Chapter Twenty-Eight
As dawn rose in the pink morning sky I opened one eye slowly, allowing myself the luxury of waking up into a bright new morning without rushing. Kallaheart was still asleep on my other side, a pillow snuggled tightly in his arms as he muttered to himself, his bones occasionally clacking against one another in his hair as he rolled over in his sleep. I giggled quietly to myself as I got up off of the couch and got ready for the day.
I dressed in the third outfit I had bought, which consisted of a leather top that was of a deep woodsy brown and came down in varied patterns of designs with an opening in the middle of it where leather bands had been put in an intricate pattern. The sides were laced up with very thin leather strips, and I had leather gloves of the same color that were thickest on the backs of my hands to match it all. It made me feel pleased with the body I had, allowing me to show off smooth skin on my sides and give me confidence.
I opened the front door of the house and let the dawn light creep into the main room, also using the cool air to lower the temperature in the front room a bit so that it was more comfortable. I opened the small shuttered windows above the kitchen counter-top and began to prepare a breakfast of sweet cinnamon bread with maple syrup from the surrounding woods, all with a large platter of crunchy bacon on the side. The smell from the bacon and syrup roused the boys quickly from their beds and had them eagerly awaiting the food to be placed on the table.
I finished cooking quickly and set out the plates and utensils, putting the large platters of food on the table so that the boys could dig in. I nibbled quietly on a piece of cinnamon bread as I watched them eat in silence, wolfing down the food as if it were the last meal they would ever eat.
When they were full, Roran and Garrow went out to the fields to work and Kallaheart went over to sit on the couch with another good book under his nose. I cleaned the dishes and put them away wiping off the counter and table as I watched my big brother concentrate on his book. I put down the cloth I was cleaning with and walked over into the living room, sitting beside him on the couch as he marked his page and turned to me.
"Hey Kally, what's your dark gift?" I asked him. He looked surprised by my question for a moment, but then relaxed.
He gave me a goofy smile and said "Since I'm so old, I have a lot of Dark Gifts. Are you wanting to know what my first one was?" he asked me. I nodded, my eyes alight.
He scratched his chin in thought for a moment and said "I got my first Dark Gift in that clearing as you did, following the sacred traditions of the werewolf. I sat in concentration, and was able to see something like a large set of crossroads in my mind. It showed me that the road I was on would lead to much jealousy and hatred, and possibly causing me to do a great many terrible things. However, the crossroads showed me all the ways I could turn from that path to lead a different life. If I sit quietly and concentrate, I can again see those roads so I know where I'm going in my heart and mind, and how to change it if I need to. My paths of life are practically never-ending." He explained quietly, a dream-like quality coating his words.
"That's incredible Kally." I whispered to him. He looked down at me with a small sweet smile for a long moment.
"Yeah, I know." He whispered back. Then he straightened up a little and said in a louder voice closer to his usual booming tone, "Well, at least it helps keep me sane Little Sister. Now then, how about we go visit our big brother Nyvern for a while?" he suggested. I nodded eagerly and pumped my fist in the air, running towards the door with Kallaheart in tow.
As we were walking down the dirt path between the stables and the house, he asked me "So, why have you started calling my Kally? Is my warrior name just too tough for you to say?" he asked me teasingly. I playfully shoved his shoulder as I shook my head.
"No, I just think it fits your silly self better than the fierce name of Kallaheart." I said, laughing. Kally laughed with me and mussed with my hair playfully before saying over his shoulder that he'd beat me to the stables.
I laughed and chased after him, catching up just as we reached the barn door. We considered it a tie and saddled our fierce horses, mounting up within a few minutes. We charged out the barn door and straight into the forest, only changing our mounts once we knew we were out of sight from any nearby humans. Our steeds transformed into fierce felsteeds and sped through the forest at lightning speed, taking a very short time to reach 'Carluo Dieun'.
As we rode up to the front side of the mountain, many curious eyes watched us. We rode up the path on the side of the mountain and entered through the main cave, entering the Main Hall and looking around in wonder.
I got down off of my flaming horse and held onto his reigns tightly. As a lesser noble was passing us, I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Pardon me, but do you know where we might find Chief Nyvern?" I asked the lesser noble. He nodded and pointed in the direction of the Holy Quarter as he replied.
"He's speaking with the nine high leaders of the Holy Quarter right now I believe. When you reach the main door of the Quarter, the guards will direct you in where to go." He answered. I patted his shoulder and thanked him, allowing him to continue on his way as I got back up on my flaming felsteed.
We rode to the gate of the Holy Quarter and asked the guards where the nine leaders of the Quarter were meeting with Nyvern. They directed us to the back side of the main temple, where there was a large and luscious garden with fountains in its four corners. In the center of the garden was a large marble table with ten chairs surrounding it, and the two chairs on the end seemed to hold more important than the eight in between.
Nyvern was sitting in one of the end chairs, but the other chair was strangely empty. He was speaking quietly with one of the servants at his side, who quickly scurried away under orders from the King. Nyvern sighed and put his head in his hands for a moment before either hearing or sensing something above the sound of the other eight members speaking to one another.
Nyvern glanced up and saw Kallaheart and I riding around the building at a graceful walk on our sleek felsteeds, smiles on our faces. Nyvern smiled in joyous surprise and said "Ayla! Kallaheart! It's wonderful to see you; come join me at the meeting table." He said, waving his arm in a welcoming motion. We rode closer and then got down off of our mounts, handing them to a pair of werewolves that were waiting at our sides.
Nyvern stood as we approached and gave us both very warm hugs, lingering as he hugged me. He introduced me to the eight members sitting at the table, but the names flew by with the faces as though they didn't exist. My eyes were constantly drawn to the empty chair at the end of the table, as if some force were pulling me there. One of the eight members noticed my stare.
"That's the seat reserved for the ninth member of our leadership board; Hecate herself. She rarely attends meetings, but we save a seat anyways just in case she has something to say. That seat has been empty for a long time now." He said, eyeing the chair with a little mistrust.
"She has her reasons for not attending I'm sure." I told him, trying to lift his spirit a bit. He scowled but didn't argue any further.
My eyes were still drawn to the chair, and I unknowingly began to walk towards it. As I got near, a feeling in my gut grew stronger and I began to realize what it was.
"Mother." I whispered, tears stinging my eyes as I saw her nearly-invisible spectral form sitting in the seat. She smiled up at me and stood, wrapping me in a spectral hug that I could feel in my bones and flesh.
"They can't see or hear me as you can Ayla, though my most devoted believers still sense my presence as you do. Our councils have become slightly corrupt in the choosing of the most devoted followers to lead them." She admitted, glancing at the man that had told me about Hecate's reserved seat on the council with a scowl.
I smiled in spite of myself. Hecate motioned for me to go join my brothers again as she sat down gracefully in her chair and watched the proceedings with interest. I smiled at her once more and joined Nyvern and Kallaheart as the council declared they had more issues to resolve. I told the boys that I'd rather spend some time inside of the sanctuary, and they agreed to come find me when it was time.