Disclaimer: I do not own a fair amount of the characters depicted in this story, although I will claim a few as my own. I hope you enjoy my takes on those both canon and original.

Language Key:

"English"

"Avantas" – This is the language all creatures use to communicate with each other

The next morning, it was the lighthearted birdsong of the Forest that woke Heron from his sleep. Their calls hailed in a new day, filled with possibilities. He wondered, briefly, as he blearily stared into the Forest's canopy, what would the day hold for him?

If he was completely honest with himself, he was afraid of the answer to that question. He could count on one hand how many times he had left the land he called home. There was a familiarity to the trees he would miss once he left. He remembered hearing once there were no trees outside of the Forest, neither dirt nor grass…He hoped these rumors were unfounded.

Shaking these thoughts from his head, Heron closed his eyes and stretched to help loosen his muscles before he rolled into a sitting position. Hunting with the werewolves always tested his strength and stamina. The wolves could run for hours on end, chasing some elusive quarry before it was finally caught. Heron could go for quite long himself, but there was a distinct difference between natural ability and supernatural ability.

Honestly though, he really shouldn't complain about whatever soreness he acquired from a wolf hunt. Unlike the pack, his body wasn't forced to change on full moons. It was a very painful and gruesome experience, they told him. He believed them. The brunette saw the way their bones would contort, and he heard the pained howls. The werewolves of the Forest were able to maintain full control over their minds during a full moon, but they had yet to find a way to maintain control over their bodies.

Heron slowly climbed to his feet and looked around the clearing. Normally, he was the first to wake after a full moon, as he was the only one who didn't go through the change. In the minutes to hours he had to himself before the others would awake, he often cleaned up the clearing or mended ripped garments. It was the least he could do for this branch of his extended family.

This morning, however, when he surveyed the clearing, he saw none of his wolves slumbering away. Instead, they sat clustered in a circle near the small wooden lodge they used for shelter when their bodies weren't covered in fur. They seemed to be discussing something important – he guessed they were discussing him when they fell silent as he approached.

"Hail, brothers and sisters. What has you up so early this morn?" the black haired youth asked, though he had a fair inkling. The news he was leaving with Moony this morning was big. "Normally, you are still lying about at this hour."

Victoria, one of the small female pups turned towards Heron and whimpered, looking up at the youth with big blue eyes. "You're really gonna leave us?" she asked.

Before Heron could open his mouth the respond, the pup's mother patted him on the head in light admonishment. "Don't start crying now, Victoria," she said. "Our Heron has promised to come back for good when he has finished his little adventure and to, of course, visit when he gets the time." She nodded slightly at the young man before her, knowing he had promised no such thing. Her face made it evident, however, that the entire pack expected such from him.

Reading the request for what it was, the brunette bowed his head in acknowledgement. He would have planned nothing less, really. His family was important to him, even while he engaged in such a…quest, as what he would call it.

"I promise I will be back to visit," Heron said before looking at all the pups. "And I expect all of you to become mighty hunters while I am gone, you hear?" He grinned brightly, effectively breaking the tension over the group. "You study hard here and I will study hard at this school too. Now…Speaking of such, have any of you fine wolves seen a strange blonde wondering around here?"

Alpha Nevier made his way through the small circle of pack and patted Heron on the back with a heavy hand. "I saw him run behind those trees when he first woke," the man said, voice a deep and pleasant baritone. "I believe our new friend is embarrassed by nudity – his and our own." The idea was amusing and sent a chuckle through the adults. Whenever a new wolf from the outside joined the pack, they would display the same 'modesty'. They all got over it eventually though.

Clothing, the way outsiders viewed it, was a constant need. It was a necessity in their daily lives. To run around without clothing was barbaric. Inside the forest though…what was the point in this 'modesty'? It was a lot less natural than walking around in the skin you were born in. That is not to say Forest-dwellers were without clothing, but they used it sparingly. When it was cold and one lacked fur, one wore clothing. When one planned to travel through the forest, one wore travel garb to protect one's more sensitive areas. What other purpose should clothing serve?

Rolling his eyes at the alpha, Heron smiled. "I will go fetch a pair of leather briefs and slippers for him from the lodge. I hope he will be fine with just those two things. I would rather not deprive the pack from any tunics as the cold season draws closer with every full moon." Nevier nodded in understanding as Heron turned to head into the lodge.

