Chapter 3 : Tall tales are hard to swallow

KATE

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The quick run home had been exhilarating with Garrett. He glided effortlessly through the forests that lined the pacific coast as we ran to Alaska in a few days. We hunted once during the trip, and Garrett's face was priceless as he tried hunting the Canadian Kodiak Bear for the first time. He was a skilled hunter and took the bear down on the second swipe. He grimaced at the taste, and then tried to mask his displeasure by nodding at me while he fed. I laughed aloud and remembered how I had felt the first time I decided to hunt bears with Irina. I remembered the smell the most, more than the taste. It was the smell that was so difficult for me in the beginning.

Preying on animals was like taking all of the pleasure from the hunt. Their smell was almost sour to me; whereas humans had a sweetly spiced aroma. The bear smelled like a combination of rusted metal mixed with the animal's woody scent. I felt almost sorry for Garrett as he did his best to keep a straight face as he finished.

"That's terrible," he laughed a deep laugh as he sat up, "My God woman, do you really survive on just that?"
"Everyone has different tastes," I quipped, "bears are not my favorite but they are every bit as nourishing as a more traditional diet."

"More so, I would wager," Garrett paused to think, "In all honesty, humans taste different these days. As their eating habits change, so does their scent. They almost smell like chemicals of some sort," we laughed and he continued, "but I am sure they have millennia to go before they are less palatable than that."

As we raced on towards Alaska Garrett told me about his solitary past. He had travelled the world countless times over, and his knowledge of geography and culture was evident. When our family was simply studying cultures in order to pass the infinite time that we had as immortals, Garrett was living amongst the people of the world. He told me stories of times in Haiti, Tibet, Morocco and Scandinavia. His eyes lit up as he relived his adventures through his tales. He looked over at me as he paused in mid sentence, "I was always alone."

We stopped walking again, this time beside a small brook running through a much quieter forest. The trees had thinned and the air was cooler, and we were getting close to my home. The clouded sky was typical for this area, and the soft light bounced from Garrett's smooth vampire skin. I took in the details of his face, and he was utterly flawless. His alabaster complexion was only overshadowed by his square lines and deep set eyes. I noticed that his eyes had warmed slightly, and that the cool crimson had turned to a warm burgundy over the last few days. Garrett approached me slower this time, and put his hands around my waist gently. He pulled me closer to him and he teased, "Will you push me away again this time, Kate ?"

I breathed in his scent as the space between us closed quickly.
Garrett was irresistible; he had a musky scent that was woven with a sweet citrus-like overtone. I hadn't noticed how utterly attractive he was before. The blend was intoxicating and I began to felt slightly dizzy as he whispered into my ear, "I will follow you everywhere, Kate."

A breath escaped my lips as my uneven breathing sped up. He was magnificent, this solitary rogue that stood before me. His hand pulled me quickly towards him, more forcefully this time, and I gasped as he kissed me intensely. His lips quickly found their way to my neck, and I tilted my head back breathlessly.

In one motion he picked me up off the ground and I realized how small I felt when I was around him. He embraced me completely as his hands moved down my back and his passionate embrace intensified. Our tender kisses turned to fire and I wanted so fervently to be united with him.

His breathing slowed, and he pulled his head back slightly. His eyes darted and I could tell that Garrett sensed something in the air. I relaxed my grip on him in disappointment and I focused on the air that had so inopportunely interrupted. It bothered me that Garrett appeared to be more in tune with his senses than I was. This was the second time that he had perceived something in the air before I had, and I wondered if my lifestyle was rendering my senses ineffective. The thought was disheartening and I watched Garrett with curiosity.

He smiled wildly at me, "The Romanians!"
"What ?" I replied, "What are you talking about Garrett ?"

He didn't answer me, he just crooked his mouth and took off to the west at a velocity that I would be hard pressed to echo. He wasn't getting away that easily though, and I took off after him, exhilarated by the chase.

Our laughter rang through the air as I chased Garret.

He stopped abruptly as we approached the two elder Romanians. Their moves were jagged as they walked. I looked at them from a distance and they looked aged, especially considering that they were immortals. Stefan hulked over the forest floor as he trudged, and Vladimir grumbled something that I could not make out at this distance.

"They hear us," Garrett nodded his head in their direction and he ran over to the Romanian coven with his arms open in a symbolic gesture of welcome. I could tell that Garrett was fascinated by the Romanians; he had watched them closely while we were at the Cullens, and even now there was a child-like look on his face as he approached the large ancients in awe.

I walked over slowly, as Stephan explained to Garrett their reason for being in the Yukon, "We are tracking Aro. He didn't go back to Italy, and when the others left he began his walk north."

I nodded a hello to the Romanian brothers and I asked them with angst, "Was he alone?"

The thought of Aro made my stomach turn; my life with my dearest Irina was stolen from me by his evil hand. I felt my eyes flare and it was Vladimir who answered my question, "He was with his vile little waif, Renata."

Stefan interjected with a grunt, "If it weren't for his little pawn shield I would have taken care of that cunning snake long ago."

"What on earth would Aro want with Alaska ?" I queried out loud, mostly to myself.
Vladimir turned to me quickly and his livid eyes made me shudder.
"He covets your clans," Vladimir hissed, "and I have known Aro for a very long time. There is no way he would relinquish the objects of his obsessions that easily. We were planning on - escorting them – from a distance, so to speak, to ensure that they made their way back to their wretched nest safely."

Stefan's low laugh spattered out sounding more like a grumble. The sheer size and malice of the archaic pair frightened me, and I took a step closer to Garrett.

