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Subject: {ASSM} The Challenge Universe 4/4: Mind Home 3/3: Pack Brother, The Crisis Years, and Beyond (zoo, best, alternate reality) TBD
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Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:10:02 -0400
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The Challenge Universe 4/4: Mind Home 3/3: Pack Brother, The Crisis
Years, and Beyond (zoo, best, alternate reality)
---

Mind Home: Smoke and Joseph

    First of all, I want to thank Equine for allowing me to place this
in his world.

    Briefly, his stories take place on a world where there are
horse-human pairs called Scouts. Part of the final Bonding process
involves mutual telepathy triggered by sexual intercourse.

    I felt that since there were horses, there could very well be dogs
and wolves. And if there are wolves, well...

    Read the following story.

    As always, if you are offended by consensual caring sexual
partnerships between humans and animals, read no further.

       A style convention in all these stories is the use of normal
quotes for normal speech and doubled quotes for telepathic speech.
    ---

    Pack-Brother
    Pack Brother - chapter 1
    ---

    ""Hail, Pack-Brother.""

    "Ouch! Damn!" This as I jerk my head up and hit one of the barn's
rafters. "Huh?"

    ""I said - Hail, Pack-Brother.""

    Again the unfamiliar and unexpected female voice speaks quietly in
my mind.

    I am in the loft with one of the bitches we own.

    We have been enjoying ourselves immensely.

    That is to say we have been making love for the last couple of
hours.

    Since the rest of my family went to town, I figured I could relax
a bit and do some leisurely love-making with some of our bitches.

    The last thing I expected was to be mentally spoken to just after
finishing one of our sessions.

    My preferences aren't a secret. Just that sometimes guaranteed
privacy is welcome in a place where it is seldom available.

    As I become more aware of my surroundings, I realize we have
company.

    A female wolf is calmly settled on her haunches and is watching
us.

    Beautiful is the only word to describe her.

    When I realize I have started wondering what it would be like to
be with her, I blush.

    I never dreamed I would get a chance to see a wolf up close.

    Glimpses of shadowed forms in the distance are all I ever get. All
I ever expected.

    I do know that selected people live with wolves and are called
Pack-Brothers or Pack-Sisters.

    I know that they work with the Scouts in keeping order in the
wilderness areas.

    More so than the Scouts, Pack-Mates are a quiet and withdrawn part
of our lives. Most of the time, they are people to be admired from
afar.

    I never thought to wonder how much more there was to them.

    To be greeted as a 'Pack-Brother' is a surprise that leaves me
barely able to think.

    "Nay, Sister. I am only a youth who wants to be a farmer as his
parents are." Long ago, my parents managed to convince me that if
nothing else, I should be courteous when I disagree with someone.

    I am rewarded with a very real mental and physical grin.

    ""Your ancestors were more than simple farmers. ""People forget.
The Guardians do not. "" *She* knows."" The wolf's nose is pointed at
my recent partner. ""You can return to your family's heritage if you
desire it.

    ""Why else would she and her kind share with you?.""

    ""She is right, brother. My duties are over.

    ""I had hoped this would be longer in happening.

    ""It was selfish of me not to tell you sooner.

    ""Remember me, will you?

    ""Sister mine, thank you for letting me have him this long."" With
a long sad look back at me, she jumps off the loft and is gone.

    ""So.

    ""You may call me Smoke.

    ""It is the name I use when among humans.

    ""For now, you are going to be known as my mate.

    ""Later, once you have earned the privilege, you will be allowed
to choose whatever name you wish.""

    I get the impression she is grinning. ""No, we don't have time for
your lust.

    ""As much as I too wish it, there are things we need to do.""

    I am frozen into silence by her calm assumption of authority.
Then, I react. "Your mate?

    "I have no plans to become a Pack-Brother!

    "You have the nerve to sit there and tell me I will be starting a
new life?

    "No warning.

    "No preparation.

    "Just do it??

    "Do my wishes matter so little?" Indignation and shock color my
voice and make my reply a bit stronger than is really wise

    Smoke sits there and watches me.

    I realize I am blushing.

    I squirm in my embarrassment.

    She waits a bit longer.

    Softly now, with none of her earlier authority, she speaks. ""Your
wishes matter a great deal.

    ""Especially to me.

    ""Will you deny your feelings of duty?

    ""Will you deny the wistfulness when you watch us in the distance?

    ""I've been watching you for years.

    ""I was drawn to you from many miles away.

    ""Would you deny the bond between us?""

    Again a long silence. I blush and squirm some more.

    "Nooo..., I had thought those feelings hidden quite well.

    "Somehow I've always felt that my place is somewhere else.

    "Somewhere not on the farm.

    "Even though I have accepted that my place would probably be here
or on a farm of my own.

    "Somehow, to go with you feels right.

    "I don't know why, just that it does."

    Accepting this sudden change in my life, I look directly at Smoke.
"OK, what do we do now?"

    ""First of all, prepare yourself for a journey of some distance.
We will be travelling to Mind-Home.""

    I stare at her. Mind-Home is the headquarters and ultimate home of
the Brethren.

    ""We will be traveling by ourselves for several days.

    ""If you have a horse you wish to use, prepare it.

    ""If you have journey foods you like, bring some.

    ""You won't need much food though, so you can pack lighter than
usual in that regard.

    ""Later, after your training is underway, should you wish it, you
will get the chance to present yourself for choosing by a Scout.

    ""It sometimes happens that a Brother or Sister is chosen by a
Scout as well.

    ""Don't worry about your family. They already know.

    ""A Pack-Sister has been in town awaiting word of your choice. She
has already contacted them.""

    Smoke then grins again. ""Later, after we have started our
journey, there will be time to satisfy the lust we share.""

    Startled, I look questioningly at her. "Lust? You?"

    Teasingly and with some amusement, she responds. ""Surely.

    ""I have enjoyed watching you satisfy my sisters.

    ""I will be very happy to finally try you for myself.

    ""Perhaps you will find out just how wild a wolf bitch can be -
compared to what you are used to."

    I blush. This intense directness is more than I am used to in my
dealings with bitches and dogs.

    ---

    Once we start travelling, I assume we are making good time.

    Since I don't know exactly how far we have to go, I can't judge.

    I don't even know if we have any sort of schedule to keep. Smoke,
once we got moving, has been very close with her secrets.

    Ever since we left the farm, I feel as though time has no meaning.

    Much of the day has been spent getting to know each other.

    Rather, I am getting to know Smoke.

    She has been watching me for just over three years. When I asked
her why so long, her reply was twofold.

    ""What is time to a wolf?

    ""I had to wait, and be sure of you.""

    No matter how I try to return to it, she says nothing further
about the long delay between finding me and presenting herself.

    I am also surprised to learn I wasn't her first partner. She had
lost one just before they started to bond. A stupid accident she said.
I felt a muted pain when she mentioned it.

    Her second pairing had lasted a long time but while on a vacation,
he had disappeared and was assumed dead when his body was never
located.

    Her pain was more obvious this time.

    Calmly, she explained that while it was unusual for a wolf to live
past the death of their human partner, in her linage, the call to duty
is very strong.

    As it gets dark, we settle and lie together.

    As I run my hands caressingly over her fur, I can feel her
suppressed urgency.

    Already, I bear minor scratches from our earlier play.

    Wolfly foreplay, I discover, is not the gentle thing I have been
used to with bitches.

    She has already taught me many new things about herself - and my
own needs.

    Mentally linked, I know our needs are feeding each other's.

    Full of desire, I no longer know if the lust I feel is mine, hers
or from both of us.

    All I know was that it doesn't matter.

    I kiss her muzzle and our tongues intertwine for a bit.

    I savor the taste of her mouth.

    Her taste is sharper and tangier than I am used to.

    Her taste is similar to a bitch's, yet there is a subtle flavor of
wildness.

    Fleetingly, I wonder if it is due to her diet.

    Wolves eat almost exclusively of the kill.

    Unlike dogs, they don't have anything to do with carrion.

    They seldom eat food prepared by man.

    She has explained that wolves mated with humans are not quite as
selective as most other wolves. Duties require them to put aside their
preferences at times.

    I will have to learn the ways of the land. To eat of fresh kill
will sometimes be required as part of my duties.

    As I work my mouth from hers, I slowly lick and taste my way down
her chest.

    Her fur has a wiry quality to it.

    Soft when stroked, but now that I taste it, my heightened senses
feel each individual strand as I work my way along her body.

    As I find each of her tits, I slowly work each one with my tongue
and lovingly clean around each of them.

    Her body quivers beneath me.

    Her mind is a haze of lust in mine.

    We need no words between us.

    My urgency growing, I finally allow my tongue to caress her vulva.
As I touch it, she jerks as though going into convulsions. Hot-blooded
indeed is my new lover. A bitch has never orgasmed simply from the
first touch of my tongue.

    Just before I lose myself in our lust, I have time to be glad I am
not new to this. Smoke certainly deserves more than a newcomer could
give her.

    Now lost to external sensations, I am focused on my tongue and
hands.

    I feel a tongue work its way around my penis and along my crotch.
Smoke has recovered from her orgasm enough to think of working on me.

    Mind-linked, I think of how her powerful jaws had been used to
kill a beast her size earlier in the day. I think of how she could
bring a painful and sudden end to our love-making.

    ""Relax, Brother. I too am no newcomer to love.

    ""No wolf is allowed to associate with humans until they have
learned to control themselves during love-making. I will know when to
stop. As will you.

    ""This first time is special for both of us.

    ""We are Bonding now. When share our simultaneous orgasms, the
Bond will become permanent.

    ""Each of us will be able to communicate with the other at any
time. In truth, our minds will merge as one and we will be two parts
of a single being.

    ""Your ability to share is what I had to be sure of.

    ""Had you been unable to share yourself completely at any level, I
would have had deny us certain pleasures. We would be able to mate,
but Bonding would have been impossible.

    ""I wouldn't have told you of the possibilities even though you
would have remained a Pack-Brother and my mate unless you found a wolf
you could Bond with.

    ""Sadly, our duties would have become limited until you became
able to share with me or another of the wolves.

    ""Finish it Joseph! NOW!"" Her urgency is unmistakable.

    She rolls out from under me and stands before me in classic pose.
Tail cocked to one side, body quivering, she invites me to finish what
we have started.

    With my mind filled with our desires, I cannot not deny her
command.

    I kneel behind her. I am aching with my lust. I feel like I am one
big penis with one purpose in life. I want to bury myself in this
willing bitch. I am simply pole. Before me is hole. A hole aching to
receive me. Just barely aware enough to guide myself, I start the head
of my penis inside her.

    Well lubricated by my earlier efforts, she receives me easily. As
I grasp her hindquarters and slowly enter her I can feel her muscles
spasming around me. First one ring. Then the second. As I reach bottom
at last, she spasms and squeezes me. It is all I can do to keep from
coming right then. Never in any of my sexual experiences have I felt
like this. In spite of our passion, something in both of us calms me a
bit and makes me hold back my explosion. Explosion it will be when I
do orgasm. Dimly I know that much.

    Beyond rational thought, beyond feeling anything but our combined
lust, I wait as she spasms in the throes of her second orgasm. I can
feel her legs and body locked as though she is in the last stages of
death. Only her violently spasming vagina, the quivering muscles
beneath her skin and the strength of her mind in mine assure me she is
very much alive.

    At last, her grip loosens a bit. Now I can begin to slowly move
myself back and forth within my new lover and life-mate. My mind
speaks her name as a soft caress as we gradually work to a slamming
rhythm of bodies.

    It isn't long before we are both ready. Minds linked as completely
as our bodies, we spasm and freeze together. Rigid in my/her/our
orgasms all I/we can feel is my/his penis pumping my/his semen into
her/me. Equally intense, I can feel the walls of my/her vagina
squeezing against his/my penis to milk every last drop.

    Lost in the timeless now of an orgasm so intense, our minds make
the final adjustments to each other. With that comes much of the
knowledge of what it means to be a Pack-Brother.

    Finally, our muscles and minds became our own again. Our minds are
now linked in a way I know will only end by the death of a partner. As
my hands unclench from Smoke, she slowly pulls away from my now
flaccid penis and falls over on her side.

    Smiling mentally, I allow myself to collapse beside her and cradle
her in my arms. Thoughts intertwined, we drift off to sleep. As I
drift off I send a final `That's one HELL of a way to learn about what
I am!'

    Smoke's fading ""I'd forgotten what a Bond is like!"" Follows me
into oblivion.

    ---

    Basking languidly in the morning sunlight, I allow myself to
explore my new feelings.

    The first thing I am aware of is that sometime during the night,
Smoke got up to go hunt our breakfast. Her oblique hint that I need
not worry about bringing along many supplies makes sense.

    I can't suppress a twinge of guilt when I realize that as she
moves, her hindquarters spasm in pain where my grip has bruised the
muscles. ""Smoke?"" I query tentatively.

    ""No matter,"" She calmly replies. ""Neither of us noticed at the
time. I have been bruised worse by my own kind. It was necessary. The
stiffness will leave shortly.

    ""Look to your own injuries. Scratches can become infected. You
should start moving around as well. I suspect your legs are in not
much better shape than mine this morning. Or were you aware that we
spent close to an hour motionless as our minds adjusted?""

    ""Unnggh."" Is my only comment as I finally move. I have suddenly
and painfully become aware that my legs are cramped. I considered
that. An hour? An orgasm that lasted an hour?? No, more than an
orgasm. A time of adjustment. It had seemed to take only moments at
the time. As a farmers son, I am in good shape physically. That didn't
prepare me for maintaining the kneeling position behind Smoke for that
length of time though. To hurt this much so many hours later means
that I had indeed maintained it for some time. No matter what my inner
sense of time tells me.

    As I cautiously work my way to a standing position, I become aware
that I have new abilities available to me. I wonder what I will
discover in the next few days.

    I look at the land and know there is life everywhere. I can feel
other wolves and people. Some are Bonded, some are not. Startled, I
realize some are very near to us.

    ""Yes, Brother. That is one of our secrets. The pack bond is very
strong. We have always been part of a single being. We are
individuals, but we have also a group awareness. I've been waiting to
see how long it would take you to realize we have company.

    ""We will be escorted. We will remain by ourselves for the next
few days. Our kin are only there to be sure we won't be disturbed.
There is still a lot to be done alone. Interrupting that process could
cause untold damage to our final Bond. We will know when we are ready
to take our places amongst the Brethren.""

    So. The next few days are to be a time of discovery for both of
us. I know it is childish of me but I am glad that Smoke doesn't have
everything planned out as completely as she has tried to portray.

    Moving stiffly, I take care of the mare I had ridden yesterday. I
can feel her drowsiness from her night's sleep. The bond is not as
deep as what I share with Smoke. It is more like I can sense her
feelings only and share just those surface feelings. Briefly I wonder
if sex with her would allow me to communicate with her as I have the
dogs and now with Smoke.

    I decide to forego that choice. My preference is canines. Now I
admit I am focused on wolves. A wolf. Smoke.

    I allowed myself to ponder something I have been putting off. I
love Smoke. No question. There was no doubt in my mind that she loves
me. How can that happen with someone I have known less than a day?

    I know what love is. I have seen it in my parents for all of my
life. When I bothered to think past my lust, I had figured that I
would love someone only after knowing them for a while. I thought I
loved the bitches I have made love to. Indeed, the love and caring had
been mutual.

    This love though, is different. There is a feeling of
completeness, of rightness, that I cannot deny. I still love my
previous partners. That love pales beside the love I now feel for
Smoke. I can tell that Smoke is pondering her feelings in much the
same way I am.

    I sense that for her, it is an affirmation that she is able to
love again. Something in her past has caused her to doubt that she
ever would find a love she has missed.

    I wonder... Is this time alone needed to allow us to come to terms
with ourselves? Such a fragile beginning.

    The intensity of our sexual coupling amazes me. Will it happen
like that again? Practical matters aside, I hope we can share some
more of that. Wryly, I hope that I can maintain a bit more control
next time. It would be embarrassing to need to carry Smoke to our
final destination because her legs were too sore to allow her to walk.

    Chuckling softly to myself, I cautiously kneel to rekindle the
fire to cook the breakfast Smoke is bringing.

    ---

    As I look for suitable food, I wonder about my new life-mate. I
have had sex with many partners, Wolf and Human. None since my pairing
with Cory have had the depth this pairing does. At long last, I have
Bonded again.

    There have been both Wolves and Humans I have loved since losing
Cory.

    But this... Last night went far beyond what I had known with Cory.

    The Bond feels the same but it happened in such a different way.

    Only wolves and Pack-Mates are aware of what the Bond means to the
partners.

    It is not something to be mentioned to most Humans. Bonded Wolves
do not explain much of it to non-Bonded ones.

    Only after I woke in the morning and my Brethren had told me how
long we had remained locked did I become aware of the time loss.

    Will it be like that very often? No one has ever mentioned time
loss as part of the Bonding process. I wonder if it is usual for that
to happen.

    I will have to explain that wolves live as long as they wish. If
he can find his way to understanding as we do, he too can share that
ability. Death will come eventually, but it will come at his choosing.
When he feels that his life was complete. I correct myself - When *we*
feel our lives are complete. I now understand why Bonded mates die
together most of the time. Only driving need allows some to survive
long after the loss of a partner.

    One thing is certain in my mind. After breakfast, there is going
to be some more love-making. Maybe a bit less urgent this time and in
positions more comfortable for longer sessions. Lust still colors my
thoughts. I am amazed at myself. Sessions far less intense had sated
me for days. I wonder if my lover feels the same way? Deliberately, I
make no effort to find out. Better for now that we work up to things.

    So, pushing thoughts of sex and other questions to the back for
now, I focus on getting breakfast. The next few days are going to be
very, very interesting indeed. For both of us.

