This was something I was working with our pups back home since they have only slightly better than human senses before they get their wolf. I figured it was something most packs do, apparently not. “It’s a field skill that we teach later, you two just started and haven’t gotten that far in your very messed up and back-ass-wards training schedule.”
“But, it’s not us tracking though is it?” I finally speak up. He will not use this as an excuse to delay longer. Mina is right, I want my brand and I want to actually be able to help with this mission. “We aren’t allowed more than ten feet from you. We are just the distraction, the bait.
So what is stopping those who have been trained to track without scent?’ Sarcasm is dripping off of me now. It’s really not his fault, he’s trying to protect us, but I’m done with the delays and the idea of being stuck here, inside for days while also being delayed put me in an instant bad mood.
“Jorge is sending someone here. He agrees with the two of you, and it’s time to get this done. We have to let the storm hit and settle, but as soon as she can travel she will meet us here to give you your temporary brand. At least this way we don’t have to do the two day long ceremony.” He rubs his temples.
“Really! Their ceremony takes two days?” Mina scoffs.
“Yeah, but all of that is just ritual stuff. Basically each Elder welcomes you into the fold. There are meals and speeches and what they call trials, but you sit in a quiet room for 10 hours reflecting on your time in training, coming to terms with giving up access to your mate while you wear the brand, meditating on being a devoted servant to the king, crap like that. Well, it’s not crap really, those are things to think through, but in my opinion it should be considered long before you decide to go through with the ceremony.”
He rolis his eyes. “Then each Elder blesses each warrior individually, which takes forever, then a witch and the Alpha King apply the brand, which hurts, a lot by the way, but the magic has to be powerful for the mark to work the way it does. It lets you communicate over any distance, including the ocean. A spell has been worked in to allow you to shift without tearing through your clothes, we can also minimize our scent to appear more closely to human. And the rest of the warriors can sense where you are, allowing us to track you if something happens. We can Even track you if you’re unconscious, which has saved many lives in the past.”
Both Mina’s and my jaws drop open. “So there is a way to magically get rid of your scent?” Mina screeches. “What are we doing looking for that spell then? Isn’t that a waste of time?”
“No, we can minimize it, not get rid of it. All living things are
designed to have a scent. It is for knowing the difference between friends and foes, predator versus prey, poison or something safe. What this group is doing is removing the scent all together. But, not only from themselves, but their victims too. It’s like a blanket and it’s dangerous because we don’t know how far that blanket covers.”
“So, this storm just started. How long is it supposed to last? How much longer do we have to wait for our brands?”
