Next chapter! Nobody has even read this story yet and I am still steamrolling ahead. My chapters are short I know, but I am planning on updating frequently.
The dewy ground sucked against the paws of the two wolves following Eli, her hair was blowing backwards in the wind, scattering the petals of wildflowers, pollinating the earth as she passed. She was pleased as she looked out onto the reservation, it had grown since she had been asleep, she watched as a young man ran clear across the open area in front of the house she was travelling to.
The house of Ephraim Black.
Eli heard a low whine behind her, and turned to the smaller wolf, Seth. His head was lowered and his wet eyes bayfully stared at her and then back to his sister. Eli sighed, and walked towards the two wolves. She understood why they were wary, if they had not been told the legends about her and her people it would make sense for them to keep their distance, but it did not lessen her distaste of being feared by who should rightfully be her brother and sister.
"It's okay, I promise," Eli whispered, kneeling in front of the young man. This garnered a growl from Leah.
Eli reached a hand forwards and patted her muzzle, the flower behind her ear had stayed in place as they walked and looked beautiful against her fur. As she made contact Leah straightened, she was alleviated of the tiredness of her bones, energy returned to the she wolf, as if she had just been given a full night's rest.
"See? I'm here to help, now, please phase back? I seem to have been asleep for a long time, I need you to introduce me to the eldest Black. If Ephraim has passed then his son will not know my face," Eli pleaded, her ageless face contorting into a look of grief briefly before smoothing back into a smile.
'We will phase back. Wait here and don't move.' Leah warned, running into the forest. Seth, looking at his sister and feeling her renewed energy gave a wolfy grin, tapped once, and ran after her.
Eli sat, and watched the young man in the open plain below. He was tall with dark hair, strong and broad she knew who he was. He was a Black, through and through. There was no mistaking him even though the angle of his head and chest was not the prideful stance she had come to expect from her dealings with the Black's in the past.
Perhaps they took my advice and learned more self control, Eli wondered, and smiled at the pleasing thought.
The two wolves returned, dressed in shorts and shirts. In their bodies they seemed slightly more on edge, if that was possible. Leah nudged Seth past Eli quickly, and he dashed into the house in the plain, passing the young man walking along the grass and yelling at him to come inside.
"Lets go," Leah grumbled, putting her balled up fists into the pockets of her hoodie. She didn't like the feeling of owing the young Fae anything, and the burst of energy she had given her felt like a trap. Who did something nice for no reason anymore? Leah pushed the Fae forwards, marching her towards the house.
When Eli stepped inside, she noticed the man inside instantly. His greying hair was played across his shoulder, as he looked at Eli with stern eyes, which crinkled in the shape of crows feet.
"Good afternoon, I am Aurelia, but you can call me Eli. Blood of my brother." Eli spoke solemnly, she was not used to using such formality with the wolves, in the blink of time it felt like she had been asleep for so much had changed.
"It's nice to meet you Eli," The man said kindly, taking in her large gossamer wings that she quickly tucked down when she heard the crashing of a china ornament fall to the floor from the hug clumsiness of her wingspan. "I'm Billy Black,"
"Sorry about your ornament, i'll fix it." Eli raised her hand and twisted it. The pieces of china raised in the air and came back together, and the air settled around them. A calm silence hung over the room, and the four people inside it.
The door opened, and the young man from outside stepped in.
"Who are you?" He demanded as he saw Eli's wings, running over to put space between the unknown woman and his father. He sent a stern look at Leah and Seth, accusing them of bringing her to the residence of his father.
"That's my son, Jacob Black." Billy offered, as he saw that the girl was not about to answer.
"Do neither of you know me?" Eli asked, her brow furrowed and her wings drooping. The tips of her wings brushed against the lavish woven rug on the floor.
"Should we?" Billy asked calmly, holding his hand up to quieten his son as he began to protest.
"Most definitely. Blood of my blood, Ephraim Black made a promise to me, it seems he broke it." Eli said sadly, before casting a questioning glance at the wolves gathered. She began to hum a tune, and they all looked sharply at the Fae.
