One

I ran. Across the hilled landscaped that looked like a giant had came through and ripped out patches of grass with his bare hands. In the northern part of Ransom, I sprinted as quickly I could through the grassy hills. Trees were appearing, but that's all I had to make it to.

    "Get him!" a shifter yelled behind me. Turning, I saw at least five shifters coming, smelling as though they wanted to tear me apart. Which, they did.

    "Hmmm," I muttered. Shifting myself, I turned into my rainbow raptor. My strong legs sent me further into my destination, giving me hope that I won't die here. Lord, what am I thinking?  Hope is a futile thing to latch on to. When one is at war, hope is for those who wish to live a life of peace.

    A shifter must never have peace when at war.

    Sniffing, my head turned just in time to see a cheetah leap at me. Hissing and my neck feathers plooming, I snapped my jaw out with force. Teeth sank deep into shoulder, flesh and tendon. The cheetah's claws and teeth went into my scaled back, piercing deeper than I anticipated.

We crashed and rolled down a hill, a hundred yards away from the treeline. Still clamping onto the cheetah, I tossed the shifter aside and stood quickly, hoping it's comrades were far behind.

Ah, they weren't. Hissing again, and cursing that my fangs weren't venomous, I stood my ground. The cheetah regrouped, turning back to humanoid along with his brethren.

The leader of the hunting and scouting party looked at me. "This isn't your territory. It doesn't belong to you."

Well, that's not true. But if you wish it to be yours, then you'll have to fight harder than this. I shifted, hands on my long knives at my hips. "Dirty Crows, when will you learn? Ransom is ours, and all of its outlying territory. Go back to Devil's Lake, where you fucking belong."

The man snarled. "Don't test us. If you haven't noticed, you're outnumbered."

"Outnumbered? By who, you freaks?"

They snapped. The leader turned into a bull, charging alongside a steel deer. Shifting, I darted between the two and shifted back letting my knives carve across their hides. The steel deer made out, with it's hide being steel like. But the bull, well, while my fangs aren't poison, my blades are.

His side was steaming, but still had the strength to charge again. Now he was joined by all, and I swallowed in slight fear. The cheetah jumped over the bull, growling. I barely had time to process that and the hawk and snake coming from the other side. Shifting, I leaped forward to collide with the cheetah.

Though my back dripped with blood, I felt much more pain as I used all of my power to land with the cheetah placed between me and the bull.

He tried to stop, but he was too big and his heavy momentum sent his hooves down upon the cheetah with a resounding splat. I reared back, shifting again to only turn and slice the hawks wing and swipe away the snake.

Which left the deer to kick me well up the hill.

Eating dirt like a champ, I shifted and ran farther up the hill. The bull stumbled about, falling with a crash as the poison ate away at his flesh. The hawk was already dead. Now the deer and snake got together and eyed me with caution.

Fine. Be like that. I'm not afraid.

Hissing, I sped towards them with the great motivation to devour without much thought.

The deer shifted and the woman had a hatchet in hand. I shifted, threw a knife, then shifted back. She barely had time to move when my jaws snapped down around her throat. The crunch made my ears hum.

My senses tingled. Jumping again, I just barely avoided the snakes bite. The cobra lashed out again and again, my feet the only thing keeping me from being bitten. The thing shifted and the man started swinging a sword laced with flames.

Growling low, I grabbed the blade with my teeth, feeling my saliva steam with the heat. Spitting away the blade and shifting once more, I stuck my last knife within his chest. Giving it one final twist, he fell, some last words escaping his mouth. Whatever they were, I didn't listen.

"Shawn!" I turned, watching as my friends walked up, laughing hysterically. "Dude, what the hell?"

"What the hell Katy? What the hell?" I went up to the shifter with a bit of an edge. "You almost let me die. Thanks for the fucking help you damn idiots."

"Really? It's seemed like you had it under control," she said. "Isn't that right Josh?"

"The fool nearly got his head chopped off. I was betting that it would," the man said, giving me a sly look. He slapped Jenny some money. "Here. You win."

"Aw, thanks. I believed in you Shawn. Though, I was hoping you'd at least do the whole Jurassic Park thing and roar over your fallen foes. That'd have been great."

"Morons. The lot," I grumbled, pushing past them and heading for the treeline. "Come on. I need to report this back to Henry. He's going to want to know that a scouting party was this close to our head camp."

"God, stop being a killjoy," Katy said running to me. "You get like this every time we almost let you die. But, I mean, you aren't almost dying most of the time. So no big deal."

"It is when you could fucking help."

"Shit, someone really is pissy today," muttered Josh. "What happened bro? I thought you liked killing Crow's. That's less soldiers we have to deal with later."

It's that the killing seems to be falling more and more on my shoulders. The war is going nowhere, and here I am stuck doing the near same thing every single fucking day. Of course I'm bitter. "It's the fact that we aren't winning."

Entering the tree line, the cottonwoods and elms and larchs added a shadow to my mind. I smelled two sentries nearby, watching, probably also having witnessed the fight. I shifted, as did the others, and we sprinted through the forest for a few miles until coming to a clearing.

Runner's Creek is what we call our head camp. The other outlying camps and rest areas surrounding our territory always come here to report. The Behemoth Pack is notorious for being well organized, even for shifters.

Now, unlike the cities that house all the Hidden, shifter camps are very movable. The tents that are lined up could almost be reminded of a military outpost, yet there was so much more to it. They were essentially cities for shifters, who knew that at any moment one would have to flee in the dead of the night.

But not yet. Not today.

I saw Henry's tent, near the center of camp by the creek flowing through with ease. The big thing was blue and impressive, blowing with the small breeze. Katy stayed with me as the others went off to do their own thing. No one guarded the flaps, so I take it he's in a good mood.

