A/N: Duhn duhn duhn! New chappy, hoorah! I hope you all like it! Slowly but surely I am making it to the high point of the story, I thank you all for your patience. Also, I'm not the best with fluff ): If any of you have ideas for Alice-Bella bonding time, they would be greatly appreciated!
"No, thank you." He grinned once more, because I'm sure he already knew the decision I would make.
We passed through the heavy wooden doors and back into the tunnel leading to the surface world with heavy packs and scowls and churning minds. Rafael opened his mouth first and started, "Bella, I-"
"Not now, Raf. When we get back," I said in my alpha voice. I figured he would comment on Arin's offer, or something to that nature, and we really couldn't do that right now. My tribe was smart. We were the best of the best, but this situation was out of their league. We needed to keep this as closely under wraps as possible. After all, if word ever got out of a coup rising against the Askari, the twenty hunters they might send with the Volturi would quickly climb to a hundred or even two. Especially if it was my tribe. And me. I sighed and Alice grabbed for my hand, squeezing it tightly. I smiled down at her as she leaned against my shoulder and hummed.
"Well, today was really fun!" Alice said, trying to lighten the mood. "Thank you all so much for bringing me along."
"Of course!" Alia smiled at my mate. "It won't be the last, I'm sure. Today's visit was really rushed, normally when we have time to spare we'll rent rooms down here and stay for a few days. We didn't even get to show you the exotic creatures sections on the other side of the city, you would have loved it."
Archer grinned, "Yeah, I've always liked playing with the unicorns and sphinxes. They're very intelligent."
Alice's eyes lit up and she turned to me, punching me half-playfully in the shoulder. "Bella! Why didn't you take me to see cute little animals?"
"Ow!" I said, rubbing my arm. "Well, Alice, mostly because we've been given an unknown time frame before we are all attacked by two of the most powerful organizations known to history. And besides that, I know you'd want one and I doubt Esme would approve of you bringing and Griffon back to Forks." She looked heartbroken and I mentally smacked myself for being so blunt. "Okay, hold on, I promise we'll come back and spend and entire week down here when all of this is over, alright?"
"Hmpf!" Was all she would say as she turned from me in a huff, but I saw a smile playing at the edge of her lips and I knew I was forgiven.
Our companions materialized the second we stepped back out into the surface world. Loki gave me a knowing glance and I knew he was aware of everything that had transpired between Arin and I, like he always knew everything. He stared pointedly at me and I just shook my head slowly. His ethereal form turned physical and we climbed aboard.
"I can't wait to get home," Alia said. "I want to fletch out some new arrows for these tips, give 'em a go."
She wasn't the only one feeling impatient. I smirked and said, "Your wish is my command," and closed my eyes. I delved deep into my magic and gave it a tug, molding it to my will. I heard a roaring in my ears then opened them, looking around to find our companions setting gently down on the driveway leading up to our house. I grinned broadly, happy it had worked.
"Teleportation? Really? Know you no bounds?" Rafael asked dryly, patting Tem as his feet touched the ground.
I just smiled at him.
"Is it really that rare?" Alice asked, confused. "I mean, I guess considering everything I've seen all of you do, something as mundane as teleportation just seems, well, mundane."
Archer rolled his eyes, hopping down from Beto with a sigh. "No, no, Hunters can teleport but it's a lot more complex than just closing your eyes and willing yourself to go to a different place. Most spellmasters have to prepare for the journey for weeks, getting their body and mind ready. Not to mention most Hunters don't have enough magic in them to transport themselves, they need charms and gems with energy stored in them too. It's hard to work to keep track of all your bits and pieces, and then mess with speed, and make it so you don't run into solid things and shred yourself, and not to mention keep up glamours so you aren't seen and that's just for one person. Bella just did it for nine, without even uttering a spell. So see, it's really more-"
"Okay, you guys need to stop that. I left home so I wouldn't be looked at like a freak for having the powers I do, not to have them brought up whenever I do anything!" I grumbled, exasperated. Yes, I had a lot of power and yes, I could do incredible things but I didn't see a reason to comment on it every single time.
