Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance (32 page)

them and she was completely stunned.

Tears of gratitude slipped from her eyes and she took

Kenny's hand in hers and squeezed tightly. She then encircled

Justin in her arms in an effort to show him how happy she

was that he was alive and how grateful she was for his help,

but he stood stiff and unyielding in her embrace.

Confused, Laura pulled away and pretended not to notice

his indifference. There were many questions that would

remain unanswered and many words that should be spoken

between them that would go unsaid.

They all knew that if they were anywhere near
Coba
' when

Laura was discovered missing, they could not hope to escape

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by Lorraine Kennedy

the wrath of Dark Claw. They could delay their departure no

longer. The five people crowded into the jeep and wasted no

time leaving the ruins of
Coba
' behind them.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

Laura gazed down from her balcony, and again she was

full of wonder at the beauty
of Coyopa'
. When gazing upon

the splendor of the city, it was not difficult to imagine that it

was truly the Garden of Eden. Laura had been given a room

in what she could only describe as a castle. The monolithic

structure stood at the top of a plateau overlooking the city.

A crisp morning breeze caressed her skin, bringing with it

the scent of flowers and pine. Laura was sure she had never

seen a sight as stunning as
Coyopa
' bathed in the golden

morning sunlight. Everywhere her eyes fell was the sight of

colorful flowers, and lush vegetation, crystal clear waterfalls

and creeks that glittered with the gold dust that was so

abundant here.

The architecture of the city was distinctly medieval, but at

the same time there were numerous modern conveniences.

There was electricity and running water as well as many other

luxuries. Justin's cousin, Ben, had been her mentor the past

week and had taught Laura many things about
Coyopa
'.

Ben told her that the city's electricity came from windmill-

powered generators that had been brought in many years

ago, and of course the residents of
Coyopa
' frequently

traveled between their world and the world of mortal men,

bringing back with them various items. Laura smiled as she

remembered the animation with which the little boy would

speak of
Coyopa
'.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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Laura's thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked

at her bedroom door.

Anna—the woman who had been assigned to be her

personal maid, entered—carrying a breakfast tray. From her

first morning in
Coyopa
', Laura had decided she much

preferred to take her breakfast on the balcony instead of in

the large dining room of the castle's main floor. The peaceful

mornings had a way of calming the turbulence in her soul.

She had been in
Coyopa
' a week and hadn't seen Justin

since he had deposited her at the estate. It was as if even the

sight of her repelled him. Laura was sure that Justin had

saved her from Dark Claw out of a sense of responsibility and

not love. The truth of that cut more deeply than anything

ever had.

Laura hadn't told Justin of her pregnancy, and had sworn

her grandfather and Kenny to secrecy. Though they deeply

disapproved, they had agreed. She wouldn't have Justin come

to her out of obligation. Laura would accept nothing less than

his complete love.

The aroma of fresh baked bread and sausage drifted from

the tray Anna had placed on the table. Laura was ravenous in

the mornings. Her appetite was sometimes embarrassing but

she attributed it to her body's growing need for nutrition.

As she ate, her mind wandered back to her escape from

the
Baalam
. Just the memory of Dark Claw filled her heart

with fear. A fear that was more for her child than herself.

Once they had reached New Mexico, Laura had steadfastly

refused to accompany Justin back to Wyoming.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

The fury on his face when she had refused to get into the

car with Kenny and her grandfather and follow him back to

Wyoming—brought a smile to her face, even now.

It was finally her grandfather who had convinced her to

come. Busby took Laura aside and reminded her that she and

the child wouldn't be safe without Justin's protection. Knowing

this was true, Laura had finally agreed to make the trip to the

fabled city of
Coyopa
'.

When Anna returned to fetch the breakfast tray she

brought with her a gown. "There is to be a dinner party

tonight and Gray Eagle has sent this for you to wear."

Laura had to bite her tongue to keep from commenting on

His Highnesses' high and mighty attitude. What made him

think she even wanted to go to this party?

"I will help you dress this evening," Anna told her as she

was hanging the beautiful green silk garment in the closet.

"Thank you." Laura smiled.

There was no sense in taking it out on Anna, when it was

Justin that she wanted to lash out at. The gown was the first

sign of interest he had shown in her since her arrival, and it

was clear that she was being commanded to attend this

dinner party.

She was beginning to feel like she was as much of a

prisoner here, as she had been with Dark Claw. She was not

even allowed to venture out without an escort.

Laura was very thankful for Ben's presence. She knew that

the little boy was not exactly Justin's idea of an escort, but as

of yet, no one had commented on it. She could only assume

that Justin hadn't been told her preference of escorts.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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Ben always brought a smile to her lips. The little boy was

like a ray of sunshine breaking through the black clouds of

her heart. She imagined her son would be a little like Ben,

and she was sure it was a boy, it is what the prophecy

predicted.

Laura dressed and went in search of Ben. She found him at

the stables with the same idea that she'd had.

"I knew you might want to go riding this morning, Miss

Laura, so I came down early to saddle Starlight for you."

