NationStates Jolt Archive

LC International Airport, Rollinulf

James Archer sat in patient silence as the commercial aircraft he'd been sitting on for the last two hours finally landed in Rollinulf. His government had been kind enough to place him in first class so at least the flight was comfortable, even if James wasn't really that happy about making the trip. It had been over two years since that dreadful night when Em had died and James had become a lycan, a creature capable of transforming into a big bloody wolf. After escaping the overly irritating guidance of his sire's mate, James had used his new found gifts to exact justice upon those responsible for Em's death, three of them at least. The fourth guy responsible was still in jail on the petty charge of vehicular manslaughter.

Unfortunately that had resulted in his capture by the government and what would normally have been a prompt execution. And yet for some reason, James had found himself shipped off to some unknown training facility, where he was constantly drilled with small arms, guns, knives and unarmed combat. So far he was considered proficient in Krav Maga and Sambo but it would be some time before his instructors would bestow the title of master upon him. Whilst many people might object to being held captive by the government and forced through an insanely tough training regime, James considered himself lucky. Firstly, under normal circumstances he would have lost his life for the murders he had committed and secondly he had lost his purpose in life once Em and her murderers had died. If it wasn't for his training and the purpose the government had given him, James probably would have shot himself a long time ago.

Distracted from his thoughts by the seat belt sign flickering off, James realised the plane had landed and everyone was making their way out of the cabin. Stretching out in the ample room, James climbed to his feet and grabbed his coat. He looked a little young to be dressed in such an expensive suit but the government didn't appear to be the type to do anything half arsed and so he had travelled in comfort and class. Promptly getting away from the aircraft, James quickly found his way to baggage collection area and took up position before the appropriate conveyor belt.

James was here in Rollinulf because it was a nation of Lycans and thus the most appropriate place for one to learn about being a lycan. Whilst the Assingtonian government had a vast range of resources at its disposal, it knew relatively little about how individual lycans mastered their abilities and had focused more on how to defend itself against those that would use such abilities against them. And so the government had come to an agreement with Rollinulf and James found himself in a foreign country, where he would learn more about what it was to be a lycanthrope.

A few minutes later and James had manage to collect his single bag and clear customs, now entering the airport proper. He wasn't sure who was meant to be meeting him, he had just been instructed to wait at the airport cafe. After a few moments of examining his surroundings, James spotted the cafe in the distance and quickly made his way to an empty table where he waited.

Blythe Cromley wandered the halls of LC International as she waited for Jason Archer's flight to arrive. She'd received the orders from the King a few weeks ago. He'd told her that a black ops agent from Assington would be arriving for training. The order had confused her. It was her job as head of FENRIS to train people from other nations to fight. However, His Majesty had been quick to explain the situation.

She couldn't believe the story she heard. A two year old lycanthrope who didn't know how to control himself. There had been more to the story, she'd made note of that. What stuck in her head was that this boy had killed a group of kids responsible for taking his girlfriend's life-forgivable- and had then be trained to fight before he'd been trained how to live- problematic.

Glancing at her watch again, Blythe let out an oath. She was late. She checked her appearance in a window. Her white blond hair was pulled back into a bun, her gold eyes were hidden by a pair of shades, and she was dressed in a business suit. The loose pants hiding a silver dagger in her boot.

"Can never be too careful," she murmured to herself.

As she made her way to the cafe she caught sight of a young man who looked far too young to be wearing the haute coutour suit that was plastered on him. She smiled to herself. Sitting across from him, she extended her hand.

"Mr. Archer I persume. How was your flight?"

James' senses had been assaulted with a mixture of scents as he sat at the cafe. Being a lycan nation, LC International reeked of mingling humans and werewolves, it was quite a strange odour considering there was not a significant lycan presence in Assington and thus picking up another wolf scent was not common. Due to such, James was unable to single out the scent of Blythe Cromley until she sat down before him.

Blythe was certainly professional looking, although the white hair did look somewhat odd on a woman so young. Of course, James didn't really know how old she was. He was only twenty years of age himself but in another twenty years he'd hardly look any different from his current appearance so he noted it was simply too early to be making any judgements. Grasping Blythe's hand, James shook it firmly.

"Quick, thankfully. And please, you can call me James. Pleased to meet you."

Despite her pleasant appearance, James got the feeling this woman was probably a hard taskmaster. Some people just gave off an intense vibe, as if they were always ready to rip off a head if the need should arise. Time would tell if this was the case with Blythe.

Blythe nodded at the comment, taking her hand back once the shake was done.

"I've never liked flying myself. Though, I suppose there are somethings we adjust to and some things we don't."

She laughed a little to herself. "Though that's what your here for aren't you. We need to make sure you're well adjusted as lycan. Which will be...fun, I'm sure."

She checked her watch before glancing around the cafe.

"I suppose we'll get lunch here. Give us a chance to get to know each other before I take you to the nursery school."

She signaled the boy behind the counter to bring her something, then returned her gaze to James.

"You are going to have to change before we leave, Jamie. I hope you don't mind me calling you Jamie. You just don't seem like a James, kid."

Blythe has already made herself comfortable, leaning back in the chair and taking off her jacket. She smiled reassuringly.

"We don't want you to make the cubs uncomfortable. So questions? Comments?"

"Though that's what your here for aren't you. We need to make sure you're well adjusted as lycan. Which will be...fun, I'm sure."

Blythe was certainly friendly enough and didn't seem to be taking things too seriously, yet. James flashed a knowing smile and nodded in agreement. He had received some instruction on hunting from his sire and his mate, Amara. She had not been a very sympathetic or understanding woman and James was glad to be away from her.

"Fun or not, it's something I've got to pick up eventually. My circumstances were somewhat odd, to say the least."

Speaking of his turning also brought back painful memories of Em's death but he didn't allow that to show as it wasn't relevant to the here and now. Of course he could never forget her but at least his training would give him something to focus on. Having eaten on the plane, James didn't bother to order anything to eat, he'd get by until dinner.

"You are going to have to change before we leave, Jamie. I hope you don't mind me calling you Jamie. You just don't seem like a James, kid."

James cocked an eye at that comment, no one had ever called him 'Jamie' before, especially since it was considered a girl's name in Assington.

"Jim is fine if you don't like James. And I've got some more appropriate clothes in my luggage. The sooner I can get out of this suit the better, really."

"We don't want you to make the cubs uncomfortable. So questions? Comments?"

James wasn't quite sure how he would make anyone else uncomfortable but Blythe likely knew what she was talking about.

"Nothing really to ask about at the moment. My last lycan 'teacher' wasn't exactly very helpful and so I'm here. Hopefully this will be a much better experience."

Jim is fine if you don't like James.

Blythe made a little face. "No, James will be fine. It's a lovely name. I loathe the whole Jim thing." She smiled. "No offense. James says cool and mature. Jim says...." She laughed. "It's not my favorite name."

"Nothing really to ask about at the moment. My last lycan 'teacher' wasn't exactly very helpful and so I'm here. Hopefully this will be a much better experience."

"One would hope." Blythe tried not to sound insulted that James would compare her, even in possibility, to those who sired him. However, she was aware of the bristle of annoyance that sounded in her voice.

She nodded to the cafe worker as a sandwich and coffee were placed in front of her. As she was murmuring thank you, the boy explained that her sunglasses were making some customers uneasy. With a sigh, Blythe slid them to the crown of her head. The boy thanked her, and she returned her gaze to James.

Her gold eyes (http://www.sz-wholesale.com/uploadFiles/Crazy%20Contact%20Lenses%20-%20Wolf%20Eye_457.jpg) connected with his gaze.

"Alright, I'll just finish my lunch. We'll get changed, then we can hit the nursery school." She took a bite of her meal. After a moment she looked at him again. "I can assume you haven't met cubs before right?" She arched a grow quizzically.

"No, James will be fine. It's a lovely name. I loathe the whole Jim thing. No offense. James says cool and mature. Jim says.... It's not my favorite name."

"Whatever works, I'm not too picky."

Over the last two years James had encountered plenty of military trainers that believed 'shit for brains' had been an appropriate name. Whilst at the time it had annoyed him to no end it was only later that he realised it was all part of the training, an attempt to either break him or drag out his fighting spirit, a part of him that refused to fail to some bloke in a uniform yelling insults at him.

Noting the distaste in Blythe's reply after he'd made a comment about his sire, James wondered whether he'd said something wrong or she simply was expressing a general dislike of these other lycans she had never met. The previous years had not exactly been full of opportunities for social interaction and so James had forgotten how to read the subtle hints of facial expression and tone of voice. Pushing it to the back of his mind, James figured if he'd really put his foot wrong then Blythe would likely let him know.

"I can assume you haven't met cubs before right?"

"That's right, I haven't had much of a chance to mingle with my own kind lately."

"That's right, I haven't had much of a chance to mingle with my own kind lately."

Blythe nodded with understanding. "I assumed as much. I would be have to launch a party if I heard there were lycan cubs in the military bases of Assington. We take actions against children quite seriously. The other year there was a nation selling lycan cubs, as pets."

Blythe mimicked spitting on these people. "It was vile."

She took a sip of her coffee, and stood. "I'm done. Let's get changed and head out." She led James to the washrooms.

James listened intently as Blythe described the mistreatment of lycan cubs, contempt dripping off her tone. Obviously James could understand that, being a lycan cub himself but even if that weren't the case, the idea of selling sentient beings as pets didn't appeal to him in the slightest. Even if lycans had to hunt and eat meat, they were still people most of the time. Thankfully the government had begun to adopt such a position over the last few decades and thus life for lycans and vampires alike in Assington was improving.

"I think our two nations will be able to get along. There has been mistreatment of non-humans in our past but the government is more accommodating now and doing what it can to ensure lycans, amongst others can happily coexist with humans."

