Mina:

I shake my head trying to clear it. That was intense. I find I'm still shackled to Hamish because of the amulet. I slip it off so I can get some space. Being so near him, it was hard to block out his thoughts. He is pretty good about keeping them quiet, but I know how he feels about me. He is jealous of my magic and also terrified of it. He is fascinated and he wants me. He doesn't know about Sam and has a flicker of hope for us.

I think about Sam now. I wish I could know about our future like Alyx and Dean. I love Sam. I realized that the first night he stayed at my house. Even before we got serious. I sigh and turn to look at Alyx lying unconscious on the ground. Her wings are beautiful, yet she's still half a wolf. I knew of this legendary person who would lead the Eelalapito into the fray. I also knew it was Alyx. I had no way to prove how I knew, or why I knew about it, I just did. The elders wanted proof. I would help them get it. It could also help Alyx deal with her life if she understood where she came from. That was why I was going to go find Rowena. To help understand where I came from, where my powers came from, find out if she really was my mother. How that could even be possible if she was four hundred years old.

Rosemarue smiled and came over. "Thank you for the help, dear. It's nice to see such a powerful white witch. Tell me how long you have been studying?"

"I came into my natural power at twelve. I have been on the run since then, afraid to use it or learn more about the craft. The monsters that killed my family were after me. I didn't start studying magic until recently. The monsters returned and I wanted to help. Alyx, the Winchesters and I vanquished them. I finally felt safe to pursue magical knowledge and find out more about my past. Evidently, there's a Scottish witch I'm related to who's somewhat of a badass. I want to find her if she's still alive. The last report I heard on her was that Lucifer killed her, but the Winchesters are not so sure. They say she's pretty sneaky."

Rosemarue looked at me with wide dark eyes. "Did I hear you right? Did you say Lucifer? As in Christianity's devil?" I nod. "Oh, dear we are in trouble." She grabs my arm to steady herself. "I only pray we are right and Alyx is the sign my people need to join in and help."

I pat her arm. "She is Rosemarue. I can't tell you how I know it, but I do. She is your people's sign."

"I hope you're right, dear. I hope you're right." She answers staring off into the distance, her mind wandering, imagining endless possibilities.

Hamish wanders over. "Are we going to finish this up or what, Rosemarue? Some of us have lives we need to get back to." He seems a tad upset and begins pacing the room.

His aura is red, angry, and without meaning to I read his thoughts. He wants to get as far away from me as possible. He also wants me very badly and being this close is testing him. I don't want to say anything. He must know he is projecting, and I can hear his thoughts. I look him over, wondering if he is something I want. I've always taken what I wanted before, but I've never felt the emotions I feel when I'm with Sam.

Hamish is an older gentleman, mid-fifties, pleasant looking. Long dark hair, a sharp nose and chin, plus those intense multi-colored eyes. He's quite muscular too. I was surprised when I saw him change last night. Sinewy and lean, you could see every muscle on his torso. He obviously cared about looking good. I love the magic radiating from him. His power is tempered but strong. Like a trained animal, if only he could find the lock to release it. It's not like Sam's. Sam's is boiling; it rolls off him in waves at unpredictable moments. And it's not the same as mine or Hamish's. It comes from a different source, but there is no doubt it's there. Even if Sam tries to deny it. No. Sam is too important to me to mess things up, even if I was interested in Hamish. I'm going to have to let him down somehow.

Rosemarue is lost in thought. I tap Hamish on the shoulder. "Hey, give her a break. She's working something out."

He jerks away from me. "What are you telling her now? Some more nonsense?" He hollers.

The other elders come over and pull him to the other side of the room. "Hamish." I hear them say. "You must remain calm. We need you for the other ceremony. Don't let your emotions take you." He huffs and cools down but keeps staring at me.

I feel his eyes burning as I wait with Rosemarue. She snaps out her daze. "Sorry, dear. Got a little carried away there. Lucifer is bad news. If he is back, what other things are out there?"

I lean in closer and whisper in her ear. "We can talk more about this later. I think we need to take care of Alyx so we can get Hamish out of here." I indicate the group on the other side of the room, silently holding him back.

Rosemarue shivers. "You're right. I can feel his negative energy. We need to re-cleanse ourselves." Then to everyone, "Alright, everyone. Back to your respective posts. I will reseal the circle and resmudge the room before we begin. I know everyone is hungry but the quicker we get this done the quicker we can eat."