"They're just jealous that you're so exceptionally awesome," Alice grinned, shifting my pack onto her own back and leaping from Loki's back into my waiting arms. I laughed at her comment and swung her around, carrying her piggyback as we turned to walk into the house.
"Jealous isn't quite the right word," Rafael grinned. "It's more that were frustrated Bella doesn't recognize that she's exceptionally awesome. See, the more exceptional the Alpha, the more exceptional the tribe. Really if she was more of a bad ass more often if would reflect well on us. It's selfish, really."
"I recognize it, I just choose to ignore it," I growled, stalking into the house. In all honesty teleporting all of them had made me pretty tired and I just wanted to nap. Instead I settled for carrying Alice upstairs and heading into the study. Bookshelves lines the walls, stretching up the the ceiling and each packed to the brim with tomes and journals and novels. I had a desk in there too, a massive mahogany thing, that was currently cluttered with papers and notes and maps, books and scrolls opened to random places with notes scrawled into them as well. I sighed at the mess but simply didn't have the motivation to clean it up just yet. I set Alice down and she went to go sit on the plush couch which sat against a far wall, dragging me along with her.
We sat in silence for a while, just leaning against one another. Finally she spoke first, saying, "You know, I can't pretend to know everything, or even a fair bit, about your world. I am here though, if you want to talk. I'll listen." I felt through our link that she was worried for me, about me, about my tribe and her family.
"I know. Thank you," I squeezed her smaller form tight to my side and lay my head on her shoulder. I had trouble admitting it even to myself but this was very nice. I had never imagined myself with another like this, being prone and weak with them. My mind told me to be wary, that I was letting my guard down, but my heart and gut and instinct just wanted me to relax further. So I did. "I just... I don't know what to do. The entire reason I left was because I refused to lead and now it looks like that choice is being taken away from me. Your family, the wolves, and my tribe don't have a snowball's chance in hell to beat my Clan and the Volturi if even one of them brings their full strength. Even with the dragons on our side it would be chancy and that is not a chance I'm willing to take, not even a little bit. To make the alliances we need to ensure our victory I'll need to step into a birthright I never wanted. Everything is going to change."
Alice was quiet, stroking my hair and vibing soothing emotions through our link. Eventually she said, "Well, maybe that is just how it was supposed to be. Maybe you were meant for this."
I frowned. "I know. That's what I was afraid of." I didn't like the higher powers mingling in my life, especially not when I could kick the majority of their butts. It didn't seem right that they got to choose my fate but they couldn't even beat me in combat. Some of them, anyways. Where was the fairness there? "I just want to be off the radar for once in my life, to feel like the world revolves around someone else."
She laughed.
"What?" I asked, grinning at her merriment.
"Well, I suppose it's funny. There's plenty of girls out there, Rosalie for example and half the girls at Forks High, who think the world revolves around them and then there's you, and it actually kind of does and you don't even want it to. It's really ironic."
I rolled my eyes. "That's fate for you. And the Universe. And Karma. They all have horrible senses of humor." I smiled once more then sobered up. "So you really think I should do this?"
Alice shrugged. "I want you to do whatever makes you happy..." She paused. "But at the same time, I know that if you allowed your family to stay on this path they could do some real damage in the world and I think that if you knew you could put a stop to it here and now and you didn't, you wouldn't forgive yourself."
I sighed, frowning. Why did she know me so well?
"Well, mostly because I can read your mind. It helps." She said cheekily.
I leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, not feeling a real need to respond.
