A/N: I really hate this chapter but I don't know how to change it and I'm too lazy to change it. It will be painful to read, I swear, I hate to read it myself. I promise that none of the other chapters will be this painful to read. You can skip over this if you want, its not that important, but you might get lost.
I do not own the story in this story. (If that even makes any sense).
We were all at the beach, around the campfire, enjoying ourselves. It was really funny, everyone let their guards down for once, and it was nice. After everyone finished eating, Sam cleared his throat and waited. The boys became quite and waited patiently for Sam to begin.
"Sandy, would you like to hear the legend of the Quileute tribe?" I smiled and nodded my head. I loved hearing the legend; my favorite was the one about the third wife. Sam nodded and began the tale.
"Let's starts with the spirit warriors. The quileutes have been a small group of people from the beginning. And we are a small group of people still, but we have never disappeared.
This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape shifting --- that came later. First, we were spirit warriors. In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fishermen. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them.
Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. We do not remember who was the first to discover this power, or how it has been used before this crisis. Kaheleha was the first great chief in our history. In this emergency Kaheleha used magic to defend our land. He and all his men left the ship--- not their bodies, but their spirits their woman watched over the bodies and the waves, and the men took their spirits back to our harbor.
They could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways. The stories tell us that they could blow fierce winds that terrified their foes. The stories also tell us that the animals could see the spirit warriors and understanding them; the animals would do their bidding.
Kaheleha took his spirit army and wrecked havoc on the intruders. This invading tribe had packs of big, thick-haired dogs that they used to pull their sleds in the frozen north. The spirit warriors turned the dogs against their masters and then brought a mighty infestation of bats up from the cliff caverns. They used the screaming wind to aid the dogs in confusing the men. The dogs and bats won. The survivors scattered, calling our harbor a cursed place. The dogs ran wild when the spirit warriors released them. The Quileutes returned to their wives and bodies victorious. The other nearby tribes the Hohs and the Makahs made treaty's with the Quileutes. They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy came against us the spirit warriors would drive them off.
Generations passed. Then came the last Great Spirit chief, Taha Aki. He was known for his wisdom, and for being a man of peace. The people lived well and content in his care. But there was one man who was not content. Utlapa. Utlapa was one of chief Taha Aki's strongest spirit warriors--- a powerful man, but a grasping man too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands and enslave the Hohs and Makahs to build an empire. When the warriors were their spirit selves they knew each other's thoughts. Taha Aki saw what Utlapa dreamed and was angry with him. He commanded that Utlapa leave the people and never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a strong man but the other warriors outnumbered him. He had no choice but to leave. The furious outcast hid in a nearby forest waiting for revenge against the chief. Even in times of peace the Spirit chief was vigilant and often searched for signs of intruders who wished to harm his people. He would go to a sacred place in the mountains where he would leave his body behind and sweep through the forests and along the coast making sure no one posed a threat.
One day when Taha Aki left his body in the mountain to perform this duty Utlapa followed him. Utlapa thought of killing Taha Aki, but then the other warriors would figure out it was him, and would seek to destroy him. He hid in the rocks and watched the chief prepare to leave his body behind. And another plan occurred to him.
Taha aki left his body in the secret place and flew with the winds to watch over his people. Utlapa waited until he was sure the chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self.
Taha Aki knew it the instant that Utlapa entered the spirit world, and he knew utlapa's murderous plan. He raced back to his hiding place but even the winds were not fast enough to save him. When he reached the mountain he found his body was gone, but Utlapa had not left him with an escape he slit his own body with taha Aki's hands.
Taha Aki followed his body down the mountainside, he screamed at Utlapa, who ignored him as if he were mere wind.
