Rising Phoenix Gaming

That made him stop, his ears perking straight up. It knew his name, who he was, even like this. With the wolves scattered, and the newcomer vanished as well, Keith-wolf looked to Peg, and shook his head. "Going home... Come?" he said, trying out wolfspeak for the first time, since he had someone else to actually try it with. He started to head back towards his cabin, waiting to see if she'd come with him. He was keenly aware of their surroundings, in case the others doubled back.

The tension in the air was palpable as the standoff continued. The dark wolf, seemingly the leader of the pack, took a step forward, its yellow eyes fixed on Keith-wolf with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. The other wolves followed suit, closing in slowly, their teeth still bared in a silent threat. Suddenly, a new sound cut through the tension-filled night air. A large body crashed through the woods from the north, a new wolf, but larger and wilder looking, it eyes held human intelligence! The new wolf stopped abruptly, its fur bristling as it took in the scene before it. The pack of wolves circling Keith and Peg, the stand-off, the tension thick in the air. Its gaze lingered on Keith for a moment, something akin to recognition flickering in its eyes. Without a word, the new wolf launched itself forward, its massive form barreling through the pack and knocking them aside with ease. The other wolves scattered, yelps of surprise echoing through the forest as they retreated into the shadows. The newcomer stood protectively in front of Keith and Peg, its amber eyes never leaving the retreating figures of the pack. There was a sense of power emanating from this wolf, a raw energy that made even Keith hesitate. For a moment, there was silence in the forest, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the wind. Then, in a voice that sounded like crashing waves and whispering trees, the new wolf spoke. "Keith-beware…” and abruptly the large creature faded into smoke leaving Peg and Keith alone.

Keith-wolf looked at the trio of wolves, and instinctively knew these wolves were "real" wolves, unlike Peg and himself. The smell was different, and his instincts told him so. He had been happy to make the kill and then offer some to Peg, but her refusal didn't surprise him much. Still, now they were back to back facing down greater numbers, and from the sound of it, there were still more wolves in the forest tonight. Keith suppressed an outright snarl, though a rumbling growl came from deep in his chest, warning these wolves that this was his territory, and giving them a chance to leave. His senses were on full alert, knowing that other wolves were around. He didn't glance at Peg, trusting her at his back, and in the abilities he had gained.

Keith-wolf stood at the end of the hall looking at the door to the room the girl slept in. He wasn’t surprised when the other wolf stepped through the door. It was the wolf from the cemetery, and it was the girl. She was like him. The two wolves circled and sniffed at each other then passed thru the walls to run in the woods… They didn’t play but they weren’t wary of each other either. Both Keith and Peggy were aware of the wolves, but neither were directing things it was as if they were silent observers to some wild nature film. The two wolves ran through the woods until one of them caught a scent and then the hunt was on. Keith was dominant and took the alpha position, but Peg didn’t just follow him she was hunting too and it became a race, a contest. They hunted the deer with silent resolve the larger male wolf out to prove himself the smaller female with the same objective. They ran together at first then separated. Peg caught the scent and took off after the prey, but Keith had used cunning and instinct and knew that the prey would flee from Peg and he acted accordingly. Peg caught sight of the deer, she crouched and crept forward then charged the deer bolted and fled. Right into Keith’s waiting jaws. Peg was angry she rebuffed Keith's offer to partake of the meal even though she was hungry. The male wolf shrugged and began to eat. But his ears picked up a sound that shouldn’t have been present. Peg heard it too, the sound a of a wolf stalking the wood. Both moved closer together, ears flat, teeth bared, they faced away from each other. A dark wolf stepped from the bushes; a second lighter colored one came from across small clearing and then a third with red fur came. All three looked at Keith and Peg and bared their own fangs. All of the wolves, Peg and Keith included growled then the dark wolf suddenly raised its head and howled… that howl was answered from a distance.