Vladimir's hoarse laughter rang through the landscape. When he stopped, he looked at me and his eyes opened ever so slightly. "My dear girl," he began, and a serious tone cut through his words, "We are loyal and faithful until we are betrayed. The most loyal of allies we will make; you need not worry, unless you have plans to deceive us sometime soon."

"Oh no," I stammered, "that would not happen at all."

Stefan patted me on the back in an attempt at closeness, and Garrett laughed as he began to chat about the last time they had run into each other in Yugoslavia. Garrett somehow did not appear out of place with the imposing Romanians, and they seemed to welcome him into their conversation like an old friend. I was surprised at my lonely rogue, who really looked very comfortable considering the unnerving company that we were keeping. I was glad that he had accompanied me home. I would not have wanted to run into them in the woods at night alone.

I shuddered at the thought as we made our way into Denali.
We went to my home to warn my family about Aro's proximity but the home was empty. I moved through our duplex and was jittery as I searched to no avail. They must have all been at the shop, and the four of us made our way over to the little curio shop that my family owned. As we reached the small plaza things were bizarrely out of place. The wooden sign that read "Irina's Curios" was not lit, and there were no lights on at all inside the boutique. I cocked my head to get a better look inside, and Garrett pushed on the door. It opened under his light touch – it was unlocked. We took one step inside and I felt a heaviness in my chest. Something was incredibly wrong.

Esme's low moan led us over to her, and I called Jasper's cell phone immediately.

I noticed Vladimir's eyes narrow in suspicion as Jasper explained Bella's conversation with Carlisle. The Romanian brothers looked at each other as soon as they heard the name Korfinna. Garrett tried to calm me as I chatted to Jasper; he put his hands on my shoulders and kissed the back of my head tenderly.

"We will figure this out," he reassured me, but I didn't feel any better.

Stefan eyed us curiously as Garrett displayed his growing affection towards me, and then he spoke in a low, even voice, "I am sure that Aro's malicious hand is behind this. It reeks of his noxious ambition. He covets the bonds that your family seems to maintain almost as much as he begrudges you your powers."

Vladimir nodded his head in agreement and he motioned towards the benches in the back of the store, "Let us sit for a moment. My brother and I will be leaving shortly, but before we depart I would like to share something with you."

As we sat down Vladimir's hushed tale began, "There is a Korfinna family from Iceland, or so legend tells us."

"Legend?" Garrett probed.

"In Norse mythology," Vladimir continued in his thick accent, "there are nine worlds. All of these worlds are separate dimensions that are woven together by one large tree of life. 2 of these worlds belong to the gods, one belongs to humans, and the other 6 are," he chose his words carefully, "more mythical."

He paused and his eyes flickered to each one of us before continuing, "There is a world of primordial fire, and one of ice, and there is a world of the dead… there is also a world of giants, and two worlds inhabited by elves. One of these worlds, Svaarta, is the underworld of the dark elves."

"Elves ?" I asked impatiently, "I don't understand how a fairytale could possibly be of use to us!"

Vladimir's loud hiss made me regret my quick tongue. Garrett pulled me closer protectively and the huge elder continued, "There are such places. Stefan and I have seen the world of the giants. When I say elf you think of a little nimble creature with pointed ears, but I am not talking about the elf from your storybooks," he shot me a frigid glance, "I am talking about a race of demi-immortals who have unusual powers and malicious ambitions. They spend their long lives trying to enter the gates of the world of the dead, so that they can command the armies below. It is power that they crave. These dark creatures would rule ruthlessly if they were to succeed, and that would make them unstoppable, in any realm."

Stefan looked at us, noting our reactions and he got to the point with less illustration, "The Korfinna family are the tyrants that once ruled Svaarta, and they were exhiled to the human dimension when they were overthrown. They have been here in this realm ever since, where they live human lives in human form. They can live for hundreds of years, but they are not immortals. "

I looked at Garrett and he looked like he had been struck over the head with tin pan, "Dark elf descendents in human form? Do you always attract such am odd assortment of creatures Kate ?"

Stefan continued, "We must be off now."

With a nod and a handshake they were gone. I looked at Garrett completely lost. Everything had happened so quickly that I blinked to take it all in. It seemed absolutely ridiculous to think that their legend had anything to do with my missing family. What about Aro ? I felt a fool for being lured into the Romanian's tale, and I was ashamed to admit that our only lead was a legend from Norse folklore.

Garrett pulled me closer still and he thought out loud, "Once, long ago, I believed with all my being that vampires were mythical creatures that lived only on the pages of storybooks. I have known the Romanians for many, many years. They are as wise in their years as any member of the Volturi."

I refused to believe the tall-tale. "Elves," I snickered sarcastically, "What a load of crap. Pardon my French. "

Esme suddenly shifted and garbled something incoherent. Poor Esme appeared to be in pain, and her grayed eyes were still shocking to see. I wondered what had happened to her beloved Carlisle.

"This is very worrying," Garrett whispered as he eyed Esme.
I glared at him and his huge understatement, "This is my family, Garrett! Of course it is 'worrying'."

"That's not what I meant," he replied as he stared off into the air, "I have never seen such strength in two families as I did in yours and the Cullens last month. I have never seen so many talented vampires in union, and so many interesting, gifted creatures living and relating as kin and family."

He paused and looked over to me as he voiced his turmoil, "If this could happen to your family Kate, then none of us are safe."
I nodded blankly and we moved Esme to my home. Jasper and Bella would be arriving in Anchorage in the morning, and at the moment there was nothing to do but wait.

** Chapter 4 uploaded tomorrow ** please review ! Thanks.