The wooden structure was large, made up of two rooms. The first, Heron stepped into as he entered the building, held about thirty or so cots with extra space for more to be added later. A fireplace stood cold in the middle of the room. It would prove essential to the werewolves' survival as snow approached. It also served as a kitchen center for some of the food the wolves cooked. Raw meet was all well in good, but many other foods helped the pack maintain healthy systems. Items such as nuts, berries, certain grasses, roots, and others were gathered and put into another room at the end of the large room, which held pantry supplies and other essentials.

The leather garments Heron was looking for would be in the back storage room. He collected them quickly and returned outside, eager to speak with Moony this morning. There were plans which needed to be made.

Nearing the bushes Moony hid behind, Heron made a small noise to announce his arrival before actually stepping deeper into the foliage where he saw the wolf crouching to cover his private bits. He moved slowly though, as he didn't wish to startle the stranger more than they already had. He seemed so…skittish.

"I brought you some garments," the brunette said, extending the bundle of leather. He tried to smile warmly, to make the blonde feel more at ease. "They aren't as big or extravagant as what you must be used to, outside of the forest. Each piece fulfills their need though. Now, we have a pair of leather shorts. These are a type of undergarment we use to protect our genitals from thorns and the like. And here are some slippers, to protect your feet from this type of terrain…" The black haired youth trailed off, feeling awkward. The entire time Heron spoke, Moony said nothing and did nothing other than stare at Heron. "Not that you have to wear the slippers – or the briefs – if you don't want. I just figured with your outsider background, you'd-"

The young man was cut short as Moony gave a wild squawk and grabbed at the two leather garments held out before him. As soon as they were in his hands, he then proceeded to babble incoherently as he struggled to put the pieces on. His tone, more than his words, told Heron the current emotions of the wolf. There was frustration, anger, curiosity, and – interestingly enough – longing. The wolf babbled a few more phrases once he got the pieces on, his face growing more desperate with every sentence.

Heron could feel his own face contorting into an expression of frustration as well, as he realized what the problem was.

Many moons ago, a few of his mentors urged him to learn English. It was the language of his people, they said. He, however, had not wanted to hear of it. What use had he for English if he never wanted to live amongst people again, after all?

Lord Tepes told him English was useful, even when one didn't live amongst humans. It was good to understand them and how they conducted their business. Sometimes, their decisions affected what was going on within the Forest. How could Heron manage Forest affairs if he couldn't understand all the factors playing into its livelihood?

Firenze spoke of family and heritage when he urged Heron to learn English. Even if the wild boy had no desire to be among humans when he was young, who could say he had no desire to be among them when he had grown? What if he wanted a human mate? How would he be able to converse with them if he had no use for their words?

For several moons, each attempted to teach him English. He learned numbers, letters, colors, several names, and a few keywords and phrases for if he ever decided to venture into human territory. They were going to teach him more, but…learning English fell to the wayside of his other lessons. At the time, he had been happy to be done with such useless teachings. Now though…

Heron sighed. Of course Moony wouldn't be able to understand Avantas, the common tongue of the Forest. It was Fate, punishing him for not completing his English lessons. He was sure of it.

Trying to gather all his memories of those class periods, the youth attempted to reassure the skittish wolf. "It…It...okay," he said, making a shushing sound. It worked. Moony's head snapped to attention and he stared raptly at the brunette.

The blonde said a few more things. This time, Heron caught a word or two. "Heron," he reintroduced himself. He pointed at his chest, making sure the wolf understood. The older man repeated the gesture and made a noise which must represent his own name, "Remus". To Heron, the word didn't sound like what the name 'Moony' should be. If he remembered his letters right, the Avantas 'M' made a 'mmmmm' sound in English. Apparently, he didn't remember his letters as well as he thought.

Moony said a few more cautious phrases before Heron held up a hand to get the other to stop. "I…can…little English," he said, drawing upon a phrase Firenze assured him would be very useful. It was to tell humans he could understand only the barest of English words. He hoped he had said the phrase right.