The next week was literally insane. For one, I asked Esme if she could alter the renovations to our basement to turn the HQ into a full on War Room and she was more than happy to oblige. It was mostly her and the boys doing the work, but every now and then she would bring in humans for carpentry advice or some such, which put a major dent in the other decidedly supernatural things we were trying to accomplish, but at the same time it had to be done. So whenever she had a less than immortal expert come in we would pack up the spell books, put glamors over the weaponry, lock the doors, and settle down in from of the xbox and watch a movie. All fourteen of us, if Seth was here. Granted it made for a strange sight, but the carpenters never questioned it. I personally didn't spend a lot of time 'Down Below,' as we had taken to calling it, partly because I was up to my ears in other things but mostly because Esme wanted it to be a surprise, which meant Alice couldn't see it either.
Meanwhile, my tribe was assisting me in building a low, squat, barracks like building that would become our forge. It was made of thick stone, which admittedly would keep it hot, but it would also protect against fires and I could spell it to keep it cool. Emmett asked me why I didn't just spell the wood against fire when I first laid out the plans for everyone to see, and I eplained to them how stone, seeing as it was made up of small crystals and minerals, held energy and magic a lot better than dead organic matter such as wood. And besides that, it would be a lot harder to break down a stone building than a wooden one in the battle to come. Anyways, the building was low and squat. Inside were three ovens to heat metal and an entire wall of anvils. Below the forge was a store room to house vast quantities of ores and ingots, as well as spare tools that were lined up on racks above. Out in the yard surrounding the forge were two more ovens and another dozen anvils that would allow us to work when weather, time, and battle status permitted. It only took us two days to build with myself using the full extent of my magic, which involved summoning, transmuting, spelling, and enchanting the building as well as the tools.
As soon as the building was done my tribe set to crafting weapons of all kinds: swords, maces, daggers, dirks, axes, and hammers as well as armor and jewelry for charming. When they were not crafting or enchanting we were training in new spells and keeping our battle skills sharp. Every evening the Cullens would watch with poorly concealed fascination as I ran my tribe through multiple series of strenuous exercises to keep the minds, bodies, and reflexes sharp. Some of which were more humane, like simple sword exercises or target practice, and some were... not, like flinging sharpened knives at one another and calling out the defensive strategy to use only once they were in the air. Esme could not watch this and while none of us liked it, we all agreed it was extremely effective. Not only did it train the thrower's arm but it trained the defender's reflexes, spell casting, parrying and, if they failed, healing skills. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward were eager to jump in the fray and learn these new tactics and I promised them as soon as the war room was ready we would hold a meeting and devise an entire training strategy for all of us. That placated them for the moment and after that conversation they hardly ever left the basement except to hunt.
Birch had been looking into his Kara'til extensively during this time, training and honing it to the best of his ability. When I had the time, and I tried to make time for him as much as possible, I would sit down with him and with our minds linked, I would lend him power and guidance to further his skill set. I saw the drain this was putting on him, however. He hardly slept, he was eating poorly, and he only gave half effort during training. Finally, after talking with Rafael about it, I decided to send him and Archer up north to find Thorskir and let him know of the going-on's down south. Birch didn't seem to know how to feel, happy to see his old friend again or disappointed that his training was being interrupted. Still, he saw the move for what it was and resigned himself to a quick trip north. We all felt that the dragon's lair was far enough away from the Askari camp to avoid detection and that with Birch now able to foresee immediate threats with his gift they would be safe enough. Both had newly forged weapons on their hips when they took off on their Companions backs. I sighed and as soon as they were out of sight I turned right back into the house and continued my work.
One day, while Emmett and Alice were helping be hammer out steel blades in the Forge, Emmett asked, "Are you sure we need... weapons, to fight? I mean vampires are already kind of decked out in their own weapons, aren't they?" He flexed his muscles and flashed his teeth.
I smiled. "True, but your 'weapons' were designed for very different purposes. You are superb hunters of mortal prey, that's true, but Hunter's are designed to kill immortal prey, like you. Besides, even in fighting other vampires it can go both ways, can't it? But if you have a sword in your hand that creates flames on contact, isn't that much better to fight vampires with? If you have a sword that shields you from magic attacks, isn't that better against Hunters than nothing at all?"
"So... these weapons are going to be like swords and shields all at once?" Emmett asked, looking at the metal beneath his hands in a new light.