Once Blythe was done, the pair abandoned their table and took a quick walk towards the nearest change rooms. James promptly ducked into the male room and changed his outfit with little fuss, re-emerging from the room dressed in khaki green pants, military issue boots and a black t-shirt It was simple clothing that could endure a fair amount of ware and tear but was also easily replaceable if it couldn't stand up to the rigours of his training. Standing before Blythe once again, James confirmed his readiness.

"Alright, I'm good to go."

Blythe made quick work of her clothes. She traded the business suit for a pair of jeans and a black sweater that were in her briefcase. She would change into boots once they got to her car.

She then waited for James. When he came out she gave him the once over. 'Military through and through,' she thought with a grin.

"Well, since you're all ready we can go."

She quickly led him to a hunter green SUV that was parked in the lot in front of the airport. She signaled for him to toss his bag into the back as she changed from the classy heels she'd had on earlier, into a pair of simple tan hiking boots. She got in the vehicle and started the engine.

"You have been informed of the living situation. Correct?" She guided the large machine out of the lot with finesse.

Once the pair were ready, James followed Blythe out of the airport and immediately noted the car she was heading towards, an unremarkable SUV, just not the typical black that most governments tended to favour. Promptly throwing his luggage into the back, James circled the vehicle and jumped into the passenger seat. He'd never really been a fan of these high up monsters of the road, they seemed completely unnecessary in cities and the only benefit they offered was to the driver, when they inevitably ended up in a car accident and crushed the other unfortunate driver.

"You have been informed of the living situation. Correct?"

James shook his head. He hadn't been given much information at all, simply told where he was going and what he was doing. It seemed at this point in time the government didn't feel the need to share information with James, they probably didn't quite trust him yet.

"Not really, they have a bad habit of not telling me anything back home. I'm just expected to do what I'm told, no questions asked."

Blythe sighed. "I really hate when all the briefing is left up to me. I have enough of it ordering my team around, I don't want to be explaining every move to you as well." She shook her head.

"The short version is that you will be staying in the spare bedroom of my apartment. The medium version is that we didn't trust you on your own at a hotel, and we thought it mean to stick you at a compound. The long version is quite extensive. If you want to know, I'll tell you."

They drove deeper into the city, passing buildings and monuments. Warehouses turned into residential areas, which turned into stores and highrises.

James nodded in understanding. He expected he would be under close surveillance for his stay in Rollinulf. Whilst his government may be developing friendly relations with Blythe's, it was still early days and it was natural for a nation to be wary of foreign motives. Of course, at this point James had no other motives, he was here for the exact reason stated, to learn how to be a lycan.

"Fair enough, I think we can skip the long story. I've been told to be on my best behaviour so you guys don't have anything to worry about."

A slight grin crossed James' face, it was a bit silly to think he could be a problem at all. He'd had a few years of combat training but that was hardly a threat to a nation full of far older lycans, not to mention the ample supply of weapons they no doubt had available.

"So what exactly do you do here, if you don't mind me asking?"

James hadn't been told anything about who would be involved with his training and he didn't quite understand how things worked here in Rollinulf. Everything was new to him, something he'd been trying to come to grips with ever since he was turned two years ago.

"Oh I supposed I didn't really explain my position, did I?"

Blythe turned down a backstreet to bipass the center of downtown. She moved the SUV smoothly through traffic.

"I'm the Captain of FENRIS. Which stands for; Foundational Espionage Network of Rollinulf Investigation Squadron. We handle highly dangerous missions, information gathering, and other confidential actions. Officially we don't exist. Also, I'm the only one with the numbers on how many operatives I have under me."

She smiled. "On a public level I'm a military advisor to the King."

"Or were you looking for an explanation about what Rollinulf is?"

James had been expecting something about being a military official of some description from Blythe and yet she seemed somewhat open about the fact she was part of an organisation that didn't exist. Either she had slipped up or it wasn't a closely guarded secret. Either way, James didn't really care, she came across as a nice enough person and he wasn't here to determine the military operations of Rollinulf so it wasn't important.

So far James had gathered that the government had a specific purpose in mind for him, there was no other reason to invest so much time and money into his training otherwise. Unfortunately people had only hinted at his future or given him vague reassurances. Details appeared to be something his government liked to hold onto until they deemed it absolutely necessary to share and so James would play the good soldier until they decided to let him in on what's going to happen.

"I meant your position, but I'm happy to hear about Rollinulf too. It's refreshing to meet someone that will actually tell me anything about where I'm going, what I'm doing and who I'll be dealing with."

Whilst James had accepted that he was only alive at convenience of his government and thus was in no position to demand answers, he was a naturally curious person and liked to know as much as possible before making his decisions. Not that he had the opportunity to make many of his own these days.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. You have a confidentiality agreement with me. I think papers were sent for you to sign. The contract states that the information discussed in situations where only the two of us are present are confidential. Should you choose to discuss this information with outsiders, there will be shift action taken against you." Her gaze was fixed on the road as she spoke. "Furthermore, all other information I deem confidential will be subject to this contract. I will tell you what not to speak of from this point forward."

Her tone was commanding and mature, far from the friendly attitude she'd offered before. She gave him a moment to understand, then turned and smiled at him.

"However, I would like to maintain a casual relationship for the most part. So just check with me if you think something might be classified. Okay?"

She was almost to the other side of the city now. The area looked residential again.

"Alright, I'll update you on Rollinulf as our time together progresses. For now I'll just give you a quick brief. Twenty year following the assassination of Queen Xaria the First, Rollinulf was created. It rose from the ashes of Thrope. Long before either you or I were born, Thrope was established. It was meant to be a safe haven for all lycan kind. It was the goal of the nation for lycanthropes to live without fear of hunters or persecution. The nation thrived, and soon others moved in. At the time before the Civil War, Thrope was a booming nation filled with all forms of therianthropes, humans, fey, and other beings. I'll cover the death of Xaria at another point. Anyway, currently Rollinulf has existed as a nation for about twelve years. We are doing best to reestablish a nation based on the ideals Thrope once had. Our Prime Minister is Andreas Duncan. Our King is his Royal Majesty Leavitt Ulric the First. May he reign be blessed."

She turned down one last street and parked the SUV. "Any questions before we exit the vehicle?"

James nodded. He had expected that. Of course he'd been asked to sign a few things without really reading them and simply told that he was expected to keep what he learned to himself. It was all part of the business really, governments got up to a lot of things that they didn't like the common people or the media to know about and so secrecy was expected in almost everything.

"No worries, I know the deal when it comes to these kind of things. My lips are sealed."

It was interesting to hear about a nation composed of and ran by non-humans as far as James was concerned. Whilst a range of species were present in Fatal Terrain, a lot of the big players were human or humanoid nations, such as elves. Lycans and vampires had been looked upon as animals for quite some time and thus persecuted as humanity has always tended to react harshly towards those it fears or doesn't understand. Fortunately that attitude had begun to change in Assington and thus it was now a safe nation for vampires, lycans and a range of non-humans.

"I think that about covers it for now. Feel free to ask me anything about Assington if you're curious."

Blythe smiled at James. "Yes, that would be nice to discuss later. Oh, and don't forget. Cubs at this age still bite."

She climbed out of the SUV. When James was out she locked the door. The building was small. The playground was full of various slides and swings and other equipment. In the windows of the school were drawings and art just like any other pre-school. Surrounding the yard as a wrought iron fence. The Top of the Gate read "Cuddle Cubs Nursery School". Blythe sat on one of the benches and waited. A moment later the doorway flew open and a hoard of three and four year old children ran onto the playground. They toddled and skipped, screaming and giggling.

A boy with hair the color of caramel spotted Blythe and James on the bench. He quickly dove on top of the white haired lycan. His eyes were the same eerie shade of wolf gold that Blythe possessed.

"Aunti B! Auntie B! You came to visit me! I made a finger paint today! It was fun! And...And I wrestle with Avery! And teacher said that I had to remember not to do that to the humans cause...cause...um....OH! Right! Hoomans ain't us. And...uh...biting would makem wolves too. And that's bad! I don't get why that's bad! Why is it bad Auntie B!?"

The young boy tilted his head and then sniffed a little. His small face focused on James.

"Who are you? Are you Aunti B's boyfriend! Papa says she should get a mate soon! You look kind of weird. And you smell funny. Like wolfy and hoomn all at once. It's weird." The boy wriggled in Blythe's arms as he sniffed at James. "I'm Cullen! What's your name?!"

Blythe laughed softly as the boy continued to sniff.

James watched as the horde of children came storming out of the building and one in particular came charging towards himself and Blythe. By the look on his face he obviously recognised Blythe and was happy to see her. The scent in the air definitely told James that the kids were lycans by they smelled different to his sire and her mate and even to himself. He couldn't quite pinpoint the difference but it was noticeable.

The boy soon revealed his and Blythe's relationship as that of auntie and nephew. Despite the fact they were technically on business, James didn't mind stopping off to meet the boy. Back home James had a brother and parents that he hadn't seen for two years, the government had likely told them he was dead. At first he hadn't cared since nothing seemed to matter after Em's death but since his training had given him a new will to live he'd begun to miss his family.

James couldn't help but grin at Cullen's blunt questions. Children never really understood what was appropriate and what wasn't in certain circumstances, they just blurted out what came to mind. Of course it didn't bother James, he hadn't had eyes for another woman since Em had died and he figured it would be a long time before that ever happened again, if it did.

"No, I'm just working with your auntie for a while. My name is James."

James extended a hand to the inquisitive young lycan.

"Good to meet you Cullen."

Cullen examined James a little more before whispering to James loudly. "He's he a superhero, too?"

Blythe laughed again. "I don't know. But he's going to learning some stuff."

"Superhero stuff?" The little boy's lighted up, but he frowned when Blythe shook her head.

"He's learning lycan stuff. Starting from what cubs are like."

Cullen's eyes narrowed for a moment. "He dun know lycan stuff?" Blythe shook her head and the boy continued. "Is he dumb?"

"He's bitten."