Reassured by their reaction the girl began to sing, lilting noises came from her parted lips as she swirled around the room. Her hands brushed old items, bring new shine to tarnished metals, and making the fire in the corner of the room dance higher and higher. Billy's eyes widened and as the song reached its crescendo Eli opened her arms wide and her eyes flashed a brilliant white blue.
"You are who Ephraim spoke of," Billy whispered, his face breaking into a sad smile. He looked at his son and the Clearwaters and smiled, waving a hand at them. "You can relax. This is the wise woman, the one from the forest in my stories. She is here to help and guide us. We must call a pack meeting here."
Eli strode over to the old man, reaching with a smile. Her dirty palms and fingernails did nothing to put off Billy, and he grabbed her arm too, forming a bond. Gold marks swirled on Elie's arm, and they began to appear on Billy's skin too.
"Blood of my bood, Billy Black. I hereby vow to protect your tribe from adversity, keep the balance, and be a sister to the pack as I was with your father and his father before him. As my mother did and her mother before her." Eli vowed, her eyes sparkling as Bill watched the gold overtake his arm in awe.
"Thank you, but you don't need to, we are okay on our own," Billy said, looking at the beautiful woman.
"You survive, you do not thrive. Otherwise the wind would not have woken me." Eli explained, sitting herself down on the floor and crossing her legs, thrusting her hand into the fire to the dismay of those standing around her. They all lunged forward to pull her had to safety before realising that their reactions where strangely strong for someone they had only met minutes before.
"Leah was exhausted when i came upon her in the feild, and I can feel her pain and discomfort. The pack mind is not fully formed without extra magical intervention, I can tell you cannot talk to each other without being in wolf form. Seth has obviously phased too young and I don't believe any of you are getting the true nutrition and training you need." Eli said, her fingers pulling back from the flames, and dragging the sparking embers with them, making them float and merge into shapes. "Also, most importantly, you all need a guiding hand."
Seth tentatively looked at the spot next to Eli, beside the fire. Eli chuckled and moved over, patting the spot. Seth sat, and then lay on his stomach. Feeling the sudden urge to relax in the warmth and rest. Eli touched his back and then spoke softly.
"Sleep young one, you have many battles to come, and you must rest." She ran her hand down his spine and he slumped even more into the floor, all tension leaving his body. She lifted him effortlessly, and conjured a large soft pile of blankets and pillows before placing him down on top of them once more.
"What did you do to my brother?" Leah asked, remembering the good stories about the forest woman, but still being afraid of the sleep her blood had fallen into.
"I simply put him in a healing rest. His young body is under too much stress by the transformations, he should be on a better sleep schedule. So should you sister, but I don't think you would be too happy about sleeping through the meeting Billy called." Eli said, and then scooted closer to Seth in an undignified manner and smiling at the young boy. "He is a kind one, come sit with me Leah,"
Leah looked at Billy, who smiled and nodded before wheeling himself into the kitchen. Jacob looked longingly to the group by the fire, feeling a tug to the magic of the young Fae, but followed his father to help him call the meeting to their house.
Leah sat beside Eli who lay her small dirty hand on the other girls shoulder. Leah felt instantly better, the weight of the loneliness of being the only female pack member lessened, and the gap of lovelessness that Sam had left was eased. She could feel the unconditional love of the being beside her. Leah looked into her new sister's eyes and saw in their cerulean blue years of wisdom, and the spark of joy and innocence.
"It's okay Leah, you can tell me everything or nothing about the weight you are carrying. But let my presence ease you. My magic will help heal your hurting heart." Eli wrapped her arms around the she wolf's middle, making her tear up and begin to sob quietly for a few seconds.
"I don't, I can't, I just need someone to talk to." Leah mumbled, her tear hitting Eli on the top of her head.
Eli looked up with big eyes, ripping a small piece of fabric from her dress and dabbing away the tears on Leah's face. The gossamer was so soft it reminded her of the silk of water, and the comforting warmth of the fire they sat beside. Eli tucked the cloth into her hand, and smiled at her.
"I can do that," Eli said with a smile, happy in the fact she would once again be a sister of the wolves.