A/N: This is the last fully written chapter I have... Since it's long, it will have to make do until I can find time to write another. Thanks to mugglepirate and StormyPhoenix for reviewing the last chapter.


:Raleigh: Faolan whispered, standing by the sleeping man's bed, and staring at his lidded eyes fiercely, :Raleigh come back!:

And, reaching out with her magic as Rathmir had taught her, she touched the Scout's mind, and what she found was more horrifying than the coma itself- it was blank. There was nothing there, nothing. He really is a vegetable! she thought with horror, His soul is gone.

Faolan stepped backwards from the bed, staring at the handsome man laid out before her like a breathing corpse, and then she fell to the ground, sobbing. What if you never come back? You have to come back, Raleigh! I need you!

Faolan felt Raul suddenly touch her mind, gently, softly and Faolan choked of her tears with a sudden determination, :If he's still alive, his soul can still come back, can't it Raul?:

:Yes: the Companion filly answered and Faolan felt a nudge of confidence.

So Faolan stood up and stepped back up to Raleigh, took his hand and whispered, :Raleigh.: She sent her thoughts into him and then out, searching for his soul, :Come back to me Raleigh.:

:Come back…:

But he did not. And winter slipped by, and Faolan let certain things slip to the back of her mind. She still visited him everyday, calling for him to come back, telling herself if she kept calling he'd hear… some day. She began to master her Gifts, and had progressed to small thought sending/receiving exercises. She continued to surprise the Weaponsmaster with her rapidly advancing Archery skills. The weather grew absolutely miserable, and Faolan enjoyed many afternoons spent curled up in Danielle's room with a bright fire, listening to her read stories out loud with flair and passion.

Only one thing marred the passage of the time, and that was the Midwinter. Rathmir and William and their kids were going to stay with relatives for the brief week and invited Faolan to come along as well. Faolan managed to discreetly do shopping for her friends when Alaska dragged her along to Haven, and hoped no one would think it too strange that she did it all on her own. They all exchanged Gifts before everyone started to leave and that's when the trouble happened.

Faolan had managed to catch Christopher Alaska after breakfast, to shove a small wrapped package at him with a mischievous grin. People jostled around them, ignoring Alaska's surprised amusement.

"Hey Fao," he said as he inspected the package, "Come over to my room so I can get you yours."

She nodded and followed him through thronging students over to the dormitories and into his room, where he dug under his bed before finally coming out with a tiny box with a red ribbon tied on it. He handed it to her and then sat down on the bed to open Faolan's.

She crawled up after him, watching him slowly take apart the wrapping, to reveal a warm woolen hat that was almost the exact shade of his eyes. He looked at it for a long moment before turning to Faolan with a shadowy smile and looking briefly into her eyes, said, "Thanks Faolan."

She grinned back up at him and said, "Even though it would be a shame to cover up such interesting hair!"

Alaska only smiled and urged, "Open yours."

Faolan obliged and pulled the ribbon off before cracking open the tiny box. Resting inside was a leather necklace with a sterling silver pendant. To Faolan's surprise and suspicion the pendant was formed into the shape of a wolf, sitting and staring up at her.

"You like wolves, right?" Alaska asked, "Here, let me help you put it on."

"Okay," Faolan said with a smile, because thinking about it, she did like wolves, and it was a very nice pendant, "Thank you."

Alaska's fingers plucked up the necklace and he fastened it around her neck, letting the pendent fall down against her shirt. Fao reached up to touch it, stroking the smooth metal and looking down at it, and suddenly her fingers starting burning and she dropped the pendant, staring at them and the redness that was spreading down her fingers and beginning to blister.

"Uh," Faolan said, looking up at Alaska in surprise and fear.

"Here!" Alaska quickly took hold of the pendant, closed his eyes for a moment, and Fao saw it transform before her eyes. The sheen became less white and a little more metallic. Pewter.

"Oh," Faolan said, as he dropped it back down and she touched it again, with her other hand. No reaction. She grinned and asked, "How did you do it, Alaska?"