A few more words were said, none of them understandable to the youth. This was obviously not going to work out. He held up a finger to signal he would be back in one minute and then gestured for Moony to stay. Once he was mostly sure the wolf had understood properly, Heron turned and went back towards the conversing pack.

"Alpha Nevier," he called as he approached. "It seems that this wolf is without his creature tongue. Could I possibly borrow a translator from your pack?" Since the pack sometimes took in strays from outside the Forest boundaries, there was likely several wolfs within the pack could still remember English words.

The alpha gave a brief nod before surveying the small crowd, trying to decide who would best be able to help the young man. "Ylva," he said, pointing at a dainty female. She had only joined the pack several months ago, and still retained much of her knowledge on humans. "Go with the unicorn prince."

The lithe girl nodded before walking over towards Heron. "I am not a native English speaker," she admitted. "My first language is Norsk - Norwegian. I do know English though."

Heron nodded. He didn't need her to be a native speaker. Just as long as Moony could understand him, that was enough. "I hope you do not mind escorting us for a while. I need to return to my mother's clearing before I take leave. If my uncle is there when we arrive, I will probably ask him to escort us out of the Forest so you may take leave. I know he has had a fair amount of dealings with this school, so it may be better to have him with us when we enter the school's territory anyway."

Ylva nodded. "I will do what I can to help you, Heron," she said. "What do you want for me to tell him?"

The youth thought about it for a few minutes before gesturing for her to follow him towards Moony. "Tell him that, as we spoke about last night, I will be accompanying him back to his school. He needn't worry about how to get back, since I know the location…and I doubt he would be able to find his way back anyway," Heron snorted lightly in amusement. The lack of instinct outsiders possessed was amazing. "Also, tell him what I told you- I must stop in unicorn territory before we head out."

As the instructions were carried out, Heron let his eyes roam over the older wolf's body. He tried to read the man's thoughts through his actions and expressions. There was wariness there. It had not been there before and he seemed partially shocked by Ylva's words. Now, whether he was shocked by the actual words or that a 'wild' werewolf was speaking, Heron didn't know.

Moony said a few things in response. "He asks…why are you doing this? Going with him, that is. Do you have some…oh, what's the word in Avantas? ….Ah, yes, do you have some ulterior motive?" Yvla translated. "I think he is asking because of the…wizarding dark lord."

"Dark lord?" Heron didn't bother paying much attention to human news. His disinterest in human business was a constant source of vexation to Lord Tepes. Apparently, the vampire had been right in his pressures.

"Yes. A British wizard. Very evil. He is a killer, with no want for food or resources," she said, Norwegian accent thickening in her remembered fear. "Most of his efforts were – are – focused in the United Kingdom, but his followers stretch much of the continent. Even in my homeland, his followers sought to do his will."

Heron wondered at the power of this killer, at this person who could make a grown werewolf cringe just by memory. He was glad no such man had ever tried to invade the Forest. "Ask him, then, if this is what he fears. Reassure him no such man resides here, or will be welcome to do so. I have no ulterior motive; I simply feel a draw to him. Besides," he said, pausing in thought, "Firenze has always encouraged me to make contact with the humans living outside of this land. Maybe tell Moony I intend to learn more about my biological background."

Yvla passed along the message and Moony's shoulders released some of the tension bundled there. The two spoke for a few moments, back and forth before Moony nodded in reluctance. "He is not completely confident in you, or in whatever your plan may be. But he says…he has been judged too soonly before. He will give you the benefit of the doubt and introduce you to his…I cannot figure out what the word would be in Avantas? The head mentor of the school? His alpha," the female translated. "His alpha can be the one you speak to about joining their school."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Heron said, nodding. If he truly expected to join this school, this…pack, as it were, then it wouldn't do him any good if he didn't have the alpha's permission to be there. "Then, if he is agreeable to the decision, the three of us should leave now." Moony hesitantly nodded his head in agreement after Yvla translated. "Good."

The brunette motioned for the two to follow him out of the clearing, towards the west. While it would be easier to simply head North and go directly to this human school, Heron felt he would not be able to leave the Forest in good conscious without seeing his mum first. He doubted she would have much to say, as she was a quiet sort, but he still wanted to hear her advice on the situation. He wanted her blessings and to assure her of his wellbeing.

