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“What do you use for fighting?” the guy wanted to know. Benny didn’t have his name.
“Muay Thai,” Benny said. “Among other disciplines.”
There was a murmur at that. “Tai chi it is,” the guy said cheerfully. “I’ve seen that Muay Thai shit. It’s lethal.”
“It can be,” Benny agreed. “So can Tai chi. It’s the man that’s lethal. The rest is training and tools.”
He had them interested now, so he taught them some basic stances, and then the movements of the first form. They were sweating when he was done, an hour later. Well, so was he. And he felt better. He thought they did too.
He bowed to them, eyes forward, as one did, and waited until they all bowed back in various degrees of clumsiness. He blessed his own early teacher and stood up.
“Better?” he asked. There were nods.
“Thank you, Teacher,” Andrew murmured. A couple of others echoed him. He nodded.
“Lukewarm showers. Then bed. I assume some of you have work in the morning?” There were nods. “Do you share rooms?” he asked.
More nods. “Good,” he said. “A dogpile can help, actually.” He paused for their laughter, and grinned. “So if you’re struggling with pain still, come back in here in wolf form. We’ll get a pile going.”
“Why are you doing this?” Trevor asked, sounding bewildered.
Benny looked at him curiously. “Because it is what I do,” he answered. “I am a Teacher, a Keeper of Stories, and yes, an Intelligencer. Should I leave you hurting?”
Trevor shook his head and stalked out of the room. The others trailed along behind him. Andrew lingered. “They don’t know much about packs and shifters,” he said quietly. “I don’t understand how they can be so ignorant.”
Benny thought about the Pied Piper. Were some of these men his recruits? Had to be, he decided. “Where are you from?”
“A family pack east of here,” Andrew answered. “Too many men, not enough women. And not enough jobs. So when the call came, I decided I’d give it a try. Big mistake. But going back? It’s still a family pack with too many men.”
Benny nodded. “And the others? Do they have similar stories?”
“Some,” he said. “Some were banished, and they don’t discuss why. But some? They don’t share anything about before. I found that curious. Now though, it’s worrisome, and I thought you should know.”
“Do you still have your family links?” Benny asked.
Andrew nodded. “It helped when the bond snapped. I wasn’t completely alone, although I’m far from them. It hit some of them really hard. And they lashed out.”
Benny smiled at the young man. He liked him. “Get some sleep. We’ll work on some more things in the morning.”
Benny straightened up the couch, and tossed the pizza boxed in a garbage can and set the can in the hall. Stale pizza was not a smell that lulled him to sleep. He found a blanket, and made himself comfortable on the couch, leaving the door open. He thought he would probably have some takers for the dogpile.
He needed to interview these men individually. He thought they might have answers to the questions that his own students had investigated for him. He smiled at the memory of Sarah and Joy and their presentation. Serious, bright students. They were a pleasure. He’d been griping this whole trip that he should be with them, not out on these missions. But tonight he realized that there were a lot of people who needed a Teacher. And not enough Teachers to go around.
Something to consider.
