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The Running Feeling
A "Kendrick" Story
By
Jennifer Brozek
Start at the beginning of the Kendrick series

Karen watched David look through her sketchpad with the normal trepidation all artists have when someone looks at their new work in progress. "What do you think?"

"This is great! I didn't realize you were so good. I love your take on the gargoyle legend. Your baby gargoyle is really cute. It'll make for a great webcomic." He tapped one of the pictures. "This little gargoyle is based on the gargoyle statues you have at home, right?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Sebastian."

"You gave the character the same name? Well, yes. I suppose that makes sense. But, how did you decide he liked Snickers bars?"

"He told me."

"Listening to the voices in your head, eh?" David grinned at her.

"Something like that. I needed a new artistic project after the comic book proposal. This one sort of fell into my lap." She looked out the window of the caf?nd thought about the fact that, once again, while she was telling the truth, she was still lying to him like she never had to lie to Aaron and that bothered her a lot. More than she had first realized it would.

The voice in her head comment was absolutely true. Sebastian had started talking telepathically to her a week ago. It had been a shock to hear him the first time; this tiny voice in her head asking for more candy. Then finally seeing him move as he scampered from the kitchen counter to the kitchen table with a chewed up Snickers bar wrapper in one tiny claw. Her life changed again then. For a few minutes, she had thought herself crazy. Then, overcome by curiosity, she found the bag of Snickers miniatures and brought it out to share with him.

While Sebastian happily dove into his chosen vice, she questioned him and found out much about her guest and guardian. That was what he was to her ? her guardian. She was his chosen ward. He would patrol the area at night and sometimes during the day. Apparently, he followed her from time to time while she was doing work for Reginald with the help of his 'big brothers.' She had never known she was followed by the gargoyles. He explained that it was because they were very good at hiding and being quiet.

Following that conversation had been a hasty call to Susan who was pleased at the development. According to her, the moment a gargoyle spoke to a human was the moment they had decided they were worth dying for. Like it or not, she was stuck with Sebastian until one of them died. That was just the way gargoyles were. The idea was both daunting and intriguing. Subsequent daydreaming in the shower led Karen to the idea of the webcomic and a young gargoyle befriending a child. She was not sure where it would go from there but so far, everyone who read the beginning of the story loved it.

"Well, I think it's a good one. Who knows, maybe you'll become one of those really popular webcomics."

"I'm not doing this to become popular. Though, it would be nice to be appreciated. I'm doing this because I like to draw and because I have a story to tell."

"I know. That's why I love you." He grinned at her. "Are you ready to go? I want to show you the lake at sunset as well as moonrise."

Nodding, Karen stood with the false smile on her face. She was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with his use of the word "love" in their conversations. The same could be said of Aaron. They had both started tossing out that word in conversations in the same week. It felt like a conspiracy to trap her into admitting that her affections ran deeper than the casual dating she had been doing with both of them for months. While that was true, she did not like feeling as if she was being forced into a position of choosing one over the other. This was what always seemed to happen when "love" entered into the relationship equation.

She shoved that line of thought away with a promise to think about it later. For now, she wanted to enjoy herself and the evening David had planned. It had been a long time since she watched the sun set or the moon rise. Tonight's full moon promised to be spectacular.

***

The sunset had been gorgeous as promised and the moonrise was even more beautiful. It hung full and low in the sky, reflected off the surface of the lake and was crowned with a halo of stars. However, neither Karen nor David was paying much attention to the exquisite surroundings. They were too wrapped up in each other - literally. Mimicking the near mythical movie moment of sweethearts entwined on a checkered picnic blanket, kissing and touching, with a backdrop too perfect to be real, Karen got a sudden sensation that something was about to go wrong.

'Karen!'

She jerked her head up from David, "What?"

David opened his eyes, "What what?"

'Karen! Bad man coming. He stole something. My furry brother is chasing but hurt. You've got to help him!'

Karen pulled her hormone addled brain into shape as she realized it was Sebastian talking to her. "What?" She asked out loud again, forgetting she could communicate silently with him.

"That's what I asked." David sat up, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard something. Something coming here." She hated the way the lie came to her lips so easily. She looked around. "Could you check?"

David listened, got that look that told her that he did not hear anything, but got up anyway. "Ok, sweetheart, I'll be right back."

