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Leotie wanted to help Keme first, but the plan to save everyone wouldn’t work unless they got the others out first. This involved warning her people that they were about to be freed by werewolves. Her biggest concern was that they would reject her out of fear. The thought of it already made her angry. Here she was, risking her life and delaying freeing Keme, only to risk be rejected.
She wanted to get this done fast and sneaked out into the field as a wolf, slowly shifting into a native woman; there were some from different tribes mixed in, and not everyone knew each other. She blended into the group walking toward the building, and kept her eyes down as they were herded inside.
The door shut and a board slid across it, locking them in for the night. A small slit like window let her look outside. Two guards stayed nearby, holding lanterns and keeping watch. Tala waited outside, beyond range of the guards. Leotie looked around as the women settled in their cots – all with sad faces and empty eyes.
“Everyone, listen to me.” Leotie waved for everyone to gather around. “We must talk before they notice.”
Nobody moved.
Leotie sat down in a cot in the center and talked softly. “You’re going to be freed soon, but you must remain calm and quiet, even though it’s going to be different.”
“What are you talking about?” asked an older woman near her.
Leotie got up and walked among the cots. “You have friends among the skin walkers. They’re coming to help you. You must follow them without question, and you mustn’t be afraid.”
Everyone looked at each other with big eyes and mouths hanging open. They got out of their bunks and gathered around her.
“If you want freedom, you must accept this quickly, no matter how hard it might be.”
"But skin walkers are evil," said that same older woman.
A few of the others nodded. Leotie figured here it was – the moment of rejection where she would hear all the old superstitions. They started grumbling amongst themselves. It was all so familiar.
"Fine!" Leotie snapped. "Die as slaves. I'm leaving."
"No! Wait!" A young girl squeezed through. "The only evil I see are those soldiers. You old folks can stay here and be slaves. I'm taking my chances with the skin walkers."
Several others agreed and some even grabbed her arms, trying to make her stay. The old women frowned or bit their lips. Leotie paused, surprised, but realized they were desperate to believe in anything.
Keme’s mother, Hatha, tilted her head. “But why would they help us?”
“Because we were once Mahasi. Stay quiet and I’ll be right back.” Leotie jumped up into the rafters. The women below whispered to each other, speculating as to what she was doing.
She made a fist and punched her way through the roof, made a hole and crawled out. The guards heard the noise, looked her way and walked toward the building. Leotie didn't have to wait until they got close. She jumped twenty feet out and flew toward them. The men shouted as she came crashing down on them and covered their mouths.
Tala leaped out of the darkness in the form of a werewolf. Her eyes glowed red and her pointy ears complemented her talon-like fingers. Fur covered her shapely, muscular figure. The two pinned the soldiers to the ground. The men's faces filled with terror at seeing them. A bite to the neck sent them to their deaths before they could scream.
"Keep watch." Leotie removed the board across the door, picked up the guard’s lamp and stepped into the building. Several women flinched at seeing her. "Hurry if you want to be free.”
Everyone bolted out of their cots. She led them over to Tala, who remained as a skin walker and smiled at them.
They stopped at the sight of Tala, clinging to one another and trembling.
"This is Tala. Follow her into the woods. Hurry now. "
Tala waved. "There's nothing to fear. I'm Tala. Remember me?"
A few of them nodded.
"Go now. While I get the men." Leotie ran off, looking back a few times.
Everyone followed Tala as she led them to the meeting point. My people are starting to accept us. I have a real chance at getting my life back.
Leotie reached the men's cabin. Her heart raced in excitement. Several bodies of soldiers lay on the ground. Wayna and Jolan came up to her in werewolf form, panting. They were a few feet taller than her and muscular with long legs, pointy nails, wolf-like faces and long teeth. Their bodies were covered in black and dark brown hair, and their eyes had that orange glow. Izrah remained in wolf form and waited patiently. Anti was the only one who wasn’t terrifying. Somehow he retained a distinguished, werewolf, holy man appearance.
Wayna spoke between pants. "We had a little trouble and the men won't come out of the cabin."
“Well no wonder. You should see yourselves.” To the south, she spotted more soldiers milling around the barracks, talking in groups and pointing. “They’re getting suspicious. We must hurry.” She ran into the cabin.
The men hid behind tipped over cots, barricaded at the back of the room.
"What are you doing?" Leotie asked. "We’ve come to help you escape."
A pair of eyes rose up from behind the cot. "It's one of our women.”
Several more eyes came out of hiding from behind the cots.
"The skin walkers are trying to free you. Now follow them into the woods before more soldiers come."
One of them men whispered, “I think that’s War Chief Matwau’s daughter.”
"Yes, I'm Leotie and the others were also once Mahasi. Izrah will guide you to the meeting point. Go and don't be afraid, because the skin walkers are fighting for you."
They grabbed a few things and followed Izrah. Most knew that she used to be their holy woman. Bows and arrows waited for them at the meeting point. Tala and Izrah would lead them farther away.
“Let’s get Keme,” she rushed off.
Anti, Wayna and Jolan followed her. Soldiers ran toward them from the barracks. Wayna and Jolan turned toward them, crossing the distance with the speed of eagles. Some took one look at them, screamed and ran. Others tried to fire. A fight broke out with Wayna and Jolan throwing soldiers in all directions.
Anti followed Leotie. They killed three patrolling soldiers in seconds, breaking their neck without even pausing. Her strength was empowering and disturbing. It made her think of Markus.
When she reached the odd wooden traps, they were empty. One was broken.
“Now what?” Anti thought.
She wished Keme hadn’t escaped, but how would he have known to stay put? Leotie frantically looked for him and Chapa, using her enhanced vision. Shouts came from a light up ahead to the east. Soldiers ran toward a cabin near a barn. Wayna and Jolan rushed up to her, panting heavily.
"It seems he escaped and something is going on at that cabin. Let’s go.” Leotie shifted into werewolf form as she ran with her friends.