The boy only winked and said, "If you believe it's not silver, it isn't silver."

Faolan looked back down at the wolf and a shiver went through her as she thought of the extent Alaska's powers could be used. If he could make her believe it wasn't silver… could he make an army walk off a cliff? Could he make someone step into a fire, believing it to be water? She shivered again and looked back up at Alaska with a smile.

"Thanks," she said again and they slid off his bed, him hurrying to his chores, and Faolan going down to visit Raul.

And then winter passed into Spring and Faolan began to think everything was finally settling down- although Raleigh still did not wake up. She acted four, she acted like an adult, and if anyone noticed no one commented. Fao had a sneaking suspicion that both Rathmir and Alaska knew a lot more than they were letting on, but she was grateful they didn't talk about it to her. She continued to stay with the Sommers, playing with their kids and progressing in her studies with Rathmir. Thrice a month she slept away to sleep in her own room, and once more, Rathmir never questioned this and Fao assumed she assumed it was a occasionally need for privacy and did not notice it occurred always on the full moon. This was a false assumption.

For come April, nearing Faolan's fifth birthday and two years of living with the memories of her past lives, which were still creeping up on her. Yet one memory still did not surface, and Faolan was reluctant to let it so. The memory of her death. The memory that could unlock the truth behind Raleigh's coma. It could not stay in ambivalence for long…

It began as many nights began- with Faolan lying on her own bed, in her own room, feeling lost and alone and wracked with pain. However, she'd become quite adept at leaving her body during the Change itself and was currently floating around inside her head, at the time when her memories were most prone to surface. And this night, after seeing Raleigh once more, both alive and dead, she wanted to know why. This deep, inner desire, forced one particular memory to begin unraveling…

"Raleigh!" I yelled happily, tossing a bucket of water over the half dressed man. He ducked, a not really angry grin on his face. It was summer, it was warm, and we were beating back the lines.

"Hey!" he shouted, and tackled me into the damp grass we had previously been bathing the horses on. A brief scuffle in the grass ended in an activity that did not involve wrestling, tickling, water throwing, or talking.

It was warm, and we were basking in it. The sun playing on the grass, the high spirits of the horses… all of it made it very easy to forget that we risked our lives every night, stalking across the border to figure out where the opposing army was and then conveying that information to our side. The horses were now tearing up the fresh green grass and thoroughly enjoying the weather, and their new found cleanliness after the mud of winter and spring.

"Raleigh," I whispered as we sat on the grass, watching the woods and horses nearby, listening to the birds chirped. One of his arms was draped around my shoulder, and neither of us minded that we were both soaked.

"Yes?" he asked, gazing at me with beautiful eyes.

"I love you," I whispered and he kissed me before saying, "I love you too, Carry."

And that night we were both back on the front line- or what we thought the front line was, tracking the movements of the bands of mysteriously allusive soldiers. One night they were in a pass, the next night they were in a totally different set of mountains! We were not on horseback this night, and the five of us in this scout group, including Raleigh, crept through the night, spaced evenly. The moon was just starting to peak over the horizon, to soon light our way- although it was also going to light their way.

Suddenly I heard a muffled groan to my left and I looked over, peering through the trees for Calandra- but I could see nothing. I gave a low hoot, mimicking an owl to tell everyone else to halt for a moment while I crept over. But before I could find her I heard Raleigh shout out in a horrified fear, "RUN!"

Was this it? Were we surrounded- we had to be, if he was shouting. I ran, and stumbled over the torn and bloody body of Calandra. I barely had time to gasp before stumbling on, because I had heard someone behind me.

"Carry!" Raleigh shouted, grabbing my arm and followed him, winding through the trees, not having even once seen one of our attackers. There was a loud thunk as a knife sunk into a tree near Raleigh's head, and we ran faster, not even bothering to try for a certain direction, just going.

And then Raleigh stopped and I slipped on some leaves, falling down. Then I saw what had made him stop. Standing before us, and now around us, were five men. Something was odd about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it, until there was a growl behind me and I whirled around, to see a half wolf, half human in now ill fitting clothes standing before me.