Starlight was the black mare that Laura had become

attached to on her first day in
Coyopa
'.

"Thank you, Ben."

The two of them walked the horses down the steep road

that led from the castle to the city. The contrast of the people

in modern dress against the medieval background reminded

Laura of some kind of weird art—a painting that merged two

different times into one.

The favored form of transportation appeared to be the

horse and carriage, though she had spotted a bicycle here

and there.
Coyopa
' resembled some depictions Laura had

once seen of nineteenth century Paris, though it was nowhere

near as large or as populated.

"Why don't we explore outside of the city today?" Laura

suggested.

Ben wrinkled his forehead. "Hmm ... I don't know.

Outerlands
can be dangerous, and if Justin found out ... I'd be

in hot water."

"Are there no places that are not unsafe that we can visit?"

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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"Well...." Ben seemed to be in deep thought. "I guess we

could go visit my friend Dedar. He lives in
Kitchali
, which isn't

too far from here."

"Okay," Laura agreed. "We should get going then. You lead

the way," she told him as she was mounting her horse.

Moments later they were leaving behind the tiny cottages

and shops that dotted the outskirts of the city, and soon had

entered the forest. In some places the towering pines grew so

thick they threatened to choke out the path they traveled. A

slight breeze whispered through the trees, filling the forest

with its ghostly sound.

Before long they came to a side road. As they passed,

Laura saw that a large, wrought iron gate blocked it.

"Where does that road go?" she asked out of curiosity.

"It is the Keep. That's where they send those that are too

dangerous to the human world, and ours."

"Oh." Laura shuddered, wondering just how vicious

someone had to be to be locked up by a race like the

Sungmanitu
.

When they came to a fork in the road, Ben veered right. As

they moved through the woods, Laura noticed that the trees

began to thin until they entered a valley of green grass and

rolling hills. Splashes of bright yellow were strewn across the

landscape where patches of giant sunflowers grew wild.

"This is beautiful," Laura said, taking deep breaths of the

fresh, spring-like air.

Ben smiled. "It's not much further now."

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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After cresting a hill, they could see into a small valley

below. Everywhere were large fruit trees, and the distinct

aroma of oranges drifted up to them.

"This is
Kitchali
," Ben told her as he started down the hill.

When reaching the valley floor, Laura saw that some of the

trees were much bigger than they had appeared to be from

the top of the hill. Long ladders rested against the trunks of

the trees. In the tops of some of the trees were what looked

to be little huts made of branches and grass.

The inhabitants of
Kitchali
were busily climbing up and

down the ladders, and tossing fruit into large baskets.

Ben dismounted, and he motioned for Laura to do the

same.

"Ben!" a voice called.

Following the sound of the voice, Laura saw its owner with

his head and harms sticking out a round window of one of the

bizarre looking tree houses. The small arm was waving

frantically at them.

"I've come to pay you a visit," Ben told him as he waved

back.

It was almost comical the way the little man scrambled

down the ladder.

"So you have ... so you have." A near toothless grin spread

across Detar's deeply lined face.

The little man could have been no more than three feet

tall, beneath his derby hat was a mass of virtually white hair.

His blue eyes examined Laura.

"This is Laura, my cousin's guest from beyond the falls,"

Ben explained to his friend.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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"Hmm . . .." Detar walked around Laura, inspecting her

closely, even poking at her with his stubby fingers, which

brought a laugh from Ben.

"She looks normal enough," Detar declared.

"Well of course I look normal! What did you think I'd look

like?" Laura spoke for the first time, her face telling of her

irritation at being poked at.

"Detar hasn't been up close to a human before," Ben

laughed at her annoyance.

Again, the midget's small, chubby fingers poked at Laura's

stomach. "Does he know about this?" he asked with a

cackling laugh.

Startled, Laura backed away.

Ben looked on with some confusion. "Is everything okay?"

he asked.

"Is it?" Detar shot Laura a serious look.

She was dumbstruck, not knowing what to say.

The little man laughed again. "I think it's a secret."

Laura quickly looked over to Ben, fearful he might have

guessed what Detar was talking about. The boy still appeared

confused, and Laura
knew
she was. How had the dwarf

guessed?

"Don't worry none, Detar will keep your secret," he told

her as he patted her back in a fatherly gesture.

After Laura's initial discomfort, she began to enjoy their

visit. The people of
Kitchali
were all as small as Detar, and

were just as amusing. They welcomed her with open arms,

showing her around their community that consisted mostly of

the tree houses. She learned that the
Kitchis
, as they were

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

known—grew most of the fruit for
Coyopa
, and the

surrounding villages. They were also medical intuitive, and

extremely valued for their abilities. After learning this, Laura

realized how it was the Detar knew of her baby.

Soon it was time to leave, and Detar made Laura promise

to come and visit again. Upon returning to
Coyopa
, the scent

of brewing coffee drifted from a corner cafe and Laura

suggested they stop and rest there.

The sign that hung above the door read, "The Wolf's Den".

Laura found a small table near the window so that they

could look out onto the street while they had their