    ---

    ""So, Smoke. What now?"" You mentioned that we will be alone for
some unknown time of our choosing."

    Breakfast finished, I am sitting on the ground with my back
propped against a tree. Smoke is stretched out beside me. Her head is
resting on my thigh and her nose is in my crotch. As I idly run my
hand through her fur, she occasionally tongues me or inhales deeply.

    I marvel at how bright and fresh life seems to be. We have been
deliberately confining ourselves to the routine of getting our day
started. I am becoming used to her presence in my mind. She is doing
the same. There is much sharing of thoughts, but still I feel a need
to speak aloud once in a while.

    ""Well, we are to spend time together and then eventually go to
one of the training centers. This time together is, as you've figured
out, a chance for us to get to know each other. By staying apart from
everyone else, our Bond has a chance to finish establishing itself.

    ""This is far more than custom. There are fragile linkages that we
need to form. Interference can cause serious and sometimes fatal
problems.

    ""Don't let me inhibit you. Even though I've was Bonded once
before, each Bond is subtly different. This time is when we get a
chance to explore possibilities. Experience has shown that without
this period, teams get locked into the mindset established during
training. We don't know how many unknown skills have been lost as a
result.

    ""Don't worry about how long we spend like this. Consider it a
self-directed vacation. Once it's over, it will be a long time before
we get a chance to relax this fully.

    ""This is the only time as Guardians that we are not on duty or on
call. Once we say 'We're ready', our duties will never leave us. Even
though unbonded, I was on call or expected to monitor the area I was
in.""

    She falls silent and I consider her words.

    I feel her sudden laughter. ""I do hope that we can make love
again. Something a bit less urgent that I can remember more clearly.
Last night was overwhelming and not what either of us expected.""

    She is licking me in earnest as she says this.
    ""Hmmm... You do have a way about you Smoke. Do you know that?"" I
grin as my body starts responding to her subtle caresses. Truly, she
is not like any of the bitches or dogs I have been with.

    I have trouble thinking rationally as our shared thoughts and
desires begin to inflame us.

    ""I agree with you Smoke. Last night's urgency is something I do
not want to repeat for a bit. I had wanted our first time to be a bit
more `leisurely'. I prefer to have time to discover what my partner
likes and responds to.""

    As I run my hands over her body, I can feel her responding to my
caresses. Our link lets me make subtle adjustments to my movements
that bring her, and through the link me, even more pleasure. I can
feel that the same is happening for her. Her own caresses became ever
more subtle as she detects and reacts to my responses.

    This is something new for me. With other partners, I had to rely
on what I could feel from body contact or what they had told me.

    When I finally reposition myself so I can work my mouth down her
chest to her vulva, I can feel her desire as a flame within me. This
time there is none of the urgency we shared during that first time.

    Again, I savor the feel of her fur in my mouth. Again, I taste her
body as I work my way to that quivering prize. As my tongue finds her
vulva, she begins to carefully work my penis with her tongue.
Sometimes she moves me with her nose. I feel puffs of her warm breath
as she snorts her way softly up the length of my penis. These are
refinements I had not dreamed possible.

    Lost in a timeless now, I taste her. I can taste her sharpness as
she quivers alongside me. She is not in heat right now. Even so, I
love the taste of her. Her spasms are driving out some of my semen
from last night. Eagerly, I savor the taste of our mingled juices.

    This is right. Something that is meant to be. Finally, we both
feel it is time. She quits working me. I slowly work my way along her
expectant body with my mouth. We are chest to chest. Hungrily our
mouths find each other. Our tongues intertwine and we savor the taste
of each other. I reach down and align myself for entry.

    We are pleasantly surprised to find that we are of close enough
size that we can maintain our kiss. I let the head of my penis rest at
her entrance for a time. With short pumping strokes, I begin my entry.
As I begin, I feel her tense momentarily and then relax to allow me
entry. With each slow stroke I push a bit deeper. Smoke is massaging
me as I enter and withdraw. We find our rhythm and each of my strokes
is matched by her clenching as I pause before withdrawing. Once I am
fully inside her with our pubic bones pressed tightly together, I feel
her desire that I pause.

    I am surprised when she begins to massage me. The sometimes
alternating and sometimes simultaneous squeezes she gives me are
driving me to the brink of eruption. I can feel her amusement at my
surprise. When I feel that I can take no more, she pauses.

    ""I'm not quite what you are used to am I?"" Her mind bubbled with
her gentle and knowing laughter.

    Once I gain some control over myself, I allow my surprise and
pleasure free reign. ""No, not at all. For my sake I hope I don't meet
many more like you. One wanton wolf is enough." I let my lips form a
smile where they contact hers.

    ""You are enough for me as well. This completeness is something
I've missed and waited a long time for.""

    Slowly, I begin pumping in and out of Smoke. I know a bit about
pacing myself. This is different . Not only can I adjust my movements
to how I feel, I can make changes according to how Smoke feels. She
can do the same for me.

    Some of our time is spent in helpless laughter. One of us starts
something only to have the other react in an unexpected way and we
flounder for a bit. Both of us admit that we feel like we might as
well have been virgins. All of our experience is betraying us.

    I'm used to reacting to external signals rather than mental, so I
have problems dealing with the lack of delay. I find my reactions
confused because I feel with two bodies instead of one.

    Smoke, on the other hand, admits that her actions are tinged with
reactions learned from her previous pairing. Since I react
differently, she has to consciously think about her actions. This is
something she hasn't had to do in many years.

    Neither one of us wants to isolate our mind from the other, so we
keep experimenting. After a botched attempt at mutual withdrawal and
approach we decide that all we can do for now is to alternate being
the active and passive partner.

    In that way, we began to learn how to deal with sex as a Bonded
pair.

    Since neither of us is in a hurry and we don't want to part, we
stop trying to work to orgasms and lie together. I wrap my arms around
her and she puts her legs on either side of my body. I gently stroke
for a bit and then she clamps and squeezes me for a while.

    In this way, she eventually works to an orgasm. Soon after, she
begins to work me. I increase my tempo, she matches it and finally, I
orgasm. As I lay there pulsing inside her, we share a tender and
languid kiss.

    Temporarily sated, minds and bodies intertwined, we fall asleep.
======

    This story continues with the characters I used in `Pack Brother -
Part One'

    As always, if you are offended by consensual caring sexual
partnerships between humans and animals, read no further.
    ---

    Mind-Healer
    Pack Brother - chapter 2
    ---

    We spent the next 3 weeks drifting. Much of the early days were
spent in love-making. Sometimes gentle, sometimes violent. Always
though with a deep concern for the other. We spent time learning how
to shield from one another. The first time left an emptiness so
profound that we spent a whole day comforting each other afterwards.

    Finally, we were able to shut out even the sense of others around
us. We also learned that we could maintain our link and keep out the
link to the Brethren. Smoke had more trouble with this than I did. She
had grown up with that awareness always at the back of her mind. Only
our love and Bond allowed her to slowly achieve that separation. We
also agreed that if ever it became needful for her to sever that link,
we would never sever the link between us for the duration. With
practice, the division became easier. But it never became comfortable
for her. Or for me for that matter. And I had grown up isolated until
my sexual adventures triggered my telepathy with dogs.

    The one unexpected discovery was a terrifying experience for both
of us. Only after it happened did we realize it almost cost me my
life.

    After we became somewhat used to the idea of shielding, we decided
to try what we thought of as isolating ourselves. We shielded
ourselves from everything around us and then formed a shield between
us, breaking our Bond-link.

    Without our link and her lifelong link to her Brethren, Smoke
became terrified and panicked. I was hit in the chest seconds later by
125 pounds of terrified and shaking wolf. As I dropped my shield and
allowed the link to reform, I screamed in mental pain.

    Smoke was screaming mentally and almost all of her rational
thoughts had vanished.

    Ignoring the deep cuts and bites she inflicted in her panic, I
held her and poured comfort through our link. I could feel the other
Brethren sending reassurance as well. Finally, she calmed and I
treated the worst of my damage. Covered in my blood, we simply lay
together for the rest of the day. The next day, Smoke was by me all of
the time. Mentally, she was constantly communicating across our link.
Often, she would brush against me to reassure herself I was there.

    As we lay together and became aware of the extent of my injuries,
we were stunned to realize that a single unrealized mistake at the
start of our journey nearly cost me my life.

    I had automatically brought along my field medical kit. It was
designed for quick use and for most situations that could arise when
traveling. Always though was the assumption that one was within easy
range of help. There was also what was called a trauma kit. Carried
only when people expected to be on a longer journey and in situations
where major injury was possible, it was too big for one person and it
was generally carried on horseback. In it was everything needed for
almost any major injury. Included in that were blood replacements and
expanders. Also included was what we called fast-heal. Fast-heal was
something developed to accelerate the healing process. Instead of
weeks, injuries could be healed in days or hours. That was the mistake
I had made. Not bringing the trauma kit.

    In her first wild struggles, Smoke had gashed one of my arms
deeply. Only after I had calmed her did we realize the amount of blood
I had lost. Or how bad the gash was. Weak from blood loss, we knew I
would be unable to do much serious travel for several days. In spite
of my injuries though, we felt that since they were stabilized, we
would continue as we had been. We both felt strongly that we weren't
ready to return to the rest of the world yet. Not even to get
treatment for my injuries.

    Silently, we both agreed that never again would I travel without
the trauma kit. That mistake was one I could never afford to make
again.

    So, while I healed, we drifted.

    During that time was when we agreed that we would never again try
to isolate ourselves from each other.

    This was when we spent much of our time simply resting together.
Sometimes, we discussed what she knew of other Bonded pairs. Often, we
would open our minds and share our early lives with each other.

    Towards the end of the 3rd week, we started talking more about
what we would do in the future. Neither one of us was certain of what
we would be doing, only that we would insist that it be done as a
team. Parting, even in the course of duty was something we couldn't do
yet. If ever.

    At last, we opened up a full link and notified the Brethren around
us we were ready to return to the world.
    ---

    Shortly before dusk, a woman mounted on horseback and a large grey
wolf joined us at our camp.

    I could feel Smoke's amazement as she dropped into a crouch and
laid her muzzle on the ground. As the wolves exchanged greetings, the
woman laughed and introduced herself.

    "Hello Smoke, Joseph. That's Greybeard, Smoke's father. As well,
he's the Alpha Male for this region. I'm Karen, the human coordinator
for this region's Brethren and Bond-pairs.

    "Oh yes, we're a Bond-pair ourselves. Aren't we, old wolf?"
Greybeard grinned and continued his exchange with Smoke.

    "I'm also the senior medic in these parts. Joseph, I want to take
a look at your damage. The two of you gave us quite a scare when you
pulled that shielding stunt. I was trying to remember everything I
knew on how to deal with mind-lost wolves until you managed to bring
Smoke back.

    "Normally, and Smoke is anything but normal," here she smiled to
take the sting out of her words. "Bond-pairs don't attempt a full
isolation like that until well into their training. In fact, many
Wolves never conceive the idea. Everything you did to that point was
something that all Bond-pairs try. Knowing both of your backgrounds,
we should have expected you to take that last step. Still though, you
took us by surprise when it happened. Smoke's scream was felt by every
wolf and Pack-Mate on the planet. I wouldn't be too surprised if some
of the Scouts heard it."

    Now Karen laughed openly. Strangely, Greybeard managed to look
embarrassed. And now he spoke.

    "Caught us at an awkward time kids. Karen and I were the closest
pair. Something we were at pains to hide from everyone. In fact, all
anyone knew was that we were in the field. Very few knew that Smoke
here was finally Bonding again.

    "Anyway, you two were so relaxed and getting along so well that we
decided we could finally indulge ourselves in a little sex. Didn't
figure you'd be having problems and the bleedover from you two was
intense enough to get us frustrated. Fun though."

    He grinned. "I think we're going to have to make it a priority to
teach both of you how to shield during sex. If we don't, a lot of
folks aren't going to be able to focus on their duties. You two are
*loud*.

    "Smoke should have known better but we also avoid any shielding
that might affect the Bond-link.

    "Anyway, Karen and I had just finished our tie when you screamed.
I'm ashamed to admit that I lost it and took off full speed for where
you were. Karen was able to relax and release me before we did any
serious damage to each other." At this point they smiled at each
other. "She clamps down pretty tight sometimes. This was one of them."

    "When I came to my senses, I was halfway here and Joseph had
calmed you enough that we could tell you'd be OK."

    By now Karen was howling with laughter and Greybeard was even more
embarrassed.

    "What he's not telling you is that it's a good thing I'm a medic!
By the time I shot myself with a painkiller and caught up with him, it
was too late for him. Can you imagine the results when a male wolf
runs through the underbrush with his dick dragging and flopping? He
was doing his own mental screaming in pain by the time I got there. It
was all we could do to shield it from you. He spent the next 2 days
with an artificially induced hardon and his dick in a padded splint
while fast-heal cured his wounds!"

    Smoke and I couldn't suppress the giggles as we glanced back and
forth at the 2 of them. Karen had collapsed to her knees in laughter
and Greybeard was attempting to hide his own rueful laughter behind a
front of offended dignity.

    Smoke's "Father!" and my "And I thought Smoke was impulsive!" were
quickly replaced by shock and then laughter as they projected the
images of that moment to us. Even though we felt his pain and Karen's
dull ache from the sudden parting, we couldn't help but laugh at the
image of this powerful wolf standing frozen in disbelief as he
realized what he had done to himself. Further, we could feel the
effort it took him to keep from howling his pain vocally. He had
retained just enough control to shield himself so that he and Karen
could block that anguish from us and avoid the possibility of
affecting our link.

    Sobering quickly, Smoke and I quietly vowed to each other that we
would learn that kind of control for ourselves. The realization that
we were the direct cause of such pain brought with it a vow that we
would do everything we could to avoid causing it in the future.

    Karen was sobering and watching us closely. If either of them
noticed our quick exchange, they were too polite to mention it.
    ---

    Later, after Karen had checked me over and pronounced me
reasonably fit and administered a dose of fast-heal, they had another
surprise for us.

    Wolves of every color and size walked into the lighted area around
our campfire and sat down. There were men and women with them as well.

    As we looked around us, I queried Smoke. "Is this something I
should know about?"

    "No. It's rare but this is something that has happened before.
Relax."

    Greybeard and Karen strode into the light. They walked in a manner
that shouted of their power, knowledge and authority. I could feel
that what was happening was part of a ritual. I could feel Smoke's
acknowledging this. At the same time she was telling them she felt it
should have been done later on in our training.

    I could feel Greybeard and Karen linking themselves in a manner
Smoke and I hadn't thought of. They allowed their minds to become one
in a manner that let each of them have full control of the other's
body. I wondered if we would ever achieve such skill. It spoke of long
practice that they could do this so easily.

    Greybeard spoke with Karen's voice.. "Smoke. Joseph. Know that we
here are the council for this region. We gather to welcome you as a
Bond-pair to our ranks.

    "You two are quite a pair. This is going to be rather informal, so
relax. We think you are well suited for each other. Joseph, I think
you'll temper Smoke's recent rashness a bit. Although, I think much of
the impulsiveness is burned out of both of you by now." They smiled at
us. "At least we hope so."

    "Not all of it though. Part of being a Bond-pair is a willingness
to explore. You'll both learn more of that during your training.

    "That's not why we're here now. Name choosing is not usually done
until a pair is well into their studies. In your case though, you have
already proved yourselves.

    "Joseph, you've displayed a steadiness that none here expected.
Very few Bond-Mates have ever had to deal with a panicked partner.
Yet, after less than 2 weeks and while your were still exploring that
Bond, you were confronted with a wolf in full panic. All of us know
the injuries you suffered. You managed to retain enough control to
bring your partner back from that loss of control in spite of your
injuries. In fact, your concern for your partner was so great that you
didn't realize the extent of those injuries until it was over with.

    "Smoke, you've dared to go where few wolves ever go. And that
usually with years of preparation. Even Karen and I have never dared
to sever all contact as you and Joseph did.

    "It is the decision of the full council that you receive your team
name at this point. Moreover, the choice was quickly agreed on.

    "Fire and Ice.

    "Smoke, you are Fire. All consuming, only complete death brings
and end to its exploring for new horizons. And even then, its presence
is long remembered by those whose lives it touched.

    "Joseph, you are Ice. The coolness of controlled power that lets
all flow around it and is not swayed from duty. Even when destructive,
Ice can create new things to be discovered.

    "Together, may you live up to those names.

    "One final thing. Smoke, you told Joseph that he would have to
earn the right to choose a name to be called by. As his Bond-Mate
before the full council, we ask you, "Has he earned that right?"

    Stunned, I turned to her. "You? You are the one who determines
when I am ready to choose a name?!"

    She lowered her head. "Yes. Custom is that when a wolf repartners,
she or he makes the decision about name choosing."

    We turned back to Karen and Greybeard. Smoke speaks.

    "How could I deny my Mate that? I nearly killed him in my panic
and his love for me was so great that he ignored his pain to heal
mine. Yes, he has earned whatever name he chooses. I will not risk the
possibility of his dying without a name of his choice."

    After a stunned silence, Greybeard finally gave soft reply.

    "Thank you daughter. Joseph, know that what silenced us was
Smoke's way of saying you were ready. Very few wolves are so emphatic
when they make this decision. To give their reasons for that decision
is even rarer.

    "Joseph, it is now the council's turn to ask your indulgence.
There is a name that for one reason or another never seems to be
requested. It is free to be used, but those who wind up using it have
never been known to ask for it. Only a few in each generation are
asked to use it. Moreover, it sometimes happens that the person using
it asks that it be chosen. We can only ask if you will use it. It is
not a demand. You can reject it and choose something else if you like.
Karen, perhaps you should finish this"

    The two of them altered their link subtly.