Taha Aki watched in despair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes. He did everything like Taha Aki so that no one would suspect him. Then the changes began---Utlapa first edict was he forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world. He claimed he had a vision of danger, but really he was afraid. He knew Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afraid to enter the spirit world himself, knowing that Taha Aki would be waiting to take his body back. So his dreams of conquest by using a spirit warrior army were impossible, and he sought to content himself with ruling the tribe. He became a burden seeking privileges that Taha Aki had never requested, and refusing to work alongside his warriors, taking on a new second wife who was much younger, and then a third, though taha aki's wife lived on something unheard of in the tribe.
Taha aki watched in helpless fury.
Taha aki tried to kill his own body by commanding fierce wolves from the mountains to rid the tribe of Utlapa's excesses. But Utlapa hid behind his warrior. When a wolf killed a young warrior who was protecting the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf away. All the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more frightening than exhilarating to be freed from one's own body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need. The chief's solitary journeys to keep watch were a burden and a sacrifice. Being bodiless was disorienting, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha aki had been away from his body for so long at this point that he was in agony. He felt doomed--- never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors waited, stuck in this torturous nothingness forever. The great wolf followed taha aki's spirit as he twisted and withered in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for it's kind, and beautiful. Taha aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least it had a body. At least it had a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness. And taha aki had had the idea that hanged us all. He asked the great wolf to make room for him, for him to share. The wolf complied. Taha aki entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not a human body but it was better than the void of the spirit world. As one, man and wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed slightly hidden.
Taha aki did not attack his warriors. He retreated slowly from them, speaking with his eyes and trying to yelp the songs of his people. The warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal; a man named Yut, decided to disobey the false chief's orders and tried to communicate with the wolf.
As soon as yut crossed the spirit world, taha aki left the wolf--- the animal waited tamely for his return--- to speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home.
At this time, utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw yut lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew his knife and raced forward to kill yut before he could return to his body.
Traitor he screamed, and the warriors didn't know what to do. The chief had forbidden spirit journeys, and it was the chief's decision how to punish those people who had disobeyed.
Yut jumped back into his body but utlapa had his knife at his throat and a hand covering his mouth. Taha aki's body was strong; yut's body was weak with old age. Yut couldn't say one word to warn the others before Utlapa silenced him forever.
Taha aki watched yut's spirit as it slipped away to the final lands that were barred to taha aki for all eternity. He felt great rage more powerful than he had ever had felt before. He entered the big wolf again. Meaning to rip utlapa's throat out. But, as he joined the wolf, the greatest magic happened
Taha aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered and before the eyes of the shocked warriors and utlapa----transformed into a man
the new man did not look like taha aki's body he was far more glorious. He was the flesh interpretation of his spirit warrior. The spirit warriors recognized him immediately though, for they had flown with taha aki's spirit.
Utlapa tried to run but taha aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body. He caught the thief and crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body.
The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened. Taha aki quickly set everything right; working again with his people he brought the young wives back to their families. The only change of utlapa that he kept in place was the end of the spirit travels. He knew that it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more.
From that point on, taha aki the great wolf, or taha aki the spirit man. He led the tribe for many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in peace. Taha aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that after they had reached the age of manhood they too, could transform into spirit wolves that reflected the man they were inside. Some of the sons became warriors with taha aki, and they too no longer aged. Others who did not like the transformation refused to join the pack of wolf men. These men began to age again, and the tribe discovered that the wolf men could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their spirit wolves. Taha aki had lived the span of 3 old men's lives. He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did."
I listened intensely; I've never heard this legend before. Sure, he told me something similar to it, but hearing the actual thing just blew my mind.
"This is how the story of how the magic came to us but this is not the end of the story."
"Are sure you want to hear the rest of it?" Paul whispered into my ear. I looked at him and found that I was in his lap.
"S-sorry." I was about to get off of him when he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"It's ok, I don't mind." He whispered into my ear. I nodded my head and continued to listen to the story.
"This is now the legend of the third wife's sacrifice." Sam began the next legend, my favorite one, but I was wondering if it was going to be different from the one that I was so use to hearing.