'He stole the Changer's Claw. We've got to get it back!'

"You know, this is how horror movies start." David commented as he turned to go.

"What?" Karen blinked at him distractedly.

"You know. A couple of kids making out by the lake. One hears something and goes to investigate. After they split up, both get brutally killed to show how the monster works. Lots of horror movies start that way."

She grinned. "Then, don't get killed. We've got unfinished business, mister."

He grinned back and relaxed, seeing her with him again. "Ok. I won't." He ducked under a branch and disappeared out of sight.

Her smile disappeared as he did. "Sebastian, what's going on? What's a 'furry brother' and what's Changer's Claw?"  She stood and looked around. "And where are you?"

'Here. Closer to the lake. Hurry. We've got to stop the bad guy! Furry brother. Guardian. Like me. But with fur.'

Karen ran towards the trees by the lake and followed Sebastian's call. If she stopped trying and just listened, she could feel and hear something she could follow.  She rounded a tree, took two steps, rounded another tree and found herself on the edge of a small clearing.  "Where?"

Sebastian did not have to answer. On the other side of the clearing a man in black from head to toe burst through the tree line and looked as startled by Karen as she did by him. In one hand was a huge knife stained red; in the other was a gun.  She could see a Native looking bag slung across his body. It clashed and stood out from his Don't-See-Me clothing. Also, she saw the change in his eyes go from reaction to recognition just before he raised the gun and fired at her. The shot, though silenced, was still loud and she braced for the expected pain.

It did not come. Instead, the shot hit the ground in front of her feet because of the flash of grey that landed on the man's arm the moment he fired before it leapt for the man's throat. She could hear Sebastian's wordless snarls of rage mixing with the man's grunts of pain as the thing savaged his neck. It was a choice of dropping the knife, the gun or both in order to fight off the tiny monster. The man sacrificed the weapon he was least familiar with and grabbed Sebastian who immediately twisted and started to attack the hand that held him. Too quick for Karen to do anything, she watched as he turned and smashed the little gargoyle with all his might against the tree next to him. Karen felt and heard Sebastian's pain then silence.

"Sebastian!" She yelled.

The man raised the gun towards her again, then looked over his shoulder and sprinted past her after firing a shot over her shoulder to make her dive out of his way.  At that moment, she could not have cared less about the 'bad man' or that he had stolen something or the fact that he knew her.  Instead, she ran over to where Sebastian lay unmoving.

Karen picked him up and could not tell if he was alive or dead. He had a large chunk of rock missing out of his back where he hit the tree but his body was limp and loose. She decided he was still alive because if he was dead, he would be just a stone figurine. She latched onto that thought and hoped with all her might.

"Sebastian? Oh, Sebastian... please be Ok." She paused and saw the knife the man had dropped. It did not look like any knife she had ever seen. It looked almost like a saw to her. She picked it up, still cradling Sebastian and started walking back towards the remains of the picnic dinner and David, not knowing what she would say to him about what just happened. She figured that she would just have to tell him the truth and see if he thought she was crazy. Maybe it would drive him away from her and she would not have to worry about choosing anymore.

She almost reached the opposite side of the clearing again when David burst into sight with his own gun pointed out before him. Karen, startled, leapt back and pointed the dagger at him. They paused that way for a long moment. David saw Karen cradling the limp baby gargoyle, brandishing a large punch dagger at him. Karen saw David, looking like he had gotten hit in the face, raising his gun away from her general direction.

"What happened to you?" They asked each other at the same moment then laughed, both a little shaky.

"I ran into a guy with a gun running like the devil himself was chasing him. I had heard the shot. I tried to stop him but he was really strong. Pistol whipped me and kept on going." David said. He paused, licking his partly swollen lip. "Are you ok? Is that Sebastian?"

Karen took a breath and nodded. "Yeah. He's real. He protected me from that guy who hit you and had this." She lifted the dagger. "He's hurt now... I have to help him. We need to ?"

She was cut off by the sound of something very large lumbering through the trees towards them.  She turned and saw an honest-to-goodness werewolf stagger out from the line of trees, utter a heart wrenching howl and collapse to it knees. 'Oh, furry brother.' She thought and heard David breath "Christ Almighty..." then felt him level his gun over her shoulder, pointing it at the downed creature.  Without thinking, she dropped the blade and spun, knocking his hand upwards. The shot was deafening in her ear but it went wide of the mark.