    "Joseph, Smoke. I ask this knowing that should you accept, I will
have to choose another name. Yet, as was done for me, I do for you.
Normally, you would already know my pack name. This time is not normal
so I am willing to give you extra time to consider your reply.

    "Once in a while, sometimes not for years, there is someone who
displays the rare gift of being able to deal with a wolf who has lost
their center. I have waited long for one such as you. This person is
asked to take the name of `Mind Healer'. I have been known as `Mind
Healer' for a good many years now.

    "You wouldn't have to become a medic as well. Your duty choice is
still to be determined. Know that no matter what name you choose, you
will always be known as one who can help wolves. And, you would be
expected to help if the situation required it."

    At this I turned to Smoke and hugged her. I needed to feel her
solidness as we discussed this. I didn't bother trying to shield. I
wanted those with us to understand any decision we reached. I could
not make this one alone. The implied responsibility and what it would
entail affected Smoke as much as it did me.

    "Smoke, The thought of calling myself Mind-Healer terrifies me.
I'm too young for it. More importantly, I don't have the experience or
knowledge. Maybe later, years from now I would be ready.

    "And what about you? You've been in that state once. Could you
handle my dealing with other wolves in that state? Could you stand by
knowing that I could be severely injured, possibly killed as I dealt
with a panicked wolf?"

    Her reply was thoughtful. "I don't like the idea, that's certain.
And, I don't know if I could force myself to sit quietly during
something like that. Certainly I couldn't do that right now. I too
need more years of training before I would be willing to deal with a
situation like mine again.

    "As Karen pointed out though, you are already known as a
mind-healer. I'm sure you will not be called anytime soon. And she
will pass on what she knows to you. Nonetheless, she has implied that
you already bear the burden. The name is simply a way of showing your
acceptance."

    "Hmm... Maybe so. But I would prefer something else for the time
being. We both enjoyed ourselves while we were drifting. I have the
feeling that I would like to spend more time doing that sort of thing.
And for now, I think I know a way to encompass both callings. What do
you think of `Pathfinder'?"

    "I think there is already a Pathfinder or two. The urge to explore
is strong in our kind.

    "I've been thinking about when you called to me. Your mind was a
bright beacon that I could focus on and follow. Everything was a blur
except for your mind-send. It was as though I was in a dark cold place
and you were a fire radiating warmth that drew me in. And comforted
me."

    I hugged her tightly as I felt her shudder at those memories.
"Easy love. I'm here. You're not lost anymore. Thank you love. You've
helped me decide."

    Without releasing my grip on Smoke, I turned my head to speak to
Karen and Greybeard.

    "Karen, Mind-Healer. I am honored by your request. At this time, I
am not ready to take the name you bear so ably. Smoke tells me that my
first choice, Pathfinder, is a common one. So, after discussing it
with Smoke, I choose to be known as `Light-Bearer'. Later, in the
future, I would like to consider again. Right now, I am not ready for
the title of `Mind-Healer". I do however, accept the duties you've
implied I am already responsible for."

    With silent nods, Karen, Greybeard and everyone else acknowledged
my choice.

    Greybeard spoke as the other wolves and people started drifting
away. "Well said, `Light-Bearer'. Welcome to the Brethren,
Pack-Brother."

    Now he and Karen grinned at us. "And while we journey to the
nearest training center, your training will begin with lessons on how
to maintain your shields so you can receive but not transmit during
sex!

    "And, since Greybeard and I have had to spend the last 3 weeks
unsatisfied, your lessons begin tonight. By example!" Both of them
allowed us to finally feel their frustration. Frustration brought on
by being around us and our broadcasting for the last 3 weeks.

    At this, we all convulsed with mirth then, on that note, our
lessons began.
======

Mind Home: The Crisis Years
---

    This story takes place several hundred years after the events
chronicled in "Pack-Brother"

    no sex, background to new series. contains characters from other
stories.
    ---

    The Past Returns
    ---

    A woman sits at a desk. She is reading reports and making notes
about future operations. The notes add up to only one thing. It fills
her with dismay.

    A large gray wolf is lying on the floor. Every so often his huge
feet twitch as though he is running. Once, for a few minutes, his
front feet curl inward and his hindquarters twitch slightly.

    The woman looks up from her work and smiles at this.

    The office they are in shows signs of extended use by this pair. A
visitor would notice the emotional warmth that seems to permeate
everything.

    Shelves contain what appears to be a random assortment of odd
items. Ordinary rocks, gems, fragments of metal that are from unknown
devices. Hundreds of years of memories.

    The woman is Karen. Once a policewoman. Part of a telepathic K-9
team. Then she paired with and became Bond-Mate to the wolf lying on
the floor. For centuries, she was the regional coordinator of the area
she was born in. Now, she is the human in charge of all the Brethren
and Pack-Mates on this world. Only when she is tired do her eyes
betray her age. She is slightly younger than her Bond-Mate.

    The wolf is named Greybeard. He is the Alpha Male Wolf for Mind
Home, their world.

    They are between missions and are catching up on much needed rest
and the inevitable paperwork even they must produce.

    She sighs softly to herself.

    Grey opens one eye and looks at her without raising his head.

    ""It's true then?"" His voice is gentle in her mind. Also worried
and lightly tinged with resignation.

    "Yes Grey. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

    "I don't know of anything the Guardians can do at this point.

    "Nor do the other coordinators."

    Her confession is reluctant and brings her great emotional pain.
She hoped to never utter such a statement.

    Both of them sigh deeply.

    Until this moment, they had been hoping against hope that the
pattern was false. Now, they are no longer able to deny it.

    Mind Home is in the grip of a Mutagenic Plague. One that seems to
be extremely deadly to the Guardians. Deadly to the very people
pledged to fight such things. Only a few bloodlines seem to be immune.

    The wolf gets up and places his great head in her lap.

    Together, they begin to grieve for their doomed world.

    Every indication is that even the vast resources of the Guardians
will not produce a solution in time to prevent the destruction of life
on their world.

    The attempt to save a portion of Terra's diversity, on this planet
anyway, has finally failed.

    * * *

    Lost in their grief, a soft equine snort startles them.

    They look up and see four beings standing in front of her desk.

    Four Guardians that Karen and Grey, in all their years, have never
met.

    Two men, a stallion, a wolfess.

    ""Who are they?"" She and Grey have time to wonder.

    ""I can't feel her."" That's Grey's reaction after reaching for
the wolfess and trying to make contact through the pack-bond. ""She's
completely severed from the pack mind.""

    All four are dressed in Guardian battle armor that can only be
called ancient. All show signs of previous battle damage that has been
repaired. Often.

    They stand in silence.

    Then, both men gently remove the headgear from their companions.
After doing so, they remove their own.

    One man reaches and touches the stallion with a gesture that seems
unconscious yet filled with love.

    Karen has time only for a whispered "NO!" as Grey drops in a
gesture of submission to the wolfess. His stunned awe nearly
overwhelms her.

    The wolfess, in one mind-shattering instant, has allowed them to
Bond with her and her partner.

    The man touching the stallion speaks.

    "We have come to tell you your world will survive.

    "We bring you the knowledge needed to save yourselves."

    Then, before either can respond to these statements, they receive
another, deeper, shock. The wolf speaks to them.

    Aloud!

    With human speech!

    "It is time for you to recover your heritage that was taken from
you so long ago."

    In it's greatest hour of need, Mind Home's past has returned.

    Bringing a miracle.

    Allister. Wind-Rider. Ward. Julie.

    The legendary 'Founding Guardians' have returned.
======

    If you are looking for stroke material, ignore this one. This is
still developing the background for this part of the series. Sex is
mentioned but not in detail.
    ---

    Reconciliation
    The Past Returns - Part 2
    ---

    As Karen slumped back in her chair, Allister and Wind-Rider
vanished.

    "They are on their way to notify the Scouts and then the others."

    Ward's voice was calm.

    "There is much that needs to be done before we can save your
world-line."

    ""The Bond between us now? That is something we learned to do
after we left this world.""

    Karen was resting her head in her hands. Afraid to use the
mind-link, she chose to speak aloud.

    "I can't doubt you are who you say you are. I almost wish I were
hallucinating this.

    "I can feel the two of you soothing us through the shock.

    "Why now? What made you decide to return at this time?"

    Then, bitterly. "How come you let us get to the point where
everything seemed hopeless and we had given up?"

    * * *

    Julie had approached Grey during this.

    ""Get up grandson. No need for this. We're proud of you.""

    "Karen, Grey. We *had* to wait for someone to finally realize and
accept what was happening.

    "Right or wrong, shortly after this world was founded, it was
decided that certain things would be suppressed or removed from the
various Guardian's minds. This decision was made during a full meeting
of every self-aware being on the planet at the time.

    "We left some things as a genetic memory to be triggered only at
great need. Grey, you and Karen are carriers of much of the Brethren's
part of that knowledge right now.

    Ward smiled "Your bloodlines ensured that you would be carriers of
most of the information.

    "Grey is descended from Julie in a direct line. Which means
several things we'll discuss later.

    "Karen, you are descended from me through one of my daughters and
Allister. Even without the obvious manisfestations of your abilities,
you and some others share some rather remarkable abilities.

    "Once in a while those abilities have shown up as unusual skills
on the part of your descendents.

    " In you, they are the skills that eventually led to you taking
charge of the Brethren. The final integration of that knowledge is
something that will be done as a part of helping you save this world.

    "Some of your 'vanished' teams have found their way to us over the
years. They had to agree to never return to this world with what they
learned."

    He now sighed. "Not all of your teams made it to us. Those that
did have arrived often enough that we haven't had to make many trips
here ourselves. Once in a while we've searched out teams that were on
the verge of self-discovery.

    "Sadly, once a regular Bond is established, it is rare for the
Mates to proceed further without outside influence."

    Ward walked around the desk to rest a hand on Karen's shoulder.
Julie was gently licking one of Grey's ears and soothing him.

    "Karen? You and Greybeard are going to have to turn your duties
over to your assistants for about a week. You can tell them you've
found a possibility you need to explore."

    Numbly, she nodded and made the arrangements.

    "The other coordinators will be joining us later.

    "Come. Let's walk a ways together." Gently, Ward exerted the
barest pressure to get her to rise from behind the desk.

    As they walked into the courtyard that overlooked the valley the
Brethren called home, Ward held Karen close.

    They stopped and looked out at the valley.

    Two humans flanked by two wolves. Julie leaned into Ward and spoke
softly.

    "Remember this sight. It will survive in spite of what you may
think. There will always be Guardians here. Especially now that we can
welcome you back."

    ""Grey, make physical contact with Karen. Prepare yourselves.
You're going to momentarily lose contact with the pack mind. Ward and
I or someone else will be in contact with you at all times until we
get back.""

    A mental reach that was almost understood by the two and suddenly
they were standing in a valley looking at a complex of buildings they
had never seen before.

    "Welcome to 'Terra One'. " Julie smiles.

    "Your guides will be here shortly. Feel free to wander and ask
questions. Ward and I need to get rid of our armor and clean up.
Tomorrow will be soon enough to start learning how to save your
world."

    Ward and Julie vanished but the two stunned beings felt their
warmth radiating from the backs of their minds.

    * * *

    "Grey?

    "Is this Earth?" Karen stands frozen as she stares - dumbfounded -
at the buildings and people and animals.

    Grey's mental tone was subdued and filled with wonderment.

    ""Yes.

    ""I've already been allowed into the pack-mind here. I *have* to
believe it.

    ""This is where it all began."" At that, he opened himself to
Karen and let her see what had been shared with him so far.

    ""Grey, the serenity and sense of purpose is so intense I'm having
to partially shield from it.""

    * * *

    As they stood where they were, Allister and Wind-Rider suddenly
appeared with the other human coordinators and the Equine partner for
the Scout.

    'I wonder if they are as stunned as we are?' Karen mused to
herself. 'They certainly look it.'

    The other four from her world were standing in various poses of
profound shock.

    Steve and Stomper. Scout and partner, they were only recently made
coordinators for the Scouts. She can see Stomper's legs tremble as
Steve wraps an arm around his neck and leans into him for support of
his own.

    Ian. Human leader of the Dolphin Wave-riders, his muscular body
shouts of his years of spending time at sea.

    Mark. Rawboned and heavyset, his muscles surge with suppressed and
controlled power. There is also a hardness in his eyes that spoke of
his long time partnered with an Orca. Karen knows that some of that
hardness is evident in her own eyes.

    Right now though, they were all simply standing still and slowly
searching the surrounding area. Once or twice, she saw unconscious
nods as each of them slowly pieced this new information into their
lives.

    As he let them adjust, Allister finally spoke quietly.

    "Hello Karen, Grey. "Ian, Mark - Slicer and Deep-Diver are safely
in the aquatic holding area. We've notified our outreach personnel and
quarters await all of you. They're on their way to greet all of you
and give you the tour if you desire. Wind and I are going to go relax
and we'll see you tomorrow.

    He grinned suddenly. "Just to further confuse things, time here is
not lost on your homeworld . At least if we don't want it to be. So,
you'll be returned in a few days home time but we'll spend as long as
as you need to make sure you're prepared for your return."

    With that, the two of them walked towards the central complex.

    Karen looked at one of her companions. "Well Steve? Is he really?"

    "Hmm...?

    "Oh. yes. Don't ask me how I know for sure. Stomper here is
certain as well."

    He grinned wryly. "None of us have the experience you and
Greybeard do. Still, he unsealed some records we never knew we had.

    "That alone pretty much confirmed it for *us*.

    "Now, we're on Earth. Do you know of any others reputed to be able
to do what they can?"

    He gestured towards the departing pair.

    " The armor alone is a good indication of who they are. It's older
than anything we have even in our museums. You of all people should
know that."

    Musingly, "I wonder what they got into to take that kind of
damage. I've never seen battle damage quite like it. Nor that severe
and with both partners still alive. How did they manage to survive and
repair it later?"

    Briskly then, "Obviously, that stuff has been extensively modified
over the years. I wonder what we'll find out."

    Now it was Karen's turn to shake her head ruefully.

    "Steve, Mark, Ian. I don't know what Allister told you but Ward
and Julie mentioned something about Grey and I being genetic
'carriers' of some suppressed information. I don't know about you, but
I plan on taking a tour of this place and then calling it quits for
the day.

    "I imagine we're all going to get some surprises tomorrow.

    "I for one have had about all I can handle for today.

    "Unless I miss my guess, those are our guides coming."

    ""Grey, have you learned any more?""

    ""Yes. The local pack-mind released some of my blocks and also
filled in some background of the early days. But, they also blocked me
from discussing it with anyone right now.

    ""Actually, they asked me first for permission to block it
temporarily. It seems there was much suppressed in our histories.""

    * * *

    As they all started towards the buildings, Karen paused and looked
closely at one of the teams walking towards their little group.

    She frowned slightly. ""Grey, that man and wolf seem familiar
somehow""

    Then Grey sat on his haunches and stared in disbelief.

    ""NO!

    ""That *can't* be her! She died years ago.

    ""I *felt* her die!""

    "Hello, father"

    For the first time in his long life he fainted.

    Ian, who happened to be closest to Karen had to grab her as she
started to collapse.

    "It *is* them." She whispered. "But how??"

    Then she too fainted.

    Suddenly, the man and wolf were before them instead of walking
across the wide lawn.

    "Allow me to hold her.

    "Please."

    His eyes were filled with pain.

    "I had hoped for this to happen someday but under better
circumstances.

    "With more time for her to be prepared."

    The four men looked at each other. Wordlessly, Ian let the young
appearing man reach out and support Karen as they both let her slump
to the ground.

    Then, the newcomer sat and cradled her in his arms. All could see
his tears. The raw emotion he broadcast buffeted them soundlessly. As
they turned away to allow him his pain, he spoke one final time.

    "Please. Join with your guides now. Karen and Grey and I and Smoke
will join you later."

    Steve gasped in shock. Then he turned back and looked closely at
the wolfess. Yes, he knew her. Soon after he became a Scout, she had,
with her partner, mind-healed a berserk wolf whose mind-mate had been
assassinated. He had been a member of the teams assigned to keep track
of the berserk wolf until help arrived.

    "How?

    "I heard you had died. Grey was in shock for a month when it
happened."

    Smoke looked up from nuzzling Grey back into awareness. She sighed
and spoke to him.

    Softly and in a voice filled with sorrow, she spoke.

    "That Smoke *did* die."

    Then she looked away.

    "She was my clone. She returned to your world when Cory and I
left. We couldn't leave without taking steps to ensure that the
genetic heritage I carried was still in the gene pool.

    "As far as anyone knew, Cory and I separated and he 'vanished'
while on vacation later. Not even my clone knew that Cory and I had
become 'world-walkers' as a result of that long ago bond we had with
Stealth. To this day, nobody knows what triggers that ability in some
teams.

    "Ward and Julie, in one of their periodic visits, found us and
told us what that odd bonding meant. That was shortly after Cory and
Karen had their second child. It took years of careful planning before
he and I could safely move on and take up our new duties."

    She quietly returned her attention to Grey.

    ""Smoke?"" Grey's 'voice' was hesitant.

    ""Yes father. Cory is here too.""

    ""Cory?"" His tone was puzzled.

    ""Hello old Wolf. Yes, it really is me.""

    Grey staggered up. ""Karen!""

    ""Relax guy, she's here and recovering.""

    Grey stumbled over and lay with his head in her lap and his eyes
focussed on her face.

    Then he looked up at the man holding her.

    ""It really is you..

    ""For all these years, she's grieved. Quietly, but I knew.

    ""Smoke? How? I felt you die.""

    She filled him in on events.

    "There was no choice father. What we did, was forced on us. Our
only other choice was to turn our backs on our new responsibilities.
As Guardians, we took an oath.

    "I hope both of you can forgive us after all these years."

