Wolf Heart

Chapter 12

RAYAN

"Here we are! Camp Shennen!" Ava called from the front of the pack of their small group of classmates. Jon, Yvonne, Kylie, and Lonie took the bulk of the middle. James shuffled in his shadow with his eyes through his camera, pointed at the uneven path they walked. Meryn lacked further behind, hands in his pockets with the Carrier hovering along beside him, where glass protected their bags for the campout. It wasn't too far a walk out of Eastpoint's town limits. Ava had guided them all the way to the gates which led into the campsite proper.

"Huh?" Rayan frowned at the walls.

Ava turned with a smile. "Gorgots sometimes hunt nearby — they're skittish, but better to be safe than sorry, so the border was built around the camp. As long as we don't leave its confines, we're fine! Still though, we need to work out a system once we're set up in the cabin." Without a break, she ushered them into the grounds, and the gate closed behind them with a chirp.

His feet ached as they trudged over the path, until Ava pointed through a break in the light tree cover. On a small ridge, a modestly sized cabin stretched around the path, where a catwalk split the building in two and cut a swath through, where a fire pit rested in the middle with several benches.

Jon released a holler, and ran forward as if they hadn't made a gruelling trek through nature. "Finally! Freedom from schoolwork for a whole week! Let's go! It's time to get some practice for Starcross in!"

"We just got here," James said with a yawn.

Rayan rubbed his back with a groan as Ava smiled and pointed them to the two doorways which led into the lower level of the building. "There's maps all over these grounds, so let's take ourselves inside and drop our things. James, you're in charge of showing Rayan where the guys usually sleep."

James mumbled his understanding and motioned for their group to follow him into the cabin. Jon, not deflated from his attempt at rallying their Starcross spirit, bounced along as they entered the massive game area. A heating place tucked into the corner of the room, and a line of couches tucked against it. Ava assisted the Carrier inside when it gave a helpless chirp at the door.

"Here's the game area," Ava said. "The bed cabins are upstairs. Since this is apparently Rayan's first time camping, let's make it extra special." Her hands clapped together with an endless smile against her cheeks.

Rayan grabbed his marked bag off the Carrier when it settled in front of the couches. Bags over his shoulders, he stepped out of the way for James to grab his own before leading him through the corridors with Jon and Meryn on his heels. A spiral staircase went upwards, and Rayan groaned when he tread every step, hauling himself through pain.

"City boys aren't used to this?" Meryn questioned with a teasing sneer. "Aren't you used to roughing it?"

"Depends on your definition of roughing it. Traversing a city is a little different," Rayan said as they reached the upper level. On the other end, a moderately sized wash station greeted them, while another door led into an open room with multiple beds, some of them double wall-units.

Rayan crawled to a high wall-unit, while Meryn took the one below him with a huff. While James took a lone bed and Jon had an entire wall unit to himself, he turned to Meryn when he tugged out flexible ear covers. "What are those for?" he muttered.

Meryn raised an eyebrow at him, then nodded at Jon. "I'd like to get some sleep at night. I'm not James who can sleep through explosions."

Rayan blanched at the insinuation, and chuckled as James shoved his bag underneath his bed before spreading out his night clothes.

"You think your sister has an entire schedule planned out?" Jon questioned.

James shook his head. "I'm sure she has a preferred itinerary, but she's not that much of a stick in the mud, Jon. You should know that."