"Emrys," Wilhelm spoke to his son after they had finished eating. "The school day is about over. Go and get your nephews, our pups should not be left unsupervised in these times. Also, I need to discuss matters with my Erbe."

Emrys frowned, "Can't I stay? I wish to be a part of the planning."

Anger flashed on Wilhelm's face, "Do as your told Emrys! I am still the Alpha am I not?"

Emrys cast his eye to the floor "Yes Alpha." He walked quickly to the door and went out.

Levi looked to his father puzzled. "School is not out yet for another hour or more, why send him away?"

Wilhelm fixed his gaze at his oldest surviving son. "Because you and I must speak of the good of the pack. This is a conversation I had years ago with your older brother before he died. He foresaw something like this happening with all the upheaval and turmoil that was stirring. He was afraid packs would be displaced, and packs like to settle in established territory." He shrugged. "Your brother was a smart man, Levi. He could see things coming that no one else thought was even a possibility. He never did trust Little Crow. Said he was the kind of man that made your shoulder blades tickle when you turned away. He wasn't surprised at all when he led the Indians against the town or Fort Ridgely."

Levi watched his father seem to deflate in his chair, he noticed for the first time since he had come home just how old his father was. The man before him looked frail compared to the iron hard Alpha who sat there when Levi and Emrys had left to join the 1st Minnesota.

Wilhelm looked into Levi's eyes sadly. "Your brother saw that one day a pack might come to take our small territory for themselves." He sighed heavily. "I may be Alpha, Levi, but I have never been a fighter. My great-grandfather took control of the pack by force, brought it over here, broke out a piece of this new land for our safety. My grandfather only had one challenger to the title, he passed it to my father who passed it to me. My father helped establish the friendly relations we enjoy with the other packs of the state, he knew that fresh blood was needed to keep us all strong. So, they set up the bond hunts. I have lived in peace since he handed the title of Alpha to me. I have tried to set up strong economic lines for us. Our pack wants for nothing, we have the butcher shop, some very large farms, a stake in the mills and the brewery."

Levi nodded, he knew most of this, it was all taught by Johannes with the pack history. You wouldn't know it from the way the pack kept their heads low in the town. Most of the town thought that all the golden eyed people who walked among them came from the same remote part of Germany and figured they were like the Turners at Turner Hall. A lively group of Germans who got together for physical fitness practicing gymnastics, they also had a large tavern and bar space and had been a central part of New Ulm since its founding. 

"I am not a Kriegswolf Levi." Wilhelm continued using the old title of pack champions and leaders that had been dropped for the Americanized term Alpha, "As much as I would like to be for the good of the pack, I must admit that I am not. I can say with reasonable certainty I have been a good Alpha. However, I do not know if I am what may be needed in the times ahead." He sat up again and seemed to regain his presence and aura. 

"But tales of the Golden Wolf reached us even here. Your brother was very proud, he said that if anything ever happened to him you would be the better Erbe than he anyway. I disagreed, but the Sioux killing him may put his assertion to the test."

Levi was still confused. He had never had such a cryptic rambling conversation with his father before. "What does this have to do with the Plug Uglies, Father?"

Wilhelm stood and put a hand on Levi's shoulder, piercingly looking into the slightly taller man's eyes. "Just this Levi, should a pack war come to our doorstep, I am not the wolf to lead it. YOU are. You are a Kriegswolf Levi. A true War Wolf like your great-great-grandfather. The pack will follow you, you are respected and well liked. You have been tested in battle and tempered by the forges of combat. Should the Plug Uglies come to take our territory I will not cede it to them. I will step down as Alpha to you. The elders will approve it, there won't be any bloodshed within the pack over it and none of them would dare challenge you."

Levi was astonished by this, so strong was his surprise he could feel an echo of concern through their bond from Molly back at the farmhouse. He quickly sent an emotion of well-being so she knew not to worry, he could feel her response back of curiosity, but the anxiety was gone.

Wilhelm's eyes went from hard and softened again as he gave Levi a sad smile. "I hope it will not come to that. I know that you wished to come home to find your own peace, take your family west and start fresh. But you are needed here, you have duties that require your attention here, and here is where you must focus your attention. Maybe someday you can pursue your dream, pass the pack on to your own son and retire with Molly out west."

Levi nodded, "I will do what I must for the pack Father. I won't fail you or them."

Wilhelm smiled and walked to the door. "Come, we can help Emrys with the children. He may get lost along the road." Levi grabbed his rifle from where it was leaning and followed his father out.

As they stepped out onto the front boardwalk, Levi caught that same rabid scent on the wind. He looked across the street and saw a man in a tweed suit lounging with a paper.

"He has been standing there watching since the other men left." Samuel said from Levi's right. "They all walked across, talked a bit where we couldn't hear them, then the two of them went into the town while that one stayed there."

"Watching doesn't hurt us." Wilhelm said dismissively. "Come Levi."

Levi watched the man as he turned and followed his father up the street. The man tipped his cap to Levi in response, but didn't follow, he just stayed with the pretense of reading the paper. Levi wasn't as certain as his father that the watching was so harmless.