With a sigh, Hamish and the others move to the spots as Rosemarue lights another stick of sage and tobacco. She first smudges the circle again and seals it. Then she does the room and each of us. When she walks by Hamish, she grabs the amulet from his hand and puts it on. Reaching her place at the North she indicates I should join her there. I walk clockwise around the circle until I reach her. She pulls me in close and loops the necklace over me. She nods to the other elders who start up a chant, different from the one we used earlier. This one is more primal, older. I don't understand the words, even though I have learned their language. Rosemarue places her hand on my shoulder and I feel a spark. A connection. She has opened a channel between us. When she starts to sing, I join her without knowing what will come out of my mouth. It's like she has possessed me. She's using me as a conduit, increasing her own power through me. It feels strange. There's a tickle in my soul and deep in my brain. It's uncomfortable but I let it be. I will do whatever it takes to help Alyx. She's the only friend I've ever had.

I recognize one phrase. "Baatchaache Baleilaaxbaaxpee, Great Spirit." The elders start stomping their feet, crushing elderberries and pine, releasing their scent into the already saturated air. I see Alyx twitch on the floor. The air continues to thicken until a shape appears, semi-solid, white smoke inside the circle, but outside Alyx's circle. A person shapes. Looking at Rosemarue it appears to speak to her. She snaps our connection by pulling the necklace off me. I sink to the floor, unable to hold myself up. All my energy went with Rosemarue. I watch the interaction from the cool tiles. Rosemarue enters the circle and speaks to the shadow person, gesticulating wildly at me and Alyx. The figure nods understanding and points at the circle of stones and turnips. Rosemarue sits down near them and moves some aside. She remains in front of the hole, almost as if she is a part of the circle herself. The shadow person steps inside Rosemarue like she is a suit. Her eyes pop open and phosphoresce a brilliant purple. Using Rosemarue, it stands to pace the inner circle, then leans down over Alyx. Her back to me she proceeds to do an examination. I'm not sure what she's doing. I'm lying helpless on the ground, too tired to move. A purple light emanates from them so bright I must shut my eyes. When I open them again, Rosemarue has closed the inner circle and the shadow figure is back in full form. It glides gracefully through the air and touches each elder on the forehead before returning to Rosemarue. She bows low and offers the amulet. It closes her palm around it and points at Alyx then disappears in a puff.

When the smoke clears, I can move. I'm still weak but at least I can move. The air feels clean again as if there weren't multiple smudgings and smoke creatures present. I sit up and stare at the Elders. They all glance at each other. I know they now know it's true. Alyx is a Valkyrie wolf, she is the sign they have been waiting for.

Hamish rushes from the room, blowing past everyone to get out first. Rosemarue comes over and helps me up. "How are you feeling, dear? I'm sorry about the theatrics but I needed to borrow some power in order to allow the ancient spirit to manifest."

"I'm fine. I told you from the beginning whatever you needed to help Alyx I would do. But could you help me to the kitchen? I can't make it there on my own right now and eating something will help." I tell her.

She laughs. "It will help all of us!" She gestures to one of the other elders.

As we move out of the room, I glance back at Alyx on the floor. She looks so helpless, lying there in a messy heap. "Rosemarue. Are we going to leave her there?" I call.

"Yes, my dear. She is charged with magic right now. Who knows what will happen if we touch her? The gems and stones will absorb the magic that is seeping from her. All the excess that we used in order to see what we needed to see." I see the elders adding a few more gems and stones outside the second circle as they make their way to the door. "Once that is done, we can move her to her cage, make her more comfortable." She comes to wrap her arm around me on the other side as we walk toward the kitchen. I nod.

Hamish has pulled out some ham from the fridge and is making a few sandwiches. "Sorry Rosemarue, but I need to leave." His eyes flash briefly toward me.

"I understand, Hamish. Please go speak with your Grandfather today about what we witnessed. He needs to know." She responds.

"Of course." He bows his head and takes his paper plate of food out the door. I hear the large warehouse door slam shut and am glad he's gone.

One of the other elders set about making pancakes, another frying the bacon and ham, with another scrambling egg. They work together as a team without needing to speak. I am seated at the table and Rosemarue and I have a talk while we wait. I tell her everything that has happened since Alyx first was introduced to the supernatural. The Leviathans, the demon working for something else bigger and badder. She has a right to know, being a spiritual leader and someone that will help rally the tribe to join the Men of Letters. I think that's the right thing for them to do. I explain the Winchesters connection to the Men of Letters.

"We know of these Men of Letters. We have crossed paths before, them and I. They did not take kindly to women then." Rosemarue huffed.

"When was this?" I asked curiously.

"1948. I was eighteen. I thought they, the rest of America, would be more open to working with our peoples after the Navajo Wind talkers helped the marines during the war. I was young and naïve. They didn't care about us. They only cared about themselves." She sighed. "My brother had been a hunter during the war and had come across the Men of Letters. Unbeknownst to him, they were both hunting the same creature. With all the fighting, monsters thought they could cash in on it and there was an increase of attacks. My brother told me about many of the creatures he'd hunted and about running into the Men of Letters time and time again. I was always more interested in magic and lore then hunting and wanted to join this amazing organization that had all this knowledge at their fingertips. Too bad they turned us down."