The young boy's eyes grew wide. "COOL!" He turned back to James. "Did it hurt? Teacher says shifts hurt for bitten peoples. IT's in the book about how to be good wolfs."

"Yes it is, Cullen. Why don't you go play with Avery while I talk to your Aunt and her friend?"

Cullen looked up at his aunt, who nodded. "Oh-kay," he sighed. He then ran off towards the swing set.

Standing in front of the bench was a small asian women, with her hair pulled in a bun. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt that proclaimed the name of the school. She addressed Blythe.

"I'm going to assume this is the Ass?"

"I think they are called Assingtonians. James, this is Midori Kazuna. She's one of the teachers here. I thought it best to help you understand lycanthropy, by having you start where most of us did."

She waves a hand to gesture at the playground. "These kids are all lycanthropes who have many lessons to learn. Not just about arithmatic and drawing, but about Lycan protocol. Midori and I will start you on the basics, if you don't mind."

James maintained a good humour as he was barraged with questions from Cullen. Thankfully Blythe dealt with them quite easily and thus he didn't have to come up with a cover story as he wasn't sure what he should tell the kid. Instead he simply nodded along as Blythe explained the situation to Cullen.

"I'm going to assume this is the Ass?"

James couldn't help but chuckle slightly at this. Many foreigners weren't sure what to call a citizen of Assington and thus it was common to be called an Ass. It was a joke amongst the people of his homeland and they commonly referred to themselves as Asses, the government had even adopted the donkey as the national animal.

Extending a hand towards Midori Kazuna, James shook her hand as he stood.

"Please to meet you."

Learning with a bunch of small children certainly wasn't what James had been expecting but when he thought about it he really was on the same level as these kids when it came to being a lycan, if not below them.

"I don't see why not, I've got to start somewhere."

"Of course," stated Midori. "You won't be attending class with the children. I just want to take you into the class room, give you some literature we use on the kids, answer some questions..."

"He has no question," murmured Blythe as she pulled a gold case from her pocket.

"...and discuss whatever you would like." Midori's attention was not broken by Blythe's statement, but she glared at her when she was done. "Don't Smoke on school grounds!"

Blythe's eyes narrowed. "It won't hurt the children."

"It's a filthy habit."

Blythe sighed and rolled her eyes. However, she did put the case away.

"I guess I'll have a fag once we leave. Is it alright if I play with the ankle biters while you talk to James?"

Midori nodded in consent. When Blythe was out of ear shot, Midori muttered something about stubborn old women. She then addressed James, who she didn't think heard her statement.

"Alright just follow me in and we can talk."

She walked into the school, making sure James was behind her. When they entered the class she sat on the floor.

James remained silent as the two women discussed the appropriateness of smoking at a school. James personally didn't care for smoking but when he thought about it he realised the threat of things like lung cancer wasn't an issue anymore. He could smoke if he wanted and not ever have to worry about the lethal consequences.

Once Blythe was gone, James silently followed Midori as she lead him into the school building. Despite hearing Midori's comment, James didn't do anything but smirk slightly. Of course Blythe looked quite young by human standards but he couldn't tell how old she really was. Once inside, James took a seat on the floor opposite Midori.

"Alright, so where do we start?"

Midori tilted her head. "I would have thought you'd have questions that we could start with." She sighed. "Alright read this."

She handed him a children's book. When you shouldn't bite

The story was about a little wolf who was friends with many other wolves and a bunny. They were all playing in the woods. The wolves began to play fight and asked the bunny to join in. The bunny plays too, and gets bitten. The bunny gets a "mean owie" and comes back a few days later as a very sad wolf.

Then the very handsome Wolf Prince shows up to tell the little wolves what they did wrong.

The story continues to explain why biting non-lycan is bad, what can happen to bitten, why you shouldn't bite non-lycan until you are grown up and have permission.

The book ends with illustrations of very scary looking wolves from various stories and legends. It concludes asking if the children want to be scary Big Band Wolves, or pure and good like the Wolf Prince.

"I don't know where to start. The most my sire did for me was introduce me to my new found strength and speed when in human form and take me out for a hunt once. Otherwise I have no prior knowledge of what I lycan can and should do."

After being handed the book James promptly read through it. Considering it was mostly big illustrations and and a few words it took him only a few minutes to get from beginning to end. The message was quite clear, don't bite non-lycans because it will turn them. Of course that was already painfully obvious to one that had been turned anyway.

"Yes, I have first hand experience as to what happens when a non-lycan is bitten. It's why I'm here today. I suppose something that has me curious is how I can learn to transform without a full moon. Is that something I have to practice or will it come with age?"

So far James had gone through all his regular full moon transformations with little to no control over what happened. Of course the government had kept him locked up during those incidents and had simply fed him.

"Before you can learn to turn without the moon, you have to learn not to turn with the moon. The best person to ask about this is Blythe. Which is probably one of the reasons you're working with her." Midori sighed. "I don't know how really. I learned control when I was a teenager. Blythe learned control at a very young age. Being able to control yourself is a sign of maturity. Most born lycanthropes learn to control their changes at around 20. So considering that how old you are now, it works."

The asian woman looked at the art on the wall. "Cullen's father, Blythe's brother, wanted to train the boy for control early. However, no cub that young can resist Mistress Artemis. He can transform by will now though. That's why he's a golden eye. Most lycan's who learn control that young are golden eyes, but I don't know if they are born that way or if it has something to do with the body's reaction."

"Blythe will probably teach you Moon control. Considering tonight is the night before the full moon, it should be interesting for the two of you."

Midori tilted her head. "Did you that other than a few rogues, most bad werewolves are bitten? It's because they are untrained. Things that may seem obvious to you, aren't so obvious to others."

It was somewhat amusing for James to see that kids a quarter of his age had mastered talents and abilities that were so far beyond him. Of course, they were born into it whilst being a lycan was something James was still getting used to, especially the hunger for meat.

"Blythe will probably teach you Moon control. Considering tonight is the night before the full moon, it should be interesting for the two of you."

"How long does it usually take for someone to learn moon control?"

The ultimate goal of James' education was to learn control. Whilst he certainly possessed superhuman strength regardless of being able to change at will or not, in his wolf form James was considerably stronger and faster. The only issue once transformed was whether he could maintain his human train of thought and not simply turn into a wild animal. So far he'd had little success when it came to that and he could rarely remember his transformations.

"When I transform, I lose control of myself, it's like someone else is in control and I'm just along for the ride. Does that ever change?"

"When I transform, I lose control of myself, it's like someone else is in control and I'm just along for the ride. Does that ever change?"

"Eventually," murmured Midori. "That's one of the main reasons that children can't learn moon control. They are more cub that child at this point in their lives. As they grow older their wolf side will separate more from their base personality. It is then that they learn to make peace with that part of themselves, and they learn control. Though sometimes it feels like there is something pawing at your mind in wolf form, something that wants control."

Midori shrugged gently. "The Bitten Ones, like you, find control hard because you are two separate entities. It's not the two halves of yourself trying to coexist, it's a totally other being trying to fight you for control. Though I will admit, I myself know very little about the bitten."

James nodded in understanding. What Midori was explaining certainly made sense and was somewhat of a revelation, he hadn't realised there was such a significant difference between natural lycans and turned lycans. Whilst the lycans of Rollinulf were naturals, they were the closest thing to an authority on James' situation and his initial impressions made it reasonably clear he should be able to learn something from Midori and Blythe.

"Alright, well I think that covers all my questions for now. Is there anything else we need to go over?"

Despite his initial doubts at being shipped off to another country to learn about what he already was, James was beginning to understand that it was a good move and whilst some of the skills he would be tasked to master were basic, they were skills that he lacked and would need if he was going to server whatever purpose the government had in mind for him. At this point he couldn't tell how long it was going to take but one advantage he did have was time since he certainly wasn't going to die of old age any time soon.

Midori thought for a moment. "No, I think that covers it for now. I hope that i gave you some insight into the differences between born and bitten lycans. Also, I hope that when or if you decide to mate, you will take a few year vacation to Rollinulf. Cubs are quite prone to biting and such until they are a bit older. Here in Lycan City we have segregation until junior high school. We are hoping that will go well."

Midori stood up. "Alright I guess we can go back outside, now."

When they arrived outside all the children were standing on one side of the playground watching. Two of the teachers were standing with the children, while another ran inside muttering about clothes.

On the opposite side of the playground sat Blythe a squirming ball of caramel fur in her lap. Her voice was calm and soothing as she stroked the wriggling fluff.

"Calm down, Cul. Think little boy. Shh. Cullen. Cullen. Be Calm shh."

The small wolf cub whimpered softly, but kept squirming.

Midori shook her head. "Every month."

James promptly followed Midori out of the classroom and back into the school yard where they were met by a somewhat odd scene. All the students and a few teachers were standing off to one side whilst Blythe appeared to be restraining a squirming ball of fur. It wasn't until he heard her speak that he realised that ball of fur was actually Cullen, her nephew. Obviously he had transformed to some degree but James still couldn't quite work out what was happening.

"Every month."

"What exactly has happened?"

Judging by Midori's words and tone James figured this was not uncommon but that didn't exactly give him any hint as to what was actually happening. Midori had said Cullen could transform by will so it couldn't have been an uncontrolled transformation, which left him quite puzzled as to what the answer would be.

"Is Cullen alright?"

Blythe looked up at James, and sighed.

"Cullen likes to show off. He can transform at will, so he likes to show the other kids. The only thing is, when it gets closer to the moon he has a harder time turning back. It makes him scared, which makes it hard for him to concentrate on turning back."

She shook her head, and murmured softly to Cullen.

"A four year old turning at will is usually just stating they can take wolf form without the moon. Turning back isn't easy, it feels unnatural. Hence why this is a skill better left to be learned until after one can resist the moon."

Midori shifted. "Is he almost back?"

Blythe focused on Cullen again. "I think he's waiting."

