Aurora

Disclaimer: Not mine. Sorry. I'm just playing with 'em.

Summary: During Carlisle Cullen's stay at Volterra, he learns there are other creatures that go bump in the night...

Author's Note: Squee! More favs! Thank you! I hope y'all like this chapter.

Chapter 11

Once daybreak came again, I stayed hidden within my own chambers, studying as well as might over any book that I might get my hands upon. Of questions, still had I many, but such things can easily wait when one has no such time constraints upon thee. I thought on the children of the moon as I read and did think upon a slight difference in the three, thus far, that I had met.

The first, during the attack upon myself and the child Lettice, didst seem more controlled, as if he were cunning in his plans but able to have sense about him. The second ones were more akin to rabid dogs than to any thinking creature. The question of which I though was whether the first one was a good deal older than the seconds ones and, if so, were the ones I was unfortunate enough to run into durst my hunt were much akin to our own kinds newborns? Of such questions, I had two sources that I may ask at my leisure.

The light of the sun broke through my window and filtered softly to the pages of the book I did so truly try to read. Such abilities as that of concentration when I was so distracted by the simplest thing as sunlight were ones that I did wish to have. Upon that though didst another earlier thought come to my mind as none of the questions did so fully disappear but get placed away from the forefront of my mind. Of what did make up Caterina's abilities that did so disadvantage her that she could not hunt to feed herself and must rely so heavily on blood freely wasted or upon myself, as I now hoped she would? I tapped my chalk against my simple board in such thoughts, thoughtlessly crushing the innocent chalk to but mere powder.

Knowing that such studying would currently prove fruitless, if the powder than now covered a good portion of my desk be of any measure, I went to change from my dusted britches and waistcoat to a slightly more formal set of clothing. I had not much of money but made well by the allowance given as an apprentice of sorts to Dr. Gagliardo. In such vain, did I seek to dress to such station in my linens and wools whilst others wore silks of brocade amongst those here present in Volterra's court. I saved what money I could, since I had no need to spend as such on food or upon shelter, and kept it so that I might buy my way to America some day and be able to practice as a doctor on my own.

America, the new world as such was still called, was the stuff of such dreams for all that darest to think upon it. There, there be no courts, no rules upon formalities nor much other than simple wilderness for so many miles even my mind could hardly believe the reports that did come back. I would have unlimited hunting grounds, live according to my lifestyle and see the natives of this new land for my own eyes rather than the descriptions upon the pages in the many books that I have read on. I would go to the English colonies since that would be most natural to me and work as a doctor amongst the villages to the northernly ways. I didst hear that the north of the colonies be always dark with clouds and little sun did shine upon them. From this description, did it so sound as a paradise to me for I would have little need to hide in cloud-covered skies and could, mayhaps, feel as if human again. But such a dream was held until such time as I did complete my studies and, most importantly, be around the smell of blood and have neither loss of control upon myself nor the mere feeling of it.

Once I was fully changed into a handsome suit of britches, waistcoat, and coat, did I head for my chamber door and wish to entreat upon Aro the many questions I still had about in my mind. Although I couldst ask them of Caterina with as much ease as I might of Aro, I felt Aro be better at giving me a proper answer and they wouldst be less fickle than the woman's. Caterina answered only the questions she did wish or was forced to comply with, Aro answered all with no regard to anyone's humor but he didst answer them. Of this blatancy didst I need so that I might end the suffering I had conjured as my questions played upon one another within my head.

The large wooden doors of the library werest open to me as I did approach them for the guard, Felix, pushed upon them before I had made my destination known. He looked at me and didst smirk as I approached. "Thought you might be by," he stated as he kept an arm upon the door to heave it open and for it not to close.

"Gratia," I told him in the Latin spoke of this court before my entering into Aro's library.

Aro sat behind the large wooden desk, writing with such fever upon the book in front of him, that I could not see his hand move from the inkwell and back to the paper. I took my steps to be within 10 feet of his presence and stood before him at his desk. He continued to write and did not acknowledge my presence for a good amount of time. When I thought it polite to give him an indication that he be not alone by a cough, he did wave his left hand within the air and gesture to one of the chairs behind me. I took it with ease and waited for his writing to slow so I might ask my questions of him.