"He could be trying to count how many of us come and go from the shop." Levi said to his father.

Wilhelm grunted, "Won't be accurate anyway, there are many of us who never leave the farmsteads."

"Do you think he told the truth about there being 300 of them?"

Wilhelm frowned and thought before answering. "No, I don't think he did. Likely the number is much closer to 200 and he is trying to intimidate us into agreeing. Or the number is larger, and he wants us to underestimate their strength in comparison to ours. Either way is bad for us, they will most likely not have children to think about, we do. Even if they only have 150 who can fight that still puts us at a three to one disadvantage. Our natural born abilities will help, we are bigger, faster, stronger, but numbers will count in the end."

Levi shook his head. "Times change father." He held up his Henry Rifle. "Guns will kill far faster and easier than tooth and claw. I got the feeling that the Uglies like to fight close, but if a melee goes bad for them, they will resort to firearms. We heal fast, and both Emrys and I survived wounds fatal for normal men, but a bullet to the head or heart will still kill us."

Wilhelm sighed again, "Terrible things men will come up with to kill each other."

They caught up to Emrys who was leaning against a post near the school yard. He and Levi nodded to each other, and Levi caught the questioning look in his eyes. "Later" Levi mouthed to him.

Emrys nodded taking his meaning then took his Sharps rifle and shouldered it like he meant to fire it, pointing it across the street drawing several concerned looks from passerby. "See that man over there?"

Levi followed the barrel of the rifle and saw another tweed suited man watching them, trying very hard to look as casual as one could with a rifle pointed at their chest. Emrys jerked the gun up as if it had fired and the man flinched across the way causing Emrys to snort out a laugh.

"He was here when I got here, just watching the school. He isn't one of the men from the shop. There are more of the buggers in town."

Levi felt a growl in his throat. He knew there had to have been more than the three men, the wind was blowing wrong for him to smell the man at this distance, but tweed suits were an oddity in the small town.

Wilhelm scratched rubbed his chin thinking. "I need to go back to the shop, give the children my greeting. Escort them today, I will be sure to assign others to provide escort later." Wilhelm turned and walked hurriedly back the way they had come.

Levi watched the man across the street, he noticed him look down the street. Levi turned and saw another man in a suit get up from a bench and follow Wilhelm from the opposite street. He nudged Emrys and pointed him out to him.

"Shit. Should I go after Father and warn him?" Emrys asked looking at Levi.

Levi shook his head, the school bell began to ring, marking the end of the day. "No, they won't try anything in town. Likely they are just scouting us out, getting our movements, numbers, that sort of thing. No, what you should do is go and introduce yourself to that gentleman across the street and see if you can make a new friend."

Emrys smiled broadly, "Well, don't mind if I do. Can always use a new friend." He stepped into the street and started walking towards the man. 

The other man was still looking after Wilhelm and Emrys was halfway across the street before he noticed. He looked quickly at Levi, then turned and strode away, hurrying towards the main street up the small hill. Emrys stopped watching him go and gave a shrug, he came back to Levi. 

"Looks like he don't want to be my friend." 

"No, guess not. Pointing a loaded firearm at someone does tend to make them think your intentions are less than friendly."

Emrys chuckled as he came back to stand by Levi. "His eyes were brown too, had that same stink."

They watched several dozen children come pouring out of the schoolhouse doors. Levi caught sight of his two sandy haired boys come running out and turn towards them. Wulfrum saw them first and smiled in surprise, grabbed his younger brother's hand and pulled him towards his father and uncle. As they got closer Oscar, the younger brother, saw them too and pulled away to run and jump into Levi's arms.

"Papa! We learned about a big tea party they held in Boston! It was so big the whole harbor was turned into tea!" The boy spoke excitedly.

"Hello Onkel." Wulfrum said as he came up. "He means the Boston tea party." He said to Levi. "We are learning about the War for Independence. He thinks it was an actual party."

Oscar looked glared at his brother from his father's arms as they started walking down the street. "If it wasn't a party then why call it one?" he said defensively.

"Oh, it was a party alright." Emrys ruffled Oscar's hair. "They dressed up in war paint like Indians and brewed all the tea right in the harbor! They didn't account for the sea water though and nobody could drink it!"

Oscar stared at his uncle with his mouth open and eyes wide. "They didn't? That just seems wasteful! Mama says we shouldn't waste things and to only take what we intend to use or eat at one time."

"Your mother is a wise woman. Come, let's go home so you can do your chores." 

They stopped quickly at the butcher shop to get their horses, they put the boys up on the animals while Levi and Emrys led them, listening to Oscar tell them excitedly about Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox who waged war on the British. Alway seeming to disappear into smoke and swamps of the Carolinas. Emrys chuckled, the British never knew that the men who Marion lead were shifters, able to change and sneak always keeping just out of reach of the avenging British.

As they walked out of town, they never saw the two women who followed them to the edge of the buildings and watched them leave.