THE MYSTERY OF LULLABY ROUTE

14 FEBRUARY, SUNDAY, CONTINUED

Harvey met us with a rope on his shoulder and two chainsaws. He also produced safety goggles. Perfect.

Ben looked visibly relieved, "Alright Harv, you work from that end, I'll work from this side. We should be done in less than an hour."

"Yeah, alright." Harvey agreed calmly.

Wait, why was Harvey being dragged into this?

"What about me?" I flared, "This was supposed to be my mission. Harvey can't do it."

"It's hard work, princess." Harvey started.

"Do you think I can't do hard work?" I flared even more.

"You're the Alpha Sam. Go do whatever alphas are supposed to do." Ben said.

Grrrr... This alpha was about to bite off your head!

But now Harvey was smiling, his usual wry smile.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

Harvey shook his head, "Apologies. Please allow me to cut the tree, Alpha."

What? Why would he want to do that?

But then Boo shrugged, "Do whatever you want."

And then I walked back to the woods. I saw better things to do... Like sniff out the fun - which was there...somewhere...

"Where are you going Sam?" Ben called.

"To do alpha stuff. Don't follow! Get back to your work, chop chop!" Hahaha, I'm so funny.

"Don't wander too far, princess. We're not far from Warlock lands." Harvey warned.

I didn't bother to acknowledge it. Of all my betas, I think Harvey was the one who worried the most.

I wandered from tree to tree. Yups, there were only five trees being tapped. There were quite a number of other trees that bore the scars of being tapped before. I touched one of them. It looked like it happened a long time back.

I sniffed around. I've never been here before. The sunlight was waning by now, and it cast a greying light through the branches. There was a large broken branch on the ground, and then a few more. I guess they were the casualty from the last snowstorm.

Funny how a few warm days had melted all evidence of what was supposed to be the snowstorm of the century.

I wondered if the warlock next door really had something to do with this warlock weather we'd been having. The warlock next door who was really close. There was magic. I felt my hair react to the change in the space around me. A beautiful and cold type of magic. I knew this magic. The smell of it... I've seen this magic before.

A single maple tree was standing alone in the woods. I was sure it was a maple tree, because unlike all its comrades, this tree alone still had leaves, red leaves, bright like the first autumn brilliance.

I stopped under the tree. How did I only see this now? And why was this magic so familiar? I recognized this magic, not just because it marked our border, but because... Where had I seen this before? Or something like it? All around this space was the dead of winter, but here, a single tree with a head of red leaves, as if it was forever autumn just on this very spot?

I walked around the tree, cautiously now, I realized my betas were quite far away. I could barely sense them. How far had I walked?

On one side of the tree, someone had carved into the trunk, "F&A" inside a heart. It was very cliché, but oh well.

I touched the initials. Hmmm... Maybe they were soulmates. Maybe they had picnicked here together. I mean, if they were cliche enough to carve their initials on a tree, I'm sure they would have picnicked under it too.

Ben was trying to force a mindlink open, he had grabbed onto me when I had sensed for them, and had refused to let go. He felt desperate enough for me to open my side of the link for him.

"Sam! Where are you?" He sounded panicked.

"Just nearby. Next the the maple tree." I answered.

"Which maple tree? Sam, you've gotta be more specific. The entire woods is maple tree." Ben was still sounding frantic.

"The tree with red leaves. There is only one..."

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, SAM?"

Of all the betas I had, Ben must be the one who freaked out the easiest. I mean, I wasn't far... I was, I looked around me, hmmm...

Oh well, I'll just follow my wolf back.

I walked for a bit before the air became normal again. When I looked back, the tree with red leaves was gone.

The broken branches were strewn around this area. I looked more carefully at them and noticed fishing string. I knelt down, and turned the heavy branch, a warlock crystal. I found a second one on another branch. I guess the storm destroyed quite a number of trees in the area. Maybe the fallen branches broke the crystal formations in the area, causing whatever enchantment here to lose effect.

"SAM!"

I jumped back to my feet and turned all the the same time. Oh, it was just Ben, and Harvey. For some reason, the sky was suddenly a lot darker too.

"Goddess, Sam! Dammit!" Ben said in between catching his breath. Had he been running?

"Are you alright, Princess?" Harvey asked. He looked a little frayed at the edges, as if he had been running a marathon too. Was chopping up the tree such hard work?

I nodded, "What happened? Did you finish with the tree already?"

"Sam, we finished it an hour ago. Where the hell were you?" Ben demanded, "Your wolf completely disappeared. Harvey and I ran the border twice looking for you!"

