Well it was like a weekend worrier's camp for shape shifters (looking back now is how I see it), but I jumped into it not knowing what it was. I came in on the middle of it, like in most dreams people have it's all jumbled and it doesn't always start at the beginning. However I can't really call this a dream and also I could piece everything together beautifully. Now I know I've confused most of you by saying this wasn't really a dream, but sorry it's not so black and white, there are areas of gray. It was part dream, part over active imagination, and part astral projection.
The place was like a desert, a really rocky, crappy desert. Temperature was just fine though almost as if there was no temperature at all just pleasant lack of. Here I am on this barren land, and I have the pleasure to walk into what looks like a clan war. Now being the good mortal that I am I should have just walked away, self preservation (knowing now what I didn't know then I still don't know if I would have walked away, probably not). Walking into this war I already knew the numbers were off one side stacked against the other. A clan of at lest 10 werewolf's (most already in wolf form and the leader in human form) against 7 sad to say stray dogs (4 in weredog form 3 out in human). The underdogs were getting their butt kicked (well it looked like that). I don't know why had to have a bleeding heart that night but I couldn't watch the nipping/barking contest.
I was dressed in a black short skirt, black boots, long sleeve black thermal shirt, and my fathers dog tags hanging on my neck. Anyways back to the story at hand, like I was saying that night I had a bleeding heart and had to step in the middle of this tiff. I walked up to the leader of the wolf clan and made eye contact. He stared at me with a bored dark gray eyes and a lazy grin.
"So, hi." Was all I could think of to say lame as it was, and all I got back was a low deep throaty growl in reply.
"Yeah well girr at you too." His gray eyes sparked in anger.
"Do you think you are special? Or that something is protecting you from harm so you can smart mouth whoever you please?" His lip curled up into a snarl.
"The only thing that protects me is my stupidity I like to think. And no I am not special."
"The stupidity explains why you have interrupted something that doesn't concern you, so just walk away."
"I can't just walk away...sorry."
"And why the hell not?"
"Down boy no need to show fangs. I can't leave because I have a question. And that question is why would a seemingly tough guy like you, with a pretty good sized clan at your feet, be picking on, and sorry to say this, a pack of runts." I turned and looked at the other pack still nipping and barking the three in human form looked scared and frozen in place, so scared in fact that my insult to them didn't even look like it register.
"Mighty fine question and the answer is simple. They have no leader, which makes them fair game. Plus they came onto our territory unwelcome, uninvited, and I can't stress this enough without a leader."
"Let me get this straight just because they have no leader they are fair game?"
"Yes that and the fact they are on our territory." His arrogance showed through in his voice.
"And why did you guys invade their territory?" I turned to look at the runts.
"We didn't invade, but yes we weren't invited. We only came to look for a leader." The tall spiky haired blond male answered uncertainty shined in his violet eyes.
"Did you know that all they were looking for is a leader?" I turned to the cocky gray eyed wolf pack leader.
"Yes but that doesn't concern me."
"Damn you must be some big hot shot if others are looking for your protection. Although it doesn't seem like you offer any."
"To my clan I do." He flashed his fangs again. "Do you think being a leader is easy? Do you think that as a leader I can just choose to protect every stray that comes along? Do you?"
"I think you can be a little kinder, honestly." He threw his head back and laughed
"How's this for kindness. If you want me to call back my pack step up and become leader of the leaderless."
"Umm, funny."
"I'm not laughing. You are the one that came in the middle of this pointing the finger at me and my pack and now I'm giving you the chance to make everything right. All you have to do is become their leader and I will call mine off."
"We just want a leader, and you did stand up for us." Spiky haired kid swallowed hard and looked down at the ground.
"So are you just all talk?" Grey eyes crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"No I'm not all just talk. You promise that if I do take them this is over no more fighting."
"You don't know me. My promise could mean shit."
"I will take it on good faith, from one pack leader to another."
"Fine just take them and go. You and yours are not welcome here nor will you ever be so leave." He made some movement to his pack and they backed off. He turned his back to me and started to walk off.
"Yeah...Thanks!" I yelled at him and then turned to face mine. It didn't look like they were hurt that bad just a little roughed up. "So?" I raised an eyebrow and didn't really know what else to say.
"I'm Phil." Said the spiky haired kid. "That's Millie." He grabbed a petite red head female that was hiding behind him and brought her out to face me.
"Nice to meet you both, I'm Nicole."
"We thank you for excepting being our leader." They both knelt down.
"Oh no no no. No kneeling to me."
"But you are our leader. Our alpha." Millie looked up at me with green eyes there was uncertainty in her voice. "You told him that you would take us, you weren't lying?" A tear dripped down her cheek.
"No I wasn't lying, I will be your leader, but I'm only taking the job temporarily. My major goal is to find you guys an actual leader. Because trust me I'm not a leader, but I guess I will have to do for now." Insecurity great traits for a leader right? I wasn't lying when I told them I was not leader material. I saved them because I can't stand to see bullies pick on others and so I stepped up instead of walked away. I knew if they stuck with me though things wouldn't get much better I'm not an alpha of anything let alone a group of shape shifters. Phil took Millie's hand and gave it a squeeze. The third one in human form stepped forward. He looked like he was the youngest, I would be surprised if we was a day over 17, all shaved head and no facial hair. His right ear as pierced three times and his green eyes stared skittishly into mine.
"I think I speak for all when I say that we are grateful for you deciding to take us on. We know you will find a right replacement when the time comes."
"Good to know and you are?"
"Alex." He gave a small bow.
"Well troops its time to head out, since we are unwelcome here." Phil and Millie stood up. "Um anyone know where we are heading to?" Don't my leader skills just shine.
"Anywhere but here." Phil said with uncertainty. So me and the rest of the group just started walking away. I cant tell you how long we walked for it feels like forever although I didn't feel the lest bit tired or sore. Nothing changed landscape wise and I slowly started to space to kill the time.
My thoughts trailed on how was I going to find these guys a new leader, and would I really trust them to anyone other then myself, because I at lest knew my own motives (which I really didn't have any) where as I wouldn't know anyone else's. To tell the truth even though I was a hardcore loner and not the lest bit a leader it kinda felt good to actually belong, and it felt good to stick up for someone other then myself. All these thoughts and more were going through my head when I tripped on a rock falling hard to my knees. This jarred me back to reality and a took a good look around my surroundings.
It appeared that I had wandered off away from the group, to my left they were disappearing to the horizon. Its was weird because they didn't seem to notice that I was gone, but then again I didn't notice either until I was kneeling down on the ground. I stood up and dusted the coarse sand off my skinned knees (note to self: don't wear a skirt). I took a real good look around and realized that the landscape had change, a head of me was a chain link fence that spanned forever in all directions, to my right was a big hole, I wasn't too excited to stick around and see where it lead to. I turned left to catch up with my clan, I started off into a brisk walk until I heard rustling behind me. I honestly shouldn't have turned around but it was reflex, slowly I turned expecting to see the worst. Well if an injured gray blue wolf cub is the worst thing then I was in trouble. It looked at me with scared eyes and whimpered it looked like someone tried to gnaw on its hind leg