The moon was setting when they finally left the club.

“I feel great, Loki.  Why didn’t you tell me I would feel this good after?”

Iskender looked at him and smiled, “Honestly, I didn’t know how you would feel after. It’s different for everyone.”

“How did you feel after?”

“Like a mule had kicked me with both feet in the gut.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, and if I would have told you that you would have been expecting it, and you would have been feeling pretty bad when you changed.  So, I didn’t tell you anything, and hoped for the best.”

“How did you feel Ishak?”

“Sleepy.  I think I slept for three days.”

Jolen laughed, “I think I could dance another couple hours.”

“Now, now, have pity on us old folk, it’s bed time.”

Jolen froze as he was getting in the car.  “I don’t want to go home.”

“Good,” Loki told him, “because I’m not taking you home.”

“Then where area we going?”

“You’ll see.” Loki grinned as he climbed in the back and pulled Jolen in with him.

Ishak drove around for a while, and then pulled up to a house Jolen had never seen before.  Kryn ran down the steps with a small bag in his hand, and got in the front seat.  “Got everything you said no problems either.” 

“Excellent,” said Ishak, as he pulled off only to drive completely across town.  There was a small park with a picnic area; here, Lorna waited with her parents.  Ishak indicated they go ahead, and Loki led Jolen over with Kryn in tow.  A few minutes later Ishak emerged from his car in his ceremonial garb, and headed over to them.

“Typically I would come to you in the middle of the night and steal you away to do this, but there are extenuating circumstances, so be honored.  The two of you are to begin a very special journey, and it is the wish of the Ulfric that rather than journeying alone to find his lair, that the two of you come to him together.  To aid you in this journey, he is supplying you with a guide, Iskender, and a friend, Kryn.  They may answer any questions you have with few exceptions, most notably, the location of the Ulfric’s lair.”

Ishak turned to Fredrick and Claire, “You may leave now.”  Claire walked over and gave both Lorna and Jolen a hug, then joined Fredrick as he walked toward their car. 

“From here you will proceed on foot, using whatever funds you have on you, and whatever means you can procure to this address.” Ishak handed Jolen a slip of paper with some writing on it.  It did not look like an address to him.  He showed it to Lorna who shrugged.  “Good luck and safe journey.” Ishak told them and left.

 

Once Ishak was gone, Loki looked them over and shook his head, and then he went over to the picnic table and sat down, motioning Kryn to join him. 

“It’s a puzzle,” he offered as assistance while Lorna and Jolen were looking at the paper again.  Then he emptied his pockets.  “What do you have on you?”

“Not much, I didn’t realize I was staying.”

“Fortunately I did,” Loki pulled out George’s credit card and laid it on the table.

“But that’s…” Kryn frowned Iskender, “isn’t that cheating?”

“His father gave it to him a couple days ago for shopping and other expenses, I just forgot to return it.”

Kryn looked over at Jolen as he realized the truth, “This might not be so bad after all.”

“No it will be worse, he is the best and the worst kept secret in the city.”

“So why are we with him?”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

Kryn shook his head.

“Well, let’s see if he has,” Loki grinned. “Hey you two, come on over here and let’s see what we have to work with.”

Lorna looked at Jolen and shrugged taking the paper with him as he went over to the table with the others.  At Loki’s insistence, he emptied his pockets, finding three condoms, a pack of gum, house keys, and a couple business cards.  Lorna pulled out a wad of cash, a couple phone cards, a credit card, and some miscellaneous objects.  She smiled and blushed. 

“My mom gave it to me this morning.”

Loki looked over each object placing each in a pile: ‘very useful’, ‘maybe useful’, ‘not useful’.  The money, credit, and phone cards went into the very useful pile.  Most of the things from Jolen’s pockets went into the ‘not useful’ pile, however he paused when he got to the business cards.

“Where did you get these?”

Jolen shrugged.  “I don’t know, earlier tonight, you know, after.”

