{"sf1_id":2171602,"sf2_id":"Vm24ykG1","title":"The Storm Wolf: Tranquil waters - chapter 8 - Council 8.2","author":"Red_moon","words":833,"posted_at":"2024-08-28T04:30:21.000Z","tags":["Bildungsroman","Science Fiction","Wolf","psychic"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2171602-the-storm-wolf-tranquil-waters-chapter-8-council-8-2","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Vm24ykG1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/54/de/54dec5e4-b659-44f5-a69f-6d01ac8a2715","description":"Imported from SF2 with no description.","content":"I pressed my right index finger against the screen, activating the new terminal.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI hadn’t anticipated it, but there were an overwhelming number of unread messages. I should’ve expected it, though I’m still not quite used to this feature.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nQuickly skimming through the various messages Aether had sent, I could sense the worry between the lines. My original decision to respond after speaking with Qana started to waver.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIs this the emotional part influencing the rational part?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head vigorously, trying to focus, to not be swayed by distractions.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut before I could decide what to do, I had already sent out a call request. Hmm... I need to figure out a way to stop this from happening again.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Hey,” he answered quickly. “I haven’t heard from you in a while. Everything okay?” His tone was calm, but after all this time, I was beginning to recognize the subtle emotions hidden beneath his strong logical thinking.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh, nothing’s wrong.” I suddenly realized how suspicious that sounded. “I just had a little accident during snowfield training.” That was basically true, I suppose.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I thought it might have something to do with that unidentified armed group’s incursion.” He joked, probably to ease the tension.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Haha, yeah, right. How could I possibly have missed something like that?” The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how stupid I sounded, trying to cover it up. Aether surely noticed it too, because he fell silent for a long time. I could almost hear the sound of his brain processing and reconstructing the sequence of events.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“For logic’s sake, Richter,” Aether’s concern was clear. “Are you alright?”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Uh...” I realized I was subconsciously touching a recently healed wound and forced myself to stop. “Nothing the med bay couldn’t handle.”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“By the Rationalism... The official report told a very standardized story. No wonder the atmosphere at the Library of Alexandria has been a bit off lately...” he muttered. “Listen, this is important...” Aether’s tone was unusually anxious, each word laced with hesitation. “Among the attackers, did you recognize any of the breeds?”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Breeds,” Aether used that term. Given that anyone bold enough to target the Senate would certainly be from a high-ranking breed, Aether sounded like he knew something, rather than just guessing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Other than a bloodhound and an Irish wolfhound, the others didn’t seem to be purebred.” I recalled the scene in my mind, along with what Qana had mentioned later. “Oh, I almost forgot, there was one that got away, though I never got a clear look at him.” I did remember his resonance feedback, but hadn’t given it much thought before. I tried to recall earlier lessons on identifying different resonance signatures. “He might have been brown.”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“What kind of brown?” I noticed Aether’s urgency; his emotions were starting to affect me. “Was it a dark, almost black brown, or a shiny, reflective brown?”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“The former.” I mentally compared the waveform to the spectrum and replied. “Does it matter?” I asked, realizing he had described two very specific shades of brown.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That could be good news... although in a way, it’s worse...” Aether muttered to himself again. I wasn’t sure if it took a mind as logical as his to understand what he meant. “Have you told anyone else about this?”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No.” I hadn’t mentioned it to Qana or Piqsirpoq. “I only remembered when you asked.”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Richter...” Aether hesitated, sounding deeply conflicted. “Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh, alright...” I scratched my ear, suddenly a bit relieved that Qana likely knew the identity of the mastermind. Qana and Aether had made similar decisions—was that a good sign? Or did it mean... they were in league with each other? Damn paranoid thoughts! “But... can you tell me why?” I pushed aside my chaotic thoughts, seeking a clear answer.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe other end of the terminal fell silent again. After a long pause, I finally heard him sigh.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“The line isn’t secure; it’s too dangerous to discuss this now.” Dangerous? “I’ll contact you later. I need to verify some things,” Aether said. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh, okay.” I scratched my ear again, left to accept this confusing situation. Trust is like this, right? “I... miss you,” I remembered the original reason I reached out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Me too,” Aether replied softly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Say hi to Momus for me, will you?” I recalled the always energetic little wolf cub.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Sure,” Aether responded. “Take care.”\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You too.” With that, Aether ended the call.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere was a certain feeling, like being caught in a massive web where one wrong move could entangle me further. Or perhaps... this web had been spun around me from the very beginning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEither way, I suddenly had a premonition that the real turning point was approaching, and I wasn’t sure I would like the next chapter.","series":{"name":"The Storm Wolf: Tranquil waters","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2171219-the-storm-wolf-tranquil-waters-chapter-8-council-8-1.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2171902-the-storm-wolf-tranquil-waters-chapter-8-council-8-3.json"}}