In plain sight fur sprouted over his body and fangs sprouted from his mouth. My stomach rolled, although whether it was in disgust or fear I did not know. All around us, they were changing, and I heard a slicing sound as Raleigh drew his sword. In a quick motion he leapt forward, and to my surprise his sword sunk deep into one of the wolf things chest. He pulled it out- but the man didn't fall to the ground, and suddenly all the horrible rumors that were threading through the camp about superhuman soldiers flooded into my mind- the very rumors I hadn't paid a lick of attention to before- but I, as a Scout, had never been in direct combat. They aren't trained wolves, I thought hazily, of one rumor.

But then my senses returned and I let a knife slip into my hand from a sleeve, although I knew it couldn't possibly save me. Blurrily, I saw the wolves creep forward, preparing to attack, and then in a whirl of bodies several things happened at once. First, one leapt on Raleigh, and he fell back onto the ground, his head heading the ground with a sickening crack, then there was a shout, and from the distance I heard hoof beats, many of them, thudding onto the ground- our side.

"Raleigh!" I screamed, tearing out a knife and hurling it at the wolf standing over him.

They turned around, in momentary confusion and I thought briefly, They don't want us to know… Then I saw a set of white fangs and a heavy weight pressed me down, claws sinking into my chest.. There was a terrible pain as the fangs sunk into my throat and ripped it out, but after that- blackness. There was blackness for an age until finally there was light. And it grew…

Faolan's eyes jerked open and she leapt up, ignoring the pain still racing through her body, ignoring the awkwardness of moving like this, and she stumbled to the door, only aware of the memory of soldiers changing into wolves, of the pain of multiple sets of teeth sinking into her, only aware of fading in a blackness that had light at the end…

They're werewolves! She thought, They're werewolves and NO ONE knows, even now! No wonder we're losing the war! They're werewolves!

:Faolan!: she heard Raul shouting in the back of her mind.

:I have to tell them!: Faolan screamed back, and she was screaming out loud too, clawing at a door she couldn't open with her half changed hands.

:Not now!: Raul was saying but Faolan didn't hear.

:They're werewolves, Raul!: she yelled and then she was howling instead of screaming, the door open and Rathmir appeared, saw the bundle of claws and fur that was Faolan and dropped down.

:RATHMIR: Faolan cried in her mind and through changing eyes saw the play of emotions across the Herald's face, :THEY'RE WEREWOLVES!:

"Faolan?" she whispered as the pain disappeared from Fao's body, taking some of her panic with it and she lay on the ground, breathing heavily, fully wolfish.

:It's me: Faolan whispered back, staring up at Rathmir with horror filled eyes.

For a long moment they stared at each other and then Faolan pulled herself to her feet and almost at the same time Rathmir pulled Fao into her arms, hugging her tightly. Faolan submitted, letting the Herald push away the horror that was flooding through her.

A few minutes later Rathmir pushed Faolan away and, looking right into her blue wolf pup eyes, "Now- who's a werewolf?"

Faolan let out a low snort, licking her nose with the irony of that statement and said, :THEM! The Karsites. Or whoever they are. They are werewolves.:

"What makes you think that?" Rathmir inquired and Faolan heard Raul poking in and adding, :Damn, you can't tell her Fao! Even now, you can't tell her!:

:I just know: Faolan wailed with a whimper, then said, :Raul, how else will they believe me?:and then to Rathmir, :Because Carry Rolf was killed by them:

"Who's Carry Rolf?" Rathmir asked intently, her hands resting on Faolan's wolf shoulders, her fingers brushing the necklace that still decorated Fao's neck, "Speak clearly, and tell me everything."

:I can't: Faolan said desperately then took a deep breath and said, :I was bitten by a werewolf the night that Raul Chose me. Somehow, the whole combination of being tired, hungry, cold, bitten, Chosen… it awoke… memories. Carry Rolf was a Scout in the Valdemaren army. She died six years ago. She died by Raleigh's side. She died at the hands of werewolves.:

Rathmir stared at Faolan for a long, long moment and the girl heard Raul cursing in the back of her mind. Then she pulled Faolan close once more and whispered, "Okay Faolan. Who knows you're a werewolf?"