As both of us be seated and he did continue to write upon the pages, I looked about the room as now it be daybreak and light filtered in through the thin plaid silk curtains that hung over the large window behind him. Some of the books and scrolls had been moved since last I was here but two days prior, and in much disarray were the scrolls I took to be quite old upon the top of the many shelves. As my curiosity took me as to why such disorder might have occurred, Aro's voice caught my attention. "I do apologize Carlisle for keeping you waiting. I am making copies of these many scrolls so that they might be preserved. Paper, parchment and papyrus are quite fleeting," he chuckled as he stood to move around his desk.

I stood in response as I might to any of a more senior status than myself but Aro, chuckling still, waved his hand at me so that I might resume my seat. I did as he so ordered. Aro, upon taking his own seat in one of the chairs neighboring mine, didst speak unto me, "I did hear about your latest adventure with the werewolves."

Of this, did it not surprise me for a part of me knew that Caterina may have need to submit reports, though verbal they may be, to the Volturi regarding her activities whilst she looked for Anna to stop her. "I have come to ask you of them, if I might," I informed him. So much did I wish to learn of them, far more than what Caius had already told me for there seemed far more to them than the rabid beasts he did describe; although that be a goodly description for the latest two I had encountered.

Aro laughed merrily at my words and clasped his hand together in joy. "Of course, dear Carlisle! I should be most happy to answer what I can, but I must say that Caius and I dare to say Caterina know far more than I," he told to me as he looked me in the eyes. He was searching, so clearly, as to why I had come to him and not my sister. If I were human, I would have shifted, uncomfortable in his gaze, but be as my nature now dictates, I sat perfectly still not allowing myself to show the slightest hint of discomfort.

"Caterina is not always forthcoming with her answers. I do fear she hides much from me for what she believes my protection," I informed Aro truthfully. Why she felt that she, a woman, must protect me, a man, may be not more than an elder sister's love for her younger brother but being as we were both grown and vampires at that I did wonder if not more had to do with such protectiveness.

Aro nodded sagely at my spoken thoughts and did give me a smile upon hearing them. "Indeed, Caterina does well to underground activities and intrigues to herself. I would suppose she could keep other secrets as well," he said with such knowing that I wondered what intrigue Caterina had on him. Would it be possible for her to know much of Aro that he may wish to keep hidden and that she would dare to expose such? Is that why, for every time I didst seem them within the same room, he did shy away from her and would not look into her thoughts for she had threatened him? I would ask this of her but not an answer would I suspect of her lips.

"What do you wish to know?" Aro asked of me, amused in his expression. I thought on which question to ask of him firstly. Should I ask of if the children of the moon have newborns such our kind do or of how the change comes by them and how much control the moon has over them? Thinking the first be the simpler of the two, I found it better to ask of it first.

"Do the werewolves have a year in which the change does overtake them as it is with our kind?" I asked, genuinely curious. It would be welcoming to me to know that such madness, though I dare say that my own now sounded mild compared to that of others that I have now heard, is not restricted to our own kind but shared with other supernatural creatures.

Aro's laugh echoed through out the library's walls, as the question did seem to cause him to be quite jolly, prior to quieting enough so that my question might be answered. "Of what we have learned, the werewolves do tend to gain control over time but what the time span is is unknown," he answered amusedly. "A young werewolf, one that has just been created, is especially violent in their ways as such did attack Caius many centuries ago," Aro told me with a smile at his lips. "But the elder ones know to stay away from us and us them except for the few that do hunt them in our private war."

"War?" I questioned for I had not heard as such before betwixt our kinds. I knew that many did hunt them but I thought it more feud, fueled by Caius' anger, than it be war. A war would involve many others and suggest that such action was sanctioned rather than a few renegade privateer vampires who did as such for more sport and revenge then any other cause.