"What the hell are you doing??" She was furious.

"Werewolf! Christ, Karen, it's a werewolf!"

She backed up, putting herself in-between her boyfriend and the werewolf. "Yes, and hurt. Why the hell are you shooting at it?!"

David was incredulous. "It's a bloody werewolf! A monster that eats people!"

Karen looked back at the creature still on its knees panting heavily and bleeding in a steady stream from a vicious gash in its abdomen. "Oh? Are you in the habit of killing werewolves whenever you see them without question? Are you sure they're all bad?"

"Yes! Now get out of my line of fire before it hurts you!"

Karen blinked in surprise.

David paused, looking chagrined. "As you see, you're not the only one keeping secrets. Now, please, move."

"No." She took another step back towards the werewolf.

"No?"

"No. Sebastian said this one was a 'furry brother' and a guardian. That something very important was stolen by that guy who shot at me and hit you."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes! Christ, David! Look at him. He's barely alive and needs help now. I don't care what secrets you're keeping. I don't give a damn about what rules you follow. I didn't sign up for them. I didn't sign up for any of these bloody rules that everyone is trying to make me follow. Sebastian told me to help this guardian and I'm going to. If for no other reason than that I'm damn tired of being forced to follow rules that I don't know, don't like and don't believe in!  So, you can help me help this werewolf or you can go home!"

For a long moment neither of them said anything. David finally nodded and stuffed the snub-nose revolver back into his pants pocket. He bent and retrieved the dagger. "We may need this."

"What for?"

"I don't know."

Now, he sounded querulous.  She felt like she should apologize but she did not know what to apologize for. She had meant every word she had said. She opened her mouth to say something soothing but the werewolf shifted on his knees, trying to stand but could not manage it. She turned to him.

"Dying." He growled. "Help me. Home."

"Yes. We'll help. Where's home?"

"Can you shift to human again?" David asked. "It'll be easier to get you home if you aren't... like that." Karen gave him a sharp look. He frowned at her. "It's true. Let's see how far you... we...  get with a werewolf in tow."

The werewolf nodded and became human. There was no cool special effect of limbs morphing and changing. No writhing in pain. No nothing. One moment, he was a werewolf; the next he was a Native American man wearing gray jogging shorts, sporting a hideous gash in his stomach that continued to leak blood.

They got him up and to David's car with David doing most of the helping as Karen had Sebastian to look after. During the short ride to the Makah reservation, they discovered their passenger was Sparks-of-the-Moon or Joseph Sparks.  "Most people, Makah or not, just call me Sparks."
 
***

Arriving at the Makah reservation had been an unnerving experience. They were greeted by three Makah elders who looked older than God. They had wordlessly stared at them while Karen tried to explain what happened. Finally, the eldest of the men gestured to Karen. "Speaks-for-the-City, you come to lend aid?"

She looked around, "Um. Yes. I want to help Sparks. Why do you call me that?"

They ignored her question and took the three of them inside. After being hustled into a sparsely furnished room for Sparks, David and Karen had been hustled out again.  No one spoke to them for a long time except to retrieve the punch dagger that David had remembered to pick up.  Karen and David spent the entire time not talking. She brooded over Sebastian and the fact that it never occurred to her that David might have secrets, know more than she thought he did or that he would be able to help her with her tasks for Reginald like Aaron had in the past.

Walks-the-Ocean, the youngest of the three Elders, came out.  "Karen, please go in.  David, I need a word with you."

She glanced between the old man and David and saw that the two men already knew each other. She could not decide if she was relieved or resentful of this fact. She nodded and walked into the room. The other two tribe Elders sat to the side. One was drumming. The other was singing.

Sparks, in the bed, gestured to her. She came and sat by him on it. "Is there anything I can do?"

He ignored the question and reached out to Sebastian. "Is this my little stone brother? The one who went for help?"

She nodded. "Yes. He came for me. Then, got hurt, saving me from that man."

"That man. Betrayer. Liar. Thief!" He winced as his vehement anger cause him to move more than he should.

"Shhh. Lie still."

"You have to know. That man. He's Paul Maloy. That's the name he gave us. Said he admired and collected Makah artifacts. Wanted to know about us. Lies. Pretty lies. He got the people at the Center to tell him about us. I don't know how. Must have been magic. Now, he's got Changer's Claw. My people will want blood for this. You have to get it back. We can't go to war. Not now."

