Chapter 3
Quil's POV
Three days, three days Claire slept. She seemed to be regaining her energy from exerting her power. In between patrols we all scanned through ancient Quileute documents looking for anything that could explain what happened to my sweet Claire.
"This is crazy man how can there be no record or mention of something like this …" Embry was complaining as we swift through the dusty records.
It was especially hard since many of our legions are told by word of mouth from the elders, there is no real record especially if anything like Claire's power predates the first wolves.
"I know man, but we have to keep looking she hasn't woke up in 3 days, what if she is in some weird magic coma." My mind was exhausted I hadn't slept I can't even remember when.
"Are you sure the elders don't have any stories?" even though Embry already knew the answer
"Sam has talk to several elders every day, and still none of them can recall anything like this."
My phone lit up, speak of the devil
"Hey Sam, any news? Is she awake? Any leads?
"one at a time Quil, she stirred and seems to be coming to but still sleeping, and second I think I have a lead."
"Thank God, ok what's the lead? I asked feeling the tight feeling in my chest begin to lift
"I talked to one of the elders and they said that the old medicine women records may hold some answers, and that an elder that still remembers the practices moved to the Makah reservation and is retired."
"Alright well let's go, did you get an address?"
"Yeah, I already texted to you meet up at my house and we'll head over"
I hung up the phone and nearly phased right then and there, Embry had heard the whole conversation and we were running for the door.
Finally, some hope into understanding what happened to my Claire Bear.
…..
"Alright we can't bombard her Quil she is an old woman and I don't know if she remembers our legends are true." Sam warned me
"I know man this just seems like our last chance" I said getting more anxious as we pulled up to the old medicine women's house.
We parked and jumped out of Sam's truck and walked up the path the old woman's cozy looking home. She had a garden full of different herbs protecting the house like a barrier. Clearly these were herbs used in her practice and were medicinal in nature. My nose picked up on so many different smells it was overwhelming to my senses.
We knocked and I heard the stirrings in side, the door slowly creaked open and there she stood. The Quileute medicine women. Her hair was a silver and she was frail but still held a strength about her, her brown eyes still held a fire in them that gave her a youthful expression.
"Hello boys I've been expecting you"
"Hello mam" we both said in unison
"Come on in I hear you have some questions for me" she said with a smile
"Yes, Mrs. Baker"
"please call me Aiyana" she said sweetly
"Now I'll put on a pot of tea and you two get to asking your questions" Aiyana said with a wise smile
She fiddled around in her kitchen preparing different herbs for the tea, while we figured how to start. Sam went first.
"Aiyana, how much do you recall of our legends?"
The smile now touched her eyes
"Ah I see, I remember them all little spirit warrior, why do you ask? Do your elders not remember the stories of your past?" she said with a smile as she sipped her tea
We both were shocked
"Ah uhu so you know what we are?" Sam asked hesitantly
"Honey I knew what you were the minute you stepped on my property, now what do you want to know?"
"Wow ok um well, are there any stories of anyone possessing power over fire? Or transforming into a wolf made of fire…I know this sounds straa.."
Sam stopped when he looked into her wide eyes.
Aiyana was thoughtful for a moment before she began speaking again,
"So, it has finally awoken…who is the girl?" she asked with wise kind eyes
"what has awoken?" I stammerd
"Who. Is. The. Girl. Young wolf?" she repeated
"My imprint, her name is Claire Young" I said softly
"an Imprint?" Aiyana's eyes grew even wider as I spoke
"my oh my this is something. Boys what I am about to tell you goes back generations around the time of the first spirit warriors. Now this story is only passed from medicine women to medicine women. But the cold ones have always been a threat you know this. It seems I must finally pass my knowledge on to someone who can use it." She took a breath and began her tale
"Well not everyone in the tribe believed the wolves or spirit warriors to be the best protectors from the cold ones, and one medicine women who back then was the shaman took matters into her own hands. Speaking to the spirits she imbued her hearth fire with magic. This became the fire spirit, or as most would call it a phoenix of sorts. This fire spirit in the same way the wolf's spirit did found refuge in a young woman of the tribe. The women became a part of the pack mentally when the spirit took over. She became a beautiful phoenix, bird of fire and soared across the sky keeping an eye from above for the warriors. When she was human it was said that if a cold one touched her it would burst into flame, but was harmless to all others. She was immortal until she too stopped changing and had children. The fire laid dormant in the bloodlines to follow but was foretold that one day would be awakened again."
"Why is this story not told with the others?" Sam asked
"Because my dear boy, the spirit warriors and fire spirit never truly got along. Yes, she kept a watch over them but she felt she deserved the worship not them. She left the tribe and forsake them when they needed her most…if she had stayed the third wife would have lived…so they erased her memory form the legends. In their eye's she abandoned the tribe and is the reason the chief's imprint died."