Okay I have to say I'm sorry that I took the clichéd route and made Edward leave, but he did have to leave with his family. Bella will get her Edward back that much I can promise you. So I hope you don't hate me too much. Thanks for reading with me. And thanks for the reviews and love; TwilightLoverGirl1, cbmorefie, jbarbosa12, Vampirelover2012, ONCEboyUPONmeetAgirlTIME, zeldasweetness.
"How you doing baby?" Renee said as she saw me in the airport. I arrived Friday night. Renee wasn't worried about Alice that much, though I deduced it was because she could relate to being impulsive.
I rolled my eyes to the question.
"I'm going to take that as a not fine" she deduced
"What gave me away, my dark circles or ratty attitude" I asked sarcastically. I hadn't slept well in weeks, which was doing some harm to my attitude. It hurt in my sleep without Jasper numbing my pain. It hurt when I was awake too.
Renee gave me a hug, and we drove home, she prattled on and on about something, as she watched me. I didn't mind though it was better than what I got back in Forks.
When I got home, Mom made tea though Renee's cooking left something to be desired, she could make the best calming tea.
"Suntheanine" she said handing the cup to me, "helps with a peaceful sleep. I sprayed some lavender on your pillow. It helps too."
I nodded walking to my room with the green tea in my hand. I wanted to go to Alice's room, but stopped myself. Escape remember. I chided my subconscious.
I drank my tea, it did help a bit. It didn't drive the pain away; it just held it off for a bit. I welcomed the feeling as I collapsed against my pillow and drifting into my first nightmare less sleep since Edward left, since I let my sister go.
I was asleep for sixteen hours, couldn't believe it myself, but it was true. It was midday; I'd slept at about eight last night. Unfortunately the pain was back, I considered asking mom to make me some of that tea again just to break the connection with the pain.
"Hey Bella" Phil greeted as I came down. I managed a small smile at him
"Follow me to the batting cages?" he asked and I nodded. Batting cages with Phil mean you get to talk to him, he just bats while you talk, in my case. He was trying to be a good step father; sometimes I valued his non biased point of view.
"Let me go get ready" I said before going back to my room.
I watched Phil bat, concentrating on the rhythmic noises, the machine whirring to spit out the ball, and then the ball colliding with the bat.
"I miss her so much, it hurts" I said to him after a while
"I know Bella" he said. Thump
"I don't even know if I'll ever see her again" I said after hearing Phil hit the ball seconds later.
"Is that all that bothering you?" he asked seriously. Thump
"No, there is the fact that Charlie is downright miserable, he's drinking has me more worried and I don't think I can bear it" I said. I didn't want to tell him about Edward.
Thump "you could always move back you know, at least till this Alice thing blows over, your mom is worried about you"
"Figures" I responded
"Charlie has no one now" I said. Thump
"You'll figure it out, you're a wise girl" he consoled. Thump "now it's your turn to bat. It'll make you feel better"
I walked up to the mound. I guess if I sustained any injuries, that pain would take my mind of my ever aching heart. Phil squatted behind me, catching the balls I missed.
After two hours in the cages, Phil drove us home; mom was waiting with a cup of tea in her hands. Bless her heart.
Mom talked to me about everything but Alice, I guess it was hard for her to talk about, after all she was hurting too, even if she understood on some level. We talked about school, her new found hobby of ice skating, yep, I was going there tomorrow morning with one of my old friend Josiah or Jos as Alice and I called him. God help me if I don't break anything, we talked about a new book she was reading. I retired early to bed after three cups of tea.
We went to the rink for a like half an hour; I was not steady on my feet at all. I held on to the edge while walking, my feet ached which was small compared to how I really felt. Jos held my hand guiding me through the rink, he told me about his life since I left apparently he lives alone now
Renee and I spent the rest of the morning and a little of the afternoon on the beach
"What's his name?" she asked squinting against the sun looking at me
I pulled down my sunglasses to the tip of my nose and looked at her, "I'm sorry what?"
"The boy that has you so bothered" she cut straight to the point
"There is no boy mom" I replied a bit defensive which was in fact half of the truth.