"War with who?"

"I don't know. You've got to... please. Promise."

Karen nodded, swallowing. "I will get Changer's Claw back for you. I promise. You'll guard it again."

He shook his head. "No. I'm dying. I didn't think I could. Not like this. Not blooded like this. That knife had bad magic on it." He shook his head and looked at her. "You're so much like her." He reached out for her long hair.

She bent her head, allowing her hair to stream in brown waves over his hand. "Who?"

"My wife. My love. Running Doe. Maloy killed her first. Killed her and only managed to wound me." He leaned over and laid his head against her leg. "I will be with her soon."

Karen shifted under and behind him, giving him the warmth and support of her body that he seemed to want. "Tell me about Running Doe."  She looked up and saw more people in the room. She turned her attention back to Sparks, unable to bear their quiet, singing sorrow.

"I met her by the ocean, running at night. Suddenly, this woman passed me by. She looked over her shoulder and laughed. It was an invitation to chase. I did. I chased her until she decided to let me catch her. It was love. Fate. Kismet. Karma." She stroked his brow as he felt her hair in his hand, looking at it but not seeing it. "That was what we loved to do. Be outside with each other. By the ocean, at night, we'd run. That running feeling. We would race the moon until we couldn't run any farther." He voice faded as he spoke, whispering. "Tonight, my family will sing me there. Then, we will run with the stars forever." He held onto her hair, bringing it to touch his face as Karen held him. "Running Doe..."

Karen held onto her tears until his hand opened and went limp, freeing her hair from his grip. The singing around her swelled with mingled triumph and sorrow. Someone helped her up as they gathered around him and escorted her to the doorway where David stood. He seemed uncertain for a moment, then gathered Karen into his arms and drew her from the room. She sobbed in the safety of his arms until the initial wave of grief receded. Then, she was embarrassed and pulled back from him.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She stroked the still limp form in her arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me." She started to speak but he raised his hand. "I should have sooner. I've known for a while that you're into something special for the city but I've been waiting for you to tell me on your own. I should have thought about it from your point of view and why you wouldn't. I work in a special department for the police. A department that knows that weird stuff happens in Kendrick. We know that you are somehow involved. So, the police don't give you too much trouble whenever your name comes up. The stuff you do seems to help the city. I know Walks-the-Ocean because he's the Makah contact to my department. He asked me not to report this theft or the two murderers. It's going to cause a war between some of the factions. I've agreed. I agreed because I think war will happen if this gets out. The Makah are a proud people. Those who stole the Changer's Claw... a religious artifact... are either stupid or dangerous. I'm going to put my bet on dangerous. We need to keep the bloodshed to a minimum and keep the innocent protected."

"I'm going to get it back."

"I know. Walks-the-Ocean told me. I'm going to help." He paused. "You don't have to tell me about you, Sebastian or who you work for but, if you want to talk about it someday, I'll listen."

"Thank you but I don't think I can right now. I have to get home. I have to see what I can do to help Sebastian. He's new in my life. I don't really know how to take care of him."

David looked down at the baby gargoyle and shook his head. "I don't know either. Do you want me to see if my department knows?"

She shook her head. "No. I have someone I can call but thanks."

"Ok. I'll take you home now."

Neither of them spoke again on the way home except to say good-bye.

***

Karen sat at home by the window with the newly patched Sebastian in her lap. ("Anything will do as long as it seals the wound ? calking goop, modeling clay, toothpaste, whatever." Susan advised. "Then, keep him from picking at it when he wakes up. It will itch and he's a baby. They heal fast, Karen. Sebastian should be fine in a day or two. I'll send a gargoyle by to look in on him. Just leave your balcony doors unlocked.") She had only had toothpaste on hand. It seemed strange to fix him this way but she had done it. Now, the wound was sealed smooth and minty fresh.  She was waiting for him to wake up so she could keep him from picking at it. She was also waiting for this other gargoyle, feeling a little odd at the idea of it wandering around her home at night.  She hoped something would happen before she passed out from exhaustion.

She was dozing when Sebastian finally stirred and she felt his presence in the back of her mind. He immediately turned and eyed the makeshift patch on his back. "No, kiddo. Susan says you can't mess with it."

