Horizon

Chapter 25

           

"No, no, no!" Talon sighed getting angrier by the minute. "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't block an attack from a stronger opponent, no matter how tough you think your arms are."

            "I know, sir, but—" I said in between breaths.

            "No buts," Talon interrupted. "You can either continue to get your tail handed to you, or you can listen to me. I mean, c'mon Horizon; it's not that hard."

            "It's hard when you basically have four hands," I grumbled. "You're jabbing me with the points of your wings, and punching me with your arms."

            "I'm teaching you how to adapt! Will you just try it?" Talon begged.

            "Let's go again," I answered.

            Talon and I spent our morning practicing some new combat techniques. I was surprised by how good of a fighter he really was. I wasn't able to land an effective punch on him throughout the whole training session. That's probably one of the reasons that he was appointed leader of the colony...and why no one has dared to oppose him.

            When Talon said that he had a lot planned for me, I didn't know that it was going to be so much. After training, there was still a briefing. After that, Talon said that he wanted to grab a bite to eat in city while we wait to meet The Wolf. I guessed the meeting was somewhere in the DC area.

            "Get a good shower in you," Talon said once we were too tired to continue. "You'll want to look presentable as you can. Do you have any human clothes on you?"

            "Not really," I replied sheepishly.

            "Stop by my room, then. I'm pretty sure I have an extra suit that you can borrow," Talon replied with a wink.

            "A suit?" I asked. "Why so formal?"

            Talon smirked and replied, "We're not going to be in our anthro forms, Horizon. We don't need to be. This is purely a professional meeting. We're not savages, so we still keep up some human traditions."

            I shrugged my shoulders, and tried to stop sweat from stinging my eyes. Talon pushed himself out of the training room, and went on his way to get himself ready; so I did the same. Before he could get too far, however, I called out to him.

            "Talon!" I said, making him stop and turn back towards me.

            "Yes?"  he asked, crinkling the top of his muzzle. "What's up?

            "Did you do this?" I asked, holding up the necklace with Thomas's claw on it. "Did you put this on my bed?"

            Talon reared his head back as he noticed what was on the necklace. "Is that Thomas's finger? Who the hell would put Thomas's finger on a necklace? You said you found this on your bed?" he inquired.

            I nodded. "I found it last night. No note or anything to let me know who did it."

            Talon exhaled through his nose, and squinted in thought. "Are you going to keep it?"

            "I think so," I responded. "Thomas was my best friend."

            Talon didn't say anything after that. He just looked at me with what looked like pity, and turned around. He then walked away, and continued his business. For some reason, I could tell that Talon didn't have a part to play in why Thomas's finger was given to me. It was eating me up that I couldn't figure out who did it, though.