    With that, she made a gesture of ultimate submission. One so
rarely used that Grey's jaws had closed on her throat before he knew
what was happening.

    Smoke had come over and deliberately forced her throat between his
powerful jaws

    "Grey? Me too." Stunned, Grey moved his eyes to see Cory leaning
back on his hands with his head tilted back. Calmly awaiting Grey's
decision.

    ""Grey??"" The weak mental question brought him back from that
frozen time.

    Gently he squeezed Smoke's throat.

    ""Daughter, I accept your gift of life and return it.

    ""Cory, duty is something you and I are well familiar with. For
the sake of what we shared and what must sometimes be, I choose to
accept what has happened.""

    He released Smoke and stood.

    Then he gently nuzzled Cory's throat.

    ""Forgiven.

    ""Pack-Brother.""

    * * *

    "It *is* you." Karen's voice was tinged with shock and wonder.

    "Why?" She reached up and touched his face. Then, she felt his
regret for what had happened so many years ago.

    Then, slowly, amazement as she realized what he had become.

    Before, he had been capable and calm. His sense of duty strong. So
strong that according to all they had known, he was doomed to live a
life of normal length because he would never Bond with a wolf. She had
often wondered if his 'vanishing' had been done to save her the pain
of watching him grow old and die. She had known his ethos would allow
him to do something like that. Still, she had grieved for what might
have been.

    Now, that stability was overlain with something else. A calm
acceptance of his life that echoed her own. Plus, a hardness and depth
of remembered pain that she shuddered away from. There was also a joy
for life there. An indomitable will to be forever young at heart.

    As he leaned forward to kiss her in a gesture she remembered so
well, he dropped all his shields and left himself open for her.
Softly, his mind a calm ocean, he made her name a question and peace
offering in one.

    ""Karen?""

    As they shared that kiss of reconciliation, Cory's mind lay open.
Awed, she and Grey explored and learned what he and Smoke had done in
the intervening years. No matter the disturbances they created in
their explorations, they rapidly smoothed into that seemingly endless
ocean of calmness.

    When she was done, she knew Cory as she knew Grey. Totally. As
well, she knew her world's past with a clarity that amazed her.

    "Cory..." She barely breathed his name.

    ""Life-Mate."" It was a caress in his mind. The past was just that
and they could move forward in their rediscovery of each other.

    Then, she had another realization. He had been subtly working her
mind. Triggering the releases that let her know what she had carried.

    She closed her eyes in pain and to focus on what was now
integrating itself into her and Grey's awareness.

    After what seemed like hours but was only minutes, she opened her
eyes to look into Cory's.

    Briefly, she wondered if her eyes now echoed the pain she saw in
his.

    Now, she *knew* what it would take to save her world.

    She wished she didn't.

    Softly and sadly, "So that's why they returned to us.

    "And now it's why you and Smoke have revealed yourselves.

    "Only mind-healers can deal with the Plague. What needs to be done
will extract a great price if handled wrong.

    "How soon will the others know?

    Cory's voice was gentle and tinged with pain.

    "Tomorrow. The other coordinators will be briefed then. It will
take every team of World-Walkers we have plus every mind-healer or
potential mind-healer on our home world.

    "The cure works but the aftermath will tax all our resources.

    "The preparations will take time during which the Plague will
spread slightly. As far as we know, this is the only solution.
Anything less and we fail in the attempt"

    Smoke and Grey joined them. 4 minds as one, they reviewed what
Cory and Smoke knew.

    Yes, the Mutagenic Plague could be stopped. It required a denial
of everything their world was based on.

    Karen shivered in his arms. ""Nothing less than the simultaneous
severing of every telepathic bond on the planet. Total mental
isolation for 24 hours. Only then will this telepathic virus die out.

    ""I've often wondered at the price Allister and Wind-Rider paid to
save Wind's world. The histories never mentioned it. Only that they
succeeded.""

    She shivered again. ""I can see why you brought us here. The
training will be intense won't it? We'll have to work with the teams
and Companions when we get back.

    ""Is there enough time?""

    Cory sighed. ""Yes, we have plenty of time. It has slowed in its
spread We can take the time to be certain. Now that you are aware of
what can be done, there are abilities we can teach the other Guardians
that will further slow it down.""

    Then he smiled. "Don't worry about spreading it here. All of us
are immune, and don't carry it. Ward and Julie made sure of that
before we made contact with any of you.

    "Come. It's time you should be shown to our quarters. You're
welcome to stay with us or use the special ones prepared for you."

    He stood and reached for her. Slowly, she joined him. Hand in
hand, they strolled off as two wolves raced off on their own time of
reconciliation and discovery.

    * * *

    Images.

    Helping each other remove their clothes.

    Washing each other. Minds intertwined, movements ever subtler as
they feel the other respond.

    Newness to something done together so many times. So new that it
was as though they had never coupled.

    Hands, feet and mouths exploring. Gentle caresses. Firm pats.
Tongues caressing as they felt out the other's new/old enjoyments.

    Classic 69 as they suckled each other and savored their linked
feelings.

    Reversal.

    Penetration/acceptance.

    Sudden warmth as furry bodies appear and lay on either side. Cold
noses prodding and repeating patterns not felt for centuries.

    Movement.

    Tongues intertwined as they explore.

    Gasps, then spasms when swelling happened where it had never
happened before.

    Aftermath and pleasure.

    Slight movement and then rhythmic pulsings.

    An eternity as firmness remained.

    More spasms

    Sudden chill as furred bodies vanish.

    Warmth as a thought turns on heaters to dry sweaty bodies.

    Two bodies.

    One mind.

    Together.

    Again.

    * * *

    There was a soundless chuckle.

    Karen and Cory were on the grass covered porch of his and Smoke's
permanent quarters.

    ""You acted like you and Smoke aren't having sex together.""

    Cory rolled onto his side and leered at her.

    ""Like you and Grey haven't been keeping company?""

    One hand gently caressing her body, he could feel her blush.

    ""All right Longarm, you win. I missed you.""

    Then her tone grew thoughtful. ""You certainly surprised me
though. When you tied with me, I fell off the mountain. I never
expected you to do something like that.""

    He smiled. ""Not many have it done even now. It can be awkward in
certain situations. Smoke and I have learned to handle it. I had to
have my armor custom fitted for emergencies.

    ""I'll have her teach you how transfer out of a tie. Grey can
learn too.""

    She could feel his sudden grin as he leaned over to kiss her
again.

    ""Then Grey won't have to spend time in a splint.""

    Shocked, she spoke aloud. "How did you know about that? You'd been
gone for over a hundred years by then!"

    ""Through Smoke. She maintained a link with her clone.
    ""I almost lost her from sympathetic reaction to severing the
link. That was when my own mind-healing abilities triggered.""

    ""Yes, that's why Joseph's were triggered so easily. Anyone
directly descended from you and I has abilities which are easily
triggered. Since he was one of our grandchildren, the genetic heritage
was strong in him. Depending on the conditions, several different
abilities could have been triggered.""

    * * *

    Another set of images.

    Two bodies.

    Intertwined.

    Both limp from release.

    One mind.

    Inner warmth to match the outer.

    Peace.

    Fading to dimness but never fully dark.

    Shared contentment.

    A second beginning.
======

    'The Crisis Years' was intended to be a 4 part series.

    The third chapter, 'The Cure', was to be about what happened as
part of dealing with the mind virus.
   
    The fourth chapter, 'Aftermath', was to be about what happened as
part of picking up the pieces of their lives, and moving on.
======

Mind Home: The Transition
---

    A work in progress, 'What Next?' was to be about the founding
guardians' decision to let themselves 'die off'. 
======

    Despair and Transition
    ---

    "We don't know what causes it, Arthur."

    I 'reach' mentally for Sadie. She's my most recent Bond-mate.

    Nothing.

    The Bond we shared for two years is gone.

    I hug her and weep into her fur as she leans into me.

    "I don't know if you can understand me or not my love. I miss you
already.

    "Just as I miss all the ones before."

    "She knows." The female voice is gentle.

    I look up.

    I never heard Karen enter.

    Once again... I am without the powers of a bond-mate.

    Knowing I will reform the link in a matter of days doesn't help.

    It will be with another partner. Possibly even another species.

    I am cursed with an ability never before known.

    I can mind-link with any animal at any time.

    I pay a heavy price though.

    If a bond forms...

    Eventually, it suddenly and without warning vanishes.

    It will be months before I can mindlink with Sadie again.

    I will, as far as I or anyone else knows, never be able to bond
with her again.

    There is no record of anyone ever having this ability.

    I have been Bonded to ten partners now.

    All of us are still alive.

    Most of then are Bonded again.

    I stand and look at Karen.

    "With luck...

    "I won't have this happen again.

    "I never want to let a Bond form.

    "I see two ways to prevent it.

    "Never be around potential mates.

    "Or to not be around.

    "I don't know which way I will choose yet."

    With that, I gently push past her and walk out.
    ---

    ""He'll stay.""

    Grey's 'voice' is tinged with resignation.

    ""He and I are still able to mindlink.

    ""I would know if he was seriously considering suicide.""

    Karen, Grey, Smoke and Cory are settled on one of their favorite
beaches and discussing Arthur.

    It's Cory's turn to sigh wearily.

    "Maybe so.

    "But... What good is his 'talent'

    "We haven't been able to find a use for it since it was revealed.

    "He can't stop the Bond from happening if it starts....

    "He can't stop it from ending suddenly.

    "We all know the trauma caused by the loss of such a Bond.

    "He and his partners have lived through it ten times already.

    "He can look forward to hundreds of years of such losses.

    "I don't know where he finds the strength to live.

    "Then too...

    "Dare we allow this to continue?

    "Not only for his sake.

    "For the sake of his partners to come.

    "How many must be subjected to such loss in a quest for one man's
solution?"

    They look at him in shock.

    It has been a generation since the four of them were reunited here
on Earth.

    Never...

    In all the hundreds of years they have been together.

    Has Cory confessed he doesn't see any reason for someone to
continue living.

    Hinted that that person might be better off being killed.

    At last Karen speaks for all of them.

    "It's out of our hands.

    "He has yet to deliberately hurt anyone.

    "All except his first partner were aware of the possible problems.
All agreed to take the risks.

    "All have prospered after. In fact, all of his former partners
have re-Bonded.

    "As far as is known...

    "All are looking forward to long lives with the same person.

    "All we can do is wait.

    "Hope that he finds a solution for himself."
    ---

    As I walk down the hall and out the door, I try to think of
something... *anything* that will give me some hope of finding a way
to live with my 'talent'.

    The talent, if it is one... Has several parts

    Individually, they are useful.

    I can mindlink across species and with any enhanced animal on
earth.

    I can link with and communicate with non-enhanced animals.

    I can form a Bond with more than one species.

    I've survived the loss of Bonds ten times now. As have my
Bond-mates.

    I can mind-link but not rebond with any of my former partners.

    The *only* thing nobody can explain is the sudden loss of that
Bond.

    It has to be something in me but what?

    And oh yes... Even knowing the Bond is starting to form... Neither
of us have ever been able to stop it forming. Sex has never been a
trigger for it.

    Our best shields are unable to break it.

    Whatever it is...

    I have something never before seen.

    Absently, I touch minds with some of the Brethren and Companions
as we pass each other.

    All are saddened but all have faith a solution will be found.

    I wish I did.

    The unspoken thought during all our tests has been that at my
present rate of 'growth', I will be able to expect to form and break
Bonds on a daily basis sometime in the next 25 years.

    Unless a solution is found.

    One thing I do know is that I have to be around any partner for
several days before we risk forming a bond.

    With that knowledge...

    I find a temporary solution.

    As much as it goes against my inner nature and desires, I will not
stay around any one animal more than a day or two.
    ---

    For the last 15 years, I have hiked this route.

    I know every twist and turn.

    The animals who live near it.

    Some are friends.

    Others have been lovers.

    One of them awaits me in the clearing ahead.

    So far, we have avoided Bonding.

    As I step into the clearing, I am greeted by the entire pack.

    ""Hello Wanderer."" That is their name for me.

    Over the years, we have reached an accommodation.

    When I or individuals feel the need, we lie together for a couple
of days and then move on.

    Streak's next words freeze me where I stand.

    ""We have found a possible solution to your problem.""

    "Problem?

    "Solution?

    "Oh. *That* problem."

    I had forgotten.

    I slump to the ground and shiver in remembered loss.

    As the pack settles around me for the first time since we met
fourteen years ago, I realize at last that I have not been forgotten.
    ---

    "My god...

    "What happened here?" One of the trauma team members finally asks
the question nobody wants to ask.

    Karen and Cory look at each other in shared shock.

    18 wolves lie in various poses. They are all whimpering and
moaning.

    At their center is Arthur.

    His eyes are open but unseeing.

    Every once in a while, he twitches and one of the wolves makes the
same movement.

    Sometimes a wolf moves and he echoes its actions.

    Cory finally comes out of his shock.

    "What happened...

    "It's obvious they think they found a solution and tried it.

    "All of them appear to have Bonded with Arthur.

    "No wonder the pack asked for us to quietly set up for Bond escort
and have a trauma team on emergency standby.

    "I expected..." He shrugs but his pain is obvious.

    "Anything but this.

    "Set the shields. Make sure we have extra power and that our
backup shields work.

    "All we can do is keep them alive and hope.

    "We don't dare do anything else.

    "Except wait."
    ---

    "It was a shock I'll admit." Arthur is smiling as he tries to
explain.

    "Streak and her pack have been friends and lovers of mine for the
past fourteen years."

    He looks around the clearing. Only a few of the wolves are
visible. Most have returned to their normal affairs.

    "None of us know if what we've done will solve my problem.

    "Yes, we are *all* Bonded. " His smile vanishes for a moment.
"Trust me, I know what a Bond feels like."

    "We've never questioned *that* Arthur." Karen's smile is gentle.

    Arthur continues. "Over the years, we've tossed around some pretty
strange ideas as we talked about my problem of 'burning out the Bond'.

    "It was only recently that we thought of 'spreading the load'
amongst many Bond-mates.

    "After all, there's only one multiple-Bond and it was the result
of a rather unusual situation.

    "You four." He falls silent.

    I look at him thoughtfully. "Granted. But where does that fit in
with you?"

    "It's obvious Cory. After the fact." He gestures at the world
around us.

    "What's the one thing everyone takes for granted?

    "The *fact* that Bonds are always one human to one animal. You,
Grey, Smoke and Karen have served to emphasize that by being a rather
notable exception to the rule.

    "We should have seen it earlier. The problem has not been me all
along. It's been a combination of things.

    "I'm too powerful for a single partner.

    "I don't overload, I overload them.

    "Our theory is that by forming a multiple-Bond, it will spread the
load so no one link gets overloaded."

    "There is *nothing* to indicate that our normal Bond-pair is
anything more than habit. A self-limitation."

    ""The pack has always had the ability to enforce behavior on
others within the pack. Neither we or the wolves consider such action
'ethical'. However, such control does seem to imply that the links
within the pack are very similar to the link formed by Bonding.""

    I sit in slightly stunned amazement. Arthur didn't relay that
through his partners to Grey or Smoke as I would have expected.

    It came on the 'channel' I am used to thinking of as my link to
the pack-mind itself.

    "Nobody. No human has *ever* been able to communicate directly on
that level." Karen whispers it.

    I study Arthur for a moment and then, tentatively, for the first
time in years, open my awareness to include the pack-mind of Earth.

    I've never been able to get more than a feeling for all the minds
involved. I still can't send more than feelings unless I link with
Smoke or Grey and let them 'speak' as I 'speak'.

    There, barely noticeable, is the unmistakable feel of Arthur. I
send my feeling of shock through the link and see him nod in return.

    ""Yes, I'm still a bit stunned as well. This is not what any of us
expected."" I 'hear' Arthur as I watch him nod.

    "Excuse us please. Smoke and I need to have a private talk." I
look at Smoke and then at Karen and Grey. In response to Karen's
unspoken question, I hold up a hand to indicate I want to truly be
alone with Smoke.

    We walk away and stroll the forest for a while. Before we left,
Smoke and I turned on the special shields that sever all links except
our Bond-link. Both of us smile inwardly as we remember her first
reaction to severing the pack-link and the Bond-link.

    The years have given us perspective and further abilities. Plus,
we've kept our vow to never break our personal link.

    ""Smoke, I don't know what to think. I hope for Arthur's sake,
this works out.""

    ""You could always ask Allister and Wind-Rider."" Her reminder
brings me up short.

    "We never did ask their opinions did we?"

    "You never asked them." I detect a smile on her lips.

    "So you did?" I settle against a tree to stare unseeingly at the
surrounding mountains.

    "I did." She lays her head across my lap. "His answer puzzled me
until today.

    " 'Arthur's beginnings will mean our ending. We can move on at
last.' "

    I smile wryly. "Allister has been mystical in his pronouncements
lately hasn't he?"

    "Of course I have, Cory."

    I look up in surprise. Then, wryly, "I forgot the shields pass
sound."

    "Wind and I have 'known' for quite some time that the Guardians
will make a radical change of direction.

    "They can't do that with us as their 'leaders'.

    "Arthur and his pack have broken past a long held mindset that
none of us could break. We couldn't break it because we never knew it
was breakable."

    "We never knew it *was* a mindset. Somehow, we always thought it
was a natural thing. Even with you four to tell us differently, we
never took that last step.

    "So much for remembering to challenge all our assumptions." His
smile is wry.

    "The urge to travel is strong in Wind and I. We're tired. Weary.
Mentally exhausted from everything we've done.

    "Now, at long last, we can walk a different path.

    "It's time for the old 'gods' to leave so the new ones can take
over.

    "Not right away, but soon. Soon even as we reckon time."

    "You're in an odd mood, Allister." Smoke's comment is quiet.

