Keva was even more confused, "Do you think I can't defend myself? That it's going to be an easy fight for you?"

The man shook his head and looked at her as his laughter slowly died. He smiled up at her while staying seated. "I have heard of how you fought in the circle against Paley. The bastard got what he deserved if you ask me. I never liked him for some reason, now I know why."

"Wait, so Yrsa didn't send you to kill me?"

"What?! By the Gods no! Haha, whatever gave you that crazy idea?"

"Gee I have no idea, maybe being kicked out of the High Queen's lodge twice and being told I was on my own and that I shouldn't have come back, and Yrsa strikes me as a vindictive bitch. Maybe that had something to do with it."

"Well, I would never call the chieftainess a bitch, and I wouldn't recommend you do that either. We do have our own issues and problems to contend with. Clearly you can concede at least that small fact?"

Keva answered with another question, "Just who the hell are you? Just another one of Yrsa's lackeys?"

The man smiled as he finally stood up, fully facing the irritated red head. "I am not a 'lackey' of anyone. My name is Alrick. I am the chief of my clan a little farther to the north."

Keva stopped and looked very confused. "I thought this was the village of the Bear clan? I thought the people here were the berserkers."

"Oh, they are. These people here are one clan, we have a few berserker clans, you know."

"Apparently no, I didn't know that," Keva conceded. "Then, why are you here? And how many of you are there?"

"Well," Alrick paused looking up at the sky. "There are at least three other clans. The Bear, which you've met obviously." Keva blinked wide eyed in exasperation. "The other would be the Ravens of Odin. They're a fun bunch, if you like talking about runic texts. Oh yeah, real fun on a Saturday night. But, they're just as good in a fight as any of us."

"So, where do you fall in?" Keva asked.

"What, me?" Alrick smiled. "Me and my clan are known as the Brothers of Fenrir." He paused looking out into the forest thinking of something. He continued in a thoughtful almost quiet tone. "Sometimes, the right warrior, in the right place and time, can be enough to turn the tide of an entire war," Alrick said. "But it's a lot better odds if the one warrior brings dozens of other warriors with her. Makes turning the tide a lot easier. Many hands make light work, or so the saying goes."

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Keva smiled in understanding, "I'll take all the help I can get. I can't offer anything save friendship, and a promise to return the favor in kind later."

Alrick turned to her and focused his stunning blue eyes on hers, "We are isolated here in the frozen north but we are not without our enemies. I've traveled over a hundred miles in deep winter for a friend. Would you?"

Keva nodded again and offered him, her hand, "Yes, I would. I treat friends in need like family and nothing would stop me from helping a friend. But… seriously why would you help me? Why go against what your sister clan has already decided?"

Alrick smiled as he clasped her hand in his, "If the Bear clan doesn't want to risk themselves in a fight in a foreign land, that's between them and the Gods. But the Brothers of Fenrir are always up for a fight. And it's been a while since we've had some really good exercise."

* * * * *

Ansuya stepped out of the Whyte Plain and ran forward immediately towards the Tower in front of her. Her group from the City under the Rock were a good bunch, but they were able to spare only five of the promised eight packs for this battle. She got the feeling that the City Elders truly thought that this was a suicide mission and they wanted to mitigate their exposure as much as possible, while still preserving their dignity and honor. It was a cold calculation and one that she could understand, even if she didn't agree with it.

The parking garage had entrances and exits on all sides of the Tower and so they were able to attack at the same time from all directions. Ansuya ran into the dim garage and saw the place only half full with some very expensive cars. The other Shape shifters were taking turns breaking windows and kicking out side view mirrors. Ansuya moved through the parking garage, going down a ramp and into a cross section that seemed to cut into the central pillar of the Tower. There didn't seem to be any elevator or stair entrance into the building.

William stepped up beside her, seeing the same thing she was seeing, "So, I know we talked about this and everything, but what do we do when the Tower itself doesn't seem to have a front door?"

Ansuya snorted a small laugh as she looked at the young Enforcer, "there's a way in, there has to be. Unless you are suggesting that the vampires of House Dukart eat, sleep, and breathe in a Tower with no way out. How would they get food in?"

"Rooftop drops by helicopter?" Nicolas asked.

"Maybe this side doesn't have an exit, but there might be exits on the other sides?" Amanda asked.

Ansuya nodded, "I'm inclined to agree with you, Amanda," Ansuya said. "Let's work our way around and see if we can't find some other way inside."

* * * * *

Acharya and his pack cautiously moved into the garage. The ramp led down and they moved with speed down into the shadows. Seeing a large group of almost a hundred people move into a Tower parking garage probably wouldn't receive too much attention from the people outside. The random homeless people didn't seem to care about much of anything. It reminded him why he hated downtown.

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