"Many years after taha aki gave up his spirit wolf, when he was an old man trouble began in the north, with the makahs. Several young woman of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the wolves, who they feared and mistrusted. The wolf-men could still read each other's thoughts when they changed into their wolf forms and had known that no one of the number had anything to do with the missing Makah girls. Taha aki tried to pacify the makah chief, but there was too much fear. Taha aki did not want to have war on his hands. He was no longer a warrior to lead his people. He charged his oldest wolf son, Taha WI, with finding the true culprit before the hostilities began.
Taha WI led 5 other wolves in his pack on a search through the mountains looking for any evidence of the missing Makahs. They came across something they had never encountered before--- a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain.
They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it
they fount faint traces of human scent, and human blood, along the way. They were sure this was the enemy they were searching for. The journey took them so far north that taha WI sent half the pack, the younger ones back, to the harbor to report to taha aki.
Taha WI and his two brothers did not return.
The younger brothers searched for their elders, but found only silence. Taha aki mourned his sons. He wished to avenge his sons' death, but he was old. He went to the makah chief in his mourning clothes and told him everything that had happened. The Makah chief believed his grief, and tensions ended between the tribes.
A year later 2 makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The makah's called on the wolves at once, who had found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The wolves went on the hunt again.
Only one came back. He was yaha uta, the oldest son of taha aki's third wife, and the youngest in the pack. He brought something with him that had never been seen in all the days of the Quileutes --- a strange cold, stony corpse that he carried in pieces. All who were of taha aki's blood even those who had never been wolves could smell the piercing smell of the dead creature. This was the enemy of the Makahs yaya uta described what had happened: he and his brothers found the creature who looked like a man but who was as hard as granite, with two makah daughters. One girl was already dead, white and bloodless on the ground the other in the creature's arms, his mouth at her throat she may have been alive but the creature quickly snapped her neck and tossed her lifeless body to the ground when they approached. His white lips were covered in her blood, and his eyes glowed red.
Yaya uta described about the fierce strength, and speed of the creature. One of his brothers quickly became a victim when he underestimated the creature's strength. The creature ripped him like a doll. Yaya uta and his other brother were more wary; they worked together, coming at it from the sides, outmaneuvering it. They had to reach the very limits of their wolf strength and speed something that they had never tested before. The creature was hard as rock and cold as ice. They found that only their teeth could penetrate the creature's tough skin. They began to rip the creature to pieces while it fought them. But the creature learned quickly and soon was matching their every stride, and strike, it got it's hands on yaya uta's brother. Yaya uta found an opening in the creature's throat and lunged. His teeth tore the head off, but the creature's hands continued to mangle his brother. Yaya uta ripped the creature to shreds. Trying to save his brother but in the end it was too late, the creature had finished his brother and he had finished the creature.
Or so they thought, yaya uta laid the reeking remains as the elders examined them. One of the severed hands lay beside the granite arm; the hand began to move to re-attach itself with the arm.
Horrifies the elders threw all the pieces of the creature into fire, and burned all that remained of the creature. A great cloud of choking, vile smoke polluted the air. When there was nothing but ashes left they separated the ashes into many small bags and spread them far and wide, in places like the ocean, forest, some in cliff taverns until only one bag remained, so that the tribal elders would know if the creature ever tried to re-assemble himself. They called it a cold one, the blood drinker, and they lived in fear that it was not alone. They only had one wolf protector left, young yaya uta.
They did not have long to wait the creature had a mate, another blood drinker, who came to
the Quileutes seeking revenge.
The story of the cold woman states that she was the most beautiful woman that anyone had ever laid eyes on. She looked like the goddess of dawn when she entered the village that morning her skin was glowing and glittering in the sunlight, the golden light reflected off her hair and her skin. Her face was magical in beauty, her eyes a piercing black. She asked something in a piercing high voice in a language that no one understood. The people were dumbfounded, not knowing how to answer her. There was none of taha aki's blood among the witnesses but one small boy clung to his mother and screamed that the scent was burning his nose. It was then that the people realized what the beautiful woman was. The people ran she killed the elder who had instructed for the people to run.
