Will Hawkins

I guess I have been fortunate in my life, standing somewhat over 6ft tall, I have never had to do drag. But then I do not have the ability to reform my body to the extent our hero does here.💘

If one is going to walk through a sewer, then walking bare-foot and holding onto the mane of a unicorn is the best way to do it. At least at the end you can wash the traces of your walk off in the fountain. What you can not wash off is the iron burns on your hands, but can unicorn magic cure those?

Careful young man, there will be a history of the sites you visit left on your neighbor's computer unless you know enough to delete it. Well, maybe that is what you want!

I can see how Ethan is accepting of Aiden's shape shifting as he is an ardent reader of stories with white dragons, etc. Aiden's need to associate with a human is more complicated. I will have to be patient to see how WolfM works it all out. You still have me enthralled, WolfM, even reading for this second time as the progress of the story has left my mind since the first time I read it. Sometimes when I finish reading a chapter just before going to sleep I have to refresh my mind by going back and re-reading the last few pages of the previous chapter to connect it to the new chapter, but that is not your fault. Your writing paces ahead just fine. I can foresee problems arising between Michael and Ethan in the future, but there would be no story at all if there were no tension.

A sailing trip to St. Petersburg and a mad Czar in December! Yes, get him that stove, he will need it for the cold weather – and the cold reception from the Czar. And get another one for the sleeping quarters of the crew. You have made clear some of the differences in construction between the British ships planked with 'heart of oak' and the Russian ships planked with pine, but unfortunately oak trees are becoming more and more rare in the 1800's in Europe and Britain, and British shipwrights are going to have to find a substitute. Did they not begin to shift to 'ironclads' at about this time? The iron knees and water tanks in George's ships are an example of the beginning of a trend. And it was not too much later that the 'submersibles' like the Monitor and the Merrimack began to take their part in sea battles. Steam power, submarines, torpedoes, and breech-loaded cannons in revolving turrets. These years were truly a revolution in warfare at sea. Today, with the extensive use of desalination boilers in large ships, It is difficult to picture the 'bad water' that sailors suffered from in the 19th. Century. While I was pleased to see George be able to obtain a supply of limes (even in Russia! In December!!), doctors were beginning to discover sauerkraut as a source of vitamin C at this time and while not as tasty as lime juice in one's grog, it did save many lives on long sea voyages. Now the remaining problems for the man 'before the mast' would be the severity of punishments (though not so much on George's ships) and the extreme cold of a Russian winter. My imagination runs wild with the picture of (especially the 'top men) running bare-foot for traction along spars covered with ice and hauling on frozen shrouds! The life of a sailor in the first half of the Nineteenth Century, especially in Northern climes, was no picnic in the park, gad, these were truly MEN!

Well, I may be a stupid old man (87), but even I know not to argue with a were bear. So, Caleb's woods it is and his woods it shall remain. But congratulations on the storyline are still in order. Keep up your posting, I shall be a habitual reader. Mister Will

I discovered that I have read this story before, but I am just as enthralled this second time. Excellent characterization and good pacing. I was surprised to see the few errors I did spot. Apparently, while you have posted it before those few errors still remain uncorrected. Caleb sounds like a very supportive bear, but one that is the boss, not of the pack, but of the woods. He shows great wisdom.

'With baited breath' – this is a homophone. The expression s/b 'with bated breath' it means 'in suspense'. Grammar guide: remember that the Principal is a friend, a pal. The Stone of Scone in history is a rock, the seat of Scottish Kings and is pronounced (skoon) the other word is scone pronounced (skon) and is a baked product frequently served with tea and using baking powder as a leavening. In America it is called a biscuit.

It is apparent that the rain has made the runways at the Air Base slick, and I assume the biplane does not have reversible pitch props to aid in slowing down.

