A TRAP IS ALSO A GOOD STEP FORWARD

26 FEBRUARY, FRIDAY, CONTINUED

So far so good. We were nearly all the way around the tower. Just a little bit more. I could even see an entrance, a door carved into an especially large tree. I'm not sure why we didn't see it sooner. Then again, the warlock lands are full of these now-you-see-it-now-you-don't moments, I didn't let it bother me.

But now that I did see. I could see that it was such a lovely carved door that I started to hope that it wasn't an underground dungeon at all. Maybe it would be an underground facility of greater hospitality than a dungeon. Maybe it was an underground spa that Ben and my wolves had stopped at.

Okay, no. Ben had no patience for things like spas. But what could keep Ben contained in one place here? An underground computer fair? Hahaha.

"It's over there, Sam!" River shouted from his piggy back position behind Wilhelm.

"Shhh..." Keanu hushed him.

There was a straight path to the beautifully carved door in the tree, but I would be a fool to take it.

{Trap} Boo was kind enough to point out now.

{Tell me something I don't know.} I groused at my wolf.

Which way? I considered it briefly. If we went left, we would be stepping out of the tree line into plain sight, here's assuming the warlock was looking out of his window.

If we went right, we'd stray deeper into the wooded area, but for some reason, the magic around here smelled denser. Getting to this point was already a little like dancing the limbo with laser traps.

I was beginning to understand what River meant by magic being like strings. It's like each trap had its own web of trigger points, and we were the flies trying to cross a spider field of webs without triggering any of their threads.

I had to say it was a miracle we managed to come all this way.

Honestly, from this point, it seemed like the only way across was up. It was like the Warlock was securing his perimeter's defence and suddenly got super paranoid when he got to this door. Was there something scary inside? Something that even a warlock would be worried about?

But if Ben was in there... I looked up and the forest canopy stretched over our heads. I could mentally mark the path across the branches. As long as we didn't step on the path to the door, we should be fine.

It was tricky, but not impossible. I could do that. Ki could do that. Maybe even Wilhelm could do that. But not Keanu or River. And even if we did get to the door, I wasn't too sure if my crystal key could unlock it. I mean, it made sense for the warlock the give Roy a key to allow him free access to places in the warlock lands, but I'm assuming that such a key wouldn't be able to open the warlock's personal properties like say his personal underground dungeon/spa/computer fair right?

"What's the matter, Sam?" River asked me, "Why are we stopping?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to get in." I explained.

River got off Wilhelm's back, "Don't worry, I've got the stone. I can get us in."

Now that River mentioned it, shouldn't the stone in his hand be the master key?

"I don't know, River..." Keanu sounded hesitant. No one else looked terribly enthusiastic about the idea either.

"Look, I know we got caught in some traps earlier, but now we have Sam. If we did get caught in a trap, she could tell us and I'll immediately use my stone and disarm it. Shouldn't that be fine?" River argued his case.

That sounded reasonable enough, but... I just had a bad feeling in my guts about the whole thing.

{Trap.} Boo warned again.

Yeah, but it's okay to step into a trap if you had the key to get out right? How bad could it get?

"Okay, here's the plan." I decided, "You three use the trap. Ki and I will climb over across the branches and swing in."

"Wait, why do you assume there has to be a trap?" River asked.

"It's 100% a trap. So just get in and then dismantle it." I told River.

"Then why are you and Ki not coming with us?" Keanu was immediately suspicious.

"Because there's a chance River won't be able to dismantle the trap in time, right?" I reasoned, "Its not like the both of you have the strength to climb up the branches and swing yourselves in, and it's not like Wilhelm would agree to leave the two of you to enter the trap on your own."

And then I got a better idea, "Okay, new plan. The three of you just wait here. Ki and I will go. River, see if you can unlock the door for us from here."

"Why do we have to wait here?" River asked.

"Because it's safer!" I told him, "I just realized we don't all have to go down. Ki and I will go fetch Ben and the others and be right back."

"I can't help but wonder why you left Ki with us just now, but you're taking Ki with you now." Keanu said then, "Are you really going to come back for us?"

Seriously? Who were you to question the alpha? Grrr.... But they were only human.

I repressed my sigh and tried not to sound like I was explaining myself to puppies, "I was just scouting around a bit just now so I didn't need him, but now I'm going to meet Ben and the other wolves. If any of them are injured, it would be good if Ki was around to heal them."

Which would also be a good explanation why Ben was just stationary. Like even if it were a computer fair, you'd be moving form booth to booth right? My other wolves were near him, they moved, not very much, but since we had arrived near them, I could sense their positions change. At least one of them was constantly pacing.

But Ben had not moved. Not at all.

Maybe he was helping Fount set up his WiFi or something that required him to sit in front of a computer.

I couldn't think of any other reason why Ben would stay in one place for an extended period of time - especially in the warlock lands, the Ben I know would have rushed straight in to hunt me down and join me.

Unless he was hurt so bad he couldn't move. Thus I needed Ki. Just in case.

I pressed my lips together. Get a grip, Sam. It's going to be okay. At the very least, Ben was alive. I had to stay strong because the sooner I got to him, the better.

"I think it would be better for all of us to follow River through the trap together." Keanu said.

"But then we'd all be trapped!" I flared.

"So you think River would fail?" Keanu was quick to accuse.