"They wouldn't now," I told her. "Most of the members were killed in 1958. The Winchesters have revived it. Anyone who has any supernatural know-how and wants to can join. I am going to put you in contact with Sam, he's in charge of recruitment. He's the person you want to be talking to if you guys are going to join in the fight."

The other elders had finished making food and were dishing it out to us. After a quiet meal, I felt much better, revived even. We headed back into the sacred room to find that the gems and stones had grown to the size of small boulders and were blocking Alyx from view. "Is that normal?" I whisper to Rosemarue.

She smiles at me. "Yes. There was a lot of magic thrown around this room today. We can't have all of that released into nature to wreak havoc. We will take care of it." She nodded and the men left the room returning with wheelbarrows and gardeners' gloves. They loaded several of the nuggets into them and wheeled them out of the room.

Alyx lay on the floor, naked now. All her red-gold fur is gone except for a tail. Her white-gold wings are carefully folded against her back. Feathers poking through her sunset hair. She's curled into a ball, her pale skin cool to the touch, although she's giving off steam. Her tail curls around her like it's another arm. The elders return. They place her in a wheel barrel and wrap her in blankets as best they can without touching her. I wonder if I should have. I follow them as the wheel her out to the cage and watch them reverently place her in a nest of blankets. Her tail twitches a few times. Her wings quiver as she coils herself tighter. I grab Dean's flannel and place it over her. Her hand darts out to clutch it as she catches the scent, burying her nose in the softness. I smile and fiddle a little with the blankets around her. I decide to sit outside the cage and wait.

"It may be a long time, Mina. She may not wake up today." Rosemarue comments, placing her brown weathered hand on my shoulder. "Is there anything you need to do?"

I shake my head. "No. I'm not leaving her. I want my face to be the first thing she sees when she wakes up. I owe her that."

She squeezes my shoulder. "As you wish, dear. Here's your backpack from the office. It's quite heavy. I imagine you have things to do inside. To keep you occupied?" She says handing it to me.

I smile at that. "As a matter of fact, I do." Pulling out the latest grimoire I am reading as well as my own book of shadows.

"I knew it. I'll leave you to it then." She saunters off back to the sacred room to help with clean up. I watch Alyx, the lump buried beneath piles of blankets slowly rising and falling. Then go about getting through the next tome of spells and lore. With each book, I gain more knowledge and understanding of what I am and what I can do.

Several hours later Ahna appears, red-faced and out of breath. She has been outside, running as a wolf. "I had to come back and see if Alyx was alright. Is she?"

I shrug. "She hasn't woken up yet. They say she may sleep all day and night, but they are not sure."

"Really?! I'll have to come back tomorrow then. See you!" She calls excitedly as she rushes toward the door, waving.

"What a nut!" I laugh to myself as I get up to stretch. "It's about time for some lunch."

The warehouse seems quiet since the elders have all left, each taking a large chunk of gems and stones with them. I never even noticed; I was so engrossed in the book. I enter the kitchen and find a soccer ball-sized nugget of gold and several smaller gems nearby. A sticky note is stuck to the ball. "Here's some gold as thanks for your help. Spend it wisely. Rosemarue." I pick up the rock and gems and stash them in my bag. Pinned to the fridge is another note. "We left you plenty of fixings in case Alyx wakes up or if you get peckish. If you don't eat it, don't worry. Someone always drops in on this place every couple of days." I open the door and pull out some bread and ham. I find some turkey, roast beef and several kinds of cheeses in the back. I make a mondo Dagwood and magic in some lettuce and tomatoes. Smiling, I take it outside to eat.

The snow has stopped and the sun came out, melting what little was there. I conjure up my flame to keep me warm and watch the frozen tundra. Some rabbits appear, hawks and a few deer in the distance. It's beautiful. Peaceful. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of nature around me as I eat my sandwich, savoring each bite. By the time I've finished eating, my flames have all but puttered out so I head back inside to check on Alyx.

The covers have been thrown off and her wings are stretched out in all their glory. Each white feather edged with gold spread wide, reflecting the sun's rays filtering down from tiny windows. They shudder and rewrap themselves into place. I've noticed her tail has disappeared and her hair has grown longer and thicker, almost enveloping her like a blanket of her own making. "She's not going to be happy about that," I mutter with a smirk on my face. I yawn. The lack of sleep from last night is catching up with me. I head to the office and pull the couch out in front of Alyx's cage. She barely stirs even with the dragging noises and grunting I make. I wrap myself up in a blanket and take a nap of my own.