“After?”

Jolen blushed. “After I woke up, when all those men were hugging me.  It was so embarrassing.  They kept trying to give me things.”

“What kind of things?”

“Money mostly.”

“What did you tell them, Jolen? It’s important.”

“I told them I couldn’t accept their money.  That it was wrong.  So, they said if I had need of them again, I was to call them, and they started giving me the cards.  Some of them didn’t have cards so they wrote their numbers on the backs of the other ones.”

“So, instead of money they offered you favors.”

Jolen shrugged. “I guess so.”

“And each number on here represents one favor.”

“Yeah.”

Loki grinned and placed the cards in the ‘very useful’ pile. “Now I need you all to sit down, we need to talk.”  Loki waited until everyone was sitting, then he pushed the money in front of Jolen.  “Decide how this should be distributed.”

Jolen looked up at him. “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why me?”

“Because it is your duty to take care of us,” Loki told him plainly.

“My duty,” Jolen repeated as he started dividing up the money into three equal piles.  “Tell me why it’s my duty, this is Lorna’s quest too.  Who put me in charge?”

“You did,” Loki told him.

“No I didn’t.”

“Yes you did.  You just did not realize you were doing it at the time.  Ask them who is in charge, Jolen.  Is it me or you?”

Jolen looked at Lorna who looked down and blushed.  “Who is it Lorna?” Jolen handed each of them a pile of the cash and kept the credit card for himself.  There were five phone cards with various minutes on them, each got one, with Lorna getting the spare.

“I wanted you to come with me, Jolen.  I trust you.  I would obey Iskender because of his status, but I would rather follow you.”

“And you Kryn?”

Kryn shrugged and grinned.  “You bested me, Jolen.  Not many a young pup as done that with out so much as a fight.”

“But we did fight?”

“That was before you changed.  It doesn’t officially count.”

“So you’re saying I’m superior to you in some way?”

“I’m saying that I would expect you to protect me because I believe you could.  However, I have your back.  I am not going to run and cower, so do not go thinking that.  But what about Loki?”

“Iskender… has always been superior to me, I never had a chance against him.  At least with you I get to choose to fight or not to fight.  I choose to follow you.”

Jolen then turned to Loki.  “What is your name?”

“The name I was christened when I joined this pack?  Iskender.  The name I go by sometimes, Loki.  The name I was born to…. I don’t know.”

Jolen stood up and walked around the table to where Loki sat, then leaned down to whisper in his ear, “And what name do you want me to cry out when I lay under you?” 

Jolen felt Loki tremble then he croaked out, “Loki”.

“Then that is what I shall call you.” Jolen then reached across the table and distributed the rest of the objects; generally back to the owners.  “Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am hungry and beginning to get tired.  I think we should find a place to eat and a place to sleep, then we will figure out how to track down this mysterious ulfric who seems to want to play games.”  He picked up the slip of paper again to look at it.  “A puzzle you said? You know, I think I know this place.”  Jolen commented as the pictures began to make sense as a rebus.  “Trouble is, it’s clear across town.”

“That’s mighty far to walk.”

“We could always take a bus,” Lorna suggested.

“We could always take a nap, then call a cab later,” Jolen said.

“Where would you suggest we nap?”

“There has got to be a hotel near here.”

“I don’t know about hotels, but I think one of those addresses on those cards is near here.”

Jolen pulled the cards out of his pocket and flipped through them.  Sure enough, one was only a couple blocks away.  “Do you think he would mind a couple couch crashers?”

“It’s probably not how he is expecting to have to repay the favor, but I’m sure he will not mind.”

“Well then that is where we will go.  To make it worthy of his service we will eat there too.” Jolen grinned. 

Loki laughed.

Kryn and Lorna eyed each other as if they could not believe they were actually going to be doing this, and then they too laughed.  This was going to be a most interesting quest.