"This is more than just Alice disappearing or Charlie is it? I don't know how to explain it? You look almost empty. Like Charles was when I left" I know Renee didn't like what she did to Charlie when she left, talking about it wasn't always at the top of her list. So she was serious.
I shook my head and wore my shades properly. I looked towards the water, where two people were throwing Frisbee at each other.
"His name is Edward." I said after a while. "His family moved to California few days ago"
"And you were serious?" she asked
"We never dated mom. And maybe there was a time I might have thought I was…"
"In love with him?" she asked and I nodded.
"Don't worry, it'll pass, it's just some crush" I lied shaking my head.
"It'll get better, I promise" she said hugging me before I went to pack my stuff to leave for home in the evening. I made sure to take a lot of the tea Renee made for me
One of the things I noticed being back in Forks was that I was being watched. It could be just paranoia but I felt someone watching me, but every time I looked back I couldn't find anything but the forest staring back at me. At night I would hear a wolf howl far off in the distance. It wasn't long before I was transported to the Reservation in my post monition.
They were huddled in a group Billy was at the head of the circle, if there was such a thing, there was Sam and some other people I could recognize as elders of the reservation, around the fire were other, Leah, Jacob, Jared, Emily, Paul and Kim
Billy cleared his throat, and, the atmosphere changed abruptly around the low-burning fire. Paul and Jared sat up straighter. He nudged Kim and then pulled her gently upright. Leah Clearwater, her face still a beautiful and emotionless mask, closed her eyes — not like she was tired, but to help her concentration. Emily produced a spiral-bound notebook and a pen, Sam twisted just slightly beside her — so that he was facing the same direction as Old Quil, who was on his other side — and suddenly I realized that the elders of the council here were not three, but four in number.
Billy spoke with a hint of majesty, authority, and a subtle rhythm, which I never knew he possessed. The words poured out with accuracy, it was like he knew them by heart, but also with feeling.
I took a seat beside Jacob even though he wasn't my favorite person right now. I listened to the story.
"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning," Billy said. "But we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting — that came later. First, we were spirit warriors."
"The tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled. the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them.
"Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. Kaheleha was the first Great Spirit Chief in our history. In this emergency, Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land. He and all his warriors left the ship — not their bodies, but their spirits. Their women watched over the bodies while the men took their spirits back to our harbor. They could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways. The stories tell us that they could blow fierce winds into their enemy's camps; they could make a great screaming in the wind that terrified their foes. The stories also tell us that the animals could see the spirit warriors and understand them; the animals would do their bidding."
I briefly wondered if I could do that, but waved it off when I realized we couldn't change the past, just learn from it.
"Kaheleha took his spirit army and wreaked havoc on the intruders. This invading tribe had packs of big , thick-furred dogs that they used to pull their sleds in the winter. The spirit warriors turned the dogs against their masters and then brought a mighty infestation of bats up from the cliff caverns. They used the screaming wind to aid the dogs in confusing the men. The dogs and bats won. The survivors scattered, calling our harbor a cursed place. The dogs ran wild when the spirit warriors released them. The Quileutes returned to their bodies and their wives, victorious. The other nearby tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs, made treaties with the Quileutes. They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy came against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off. Generations passed. Then the last Great Spirit Chief, Taha Aki. He was known for his wisdom, and for being a man of peace. The people lived well and content in his care, All but one man, Utlapa, who was not content."
A low hiss ran around the fire. Billy ignored it and went on with the legend. I was getting more intrigued by it.