Keith had had a rough day, but at the same time, it wasn't all bad. Sure there were still plenty of questions, but they'd gotten some answers. he'd have to pick up on it tomorrow, and then set it aside to go and do his actual job. It didn't take long for him to drift off, and as had become normal, The wolf came. There was an interloper within its den, one the other side had allowed within. The wolf wasn't certain this was wise, and so it would watch. The familiar scent gave credence to the suspicion that the Other had left unvoiced, that this interloper was like them. So it stood a silent sentinel within the home, watching, waiting, even though it wished mostly to hunt.

Peggy didn't really give Keith a satisfactory answer. She didn't say much as he showed her where she would sleep and where his room was if she needed to wake him. Peggy waited until she heard Keith get ready for bed doing whatever his routine was. and only when she saw the light from under his door go out did she undress and crawl into the guest bed. She knew she would sleep and she knew the wolf would come. She need to explore this place. There were secrets here. Mysteries, not the least of which was the man sleeping down the hall.

"It is weird." he nodded in agreement with her. "Awful lot of coincidences strung together, it'd seem strange to anyone. Still, I think we've only got a handful of choices." He allows the door to shut, and turned to face her. "We can ignore everything and just go back to the lives we led before all this. We can keep searching for the meaning to everything separately. I admit, It has piqued my curiosity, but not so much that i'm going to let it ruin the life I have now." He nodded. "Or we can work together, unravel what the hell is really going on, and decide from there how to proceed." he shrugged his broad shoulders. "I admit, I prefer that option, because things have only gotten stranger since this began. All these coincidences, what if they weren't? What if there's really something else entirely going on here? Wouldn't having some backup to help with whatever else happens be smart for both of us?"

Peggy watched Keith as he drove on, she didn't say anything else for the rest of the trip. When they arrived at his place Keith got out of the vehicle. Peggy didn't he looked in at her through the open door. "Are you coming?" Peggy looked off at the house and the woods beyond, then at the man she just met today. "Don't you think all of this is just weird. I mean... I didn't know my great uncle. But the stories my family told of him weren't flattering. I don't see what he could have had in common with your grandfather or those other two guys. And i don't knw owhy he left all his stuff to me when he died." Keith just listened and watched her. She reached into her hip pocket and pulled something metallic out. A small key. She held it up so Keith could see it. "He sent me this key but didn't tell me what it was to. He got killed in a hunting accident but the only people he hunted with were your grandfather and those other two. and pretty much the same time your grandfather dies in a terrible house fire." She looks pained like she wants to say something else. "It's just weird is all." Her voice is almost a whisper.

"You were out cold, It was close, but stayed where it was. It growled, but then turned away. It was strange because it was in town, and it was alone." He shrugged. "I can handle a single wolf in front of me, though I was worried there might be more. That's why I was trying to wake you up when you were asleep. It ran off before anything happened, so other than it being a little strange, I wasn't really worried."

The rest of the evening was mercifully short as no one seemed to know what to say or talk about. Good nights were said and Keith and Peggy climbed into Keith's jeep and drove away. Ethan stood on his porch watching the taillights grow small his own thoughts a mystery. Peggy had said very little all night really not intruding just listening and wondering. Her mind kept going back to the picture. Other than the hunting gear there was nothing about those four that said they were friends. and to be honest with herself they didn't look like friends. Of course they were looking at the camera posing. She thought about the stories her cousin had told her about their uncle. She thought about what the old man had said about her uncle. If he was so much a loner why go hunting every month with those other three. Especially if he was cursed. If he had passed it to her, then he had it too and like her he would have had to suffer the change. Peggy looked at Keith, "Why didn't you tell me about the wolf?" Keith had been driving mostly by muscle memory his on thoughts bouncing around in his head, the girls sudden question caught him off guard. He glanced quickly to his right saw her watching him. "What wolf?" "The one in the cemetery. When you woke me up. I know you saw it."

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." He shrugged and took a drink. "We know grandpa and Buck are Dead. Mostly this is all curiosity, due to coincidence." He sighed. "I mean, It all seems too coincidental. Now I'm gonna get to the bottom of it, just to see if there's actually anything to it. You gave us another lead, so I'll check on that later. I've got that trip this weekend, so i can't pass that off. Besides, I already bought the gear for these guys, and found us some spots that should produce what they want from a trip. I can follow up on all this after that." He had a feeling Peggy wouldn't want to wait, but he had to take care of his professional life too. He wasn't free to just go off and do something without repprecussions. "I'll talk to Haddy, and see about Ravinski's business."

