"Be still."

Ratonhnhaké:ton commanded in a low voice as he walked to the Clan Mother's longhouse. The wolf spirits within him hushed their threatening growls and bowed their heads at their master's command. As soon as Ratonhnhaké:ton stepped into the longhouse, the spirits began to rouse again.

"It's about time you showed up," Kahionhaténion growled as he glanced up at Ratonhnhaké:ton. He sat near the fire pit as he cleaned his dagger. It was the same dagger he'd used earlier to slice open the outsider's neck. Ratonhnhaké:ton carefully stepped inside the longhouse and stood away from him. He folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned against the wall. He watched as Kahionhaténion cleaned the dried blood from his dagger. "Where is Kanen'tó:kon and Teiowi:sonte?"

"They'll be here soon," Ratonhnhaké:ton answered dryly as he noticed how carefully Kahionhaténion cleaned his dagger. The rag he used to wipe his dagger was covered in streaks of crimson. As he watched him clean every nook of his blade, Ratonhnhaké:ton imagined that Kahionhaténion was preparing his blade for his next target. The threatening growls of the wolves rumbled his spirit as he thought of her. Vision of him attacking Aveline flashed in his mind. While his expression remained calm, his spirit stirred in fury. "Where is Oiá:ner?"

"She'll be here soon," Kahionhaténion responded as he glanced up at him. His eyes darkened when he noticed that Ratonhnhaké:ton stood a short distance away from him and was propped against the wall. "I know you look down at us, Ratonhnhaké:ton," Kahionhaténion started as he continued to clean his blade. He raised his voice, catching the attention of the villagers lounging around the longhouse, "You've always looked down as you've done as you wanted…"

Ratonhnhaké:ton remained silent as he listened to his words. He glanced around and noticed that people began to curiously peek in their direction. The villagers began to gather closer to them. Word had spread that Ratonhnhaké:ton nearly let an outsider escape. While some trusted Ratonhnhaké:ton's decision, most held their trust with Kahionhaténion. Kahionhaténion proved himself to be a trustworthy and loyal warrior.

"Join me around the fire, Ratonhnhaké:ton," Kahionhaténion patted the empty place directly beside him and kept his eyes pinned on the wolfish warrior. "You should look us in the eyes as you tell us how you let the outsider go," the villagers began to mumble and whisper, "my people should know the reason as to why you've chosen to betray us."

Ratonhnhaké:ton clenched his jaw and kept his gaze steady on the warrior sitting on the other side of the fire. Anger burned in his eyes as he glared at Kahionhaténion. The feral wolf spirits within him bared their fang as they began to growl. They remained under their master's control. Ratonhnhaké:ton fought against their instincts to attack. He uncrossed his arms and balled his fists at his sides.

"Enough!" Oiá:ner called out in a raspy voice. Using her wooden staff to support her frail frame, she limped into the longhouse on wobbling legs. The leathery wrinkles on her face drooped into a frown as her dark, beady eyes went from Kahionhaténion to Ratonhnhaké:ton. She could see a mysterious aura emitting from his body and could feel the presence of the wolf spirits stirring within him. She hobbled as she walked further into the hut and moved closer to the two men. "That is enough, Kahionhaténion."

"I have only spoken the truth, Clan Mother," Kahionhaténion stood with his dagger readied in his hand. "He betrayed us when he abandoned us," he began to pace back and forth on his side of the fire and pointed his dagger at Ratonhnhaké:ton. "Now he allows the outsider to escape. I think he should go back to join our enemies if he would show him that much mercy."

Teiowi:sonte and Kanen'tó:kon entered the hut just as Kahionhaténion finished the last of his words. They pushed their way towards the front of the small crowd gathering in the hut. Teiowi:sonte quickly went to his brother. He didn't know what happened but wanted to separate everyone before things got out of hand.

"Kahionhaténion, calm down…" Teiowi:sonte pleaded as he went to his brother. When he reached out his hand, Kahionhaténion quickly avoided his touch. His dark eyes never left Ratonhnhaké:ton as he continued to speak.

"If you showed mercy to that outsider then it's certain you won't take her life if she is found to be our enemy," Kahionhaténion continued in a voice loud enough to catch the attention of people standing outside of the longhouse. A circle of people began to form around them as the villagers watched the warriors. Usually, only the elders could be allowed to hear them when they gathered to discuss things happening outside of the village. "She has her weapons now," he scoffed as he switched his dark gaze from Ratonhnhaké:ton to Kanen'tó:kon. He saw Kanen'tó:kon return her weapons early when they believed the village was under attack. He kept his eyes on Kanen'tó:kon as he watched him move closer to Ratonhnhaké:ton. "You are endangering the lives of all our people by keeping that wench here." The whispers came louder as they guessed that Kahionhaténion was mentioning the woman named as Ówera.