    "Are you sure?" Then she answers her own question. "Of course you
are. You wouldn't have sought us unless you were."

    I gaze at nothing as I ponder what we've learned.

    "Arthur will be a better leader than we were. His Bond with a pack
and ability to use the pack mindlinks make that a given..

    "There's something else. It *is* time for the Guardians to change.

    "Everyone, on all the worlds, looks to us for guidance. Few
realize that the ethos is within them now. Has been for generations.

    "It's time we left them on their own. Maybe, someday, the
Guardians can return. In a lesser role than now."

    I quirk my lips slightly into a gentle smile.

    "Custom has hidden an important fact. One I, Karen, Smoke and Grey
have kept hidden as well.

    "Sex is no longer required to trigger the Bond.

    "All it takes is shared purpose and the agreement of those
involved.

    "Talents are emerging that were never conceived of. Strengths,
weaknesses... All will play a role in the future.

    "As you say, it's time for the Guardians to change.

    "To the worlds at large, we will vanish. Abandon our roles and let
the 'ordinary' people take over.

    "It will take time as we transfer the responsibilities. Enough
time that one day, people will suddenly realize we are 'gone'."

    ""We will never abandon our home."" Smoke too realizes that the
future is now.

    ""No love. Arthur will see to that."" My own thoughts are filled
with sadness at what we must do. At the same time, there is a joy that
at long last, we can give up our tasks to another. We've all waited a
long time for this.

    The three of us rise to go to where the others await. Shields off,
Smoke and I inform Karen and Grey of what has been decided.

    There is no dissent. Rather, we confirm something we have known of
and tried to solve for years.

    The last stumbling block, how to maintain 'coverage' with a
reduced presence, has been solved.
======

    There was a work planned, called 'New Directions', which was to be
about the new leaders of the Guardians, and their decisions for the
future. 
======

Mind Home: 05 - The Hidden Years

    The original concept behind the Guardians is that they are
comprised of zoophilic human-animal teams that are mutually telepathic
between the partners. The trigger for the link is sex-based and in the
wolf-human teams a deeper link, called a Bond, can be triggered by
simultaneous orgasms.

    Wolves live, barring accidents, as long as they wish to live. Some
humans who have partnered with wolves share this trait. In the early
years of genetic engineering to produce telepathic wolves, Julie, a
mutant capable of using human speech, was created. It was centuries
before that mutation was able to be reproduced.

    This story takes place during what are known as the 'Transition
Years'. The Founding Guardians, aware that the Guardians, like any
other organization, are in danger of becoming more interested in
perpetuating their organization rather than dedicating themselves to a
purpose that is now shared by all of humanity, have decided it is time
for the Guardians to quietly cease to exist. Because the original
'purpose' of the Guardians has been completed, one of their final acts
is to leave behind 'descendants' who will see that the attitude of
being 'caretakers' is passed on.

    What follows is the first story in a series that would have
eventually covered the period of time from when the Guardians slowly
vanish and eventually become the stuff of legends, to when they decide
to return to public view.
    ---

    The Outcast
    Mind-Home - The Hidden Years
    Jade, Belle and their pack
    ---

    Concealed by a century's growth of green, I sat silently on an old
field stone wall. I was watching the gray-furred forms moving slowly
past the trees a hundred yards ahead as they made their daily trip for
water. I had studied this pack ever since I had discovered this small
valley and decided it was isolated enough that I could safely make it
my home. They were a mixed lot and over time I had tried to sort out
the internal rankings.

    One week one pair would be in charge and then with no obvious
signs of change, another pair would become the alpha pair. I never saw
any signs of internal bickering and yet the one stable thing about
this pack was the seemingly random changes of the leaders.

    Through it all, one other thing had remained constant. Always
there and always as a beta female, a gray wolfess with blue eyes acted
as one of the scouts for the pack. As far as I could determine, she
had never mated and never been part of an alpha pairing.

    Something in her... Seemed to call to me. The feeling was
especially strong on days like this one.

    Maybe that was the reason I never noticed as the wind started to
shift. Suddenly the blue-eyed wolfess charged, her tail curling
seductively over her back, and I sat frozen in surprise as she halted
in front of me.

    ""I have waited for you long enough. Join me. Join your pack.""

    "Waited?" I didn't bother to hide my puzzlement. What really
confused me was her invitation to join the pack. Never, in all my
years of wandering the world, had I been invited to join a pack. That
loneliness was the central fact of my life.

    She settled on her haunches and those blue eyes seemed to bore
into my soul. ""Waited. Haven't you listened as I called to you?""

    As I recovered from my surprise, I blurted out my next thought.
"You're talking to me in my head!"

    She glanced around as the rest of the pack settled in a
semi-circle that had us at the center. When she next spoke, it was
aloud. "Would you have accepted me as quickly if I had used ordinary
speech?"

    Instead of answering right away, I gazed off at nothing. How long
had it been since someone, anyone, had spoken to me of acceptance? I
couldn't remember - and it embarrassed me to admit it, even to myself.

    "Do you know what you have done to me?" I let some of my
bitterness show in my voice. "I'm the one many call 'The Outcast'. You
dare to offer acceptance to the one who has always had to walk alone?"

    "I dare." She continued in that same, calm way of hers. "Twenty
years ago, you entered our valley. I felt our Bond but I also knew I
had to wait until you were ready to acknowledge it." Her quietly
compelling words forced my head around until our eyes locked. "I have
always accepted you. My pack has waited for their true leader to step
forth from the shadows and take his rightful place at my side."

    ""We have waited long enough."" I felt many personalities pushing
at my awareness.

    ""Join.""

    ""Lead.""

    ""Now.""

    My mind reeled as I was overwhelmed by the pack-mind and the
intense emotions. Somehow, I was the center of the mental focus of the
entire pack. Through it all, one emotion stood out.

    Love.

    For twenty years, Belle's love for me had kept her patiently
waiting until the time to ask me was 'right'.

    ""Jade. Claim your heritage. Become the wolf you have always been
meant to be. Join those who share your past.""

    ""Share my past?""

    She nodded and then shifted position so her inner pain was
obvious. ""You were 'abandoned' and forced to be an outcast - for a
reason. Greybeard and Julie decided it was time for the wolves of
Mind-Home to break from their past and find new paths to travel. Those
new paths could not be discovered by one who has been a part of the
pack-mind during the years that formed his ethos.""

    Her voice was sad but filled with her compassion. ""Your past was
not of your choosing and for that, all of us are sorry. It is the only
apology we will ever give you."" She stood and gazed into my eyes.
""Your future from this day onward is yours to choose. Choose to lead
- and we will follow.""

    ""I don't know how to lead."" I let my bitterness overwhelm me. I
could feel the joined awareness of the pack absorbing my pain and
dissipating it. I was invited to jump down and join them. When I did,
I was surrounded and each of them made contact with their body and
mind.

    I was welcomed. I *knew* that these wolves wanted me to join them.
There was no hint of rejection.

    One of the young males spoke to me though our link. ""Brother, one
does not always have to lead from in front. We have learned that much
since we chose to isolate ourselves from the rest of Mind-Home while
we waited for you.""

    So that was the answer. Belle had always been the alpha female. My
instincts had led me astray.

    ""Partly right, my mate."" I felt her smile. ""When one is going
nowhere, there is no need for anyone to lead you there.""

    As we resumed their interrupted journey, Belle and the others
began to tell me more of our shared history.

    Shortly after I had been born and made outcast, Cory and Smoke,
acting in their mind-healer roles, had questioned if I would be able
to successfully retain all I had learned when I was allowed to be
reintegrated with the pack-mind. Earth and Mind-Home, while far apart
in distance, still shared the same basic ethos. Wolves and others
could break the link on one planet and easily reform it on the other.

    After much discussion, it was decided that a small group of speech
capable wolves would be isolated from the pack-mind shortly after
birth. Instead of learning through the link, they would have to grow
and mature by studying the past and advancing on their own.

    Mentally isolated until they were able to fend for themselves,
they were then allowed to choose their path. By then, they knew of
what was being done with me. They were the ones who decided to migrate
to this valley and wait for me to find them. Once they came here, they
had lived in total isolation from the rest of Mind-Home except for
periodic contact by satellite links. The entire region was off-limits
and surrounded by shields.

    Once they settled in, they waited. Belle's realization that she
and I were somehow linked and destined to be mates had been
unanticipated.

    The bottom line was that we would be the ones to attempt to build
a new wolfish ethos that owed nothing to our Earth born heritage and
everything to what we now were.

    All of us were telepathic and used to using speech in our daily
lives. We had no responsibilities other than those we discovered and
accepted on our own.

    What we became and how - was up to us. That included any decisions
about returning to the outside world or taking on human partners.

    'Isolated.' Something about that nagged at my thinking. Belle and
her pack had chosen isolation. I had been forced into it. I felt
little loyalty towards the rest of the wolves on Mind-Home or Earth. I
accepted what had been done. My nature had me wondering if there were
other things we hadn't been told.

    When we finally settled for the night, I voiced my concerns.
"There's something we're not being told. I was forced out but you were
allowed to choose. Yet, you now tell me that everyone figured we would
eventually meet and join together."

    Belle looked at me. "You think that's important?"

    "Yes."

    A wolf who was near my age settled nearby. "Is there a special
reason you aren't using the way of the mind?"

    I turned to look at him with some surprise. "Yes. I thought you
knew. The shield isn't working as it should. Until you told me there
was supposed to be one, I never knew about it. I have always been able
to feel the pack-mind while here. What I have never been allowed to do
is join with it."

    He thought about that. "Allowed?"

    I sighed. "The other wolves have forcibly excluded me from it
whenever I tried to link and use its awareness. It's as if someone is
always acting as a sentry to keep me from accessing anything more than
a general feeling that there are other wolves on the planet."

    I felt the mental shudder at such actions.

    When Belle finally spoke, it was with wonder. "Yet, you survived."

    "I have." I hesitated. "At first, it was to prove myself worthy of
being allowed to join the pack-mind. Later, after I came near this
valley... There was something that called to me and made me think of
taking a long term view about things and to wait."

    Shadow returned us to his question. "That still doesn't explain
your use of speech."

    I locked eyes with him. "You never knew the shield is not as
complete as it should be. Your isolation was voluntary. Did you never
seek to test the shield? Because of my isolation, I have learned to
question everything. My first question is a simple one. Has the pack
been monitored? I suspect you have been. If you have, that probably
means everything you've done and decided is known to the rest of the
wolves on Mind-Home.

    There was a soft growl from many of the others. "We've been used,"
was the first comment.

    Shadow was the first to figure out my point. "Lied to. Not
trusted. How else have we been used without our knowledge?"

    I sighed again. "Exactly. I can't be certain but nothing else
makes sense. Thus, my use of speech. I want to keep our minds from
being tapped without our knowledge. More to the point, I don't want
our knowledge taken from us without our permission."

    I looked at each of them. "You freely told me I was set up and
used. Can you now say that the same wasn't done to you - individually
and as a group?"

    Scar, a wolfess with a gash across her muzzle, rose to her
haunches. "Is there a shield at all? Or did we fool ourselves into
believing there is one?" She shook her head slightly. "It doesn't
matter. If what Jade tells us is true, we have never been truly as
isolated as we believed. I also remember that there are stories that
Smoke and one of her partners were able to sever all contact with the
pack-mind by simply choosing to do so. She was nearly driven insane
from the loss of contact because she wasn't used to living without
it."

    "We, on the other hand, are all used to the idea of isolation."

    Belle studied her thoughtfully. "Are you suggesting we use our own
skills to isolate ourselves?"

    Scar gazed off for a bit and then looked at each of us. "Yes. I
also think we should quietly leave this area and select a new home.
One that isn't so easy to monitor from the outside. Perhaps Jade can
help us find such a place by 'listening' as the pack-mind and the
other Guardians search for us."

    Belle turned to me with a question in her eyes. I nodded slowly as
I thought about it. "I think I can monitor them without letting them
know I am doing so. If we all keep our pack link while we are
isolated, we might be able to find a place where we can hide until we
decide what to do."

    I voiced a new thought. "Are we being driven into hiding? If so,
for what purpose?"

    I could feel Belle's hesitation. "Does it matter? We were told to
see if we could discover a new way of thinking that breaks us free
from our past."

    I smiled sadly. "It matters to me. I owe little to those who set
me on this path. If I discover we are being ruthlessly driven as part
of some plan I will be more likely to want to keep anything we learn
to ourselves and not share it with the others."

    "I am starting to suspect that anything we discover will be
something that the others cannot use anyway. They are showing a
callousness that speaks to me of stagnation and self-interest rather
than looking out for everyone."

    Many of them turned to me in shock. Shadow was the first to
recover. "I think you are letting your own past color your thinking. I
hope you are wrong but I agree that we should allow for the
possibility we are going to have to find a way to replace the current
system."

    My own reaction to his words was shock of my own. "That's what
they are doing..."

    Belle asked for all of them. "They?"

    "They." I was confident that I had finally reasoned things out.
"You said Greybeard and Julie were the ones who decided I was to be
isolated. You also mentioned that Smoke and Cory were the ones who
wanted your pack to be created and isolated."

    "Yes, they did."

    I nodded as the pieces kept falling into place. "That means that
their partners were involved in their decision. Julie would not make a
major policy decision without consulting with Ward. As for Smoke and
Cory, they have been mated with Greybeard and Karen for so long the
four of them think and act as one. Add Julie to that group and I
*know* Ward was involved in everything."

    She thought about it. "OK, so?"

    "What is the one thing all six of them have done that is unique?"
Before anyone could ask, I said it. "They all voluntarily stepped away
from controlling the Guardians because they wanted them to *not*
become locked into one vision - theirs."

    Scar took it the next step. "Allister. He sometimes 'knows' about
the future. Ward was the original long term planner and first Guardian
philosopher. We *have* been manipulated. Just as they manipulated the
current Guardian leaders."

    I smiled. "Exactly. *They* want us to leave. They saw the
stagnation and that we would eventually form the core of a new group
of caretakers that will eventually work from the shadows, *if* we
decide to take on those responsibilities."

    "Well done, Jade." I jerked my head around.

    Two men, a woman and three wolves stood off to one side and
silently watched us. Two of the wolves were my parents, Greybeard and
Julie.

    "Well done?" I spoke aloud. If what I suspected was true, they
would want us to continue to use regular speech.

    Ward smiled sadly. "Yes, we knew that something like this was
going to happen. We are going to make sure that as far as anyone else
knows, the experiment involving your pack was a failure and all of you
vanished without a trace."

    He gazed off at nothing for what had to be at least 30 minutes
before he turned back to us. "The Guardians are going to let
themselves die off and eventually vanish from Mind-Home. We must if
the people are to understand that they are the true caretakers of
their world."

    "You and your pack, as you suspected, will remain here and
eventually decide if the Guardians are to return. How long that will
take and how you 'recruit' or even *if* you recruit humans, will be up
to you."

    He smiled sadly. "Just as it will be up to you and your pack to
decide *if* you want to take on the responsibilities at all. All we...
All *I* - as the one who came up with the plan can do - is ask your
forgiveness for what we have done to you and your pack. We manipulated
things to get you this far. The main reason for your isolation was to
make sure that none of our own attitudes would affect any of your
decisions. We wanted to be as certain as we could that you and your
pack were tied to *your* future and *your* past rather than anything
that had been brought here from Earth. We felt that isolation was the
best way to make sure none of you felt any ties to Earth and her
descendants. No wolf raised as part of the original pack-mind has the
ability to question everything as you will be able to. You'll need
that flexibility in the centuries to come."

    I nodded slowly and then consulted with the others through our
pack-link. "We can't forgive you." He sagged slightly and then nodded.
Before he could say anything, I continued. "Yet. We will, when the
time comes, make our decisions based on what we have learned about our
world and not from any sense of being guided by the past. We can give
you that much of a promise."

    "Thank you, Jade, everyone. That was the answer we hoped for but
could not ask for openly. Someday, when you and yours are driven by
necessity rather than your own desires - to do what has to be done -
we hope you will understand what a burden some knowledge can be."

    They vanished.

    There was a wordless communion as we considered our future. Part
of that involved our first attempts at blocking Mind-Home's pack mind.
Since I had always been actively aware of it, it fell to me to gauge
its responses to our efforts. After careful probing, I realized I had
some active help from Smoke, Julie and Greybeard. Smoke relayed how
she had managed to block the pack-mind those many centuries ago. With
that knowledge, we were able to finalize our plans for the immediate
future. The last thought I sent her and the others was a simple one.
""Unless there are accidents, we'll be here when you return. 'Call'
and one of us will answer."" They sent back an acknowledgment and
after that simple good-bye, we lost contact with them. It would be
many centuries before any of us felt their presence again.
======

    All I know for certain is that this one takes place late in this
cycle, and sometime before the events in 'Return of The Guardians'.

    It is also, unusually, for me, still using the working title, a
very unimaginative 'A Dream'. It fits on two levels, so I left it
alone.

    The dream this one is based on is one of three scenes I dreamt
that night. I suspect the others will get their own stories, unrelated
to this one, just as they were seemingly unrelated to each other.
---

    A Dream
    ----

    Dianna watched the man sitting in the chair in the middle of the
room. "Mr. Valance."

    He turned his head indifferently. "What?"

    'Cool, this one.' She thought to herself. She didn't let her
irritation with his attitude color her next words. "You are an
anomaly, Mr Valance. The System doesn't like them. It seeks an
explanation."

    He shrugged. "All people are anomalies, if you look at them
closely enough."

    She sighed. Perhaps it would be best if she got to the point. "You
haven't passed on your heritage."

    He smiled bitterly. "What a delicate way to express it." He
slumped. "I've tried. None of the resulting embryos have been viable.
You have my records. You've taken samples. Find a way to breed
*those*, since the years have proven it will not happen naturally."