Ethan absentmindedly shakes his head, "No, like I said I wasn't in that circle. I just knew them enough to say hi on the street. But I do know that Ravinski ran some sort of impost business out of L.A.. Check with Haddy Cooper at the Five N Dime, I know she bought from him from time to time." Again shaking his head Ethan looked thoughtful, "I really don't know. I suppose whenever the two from out of town could match schedule. I mean Your grandfather didn't have a Job so he could go at any time. And I never heard of Buchannan working either." Ethan looks at the picture again and rubs his chin, "You know one thing odd about it, now that I think about. They met year round, for about three, maybe four years, even out of season. " Keith leaned forward, "They met every month?" Ethan shrugged and glanced at the girl who was silent through all of this then back to Keith, "As far as I know. Keith what is this all about?"

"I don't suppose you've got a phone number, or address for either of them?" Keith asked hopefully, though he did expect a negative answer. "May be that we're reading too much into this. They could have easily just been hunting buddies, though Grandpa does look older. Still, It's a strange coincidence that I met Peggy today, and we both have kin that knew each other pretty well it seems." He looked over at Ethan. "What time of the month did they all get together? Was there any real pattern to it, or did they just show up at all times?" Could they have been meeting on the full moon each month? He didn't give voice to that thought, but he had read his Grandfather's journal, he knew what he had been, the secret he'd inherited, but if there were indeed more like him, he had to wonder about Peggy.

Peggy smiled at the old man as she rocked back and forth on her heels her hands stuffed into her back pockets. Ethan nodded and noticing the picture in Keiths hand held his out. Keith gave his friend the picture and watched as the older man studied it. Ethna held it in one hand and pursed his lips then reached up and rubbed his chin. “What is it you wanted to know, Keith?” “For starters, who are Ravinski and Mckenna? And did you take this picture?” Ethan looked up from the picture startled at the question, “No, no I didn’t take it. I wasn’t, um… part of that group.” He drifted of back into silence as he dropped his eyes to the picture again. “And Ravinski and McKenna?” “Let’s go sit.” Eathan led the two younger folk into his living room where they sat on a sofa. Eathn disappeared into his kitchen and returned with some beers. After passing those around he too sat in an easy chair facing the sofa. He leant forward and picked up the picture which had been set on the coffee table. “I don’t know who took the picture maybe they used a timer. These four were a… I don’t know what you would call them, club, group, hunting buddies. Take your pick. I didn’t know Ravinski or McKenna well, they didn’t live up here. They would come up about once a month and the four of them would go hunting. They didn’t hang out at the lodge or anything. Except for your grandfather, none of them were very social. Especially Buchannon, your uncle, he was an ornery old s.o.b. he just lived out there by lake Toro in that shack. He come into town for supplies once or twice a month and maybe turnup at the Redwood and get mean drunk.” He looked up at Peggy suddenly embarrassed, “Sorry, meant nothing Ill just telling it as I saw it.” Peggy shrugged, “It’s okay I didn’t really know my uncle. Seems no one did.” Keith shook his head. “These other two still come up here and hunt? I ain’t never heard of them.” Ethan took a deep breath and thought. “No I don’t think so. Least ways I haven’t seen them not since before the fire.”

"Hey Ethan. It's probably good that she's gone, given what we've got to discuss. This is Peggy. She is Buck's Niece." He said to introduce Peggy. Keith shrugged. "Way too many coincidences occurred today, and after seeing the picture, well, I knew if anyone could tell us about it, it would have to be you, Boss." he was calm, but given that he had the picture with him, and he hoped Ethan could provide them both some answers.

