He hadn't really thought about what he expected to find, and after all the things and places he'd been to on this trip, this place did not disappoint.

Acharya and his pack looked over the city of Addis Ababa from a nearby mountain, called Entoto, according to Makalo. The city was one of the largest in all of Africa and the capitol of Ethiopia. It made a weird kind of sense for the Bultungin matriarch to live here. If you were trying to hide, why not hide right out in the open? The soft bustle and roar of the city could be heard even this far away. Traffic and cars horns honking was a welcome relief from the quiet that they had endured traveling from Chad.

Furaha, for her part since Tara had taught her a lesson, seemed subdued. She was still very much in control of the Bultungin that they traveled with, and she had 'recruited' another female and male along the way, bringing the total number to seven. There was Furaha, the self-proclaimed matriarch of the group, her father Makalo, the first man they met in Africa the old blacksmith Dakarai, and the new comers. Tendai was present for the fight between Furaha and Tara, she was the twenty year old, slender in build. Her black hair was worn in tightly wound braids that hugged her scalp and hung down the back of her neck to her shoulder blades. She didn't say much but Acharya had come to understand that she was very observant, nothing much happened without her seeing it.

The other female was older, Safara wore her hair loose behind her head held by what looked like a tiara, but it was a string design with gold and some jewels. Safara was not quiet, in fact she had shared her opinion of Acharya's pack regularly, though she did defer to Furaha. Safara was taller than Furaha standing at six feet tall, and her muscled body was impressive.

Her husband was equally impressive, Roho stood at six feet and three or four inches tall. He was powerfully built and his muscles pushed out the clothes he was wearing. He was quiet for the most part, but always deferred to his wife, Safara.

The other two male Bultungin that traveled with them had also been present for the fight between Furaha and Tara; Aasir, and Rayle. Rayle was the younger one who seemed to like Tendai, and Aasir was the quiet protective forty year old who was never far from Furaha's side. It was a sizeable group but with five male, and just three female Bultungin, Acharya was pretty sure they had some more recruiting to do.

He had long ago stopped asking Dakarai, or Makolo, any advice or questions when they were with Furaha. The female always interrupted and answered for them, and they were more than happy to defer to her anyway. So, turning to Furaha he asked, "Ok, we know she's here. How likely is it that she also knows that we're here? And how much freedom of movement will we have once we get into the city?"

Furaha regarded him silently. Ever since the fight, their relationship was strained at the best of times. She didn't like the fact that she couldn't control or dominate the werewolves. She took every opportunity to share her displeasure with the current situation. She did, however, show some grace and gratitude for the healing that she had received from them. Her attitude was at once adversarial and overly polite, neither of which Acharya liked, but she was their guide and best ally in this unknown land.

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"Our Matriarch will know of our presence here soon enough," Furaha said. "We will have freedom of movement in so far as the other Bultungin in the city will not draw undue attention to themselves by confronting us. Our actions will be watched, of that you can be certain. It won't take the Matriarch long to understand what we are doing here. It is the why of the thing that will gain her curiosity."

Acharya nodded. It wasn't anything he hadn't counted on and nothing that surprised him. "Well, then we have some work to do." He turned back to his pack. "Mary, what have you got?"

Mary looked up and shook her head.

Acharya knew that there was something that had happened to her because of that fight with Furaha. Even though the Bultungin powers of domination had no effect on them as Shape shifters, something had been damaged in Mary. Acharya saw something in her eyes that had not been there before. She was hurt in ways that Asclepius just couldn't heal. He had given her as much time as he thought she needed. But he also knew that pushing her would not help the situation.

He smiled to his Scout and nodded, "Don't worry, I know you will. You just need some more time." Mary didn't look convinced as her idle left hand reached up and wrapped around her right arm, as she looked down over the city.

Turning back to Furaha he said, "I think the best course of action would be to recruit at least two more female Bultungin while Mary tries to figure out the riddle of the Matriarch's guard. Can you point us in the right direction?"

Furaha said nothing, but turned to Safara and her husband. Without a word Roho knelt on the ground and dug out a shallow hole that he filled with water from his canteen. Safara sat down over the puddle with her legs underneath her. Taking out a knife, she pierced her pinky finger, letting a few drops of blood enter the water. She swirled the blood around as she closed her eyes. After a few moments she rose and spoke a few words to Furaha.

Furaha looked over the city and nodded, "Some of our people are in that direction. There are many of us here, so it will be hard to get a location for any one specific individual at this distance. When we get into the city, it will be easier."

Acharya nodded and moved with Furaha as they group made their way down the mountain and into the city proper.

The city felt fully modern and something from out of the old world all at the same time. The highways and streets were filled with cars honking and engines revving. People were moving in masses along the sidewalks. The skyscrapers of downtown, dominated the skyline and yet in their shadows, rested shacks made of aluminum panels and plywood, covered with tarp awnings. The noise of the city was something that he had gotten used to being without, and now entering this place he wondered how anyone could ever live in such chaos.

The werewolves were happy to let Furaha and Safara lead them through the streets. The people wore all manner of styles and fashion from all over. He saw women wear bright orange dresses in exotic cuts, and then would see a woman in a business suit that would look right at home in down town New York. The men around them wore everything from cut off jean shorts and torn t-shirts, to three-piece business suits. Safara led the group down a side street and then took a sharp left turn into a store front inside a five-story building.

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