    She made a grimace of profound distaste. "The System does not
accept artificial means of reproduction."

    He smiled slightly. "Perhaps The System should reconsider the
ban."

    She shook her head. "Perhaps. But when the male's sperm are
clearly motile and abundant, the strictures are clear and unambiguous.
A way must be found."

    She shrugged when he stared at her. "Mr Valance. A way *has* been
found. You will take it willingly, or be reprogrammed, but you *will*
pass on your heritage."

    He stared, shocked and not really believing. "How?"

    She forced herself to smile, in spite of her personal distaste for
what she was required to do. "The System is patient, Mr Valance, and
computers will search all possibilities, no matter how unlikely.
Eventually..." She paused and cleared her throat.

    "What The System learned is that while you appear to be human, the
heritage you must pass on, is not."

    She gestured at a closed door. "Suitable mates have been found.
All of your matings with them will be potentially viable. You may
choose to reproduce with one or all of them. What The System will not
allow is the choice that you do not reproduce at all. Have I made The
System's position clear?"

    He stared at the door hungrily. "You have my records. You know I
have done everything The System has asked of me. The failure to pass
on my heritage is something I've had no conscious part in. Of course I
will mate with whoever is chosen for me."

    She sighed. "You say that now, before you see who has been
chosen?"

    He faced her angrily. "Of course I do! Have I ever protested who
has been chosen? Get on with it!"

    She grimaced. "Very well, then."

    She pressed the button that released the locks on the door.
"Come!"

    Something scraped on the door and it swung slowly open after being
pushed from the other side

    It revealed...

    A group of female wolves, sitting there watching him.

    He turned to face the woman and she could see his disbelief.
"Wolves? You expect me to mate with wolves?"

    She sighed. "It is not I, but The System who determined that you
and they are interfertile. The available records indicate your sperm
is capable of impregnating these descendants of the so-called
'Guardians of Mind Home'. You *will* do your duty. The System commands
it of you, not I."

    He barely noticed her as she stood and left him alone with the
group of female wolves who cautiously came into the room to range
themselves around him.

    * * *

    After the woman left, he leaned forward, put his head in his hands
and sighed bitterly. "This is someone's idea of a sick joke. The
Guardians are a myth. Supposedly they abandoned our world centuries
ago, if you want to believe the mystics who live in their old
buildings. All The System really wants me to do is breed with these
animals, and the tales are a means to let me justify my actions to
myself."

    He looked up and glared at the wolves. "A sop. Meaningless. I
don't need it. I'll do my duty, as I always have."

    Strangely, they simply titled their heads and studied him for
awhile, then one of them grabbed his right hand and tugged gently.

    What she wanted was obvious, so he stood and followed her when she
let go to turn and walk back through the door the wolves had used to
enter the room.

    Once through, one of them carefully closed the door and settled on
her haunches to watch him again.

    He sighed. "How the hell should I know what I'm supposed to do?
I've never even thought about fucking animals."

    Strangely, the wolf nodded slowly and then went over to the desk,
where she used her jaws to draw out the keyboard. Once she had it out
she delicately placed one foot on the chair to support herself, then
used the other to carefully tap a sequence of keys.

    There was an audible series of tones that caused her to tilt her
head thoughtfully before she tapped another sequence.

    This time the result was spoken words. "Guardian override
acknowledged. Security interlocks activated. All personnel in this
room will remain unrecorded until the override is rescinded."

    She looked up and her expression when she looked at him was an
unmistakable grin. "So. Do you still think we're myths?"

    Before he could think of an answer, the wolf who had tugged his
hand spoke commandingly. "Enough teasing, sister."

    She faced him when he turned to stare at her. "Liberty Fulton
Valance. It is time we left this place. There is more to passing on
your heritage than the simple mating of male and female to produce
offspring. In return for that, you will be welcomed into your true
family, and removed from the awareness of the perversion of a greater
ethos that hides from reality by calling itself 'The System'."

    She faced the wall behind her. "Access code: Hidden Ways."

    The wall slid aside to reveal a corridor. She glanced over her
shoulder at him and the other wolves. "Come. It is time for us to
return to obscurity, until the next heir of the founders is revealed
to us."

    She stepped forward and the other wolves surrounded him, then
gently urged him to join them as they left. After the wall slid back
into place behind them, dim lights turned on and off to always keep
them in a pocket of light while they walked.

    Eventually he found himself in what appeared to be a well
appointed executive suite. It was far beyond what someone in his
station could expect to have, and he said so. "Who lives here? Will
they be upset we are here?"

    The wolves gently urged him to the large window that overlooked a
lush valley, before the wolf in charge finally spoke gently. "We are
home, and you will always be welcome in this, the place that has been
waiting for you, and others like you."

    He shook violently. "Where am I? Who are you, really? What is
happening?"

    One of the wolves worked her head under his right hand. "We are
'The Outcasts', the ones who chose to stay behind when it was time for
the Guardians to leave, and turn the care of this world over to the
people they had held it in trust for."

    His shivering slowed slightly and she leaned against him. "This
was Ward and Julie Fulton's home and office, but any of us may use it
as we feel the need. The valley you see is the one they discovered
shortly after they arrived on this planet, and is the place first
called 'Mind Home', before the planet was given the same name."

    She laughed softly. "It pleases us to keep this hidden from The
System. It is a small and petty thing we do to amuse ourselves while
we spend the long years waiting for the bloodlines we started, to
reach their maturity, as we planned for so many centuries ago."

    One of the other wolves snarled briefly, then turned to study him.
"Duty has always been strong in those of your bloodline, Liberty, but
there is no hurry, now, for you to perform your 'duty'. You are done
with the system and its requirements."

    She stretched in a bow that was oddly formal, although he couldn't
have said what gave him that impression. "Learn. Grow. Mate with one
of us, or not, as you will choose."

    She deliberately turned with a flip of her tail that exposed her
vulva, then settled on her haunches to stare out the window with a
drawn out sigh. "Perhaps, you will even learn to love. It would be
nice, to be loved again."

    He was bemused. "What is this 'love' you talk of? Duty and
responsibility is all there is, if the world is to survive."

    She sighed again and spoke without turning her head. "Love is
something you feel. It is, and needs no reason to be."

    The studied rudeness she gave him, by not facing him when she
spoke, made him speak his opinion more emphatically than he would
have, had she been polite. "Gibberish, then."

    She looked over her shoulder with a mysterious smile. "My
gibberish, just as your devotion to 'The System' is yours. Do you
truly believe 'The System' is the only possible way this world can
survive?"

    "Of..." He paused, sensing the trap just before he sprung it. He
finally shrugged helplessly. "It is the only way I know. I don't know
of any other ways. Nobody has ever suggested there might be any. Are
there?"

    One of the other wolves spoke gently. "There are. There were. But
too many people sought the path of least resistance, and 'The System'
absorbed or destroyed all of them. It works, and it has worked, for
hundreds of years. But it is near its death, as all things come to the
end of their allotted lifespan."

    He shuddered at the vision she spoke of so calmly. "Chaos!"

    To his surprise, she laughed. "Not chaos. Freedom. Rebirth. A
difficult one, true, but you will be there to see it happen, and when
the time comes, you and others like you will teach the people of this
world what it truly means...

    "To be human--even though you are not."

    He jerked as if struck and looked at her with panic in his eyes.
"Not human? Of course I'm human! This is madness! It is only some
strange quirk of my genes that makes it possible for me to mate with
wolves and produce viable offspring."

    Her eyes met his and suddenly he swooned and would have collapsed
if something terrible hadn't taken control of his body.

    Someone's voice echoed in his head and he knew it was the wolf who
sat on her haunches and watched him calmly. ""No, Liberty. It is no
quirk. The Guardians had their geniuses. Even then, some called them
mad. And we? We are not just wolves, we are the products of those long
ago geniuses and their vision, just as you and others like you are our
brethren.""

    She paused, and then went on remorselessly in his mind, speaking
the words he somehow had known she would speak. ""You appear to be
human, Liberty Fulton Valance, but what you really are is a
Guardian--and a wolf. We hope that someday you will forgive us for the
neccessity of making you live apart from your pack while you grew from
being a puppy, to an adolescent ready to learn who, and what, you
are.""

    He screamed in agony when the pack mind surged into him, and gave
him back his birthright.

    * * *

    When he became aware of his surroundings again, he was naked and
lying on a bed. One of the wolves was settled next to him, and
studying his face intently. "How?..." Before he could finish his
question, he knew the answer.

    One of the wolves had taken control of his body until the pack had
finished his 'briefing'.

    Instead of getting up he raised himself and slid backwards until
he was propped against the headboard. He studied the wolfess for a
long time before spoke to her. "Why me?"

    She contrived a shrug with her ears. "Why not you? Every
generation, cubs are chosen at random, and they are given to The
System, for nuturing. Those who survive to maturity, we collect and
learn from."

    "Cruel."

    She raised herself to her haunches and looked directy at him.
"Perhaps. Can you say the cheche's used by The System are any less
cruel?"

    He sighed and tried to explain. "Everyone has their duty,
according to their inherent abilities. The creche's remove the
randomness and let us focus on our natures, without the distractions
of living in the chaotic evironment of emotions."

    Her head tilted slightly and her ears came forward. "Do the human
cubs ever know their biological sire and dam?"

    He shook his head. "No. They are taken away as soon as they are
born and raised by those whose temperment make them suitable for child
rearing."

    "You consider this action 'proper and ideal' yet you call us cruel
when 'animals' adopt the same system?"

    He saw the trap, but walked into it unflinchingly. "I do. Humans
should not live as animals do. Their natures are different. Humans are
superior, and this is the reason they were given the guardianship of
this world."

    Surprisingly, she grinned at him. "So we come to the bone that
holds the meat of your arguments. Humans are different, and thus they
are superior."

    Her voice went stern. "If humans aspire to be superior, then they
should discard the ways of animals, should they not?"

    He stiffened. "They discard as much as their animal nature as is
compatible with survival."

    "They attempt to deny the very thing that made them who they are.
Evolution. The System encourages stasis. It refuses to change and
adapt while the world around it shifts continually."

    She shook her head and lowered her ears back. "The only true
stasis is death, Liberty, and death is what humans have given the rest
of this world, and themselves."

    "No! We strive to keep this world whole. Making sure it lives, is
our duty! We nuture it, without us it would revert to what is was
before we came here. Nothing would survive. If we fail in our duty,
you would die along with us."

    "Liberty. Can the seed know the majesty of a tree?"

    "Of course not."

    "Search your knowledge, old and new, then tell me that humans are
not a seed that has been kept from becoming the tree it was meant to
be."

    He glared at her, then nodded stiffly. "I shall do that."

    She dipped her muzzle slightly. "If you can."

    He ignored her jibe and let his head drop as he entered a
meditation trance.

    He didn't know how long it had been when he reluctantly left off
his searching and looked up wearily. "I cannot refute your argument."

    She laughed. "It was unfair of me to demand that you refute it,
but some learning is unfair, because it only comes to those who
deliberately seek it, and you did not know there were questions that
needed asking."

    Her voice turned gentle. "That is the nature of life, Liberty
Fulton Valence. It questions everything, without mercy. If it did not,
we would not be here."

    He sighed and slumped. "I never knew logic could be so confusing."

    Instead of answering him directly she suddenly rolled to her back,
then wiggled enthusiastically before she let herself go limp. Still on
her back she looked at him and smiled. "Pet me."

    Automatically, he reached, then he paused. "Why? You are well
groomed, and look healthy. There should be no need for your fur to be
disturbed."

    She closed her eyes. "Then pet me so you learn more about
yourself. Study my reactions, analyze your own. Let your thoughts move
your hands and fingers as you explore."

    Her eyes opened and she watched him with an intent look. "There is
more to your heritage than the physical form you wear. Learn it!"

    He flinched at her forceful command, then finished reaching and
placed his hand on her body. He held still, and thought about what he
was feeling.

    "Your fur is different than some of the companion dogs. Theirs is
usually more flexible, and some of them have longer hair that requires
much grooming. Yours..." He searched for the right words to describe
what he was feeling. Your fur feels like flexible wires, but the ends
don't poke my skin like wires would."

    He carefully dug his fingers in deeper, then spread them slightly.
"You have what they call an undercoat, isn't it? It's very soft and
dense. It reminds me of the sponges we use sometimes because it
compresses and expands when I apply pressure and release it."

    He lifted his hand away and studied the fur that was clinging to
it. "There's some of it on my hand. Is that normal for wolves?"

    She laughed. "Very normal. We are no different than dogs in that
regard."

    He nodded. "Then who grooms you when you lose your winter fur?"

    "Humans, or other Guardians like yourself, if we desire it.
Sometimes we live wild, and let things happen as nature designed them
to. Perhaps, someday, Liberty, you will be the one to groom me--if you
desire to do so."

    "Desire? And forgive me asking this. Do you have a name? I'm not
used to talking to someone who hasn't immediately introduced herself.
I should have introduced myself properly when we first met, since you
and your companions did not do so."

    She smiled at him and nudged his side with her nose. "My name is
Shadowstalker. There is nothing to forgive because I took no offense.
I do not expect formality from someone I hope will be my friend, and
maybe, someday, my lover and sire of my cubs."

    He blushed. "Have I been remiss, Shadowstalker? Should I mate with
you now? I do not know your customs."

    He paused, and she nudged him again. "I smell your confusion,
Liberty. Ask and perhaps I can help dispell it. I will not deny I
desire that you mate with me, but we will mate or not as you choose,
for now. When you feel the need, or desire, you may mate with any of
us, for pleasure alone, or to sire cubs."

    He hesitated while he tried to understand her words, then rushed
on. "What is a 'friend'? What is a 'lover'? I've never heard the words
before. And... I don't understand. I have mated because it is known to
be healthier to do so than to deny the physical desires, and I have
mated in many attempts to produce children so my genes are propagated.
But... What is 'pleasure' and how can one mate for it?"

    She rolled to her stomach and then shifted until she could rest
her head on his chest.. "Oh, Liberty. What has The System done to you?
We had no idea it had taken so much of your heritage away."

    He spoke hesitantly. "We are taught to reason things out if we are
confused. Since I never grew up amongst my kind, how could my heritage
have been taken away? It was never there, correct?"

    She lifted her head and turned it slightly. "That is partly true.
There is so much that both cultures shared, that has been either
suppressed or lost as The System enforced an artificial stability. Had
it not been so, you would have known what the words I used meant. When
I spoke of heritage, I was talking about those things that both of our
cultures shared, that should have been available to you, and was, the
last time we took the time to see how 'The System' was evolving. That
loss was something we considered a worst case scenario, if it were to
take place in the brief time we waited."

    She laughed at his frown and spoke before he could. "I am sorry.
For us, 'brief time' has a different meaning that it does for you. We
have kept to ourselves for nearly a century. When we last checked,
things were in stasis, and we expected that stasis to last longer than
it apparently did."

    "To return to the true subject at hand, all creatures have
emotions. They can be suppressed with rigorous discipline, but even
so, they will surface, eventually."

    He nodded in agreement. "This is true. There are not enough people
to man the treatment centers that deal with deviants, and the problem
has been worsening, in spite of what we are told. Anyone can see that,
but there there are harsh punishments when one questions things too
often, so few mention what they see, where the monitors can overhear
them, which means they are seldom talked about, at all.

    "They've tried drugs, but that method is not efficient, and in
many cases, those treated must be taken care of because they lose
their powers of reasoning and become a danger to all around them.

    "The System does what it can with the resources it can spare. When
that isn't enough, it encourages self-support groups..."

    He suddenly went into a memory trance.

    She waited patiently, and eventually he was focused on her again.
"I have heard tales that people in self support groups often become
clannish and overly protective of each other, while often helping
other members of the group reach their goals when it would seem
inefficient to do so.

    "Is there a connection between those actions and friendship?"

    "Yes. Also between those actions and love. You have the knowledge
within you, now that you are rejoined with the pack mind. However,
having it and using it are very different matters."

    He managed a smile that was genuine. "There is a quote everyone
must have visible somewhere in their quarters: 'To quit learning is to
die. To die and still breathe is not efficient.

    "Your words imply there are things I must learn, which is always
true, no matter who you are, or how old you happen to be."

    He hesitated, then went on. "Since there is a difference between
theory and practice, will you help me by allowing me to learn about
these new things you have mentioned, under your guidance?"

    She nodded solemnly. "Of course. I am here, and comfortable in
your presence. I will help you practice. It would..."

    She managed to suppress her grin and keep a sober smile in place.
"Be quite efficient to do it that way."

    "Thank you, Shadowstalker."

    "You are welcome, Liberty."

    She shifted so she could touch one of her paws to his cheek. "And
now, your lessons will begin.

    "Close your eyes, and tell me of the memories my touches evoke,
without attempting to control or analyze them as they surface."

    * * *

    They were on their sides and facing each other when Shadowstalker
touched his face with her nose.

    "May I have your permission to mate with you?"

    "Yes."

    "Good. Place yourself within, and move slowly. Do not deliberately
seek your own orgasm. My body will talk to yours in ways that you will
be unable to feel, and eventually it will happen. In the mean time,
carress me and learn the ways of my body as if you were seeking to
prolong the time before I have my own orgasm."

    "What are the signs that will tell me if I have done as you ask?"

    She laughed. "Have you mated with bitches?"

    "No. Some do. I was not one of them."

    "Were you ever offered the opportunity?"

    He blushed. "Many times. The companion bitches who live with
humans quite often said they found me desirable as a companion. Some
companion dogs found me so, as well."

    She laughed again. "That desire for your sexual services is
understandable. When this planet was colonized, there was a canine
bloodline that had the ability to sense when a human could become a
Guardian. The gene for that was dominant, and time has dispersed it
until all canines carry it, and show the ability."