Peggy sighed abruptly, “The we better go.” She looked back at the table still full with the dirty dishes, “We can clean up when we get back.” Her mom would have killed her. Neither spoke much on the drive to Ethan’s place and in short order they were there. Ethan greeted them as they came up to the Porch. He was surprised to see Peggy. He gave Keith a questioning look, after all Peggy was much younger than Keith and looked even younger than she was, but mostly the look was because he hadn’t expected anyone else but Keith. “Howdy Keith, afraid it’s only going to be us tonight, Becky had something with her book club she had to attend.” He than nodded at Peggy, “Evening Miss”

"That's Oscar Mckenna and Saul Ravinski. I don't really know anything about them, or recognize them. I was hoping Ethan would be able to fill us in on them as well." It was disappointing, realizing how little he knew of his grandfather's life. Because his parent's didn't have a good relationship with him, none of their kids did either. He couldn't recall seeing him much before He'd become a soldier, and even after that, he'd spent more time home with his Niece.

Peggy looked at the photo again. If Keith's grandfather had fought in that war then he had to be pushing eighty or even older. No way. "Your grandfather died in a fire?" "Yeah, burned down the house that was here." Peggy looked around the at the room again. "Who are these other two guys. We might should talk to them."

"My Grandfather fought in World War I in the Army." He nodded. "No he doesn't look that old. Grandpa looked really spry for his age when I last saw him too. I just thought it was good genes, you know. Some people age better than others." Thinking on it though, he realized his own parents looked older in some ways. They didn't carry the weight of years as well as his grandfather and Buck had.

Peggy looked at he color photo again. Most of the mien looked to be in their late thirties including Uncle Buck. the only one who looked older was Keith's grandfather. "He isn't really my uncle, he's my great uncle. This picture had to have been taken in the last couple of years I would think. Uncle Buck was born at the end of world war one, he died a few months ago in some sort of weird hunting accident that no one knows anything about. He was probably in his late fifties." She turns the picture so Keith can see it clearly. "Does he look like he is in his fifties to you? And how old was your Grandfather?"

"I don't know." Keith answered quietly. "That is why I asked Ethan about it. He was Grandpa's friend too, and he's not in the photo. He could well have been the one to take it. That's why we're going to see him later tonight. I'm sure he can tell us more." He was concerned as well, but he wasn't sure why. "I promise I didn't know any of this when we met. However improbable it seems, I'm just as surprised as you by this."

Peggy picked up the picture but watched Keith as he sat back down, then she looked at it. The picture was in color which meant probably it wasn't that old. It was taken outside in the woods and was posed not candid. She looked at all four men. There was nothing in common about them aside from an obvious camaraderie. Then she looked closer at the man with her great uncle’s name scrawled beside him. It was him, uncle ‘Buck’, or his twin. She set the photo back down, “That is him. How old is this photograph?”

Keith nodded, and went to get the folder he'd put the picture in from the small bar. He'd brought it up from the bunker, prepared to bring it with him when he went to see Ethan. He knew she was nervous now. "I didn't know that myself, until I saw the picture, and Ethan confirmed it." He set the picture in its frame, down so she could see it. "I mean I could be wrong and this could be someone else, but it did seem very coincidental to me." He went and sat back down so he didn't loom over her while she looked. noting she seemed on edge, and he was trying to defuse that. While it was a very improbable coincidence, he was very much trying to reinforce he held no hostility or sinister motives regarding her.

Peggy pushed her plate away and drank some water, "Your grandfather knew my uncle." That sent waves of warning up and down Peggy's spine. That was a very big coincidence. She was hitchhiking and gets picked up by a guy whose granddad knew her uncle. All to much of a coincidence. She wasn't scared, she had her claws and she had learned to put them out whenever she wanted. Had pulled them out in fact. "Can I see the picture?"

Keith nodded. "I work hard, but I admit to being fortunate too. My Grandfather left me the land and everything else when he passed. I rebuilt the house and updated some things, but it's largely as it was when it was his." He chuckled. "Won't find many like it, but all the nearby woods and all are part of the property, so it offers alot of peace and quiet. There's no neighbors within a couple miles, and it suits me fine. It's way better than the jungles of Vietnam."