As they exited the werewolf territory, Heron bowed slightly towards Alpha Nevier. He would miss the man while he was gone. Out of his many mentors, the wolf understood Heron perhaps the best. The youth would try hard to find time to visit his pack. Not just to reassure the pups, but for his own comfort. He didn't doubt his ability to make friends amongst the humans, but he would miss the Forest and all those within too.

"Now, the journey into the forest's heart is roughly a shadow's turn or two from here," the youth said, pushing a few hanging vines out of their path with his hands. It would have been easier to travel if they cleared the way completely, such as what humans did to create trails. However, Heron believed it would be against the Forest's will. There was a significant difference after all in cutting someone's hair and cutting their flesh.

So, the walk was somewhat arduous – at least, for Moony. Heron could hear the older man huffing and puffing in exhaustion as they got closer to unicorn territory. "It won't be too long now," he reassured. He didn't need the shadows to tell him how far they were, but he could see them turning, lengthening the further the trio walked. Then again, with the speed at which the blonde wolf walked, it was probably not the best idea to measure their travel distance by the time they had been walking.

Then, he could see the path open into a familiar clearing. This one was much larger than that of the werewolves', made up of two smaller clearings joined in the center. One of the clearings was the center for council meetings. It was simply an empty space with a small creek running through it. The other clearing, however, housed a large hollow tree. The center of the tree had long ago died and rotted out in the middle. The outer layers of the trunk thrived still. It was within this mighty tree where the unicorns lived. Looking upon it now, the youth was gripped by a sudden, desperate homesickness.

Heron smiled tightly, dwelling on his memories of this home. It was a grand sight to take in, especially for the first time, and he tried to hold on to the joy and awe it could provide. Moony further compounded the point of how awesome it was by gaping at the two clearings for a solid few moments. "This is the unicorn territory," the youth announced, gesturing at the clearing with the tree in it.

"In the other clearing, the council meets to discuss important Forest affairs. My mother leads the agenda, as it were," Heron said before he paused thoughtfully. "I don't know what would be the best word for her would be. Queen is not right, though some would call her that. But the creatures do not select her either. The unicorns have always 'led' – although, again, that is not the right word for it." Try as he might, he couldn't think of how to define it to an outsider. "Mediator?"

"Heron!" A delicate voice from across the clearing called out. A small unicorn with dappled hindquarters stepped out from inside the tree. She trotted over, a smile in her voice as she asked, "How was your night with the wolves?"

"Fairly well," he said. "You know Yvla, one of the pack's wolves." The female werewolf waved. "And…this is my new companion, Moony. He is an outsider wolf. Moony, this is my aunt, Lilac."

Moony's face froze in shock as he stared at Lilac. His amber eyes grew bigger Yvla translated. He said something haltingly, causing the female werewolf to chuckle. "He didn't think unicorns liked males," she commented as the other wolf bowed slowly at the waist.

"It would perhaps be better to say we are…wary of human males," Lilac said before pausing. "Although, there are things happening in the world outside the Forest right now, which would make me unfortunately question most humans…But, that does not make for good conversation. Please, ask your friend to join us for our brunch."

As Yvla turned to Moony to do so, Heron stepped closer to his aunt. "Actually, that is the type of conversation I wish to discuss today," he said, patting her muzzle in affection. "This stranger, from beyond the forest boundaries, in that world full of conflict, is full of opportunity. I see it in his eyes. They call for me to take hold of the future he can give me access to, and to hold on tight." He sighed then, and rested his head alongside her much larger one. "I feel I should…no, need to follow him to that backwards world out there."

The unicorn whickered softly into her nephew's hair. "What sadness," she remarked, "for such a beautiful day as today. Not only for those who love you and would miss you if you left, but also for yourself. What are your feelings?" Lilac was perhaps the aunt Heron could most easily speak with about his feelings. It was not due to a lack of caring on the part of the others. Lilac just…understood. She never questioned him out of judgment; rather, she questioned him to make him think introspectively.

"I feel…excited. I've never really been out of the Forest before; not longer than a few minutes, at least . I have never really had a desire to learn about humans….But, now I have this opportunity, and I am slightly curious about them…and about what this pull towards Moony might be. What are humans like, I wonder? I've heard the stories. How many of them are true?" he asked before sighing. What he said next was really hard for him to admit.