    "Ah. That explains much I did not understand. You have not
answered my question, Shadowstalker."

    "It has no answer, Liberty. Female wolves, and bitches, begin to
orgasm when a male inserts his penis. The muscular spasms continue
until the penis is withdrawn, or the muscles fatigue and can no longer
contract. You would have known this, if you had accepted the offers to
mate, or studied the records available."

    "My ignorance shames me."

    "One cannot know all there is to know. Seeking knowledge that
serves no useful purpose is something The System discouraged, to make
people easier to control."

    He suddenly gasped. "My orgasm! It approaches and I did not seek
it!"

    "Our bodies have been communicating with each other, as I said
they would. Let it happen, and then allow yourself to stay within me.
You may reduce the chances of withdrawal by wrapping your arms around
me and pulling us together firmly."

    "I shall... AAHHH!!"

    She waited for him to recover, and when his eyes focused on her,
he blushed. "I did not intend for that to happen.. I am sorry I lacked
the control to prevent it."

    She nuzzled him lightly. "Someday, Liberty, you will understand
the orgasms you do not seek are often the best ones. Surprise is a
part of life, after all."

    She touched her nose to his lips and pressed gently. "This, is one
way I may kiss you. I will show you others. Thank you.

    "You are welcome. I am..." He hesitated. "My orgasm. Is what I
feel when an orgasm happens, 'pleasure', and not just my body telling
me I was efficiently taking care of a necessity?"

    "Yes."

    "And the way I feel now, with your body against mine. It is
similar, yet different. Is it, too, 'pleasure'?"

    "Yes. 'Pleasure' can can be felt in many ways, and many things can
trigger it. Eventually you will learn ways to trigger it in any
intensity you desire."

    "Would it be appropriate to laugh, now? The situation seems absurd
enough, that laughter would be appropriate. I am unsure because one
does not normally laugh when mating."

    "Laughter is appropriate when you think it is, not when someone
else says you should, or should not."

    She surprised him by giggling, which, much to his surprise, made
him blush, and then he realized the absurdity of what was happening
and he started doing some very formal chuckles, which he knew were
inappropriate while mating, and that made things even more absurd, and
suddenly he lost control and just...

    Let go and tried all sorts of laughs, until he suddenly found the
one that was right, which was one he had never heard of. He just let
it happen, without trying to control it.

    It kept changing and he was amazed at the way those changes made
him feel. Eventually he felt like he was ready to stop, which was
absurd because he'd never thought about stopping laughter when he
wanted to, and now he realized why so many people found it difficult
to control laughter, which made him feel like laughing again...

    So he did.

    When he was finally able to stop completely, he realized his body
and mind were far more relaxed than they had ever been, and that
surprised him.

    That thought triggered 'The Insight', as he would call it for the
rest of his life.

    "The System cannot control people if they are allowed to have
emotions, so it redefined them and redirected their energy until we
did not know we had them.

    "But they still exist, and allowing them to be freely expressed is
more efficient than suppressing them because expressing our emotions
relaxes us more!

    "The System is doomed, because it is inefficient, and as people
accept that, they will seek to change it and..."

    He looked within, and realized that in himself, he saw the
future...

    And he was awed.

    "The dormant seed that is humanity, will finally sprout."

    Shadowstalker licked his cheek lightly. "If you allow yourself to
live that long, you will be there to nuture it, and eventually see the
tree it becomes."
======

Mind Home: The Return of The Guardians

    M-wolfess zoo best slow

    The opening line, as a nebulous, partly formed concept, came to me
early one morning while driving on the freeway. It was a mostly clear
day, windy, and the drifting clouds in the distance--were low enough
that they obscured the tops of the mountains. All I knew at that point
was that I wanted to write something about memories and 'clouds
drifting against the mountains'.

    A few days later, while listening to some music by the Beatles, I
remembered the image, wrote the opening line, decided which one of my
characters expressed it--and that led to the following story.
    ---

    The Love of a Wolfess
    Return of the Guardians
    Wolf-Walker and Scar
    ---

    "Memories of you, drifting like clouds--against the mountains of
my past."

    Scar looked up, tilted her head and then spoke gently: "Still?"

    I quit watching the sky and bent my head down so I could study
her. "Still. She and I had so much to live for. To lose it all because
of random violence..." I sighed and held out my hands to her. "Scar,
help me forget. Remind me again of what I have to live for."

    "Like this?" She stood and stretched seductively. When her head
came up she shifted her ears in my direction and smiled.

    A gust of wind brought her scent to me. During the time she and
her pack
    had forced me to keep living, my senses had sharpened. Six weeks
ago I wouldn't have noticed anything except the smell of the forest.
Now I can distinguish individual scents. I inhaled deeply through my
nose and savored the many messages the wind brought. The one message I
hoped to 'read' was there. Scar's desire was unmistakable. "Like that.
My love."

    She came over and gently licked my penis until it was erect. Once
she knew I was ready, she turned and offered herself to me.

    I probed her with a finger and then brought the finger to my mouth
to taste it. She tasted ready. Wait. There's more. She has recently
mated with one of the wolves. "Scar? Will I be causing problems?"

    She looked at me. "Problems?"

    "Children. Will my semen have any effect on the chances of
conception?"

    "No." She paused so long I started to wonder if something was
wrong. "Wolf-Walker?"

    "Scar?"

    "Do you still have your dream?"

    "To prevent the kinds of things that killed my wife? Of course."

    She walked away from me, turned, and settled on her haunches. The
rest of the pack settled around her. "The time has come for you to be
made aware of a future that would let you live that dream until you
choose to step away from it."

    I stared at her in shock. My recent lust was forgotten when I
realized what she was offering me. "How? Tell me what to do. If I can
keep *one* person from suffering through what I have..."

    My tears flowed as I whispered: "What's the price? It *can't* be
worse than what I've already survived."

    A wolf I'd never seen before stepped into the clearing. Scar and
the rest of the pack dropped to their bellies and waited.

    His gentle words were simple--and so layered with hidden messages
that I felt I'd never be able to fully understand everything he was
telling me. "Join with Scar. Return to your family's roots. Become a
Guardian."

    "Guardian? There are no Guardians. Only legends."

    Scar sat up. I looked at her. She seemed different. Older. Wiser.
Other wolves surrounded the newcomer. Scar joined them. "Wolf-Walker,
meet Jade and his pack. Many centuries ago the Guardians decided to
leave this world. Before they left, they made a newborn wolf an
outcast. Without explanation, he was cast out from the pack mind and
forced to survive, or not, alone. Other young wolves, isolated from
the pack mind but allowed to mature around other wolves, when offered
a choice, decided to remain isolated from the pack mind, with its
earthly heritage--and wait for him."

    "I was one of those wolves. We are 'The Outcasts' and we are
asking you to join us."

    Jade took over. "We've learned many things. We've remembered
others. As we did so, we also watched this world and its people.
Amongst those people are some special ones. You, for example. Your
sister, as well."

    Memories surfaced. I remembered stories our family had passed from
generation to generation. Some of those stories insisted that some of
our distant ancestors had been Guardians. Other stories insisted that
people had teamed with telepathic animals and become a sort of
international police force. Some legends insisted the Guardians had
been gone for centuries. Other legends said the last Guardian had died
over a thousand years ago.

    Now, almost within touching distance, was a pack of wolves who
claimed they had been there when the Guardians decided to abandon us
to the unknown future.

    "Why did they leave us? There has been so much pain they could
have helped us avoid." I was curious, and bitter. My six weeks with
Scar and her pack had taught me there was no point in trying to
dissemble.

    Scar shifted as if she was going to answer but Jade silenced her
with a gesture of his head. "Children, if they are to be the adults
they were meant to be, must be allowed to fend for themselves. The
Guardian ethos was a normal part of everyone's daily life. If the
people were to become the best people they could be, they had to be
permitted to walk their own path. The Guardians allowed themselves to
'die off' so that the people of Mind-Home could learn that the *true*
guardians of this planet... Were themselves."

    "As I was forced to discover a new path and maturity for the
wolves of Mind-Home, the people had to be forced into choosing
childhood or maturity."

    His voice was low, and filled with a sadness I didn't understand.
"Had the Guardians stayed, your people would have lost the most
important freedom of all: 'The freedom to learn from your own
mistakes'. "

    "As your people grew into their maturity, we developed a new
wolvish ethos that owed nothing to our Earthly heritage. Our lives are
our own, with no obligations to the original Guardians. We have been
content to walk in the shadows of this world, until now. After
thousands of years, duty forces us to recruit and allow the Guardians
to become visible once again."

    I looked into Jade's eyes. All I saw was reflected firelight but
no matter how much I tried to make myself maintain eye contact, I
couldn't.

    I studied the fire while I thought about what they offered me.
"Scar. Some people claim that some Guardians lived longer than
ordinary people. How much longer, and will I have an extended
lifespan?"

    "Millenia, at least. We hope that some are still alive, but we
won't know unless they recontact us. Only a few of the Pack-Brothers
and Pack-Sisters ever learned the mindset that let them choose how
long to live. All I can tell you is that we can guarantee the full
telepathic link. A few of your ancestors were ones who could choose.
There is a good chance you will be able to, as well. Ultimately, it's
up to you."

    Jade's comment was quiet. "Scar, you are too cautious and too long
away from the pack. We have made new discoveries, thanks, in part, to
Shadow's brief time with Wolf-Walker's sister. If Wolf-Walker joins
us, he will be able to choose his time of ending."

    I kept staring at the fire. "A thousand years or more--to
remember."

    Scar nuzzled my shoulder. "A thousand years or more to build new
memories, to create a future of your choosing." She licked my penis
again before settling with her head in my lap. "Join with me now--and
your dream can become your reality."

    Jade made a final point. "Join with Scar and you'll never be alone
again. The links you build today--and in the future--will see to
that."

    I gently stroked Scar's head while I studied Jade and the new
wolves. Finally I stood and stretched. "Scar. Shall we take a walk? I
need to think about this. I want to accept your offer but..." I
shrugged and gestured at the settled wolves. "There are some memories
I need to look through. Stories, mostly. Several of them mentioned a
bonding ritual. One of them talked about the teams needing to be
isolated while they formed their links."

    Scar joined me and we began walking along the trail. "We need not
be isolated. We understand the bond better than your ancestors did.
Wolves have changed, humans have changed. The old way imposed
unconscious limits."

    "Limits? Do the packs have to be visible?"

    "The packs only have to be nearby while we form the links. Sex is
no longer a required trigger, but it *is* a pleasant way to spend the
time when you are taking breaks from your lessons."

    I looked at her and noticed she had twisted her expression into a
parody of her normal seriousness. I laughed and she grinned back.
"What an interesting way to tell me you expect me to fuck you a lot if
I decide to become a Guardian. And you avoided my main question."

    She leaned against my right leg. "The trail to the left. Use it.
It leads to a place I want you to see. It will take us a few weeks to
get there but I think you will find the destination worth it."

    "As for limits, the major one was that by isolating teams while
they formed the links, the founders were unconsciously instilling a
mindset that kept everyone from realizing that teams of two were not
the only--or even the most desirable way of Bonding. Another limit
imposed was one related to the mind-virus. It uses two-member teams to
establish itself. With more members in the Bond, the initial signs of
infection are detected quickly and the virus is easily destroyed using
the combined powers of the uninfected members. This cure is more
reliable and easier to implement than the only other known solution,
total mental isolation of every sentient being on the planet for 24
hours."

    She stopped when Explorer stepped onto the path in front of us.
His eyes glittered as the leaves randomly allowed sunlight to reach
them. He held a rifle in his mouth. He gently placed it on the ground
and studied me. "Yes, Walker. Yours. We've kept it hidden until it was
time to return it to you and through you, to those you are leaving
behind." His voice firmed into that of the Alpha wolf speaking for the
pack. "Pick it up. We must be certain that your scent and fingerprints
are on it when it is found."

    My hands were shaking from the remembered pain and despair. "Must
I?" It was a plea.

    He nodded and stepped back.

    I stepped forward, knelt down and gingerly closed my hand around
the stock. I stood up and habit made me start to clean off the dirt.

    Explorer stopped me. "No. It will be found and people must think
that it has been there since it was fired."

    I looked at the rifle and nodded as I realized he was right. I
realized something else and dropped it. "I loathe this thing and what
it represents. I am no longer the person who fired it, nor do I wish
to be that person--ever again."

    Scar leaned against me. "Wishes are dangerous things and time
sometimes make them taste like carrion left too long in the summer
heat. As a Guardian you will learn and relearn this lesson many
times." She gently nipped my leg to get me to look down at her.
"Dreams, on the other hand, keep us going when duty demands that we do
what we must--and not what we wish."

    I frowned. "Scar, you forced me to live when I thought I had
nothing to live for. Was that love? Or was it duty?"

    She looked away and whispered. "Duty. I could not allow myself to
love you until you chose duty as a Guardian--and a long life instead
of a short one."

    "I have not..."

    She inhaled though her nose, noisily. "Lie to yourself,
Wolf-Walker, if that is what you wish to do. Lies to a wolfess are
wasted words."

    I sighed and looked at Explorer. He answered my unspoken question.
"Your lessons begin. Scar has had thousands of years to learn how to
be a teacher."

    He settled on his haunches and continued. "Self delusions are
sometimes from ignorance, sometimes deliberate. A Guardian needs to
learn to look at all life, but most especially his own, with the
clearest understanding possible. The human habit of deliberate self
delusion is one you need to eliminate from your life. It will be
painful at first but in time it will give your life a richness beyond
your current comprehension."

    He returned to the rifle and paused. "This will be dealt with. May
your journey be one that leads to knowledge."

    He picked the rifle up and vanished into the forest.

    I whispered a parting comment to his memory. "It already has."

    Scar motioned with her nose. "This used to be one of the main
trails used by the early Guardians."

    I looked at the faint path. "If you'd asked me, I would have
assumed it's an ordinary game trail that happens to go in the
direction you want to take me."

    We resumed walking as she commented blandly: "We've spent a lot of
time making sure that's exactly what it looks like. It's nice to know
we've succeeded."

    I laughed. "So. I'm already being initiated into 'the mysteries',
am I?"

    Scar joined me by laughing in the special way that let me know she
was pleased with life. It was a soft, gentle laughter that made me
remember a star filled night and the intensity of our first sexual
embrace. She had uttered the same type of laughter after I commented:
'I never knew sex could be so exhilarating.' When she stopped
laughing, she continued our conversation. "You are. In the next
clearing we come to, we will firmly set ourselves on the path that
leads to our new future."

    She suddenly broke into a run that took her out of sight. I kept
walking at the relaxed pace we had set. I was used to her moods and
knew she'd soon return. Sure enough she suddenly appeared from a side
trail and skidded to a halt in front of me. Her tongue was hanging out
in what I recognized as an expression of her joy in life.
"Wolf-Walker." Her words came out in gasps. "The clearing isn't far.
Remember this when we mate: Shared purpose is what triggers the Bond
between wolf and human. When you fuck me, think of love. Remember your
love for your now dead wife. Remind yourself of your love for me and
that I return that love in full measure. Most importantly, remind
yourself of the love we share for this world."

    She grinned when I stopped and stared at her. "I know. All that is
far too much to ask of a male when his penis is involved. So, instead
of that, when you fuck me, let your lust take over. Enjoy my heat when
you ram your penis into me. Drive yourself as deep as you can while
thinking only of satisfying your raging lust. Be selfish, think
whatever thoughts maximize your pleasure--and grab my legs as tightly
as you can when you try to fill me to overflowing with your semen."

    She laughed a throaty laugh that was filled with sexual promises.
"I will be doing the same sort of thinking when I brace myself to
receive everything you have to give me, in whatever way you decide to
give it to me."

    She returned to my side and used a shoulder to get me moving
again.

    She was right. The small clearing was only a few hundred meters
further. As we settled under one of the trees at the edge I brushed at
the back of my neck to brush away an unusually persistent fly.

    Scar laughed when my hand hit one of her paws. "Tickles, doesn't
it?" The feeling of light feathery touches continued as she moved in
front of me. Her lips didn't move as she spoke again. ""Isn't this a
lot better?""

    My vision blurred as I seemed to see myself. "What's happening?" I
fell forward slightly and caught myself before I toppled into the
grass.

    ""Relax. We are forming the link that will make you one with the
wolves of Mind-Home. Think. Feel.""

    ""The stories never mentioned the confusion."" I was seeing her
clearly, but superimposed on her image was an image of myself kneeling
in the grass. When she tilted her head I not only saw it move, I felt
the impulse that moved her muscles. I also felt her increasing
lust--and love.

    She stood, turned and flagged me. I could feel us feed on each
other's reactions to her simple movement. As each of her movements got
a response I felt her modifying her responses until our joined lust
overwhelmed all thought.

    With a convulsive shove I pushed myself erect and moved to insert
my penis within her. As the tip missed during my first attempt I felt
her lower herself slightly and shove backwards with all her strength.

    Her panting was accompanied by my shallow gusts of breath as I
mindlessly drove myself. She/I/We clenched our penis each time we
bottomed. We used our hands to both steady ourself and pull us against
our body as hard as we could.

    Our individual personalities vanished--to be replaced by instinct
and the gentle control of the wolf-mind. It was that mind that took
over our bodies. It was that mind that kept our bodies at a sustained
peak that neither of us could have managed on our own. Thousands of
years of knowledge filled me and gently became one with my memories.

    Scar's mental shout brought me back from the wonders I saw. ""Now!
While the wolf-mind is in control, we merge our thoughts, our
dreams--and thus you become one with the wolves of Mind-Home, and a
Guardian.""

    New knowledge let me overcome a lifetime's worth of isolation.
""That's it? It's so simple.""