Just then the other teacher brought out a blanket and some gym clothes. Blythe wrapped the cub in the blanket and murmured a little more. Two minutes later, a crying boy replaced the whining cub.

"M'sorry.", choked out Cullen.

"Well that's enough excitement for today. Who wants to go in an use the play-doh!"

A happy yell rose from the children who all ran in, the only people who were left in the yard were Cullen, Blythe, James, Midori, and a black haired boy.

"Hey Avery," smiled Blythe. "Cul's okay."

The little boy nodded. "Is he going home?"

Blythe looked up at Midori who offered a sullen nod. Blythe sighed sadly. "Yeah, but don't worry. You can see him during Moon group."

Avery nodded again. "Alright."

Taking Midori's hand, Avery went inside.

Cullen sobbed. "I dun...I dun.... I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME!" He cried loudly into his aunt's shoulder.

"Sorry kiddo, it can't be helped." Blythe's expression didn't match her soothing words. Cullen, who head was on Blythe's shoulder, couldn't see it. However, Blythe looked quite angry.

"Am...am I bad?"

"No sweetheart, you're just special." Something flashed in Blythe's eyes as she picked up the child and put him in the back seat of her SUV. She changed his clothes at lightening pace and laid him down to sleep.

She closed the door gently, then turned back James.

"We need to take a detour before we head to my flat. I have to drop Cullen off."

There was a growl low in her throat as she said this. She climbed in the vehicle, closing the door gently just so they kid wouldn't wake up. She waited for James to get in.

James waited in silence as the situation was explained and people tended to Cullen. He felt sorry for the young kid, it was obviously an embarrassing thing to happen in front of his classmates. Evidently if Cullen was still struggling with some of his abilities then James had a long road ahead of him. Despite such he wasn't discouraged from trying, even if it meant embarrassing himself in front of a bunch of lycans.

"We need to take a detour before we head to my flat. I have to drop Cullen off."

Something was obviously bothering Blythe but James couldn't quite tell. He didn't think it was Cullen, he couldn't really be blamed for something he was unable to master yet but something was certainly irritating the young lycan's auntie.

"No worries, it's not like I'm in a hurry to be anywhere. So will Cullen be alright? He looks pretty shaken up."

Blythe looked through the rearview mirror at Cullen. The boy was sleeping soundly, and she smiled gently at his reflection.

"I'm sure that Midori told you that most of us learn control between the ages of 15 and 20. So up until adolescence most lycan's can't control themselves during the full moon. So, at twenty, you actually aren't far behind the natural curve." She paused. "I had full control when I was six. It was a fluke. No one really knows what happened. I think there was a hunt when I was younger, and I forced myself to turn back to human form. It was a good catalyst. However, lycans that gain control too young usually have trouble coping."

"My brother also learned control young, as well. He's a nice guy, but he though Cul should learn control at a young age. Unfortunately for Cul, his dad taught him backwards. He showed Cullen how to take wolf form without the moon, instead of how to fight the moon. So he tends to shift more often than other children. For the most part it's just because he wants to, and that's fine. But days like today, he gets stuck."

"There are some parents who think this is a sign that there is something wrong with Cullen. Golden eyes are usually disliked anyway. So, there's been a lot of pressure put on the nursery school. They tend to send him home when he loses control of his shifting. Many of the parents think that Cullen should be removed from Nursery School. Some are even trying to force the school board to demand he be home schooled instead of entering elementary school with his friends next year."

The growl had returned to Blythe's word, though she still spoke quietly to not wake the child. "He's just a little boy. I could understand if this was from human parents, but other lycan. I hate the prejudice he gets. It's unfair."

She sighed. "So if he doesn't learn full control before school starts, he might not be able to attend. Which is sick. No one has achieved full control before the age of six, and i can count on one hand how many lycans in the last century were able to do it younger than twelve. Cullen doesn't want to be separated from his friends, and he feels like he's being punished but he doesn't really understand why. I mean, all he wants to do is finger paint, play, and have stories read to him. He doesn't need the kind of stress that's being pushed on him. He's just a baby."

She shook her head. "Sorry for that. Cul's really not your issues, and not why you're here. Once I get him home we'll go back to focusing on your training."

Her eyes landed on Cullen again in the rearview mirror. He looked so peaceful. So content. She hated to see him suffer like this. It broke her heart.

James now understood why Blythe seemed so irritated once she'd explained the situation. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Cullen, it was hardly fair that he be persecuted for not meeting impossible standards that barely a handful of others had ever achieved. It seemed that even a species that was used to being unfairly judged within the region was still capable of doing the same, even to themselves.

"Sorry for that. Cul's really not your issues, and not why you're here. Once I get him home we'll go back to focusing on your training."

"You don't need to apologise, his well being is more important than me losing a bit of time in training. There's plenty more of that for me to pick these things up. So do you think Cullen will be able to get a handle on things before he goes to school?"

Despite only having just met the boy, James hoped he could overcome his transformation issues and lead a relatively normal life. Having been in high school himself only two years ago, James knew quite well that kids could be downright horrible to those they saw as different or inferior.

"You don't need to apologize, his well being is more important than me losing a bit of time in training. There's plenty more of that for me to pick these things up. So do you think Cullen will be able to get a handle on things before he goes to school?"

Blythe shook her head. "Honestly, I think he can. But he's just gets so nervous. He's aware of what is going to happen, so he kind of over thinks his actions. These transitions should be smooth as a waterfall, but the child is in the middle of level 6 rapids, clinging to whatever safety he thinks he can find."

She sighed. "Drystan, my brother, is rather upset. He didn't mean to put his son in this situation. It's all quite stressful. But, I honestly think that if I can get Cullen to calm down when he turns, we can get him trained before September. He's a smart kid, with a lot of strength and talent. He's just scared."

She looked out the window. "Push comes to shove I'll use his fear to help him." She leaned in a whispered as quietly as possible to James. "He doesn't know about Hunters."

"Push comes to shove I'll use his fear to help him. He doesn't know about Hunters."

James nodded in understanding. Ever since the government had taken a more accommodating stance towards vampires and lycans there had been an issue with illegal hunters in the nation. Whilst an ordinary human obviously didn't possess the physical abilities to deal with such they usually had the advantage of advanced technology and a thorough knowledge of their target's weaknesses. Many of the younger vampires and lycans found themselves the victims of spiteful humans armed with machine guns and silver nitrate bullets. No doubt such a thought would be enough to terrify a pup like Cullen.

"Ah, I've heard quite a few nasty stories myself. There's a lot of illegal hunters in Assington trying to take the law into their own hands, despite the fact that they're breaking it. Some people just aren't willing to accept change."

James had spent enough time running after he'd been turned to be familiar with the fear of capture or death. Despite the obvious advantages to being immortal it wasn't so great if one was surrounded by hostile armed humans.

Blythe made a noise of disgusts. "I have nothing but disdain for non-contracted hunters. A proper hunter ends it quick, and doesn't dilly dally. They want to quench a threat, not cause suffering. Amateur's are...."

Blythe rolled up her right sleeve, which was the nearest to James. It was obvious why she wore long sleeves. Her whole arm up to the elbow was covered in scars. Long, short, thin, thick, deep, and surface. Just piles of scars, criss crossing so much it was hard to see untouched skin. There was only one part of her arm that that didn't posses these scars. Just below her elbow, on the thumb side was an odd purple glob. A misshapen circle with small veins escaping, but stopping only millimeters away. The color was somewhere between a wrist vein and a fresh bruise.

"This," said Blythe inclining her head at the protrusion, "is from when an amateur hit me with a monkshood tipped arrow when I was fifty."

"I have nothing but disdain for non-contracted hunters. A proper hunter ends it quick, and doesn't dilly dally. They want to quench a threat, not cause suffering. Amateur's are...."

"Exactly, these illegal hunters are just prejudiced idiots that think they're doing 'god's will' or some such nonsense by promoting genocide. Thankfully my government treats them like the murderers they are and if caught they usually find themselves at the wrong end of a bullet."

James could see Blythe had a strong distaste for hunters and figured she had probably had a number of encounters with them in the past. Whilst James hadn't had to deal with individual hunters he had been pursued by the VP and they had eventually caught him, although they were professionals with a seemingly limitless government funding as opposed to some redneck with a shotgun and some silver slugs.

As Blythe revealed some of her scars James couldn't help but whistle in amazement. The woman had obviously been in more than just a few fights and evidently had the scars to show for it.

"Wow... I've never seen anything like that before."

"Wow... I've never seen anything like that before."

"They most people haven't," murmured Blythe rolling he sleeve back into place. She turned up a hill and began moving a bit out from the city. "Monkshood, or as most know it Wolfsbane, is a fatal toxin. It numbs the body, causing burning and tingling. Your motor sense dull, and eventually you die from asphyxiation. For humans the pain is limited to the digestive system, since they ingest it. Lycans usually get injected, because it's kind of hard to force a werewolf to drink something."

"I've never met anyone with wolfbane scars. I mean, I'm sure others have existed, or do exist. I was just lucky. It was barely more than a drop, not enough to kill me. But for some reason a physiology reacts more violently to monkshood than humans."

She turned up a hill where large houses sat.

James took note of this 'Monkshood' substance, forcing himself to remember it was worthy of investigation later on. He'd never heard of it back in Assington and the primary substance used by the VP to combat lycans was silver or a really big gun. Whilst Blythe and himself were both technically of the same species he had learned that the world was full of many varying breeds of supernatural creatures. The characteristics of vampires in Assington were unique to Assington and whatever other countries that may have received some undead immigrants. And so he had to wonder whether Monkshood would be a threat to him.

"I've never heard of this Monkshood stuff. If anyone wants to deal with a lycan back home they either use silver alloy weapons or some sort of silver nitrate chemical and that tends to work pretty well."