:The Queen and the Queen's Own and their Companions. The only people who know about Carry Rolf are Raul, Rolan, Noland, Marcella and-:

"Conlan too, yes, he just told me," Rathmir nodded and stood up.

Alaska probably suspects like hell too… Faolan thought grimly, standing up as well.

"We're going to see the Queen," she said and took off down the hallway, Faolan trotting behind and musing over the fact that Rathmir never once realized that in a different time, Faolan would have bitten her by now.

The halls were dark and lonely and Faolan trotted determinedly behind Rathmir, the silver pendent Alaska had given her bumping against her chest. They wound through the palace, parts that Faolan hadn't even wandered into, until they came to a set of double doors, where a single blue uniformed Guard stood.

He looked curiously down at Faolan, who grinned up at him intently as Rathmir said, "We need to see the Queen. Now. It's more important than anything else she could possibly be doing."

The Guard nodded, looking faintly surprised, and gave a slight knock on the door before opening and saying, "Herald Rathmir hear to see you."

"And Faolan," Rathmir added as she stepped in to a room where the Queen, the Queen's Own, and the Herald Lord Marshall all sat around a table littered with papers. The three white clad beings were all staring at Faolan with a mixture of surprise and fear.

"As in Trainee Faolan?" the Marshall inquired incredulously, peering behind Rathmir as if to see her over there. The door shut behind them.

:Yes, as in Trainee Faolan: Faolan said directly into the Herald's mind and he sat back.

"She's a werewolf," the Queen's Own said.

The Queen sighed and rubbed her temples and then asked Rathmir, "Dare I inquire as to why you came?"

"Faolan…" Rathmir said, "Has some very interesting information for you."

Fao looked up at Rathmir in surprise, her expression very clearing saying that she didn't expect to have to explain. But Rathmir only gave her a stern glare and so Faolan stepped forward and ducked her head in a bow to the Queen.

"Could you, sit her up here?" the Queen inquired of Rathmir.

Faolan gave Rathmir a funny looked as the Herald lifted her up and set her on the table so she could be more eye level with the three Heralds.

"Well?" the Queen asked as Fao stared at them.

:What do I say, Raul?: Faolan asked, reaching out for her Companion.

:Do as you did with Rathmir. Imply that you can only remember one past life: Raul said, :And remember that Rolan, the Queen's Own Companion, knows about your past lives.:

:Your Highness…: Faolan began, :When I was bitten by a werewolf here in Valdemar, and that werewolf is now dead, certain memories surfaced in my mind. They entailed the life of Carry Rolf, a scout in the Valdemaren army who died six years ago. Only just tonight did one specific memory come to my mind in full awareness. It was the memory of her death- because they wouldn't have let her live once she knew. The Karsites, or whoever they have working for them, are werewolves too, Your Highness. I know because I saw them. They changed in front of my eyes and killed me. That is how they've been slipping past our lines, that is why they are very hard to kill. And I think that is why I came back again, so soon.:

There was dead silence in the room. Faolan had projected her voice so that everyone heard, and even Rathmir, who had heard it in briefer words, was struck dumb. The Herald Lord Marshall gave a low cough, and looked at the Queen.

She nodded and then the Queen's Own spoke up, "Rolan confirms this."

The Queen then slowly began to speak, staring at Faolan, "This means a lot. Thank you Faolan. I see a true Herald sitting before me. Rathmir, you and Faolan may leave now."

Rathmir nodded and plucked Faolan off the table and with a bow, they left, leaving the three Heralds in a flurry of activity. Faolan felt that was a bit anticlimactic and she asked, :So now we just sit here, uninvolved:

"Correct," Rathmir said as they made their way back to her rooms. William was awake and the three of them sat on the bed, waiting, and listening to the sounds of doors opening and people beginning to walk around.

And Faolan whispered, :I'm scared Rathmir: