The day before, they'd lost one of the company guardsmen to a cougar. It was Clay who'd put the animal down jumping on it's back as it slashed and ripped at the poor guy on the ground. A decisive slice across the cat's throat with his Bowie knife put it's life to end. The guards had looked askew at the Native American since his arrival a weekand a half ago, but all that changed when they saw him in action. He'd even volunteered to replace the lost man on late watch, which made them like him even more. Clay Grey-Wolf was an old friend of Frank's - Frank's best friend. They'd grown up together since second grade, when Clay's parents had moved up to Harper's Woods from Oklahoma. Clay's father had gotten a job in one of the chem-plants in the city doing iron-work and welding. He made a good wage, but there was never quite enough to feed and clothe his three kids and pay all the bills. Clay had learned his father's trade at home, watching him work in their garage, where he did odd jobs for some extra cash so his wife wouldn't have to work anymore. Those jobs paid well too, so Clay thought it would be good to learn this profession. Clay was three-quarters Pawnee, his mother being half Pawnee and half Irish-American...but in his mind and his outlook, he was 100% Native American. When the war came, Clay became a tracker - something else his father had taught him. The military snapped him up right away and Bart had tried to get him on his team for years without any luck. Bart had all but forgotten about Clay, until a few days after they'd gotten there and Frank insisted on going out alone. "Maybe I'll bring you something you've always wanted," Frank said with a cryptic smile as he left. He returned later that night with Clay in tow. Clay's family was all gone now. He'd been living up in a cave where he and Frank used to go camping when they were boys. Frank suspected if his friend was still around here, that's where he'd be - and he was right. Clay had added foraging, trapping, skinning, tanning and sewing to his repertoire of talents. "Well I'll be damned," Bart grinned, shaking Clay's hand. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to have you in my group. Welcome, Clay! I think you'll be a real valuable asset with your skills. We're glad to have you join us!" And so Clay had a 'family' again. It meant a lot to him that Frank had come looking for him. Long ago, when they were both ten, they'd done the 'blood brother' thing. Clay never knew if Frank took it for what it was worth, but evidently, he did. That was the same year Frank started classes at the dojo. Frank begged both his and Clay's father to let Clay come to classes too. The two dads got together and Frank's father ended up paying half of Clay's fees until Clay's dad finally had earned enough to pay them himself. Neither father ever regretted the deal. He stood outside the wall of the big house now, listening for anything unusual. He depended on his hearing at times like this more than any of his other senses. The eyes could be fooled at night by shadows and the movement caused by the wind - especially when the moon was out. A great heaving of wings caught his attention. He looked up to see a barred owl cruising effortlessly like a pale spectre through the trees, looking for one last meal before dawn broke. Clay considered it a good sign, as the owl was one of his personal totems, along with the eagle and the wolf - his main animal totem. "Listen like an owl. See and strike like an eagle. Move and stalk like a wolf." Then he heard something else - three something elses, to be precise. They were moving quietly, but not so much that he couldn't hear the twigs and brush crunching and snapping under their feet. His head turned to precisely the place where they would come out of the trees and he watched them emerge - two men and a woman. The man in the lead approached him with the other two closing in behind. His head pulled back, his brow furled in consternation. He turned quickly, casting a glance at Cherry. "I'm Red...," he began, returning his attention to the new guy and holding out his hand. "I know who you are," Clay responded. "I know who she is too." He pointed at Cherry, this time smiling. "Now, who is he?" "Who are you?" Red asked. This one was hard to read, but he had caught the flash of recognition when the man saw Cherry. "Clay?" Cherry came up beside Red, dragging Jed with her. She peered at him. "This is my friend Jed Black. What're you doin' here?" Clay looked at Red. "She doesn't know?" "Know what, Clay?" Red asked His annoyance at not being able to read this guy momentarily heightened his mood from the depths to which it had plunged. He laughed to himself, his head shaking from side to side. "The spirits, they work in mysterious ways." Clay extended his arm toward the gate. "C'mon in Red and company, Bart's been wondering when you were gonna get here. Weren't expectin' you'd have guests but seein' as how who it is, I don't think he'll mind much." ***** They've finally made it! Doesn't sound like things are real safe around there though, either. Just a different sort of danger. I'm glad you all liked Rod's birthday card :) Thanks for all the comments dear friends! You have a great week! Ray Morph is SRG_Clay