The idea that there was another weapon out there that could do a ridiculous amount of damage with small quantities was not exactly encouraging in the slightest. Of course the government would like to know about it but James wasn't quite sure he wanted to give them another means of putting him down if they decided it was time.

"Well, as I said, most people just call it wolfsbane. I mean, you must have at least heard them mention wolfsbane in the movies. Right?"

Blythe drove up a long drive way leading to a nice three story house. The house itself wasn't elaborate. A little pricey looking, but what most would expect from a Upper Middle Class home. The amount of property was quite large though, counting the hill there was probably 50 acres. Most if it untouched.

"I'll be back in a minute. Though you can follow if you wish."

Blythe walked around to James side of the vehicle. She opened the back door and picked up the sleeping Cullen. The small boy murmured happily in his sleep, obviously having a dream more pleasant than his morning. She started to head for the door.

"Well, as I said, most people just call it wolfsbane. I mean, you must have at least heard them mention wolfsbane in the movies. Right?"

James shook his head to indicate he hadn't heard of the substance. Horror movies had never been his thing so he'd rarely seen any movies involving lycans or vampires or any of that allegedly fictional stuff. His education on the supernatural was a mixture of rumour, known public fact and what his sire and her mate had briefly taught him.

"Not really, I didn't get into the werewolf movies."

"I'll be back in a minute. Though you can follow if you wish."

James watched Blythe pick up the sleeping lycan and simply shook his head. He didn't need to get involved with family issues and figured it would simply be best if he waited in the car.

"I'll wait in the car."

"Alright, I'll be fast then."

Blythe walked the ten meters to the door. She didn't even have to knock, because he sister-in-law was waiting with the door opened. Blythe walked into the house, still carrying Cullen. She informed her the boy's mother to the whole situation as she laid the boy on a futon in the playroom. The two women then walked back out of the house.

"I'll take him tomorrow night for training if you want, but I've got a new assignment."

Cullen's mother nodded, her eyes flicking to James. She whispered something to Blythe who smiled.

"One should hope."

Blythe waved waved as she walked back to the car.

"Alright, James, I'll take you to my flat and get you settled."

James waited patiently whilst Blythe carried Cullen off to his home. The day had certainly not been what he expected of his training in a lycan nation. Whilst he hadn't done anything in practice he was learning a lot of the basic theory that his own people could not provide, which was definitely a start. There hadn't been any agreed upon training period, James was simply here until he learned what he needed to know, then he would be hauled back to Assington and likely put through some other sort of training regime.

At this point James still had no idea what exactly the government was training for but no doubt it had something to do with him being a lycan, otherwise they wouldn't have sent him to Rollinulf. Despite having being told very little, considering the combat and arms training he'd endured so far James figured it was some sort of 'black ops' or whatever the government liked to call these things. Whilst he'd never considered working for the government or joining the military when he was back in high school, it wasn't something that really bothered him. Of course he didn't really have a choice but it was better than being dead or locked up in a cell for the rest of his long life.

"Alright, James, I'll take you to my flat and get you settled."

"Alrighty. Do you live far from here?"

Bunking with the woman that was essentially his boss for this training period had been another surprise but one James wasn't going to complain about, it made very little difference to him where he slept, anything was better than the cell he'd slept in during his early days of captivity.

"Alrighty. Do you live far from here?"

Blythe shook her head as she swiveled down the driveway. "I live in the East End of the city. So it won't take to long to get there, if traffic is light. Since it's still the middle of the day, I think we'll be fine."

It only took fifteen minutes to get from the large house on the hill to Blythe's building. The East End was the nice part of the city. The university was a few blocks away from the building she lived in and there were some students who lived there as well. IT was the largest building in the city. Blythe drove into an underground parking complex. A few of the spots were like tiny garages. It was in one of these that Blythe parked her SUV. There was a black and gold motorcycle leaning against the wall. Grabbing her briefcase, Blythe popped the hatch so that James could grab his bag. Once they were both out of the mini garage, she swiped a key card next to the door, effectively locking it.

Blythe used the same card key to get into the main building. Leaving James at the elevator to way, sh walked over to a pleasant looking man who smiled with dimples. He handed her a small envelope and a package. Both Blythe and the doorman laughed at something before she turned and met James at the lift.

A quick swipe of her key card changed the numbers on the floor display to PH, and they rode silently up to the very top floor. The doors opening to an entrance hall that Blythe quickly shuffled James through.

"Your room is down that hall, as is the guest washroom." She pointed out the living room, the dining room, Kitchen, atrium, balcony, everything one would expect a Pent House to have.

"There's food in the fridge. If you have any questions, ask them later. I'm taking a nap as should you. We are going to be up all night training." She turned to go, then stopped. "Oh, here's your key to the flat. Don't make me regret allowing them to convince me to this."

Blyhe wondered up a set of winding stairs. "See you at sunset."

------------------------------------------------------------
Blythe did he best to hold down her laughter as she walked through the second set of gates at Blackrock Base. The SUV had been left at the first checkpoint, and they would be walking until they got to the training ground.

"I'm so sorry," she tried to choke down a giggle. "I just can't believe you..." She snickered.

Blythe looked as though she was about to say something else, when suddenly her expression went serious and her head tilted. She sniffed gently and cursed under her breath. "Run fast!"

Blythe's white hair flew behind her like a fast moving cloud. The combat boots she'd changed into for training barely hit the ground as she moved forward. A minute later she came face to face with two men dressed in black. One smiled broadly, the other seemed to be pouting, though it was more in the eyes than his face.

"I though I told Campbell and Garcia to attend tonight."

The grinning fellow shrugged. "We switched shifts." He was shorter than Blyhe by a few inches. Korean by decent, with black hair and matching eyes. His kind grin turned teasing. "Besides, they wouldn't have any fun. They'd just jump. First at your orders, then at the bitpup." He turned his gaze to James. "Hello, I'm Daeshim Kwok. It's nice to meet you."

The look on Blythe's face held none of the laughter it has held a moment before when she'd been teasing James about the earlier incident. She narrowed her eyes at Daeshim.

"That wasn't a request, it was an order."

"Oh please, Garcia would have shit himself, and Campbell would have fallen in love with the guy."

The words came from the pouting man. His cobalt eyes had changed from being unhappy to genuinely annoyed. He was tall, and built. His reddish brown hair short and spiked. Even in human form he was intimidating. He did flinch where Blythe took at step toward him. It was tiny, unremarkable, but it was there. The tiniest flinch.

"You're supposed to be on in TGS doing recon, Tiernan. You aren't supposed to be here mucking up a night's work with your attitude."

"I got switched out," His expression went from annoyed to a superior smirk. "The Defense Minister thought it would be best if I offered my...expertise."

Blythe's lip curled back in a growl which made both Tiernan and jump. "You," she jabbed Tiernan in the sternum. "You and I are going to have a little talk."

"Kwok!" The Korean man stood at attention. "Keep James company for a minute."

Blythe marched off, dragging the large blue eyed man with her. Daeshim shivered. "She is one scary lady." He turned back to James and smiled, though it was not as effective as his first. "So how are you enjoying our country?"

With his luggage in hand, James waited patiently at the elevator whilst Blythe spoke with one of the building staff. The security for the building was evidently quite thorough as James noted everything required key card access and there was no lack of surveillance cameras mounted around the car park.

Judging by his surroundings James figured Blythe must be paid quite well and this was confirmed when they exited the lift and walked into her penthouse, the ample space a nice change from his lodgings in Assington. A room and bathroom to himself was certainly more than James expected and made for a pleasant surprise as Blythe handed him a key to the apartment.

"Cheers. I'll see you later."

Dumping his bad beside the bed, James barely took a moment to survey his room before pulling off his boots and dropping onto the bed. Despite the flight not being long he did have to get up early and something about sitting on a plane simply made him weary. Within ten minutes he was peacefully asleep, knowing that he would awake when he needed to.
_______________________

"I'm so sorry, I just can't believe you..."

James couldn't help but grin himself as he walked alongside Blythe.

"I know, I didn't really think about it at the time and there I was, stark naked in an alley with a cop flashing his light at me. Luckily he believed my story and even offered me a ride home. I was bloody lucky to get out of that situation in one piece."

James didn't ask questions when Blythe broke into a sprint, he simply followed and did his best to keep up. Evidently she was far older than him and it showed in her speed as she seemed to cover the distance easily and gracefully. Eventually they came across two men and Blythe's mood seemed to harden immediately.

"Hello, I'm Daeshim Kwok. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, I'm James."

Shaking hands with Daeshim, James remained silent as Blythe began reprimanding the men before her. They didn't seem too concerned but she was quite worked up that the other two originally scheduled to be here were not.

Eventually she dragged the other man away and James was left with Kwok, a somewhat eerie silence hanging in the air until he finally spoke.

"She is one scary lady. So how are you enjoying our country?"

"Yeh, I haven't managed to get on her bad side yet. So far so good, it's certainly very different to Assington but I like it, I don't have to worry about some gun-ho citizen and a clip of silver bullets."

"Yeh, I haven't managed to get on her bad side yet. So far so good, it's certainly very different to Assington but I like it, I don't have to worry about some gun-ho citizen and a clip of silver bullets."

Daeshim laughed. "Tell me about it. The twenty some years between the Civil War and King Leavitt were rough. Most of us had to find somewhere else to live. It's shocking to realize how lucky we were with Thrope. I want to believe that we won't mess things up again, but Thrope was ancient when the Civil War started." He shook his head. "Oh well, it's all good here."

He smiled broadly again. "So you're going to learn moon control tomorrow. That should be exciting. I didn't learn moon control until I was 23, and I'm a born lycan. I'm really impressed."

Daeshim looked over his shoulder, confirming the other two were still gone.

"Oh, and sorry about Tiernan. If it was just me, Boss Lady would be fine. Captain Cromley has always been reasonable. The problem is that Tiernana is a disrespectful brat. He might look it, but the kids only 19. He really needs to respect his elders. I mean, Blythe is an alpha, his commander, and has 450 years on the kid." Daeshim cringed as he looked back to James. "Please don't tell her I told you. She's a little sensitive about her age."

