36 MMA Bears Five - Part 4

Marlow loved Erin. There was no doubt about that. Ever since he had first laid eyes on her, he felt a deep connection to her. She seemed quirky, smart, an outsider too. She knew what it was to not fit in, at least, that's how it appeared. But no matter how much he loved Erin, it was his intellect which had to rule supreme. The old Elder had always prized Marlow's mind, and Jackson had quickly realized that his father was right to have. He consulted with Marlow on many things, the current state of play in Swiftclaw. Finding out all he could about LoHawk and what his weaknesses were. But it was the question of the traitor, which Jackson needed help the most.

"Can you do this for me?" Jackson had asked.

"Yes, I can. I will!" Marlow had replied.

He would track down the traitor. Figure out the puzzle. Identify who was feeding information to the Cabal. Then, they would eliminate the traitor. Expose them, re-leaving them of their power. Then Jackson, White Tusk, Cage, and the rest of the Renegades could piece together a plan to take down the Cabal once and for all, without that hideous organization being given advanced warning.

They had made it out of the forest through an underground tunnel from the Blackblood ruins. From there, they reached civilization a day later, and called for the eagle shifters to take them to the plateau, where the rest of the Renegades were waiting. Jackson, Sharon and Tom were greeted with great delight. They had found a surviving Blackblood, one who was willing to put his life on the line to destroy the Beaststone. All Jackson asked the Renegades in return was to help him reclaim Swiftclaw from LoHawk.

Over the next few days, Jackson was initiated into the Renegades, and to all observing it would have appeared as though things were escalating. There were closed meetings, whispers between Jackson and the leader of the Renegades, White Tusk. What were they discussing? This was the question Erin asked herself repeatedly.

Erin was of course, a spy. It was she who had betrayed Swiftclaw and the shifters. Her uncle, Charles Whitmore, was the highest ranking member of the Cabal, and while there was no leader per se; if there was one, it would have been him. Erin loved her uncle, and had pledged her allegiance to the Cabal like her family before her.

She had been tempted by Marlow, for she did, in her heart of hearts, love him. But family came first, and the pull of the Cabal was too great. When Marlow fell in love with Erin, Charles Whitmore saw an opportunity. He persuaded his niece to become a spy and feed them information about the Elder, about the Blackbloods, about everything.

In all of Swiftclaw, only LoHawk and a few of his trusted lieutenants knew about Erin's true allegiance. Yet he kept her secret safe, even worked with her, to bring the Elder down so that he could rebuild it in his own, twisted image.

After the Elder was murdered, Erin thought her work had been done. But no, the Cabal had learned of whispers, that something was afoot within Swiftclaw. Something dangerous to them.

"Just stay there for a few months longer, then you can come home. I promise." That was what Charles Whitmore had said, seeing no issue with sending his niece into a dangerous environment. All he cared about was power and the survival of the Cabal.

Now, Erin was curious about what the Renegades were planning. She had told Charles Whitmore about the existence of Jackson, even where they were looking for him. But he had managed to escape their clutched. Suddenly, however, the meetings about what the Renegades would try next were held in secret. She could no longer provide information to her uncle, unless she could manipulate Marlow… Yes… Try to get him to tell her about the meetings and what was being planned. She'd have to be smart though, tricky. For Marlow was the smartest of them all.

But, Erin had underestimated Marlow. She prodded with questions carefully, and eventually, Marlow began to suspect that she was the spy.

Surely not!

The woman he loved? The woman he adored? The woman he wanted to spend the rest of his live with?

If her were to accuse her, to throw away their relationship, he'd need to be sure. And so, Marlow watched her. He waited. Somehow she was feeding information to the Cabal. But he did not know how, she hardly ever left his side. He concluded then, that it must have been while he slept… For he was a deep sleeper, and it was the only real opportunity she'd have.

And so, each night, he closed his eyes, but fought the sleep as best he could. Tiredness took him many times, until the fourth night, when finally his love, his mate, moved in the night. He could feel her leaning over him to check that he was asleep. He didn't move, but inside his heart broke. He still couldn't believe it.

A shifter of the forest can move much quieter than a pureblood, and so Marlow followed Erin silently. She walked through the tunnels of the plateau ruins, and then into the night air. Then, walked up an incline and disappeared behind a large boulder. Marlow listened, and what he heard shocked and knocked the wind from him.

"Nothing yet to report. Trying to get information from Marlow without blowing my cover. The Blackblood, Jackson is still here. Will contact you in two days or if there is any movement. Over and out."

Quickly, Marlow returned inside, through the twisting corridors of rock adorned with Blackblood carvings, and then to his and Erin's room. He lay in bed and closed his eyes pretending to be asleep. Soon, Erin appeared. She lifter the blankets and then pulled herself in close behind Marlow. She wrapped her arms around him and then kissed the back of his neck before falling to sleep.

How can you sleep so easily after such betrayal? Jackson thought to himself. He turned to look at her, and his beast side wanted to strike her down there and then. But he knew that would be wrong… He also knew that if she was using him, that perhaps he could use this fact to his advantage. And so, as he lay there, a plan began to ferment in his mind, one which, if executed correctly, could give Swiftclaw and the Renegades a marked advantage over their enemies.

He wanted to cry, he wanted to shout in anger at Erin. But patience was needed, and so he would play her game… For a while…

The following day, Marlow tried his best to act normal. He was affectionate, he was loving towards Erin, but inside his stomach was churning at the thought of her touch. She was tainted, poison. After breakfast he said nonchalantly: "I must attend a meeting, I'll be back soon."

"Can I come?" asked Erin, hopefully.

"No, Erin…"

"I feel like I'm being excluded now. Don't you trust me?" she asked, smiling at Marlow.

"Of course I do!" The lie did not come easy. "But it is not my call to make, there are some things the clan does not want purebloods to be privy to just yet. In time though…"

"Fine…" she said, kissed him on the cheek and then walked to the doorway. "Just going for a walk."

She smiled, and then she was gone. Marlow now moved. He called on Gage, then Jackson, then Bran, finally White Tusk of the boars, Havoc of the rhinos, and Prey of the eagles. After asking for somewhere more private than usual, White Tusk led them all to a stone staircase. It delved deeper into the mountain, down several levels where no one had lived for an age.

"This is about as isolated a place as I can provide," said White Tusk, lighting torches in an empty room.

Marlow closed the door behind them and then listened for a moment to make sure they hadn't been followed.

"What's going on little brother?" asked Gage, worried by Marlow's behavior

"I am so sorry… To you all…" said Marlow.

White Tusk stepped forward. "For what, young one?"

"It is I who have brought a spy into our midsts."

There was a silence before Jackson spoke. "So you found out who has been feeding information to the Cabal?"

"It's Erin." The words were now out, there was no going back.

There was much anger in that room. Havoc wanted to throw her off the plateau himself, but Marlow managed to calm everyone down. He told them of his plan, that it was more important that Erin remain unaware that her cover had been blown.

They all listened intently. Marlow spoke with great emotion, but with conviction. They should use this opportunity to feed information to the Cabal. False information that would lure Charles Whitmore and the Beaststone out of hiding. Goad them into thinking they had to use it. If the legends were true, Jackson, as a Blackblood, would be impervious to the Beaststone's effects. If he could get close to it, he could destroy it.

"But will it work?" asked Jackson.

"I don't know," replied Marlow. "We'll only have one shot, and if we fail then the Renegades will be wiped out and maybe Swiftclaw with it. Then, the Cabal will be free to enslave shifters from around the word for a thousand years."

"I don't know, perhaps we should wait for a more certain victory?" Prey, the eagle shifter, said.

"The time for caution is gone," said Havoc.

"I agree. If Marlow believes this is our best shot, then we should take it," said Jackson. "White Tusk, it's up to you as leader of the Renegades I don't want to put you or your people in harms way if you do not feel that it is the right time."

White Tusk stood for a moment. "As far as we know, there are no other Blackbloods in existence. We must strike while we have the chance!"

There was a cheer amongst all of those in the room, except for Marlow, whose heart was still in pieces at the truth of Erin's betrayal.

"And what about Erin if we succeed?" asked Marlow.

"That is up to you, Marlow. Deal with her as you wish," White Tusk said.

And in that dark chamber, deep in the mountain where Blackbloods once walked many eons ago, a new plan was forged. One to use Erin to feed information to the Cabal, and to draw them out into a vulnerable situation. A situation which Jackson could use to destroy the Beaststone. They all knew that the Cabal were stronger than they were in number. They had legions of reptilian shifters under their control, not to mention the Beaststone which could turn any shifter into a mindless slave.

But what the Renegades had was bravery on their side. And that would have to count for more on the battlefield than any relic ever could.