Somebody is going to end up in the bottom of one of those holes in the ground at the Air Base I will wager, but an accident like that wouldjust make for an interesting sidelight to the story. I would recommend, Quokka, that you get an Editor to work with you on some of the grammar errors in the writing – there are not many, but a simple word change here and there would make the writing perfect. Mr. Will

Baked beans as a side dish for breakfast sounds strange to an American and fried tomatoes a rarity. Of course the size of the station is remarkable also, and the use/restoration of the air base will be an interesting project. We will have to continue reading to learn just how the new owners intend to use it after it is restored. It is probably a good idea to control visitors to the site at it looks to me like there is a significant amount of underground facilities there and ending up with your vehicle buried in a pit at an abandoned airport might be a bit of a shock to the casual visitor. Fried tomatoes and scrambled eggs mix is a very Chinese sort of dish and is a different and delicious way to serve eggs for breakfast.

Yes, the B-24 was known as the Liberator in America, but the Brits frequently gave more English names to the various fighters and bombers that were supplied to the English Air Force during WWII. It MAY BE that the B.-24 was called the Lancaster in England and the that it and the Liberator were the same planes, just given two different nicknames by the two Air Forces? At any rate, the plane is a four engine, high wing heavy bomber with vertical stabilizers (rudders) at the ends of the horizontal stabilizer. Its predecessor, the B-17 had trouble with enemy aircraft attacking from below as visibility in that direction was cut off by the low wing. The B-24 was equipped with a turret on the fuselage over the wing which was more efficient protection than was the ball turret under the wing of the B-17. During the closing days of WWII the Americans and the British alternated day and night raids on the European continent, subjecting the enemy to nearly continuous air attacks. After D-day the pattern of air raids continued with the raids rolling ahead of the advancing ground forces. The German war machine was driven underground by the pattern of air raids and their ability to manufacture replacement armament was seriously hindered.

I have read several of Quokka's stories and increase my knowledge of Western Australia with each one. The climate and topography of Oz varies so much from West to East and South to North it is like different countries. Years ago I visited the eastern coast, touring with the Seattle Mens Chorus (as a Stage Manager, not a singer) from Sidney to Cairns and I found the residents to be accepting and supportive. We in America think of Australia as an island and do not catch the idea of what a huge and varied land it is. Quokka, you have been my introduction to the northwestern corner of your country and I have followed several of your stories, learning more and more about the country from each one I have read. This story looks to be an interesting introduction to Cattle Station life in the Northwest and I am looking forward to my reading. Mr. Will

It is interesting to an American student of our own Civil War that the terms of surrender discussed with the Bavarians in your story were almost exactly the same as those decided between Lee and Grant at Appomattox that started the process of Confederate surrenders all over the South and West at the conclusion of the fighting that ended that war. The officers kept their sidearms (swords and pistols) and mounts (as President Lincoln said, 'They would be needing them to plow the fields that had stood fallow for the years of warfare.') and the men stacked their arms with their officers offering parole for those serving under them. This surrender took place almost exactly 200 years (1865) after the events you describe in your story, but the ways of warfare had changed but little. Ranks of men, shoulder to shoulder, sometimes three deep, were marched across open ground facing the cannon balls and grapeshot fired by the enemy. The principal difference I can see is that the forced gallop of the relieving troops was replaced by the transport of large quantities of men and material by railroad in the latter war.

In reference to the estrus cycle of Brunhild: A mare may be in heat for 4 to 10 days, followed by approximately 14 days in diestrus. Thus, a cycle may be short, totaling approximately 3 weeks. Horses mate in spring and summer; autumn is a transition time, and anestrus occurs during winter. A feature of the fertility cycle of horses and other large herd animals is that it is usually affected by the seasons. The number of hours daily that light enters the eye of the animal affects the brain, which governs the release of certain precursors and hormones. When daylight hours are few, these animals "shut down," become anestrous, and do not become fertile. As the days grow longer, the longer periods of daylight cause the hormones that activate the breeding cycle to be released. As it happens, this benefits these animals in that, given a gestation period of about eleven months, it prevents them from having young when the cold of winter would make their survival risky. That Brunhild being in estrus might excite the stallions of the King's Guard is a probable truth as stallions are extremely sensitive to the odor of a mare in estrus, and as an author you can appear very well informed by having her in her cycle (in the northern hemisphere) in the Spring months (May, or early June, for example). Remember that pregnancy in horses last eleven months so a mare that is serviced in May might have her foal in April – an auspicious time as the warmer months of summer would increase it's chance of growing to maturity. This information is supplied as a way of increasing the realism of your tale, not as a critical comment on your creativity.