"So you're going to learn moon control tomorrow. That should be exciting. I didn't learn moon control until I was 23, and I'm a born lycan. I'm really impressed."

"That's the plan, we'll see how well I go with it though. I didn't learn much from my sire and his mate except for a few basics so I'm essentially just a big cub at the moment. Blythe seems pretty confident we can change that though."

James couldn't help but release a small smile at the revelation of Blythe's age. He knew she was old but over four centuries was far more than he expected. She certainly didn't appear that old, although he knew quite well that he wouldn't either when he reached that age.

"I'd been wondering how old she was... don't worry though, I won't let on. It seems it doesn't matter what species they are, all women are sensitive about their age."

"It seems it doesn't matter what species they are, all women are sensitive about their age."

Daeshim chuckled. "Don't I know it. My girlfriend is only forty and she's already getting edgy. But I always try to point out how great she looks compared to humans." He shrugged. "It works."

"I've got it on good authority that you are to stay until you learn control and a few lycan fighting styles. The moon control aspect will take the longest. If you don't get it in the next few days Blythe will spend the in between time trying to you to change without the moon. Even with fight training, it will be a boring time if you don't learn other control."

James didn't show any emotion on his face but Daeshim's mention of a girlfriend promptly brought back painful memories of Em and her untimely death. She had been too young to die, too young to even worry about her age, at only eighteen she would have been pleased to have people assume she was older rather than younger.

Pushing back the stinging memories, James focused on the here and now. He had a purpose and at the moment it was to develop his lycan skills. The exact purpose of such may not have been clear yet but it was better than wallowing in his own depression for the remainder of his unnaturally long life.

"Fair enough, I've got all the time in the world so there's no need to rush things, even the government seems patient enough to give me as long as it takes."

James' thoughts drifted to the other lycan off with Blythe. He couldn't here what she was saying but they'd been gone for several minutes now and judging by the mood she was in when they moved off he was likely on the receiving end of a pretty stern verbal beat down.

Daeshim opened his mouth to respond when a low keening sound came from behind the building. A moment later a huge white whole came into view. The massive creature continued to make a low keening noise and it limped over to Daeshim.

"Damn them being downwind." He picked up a radio that was clipped to his belt and shouted some order. He moved to the white wolf to examine it.

The snowy creature laid on the ground making a low, sad sound. The light from the lamps that stood around the base highlighted red speckles littering its form.

Black jeeps were rushing onto the scene, but they seemed to be moving too slowly almost.

On the ground the wolf watched the scene. Daeshim making orders into his radio. A groaning noise came from where the wolf had entered from.

Daeshim grabbed a blanket from one of the jeeps that had finally reached them. The two MPs inside were rushing behind the building. He placed the blanket around the wolf, who morphed smoothly into Blythe under the protective material.

"Stupid," murmured the woman. "Stupid reckless boy. Stupid." She looked up at James. "Sorry for the delay, Jimmy. This is going to take a minute."

The MPs returned carrying a stretcher with a groaning, bloody Tiernan on a stretcher. He was strapped down.

Blythe shook her head. "You think I can kick him out now?" She smiled crookedly at Daeshim as she winced a little. He shrugged at her before kneeling to examine a healing wound on her shoulder.

James stood aside in silence as the white wolf approached, obviously injured. Daeshim had things under control and within minutes several MPs had arrived to help deal with the situation. Despite having never seen Blythe in wolf form, James could tell it was her by scent alone. She was hurt, but not badly. No doubt the younger lycan would be in far worse condition. James knew he sure as hell wouldn't want to stand on the wrong side of Blythe if things became violent.

"Sorry for the delay, Jimmy. This is going to take a minute.

James gave Blythe a small smile and nodded, he didn't need to be anywhere in particular and he figured her injuries were of far more importance.

"Don't worry about it, it's hardly your fault. I'll be here when you're ready."

James had no doubt that if he'd ever displayed insubordination to the level of striking a superior officer he'd have felt the quick burn of a silver bullet through the back of the head. Tiernan was lucky to be alive and no doubt wouldn't be part of the military for much longer. Keeping silent, James made a note to himself not to anger Blythe.

"Dae, go with them. Bring another unit member with you when you come back."

Daeshim nodded.

"Oh, and bring me fresh gear. He ripped my other stuff."

Deashim gave another nod and a quick salute as he ran of into the Jeep. One of the MPs questioned Blythe who explained that when she'd gone to discuss something with the younger lycan. He's been hostile, so she'd reprimanded him verbally. He'd proceeded to get physical, and the altercation grew from there.

When the MP was done with her, Blythe adjusted the fleece blanket so that it was wrapped around her in a kind of toga style. She didn't mind being nude, but James might be uncomfortable and it was a little brisk that night.

"Alright, so first part of your training. What does turning feel like to you?"

Despite the fact that Blythe's figure was quite obvious under her blanket, James' eyes did not stray from her gaze. Whilst she was certainly attractive, James hadn't really looked at another woman since Em died and he doubted he would for quite some time.

"Alright, so first part of your training. What does turning feel like to you?"

"To be honest... it hurts like a bitch. It feels like I'm being pulled apart and squashed together at the same time. The first time was the worst but it's not exactly comfortable for me these days. Aside from that, it feels like I'm losing control. Sometimes I'm able to direct things if I concentrate hard enough but otherwise it's like I'm a passenger and the wolf is running the show."

James' sire had simply said that things would change with age and had refused to offer anything more useful than that. Hopefully Blythe would be able to elaborate and allow him to gain some real control of himself.

Blythe listened carefully and nodded. It all sounded rather standard of a first time changing, so she wasn't too concerned.

"Alright, have you ever stretched until it hurt? You know, bending backward to crack your spine. Or reaching so high you think you'll dislocate your shoulder?"

Blythe was sure this would take some time, but if she explained it properly, it might be easy.

"Alright, have you ever stretched until it hurt? You know, bending backward to crack your spine. Or reaching so high you think you'll dislocate your shoulder?"

James nodded in the affirmative. He'd done so quite often during training as a gymnast. It had all been about a balance of strength, agility and flexibility so James had spent quite a lot of time stretching his limbs to their limits and then some.

"Yeh, I did gymnastics in school so I'm not stranger to that sort of thing..."

Whilst he wasn't quite sure what Blythe was getting at, James had faith that she knew what she was on about so he'd simply remain patient and play along until it all became clear.

"Yeh, I did gymnastics in school so I'm not stranger to that sort of thing..."

"Gymnastics. eh?" Blythe nodded. "They didn't stick that in your file. Must not have thought your pre-lycan existence was of interest to us. But this could be helpful. I may be able to use that later."

Blythe thought for a moment. "Alright, stretching is important. When you shift you are using muscles you won't even know you had until then. So as I'm explaining this to you, just trying doing a few easy stretches. We'll work harder when I'm done."

"Okay, so turning into a wolf by will is like sticking a landing. It's not just finishing the routine and being done. You need to be able to hold it. If you squirm you'll probably lose it."

"Turning into a human by will is more like sticking the landing after you messed up your dismount. It's not just getting the landing right so it looks good. If you don't get it right in the end, it will probably do you a lot more harm than good."

"It will be much easier to learn to turn into a wolf on your own, then switching back into human form. Tonight, once the moon rises, we are going to try to get you not to turn. Resisting the turn will make it easier to learn shifting afterward."

"So questions?"

"Alright, stretching is important. When you shift you are using muscles you won't even know you had until then. So as I'm explaining this to you, just trying doing a few easy stretches. We'll work harder when I'm done."

James nodded and began leaning forward with his right leg outstretched and resting on his heel, evidently stretching his calf muscle. It had been a while since he'd been through the pre-training session routine but he still remembered it quite clearly, moving through the various positions with ease.

Appreciating the gymnastics references, James nodded in understanding. Whilst he had been led to believe control of changing solely rested upon age and experience, it appeared it could be mastered with enough practice. This was exactly what James needed to hear as he knew full well he had all the time in the world to get good at shifting.

"So questions?"

"Is resisting the turn a purely mental thing or does your physical condition play into it somehow?"

"It's like holding a match stick. For the most part it's physical, but eventually it's more mental. The first few times it really hurts."

Blythe shrugged gently. "It's like swimming. Eventually you can just do it without any real effort."

James shook his head slightly as he attempted to piece together all the metaphors that Blythe was bombarding him with. Initially it had been like gymnastics, now it was swimming and holding a burning match stick. The current image in his head involved some sort of triathlon event that ended in fire, and ultimately didn't appear to be relevant to being a lycan. Never the less, James did have a reasonable idea of what Blythe was talking about.

"Alright then, so are we ready to go?"

A change of clothes and some breathing techniques later, Blythe brought James out into an open training ground.

"Alright, I'm sorry about the confusing metaphors. I'm not very good at them. So all I want you to do it breathe calmly and think "I am human." Like I told you. Also try to picture yourself as comfortable as you've ever been. Just take a moment to focus moon rise will be in a moment. Just know I'm here for you."

Blythe sat cross legged a few meters from James. Half a dozen men and women in black stood behind her. She looked up at the sky. "Alright, here she comes."

Blythe watched the moon break the horizon. It would be a long night. She could feel it call to her, begging her to romp as her true self. She gently shook her head no, and turned her eyes to James. She knew he wouldn't get it that night, but the amount of time he could stay would make a huge difference in knowing how hard it would be to train him.

'Please do well,' she called in her mind.

James nodded and closed his eyes, attempting to relax as much as possible. He cleared his mind of everything, something he'd become quite practiced at in order to forget the crushing depression of losing Em. Breathing slowly and deeply, James could felt at ease, like he didn't have a worry in the the world. For few minutes James was at peace, simply focusing on the fact that he was human, even if he really wasn't. The exercise was quite simple until the moon finally erupted over the horizon.