I pointed in the direction where the red tree was, "There was a tree, it's leaves were still red. I think there was warlock magic."

Harvey looked grim, "This is the border to the warlock lands. It's dangerous, princess. There is a strong magic barrier here, and probably many enchanted traps beyond that."

"I was fine." I said, "You didn't have to worry."

Neither of them looked convinced.

I showed them the crystal on the ground, "I think something broke. Can I borrow a knife?"

Ben took out his flip knife and I used it to cut free the two crystals. I pocketed it.

"What are you doing, Sam?" Ben was starting to freak out again.

"What?" I asked.

Ben opened his mouth and then shut it again.

"It's late. Let's get you back." Ben said finally. He reach out for me and steered me back.

We walked for a while. I hadn't realized how far I had gone till now. And then I realized the guys were walking the long way around.

"Why are we walking this way?" I asked. I thought we were in a hurry to get back. Harvey stopped and frowned a little, "This isn't the way back, Ben."

Wait, what? Did you guys just figured that out?

Ben sniffed at the air, "Dammit."

I sighed, "Follow me."

We got back to Me Greene's backyard in a few minutes.

Harvey blinked, "How did we..."

Then he turned backed to look at the woods.

Ben swore something Lycan. I guess Ben had been picking up new vocab from my Luna.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"The border is nearly 10 miles out from here." Harvey explained, "Princess, how did you walk us through in 5 minutes?"

I was just following my lucky sense of direction.

"There is a path." I tried to explain.

"What path?" Ben looked back.

"Between the maple trees." I pointed.

"They are all maple trees, Sam!" Ben was at his breaking point now.

I thought about it, "A magic path. My wolf thinks magic is fun. I followed the path to the tree with red leaves. The crystal formations were damaged by the snowstorm. Maybe the magic barrier was cracked, and I passed through it and found the red tree."

"It would explain how your wolf suddenly disappeared from our conscious." Harvey said.

So they were keeping tabs on me? Geesh! I wasn't a pup anymore!

"But why was there a magic shortcut from the warlock lands to Mr Greene's backyard?" Ben asked.

Good question. Hmm...

"Forget it. Come on, Sam. Let's go home." Ben had enough.

I let Ben lead me to the car. We didn't see any sign of Mr Greene. Harvey loaded up the chain saws into his truck.

It was properly dark by now. My stomach growled.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, princess?" Harvey asked.

I shook my head, "Thanks for the hard work."

"Anytime, princess. I'll see you later." And then my good beta left in his truck. I watched the back of his truck turn round the bend.

Ben opened the car door and I got in. I took the two crystals out of my pocket and studied them as Ben drove.

He gave me a sidelong glance, "Why'd you take them, Sam? The warlock would be able to trace them to you..."

"I won't mind meeting him." I said to the two clear crystals in my hand. On closer inspection, they had the tiniest hint of blue, just along their edges, or that could be the reflection my hair and eyes made on them. I wasn't sure.

"Maybe I should hold on to them." Ben suggested, "In case he does come. I can take a rap for stealing them."

I huffed at that, "I wasn't stealing."

Stealing warlock things had grave consequences, if folklore were to be believed.

"I was just safekeeping them for him. They were knocked out by the storm." I argued.

"You should've just left them there." Ben said.

Yeah, he was probably right. I looked at the two crystals again, their smooth edges and longish shapes.

Why did I take them? I stared at them long and hard, willing them to do something, but they just sat in my hand, completely silent and unmoving, but feeling somewhat alive at the same time.

That's why I took them, because they felt alive. Not the best reason to take something. Wth. Ben was right. I should have left them there.

"Don't worry about it." Ben said, "I'll hold on to them."

The string was still attached to the crystals. It looked like fishing string, but felt softer. Magic threads? I knotted each one at its ends. Then I put one on the dashboard for Ben and then wore the other over my head.

"Don't Sam!" Ben warned, "You don't even know what it does!"

I fingered the crystal around my neck in thought. No, but I think this should be alright. I've seen it done before. But where?

The whole thing was so mysterious. Let's call this The Mystery of Lullaby Route. Because the song, the stone, the secret path, and the red maple tree. They were all tied together by invisible threads I could not quite see, but if I could untangle them, I should be able to find Fount's missing stone. And the Free Wolves will be free again... Probably. That last part, I have no idea how it'll work out.

Heh. Maybe my betas would like to "fill in the blanks" to this one.