There were 20 witnesses to the cold woman's approach, 2 survived only because the blood that had spilled distracted her from one of her victims. They ran to taha aki who sat at council with his sons and 3rd wife.
Yaya uta transformed into his spirit wolf as soon as he heard the news. He went to destroy the blood drinker alone. Taha aki, his 3rd wife, his sons, and the elders followed behind him.
At first they could not find the creature, only the evidence of her attack. Body's lay broken, a few drained of blood, strewn across the road where she'd appeared. Then they heard a scream and ran to the harbor. A handful of quileutes had run to ships to escape her. She swam after them like sharks and broke the bow of the boat with her incredible strength. When the ship sank she caught those trying to escape, and broke them too.
She saw the great wolf standing alone on the dock and swam at blinding speed to him. She emerged from the water dripping ever glorious to stand before yaya uta. She pointed at him with one white finger and asked another uncomprehendable question in her mysterious language. It was a close fight, but she was not as good as her mate. But there was no one to distract her from him this time.
When yaya uta lost taha aki screamed in defiance. He limped forward and shifted into an ancient white-muzzled wolf. The wolf was old, but this was taha aki wolf warrior, spirit man. And he ran forward to the glistening woman, his rage made him strong. The fight began again taha aki's 3rd wife had just seen her son die before her. Now her husband fought she had no hope that he would win. She had heard every word the witnesses had said about the attack, and her distraction to the bleeding victims. She had heard yaya uta's victory was only made because his brother was the diversion, had saved him.
The 3rd wife grabbed a knife from the belt of the younger sons that stood beside her; she knew they would die if their father failed. The 3rd wife ran to the cold woman took the dagger and lifted it high, the cold woman laughed because she thought the mere woman would try to stab her with a knife that wouldn't even scratch her skin, but then the 3rd wife did something unexpected she lifted the knife and plunged the dagger into her heart, the cold woman laughed as the dagger pierced her skin. But she could not resist the blood that began to pour from the wound. Instinctively the cold woman turned to the dieing wife so consumed by thirst. Taha aki seized the chance and closed his teeth around the cold woman's neck. That was not the end of the fight, watching their mother die in front of them two young sons felt rage like they never had before and sprang forth in their spirit wolves to help their father finish off the cold woman.
Taha aki never rejoined the tribe. He never changed back into a man. He lay for days beside the body of his dead wife, growling whenever someone came to close to her. Her sacrifice saved the whole tribe."
That woman is my hero, not to mention my ancestor. I found her brave and wonderful at the same time.
"Trouble with the cold ones was rare from that point on, but each wolf passed down his knowledge to the next generation of wolves. There has never been more than a few wolves in a pack at a time. This is the largest one sense the original spirit warriors."
My eyes got huge and my mouth opened.
"Y-you m-mean t-t-that you guys a-are..." I couldn't come out and say it.
"Sandy," I jumped out of Paul's lap and stared at all of them in disbelieve.
"I-I knew that this place has some magical feel to it, but I never imagined something like this." I hugged myself and looked at the floor.
"We're still the same guys that you know." Quil said, his sounded sad and when I looked up I saw that they all looked upset and depressed. I took a deep breath and smiled.
"Hey, cheer up! I can deal with this, really. I actually find it cool."
"Really?" Jacob didn't sound convinced and I don't think any of them were.
"Yeah, this actually explains a lot of things. Like for instance, why you guys always eat a lot. I swear you three eat like your feeding for a whole football team." They all starting laughing and I was glad to see that things were sort of back to normal.
T
he fire was put out and everyone started to head home. As I gathered my things I looked over at Paul one last time and found him looking at me too. He smiled at me and I smiled back but couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I saw him in his wolf form. Sooner or later I was going to find out.