Eyes shooting open, James looked up at the moon and his face wrinkled up in resistance. He could feel the pull, feel the animal within him ripping away at his control, tearing down his humanity in order to replace it with wild animal instinct. Despite the raging animal's attempts, James was not about to give up. He continued to envision himself as human, a human that wouldn't let himself be bested by some thoughtless creature.

James continued to hold his defences steady for several minutes but the beast within was clawing them down faster than he could rebuild. Gasping, James fell to his knees and his breathing became rapid. He could see fur growing on his hands but he wasn't done yet. Screaming in defiance, James pushed it back only to find that his defences were gone and his rage was that of the beast within. Knowing full well that he'd lost, James estimated he'd lasted somewhere between five to ten minutes before his human consciousness took a back seat at the wolf took over.

Still on his fours, James growled as his bones shifted and fur began to cover his body. Muscle and tissue merged and split, quickly rendering James into a form that resembled nothing like the man he was. Now a fully formed lycan, James sniffed the air and immediately shifted his gaze to Blythe, growling slightly but also apprehensive of the woman before him.

Blythe's eyes followed James' struggles intently. She could see the pain he was in, and knew she would have to teach him to make peace with the wolf before this could go any smoother. She was impressed at how well he held out despite his pain. A smile played at her lips.

The final count was nine minutes twenty one seconds. A very good time. As she looked up at the wolf, she saw his apprehension. He hid it well behind a growl, but there was a sense of unease coming from the wolf that made he want to coo as she'd done with her nephew when he'd been a newborn.

She looked back at the small group of agents standing behind her. She smiled.
"You can shift if you promise to stay and play."

A small cheer rose from the group. It was so rare that the Captain just let them romp. Most understood it was to make the Assingtonian comfortable, but it was still a wonderful treat.

They all quickly disrobed and shifted. Some more smoothly than others, but soon they were racing around the field. They kept their distance from James. Every so often one would rush close, but they'd pull back too early. The jumped around watching the still human Blythe for nearly twenty minutes as she watched the growling, apprehensive wolf James. With a sigh, she too took form.

It felt good to be back in her fur. There was something so right about being in wolf form. It was less constraining in many ways. She circled James slowly, keeping a comfortable distance. Every so often one of the other wolves would playfully swat or nip at her. She nudge them, but not really react. After two circles she stood before James. An expression almost like a smile appeared on her muzzle.

In the next moment she was chasing the other wolves, jumping and butting. She tackled one quickly, then joined the rest of the pack. No longer IT in this lycan tag. It didn't take too long for chocolate wolf Blythe had tackled to get a smooth, playful swiped at Blythe's leg.

The large white wolf tore off back at James, going slower as she got closer until she was just gently stalking to him. When she was close enough she softly nudged his side. She hopped back a little, prepared for an angry reaction.

Her gold eyes met his. She whined softly, indicating with her head that he should play, too.

'Step one to understanding your inner wolf', she thought. 'Understand your inner cub.'

James observed with keen interest as the other lycans transformed into the wolf forms and began running around and pouncing each other, By sniffing the air James could tell they were all older than him and it would be foolish to be hostile towards any one of them, let alone the pack as a whole. Eventually even Blythe transformed and joined the pack, leaving James to himself.

Unsure of how to react, James simply sat and watched the other wolves as they enjoyed themselves, something James had never witnessed before. His only prior experience with lycans had been with his sire and his mate and they had simply shown him how to hunt or asserted their physical dominance. As the young lycan continued to watch the others he couldn't help but feel an urge to run around with them. They certainly appeared to be enjoying such and whilst James might be an adult by human standards he was still quite young as a lycan.

Finally Blythe returned, as did James' apprehension. Evidently she was the alpha and James wasn't quite sure what his position was in relation to her and the others. Despite such doubts, James held his ground until Blythe indicated he should join the others. It only took a few moments for James to decide as he gazed over at the other lycans and broke into a sprint, wearing what could be considered a grin for a wolf. Initially James was quite gentle when it came to playing with the others but as he began to gain an understanding of what was acceptable he easily fell into place, running and pouncing with the others, completely carefree.

Three days later, Blythe slid a huge plate of sausage on the kitchen table.

"Twenty one minutes last night, I'm really impressed."

She sat down opposite James and began adding eggs to her own plate. She quietly spread jam on her toast and took a bite. The night before was the last night where the moon was full enough to force transformation. She was proud at how well James was adapting, though frustrated they'd have to wait so long before they could do more resistance training.

"So today we'll start with turning on will. Since we don't need to wait for the moon, we'll be heading out early. We'll probably be in training all day, so you should be prepared for that."

Blythe took a mouthful of eggs. After sipping some milk she spoke again, "Any questions about today's training? Or last night?"

"Twenty one minutes last night, I'm really impressed."

James couldn't help but grin at the praise, he wasn't the only one impressed with his progress. At first he had found every step of resisting the change to be a constant struggle that required his complete concentration and mental strength but over the last day it had just seemed like it really wasn't that hard at all and he'd simply been approaching it the wrong way. Instead of fighting the entire process, James had simply had to resist the temptation and he'd become quite good at it. Despite his success, it was only one element of his training and he wasn't about to let such fill his head with notions of complete competence.

"Any questions about today's training? Or last night?"

After finishing his mouthful of bacon and washing it down with a sip of orange juice, James managed to squeeze out a reply.

"Is it easier to force a change than it is to resist one? Resisting the change was like fighting off the beast within me, it will be odd trying to coerce it to emerge."

Despite his doubts James wasn't about to shy away from an attempt to master wilful transformation, that was a skill he felt would be more than necessary in his future and he wasn't willing to wait until old age allowed it to flow easily.

"Is it easier to force a change than it is to resist one? Resisting the change was like fighting off the beast within me, it will be odd trying to coerce it to emerge."

Blythe let out a breath. "Wow for a second there I thought you didn't get it." She laughed a bit out of nerves. "You never force a change. EVER. That's just a bad idea. What we are trying to do is just what you said, coercing the inner wolf."

Blythe took a bite of ham. "You're showing the wolf that you are okay with him being there. He can come out if he wants to, but only when it's okay with you. But if you force him out, he may not want to go back in."

She smiled. "You are establishing that you are the alpha of your own body. And no, it's not harder than resisting. As long as you stay cool about it, you should be fine."

James nodded in understanding. He knew he wasn't actually forcing the wolf out, he simply hadn't chosen his words very well. Despite it having only been a few days James felt he was far more connected with what he really was, much more so than that previous few years. He could sense the wolf inside him constantly now, weaker during the day but his awareness was growing stronger, to the point where it eventually wouldn't matter what the moon was doing or what time it was.

Finishing off his plate of bacon and eggs, James grabbed a few more sausages and began devouring them as well. His training had certainly evoked a vicious appetite, mostly for meat.

"You are establishing that you are the alpha of your own body. And no, it's not harder than resisting. As long as you stay cool about it, you should be fine."

"Fair enough. The last time I changed I found it was easier to influence my actions, it wasn't all just instinct. I dunno, I could almost think about it first instead of just leaping at whatever felt like a good idea."

Blythe nodded as she finished her Irish Breakfast tea.

"You're getting to know each other. He's starting to trust you. It's good."

She got up and grabbed her cigarette case. Standing on the balcony she called out,

"So there is nothing you want to do before we head out?"

"So there is nothing you want to do before we head out?"

James finished his last plateful and took the dish to the kitchen as Blythe moved out to the balcony, evidently intent on devouring a deathstick or two. Despite knowing he was immortal and wouldn't succumb to the ill affects of smoking and alcohol, James couldn't really bring himself to embrace them.

"Not really, I'm good to go when you are."

Once he'd rinsed the plates, James joined Blythe out on the balcony, looking out towards the city. It had only been a few days since he arrived in Rollinulf but he liked it already. It wasn't anything like what he had expected and he could honestly say that even if his training took several more years he wouldn't mind.

"A word of advice James." Blythe said this as she butted out her fag. "You are going to live along time. And there are many things you can do that should hurt you, but won't. However, it's really stupid to get addicted to things."

She lit another one with an annoyed sigh. "Extremely Stupid."
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Twenty minutes later the two stood in a 30x30 room. There were various member of FENRIR posted at the exits.

"Alright so as I told you, today we are going to see if we can get you to turn without the moon. We'll start with simple meditations then move from there."

Blythe sat down across from James. Today she wore a blue t-shirt and yoga pants. Her hair was pulled back in a bun. She directed him to sit in the lotus position was she was then told him to close his eyes. After a few breathing exercises she led him to the image she wanted him to work with.

"Imagine a forest. It's a beautiful sunny day, but the forest is dense so you only see flickers of the sun through holes in the canopy. Soon you reaching a clearing by a brook. The water is cool and sparkling. You are thirsty. Go kneel by the brook and take a drink. Feel the water in your hands. Feel how cool and refreshing it is. See how clear the water is. Drink. From the woods appears a wolf. This wolf is your wolf self. Look at him, see how confident he is. See how he looks just as you look when you are transformed. Watch him approach and also drink from the brook. Do no be afraid, just watch him. Drink from the brook as well, but always watch the wolf. "

Blythe took a deep, calming breath and continued.

"When you are ready, reach out and touch the wolf. Be cautious but not afraid. Feel how softness of his fur. Touch the corded muscle beneath the skin. Slowly touch his head, his face, his muzzle. Stay calm. With your hands on his face, look into his eyes. Look deeply. See yourself in the worlf, let him see himself in you. Two spirits, one entity. Take a deep breath and open your eyes."

Blythe sat across from James, her left side of her mouth tweaked in a half grin.

"So how do you feel?"

James sat as directed, wearing clothes very similar to what he had on the previous day. The government may have provided James with everything he needed but they weren't big on fashion variation, not that James really cared. Closing his eyes, James imagined himself in the forest as Blythe described it.