I really didn't need this!

"Not entirely, but we all know River's way can be pretty risky." I said, "If we all go through and it transported us to another place or something, wouldn't we waste this chance to meet Ben?"

"If you meet Ben and your other wolves, what are the chances that you'd come back to help us?" Keanu asked.

Wth.

"Of course I'll come back for you!" I really didn't have time for this, "I said I'll come back, didn't I?"

"Is that so?" Keanu asked, "We're just humans after all."

You're not just humans, you're very troublesome humans!

I felt my hands clench, but just at that crucial moment, I heard mum's voice in my head, "Young ladies do not use their fists."

I almost thought my mindlinks were working again, but no... It was just something she used to say to me. Usually, I'd respond with something like, "Okay fine! The next time Ben annoys me, I'll kick him in the face!"

And then Mum would sigh, "Oh, Sam."

Because that was the wrong answer.

When did I stop punching annoying guys?

Oh right, it was after dad told me, "One does not raise his fist without first calculating its cost."

"Fists are free!" I had informed my Dad.

"Not if you hit as hard as your Dad does." Beta Lucas chimed in, but at Mum's reproving look, he quickly amended, "I believe Alpha is referring to the hospital fees, damages to property... Hoo man, those can add up."

Which wasn't quite the answer Mum was looking for either.

But after internal reflection, I realized that I shouldn't have punched Ben even though he drew over my bear in permanent ink. How dare he make my Honey Bear a fight dog! Grrr...

But Ben had fallen off my bed when I punched him, and broke a bone. They had to bring him to the hospital and everything.

So after that I was more careful not to let my fists rack up too much costs. And I admired Dad even more for being so considerate with his fists. I had never seen my Dad punch any of our wolves.

I wanted to be an Alpha just like my Dad. Someone who understood the costs of his fists.

Was that incident only last year? It felt like a lifetime away. We were still in the Old Alpha House, I was still in Middle School, and I hadn't shifted so I was just a very normal and un-blue Sam then.

Suddenly, I wanted very much to be myself again, and go home, and cuddle my Honey Bear or hang out with my friends or just flop on Savy's bed and bug her. Why was I here in this stoopid god-forsaken place arguing with stoopid humans with trust issues?

"Keanu, shut up!" River also had his hands clenched to the side too. Why? What was his problem?

"The only reason why Sam's here is because I asked her to help us return the stone in the first place!" River gritted out, "If I hadn't been so weak, I wouldn't have had to endanger so many people..."

I blinked. So River did have some self awareness after all. But I guess I wasn't entirely like Wolfgang because I kinda understood how River felt too.

"You're not weak." I told him, "Okay, you are, but not always. And anyway, I wanted to come. I mean, I don't anymore, but no one forced me to come here."

"Look, just wait here for me. I'll come back with Ben in a while, and if you guys are still here, I wouldn't have to waste time searching for you, and we can go return that stone and get ourselves home before dinner." I told him.

"I trust you Sam." River said. But who did River not trust?

Keanu apparently felt the same, "River, even if Sam's our friend, you've got to remember that she's a pack wolf. And to all wolves, their pack comes first. Do you think she'd risk her wolves' lives to save a few humans should anything go wrong?"

"No, you're wrong Keanu." River told his friend point blank, "I trust Sam with my life. At any rate, I don't want to put others in danger."

"But you're Snow Moon's prince." Wilhelm said now, "And you're her sister's mate. Prince River, your life is important..."

"Not more important than yours or anyone elses! Why can't you guys see that?" River bursts out.

You might as well get over it River. That's what I've been trying to tell my wolves too... But I've since given up. Let them protect you. Just make sure you protect them back.

"Don't worry, Sam. You've never held back anything from me!" River announced, "Let me help you save your friends!"

Eh??? I shook my head quickly.

"You don't have to worry about being indebted to me, I already owe you my life when you saved us from the gyaara earlier. Take this as me paying you back."

Ehhh??? That's not what I was worried about!

"Ah, what am I saying? We are practically family afterall!" River laughed awkwardly now, "There's no need to count favors among family!"

Okay, I punched River then, but just very lightly and only on the side of his shoulder.

"Ow!" River yelled and fell over, "What was that for?"

"Who's your family?" I flared, "And it's not like I need your help. You'd probably just get into more trouble anyway!"

Now River got mad too. He got up and yelled back, "I know I'm just a weak human to you, but don't look down on me! I'll show you that humans can do anything!"

It's not that I was looking down on humans, or River either, it's just that...

"But River... You... You might just end up making things worse..." I pointed out.

And that was the last straw. River straightened, "I see I won't be able to convince you with words. You wait here. I'll show you!"

"But River..." More than one person protested.

But it was too late. River had stepped right into the trap on the path.

"Wait! Prince River!" Wilhelm ran after him.

Keanu sighed, "Please come save us, Sam."

And then he shouted at the other two humans, "Wait for me!"

And right before our eyes, the carved wooden flew open and sucked the three humans into the darkness within the tree.

Okay... now what? At least the door was now unlocked. In fact, it was left wide opened. I guess River did manage to disarm something... I looked at Ki and he looked back at me with his usual smile, "After you, goddess."

Here goes nothing.

So against all my better judgement, I once again followed my lucky sense of direction and stepped in after the humans...