"Utlapa was one of Chief Taha Aki's strongest spirit warriors — a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and the Makahs and build an empire. Now, when the warriors were their spirit selves, they knew each other's thoughts. Taha Aki saw what Utlapa dreamed, and was angry with Utlapa. Utlapa was commanded to leave the people, and never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a strong man, but the chief's warriors outnumbered him. He had no choice but to leave. The furious outcast hid in the forest nearby, waiting for a chance to get revenge against the chief. Even in times of peace, the Spirit Chief was vigilant in protecting his people. Often, he would go to a sacred, secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and sweep down through the forests and along the coast, making sure no threat approached. One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but this plan had its drawbacks. Surely the spirit warriors would seek to destroy him, and they could follow faster than he could escape. As he hid in the rocks and watched the chief prepare to leave his body, another plan occurred to him. Taha Aki left his body in the secret place and flew with the winds to keep watch over his people. Utlapa waited until he was sure the chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self. Taha Aki knew it the instant that Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world, and he also knew Utlapa's murderous plan. He raced back to his secret place, but even the winds weren't fast enough to save him. When he returned, his body was already gone. Utlapa's body lay abandoned, but Utlapa had not left Taha Aki with an escape — he had cut his own body's throat with Taha Aki's hands. Taha Aki followed his body down the mountain. He screamed at Utlapa, but Utlapa ignored him as if he were mere wind. Taha Aki watched with despair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes. For a few weeks, Utlapa did nothing but make sure that everyone believed he was Taha Aki. Then the changes began —Utlapa's first edict was to forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world. He claimed that he'd had a vision of danger, but really he was afraid. He knew that Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afraid to enter the spirit world himself; knowing Taha Aki would quickly claim his body. So his dreams of conquest with a spirit warrior army were impossible, and he sought to content himself with ruling over the tribe. He became a burden — seeking privileges that Taha Aki had never requested, refusing to work alongside his warriors, taking a young second wife and then a third, though Taha Aki's wife lived on —something unheard of in the tribe. Taha Aki watched in helpless fury. Eventually, Taha Aki tried to kill his body to save the tribe from Utlapa's excesses. He brought a fierce wolf down from the mountains, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man who was protecting the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf away. All the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more frightening than exhilarating to be freed from one's body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need. The chief's solitary journeys to keep watch were a burden and a sacrifice. Being bodiless was disorienting, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha Aki had been away from his body for so long at this point that he was in agony. He felt he was doomed — never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors waited, stuck in this torturous nothingness forever. The great wolf followed Taha Aki's spirit as he twisted and writhed in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for its kind, and beautiful. Taha Aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least it had a body. At least it had a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness. And then Taha Aki had the idea that changed us all. He asked the great wolf to make room for him, to share. The wolf complied. Taka Aki entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not his human body, but it was better than the void of the spirit world. As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden. Taha Aki did not attack his warriors. He retreated slowly from them, speaking with his eyes and trying to yelp the songs of his people. The warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing it. One older warrior, a man name Yut, decided to disobey the false chief's order and try to communicate with the wolf.
"As soon as Yut crossed to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf — the animal waited tamely for his return — to speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home. At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw Yut lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew his knife and raced forward to kill Yut before he could return to his body."
"'Traitor,' he screamed, and the warriors did not know what to do. The chief had forbidden spirit journeys, and it was the chief's decision how to punish those who disobeyed. Yut jumped back into his body, but Utlapa had his knife at his throat and a hand covering his mouth. Taha Aki's body was strong, and Yut was weak with age. Yut could not say even one word to warn the others before Utlapa silenced him forever. Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit slipped away to the final lands that were barred to Taha Aki for all eternity. He felt a great rage, more powerful than anything he'd felt before. He entered the big wolf again, meaning to rip Utlapa's throat out. But, as he joined the wolf, the greatest magic happened. Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and — before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa — transformed into a man. The new man did not look like Taha Aki's body. He was far more glorious. He was the flesh interpretation of Taha Aki's spirit. The warriors recognized him at once, though, for they had flown with Taha Aki's spirit. Utlapa tried to run, but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body. He caught the thief and crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body. The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened. Taha Aki quickly set everything right, working again with his people and giving the young wives back to their families. The only change he kept in place was the end of the spirit travels. The spirit warriors were no more."
"From that point on, Taha Aki Great Wolf, or Spirit Man, led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in peace. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit wolves and reflected the man they were inside."
"So that's why Sam is all black," Jake muttered grinning. "Black heart, black fur."
I was so involved in the story; it was a shock to come back to the present, to Charlie telling me it was time for school.
A/N The next chapter will be instantly uploaded after this because it is mostly legends given to us by the dearest Stephanie Meyer. Dont forget to review. Love You all.
-J