It was cool beneath the shadows of the forest canopy, only small slithers of light plunging through the thick branches and leaves. Nevertheless James pressed forward, not bothered by the cold or anything else. As he plunged deeper into the forest he embraced his surroundings, breathing deeply in order to savour the crisp air and the various smells of life around him.

After a few minutes James eventually reached the brook that Blythe described. The water was so clear James could see straight to the bottom. Kneeling down, James cupped his hands and placed them into the water. It was cold but again it didn't bother him as he took his first sip, savouring the untainted liquid that was so rare to come across in the modern world. After taking a few more sips James looked up to see his wolf, his other side.

James stared at his wolf for a moment but he didn't feel the panic one would normally experience at being approached by a massive wolf. It looked right back at him, as if stating it was his move now. Nodding slightly, James kept his eyes on the wolf as he cupped his hands once again and drank. The wolf seemed to understand this and began to lap at the water as well. For a few moments the pair simply watched and drank in relative silence.

Feeling ready, James stopped drinking. As did the wolf. Edging closer to the animal, James oddly felt comfortable, as if he were simply getting reacquainted with an old friend. His hands reached outwards and rubbed the sides of the wolf as it gazed at him. The fur was thick and soft, no doubt very warm. As his hands ran down the wolf James could tell it was strong, the muscle beneath the fur was rock hard and yet relaxed. The wolf was relaxed. James' human mind told him to be apprehensive of the animal and yet instinct told him he was perfectly safe.

Hands now on either side of the wolf's head, James looked straight into the calm yellow eyes and couldn't help but feel he was looking into his own eyes. The wolf matched his stare and seemed to communicate, not in words but feelings. It said I know you. We are the same.

Opening his eyes, James found himself looking at Blythe once again.

"So how do you feel?"

Taking a moment to regain his bearings, James replied.

"Different, somehow. Relaxed. I've never felt quite like this before..."

Blythe's grin turned into a small blissful smile. "Yeah, it's really a great feeling to find yourself at one."

She laughed a little. "Up until now, I think both you and your wolf side were apprehensive of each other. Neither really understanding the other purpose, or if they were trustworthy. I think things may move smoothly now. So many try to master the wolf instead of seeing is as an equal. I that's why it take most lycans as long as it does to gain control. In the life time of a werewolf 20 or 30 years doesn't seem like much, but could you imagine. living that long with no control over part of yourself?"

Blythe shook her head sadly and stood up. She moved to a chair a few meters away and sat.

"I'm very happy you're feeling relaxed. I want you to try to hold on to that feeling as you try to transition moonlessly. I'll try to guide you as best I can." She smiled.

"You'll have to take your clothes off now."

"You'll have to take your clothes off now."

James couldn't help but blush as he processed Blythe's words. Em had been the only girl to see him nude and the thought of doing so in front of any other almost felt like a betrayal to her, despite the fact she'd been dead for a few years now. For a moment he simply stood still as memories of his girlfriend emerged to the surface of his mind once again. They were still as vivid as ever, to the point where James could almost smell her.

Taking a deep breath, James pushed the memories back down as he exhaled, locking them away. This didn't have anything to do with Em or other girls, it was a practical necessity unless he wanted to rip his clothes apart during a transformation. Without any further delay James removed his boots, pants, t-shirt and other various items of clothing until he stood before Blythe stark naked. At first he continued to blush but after a few moments it began to fade. He wasn't going to let something like embarrassment get in the way of his training. Closing his eyes, James took another breath and returned to that sense of relaxation he had achieved earlier.

"Alright. Now what?"

Blythe watched the blush appear and fade on James' face. She felt a bit guilty. She probably shouldn't have been so blunt in her wording.

"Alright, now I want you to slowly edge toward a transformation. Remember how it feels to shift. Not when you aren't in control, but when you are close to control. The sensation of your bones gently twisting, and your muscles stretching."

"Take a deep breath. If it starts to hurt stop, and we'll trying something else. Just let yourself shift. Let the change flow over you like ocean waves. Just try."

Blythe wasn't sure how good her words were.

James remembered how painful it was to force a transformation or allow it to simply dominate him. He didn't want to go through that again and so James exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Within moments he found himself sitting in front of his wolf self once again, staring into those knowing yellow eyes. It was strangely comforting and all of a sudden James wasn't worried about a transformation anymore. Without saying any words, James managed to communicate his intentions to the wolf and it simply nodded ever so slightly.

Opening his eyes, James began to feel the shift. It started in his legs as his bones began to shift and change. Whilst James would have expected it to be horribly painful it wasn't. The transformation felt as if James had been given a fully body local anaesthetic. He could feel the shift occurring but he couldn't feel any pain. Falling to his knees, James watched as the hair on his hands became much coarser and thicker before spreading to encompass his entire arms, which were now thickly muscled arms with razor sharp claws on the end of his hands.

Whilst this physical transformation was taking place, James felt as if his mind was merging with that of the wolf. His animal instincts suddenly became far stronger and he began to think in images as opposed to words. Man-wolf was the dominant image running through his head and yet James didn't fight it, he embraced it. Up until this point he had never considered the notion of cooperating with his inner wolf, of being one.

After several minutes James stood on his hind legs before Blythe. The urge for meat was now far more prevalent in his mind and yet James still had conscious control of his actions. Meat would come soon, but not yet. Panting from the physical exertion of the transformation, James waited for Blythe to speak.

Blythe watched the transformation closely. She was a little shocked to see the man wolf standing in front of her. He was doing half form really well. But that hadn't been her intention. Half form took a lot of practice to master. It was how many older lycans were able to access their claws when they were still technically human. This was the form that had inspired modern werewolf movies. It was very impressive, and Blythe was scared beyond belief that James would get stuck.

"Alright. That's very impressive. I was trying to get you to fully transform, but you've managed you land a perfect demi-form. It really is quite amazing." She kept her voice cool and calm for the next part. "Now shift back to human so we can get some lunch. We'll try a full blown change once you've eaten. You must be starving by now."

'Oh, god don't get stuck. Please God don't get stuck.'

James nodded, he could still fully understand Blythe. The wolf within was hungry and the mention of food had certainly sparked some attention. It wanted to leave now find meat. James resisted, they would get food but not like this, he didn't want to get stuck in a form that was neither quite wolf nor quite man. He conveyed this thought to the wolf within and after a moment it agreed.

Falling down onto all fours once again, James' bones and muscles began the shift. It was a little painful this time as James wasn't so relaxed but after a few minutes he was completely human again. Naked, covered ins sweat and shivering but still human. The wolf was still inside him and it pressed the matter of feeding and James promised it would be very soon.

For a moment he thought the wolf would not want to transform again but thankfully it had agreed. It was a good lesson for James as far as reminding himself to be cautious. The wolf and himself were still quite new to each other and he shouldn't be complacent.

"I think some meat would be a good idea..."

Slowly climbing back onto his feet, James began to get dressed once again.

Blythe laughed a little. "Don't worry there will be plenty of meat. Most of the younguns are more carnivore than omnivore right now. Myself I'll eat everything."

Blythe gave James a pat on the back when he was dressed. "You're doing good, James. Really good."

She lead him out of the building and they hiked across the base to the mess hall. There weren't many people around, outside of Blythe's crew. Most people weren't that excited about the idea of Blythe training a foreign, bitten, lycan. But it was her orders, and she liked the kid so that was that.

Blythe stopped by different stations grabbing food. When she sat down she had a bowl of mushroom soup, some ribs, some chicken, garlic potatoes, a small bit of bread, and two of every kind of beverage being served. She sat at the end of one empty table. When James joined her she asked her first question,
"What were you thinking as your shifted?"

She sipped some apple juice.

James sat opposite Blythe with a large plate piled high with steak, bacon, chicken and whatever other meats he could find. Despite the range of other foods on offer the wolf inside James only wanted meat and James was happy to oblige.

"What were you thinking as you shifted?"

Filling his mouth with bacon, James took a few moments to consider Blythe's question before answering.

"I was thinking about the wolf and I as one entity. Was that wrong?"

It had definitely been easier to approach the transformation in that manner but turning back had been harder than James had expected. At one point he had not been sure his own mind could disengage from the wolf and whilst it was an interesting experience he didn't quite feel like thinking as a wolf for the rest of his days.

"I was thinking about the wolf and I as one entity. Was that wrong?"

"Not exactly."

Bltythe took a sip of soup as she tried to figure out how to answer that.

"Basically, what you did was something most of a train a long time to even think of doing. I think it's an innate division of transformation, just most of us don't think about it."

She had a bite of bread before continuing, "You see what you did is a perfect merging of man and wolf. The problem with that is that unless you have a solid bond, there can be so issues undoing the change. I was trying to get you mentally in tuned to your wolf side, and I didn't realize you'd become so physically matched. So you have to kind of try to have the wolf's body, but your control."

Blythe took a sip of her coffee. "I didn't want to tell you before you turned back to human, but...welll....." Blythe took another sip. "You can actually get stuck in half form pretty easily. I've seen it. It's not a pretty sight."

Blythe flexed her hand. It changed from a normal hand to one that hand curved wolf claws. If you looked closely you could see her fingers were a little shorter, and there was a thin lalyer of fur. She flexed again and her hand was normal.

"Demiform is something we try to practice very hard to control."

"Demiform is something we try to practice very hard to control."

James nodded as he tore into a thick slice of ham. Even after a few days he was learning far more than his sire had ever taught him about lycans and he didn't have to endure being threatened every five minutes by his sire's mate, which was certainly a welcome relief.

"Right, so it would be better to master shifting into a wolf before I consider working on the demiform?"

Before he'd come to Rollinulf James hadn't even been aware of different lycan forms and whilst it was a lot to take in he was eager to do so after spending a few years at a guest of the government. Unfortunately he hadn't been a very distinguished guest and a secure cell was not the place for a young lycan to be living in.