"And…I'm afraid. Some of the stories are very horrible if they are true. And I will miss everyone." Heron made a small whine sound in the back of his throat. "But as much as I might want to turn away from this opportunity, I don't feel I should. I don't understand it, not when most of my emotions are resistant to the idea of leaving the forest."

"You do plan to come back, don't you?" Lilac asked, bumping her muzzle against Heron's chest. "No one is making you go. If you dislike it or feel ill at ease, then simply inform the humans you are leaving and come back. Simple."

The brunette thought about it. His aunt made good points. Enough that he could feel the slight weight of panic lift off of his chest. Of course he would be able to return whenever he wanted, and not simply for breaks. "All right then, let's go speak with Aunt Daisy and mom, huh?" he asked rhetorically, already on his way up towards the center of the clearing where the big tree stood.

For nearly sixteen autumns now, the tree had been Heron's home. It saw him grow from infancy through childhood into the young adult he was today. It stood witness to his tears and laughter. It had always been a constant in his life. He would miss it, as he said before, but…he would be back. He silently promised it he would as he walked over the enormous threshold.

The tree itself was quite impressive, able to hold roughly ten fully grown unicorns quite comfortably – more than that uncomfortably. The ground was covered in a thick mat of dried grass, reeds, molted fur, and feathers – all of which had been collected over a great span of time. It offered soft bedding, with the additional comfort given by knowing that the generations of the past had started to lay down the framework for the wellbeing of the herd all those seasons ago.

Currently, the herd was quite small in size. It had been awhile since a stallion had entered the Forest. There had been a few outsiders who had come to join their herd about six autumns ago, but a monster killed them. None knew what it was, and it made other unicorns hesitate to enter the Forest the humans called Forbidden. As it was, the herd currently held only Heron's aunts and his mum. All of them were too stubborn to let go of their ancestral home. The youth hoped more unicorns would venture into the forest again, and soon. Unicorns were familial creatures and the lack of a true herd weighed heavily on his family. His mother often told Heron he had been sent by the Fates themselves to her and her sisters. Without him to raise, they may have given up and left long ago.

"Heron!" The brunette turned slowly towards the center of the mat and smiled at his mother and Aunt Daisy. "Give us a hug, child," his mother, Iris, said. "It has been a while since you have been home. Have the wolves been keeping you busy?" She glanced at Yvla and Moony as they entered through the doorway, smiling. "Or have you just been busy making new friends?"

"A bit of both," Heron admitted. "This is my mum, Moony…and that unicorn there is my Aunt Daisy. Mum and Aunt Daisy, Moony…And Yvla, you know. She was the newest addition to the pack, a Norwegian wolf, from the North side of the Forest."

Iris nodded at her son's companions before she stopped, noticing the look on the brunette's face. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking between Lilac and Heron. "Something has happened?"

"I…have found myself desiring to go abroad. Out of the Forest, I mean. I feel like it is something I am currently being called to do," Heron admitted. "Something I need to do."

Iris sighed. She had thought a day would come when Heron felt the need to go off. She hoped it would be for many more years to come before the youth sought to join humanity. Yet, she could not deny him this. "Do you have a plan?" she asked reluctantly. "Will you be back to visit, at least?"

Heron paused, not understanding for a moment before he caught on to her meaning. "Oh! No, I have no intention of staying there. I…know I am human, but I have trouble identifying as one. I do not seek to rejoin them and learn of my heritage. I…when I look into the eyes of this wolf, Moony, I see potential. It is the same potential I see for myself when I first encountered Lord Tepes in the forest," he explained.

When the brunette first met the ancient vampire amongst the Forest trees, he thought he was going to die. His mind had felt numb with fear, and his body became petrified in terror. Yet, when he looked into the man's blood red eyes, they spoke of depth and reason. The light within them contracted and twisted in inspiring ways. The vision was enough to pull the youth out of his panic and squeak out a proposition to Lord Tepes. The man initially laughed at the idea of taking the dirty human under his tutelage, but as time progressed, the two grew closer. Now Tepes was a trusted mentor to Heron, the Forest flourished under the alliance which developed between the vampires and the other species, and the lord had named Heron as his heir should he be slain.

