs. Fintlick when they’re angry with me.”

  “I would hope so,” interjected his twin sister, “the idea is that no-one has to deal with such aggression.”

  “Doesn’t help you if you are confronted by it though,” continued Jammet.

  There was a pause as Sara thought.

  “It’s a shock the first time,” she said sympathetically, “it’s difficult to realise how strong an individual has become emotionally when there are no real physical changes to match.”

  “It must be even harder for males, considering you are actually bigger then the females that are stronger,” Sara continued, following a train of thought.

  “Maybe I should get rougher with you more often,” suggested Jameen to her brother.

  Jammet gave his sister a frown, the idea that she was now much stronger then him, even if she didn’t show it, was somehow annoying.

  Sara felt a bit of sympathy for the male wolf, knowing deep down that they didn’t always have it easy.

  “It’s just a matter of getting used to. My father could easily have dealt with those four, one way or the other,” said Sara.

  “But he’s still no match for your mother” countered the young male beside Sara.

  “I doubt many are,” interjected Jameen honestly from the side.

  “You can only be so strong, after that, it’s all down to skill and training,” continued Sara.

  She was thinking laterally as a means to cheer her friend up, and was actually repeating a line she had heard from her grandfather. Sara continued to adapt the training she had received from her old relative, as it actually fitted well in this case

  “Girls have naturally more strength thanks to their emotions,” continued Sara, “but if they just sit back and rely on it, eventually your skill will be more then a match, particularly once weapons are involved.”

  Jameen cringed at the word weapons, not really liking the idea of violence, let alone more intense violence.

  Jammet looked up with interest.

  “Just take that male Sage for example. Or even that crusty older exile I told you about, they would be more then a match for most female soldiers.”

  Jammet thought about this for a second, obviously somewhat motivated.

  “It’s not worth becoming an exile just to be able to beat a female in a fight though,” interrupted Jameen with an air of authority. She then continued.

  “Remember that most wolf females don’t like the idea of an overly strong male,” she stated. “And a single male still doesn’t get far now a days, even if it has gotten much better since dad was a cub.”

  Jammet seemed to accept this, though Sara’s words were still comforting on some level.

  “Thanks,” he said simply.

  There was a pause before Jammet’s sister Jameen spoke up again.

  “So what happened?” she suddenly asked Sara, “you know, before… with losing control?”

  Jameen judging that enough time had passed to be able to ask the sensitive question.

  Sara thought about this a bit before answering.

  “I’m not sure…” she said simply, “I was sure that my aggression was much lower then I had been able to manage with Trex against the exiles, but somehow… I just, don’t know. Maybe I’m just out of practice. I haven’t really been in a fight since my parents have come to pick me up each day…”

  Sara was not really certain herself.

  “What do you think your mother is talking about with Mrs. Fintlick?” asked Jammet, now more up beat and changing the subject.

  “I really don’t know,” said Sara honestly, “I’m not really told what’s going on anymore, I’m just told what to do.”

  A slight annoyance was noticeable in her tone.

  “That sucks,” said Jameen honestly.

  “Well here she comes,” announced Jammet, spotting Sallice as she emerged from the schoolhouse.

  Sallice made her way over to the three, walking up to them with a determined expression, obviously something more important had taken place.

  “Jammet, Jameen,” Sallice said to the two youngsters. “Could I talk to my daughter alone?”

  The three youngsters looked at each other, what was about to be discussed had to be interesting.

  It was a few minutes later and Sallice and her daughter were riding slowly side by side down the dirt road. Leaf-litter was strewn over the occasionally muddy track.

  Far ahead up the road, Jameen and Jammet were just in sight on their horses. They obviously wanted to keep an eye on the two out of pure curiosity.

  “You are not going to ask me what I discussed with your teacher?” asked Sallice, the two having ridden in silence for a while now.

  “You’ll tell me when I need to know,” replied Sara coolly, more as a protest against seemingly always being kept in the dark by her mother.

  The older brown furred wolf gave her daughter a side glance before continuing causally.

  “You won’t have to worry about those girls anymore.”

  Sara’s head snapped around, but she bit her tong.

  “I’m transferring you to the mixed school at Bridgehead,” said Sallice.

  From her tone and body language, it was apparent that the decision had obviously not been an easy one, or a sudden one.

  Sara was too confused to reply, not expecting this development at all.

  “Is that even allowed?” Sara asked eventually, still in mild shock.

  “Me and your father have been thinking about this for a while,” said Sara’s mother. “We came to the idea when Fera talked about how good the schools in Bridgehead were. We’ve checked with both sets of officials and there’s no rule directly against the transfer, even if it is unheard of.”

  Sara’s mind was racing, due to the unusual political agreements between the Wolf Kingdom district of Torstberg and the Lion Empire controlled RefugeCross and the lower planes, wolves taught under the lion system were recognised by the Wolf education bureaucracy, if only to allow the occupied wolves the ability to repatriate if necessary. But Sara had never heard of an Anthro wolf from the wolf territories ever going to an occupied territories school before. Sara also mused darkly that it would not have been too much trouble to convince Mrs. Fintlick to allow her to leave.

  “Bridgehead is twice as far as it is to school,” said Sara automatically, her thoughts still racing. The thought of loosing her friends was not an issue for Sara as the only ones she had
were her neighbours, who she saw mostly out of school anyway.

  “I know,” said Sallice coolly.

  Sara’s mother was also fully aware that Bridgehead was in the opposite direction from Sara’s grandfather, and also much easier to police.

  Sara suddenly realised what her father had been doing on those few trips away recently.

  “But you might only be attending it part time anyway” continued Sallice.

  Sara gave her mother a questioning look.

  “We have accepted an offer from Sage Filfia to potentially take you as an apprentice.”

  “You’ve what!?” said Sara in shock, partially at what her mother had said, and partially due to such a large decisions having been taken without her.

  “You can’t do that!” shouted Sara.

  “I can’t?” replied her mother, one eyebrow raised.

  “Not without talking about it to me first,” continued Sara, struggling to keep up with the new information.

  On their own, Sara may actually have found either one of the developments favourable. But as they had been forced on her, and so suddenly, she could only see that she was being ordered around once again.

  “Sara,” said her mother seriously, “I do have some idea of the trouble you’ve had at school, and this is a good opportunity for a new start. Also, Sage Filfia came to us with the request to take you as an apprentice, do you know what kind of an honour that is?”

  Sara was lost in her own thoughts. She had to admit that her position at school had been difficult, even her grades were slipping due to the amount of ‘distractions’ she had to deal with each day.

  Anger welled up within the young Anthro wolf, her mind would simply not look past the fact that her life was outside of her control.

  “You can’t just order me around like this, it’s my life!” she offered as a basic counter.

  “And a fine mess you’ve made of it with your choices!” replied Sallice sharply.