    Scar laughed gently and opened my eyes. ""Look around you. We have
been free of our bodies for two days. There was much that had to be
done. Welcome, Pack-Brother.""

    Two days? I searched my body's memories. Scar and I had mated,
parted, slept and then mated again after the pack brought us food.
When I 'felt' for those things that all creatures must do as part of
their daily routine I discovered that a human had controlled my body
during those events. However, my body memories felt subtly awkward. A
new awareness rose above the murmur that was the wolf-mind. ""Hello,
Wolf-Walker. While you were forming the links every human member of
the wolf-mind touched your awareness. I was the one who felt no
resistance when I contacted you. It fell to me, as your human mate, to
help your body survive."" I was shown an image of a woman and a wolf.
It took no effort for me to feel their love for each other and her
love for me.

    My embarrassment as I finally realized a woman had worn my body
was answered by her own. I felt her reactions, her feelings and her
thoughts as if they were my own. At the same time I could feel her
feeling mine. I was confused, disoriented. My body was demanding that
it be allowed to recover from my ordeal. Before I closed my eyes and
went to sleep I sent her the only response that made sense: ""Thank
you, whoever you are.""
======

    Origins
    Wolf-Walker part 1
    ---

    Why me?

    Less than a month ago, I lost the center of my life.

    We'd been married almost ten years. We'd been eating out and
planning our anniversary party...

    The next next to last thing I remember of that night was her
silvery laughter as we were talking about who we *wouldn't* invite. It
was going to be a special party for us and some of those who had been
there at the beginning.

    Then, the mind-numbing sound of gunfire and suddenly I was sitting
there covered in her blood and flesh and her face was half missing.

    I was untouched.

    Later they told me it was one of those things. A gang shooting and
a stray bullet had killed her.

    The doctor told me I had been found rigid and staring at her with
one hand reaching towards her. 'Situational catatonia' or something
like that. It was a week before my body unfroze and I started to come
out of it.

    The therapist told me that they had kept me sedated most of the
time. While I was 'awake', I had kept asking for her. Finally, even
the hardened and experienced nurses and doctors could no longer stand
the pain in my voice and they had shut me up by sedating me.

    I have no memories of that time.

    I'm numb.

    I have no reason to live.

    The center of my life is gone and she'll never return.

    Finally, I realized what I needed to do.

    Simple really.

    I'll join her wherever she is. God, forgive me. Being with my wife
is more important than living here.

    It is to join her that I've returned to the mountains. Our
clearing we turned to when we wanted to relax.

    If her spirit is anywhere, it is here.

    The gun is loaded and I am calm now.

    It is time.

    I look at the instrument of my return and smile gently.

    It is fitting that I return to her aided by the means of her
removal from my life.

    I start to squeeze the trigger....

    Something drives me backwards as the shot echoes in the clearing.

    I am dazed and my ears are ringing.

    I'm not so deafened that I can't hear the angry growling.

    I freeze as I place the sound. Slowly, I realize a wolf is
straddling me and growling.

    "Go ahead Scar. Rip my throat out.

    "It doesn't matter how I end."

    Instead, she backs away from me.

    As the focus of my vision changes, I realize that I am surrounded
by the local pack.

    They and we had become neighbors who tolerated each other over the
years. As time had gone by, we had found names for each of them.

    Always though, there had been Scar. Her nose had streaks of fur
missing. She is unquestionably the Alpha-Bitch in this pack.

    As I watch, she sits on her haunches and looks at me. Her gaze,
wary yet intent, un-nerves me.

    "Why?" I can't help my question "I have no reason to live. Allow
me to die. Eat me if you like. Make my death mean something.

    "Don't let it be meaningless like *hers* was."

    I start to reach for the gun...

    She and the others growl in unmistakable warning.

    I freeze and then settle back.

    For some reason, they won't let me use the gun.

    I watch as one of the males, 'Explorer', gingerly approaches it.

    Finally, he whines softly and then picks it up and trots off with
it.

    Somehow, I knew I'd never see it again.

    ------------------

    "Thus, 15 years ago, 'Wolf-Walker' was born.

    "Forgive me if my voice is halting and unsure. In all that time,
I've lived wild and not had contact with people.

    "Scar convinced me to live. She did so by not letting me die.
Eventually, she offered herself to me. Later, our daughter became my
mate.

    "Oh yes, Pounce here is my daughter. Maybe not physically but in
every other way that matters, she is. She's also my mate and lover.

    "And those around you have become my pack."

    Suddenly, the listeners see wolves step out of the surrounding
forest to watch them.

    The man and his mate, at some unspoken and hidden communication
between them, stand up.

    "Don't worry about me. I've found my family and have no desire to
return to the ways of man."

    He tilts his head back and as he starts an eerie howl, the wolves
join in.

    Then, without another word, the magical moment ends and they all
quickly vanish back into the trees.

    Once in a while, the silence is broken by the voice of a wolf.

    Or is it the voice of something else?

    The listeners will never know.
    ----------

    One of the listeners is a woman.

    She stands with one arm reaching as though to touch the man who
has vanished.

    Her eyes are closed and she is weeping.

    She is his sister and she knows she has found him only to lose him
again.

    Her husband stands behind her and holds her shaking body.

    He too is weeping openly. The man had been one of his closest
friends. They had grown up together. Learned about life and love
together.

    Weeks after his disappearance, the gun had been found at the
bottom of a cliff. One round had been fired. There had been no sign of
a body.

    He had to believe the story they had just heard. The person before
them had obviously been incapable of lying to them.

    What cut the deepest was that he had shown no sign of recognizing
any of them.

    Finally, he rests his head on his wife's shoulder.

    "At least he's alive. He's been happy for 15 years.

    "Now we know. He's found his place in the world. Let's not pursue
it any further."

    She reaches up to hold his hand where it rests on her shoulder.

    "That was his goodbye. 15 years late, but still, he took the time
to say it. He always was a gentleman."

    She gazes in the direction from where they could still hear faint
sounds of wolves. There is a slight quirk to her lips that says she
understands far more than she is saying.

    Her words are a mere breath that not even her husband can make
out.

    "Be well 'pack-brother'."

    She turns in his arms and reaches to trace a slightly visible scar
on his face.

    "Did you notice he's forgotten you and I were there with them?

    "Had you died, I would have been in that clearing with him. Or
gone to it on my own. After all, it was my gun he took, not his.

    "Even in his despair, he blocked that path if I had decided to
follow it. He had no way of knowing if you would live or not.

    "Yes, let's leave him alone. That could have been me and I owe him
my thanks."

    Her lips change into a gentle smile. "So, the legends are true.
There are still 'Guardians' who quietly walk Earth's forests.

    "He's not aware of it yet, but he'll probably outlive all of us.

    "Our almost forgotten heritage caught up with him.

    Her husband looks at her. "Legends?"

    "There is a tradition in our family that we are descended from the
people who helped save and rebuild Earth during her great ecological
disaster thousands of years ago.

    "Part of that involved human-animal teams who were lovers and
mates. A constant theme is that the animals were telepathic and they
*always* chose their human partner.

    "We, the members of our family, have always had a special affinity
for animals. Wolves in particular.

    "It would seem that those stories are based on truth.

    "Someday, maybe decades from now, he and his pack will rejoin the
human race. We'll be richer for it when it happens. I hope you and I
are here to see it.

    "Maybe only you and I know it, but the Guardians will be returning
to Earth. He's only the first one we know of."

    Now, her voice goes soft with some inner pain. "I don't know if I
want to be one of the chosen or not. It could mean staying as I am and
watching you die of old age unless you too are chosen."

    She pulls his face to hers and kisses him deeply.

    "Still, only a few of those chosen were said to have lived
hundreds or even thousands of years. So, I may only have my normal
lifespan to look forward to if it happens.

    She sighs and looks at the others who were already headed back to
the city.

    "Let's go home. It's out of our hands anyway."
======

    Sister
    Wolf-Walker part 2
    ---

    "Was that wise?" Scar's voice is gentle.

    The man nods. "I think so.

    "She always remembered the stories better than I did.

    "Having those those fresh in her mind will ease the shock when
they find Sprint and Shadow waiting for them."

    He reaches and absent mindedly strokes Pounce.

    "I know more than she thinks I know. Your memories are long and
well kept. Sister."

    ""You still grieve don't you?"" Pounce's 'voice' is gentle in his
mind.

    Ever since she matured and they Bonded, she has been there when
his memories threaten to overwhelm him.

    ""Love, sometimes events trigger things I can't help. Seeing my
sister and her husband has been one of those times.

    ""I'm glad he lived.""

    Pounce nuzzles him gently. ""Karen grieved for hundreds of years.
Until she and Cory were united again.""

    ""I know. And those memories tell me that there is a world in
which my wife did not die.

    ""But I am one who cannot walk those paths.

    ""It is better that way."" He falls silent and strips off what
clothes he has left to him.

    As he lies with his mate and they begin a gentle loving, the other
wolves settle around them.

    Two minds as one, they merge on an even deeper level as they are
joined by the mental support of their pack.

    Dimly, he senses the presence of others like himself. One of those
others is a woman. Someday, they will meet in person and confirm that
they are already mated.

    In the meantime, they are both needed where they are and cannot
take the time to travel.

    They both know there will be plenty of time ahead of them. One of
the human motives they lost is that sense of urgency that comes from a
feeling of one's mortality.

    Her smile is warm as she sends him images of her time with her
partner.

    Blackie's humor at their mental games is evident as he joins in.

    ""Duty first, brother. Plenty of time to have fun later.""

    ""I know Blackie. Still, I have a hard time waiting. Might as well
spend it with Pounce.""
    ----------

    They had taken a side trip to a small clearing to make gentle love
to each other.

    Thus, rather than dusk, it is full dark when they arrive at home.

    Since they had planned to be back during daylight, they had not
left instructions for the lights to be on.

    As they walk up, they realize the door was open.

    Suddenly, the lights come on and reveal two creatures sitting in
the doorway.

    "Greetings pack-sister, pack-brother."

    "Wolves!" She is stunned. "Talking wolves..."

    Then, the greeting one of them used registered.

    She falls silent in shock. Two of them. That must mean...

    She did what most people would do when they overloaded. She
fainted.
    -------

    Stephanie comes back to find herself on the couch. Mark is seated
on a chair that he has turned backwards. His arms are resting on it
and he is resting his chin on them. He is also watching her intently.

    The two wolves are laying with their heads resting on their legs.
They too, are watching her.

    As she starts to stir, they both sit up and wait.

    They are, she has to admit, beautiful. The male... Well, she feels
long suppressed stirrings and blushes. He is handsome and intensely
masculine. In spite of her numbness, she feels attracted to him.

    He gazes at her and she starts to lose herself in those golden
eyes....

    Wrenching herself back, she realizes she is flushed with more than
embarrassment at her collapse.

    When she looks at her husband, she sees a slightly embarrassed
smile on his face. He is flushed as well. Obviously, he has seen what
has happened and understands it.

    "Steph. Meet 'Sprint'," the female nods, "and 'Shadow'." Now the
male smiles at her.

    He blushes deeper. "While we've been waiting, they have been
telling me some things...

    "Sprint has been ahhh.... very detailed in some of what she has
told me." He finishes in a rush and falls silent.

    She nods without speaking. From the family stories passed from
generation to generation, she can imagine what has him so flustered.

    Instead of answering directly, she looks fully into Shadow's eyes
and lets herself get drawn in.

    "You're very handsome Shadow. Plus, *I* remember, even if most do
not."

    A flick of her eyes to Mark and then Sprint and she speaks again.

    "Sprint is very beautiful as well. Mark is *very* attracted to
beautiful people.

    "The brethren have kept watch over my family haven't they.?

    "Mark, don't deny your feelings. These wolves are telepathic.
Highly so. If the stories are true, they wouldn't be here unless we
could link with them. In the older stories, there is something about
'Bonding' and special abilities conferred.

    "That means that if we decide to take the final step, we must make
love with them."

    Sprint gets up and touches Mark's lips with her nose. Then she
sits on her haunches and waits.

    As she sits there, Shadow speaks.

    "Very true Stephanie. The Brethren have learned much since the
days you tell of.

    "Now, unless we find wolves able to link with all the people in a
relationship, we avoid contacting them. All humans are potential
partners. We can afford to wait or even avoid pairing.

    "The Guardians voluntarily let their numbers dwindle. Let
ourselves become nothing more than faded memories.

    "It is better this way. Had we remained, the people would have
always depended on us to maintain the balance. This way, they
discovered the ethic and responsibility in themselves.

    "We still watch and act when needed, but that is seldom. Allister
Wind-Rider, Ward, and Julie planned well before they finally left. So
well that Earth has never come near to another crisis."

    ""Ward and Julie passed on their skills at integrating more than
the original partners into a Bond."" The 'voice' in her and Mark's
heads is unmistakably female. ""Cory, Karen, Smoke, and Grey refined
it further.

    ""Now and for thousands of years, sex has no longer been needed to
commit the partners to the Bond.

    ""All that is needed is love and the desire to travel the path of
life together. From that beginning, the Bond can be formed.

    ""Any sex becomes what it was meant to be. An affirmation of the
commitment rather than the initial commitment itself.""

    Mark coughs into the resulting silence. "Like I said. Detailed.

    "These two have been telling me that if we join them, we need not
change our lives to any great degree.

    "Actually, you had part of it right. The Guardians do feel it is
time for them to become known again." He falters.

    Sprint finishes it. "The four of us, if you choose to Bond with
Shadow and I, will be the primary means of the Guardians' return to
full public view."

    "Other skills were studied and refined as well. any Guardian may
transfer at will.

    "We also know how to spot those who may become 'World-Walkers'.
While no living Guardian has the ability, we can teach the skills to
someone with the potential.

    "For the first time in over a thousand years, there are people who
may reunite the world lines." Sprint leaves it there.

    Stephanie gingerly raises herself to a seated position. Absently,
she makes a slight gesture and invites Shadow to join her on the
couch.

    "Mark and I." She looks at Mark and he nods. He already knows.

    "Just who are we descended from?" She suspects but suddenly feels
a need to *know* beyond any doubt.

    Shadow answers.

    ""Stephanie, as you suspect, we have records that trace *you* all
the way back to Ward in a nearly direct line.

    ""Mark, on the other hand, is from a line that is unbroken from
his important ancestors. He is a direct descendent from Karen and
Cory.

    ""Which means that he is also from an earlier pairing involving
Ward's first daughter and Allister.

    ""The two of you reunite those bloodlines. Your children have the
potential as well. But, it is still not ready to be used. Only the two
of you have the matured potential to walk the world lines. It will be
decades before your children will share that ability.""
    ---------

    Stephanie sits in silence and ponders...

    To run with wolves again...

    She's never told Mark about her lovers before him. She isn't
ashamed or anything, just that they have agreed that they aren't
important except for having made her as she is.

    Sprint and Shadow are holding out the chance to return to her
early years.

    To run with wolves again...

    Will Mark understand? Suddenly, she feels the old desires return.
A wolf had been her first lover. Without words, he had taught her how
to be a woman.

    She has never told Mark the reason she prefers to make love in the
manner of canines. He only knows that somehow, it intensifies her
pleasure.

    She had found a young male trapped in some old barbed wire. Unable
to bear his whimpering, she had calmed him and freed him. She nursed
his wounds and they had become first friends and then, as she matured,
gentle lovers.

    Absently, as she considers her past and possible future, her hands
stroke and begin to wander over Shadow's body in long unused patterns.

    Without even thinking, one hand seeks his maleness...

    And there, beneath her probing figures, is *the* scar. Part of the
barbed wire had wrapped itself around his sheath and torn it.

    Stunned, she freezes and looks at him.

    No!

    Her mind is shattered by the realization.

    It *is* him.

    Those smiling and knowledgeable eyes are still there.

    The love is still there as well.

    "Hello 'Freedom'. I thought I'd never see you again after I left
home."

    With that, her decision is made.

    She unhesitatingly enfolds him in her arms and weeps tears of joy.

    Finally, she raises her head and looks at Mark.

    "I'm accepting their offer. I *have* to. I'm being given the
chance to run with wolves again."

    She takes a deep breath. "Further, Shadow here, was, in my youth,
'Freedom'. He was my first lover. We're already mates. I won't leave
him again."

    She bows her head and returns to caressing her old lover. Now, her
attentions are conscious and directed to reaffirming how they feel
about each other.

    Mark opens his mouth and starts to ask her if she realizes what
she has said. He is stopped by a voice in his mind.

    ""Stop.

    ""Think.

    ""She knows what she said.

    ""Her time with you is *not* as nothing.

    ""How would you feel if you were offered a chance to return to
your first real love?

    ""A chance to make right the mistake you made by not knowing what
you had and walking away from it?""

    Mark closes his mouth and finally nods.

    The old prejudices were long gone. It wasn't the thought of her
having sex with a wolf that bothered him.

    It was her clear message that in spite of what they had shared for
over 20 years, she would leave him if he decided to not accept Sprint
and Shadow's offer.

    Then too, if what was said here was true, in some way, she and
Shadow were already partly Bonded.

    His voice is soft and gentle as he speaks.

    "Sprint, I know what I left those many years ago. You're right. I
would like the chance to return or at least renew the friendship.

    "I also know what I have now and I won't walk away from it.

    "It's a shock to see her like this. She never told me. But, I
never asked.

    "I guess that means I accept the offer as well."

    Now his slight smile is wry. "Everybody here knows I'm attracted
to you. Let's go someplace else and leave them alone."

    The two of them rise and quietly leave the room.

    They leave behind them two old/new lovers who are finally
affirming their commitment to each other.

    As they reach the doorway and just before he closes the door on
them, Mark looks back and smiles.

    "Looks to me like they've already Bonded."
======

End: The Challenge Universe 4/4: Mind Home 3/3: Pack Brother, The
Crisis Years, and Beyond

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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