He had also seen a similar swirl of color and depth in the eyes of Firenze, Nevier, and in the veela mistress, "Queenie" Aurora. He was loath to tell his mother explicitly about his lessons with the veela. The two had a mutual understanding not to discuss those lessons on pleasure and luxury, though Heron was sure Iris knew about them.

"I see then," Iris said, smiling slightly in relief. "Well, if you feel such a journey is written into your path by the Fates, than I will respect that. Do you have materials for the trip?"

Heron walked around his mother and aunt to a small, natural crevice in the tree's interior. "I have my bag of supplies Firenze gave me," he said before rolling his eyes. "He probably saw this written in the stars then. I had wondered." He fished the bag out of the crack and opened it to inspect the items within.

The bag contained a variety of items. There were things like string, dried meat and fruits, tiny vials of what Tepes had taught him were potions, needles for leather, a few short obsidian daggers for emergencies…He already had his stone knife for everyday utilities. "These are plenty useful within the Forest, so I hope they will be useful outside of it too…," Heron said aloud, voicing his concerns. "I don't want to make a fool of myself. I don't know if I can do this…"

Daisy approached Heron and nudged him with her horn. "I am sad over this news. But, if this is the path chosen for you, than I doubt you will do anything less than be amazing. Now, come outside," she said, nudging him again.

He laughingly raised his arms in surrender and allowed for himself to be directed out past the two wolves, who were now conversing quietly to themselves, and out of the tree's entrance. She pushed him a little off to the right for a while before she slowed. Heron knew where they were and instantly grew somber. His mum and Aunt Lilac followed behind the two, growing silent as they too approached the grave of the woman who gave birth to their beloved Heron.

"She was extremely strong, and loved you very much," Iris commented quietly. "There are magical barriers around the entirety of the human school. I think she was trying to go there originally. I don't know how far she travelled before she popped into existence right in this spot. When she did though, she appeared bloody and torn. I approached her; ready to offer the aid I could through my own magic. But she was already slipping away; the damage done was too extensive. Right before she died, she said something in human. I don't know what the exact words were, but I knew the exact feeling. She wanted me to protect you. She had died alone in a forest to get you to some sort of safety. You have that strength inside of you."

Lilac smiled. "And the capacity to love like that.."

"I know you don't consider her your mother, but her blood does run through your veins," Daisy added. "Try to remember that when you lose hope. And above all, remember you have the entire Forest backing you."

Heron took a deep breath and smiled. "Thank you," he said. "I will remember. And I will be back to visit. I might have her blood in my veins, but I need you to keep my heart pumping."

Iris huffed, looking down as her large black eyes grew misty. "Well then, we will see you off as far as we can then, shall we? Yvla may accompany, should she wish to do so, to act as translator. However, when we get to the centaur territory, it might be a good idea for Firenze to become your translator and help lead you into the human's land. He has had many dealings in the last couple years with this school. Perhaps they will be more willing to trust you if he is with you," she suggested. Heron nodded, having already thought of that.

Yvla apparently translated for Moony as the man posed a question for her to voice. "He asks…would it not be better for unicorns to accompany us as they only linger around pure individuals?"

"It's a valid question. I am not sure it would be a good idea, however. Since the visiting herd members were killed, we are wary of the reactions Humans have to unicorns. They may like us, but I believe they see us as beasts. Firenze can speak directly to them," Iris said, before pausing. "However, if this outsider Moony thinks it may help, we will stand at the edge of the Forest until we get signal that all is well."

Moony nodded as the words were translated for him. This would apparently be enough for him.

"Well then, shall we?"

Let me know what is your take on the new version of this chapter! The majority of this one is new material, and will hopefully give readers more insight into Heron's life within the Forest.

I thought there wasn't enough background on his mentors or on mother/aunts in the original version. I was also planning on doing it (much) later in the original, but this time I decided to further elaborate on Lily's death sooner. It lets readers understand the sacrifice Lily made and how Heron came to be in the forest. I like Heron in this chapter better too; the original had a much whiner personality without fully going into depth about why he was upset to leave (though it was implied).

Please review!