"Indeed," Aro nodded as he did pull himself up to stand so that he might walk to one of the bookshelves while I sat and awaited the rest of his answer. "Though I have no personal quarrel with them as such, as you might have heard during your first night post meeting one of their kind, Caius most certainly does. I supposed getting your arm ripped off and your leg chewed upon does that to a vampire," he mused. The very picture he did paint within my head sickened me but I image much the same might hath happened to myself as well last night had Caterina not shown. I was not one for a fight even if it were to preserve my existence.

"Caius declared war upon the werewolves many years ago. He believed he had rid them from our shores but you have managed to prove that naught," Aro chuckled. "Why they come so close to Volterra is a mystery to me given they must know that to do so is a death wish if Caius has any say in such matters," Aro mused to himself mostly. I did not interrupt his thoughts for my own were quite similar given that I had seen for myself their proximity to the castle in the surrounding woods.

Aro didst turn to me and smile. "I ask you Carlisle, if you do go to hunt again, take one of the guards with you. I shall happily give such an order if you wish for it is not safe for any of us to go about the woods alone in such times," he asked of me. I nodded in response knowing that Caterina would easily come though it bothered me still the protectiveness she felt for me when I thought such things should be the other way around. A woman should not defend a man but yet she did so and I knew that such a thing was needed to be done thusly.

"Wonderful! You are too curious to me to have you lost to one of them," Aro smiled but venom slightly hinted in his voice at the idea of the werewolves. He may not have a personal quarrel with their kind but he did also seem not to take well to them. "I do suppose you have more questions?" he asked of me.

"Indeed, though I find them a bit less general in nature," I informed him. Aro waved his hand at me to continue. "Caterina mentioned that she too had abilities," I informed him as a smile played again at Aro's lips. He must have already known that she did not speak of such lightly to me and that the curiosity in me was due to the not knowing.

"And you wish to know of what she may do?" Aro asked as he resumed his seat, a book now in his hands bound in red leather.

"If I might," I answered for I did not wish to know what I might not find out for my own at some later date. I only wished to know of what I could without seeing the sadness upon her visage again as I had last night when I spoke of the hunt of the bear.

"What she does is quite odd. In all my immortal years, never have I seen her equal," he said with much esteem. I was surprised by his words given that he did often seem to fear her rather than hold her thusly. "She can take on the nature, I would suppose you might call it, of any sentient creature around her," Aro told me as he leaned closer waving his hand at me so that I might do so as well. "She can also force her will upon any other. It is said she cannot hunt because if she did, any she did hunt would die simply by her thought of them dying. Not only her intended prey but any others that might be neighboring her," he told me. Now, I did understand, for she could not hunt without killing more than she would want. It must work with animals as well, or she must believe it so, if her actions of the previous night be any indication of her thoughts.

Aro leaned back in his chair, a smile growing across his face. "I did witness as such for myself once and it was most fascinating to see! For, although we were a good ways away from her, I could make out the coven in front of her that had posed many problems for us. There were twelve of them, much too large and not careful in their choices which caused the death and destruction of many poor villages to the north, and but one of her. She allowed herself to be a vampire for once and did not allow the coven before her to move. One had a bit of flint but they all moved as to strike for a bit of flame. Once the first was alight, the others she did force to run towards him. It was fascinating in a very dreadful way," Aro told to me.

I was struck quite mute for I knew not of what to say with a story such as that. I knew not of what troubled me more for Aro's near amusement at such a retelling was ghastly enough but to think upon my sister easily killing twelve sentient creatures without a single word, but just her thoughts that might guide her in taking them over physically so that they might all be destroyed. I was wrong in my assumption that she was part of the guard here in Volterra, she was the guard itself.

Author's Note: I really want Carlisle to put two and two together but he won't do that for a very long time yet. Like post BD timeline....it's very sad really. Oh well. Only six or seven more chapters with my latest outline and then I can start on all the post-Eclipse/BD/post-BD goodness. It will be very sweet. I hope this one isn't that bad....