"Precisely. Also, we have a rare advantage here knowing exactly what we'll be facing. I know my Clan and the Volturi, and you all have exclusive knowledge of the Volturi as well, especially Carlisle. We know their gifts, their strengths and weaknesses, so I can make these weapons specifically to exploit them."
"Huh," was all Emmett said.
"So Bella, I've been wondering..." Alice trailed off.
"Hmm?" I paused my hammering, waiting for her to continue.
"I can't help but wonder if, because these weapons will be so powerful, if us vampires are allowed to have them?" She seemed a bit sheepish and I knew she was quickly developing a strong liking for this less-than-modern lifestyle and she didn't want to give it up, but she also wanted to do the right thing.
I chuckled at her. "Well... technically, yes. There's no law specifically stating that you can't give crazy powerful weapons to vampires, but I doubt it will be smiled upon. There may be those who lose some trust in me because of it, but I care vastly more that you and your family will be safe than if my 'family,'" I air-quoted the word, "will approve."
She smiled. "Good to know. Emmett, how much longer until the War Room is ready? All the magic down there is messing with my visions and besides, I'm trying not to look for Bella's sake. It's driving me nuts, and I want to start training!" She near-about pouted and I laughed.
Emmett smiled too and resumed hammering, "Trust me, we're doing everything we can to go as quickly as possible, I swear. We're just as excited as you. Esme is nearly done with the woodwork and furnishing, and then it's just finishing touches. Just another day or two if we keep up vampire speed."
Alice giggled and jumped about, clapping. "I'm so excited!" She turned to me and asked, "Any idea when Birch and Archer will be back?"
I shrugged, saying, "It depends on a lot of things, like if Thorskir is where he usually is this time of year, if they have hatchlings still or not, if they want to come, if they run into any trouble. I'd give them another few days too. We still have plenty of work to do here, you know!" I laughed and she rolled her eyes.
"I know, I know. How's that list coming along?" She asked.
I sighed, "It's still way too long for my liking." At the beginning of the week I had made a list of everything that needed to be done before we were attacked which, for the record, we still didn't know when that would be happening. Yes, so far we had built the forge and we were nearly done with outfitting the Cullens, and I had woven four new spells and taught them to my Tribe, and the War Room was nearly finished, and the borders had been respelled and reinforced, and we were on our way to securing several alliances, but none of those had been confirmed yet. We still needed to talk to the wolves, elves, werecreatures, and dragons and then outfit them as well if they needed it. Beyond that, I wanted at least another dozen new spells in our arsenal before the battle arrived. I still needed to spell the house, which I was putting off due to the sheer intricacies of it. I had asked Carlisle to call his friends in the vampire world and I had asked Holly to tell Sam that I wanted to meet up with him and discuss all this whenever the time was right, though I'm fairly certain he didn't know much of anything yet. And beyond all that, we still needed to go over tactics and plans and strategies, most of which couldn't be fully discussed until we knew exactly who was on our side and who wasn't.
Alice whistled, "Hmm, that is a lot. Carlisle should be done making his calls any minute now, though."
As if her words had summoned him, the doctor's scent floated in on the breeze. Seconds later her himself arrived at the forge, hair windswept from the run. "Good news, Bella."
I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Oh?"
"Mhmm! We have friends in several covens, many of which are eager for a change in leadership or have their own private vendettas with the Volturi and many who want to help just for the sake of helping. They just need to know when and where and they will be at our sides."
This was indeed good news. "Do you know how many, exactly?"
"Twenty six, to my best knowledge, some vegetarian and some otherwise," he scowled a bit at the end but it all sounded like good news to me.
"As long as they can behave themselves and hunt outside of town," I shrugged.
Alice's brow came together as a thought flashed behind her eyes, and my own widened and brightened. "Alice, that is a fantastic idea!"
She looked to me in surprise and asked, "It is? Could you do it?"
"Absolutely! I've never thought about that before!"
