Title: Cygnus Mortis
By: foufymaus
Summary: OOC AU Alternate New Moon Edward left Bella; while he was gone she was diagnosed with an incurable illness. This is a lesson on living and the art of dying.
Author's Note: I'm taking liberties with the wolves and Alice's visions. The letter that will be delivered will interfere with Alice's visions because it is connected to decisions made by the wolves. Think of it as tainted by association. A lot of this story will be dependent on research. So…if there happens to be a mistake with regards to historical accuracy, Illness Treatment, or proper language translations…blame GOOGLE!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Stephenie Meyer The original characters and plot are mine. I am/is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Cygnus Mortis
Chapter 1: Messengers
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost
Heavy repetitive pounding of the three wolves racing across the frozen permafrost, they were looking for the elusive scent; the one that lingered in the around their home town of Forks Washington. The overly sweet scent of a deadly predator they were born to protect humans against.
Instinct to attack, to kill, to diffuse the danger, was forcibly put back. They were on a mission, to pass along a message to their enemy. The Alpha's voice echoed in their minds, Red eyes kill, Gold eyes deliver the message.
They were racing against time, the life of a loved one hung in the balance. The pack was divided; half of the pack didn't want to run this mission, to give the 'Cold Ones' this fragile being. They were the ones that stayed behind to protect their people. The other half led by the heart of the Alpha sought their enemies; they knew were their only hope. The men of science had given up on her, their beautiful Swan was dying.
There were whispers among the trees, in the winds that blew from the north, that a Coven of the 'Cold One' kept a settlement in the frozen lands of Alaska, near the Denali National Park and Preserve. They raced across the wilderness of Canada crossing the political and geographic borders, intent on finding these Vampires.
Jacob Black, Alpha wolf, Chief of the Quileute, by circumstance not by choice made a decision that went against the instinct of his own nature. He sought out his enemies; he believed they held the power to save Bella.
He was desperate to keep his friend alive in whatever form possible listened to Isabella's stories after she was diagnosed. Her childhood dream was to be a writer, to tell stories that would live on after she passed; it was the human way toward immortality. With a voice recorder she borrowed from Charlie, and help from her best friend Jacob she began telling him about Edward Cullen, the love of her short life and the family she loved. Every detail from the beginning her first day in Forks, to heartbreaking end where Jasper had taken snap during the disaster of her eighteenth birthday, she spoke quietly relaying the details of HER beloved Vampires, HER Family.
She hoped that in doing so, her words would live on through the Quileute, that one day she could be part of their legacy. This was her way of achieving some form of immortality. In her own words, Bella explained about how she ended up in Phoenix on the run from the tracker and his mate; where she ultimately ended up with a broken leg and a fight for her life.
Bella had told the tale of a vampire named Laurant, she remembered the words on that night. 'I think I will head north-to that clan in Denali.' Jacob had latched upon these words; they were what he spent hours agonizing over. He couldn't let her die like his mother. He promised her after They left that he would do everything to protect her. He figured it was part of his promise to keep her alive.
The urgency of the three wolves as they sought the vampires had not diminished with distance. They knew Jacob wanted to be with them as their leader but Isabella had suffered a setback, she was lying in a bed at Seattle Children's Hospital.
The heavy snuffling breaths as they took in their surroundings searching for that elusive scent. They knew the geographic area of the national park. Slowing to a walk, the three wolves listened to the crunch of their feet on the icy ground.
"I don't even think there's anyone around here", Seth shot sister a glance of annoyance at pessimistic attitude. Shaking his head, he tried to remove the buildup of ice on his fur. The condensation of his breaths gave him a look of an ice Santa Clause.
"You know you didn't have to come. Leah." She snorted a un-lady like sound coming from her smaller grey form.
"Like mom would let me live that down, you know how she is about family." Leah didn't want to think about her little brother being left unprotected in the search for the leeches. She figured she'd keep an eye on him, because she really didn't trust the rest of the pack. She could remember them growing up and all the idiotic ideas that had gotten them in to trouble during their childhoods.
"Will you both shut up, I think I hear something." Quil, ears flickered toward the sound he had been tracking. It wasn't the normal sound of four feet hitting the ground; it was the soft pattering of two feet at a speed that was faster than a normal human.
Seth and Leah both focused their attention on the approaching footsteps. "God they stink don't they" Leah thought as the wind shifted. She heard the gleeful thought of her idiotic brother as he realized that they may have found the Cullen's.
Seth whined as the sickly sweet smell of the vampires became stronger the closer they came, the wolves stood a line, where Seth was point; he had the plastic bag that held the message from Jacob. It was tied to his hind leg right next to his cutoff shorts.
"Prepare yourselves" Leah told her companions, "here they come."
In a whisper and the slight crack of the ice beneath their feet, the vampires quite literally stumbled upon them. Leah looked at their eyes; she saw that they were the golden tones that they were looking whined he backed up a few steps, the vampires instinctively knew that these weren't ordinary wolves.
"Are they Cullens?" Quil thought. "They don't look like Bella's descriptions. They don't smell the same."
"Their eyes are what we're looking for." Leah thought quickly.
"I'm phasing" Seth quickly backed away from the Vampires he ducked behind the tree, just as he heard the protests of both Leah and Quil.
The vampires were in a defensive crouch, the male hissed, as Leah growled at Seth's impulsive nature. Leah shot the female an irritated glance, the male vampire instinctively stood in front of the female; she kept shooting him looks of annoyance at his over protective nature.
Seth having phased, walked out from behind the tree he had ducked behind. Walking between the two wolves, he heard Leah's growl of protest. He could tell she wasn't happy that he was defenseless, that he had taken the chance to speak with them in his human form.
The female vampire stood from her defensive crouch. "Hello there. I'm Tanya, Eleazar" She said, ignoring the soft growling noise of her companion.
Seth smiled, "Seth" he nodded at her.
Leah growled again, "Shut up Lee Lee, lemme talk to them." Seth admonished her, "I um… I'm … I mean we're looking to pass a message to Dr. Cullen, do you know him?" he asked.
The male vampire still wary of the two large wolves backed away from them. "Speak child" he urged him. "What do you want from Dr. Cullen?"
Seth walked forward, in his hands he held the letters he needed to deliver. "There's a girl, she uh… she dated Edward" Tanya nodded acknowledging that she knew of her. "She's dying."
The vampires gasped they were shocked that they understood the implications of her death. Leah watch as pain flashed across Tanya's amber hued eyes, "So do you know the Cullen's" Seth asked again a sense of urgency filled his voice. The hope that their goals had been met radiated from the wolves.
"We do child, we will take your message to the Cullen Family." Tanya said, she walking from behind Eleazar her nose wrinkling from the scent of the wolves. Seth walked forward, a tentative peace surrounded them. In his outstretched hand he held the two letters wrapped in plastic.
"Thank You." He said softly, as she grasped the small package.
Both parties, backed slowly away from the small clearing, Seth quickly began to shed his clothing, Leah turned her body back toward the meeting area, an attempt at partly giving Seth privacy and to keep an eye on the leeches.
"That was stupid Seth, phasing like that." She thought to her little brother once he was back in his wolf form.
"Quit your bickering, we have a long run ahead of us." Quil said, "That really was stupid Seth." He added.
Seth only thought that he had done what was needed; he realized that if Bella trusted the golden eyed vampires that perhaps he could extend the same courtesy.
Leah snorted, again "Dumb idea Seth, they're leeches, they can't be trusted."
"We have to trust them, they're our only lead. Let's head home" Seth thought, turning they began the long run home. He heard one of them on the phone making airline reservations.