"Watch your mouth," Ratonhnhaké:ton finally answered in a low voice as took a step towards Kahionhaténion. He did not like Aveline to be referred to in such a degrading manner. While ever fiber within in his being barked at his instincts to fight, Ratonhnhaké:ton struggled to keep his self-control. The anger burning in his eyes rivaled the blaze in the fire pit. As Kahionhaténion continued to speak, the wolf spirts snarled at his instincts and urged at his impulses to attack.

Kanen'tó:kon stood by Ratonhnhaké:ton's side but dared not to touch him. The look in Ratonhnhaké:ton's dark eyes made him fearful. "Ratonhnhaké:ton, let's not exchange words like this." He motion to Teiowi:sonte to remove his brother, just as they agreed he do just before they walked into the hut. They didn't think that they would have to act so soon. "Let's talk another time, Ratonhnhaké:ton. Not here."

"Well done, Ratonhnhaké:ton," Kahionhaténion mocked as he continued to move around. His eyes never left Ratonhnhaké:ton as he spoke. Teiowi:sonte tried to grab his brother, but Kahionhaténion swiftly avoided his touch. "For betraying our people, I hope it's well worth having that wench warming your bed—"

"Enough!"

The blazing pit fire that separated Kahionhaténion and Ratonhnhaké:ton died instantly at the same moment Oiá:ner picked up her rod and slammed it against the ground.

"I said enough!" Oiá:ner repeated as she observed Ratonhnhaké:ton. The aura coming from Ratonhnhaké:ton was so powerful that she feared what would happen if could he no longer control the spirits. She wanted the crowd to disperse immediately. She gazed at Ratonhnhaké:ton, her beady eyes observing his form as she spoke, "I am granting you permission to leave after Teiowi:sonte and Tsi'tenha have a ceremony."

The smoke from pit drifted up to the opening on the roof of the longhouse. The villagers stared in amazement at the extinguished pit. They looked to the Clan Mother and admired her power. Ratonhnhaké:ton kept his glare steady on Kahionhaténion. His chest slowly heaved up and down as the breathed. His breath drew white tuffs of air that quickly faded as soon as they formed. His body felt weak but his did not falter from the power of the spirits as he did before.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton," Oiá:ner observed the aura surrounding his body and marveled at how Ratonhnhaké:ton harness so much control of the wolf spirits. His body was a vessel, but he was the leader of their pack. She could only imagine the immense power Ratonhnhaké:ton possessed. She hoped that he could retain control of over that power. When Ratonhnhaké:ton turned his gaze to her, she could not speak and only shook her head. Ratonhnhaké:ton gave Kahionhaténion a final glance before he turned and walked out of the longhouse.

"He is changing, Clan Mother," Kanen'tó:kon said in a low voice as he stood next to old woman. He watched Ratonhnhaké:ton as he left the longhouse. He turned around to see that Teiowi:sonte was escorting his younger brother out of the longhouse. "They're both changing."

"Sit with me, Kanen'tó:kon," Oiá:ner held on to Kanen'tó:kon. He slowly helped the elderly woman to the ground. She folded her legs and placed her wooden staff in her lap. Kanen'tó:kon added wood and a small patch of dried grass to the fire pit. He picked up the flint stones used to spark a flame. He sat beside Oiá:ner and tried to spark a flame by striking the stones together over the patch of dried grass.

"You should return the flames that you smothered, Clan Mother," Kanen'tó:kon said with a laugh as he continued to strike the stones.

Oiá:ner watched as he struck the stones together. She ran her gaunt fingers over the mystical carvings etched into the wooden staff resting in her lap. "Ratonhnhaké:ton swallowed the flames."

Kanen'tó:kon turned to glance at the Clan Mother just as the patch of grass began to catch fire. "Ratonhnhaké:ton has sacrificed more than what any of us could ever imagine," he started in a low voice as he tended to the new flame growing in the fire pit. "I am surprised that his mind is still whole," he sat back and folded his legs as he continued to tend the fire. He scoffed to himself as he stared into the flames of the small fire, "He is a walking curse."

"You were right, Kanen'tó:kon. Our world is changing," Oiá:ner began in a low voice as her beady eyes stares into the flames of the new fire. "We have fought enough. I have sacrificed the lives of many young warriors." She watched over the unfortunate souls who consumed the bark of the Great Red Willow as they promptly began to lose all sense of rationality. Those men, with their minds gone turned to wild beasts and ran into the forest and never returned. Oiá:ner watched with her own eyes as some of the strongest warriors suddenly fell torturous slumber. She spared those men by taking their lives when she knew their souls were lost forever. The silence between them was deafening. They listened to the wood crackle in the pit fire as the flames consumed them. "Kanen'tó:kon, I propose that we move to the west."

I apologize for not getting chapters out to you sooner. I'm so busy these days that I completely forget about writing until I get a notification about a new follower or a review. Please leave a review and remind me to keep writing. Thank you for reading! S/N: The next chapter is optional. Please read at your discretion.