They leapt together and they landed together. Then they jumped together and then landed together over and over again. They could not stay in one spot for more than a few seconds so they continued like this, always landing a few meters apart from each other.
They were almost halfway through when the first signs manifested. The entire area seemed to rumbled and then there was an odd high-pitched noises that rolled through the swamp like a large wave of sound.
The swamp seemed to ripple and flatten as the sound moved across it. Neither Amber nor Stefan moved and prepared to take the brunt of the assault. The sound wave hit them and they both raised an eyebrow, it was a bit stronger than they thought.
It wasn't powerful enough to cause them any harm but they could tell that they had underestimated it. They looked at each other, nodded simultaneously, and began to walk off in different directions. They each took two steps and the swamp rose like it was going through an evolutionary change with several hills rising up around them.
This separated them but they both smiled and prepared. All around them the undead rose from the wet ground. Wet detritus hung from each of them as if it were accessories to their wardrobe and their dead eyes looked out onto nothing.
Stefan narrowed his eyes as he lowered his stance and brandished his long sword. Amber stood a bit taller, spread her feet a bit wider, and took out her staff. They did not look to each other, instead they both reached out along their soul tie and "saw" what they needed to.
Just as they had an understanding of the other's situation the undead moved in a wave of rotted flesh, teeth and claws. Most of them did not have weapons so Amber and Stefan made quick work of them. Stefan's long sword continually mowed swaths of the undead down before him. They began to pile up at his feet as he fought in a three hundred and sixty degree circular formation. His wolf aspect simply bubbling just below the surface of his skin but never truly manifesting. This caused his muscles to ripple and bulge as his human and werewolf aspects intertwined to give him the best of both.
His long sword cut great arcs of blue and green through the air as it rose, fell, sliced, and even stabbed meeting the onslaught almost effortlessly. He quickly contorted to bring it down behind his back to stop filth dead claws from tearing his back. He kicked back and knocked that undead away from him then he turned and brought his sword down severing the horror's head from its body. All in one smooth motion and all while watching Amber through their connection.
He would never admit that he was genuinely worried about her. He told himself that nothing could happen to her while they were alone together because he would be blames but he knew that was untrue. He knew that the pack had already fully accepted him and believed that their soul connection caused him to be completely loyal to his mate. He knew he could exact his revenge now and never be blamed. But what did he even want to do? Did he want her dead? He sighed. He could never truly love a WhiteClaw.
In most cases it would have been true that the connection would hinder or outright stop such thoughts, but Stefan's anger and stubbornness coalesced within him and allowed him to block this influence a bit. He also used this influence as an excuse to why he would be concerned about Amber.
He spun in a complete circle, his sword out before him and cut another group of undead down, adding to the pile that stacked up before him.
Amber was equally busy but, unlike Stefan, her attention was divided neatly into two and she focused on both her fight and his. Her dance was a bit faster and a bit more elegant which was odd if someone thought about it. But Amber had truly perfected a lethal dancing art that was beautiful and dynamic to watch. It was hard to defend against and it was hard to find an opening within it for offense.
Amber smiled as Stefan cut down another large group of these filthy things and then she sent her staff out piercing four and knocking them back into the ones behind them. Unlike Stefan she was moving forward into the direction that they wanted to go in so she had piles of undead behind her and to the sides. It was like she was traveling down a corridor of bodies.
'Are you trying to truly block your path with that mountainous wall you have growing around you? Shouldn't we try to move forward a bit my love?'
As her words echoed in his soil Stefan looked around and smiled. He was having much too much fun today. It seemed he was not even concerned about being able to get through to Luna Azul anymore. He shook his head lightly.
'I guess I was to excited to notice. Don't worry I am right behind you.'
With that he squatted down, feeling the power in his legs, watching the undead move closer, and then he simple leapt up and performed a double flip in the air to land on a completely empty hill just in front and to the right of Amber.
She smirked. 'Show off.' Then she simply raised her foot and them stomped it down. A pulse of power and energy flowed out in all directions like a ripple from a perfectly pitched stone into a lake and undead toppled all around her. She sprang up and over them and also landed on an empty hill. They smiled slyly at each other and then suddenly both sprinted forward, toward Luna Azul.
The entire time Amber and Stefan were fighting Tiffany was talking with Tar, Adonis, Pierce, both the Alphas Trahan and Talon and specific elders of two Great Packs.
'They are fighting well. They are almost to you Alphas Trahan and Talon.'
The larger group was safely moving through the swamp and if a wandering undead did come into contact with them it would act as if nothing was there: nothing with a very powerful protective field around it.
'Why would they break off and then purposely trigger the defenses?'
'You will have to ask them Alpha Trahan.'
'But you know something don't you Little One?'
Without hesitation Tiffany responded. 'Yes. But my Alphas have instructed me to tell no one.'
Below the swamps something awoke. It slowly became aware but it was a bit dazed and it's memory was somewhat fuzzy. It was a massive thing and it quivered only slightly as Amber stomped again. It quivered because it knew this energy. It recognized this power and it knew that this energy was telling it something.
Then Stefan swung his long sword in a broad circle and then a high arc and this creature below the swamps knew that it was being called. But it was an ancient thing and it did not want to move so it resisted the call and simply continued to adjust itself in its hole,
'It is awake My Alphas. It stirs and it hears but it is not reacting. This is enough. It will not return to full sleep and it will sense the Shadelings the next time they act.'
Both Amber and Stefan smiled. They both released their wolf aspects, gripped their weapons and then sent out ripples of power that knocked everything down around them. They then moved forward, taking out any that may have resisted their initial power waves.
As they reached the border together Amber's wolfish face grinned a toothy smile.
"Hello uncle. Meet my mate Stefan." Her eyes had a gleam in them that Trahan had never seen before. He looked appraisingly at Stefan and then he too smiled broadly.
"Let us speak in private. My people will stay here and await the arrival of yours."
He could not wait to hear what exactly was going on here.