 

A while later four much more tired and very hungry wolfkin were knocking on the door of one of the men who had stood guard for Jolen the day before.  A young boy answered the door dashing off in his pajamas, “He come papa, he come just like you said he would.”

Jolen started to follow him in the house, since the door had been left open, but Loki stopped him. 

“There are very strict protocol to follow now Jolen, you must be invited in.  No wolfkin is submissive in his own home unless he chooses to be.”

“Is that why I couldn’t let my father into Lorna’s home?”

“Exactly why.”

“So my father is more dominant to your father?”

Lorna nodded.

“Does that make me automatically dominant to you?” Jolen asked a little confused from previous conversations he had had with Loki.

“No, young man it does not.  How can I help you?”

Jolen turned and smiled, he remembered the man that was good.  “It seems we have been turned out of our homes until we can locate the Ulfric. Specifically, I have been told not to come home until he is located.  I’m not exactly sure about Lorna, however, but since her parents told her to accompany me I am assuming her instructions are the same.  Anyway, that means I have no place to sleep, and since I was not exactly planning on being without my bed today, and since they are stuck with me, none of us do.  You gave me your address yesterday, so I had it in my pocket… and it was the closest.  Anyway, we were hoping that we could sleep here.”

“Haven’t exactly learned how to just state your needs have you?”

“No sir.”

“Hungry too I bet.”

“Yes sir.”

The man laughed and opened the door the rest of the way.  “I have small children who talk freely, be careful what you speak of in front of them,” he said by way of invitation. 

The four entered and Jolen looked to Loki for guidance.

“Very first time is it?” He laughed again. “Come, let me show you.”

Then he proceeded to guide Jolen through the process of welcoming. When they were finished, Loki smiled and nodded a Jolen.  “That was perfect.”  Jolen blushed.  The man laughed again.  “You will do very well, young Jolen.  Now come to the kitchen, I’m sure my wife has heard all about your arrival and has begun preparing enough food to feed a pack of wild animals.”

Jolen looked at Loki wearily, but Loki grinned.  This kind of family seemed to be just the kind that Jolen needed to be in contact with to help round him out.  He hoped all the numbers on the cards were people like this.  They trouped to the kitchen where a small woman had sat four extra places at the large table.  Several small children sat on the opposite side poking at their meals. One or two seemed to be of school age.

“This is my wife, Edna, and the children from the tallest to the smallest: Agnes, Alvey, Boze, Blake, Cole, Claudia, Dize, Dolores and of course you remember my name…” he leaned in and whispered it, “Grayson”.

Jolen looked at them for a moment, then looked at Edna.  “Pleased to make your acquaintance.  May I ask a question?”

“Please do.”

“Why does it seem they come in pairs?”

“Because that’s how they came, each time.  Working on the next set now.  Dolores is just out of diapers and Dize will be soon, so we thought it was time.  And you always name them with the same letter the next one in the alphabets?”

“That’s the plan.”

Jolen laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“You have beautiful children, and a house full of them.  I was always so lonely growing up.  I have no siblings, no cousins, nor anyone my own age except a few very select friends.  You must have a very busy home.”

Edna nodded as she placed healthy portions of food on their plates, “It can get very busy at times, especially since the children do not attend school now.”

“Why not?”

“This new law that was passed requiring all children to received ‘lycanthrope vaccinations’.  There is no vaccination against lycanthropy, as you well know.  Some of our students who are in the upper grades have gotten our doctors to sign saying they have had it or they do not need it.  Some people, wolfkin and not, are opposing it on religious grounds, but we have decided to keep our children home and do our best.  Agnes, Alvey, and Blake were honors students, but Boze has trouble reading. Cole and Claudia would be starting school next term, but I don’t see that happening.”

“Doesn’t my father know about this?”