There was a low whine in his throat as he complained. 'Bothers. Itchy. Ants inside my skin. Little scratch...'  He reached out a sharp set of claws towards his back but stopped when she stuck her finger in front of it.

She had no doubt that if he wanted to, her finger would be so much hamburger. Instead, she distracted him. "You were very brave. I would have been hurt badly without you."

'Brave and fierce!' The sense of pride was palpable. 'Blooded him again!'

"Again? What do you mean?"

'He tried to hurt you before.'

"He did? When?"

'In the museum. I scratched his face. I remembered his smell. I hurt him bad then. I did it again, too.'

Karen felt her skin go cold and her hackles rose. The Order of the Sacred Eye had been behind that theft and now this one. It explained the man's recognition. He had stolen a lock of her hair then. A slow burning rage ignited within her.  She had a name and a faction... a culprit for the theft of Changer's Claw and the murders of Running Doe and Sparks-of-the-Moon. That was it. It was time to stop waiting to see what they would do next. It was time to take this fight to their doorstep. It was time to let them know they crossed that line one too many times.

Part of her, the calm rational 911 operator, knew she was reacting with the grief and loss of having had a good man die in her arms and that she was in no shape to make such a decision. For a brief moment, her rational side almost won out. Then, she shoved it away.  She was tired of those rules, of pussyfooting around; of being someone she was not. She was going to put the Order on notice and if she had to, she was going to start pulling in those favors owed to her from so many of the other groups she had helped in the past. If it was going to be war, it would start with finding this Paul Maloy.

***

Elsewhere...

Todesengel grunted in pain again as Nightshade tied off the makeshift stitches on his neck. "Stop being such a baby." She smirked as she dabbed the area with a stinging disinfectant.

His lips curled into a snarl. "You be attacked by a gargoyle and tell me how you feel, bitch!"  He clenched his hands to keep from hitting her.

Her survival instincts kicked in and she left the area before Praetor had to separate them like the squabbling children they frequently resembled. He walked over to look at the livid scratches and bite marks on his assassin's neck. "Little shit did quite the job on you. I'll make sure you're justly compensated and have Cerridwen do some healing magic on you."  Praetor looked at the faint scars on the other side of the man's face. "It seems to do the job."

"But it still hurts. There was no warning that there would be gargoyles or the Master's representative there."

"Was she there to stop you or was it happenstance?"

"I don't know."

"Does she know you escaped with the Changer's Claw?"

"Again, I don't know."

Praetor blew out a breath. His patience was wearing thin. "What do you know?"

"She was there. A gargoyle was there. She knew the gargoyle. Called it Sebastian. It attacked me when I pointed the gun at her. It's probably her protector. She was also there with the cop she's been seeing. I ran into him, too."

"And?"

"And nothing. I knocked him down and kept going. The Guardian was still on my trail. I was hoping that it would attack them in its wounded state."

"But, you don't know what happened with that?"

"No. I had other things on my mind, Praetor... like keeping my skin attached to my throat and completing the mission you sent me on for the good of the Order." His eyes dared his superior to contradict him in any way. They promised pain and death.

Knowing there was only so much pushing a man could do on a wounded beast before it lashed out, Praetor nodded, "Of course. My apologies. You're right. The mission... and you... were more important. You made the right decision. If more comes of this, we'll deal with it in time."

Todesengel mentally downshifted from killing mode to something more civil. It was rare that the leader apologized, even when it was called for. The fact that Praetor did meant that he still respected him and his abilities. He nodded. "She didn't see my face. I promise that."

Praetor nodded, distracted. "Good."  He needed to keep Todesengel under his control until the ritual. After that, it would not matter.  He pondered the idea of giving Nightshade to the man, knowing their mutual hatred. However, Nightshade was still useful to him and worth saving, for now, should the sacrifice of a queen be needed in the future.  "Good. We need to keep her off balance until the ritual. I need you to lay low while you heal. The scars are too distinctive. I need you to be able to blend in. I'll talk to Cerridwen about that as well. In the meantime, why don't you stay at my estate and enjoy a well earned rest?"

Both men smiled at each other but neither smile reached their owner's eyes.

Story by Jennifer Brozek, Copyright 2006
Photo by Rory clark, Stopped Motion Photography, Copyright 2006