Opening a flap, I walked in. The tent was much larger on the inside, using Expander fabric to increase its size. One must have a large command for war. If only to believe you are doing something important.

Tables and chairs were everywhere. Weapons laid scattered about. A heater made the room toasty, definitely more to me since being a cold-blooded creature had its effects. Henry was in the middle looking down at several maps and charts, with some of his advisors and the Beta. The five mumbled among themselves like people on edge.

"God. Do we have to deal with this?" muttered Katy. She gave me a dirty look. "You know how the Beta gets."

"Just pretend that we won't get yelled at."

"Great advice. I'll keep that to heart."

Nodding, I moved forward just knowing this was a waste of time if Henry didn't say something first. Alpha's are picky, and greedy. But so are Beta's and their need for power is lustful. It also doesn't help when Henry thinks of me as one of his top right hand men.

"There you are Shawn. Katy. It's almost mid afternoon." Henry's voice was smooth but coarse, like he knew what he said was true but there was some heaviness to it. Perfect for a leader. "What do have for me?"

"Five Crow scouts by the northern edge, in the Grass Hills," I said, still feeling the tingling in my back from those cheetah's bites. I'll need to see a healer later. "They were getting closer and bolder. Don't worry, I killed them all. But we can't keep letting this happen."

"Are you serious?" asked June Brack, the Beta. "You didn't capture one and bring them here? We're trying to figure out how they keep managing to get this far. We also don't know if a shaman is in their midsts. Could you think for once in your life, Shawn?"

"This is bad," said Gran, and advisor and elder within the pack. She scratched her wrinkled head. "We're starting to thin out. The Crow are getting deeper into our territory without us making any pushes. Henry, it's time we start thinking about full invasion."

"No, not on their terms," Yin Sol argued, pushing back her long black braid. "We can't let the Crow choose the battle ground. That's bound to lead to disaster."

"And how should we end the war?" asked Seth Jill, who picked at his nails with a knife. "It's been going on for over two years now, and we're no more winning than they are. We have to make a move eventually."

Henry stayed silent. The young man who had been unfortunate enough to be burdened with this at the young age of eighteen had not found much solution since then. The bickering of the elders and advisors, the blood rage of the shifters wanting to fight till nothing remained. All kept him from doing what's right. Kept him from keeping everyone happy.

And the only thing I could do was follow. Like a good soldier.

"And with what massive army do you suggest we use?" commented June. For such a beautiful woman, glorious red hair and fiery temper, she sure hated everyone and everything. "Our numbers are great, but to march onto Devils Lake? Right into the Crow's ranks?"

I mean, we could do that. It's within the realm of possibilities. Of course June is about as short sighted as a bat. Nothing could please her.

Well, there were rumors that a certain shifter named Kelly was pleasing her. But none have confirmed the camp gossip.

"What do you think Shawn?" Henry looked at me. Stern brown eyes that asked for nothing. I'm so sorry friend. "You're out in the field every day. Something must have come to you."

June was fuming as attentioned moved from her. I blinked. "They've been getting more bold at every chance. I think it's time to either strike at least one of their minor camps, or find allies elsewhere. I've heard that heroes are always ready to help. For a price."

"Seriously? That's your big idea, that's about as basic as anything we come with on a daily basis," June scowled. "Henry, the fact you still listen to this idiot is beyond me."

"Ah yes, and your raids have been doing so much work," Katy said. She stepped beside me. "I agree we need help. Who knows when the Crow decide to find allies of their own. And it's not like we shifters haven't been real friendly the past few decades."

Everyone groaned. The Shifters War put many councils on bad terms with the larger packs. Money is still a good motivator. But not as good as it used to.

"Too bad the necromancers aren't around," whispered Gran. "They were always willing to lend help."

Necromancers? They were gone, dead, like their namesake magic. No point in remembering the past as though we were children around a campfire. I rolled my shoulders, letting the shifters bicker still.

"Then we need to act soon, or else the Crow will strike and we will suffer greatly." June slammed her palms on the table. A few flinched, including myself. Henry merely locked his eyes to her. "It's time. We've been on the defensive for too long. I say we start taking as much as possible. Gather our armies. And march onto Devil's Lake with the means to end this once and for all."

The advisors stayed silent. While I agreed with the tactics, I don't think gathering an army is what's right. That means cities looking at us with hateful stares, disdainful words, angry messages. It just won't end well.

"Everyone leave. I have much to think about," Henry said, rubbing his scruff. The dark skinned man waved a hand. "Except you Shawn."

Ugh. Fine. If you insist.

June pushed past me, everyone else going without much say.

Once the flap closed, I exhaled. "Henry, we need action."

"The elders don't want to fight without better odds," he said. He talked without even facing me, like I knew every word he was going to say. "I know you've been doing lots of fighting recently. Lots of killing. We've got roles to be followed, and you've been doing yours without question. I appreciate it."

"Henry, we have to do something."

"Do we?"

Fuck. He got me. "I mean, shouldn't we?"

He laughed, and finally brought his attention to me. Henry, for all the stress, has managed to keep his good looks over the years. Those overbearing eyes. Strong facial features. He was a big man, matching his role as leader. But at his center was a soft heart. "Shawn, you've been so loyal. Others have wavered, questioned, fought, and annoyed. Yet you've stayed with me, answering what I ask. So I ask, do we?"

Oh, I wanted to cry. Am I allowed to do that? "If we do not, the Crow will take advantage of our indecisiveness. And we can't lose another base."

He nodded, then turned away. "Get some rest. We do not stop for the weary. And I want you at your best. Even June is second to your energy."

Most would say something here, but I left knowing we were heading for chaos.

And I will weather through, because it's like what mother always tells me before bed.

To be a soldier, is to watch it all come crumbling down.