Grayson looked at Edna, and then spoke.  “The civil liberties union knows.  They are doing their best to find a way for our children to go back to school, however, the other side has very valid points according to the law.  And that is where the problem lay.  Your father could explain it to you better.  I understand you are no longer going to be a lawyer.”

“No sir, my father gave me permission to pursue art if I so chose.”

“That’s a shame, we could use good men on our side.”

“Have they picked a mate for you yet?” Edna asked changing the subject.

“A mate?”

“Yes, it’s tradition.  Your parents usually tell you on the day you change who you have been betrothed to.”

“I’ve not seen my parents, only Ishak, and this motley crew.”

“How about you Lorna, has your mother told you?”

“She said the list was rather short, and would have an answer for me after my quest.  It seems there is a bit of a complication with the forerunner on the list,” Lorna shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter to me, I’ll love who I love and marry who I want.  My family may be old in their ways but so long as he’s wolfkin with good lines, he should be good enough for them regardless of their so called complications.”

“Kryn I know you have been wolfkin long enough to be betrothed.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“How is your young woman doing?”

“So long as Ith and I keep away from each other everything is fine.  The moment we come in contact with each other, however, the trouble begins.  I don’t see how our partnership will ever be fruitful.”

Grayson laughs, “Are you saying you are too weak to subdue that woman?”

“She is no ordinary woman,” Kryn near growled.

Grayson nearly roared with laughter.  Loki dug into the food, and Jolen followed suit.

“And you Iskender what are you waiting for?”

“Why your lovely Agnes, Edna.” Loki said with a wolfish grin.

“Agnes is only a child, you need a woman.”

“She will be a woman when I am ready for one.”

“I may keep you in mind for her then, Iskender.”

Loki blushed, “I just hope she is as good a cook and breeder as her mother.”

The girl-child in question blushed and her brothers laughed. 

“And how many families have you promised yourself to now Iskender?”

“As many who will have me.”

“Is there one you are serious about?”

“There is one person I am serious about.”

“Then why have you not married?”

“Marriage provides a liability.  I can’t afford any right now.”

Grayson nodded, “I felt that way once.  It goes away as you get older and love hits you very strongly.”

“Yes, very strongly,” Loki agreed, blushed, and turned back to his plate.

“We have no guest rooms,” Edna said as she looked at her husband.  “And with all the children home, the only room that is even reasonably quiet is ours.”

“We would be honored,” Jolen replied.

“But, Lorna…”

“Is wolfkin,” Jolen said softly.

“He is correct, Edna.  She will be safe.”

 

Once everyone was fed, Edna led them up to the bedroom; the large bed dominated the room.  “I’ll get some extra blankets,” she told them and left them to determine who would sleep where.

Loki started pulling off his shoes, then his shirt.  The others looked at him.  “I can’t sleep in my shoes or my shirt.  I would suggest you at least take off your shoes.  We are safe here.”  They nodded and began to take off their shoes, and the boys were wearing just their jeans when Edna arrived with extra blankets and pillows.

“I hope this will make things more comfortable for you.”

“Thank you,” Jolen told her, “This will do nicely.”

“Sleep well.”

Jolen nodded and closed the door behind her.  “Before anyone argues, everyone sleeps in the bed.  We’ve all pretty much slept together, more or less, at least I’ve slept with you all before… so no arguing.”  Then he handed them each a blanket and lay across the middle of the bed to let them figure out where they would lay around him.  He was pleased to find Loki on one side and Lorna on the other with Kryn on the other side of Loki.  They were each wrapped in their own blanket, but it was a tight fit on the bed and as sleep finally caught up with them their arms and legs began to mingle until they were one pile of snoring flesh.

Grayson checked in on them once and smiled.  That is the way they should be, it was a good thing to see.  His own children slept pretty much the same way still.  And for Jolen to be adapting so well to his heritage was a very good thing.  He went back downstairs and called the Ulfric to let him know where they were.  Anyone who gave assistance during a quest were required to report in, most were reimbursed.