"Care to share with the rest of us?" Emmett grinned.
I rolled my eyes and turned around to scan over the work benches inside the Forge. I plucked a simple silver and amber amulet, about the size of a silver dollar with a handmade silver chain, from a work bench. I cradled the ornament in my hand and closed my eyes, prodding at the pool of magic within me and molding it like clay to the shape of my will. I cracked open my eyes to see a golden glow of light swirling around my hands before it delved into the very fiber of the metal, settling itself against the inner workings. The enchantment having been set, I opened my eyes fully and gave the necklace a visual appraisal. It looked the same as before if not a tad more luminous. I turned to Emmett with a smile on my face as said, "Here! Try it on!"
Emmett grinned with excited curiosity, snatching the amulet from my hands and pulling it over his head. As soon as it rested fully around his neck he gasped, jaw dropping. "No way! How?" All trace of jovial joking was gone from him, leaving only serious astonishment in it's wake. "My thirst... it's... What did you do? How?" He asked again.
"Well, the thing is, a vampires thirst is actually mostly a mental thing. As humans you aren't capable of experiencing the level of pain you can feel as a vampire and especially not that you feel from your thirst. The monster part of your new mind provides it. I can't completely remove it because it is part of you, so instead I diminished it and altered it a bit. The spell in the necklace, as long as it's on your person, will almost entirely negate your lust for human blood, but it also amplifies the pleasure you receive from feeding off of animal blood as an added bonus, almost like flipping the two around. As a final feature, the necklaces also act as trackers, almost. They'll send off a signal myself or any other Hunter could pick up on if a wearer feeds from a human."
Carlisle looked extremely impressed and opened his mouth to speak, but Alice beat him to the punch, "All in all, we can give these to vampires on our side while they're here so they'll leave the humans alone which will keep the wolves happy, and maybe even permanently change their lifestyles."
Emmett, who had been absent from the conversation, jumped back in. "It's amazing. I'm trying to force my thirst now, think of how human blood tastes and feels in your throat, and there's hardly anything."
I watched as Alice's eye's darkened and felt her own thirst kindle through our link then quickly said, "I can make such ornaments for all your family. The charm won't last forever though. To maximize it's effects I would have to place a higher quality gem of some kind in the jewelry and charge it with energy, kind of like charging a battery. Eventually it would run out, but not for a few decades, and any Hunter could recharge it."
Carlisle held out a hand to Emmett who handed over the amulet with a weak smile, clearly already attached. I heard his breath catch as the thirst descended on him again. Carlisle's eye's widened as he himself felt the charm begin to work. "It seems wonderful! When do you suppose you could make them? No rush of course, we've lasted this long. I have to wonder, must it me necklaces? Not, per say, rings or cuff links or some such?"
"No, I suppose it could be anything you could lay a gem or precious stone in. Did you have something in mind for yourself?"
"Well no, not really. I mean, I do have my own share of treasures left over from my days with the Volturi. I happily offer them up for this, though."
I smiled. "Thank you, Carlisle. That's actually wonderful, because it's not just the type of gem that matters. Sure, a diamond is denser than a ruby so it holds more magic, but at the same time a day old diamond that has only held it's cut form for that long won't match up to a centuries old ruby that has had so much time to acclimate itself. Does that make any sense?"
"Like wisdom for gems?" Emmett grinned.
My nose scrunched up in a silent laugh, "Give or take."
Emmett opened his mouth to banter back but before he could say anything Holly appeared at the entrance to the Forge. She too opened her mouth to speak but before she could speak she sensed the magic in the air and zeroed in on the amulet. "New spell, Bells? Nice one."
"It was Alice's idea, really. Anyways, what's up?" Her posture was rigid and I was worried.
"Sam is on his way," she bit her lip.
A/N: Hmm, next chapter should be fun! I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? Like I said before, I'm in need of suggestions for Bella-Alice fluff because I know you all love it and I'm not very good with it... Any ideas? Anyways, I hope you liked it! I love you all!