I am somewhat saddened by the thought of Jonas friends growing up and leaving him behind, but that is a penalty of eternal youth.

palliasse: a cloth sack stuffed with straw used as a sleeping pad. I recall seeing a photograph of people of Japanese ancestry who were 'relocated' to camps at the beginning of WWII stuffing sacks with straw upon which to sleep. These people, many of them American citizens by birth, were displaced from their homes and placed in what were essentially prison camps, not because they were a threat to our security, but merely because they had foreign names. This was a repeat of the relocations of the native Americans of the 1830's (the so-called Trail of Tears) and the discrimination against the Irish at the time of the 'Potato Famine', where 'help wanted' ads would bear the additional notice, 'No Irish need apply'. And these repetitive incidents in spite of the promise engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty stating: 'Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Privacy is certainly one thing that a royal has to give up – if you want privacy, become a monk! I am sure that Karl is going to be a very important member of the new household. More is heard from under beds than is spoken of around banquet tables! I am sure it is no longer true, but in a story I once read, the wedding night was accompanied by several high ranking noblemen so they could guarantee that the bride and groom had sex and then the bloody sheets were hung from the balcony the next morning as proof that the bride had been a virgin (except in this story there was the involvement of a small bottle of pig's blood used for demonstration purposes as the bride had been deflowered by the groom many moons before the wedding.) And it is rumored that after by mistake a woman was once crowned Pope, that a priest was required to sit under the Pope's throne and declare, "It is there!", before the coronation was complete.

The fact that the noble youth refers to his companion\servant as Sancho shows that he is well read as does his familiarity with the works of Shakespeare. An interesting beginning to your story, though a little more explanation of some of the German terms would be appreciated. Perhaps the characterizations will flesh out as we continue. I do recognize the greeting Gruss Gott however. Is that not Bavarian? Mister Will

Thanks for your correction. My recall of WWII is hazy at best. And the organization of other nations rule is more complex than my brain can assimilate – hell, I don't even understand the organization of my own. The Electoral College (Is that the correct name?) was a necessity, perhaps when the US was first created, but it seems to have exceeded its 'pull date'.

Franco was not the only dictator of WWII to escape intact, there was also the Emperor of Japan. He even ended up still in charge under MacArthur.

Taran is facing similar problems that haunt every member of a family with some sort of a 'top of the line' member, an athlete, a CEO, an artist or actor, one cannot live up to the image of the Alpha member, but in his life there is also the attraction to same sex partners to overcome. I believe his father needs therapy!

to be verbs (is, are, was, were, etc) require a predicate nominative, not an objective noun. it wasn’t him – it wasn’t he. it’s him – it's he. it's me – it is I And so forth . . .

I have a small grammatical complaint. Several times in these first chapters you have used a 'to be' verb (is, are, was, were,); 'To be verbs do not take an objective noun, they take a subjective noun as: "It is I, who is knocking at the door." "They were late for the party." Not "It is me". You may want to confirm this on a grammar checker like 'Grammarly Girl'. There are a few other grammar errors, but they are not repetitive so I did not note them.

If I remember my High School studies correctly, the moon is full three days out of every month. This would mean that Jorden, unless he was drugged on Wolf Bane, would 'change three nights every month. That is so much like the 'period' that women put up with each month except that his 'change' happens at the same time every month that is, at the same phase of the lunar cycle, while the female period is on a regular schedule, but is not tied directly to the full moon. An interesting correlation to say the least.